AMBON, MALUKU —-— The residents of Buru Island were bursting with excitement as Eid al-Adha 1447 AH approached. Even though it was late at night, dozens of people didn’t want to miss this rare occasion in their village.
Children and adults alike gathered in the village hall courtyard. They enthusiastically watched as 50 cows, sent by Dompet Dhuafa in preparation for the Eid al-Adha qurbani the following day, arrived.
With a strong pull, workers guided the animals down from a truck into the village hall courtyard. The residents welcomed them by chanting takbir and holding a torchlight procession.
Yes, ahead of Eid al-Adha 1447 AH on Tuesday (May 26, 2026), preparations for the Sacrificial Animal Distribution Program (THK) in Maluku are said to have entered the final stage. Preparations for the program have even reached more than 90 percent ahead of the day of the qurbani.
The Head of the Dompet Dhuafa Maluku Branch, Lajaenuri, stated that THK preparations began two months prior to Eid al-Adha. Currently, the field team has also started distributing sacrificial animals to several partner mosques collaborating on the program.
“Our preparations actually began two months prior for the THK distribution. Currently, our readiness is already over 90 percent,” said Lajaenuri during an interview.
Furthermore, Lajaenuri explained that this year’s Eid al-Adha program includes national qurbani distribution, local THK, and the Kurban Express Program, which partners with various mosques in Maluku.
As of the evening before Eid al-Adha, the number of sacrificial animals that Dompet Dhuafa will distribute through the THK and Kurban Ekspres programs has reached 45 cows, equivalent to approximately 300 sheep and goats.
The distribution areas for the qurbani animals span several regions in Maluku, including Tual City, Ambon City, Central Maluku, West Seram, East Seram, Buru Island, and South Buru.
According to Lajaenuri, the distribution of qurbani animals is primarily focused on Buru Island and Central Maluku, due to the high demand from communities in those areas. Meanwhile, Ambon City serves as one of the main distribution points for the Kurban Ekspres Program through partnerships with local mosques.
During the preparation process, several challenges were encountered, ranging from local social conditions, fluctuations in the prices of sacrificial animals, to distribution access to remote areas in the Maluku archipelago.
“The challenges usually involve the local community’s conditions, followed by animal prices that sometimes suddenly become expensive and don’t fit the budget. There are also requests from partners in locations that are quite far away, making them difficult to reach,” he explained.
Read also: After 26 Years of Waiting, Heres the Euphoria of the Eid al-Adha Celebration in Bitorik, Maluku
Additionally, this year’s economic conditions have also affected the number of sacrificers compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the public’s enthusiasm for performing the sacrifice is still considered high.
“This year, economic conditions may be quite difficult for some people, so the number of sacrificers has decreased slightly compared to last year. However, the public’s enthusiasm remains the same,” he said.
Moving forward, the THK Program is expected to continue growing and reaching more beneficiaries across the country.
“Hopefully, next year will be even better, and more people will make their qurbani donations through Dompet Dhuafa, so that the benefits can reach every corner of the country,” concluded Lajaenuri.
Despite facing various distribution challenges in the archipelago, the THK Program in Maluku is expected to run optimally through the support of local partners and thorough preparation. To that end, spread the goodness of your qurbani through https://digital.dompetdhuafa.org/kurban. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Nurul
Editor: Dhika