Jakarta, 23 June 2025 — Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, and Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Veronica Tan, held a joint audience with the Jakarta Provincial Government and the management team (Unit Pengelola Rumah Susun/UPRS) Marunda. The meeting aimed to reactivate the library function of the Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) as a hub for literacy, education, and community empowerment through a creative economy approach.
“Literacy is not just about reading, but it’s also about building imagination and creativity from an early age,” said Deputy Minister Irene during the audience held at Autograph Tower, Jakarta, on Monday, 23 June 2025.
Deputy Minister Irene hopes that RPTRA can serve as a platform for showcasing local creative economy products. Therefore, the government’s mission to empower the creative economy can be realized while simultaneously educating the younger generation.
“If reading spaces at RPTRA are connected with local creations—such as comics, board games, or folktales—we begin to build an ecosystem that not only enlightens but also drives the grassroots creative economy. The creative economy is the new engine of growth that we must support now,” said Deputy Minister Irene.
Similar to Deputy Minister Irene’s, Deputy Minister Veronica emphasized the strategic role of RPTRA in shaping children's character and empowering women. According to her, public spaces like RPTRA should go beyond physical infrastructure and foster an inclusive, sustainable environment for growth and development.
“Children need spaces that are safe, joyful, and spark curiosity. But more than that, they need spaces that are alive. If literacy, creativity, and family values can grow from within the local community, then RPTRA becomes not just a playground but a foundation for the future. This is a long-term social investment,” said Deputy Minister Veronica.
As an initial step, following National Children’s Day in July 2025, a series of community-based activities will be held at RPTRA Marunda. These will include themed reading corners, traditional games, and educational board games based on local stories that are designed to boost children’s interest in reading and creative expression in fun, everyday contexts.
In its presentation, the Marunda management team acknowledged that the RPTRA library still faces various challenges: reading rooms are small (averaging 2x2 meters), book collections are limited and rarely updated, and there is a lack of relevant activities. Nevertheless, the local community remains proactive, running creative spaces, a recycling cooperative, used cooking oil banks, hydroponic gardening, and English classes reaching over 60 children.
The discussion also highlighted the area’s untapped potential, such as Rumah Pitung—which receives more than 1,500 visitors per week—as well as the nearby beach, greenhouse, and educational playground. These sites are considered highly suitable for integration into a community-based educational tourism concept that supports both local creative industries and children's learning experiences.
This cross-ministerial and local government collaboration—focusing on curating local content, engaging communities, and promoting literacy—is expected to transform RPTRA into more than just a playground, but into a center for learning and economic empowerment. This collaborative model is hoped to be applied in other regions as part of a broader strategy to nurture smart, creative, and self-reliant generations on the path to Indonesia Emas 2045 (Indonesia Golden Generation in 2045).
Deputy Minister Irene was accompanied by Director for Publishing and Photography Iman Santosa. Also present were Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Andi Muhammad Sufri; Head of Subdivision for Administration of the Deputy Minister, M. Reza Dwikusmana; Head of Marunda Subdistrict, Victor Hotma; Head of Welfare Section of North Jakarta, Cut Ali; and representatives from the North Jakarta Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population Control (Sudin PPAPP), Ferliha and Eni.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
