PONOROGO, EAST JAVA —-— The Tahfidzul Qur’an Hasan Munadi Islamic boarding school in Ponorogo needs proper living quarters and classrooms because the number of students is increasing, especially since the buildings, which have plywood walls and woven bamboo roofs, are aging. Ustadz Adi also explained that the student dormitories, which measure 6×6 meters, sometimes house up to 38 students. Sometimes, classes are also held in those rooms.
“The condition is indeed shaky and leaky, so the most urgent need is indeed a classroom. Now, we have demolished some of the rooms so that they do not pose a risk to the children. We have also carried out some construction, but we are constrained by costs. So, currently, the students take turns in classes, and sometimes we conduct lessons in the mosque and/or in the dormitory,” he explained on Friday (11/3/2022).
Every month, some students at the Hasan Munadi Islamic boarding school pay the full fee of Rp200,000 (two hundred thousand rupiah). This fee covers tuition, boarding, meals, electricity, and water. Some pay half the fee, Rp100,000 (one hundred thousand rupiah), while others are exempt from payment (free of charge) for underprivileged students and orphans.
“But from the playgroup level, students are already guided to memorize and study the Qur’an. Other advantages include calligraphy, qiro’ah, and sports. Students also learn farming as a form of economic empowerment, such as working in rice fields and gardens. They plant rice, corn, shallots, plantains, and avocados,” added Ust. Adi.
Previously, Ust. Adi was also a student at the Hasan Munadi Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo. As a student there, his heart was moved to dedicate himself to serving the Hasan Munadi Islamic Boarding School in Ponorogo and became one of the administrators there.
“At that time, I was a high school graduate, not an Islamic boarding school graduate. I wanted to study at an Islamic boarding school for only three months because I wanted to continue my studies in Yogyakarta. It all started with a recommendation from my brother to study at the Hasan Munadi Islamic Boarding School. Here, I feel comfortable, at home, and close to the administrators of this Islamic boarding school. The atmosphere is also beautiful, close to hills and rivers. If I had known about it earlier, I would have wanted to study here right away,” he admitted.
After staying here for a year and a half, I finally decided to study in Ponorogo. I briefly returned to Riau for two weeks to handle the transfer paperwork, but now I’ve settled here, and my ID card is registered in Ponorogo. I want to study and serve here. It’s never too late to seek knowledge, even until the end of one’s life,” concluded Ust. Adi. (Dompet Dhuafa / Dhika Prabowo)