Every movement starts with a single conversation. For us, it began with a shared belief: when you empower a mother with literacy, critical thinking, and a supportive collective, you transform not only a woman but an entire household—and ultimately, a nation.
Perkumpulan Ibu Cerdas Berdaya (‘Smart, Empowered Mother’) is the legal foundation and driving force behind Buibu Baca Buku. We exist to champion Indonesian women and mothers, nurturing critical thinking and collective action from the bottom up.
What began in 2018 as Buibu Baca Buku—an organic, community movement of mothers coming together around books—quickly revealed something deeper: a collective hunger for learning and civic space. By 2021, we made the deliberate decision to formalize our movement into a legal non-profit organization, Perkumpulan Ibu Cerdas Berdaya. We believe that while grassroots community energy creates spark and passion, building a strong, structured system is what ensures long-term sustainability, protects our community’s independence, and turns everyday conversations into lasting impact.
Our Theory of Change (Impact Model)
Our Growing Journey of Literacy
Over the years, our definition of literacy has also expanded alongside the mothers in our network. We realized that reading the world is just as vital as reading the page.
- Buibu Baca Buku: Our foundational movement centered on literature, general literacy, and building a vibrant reading culture among mothers. Started in 2018.
- Partners: Goethe Institut, Literature Translation Institute of Korea, Badan Bahasa, Penguin Random House, Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Periplus, Read Aloud Indonesia, and more
- Climate Literacy for Mothers: In 2023 we expanded into environmental advocacy, equipping mothers to lead climate conversations and sustainable transitions within their families and communities.
- Partners: Climateworks Foundation, Makesense Asia, IESR, ITDP, Greenpeace, WWF, Purpose, and more
- Politics & Policy Literacy for Mothers: Demystifying governance and public policy, empowering mothers to understand, question, and shape civic decisions that affect their daily lives. Started in 2025.
- Partners: Tara Climate, Think Policy
- co.llaBBB (Our R&D Sister): Standing for ‘Community Learning Lab for Betterment and Belonging’. Our latest initiative—a bottom up think tank that bridges grassroots household realities with high-level policy spaces through action research and actionable accessible insights.
Together, these initiative units empower mothers to take well-informed, courageous steps on their personal and collective journeys.
Where to Find Us Across the Web
To make sure every community member, partner, and supporter finds the right home, we share our work across two dedicated spaces:
📖 buibubacabuku.com
This is our vibrant, public-facing community hub. If you are looking for our activities update including those fall under Climate Literacy for Mothers and Politics & Policy Literacy for Mothers, buibubacabuku.com is where our community gathers.
🔬 ibucerdasberdaya.org (You are here)
This is our institutional foundation platform and the home of co.llaBBB, our research and development sister arm. Here, we will host our B2B research consultancy, policy briefs, and collaborative impact partnerships.
Ready to Take the Next Step With Us?
Whether you are a mother looking to join a community circle or an organization seeking data-driven insights from the ground up, we welcome you!