Three days a week, Ridwan Sururi saddles his horse Luna with two crates of books. Then, the 42-year-old horse caretaker, who lives with his family in central Java, Indonesia, takes Luna to nearby schools and villages, offering books on loan.
Ridwan Sururi and his two-year-old son walk home after visiting Miftahul Huda Islamic elementary school. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
The Kudapustaka, or "mobile library," first came to life last year after one of Sururi's employers, a horse owner, suggested the idea and donated the bulk of the books. In October 2015, Indonesian photographer Putu Sayoga met up with Sururi and followed him for five days while he made his rounds.
"Ridwan has an important role in giving villagers access to books," Sayoga said in an interview. Books are expensive and often hard to come by for rural families. In his few years as the volunteer mobile librarian, Sururi has already made quite the impression on local children. "The kids are really enthusiastic," Sayoga said, "running and swarming him when he arrives." Below, a look at Indonesia's traveling librarian:
Sururi bathes Luna. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
Sururi and his wife, who holds their newborn, prepare books for the library. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
Sururi and Luna hang out at a nearby village. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
Children read books at the Miftahul Huda Islamic elementary school. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
Students line up to borrow books from the mobile library at the Serang 5 Elementary School. | (2015 Putu Sayoga)
**See more from this series and other photography from Putu Sayoga at his website.**
