DEPOK, WEST JAVA —-— A pair of feet walked toward a neatly arranged stack of books; he walked slowly, among the rows of organized knowledge. His steps passed the fiction section; a few steps later, he crossed the self-development section, until he arrived at a shelf containing copies of the Qur’an, neatly displayed by size.
The owner of those footsteps is Abdullah Sayuti (12). The boy, who is currently in the 6th grade of elementary school, is one of 50 exceptional children or beneficiaries of the Belanja Bareng Yatim (Shopping with Orphans) program, a collaboration between Dompet Dhuafa and Paragon. This program is also an implementation of Dompet Dhuafa’s Muliakan Yatim (Honor the Orphans) Program.
On Tuesday (March 10, 2026), 50 children and their Dompet Dhuafa mentors gathered at Gramedia Margonda in Depok to shop for their school supplies.
Take Sayuti, for example, who bought several school supplies such as stationery, notebooks, and a copy of the Qur’an. He had been thinking about buying a Qur’an for quite some time. His resolve grew stronger when he found a Quran that met his needs.
“I really love reading the Quran and doing tadarus because I want to earn rewards,” said Sayuti.
Eventually, he settled on a Quran that he could take anywhere, thanks to its compact size. This makes it easy for Sayuti to read the Quran anytime and anywhere.
“I bought a smaller Quran so it’s easy to carry around because the one at home is too big,” explained Sayuti.
Thanks to the collaboration with Paragon Corp, which donated its corporate zakat through Dompet Dhuafa, Sayuti and 49 other children were able to experience joy during Ramadan 1447 H. They were able to obtain new school supplies to support their studies.
“Thank you to the Dopmpet Dhuafa and Paragon teams for buying me a Quran. I’m so happy today. May Allah grant you a long life, good health, and strengthen your Islamic faith. Aamiin,” concluded Sayuti.
Etika Setiawanti, Director of Resources & Mobilization at Dompet Dhuafa, expressed her appreciation to Paragon Corp for its collaboration with Dompet Dhuafa in supporting orphaned children. She noted that this collaboration serves as proof that these children are not alone and that there are still many people who care. She also hopes that this initiative will inspire more partners to join in the collaboration and contribute to bringing happiness to orphaned children.
“For this event, we were also supported by donors, including Paragon Corp, so we would like to thank all our partners in kindness, both Paragon Corp and Gramedia,” said Etika.
“Of course, our hope is that the children can be happy and feel that they are not alone—that many people care about them. Just as in Dompet Dhuafa’s ‘Muliakan Yatim’ program, insha’Allah, we aim not only to provide charity to orphaned children but also to ensure they can attend school and become self-reliant,” Etika continued.
During the event, in addition to having the opportunity to shop for various school supplies and other learning materials, the children also participated in games and a storytelling session based on one of the author’s books at Gramedia, followed by a shared iftar meal. The series of activities concluded with the distribution of aid to the children.
On the same occasion, Fathia Irhami was also present as a Dompet Dhuafa Super Volunteer. She shared her first experience accompanying these wonderful children.
“It was so much fun—this was my first time accompanying the kids. They were so enthusiastic; they were thrilled running around here and there—some asked for bags, some for stationery, water bottles, and Alhamdulillah, all their requests were fulfilled,” said Fathia.
According to Fathia, Dompet Dhuafa’s “Shopping with Orphans” program is considered highly effective because it provides an experience of sharing through hands-on shopping tailored to their needs.
“This is really innovative because they’re given a set budget but can still meet their specific needs. In my experience working directly with Dompet Dhuafa, every program is great and always hits the mark,” she added.
Fathia also hopes this activity becomes a valuable experience for the children, so that in the future, they can pass on these acts of kindness to the next generation.
Alhamdulillah, the children returned home not just with a gift, but with a newfound strength—knowing they are not alone. Dompet Dhuafa always welcomes all forms of collaboration that can bring happiness and hope to these amazing children. Support them through https://digital.dompetdhuafa.org/donasi/yatimramadan. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Anndini Dwi Putri
Editor: Dhika