TANGERANG —–— Indonesia is the country with the most coffee shops in the world. A global Point of Interest (POI) report from November 2025 reveals that there are more than 460,000 coffee shops in Indonesia, ranging from modern outlets and traditional stalls to roadside coffee shops scattered across the archipelago.
To respond to this opportunity, PT Agrinesia Raya distributed corporate zakat through Dompet Dhuafa in the form of a Barista Upskilling Training Program, as an effort to encourage the improvement of community competence and economic independence.
The training lasted for five days from January 12 to 16, 2026, at the Islamic Village Complex, Jl Zaitun Raya, Klp. Dua, Kelapa Dua District, Tangerang Regency, Banten. The event featured an experienced Q Arabica Grader, Syaiful Bari, and was attended by ten participants from various regions.
During the five-day training, two main topics were presented. The first was hard skills on coffee techniques, ranging from Coffee Value Assessment (CVA), Coffee Cupping, Introduction to Coffee Sensory Skills, and Sensory Intermediate (Defect & Off-Flavor). The second was soft skills, covering Growth Mindset, Communication & Service Excellence, and Financial Literacy.
Sri Apriyanti, Fundraising & Communications Manager at the DD Independence Institute, said that this training program was the result of a collaboration between Dompet Dhuafa through the Independence Institute and PT Agrinesia Raya. For this reason, she expressed her deep appreciation to PT Agrinesia Raya as a donor. Sri Apriyanti hopes that this collaboration will continue so that many more good programs can be carried out together.
The Independence Institute is a vocational education institution under the auspices of Dompet Dhuafa that focuses on various practical training programs. This Upskilling training program is a follow-up to the basic training that has been running for almost 7 batches. The goal is to improve the competence of baristas so that they are more professional and competitive.
According to Sri, the main mission of the training program created by the DD Institute of Independence is to minimize unemployment and reduce poverty.
“We want our friends to work professionally, with integrity, and have good communication skills. That is why we also provide soft skills training,” she said.
The Fundraising & Communications Manager of the Kemandirian Institute hopes that this training can boost the participants’ careers in the coffee industry.
“So that the increase in skills will have an impact on increasing income,” said Mbak Sri, as she is affectionately known.
Sri said that opening a barista training program has its own challenges. At first, many participants seemed enthusiastic, but that motivation quickly faded once the training ended.
“There are still many young people who participate because of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out),” she added.
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PT Agrinesia Raya, a company engaged in the production of traditional Indonesian foods, is not only focused on business growth, but also upholds social values. This commitment is realized through the distribution of corporate zakat through Dompet Dhuafa, which has been running since 2021 to date, with implementation in various empowerment programs that provide tangible benefits to the community, one of which is in the form of Barista Upskilling training.
Unlike the previous basic barista training, this training is focused on participants who have already passed the basic stage.
However, this does not apply to Bukhari, a student at Muhammadiyah University Tangerang. He is a participant who took part in the basic barista training program in 2024 and continued with the Upskilling training in 2026. After the training two years ago, Bukhari has won various coffee competitions.
“I participated in the P2MW competition, which stands for Student Entrepreneurship Development Program. I received Rp15 million in funding. Alhamdulillah. Then I also participated in the KMI Expo in Magelang and won third place out of 800 teams from all over Indonesia. Thanks to this training, I have been able to get this far,” he said.
Bukhari explained that basic barista training programs elsewhere are typically paid, with prices starting from around Rp6 million. Meanwhile, upskilling classes can be even more expensive. However, thanks to Dompet Dhuafa and generous donors, Bukhari was able to learn the skills he loves for free.
“This is something I must be grateful for, and I will definitely maximize and make the most of my role here,” he added.
He hopes that programs like this can continue. Because of their significant impact on social welfare, as he has experienced firsthand. “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the donors, namely PT. Agrinesia Raya, Dompet Dhuafa, and the Independence Institute, for facilitating the learning process,” said Bukhori.
“I hope to get a job. After getting a job, I can create job opportunities for others,” he concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Aji Pangestu
Editor: Dhika