NORTH LAMPUNG, LAMPUNG — Lyvia Dwi Lestari (11), commonly known as Lyvia, may seem like just an ordinary little girl at first glance, actively learning and playing like other children her age. Behind her friendly smile, who would have thought that Lyvia has extraordinary determination to continue to grow and develop into a great child.
Since childhood, Lyvia has never experienced the warmth of parental love. Instead, young Lyvia had to quickly witness the breakdown of her parents’ marriage. Her mother, who eventually remarried, had to leave Lyvia and her older brother, Muhammad Aldhi Saputra (16), behind to move to Central Java, while her father seemed unwilling to be bothered by his past, including his two children.
The grandfather, Junaidi, and his elderly wife Nurhayati couldn’t bear to see their grandchild in need of affection during her formative years. Without hesitation, they immediately took custody of Lyvia and Aldhi, even though their financial situation was very tight.
“Who could bear to see young grandchildren who had to be left by both parents? I didn’t want to think about anything else. I believe that these children will have their own sustenance from Allah SWT. I, who only have a small farm, am confident that I can raise them,” said Junaidi.
The warmth of the love of their grandfather and grandmother, who had cared for them since childhood, rebuilt their hope of becoming accomplished children. Junaidi does not want to be overly ambitious; he only hopes that his two grandchildren will have sufficient religious knowledge and always perform their daily prayers. Especially for Aldhi, the grandfather really hopes to see him become a khatib and an imam at the mosque near their home in Cahaya Negeri Village, Abung Barat District, North Lampung.
“I don’t want to be too ambitious, I’m already old. I just want to see my grandson (Aldhi) become an imam and khatib at the mosque to replace me. Maybe for Lyvia, I just want her to be able to pray on time. Children find it difficult to pray at dawn,” continued Junaidi.
The grandfather’s great hope is to gain the pleasure of Allah SWT by establishing the Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa Quran Learning Center (PBM), which provides free Islamic education to the wider community. Aldhi, who wants to fulfill his grandfather’s hope without much consideration, immediately joined the PBM Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa as a student.
“It is very beneficial. Clearly, the presence of PBM Azzahra is very beneficial for the community. You don’t have to look far. I can see the change in my grandchildren, who are now more diligent in performing their prayers, and Aldhi has become brave enough to become a khatib. I no longer see Lyvia being lazy and Aldhi being timid,” concluded Junaidi.
His younger sibling, who didn’t want to be left behind, also became one of the students studying at PBM Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa. Due to the ongoing
construction of PBM Azzahra, such as the Azzahra Mosque and the dormitory for female students, Lyvia must be patient to become a student who lives there. This does not dampen Lyvia’s enthusiasm to continue pursuing her dream of becoming an ustazah. She comes to PBM Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa every day accompanied by her grandfather after gardening.
“Once the dormitory is completed, Lyvia wants to try living there like her brother and meet her friends. But since it’s only available for boys, Lyvia currently commutes to and from the center with her father (Junaidi),” Lyvia explained.
The rapid development of Lyvia and Aldhi made Junaidi overwhelmed with happiness. Who would have thought that his two grandchildren, who grew up without parental care, would become positive and proud members of the family? Aldhi even aspires to continue his education in the Middle East to deepen his understanding of Islam. The establishment of PBM Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa became an important milestone in reviving Lyvia and Aldhi’s hopes of continuing to pursue their noble dreams.
“There is only one thing that keeps me motivated to study and learn here, sis. I want to show many people that I, who grew up without my parents, can achieve and be a source of pride. After graduating from here, I want to pursue a scholarship to the Middle East, sis. Please pray for me,” said Aldhi at PBM Azzahra Dompet Dhuafa. (Dompet Dhuafa / Arlen)