JAKARTA – The Forum Zakat (FOZ) facilitated a close-loop collaboration between PT Karya Masyarakat Mandiri (KMM), a business unit of Dompet Dhuafa, and YBM BRILiaN for the rice ATM program.
“We brought together the empowerment products of the Zakat Managing Organizations (OPZ), which involve mustahik (beneficiaries), with the market, which is the service unit owned by OPZ. In this collaboration worth more than IDR 388 million, KMM Dompet Dhuafa has quality rice produced through empowerment programs in Cianjur, which we connect to the Rice ATM program that certainly needs rice for distribution,” explained Agus Budiyanto, Executive Director of FOZ, after the signing of the multiparty cooperation at the Birrul Amin Mosque, Cipete, Jakarta, on Friday (18/8/2023).
Agus further explained that the 200 OPZs under the association have various programs, ranging from productive empowerment in various sectors.
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“From these programs, many commodities are produced, both goods and services, ranging from rice, coffee, sugar, poultry, meat, eggs, fish, clothing, handicrafts, and even mentoring programs such as ustaz and tahsin teachers that are ready to be distributed to various parts of Indonesia.”
“At the same time, there are also charitable institutions and service units such as Rice ATMs, free meals, tahsin tahfiz services, orphanages, pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools), and disaster response units,” he said.
FOZ’s hope, he continued, is for the products resulting from the empowerment of mustahik to be absorbed by other OPZ programs in need, as currently done by Dompet Dhuafa & YBM BRILiaN.
“We certainly ensure high quality, so we are ready to facilitate entry into the retail and international markets,” he concluded.
Director of PT KMM Dompet Dhuafa, Jodi H. Iswanto, stated that the Close Loop pattern between OPZs initiated by FOZ is expected to be carried out by other OPZs soon.
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“One collaboration will create more collaborations and other requests. PT KMM Dompet Dhuafa itself has become a supplier for large companies for social and CSR cooperation, so why not between OPZs,” he said.
Jodi also explained that the rice produced by Dompet Dhuafa’s empowerment program comes from farmers in Cianjur, which is physically not as white as the rice in the market. However, he ensured that the taste of the rice is better with complete nutritional content.
“Since 2010, we have been empowering farmers in Cianjur with the concept of productive zakat. We manage and supervise it to maximize cultivation with an environmentally friendly farming system without using pesticides. This rice doesn’t need to be washed to preserve the taste and nutritional value,” he explained.
In the same event, a representative from YBM BRILiaN’s Empowerment Program Division, Dimas Agustin Syahputra, mentioned that the Close Loop Supply Chain concept designed by FOZ is in line with YBM BRILiaN’s desire for the Rice ATM program to have a multi-layered effect on many parties.
“We don’t want to monopolize goodness only with DKM Birrul Amin partners, but also with KMM Dompet Dhuafa facilitated by FOZ. This is what we call a collaboration of goodness in giving meaning to Indonesia,” he said.
Dimas also explained that YBM BRILiaN has installed Rice ATMs in various locations in Indonesia since 2020, when Covid-19 struck. This was done with the hope of alleviating the burden on the community during difficult times.
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“The three-year journey of Rice ATMs is quite long. Currently, there are 183 Rice ATMs throughout Indonesia that have helped 18,300 families. Hopefully, Rice ATMs will be inspiring, becoming a continuous charity and strengthening zakat utilization programs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ustaz Abdul Wahid, Chairman of DKM Birrul Amin, appreciated the Rice ATM program.
“Initially, we were somewhat unfamiliar with the rice withdrawal process, but now Alhamdulillah, the rice is felt by hundreds of mustahik, with each taking three liters of rice,” he said.
“Thank you to the relevant parties for the Rice ATMs for the residents around the mosque. Hopefully, this program will continue to run and reach more mustahik. Considering that the area around the mosque is densely populated, we hope the Rice ATMs can reach those who truly need it,” he concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa/FOZ)