Bogor, West Java – For the first time, the Mosque Empowerment Collaboration (KMP) initiated by Dompet Dhuafa held the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Mosque Empowerment Academy (AMP), attended by 55 graduates. The inaugural AMP graduation was held on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at the IPB International Convention Center, coinciding with the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.
AMP is the flagship program of the Mosque Empowerment Collaboration by Dompet Dhuafa aimed at upgrading the capacity of mosque caretakers. This program is designed to profile mosque caretakers with a sense of trustworthiness, professionalism, and accountability in managing mosques.
The 2023 AMP Graduation event began with a welcoming address from the Chairman of the National KMP, Andi Juliandi. According to Andi, this is the time to build a civilization of faith that stems from the mosque. AMP serves as a platform to nurture outstanding individuals who will return to the mosque as the best caretakers and servants, carrying a grand vision of making the mosque a part of poverty alleviation efforts.
“Now is the time, my friends, to build a civilization of faith for sure, and the method must be carried out optimally. We are in the era of the 4.0 revolution, mosque administrators must keep up with developments, and implement various innovations. It’s time for us to build this civilization, and civilization starts from the mosque,” Andi expressed in his speech.
Before finally graduating, AMP participants went through a series of capacity-building activities for three months from May 8 to August 5, 2023, involving a hybrid learning and teaching approach, both offline and online.
This program was offered to representatives of KMP mosques as beneficiaries. It included matriculation classes (to standardize the understanding of mosque caretakers related to empowerment mosques), basic classes with the curriculum of the five pillars of the Empowerment Mosque, and visits along with practical training at representative KMP mosques.
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Dompet Dhuafa manages the AMP agenda as an effort to support mosque-based institutions or foundations, which in this case are the Zakat Management Partners (MPZ) of Dompet Dhuafa and the Mosque Empowerment Collaboration, to enhance the capacity of mosque caretakers encompassing the five functions of a mosque; the functions of Baitullah (house of Allah), Baitul Maal (house of wealth), Baitut Tarbiyah (house of education), Baitud Dakwah (house of preaching), and Baitul Muamalah (house of transactions).
“In our AMP agenda, we really want your institutions to grow, to be trustworthy, and accountable. Afterward, our hope is that we can more optimally harness the potential of zakat funds. Hopefully, this is a shared understanding that Dompet Dhuafa is facilitating for us to grow together, become bigger together, and stronger together in the vision of eradicating poverty,” said Imam Al Faruq, the Head of the MPZ and Service Zone Department at Dompet Dhuafa.
After being established for one year, there are currently 359 mosques from six regions that have joined KMP: the central region (Greater Jakarta, West Java, and Banten), Yogyakarta, Riau, South Sulawesi, Papua, and Jambi.
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The graduation ceremony which was held in line with the commemoration of the Indonesian Independence Proclamation added significant value to the graduation, as the event began with the reading of the proclamation text.
The reading was led directly by the Chairman of the Economic and Empowerment Council of Indonesian Mosques (DMI), Sofyan Djalil, and was followed by the graduates who came from KMP Central Region, Yogyakarta, Riau, South Sulawesi, Papua, and Jambi.
In his address, Sofyan Djalil expressed that a mosque caretaker holds an important position and role in empowering the community. This role extends beyond matters of worship and the construction of magnificent buildings, encompassing various aspects such as the programs to be implemented. He also added that in enriching the mosque, one of the tasks of KMP is to change mindsets and promote open-minded thinking.
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“What we need to change is the mindset; therefore, the role of the mosque in addressing poverty and ignorance is crucial. We need to change the mindset first. The task of KMP is to change the mindset of the congregation first, to transform their mindset towards goodness through creative means. The most important thing is how we can solve today’s problems with the spirit of Islam, which is a mercy to all of humanity,” said Sofyan.
“Don’t be satisfied; there’s always room for improvement in adapting program conditions to the needs of the community. Stay open-minded. If we are open, we will discover new things and innovations. Be open to new ideas, so that we can do more for the betterment of society,” he added.
The benefits of the AMP program were truly felt by Kasmawati, a participant and also a lecturer from Masjid Al Hikmah Makassar. She mentioned that the AMP program changed her mindset, where she used to see the mosque only as a place of worship, but now she realizes that the mosque can be a solution to various problems.
“Thank you, Dompet Dhuafa. Meeting people who share a single vision and mission is delightful. The most impressive aspect was fundraising; it’s amazing how we can encourage economically capable members of the Islamic community to contribute to the mosque. I had never even heard of the term ‘fundraising’ before coming here,” she said.
“Secondly, I’m very pleased with the learning methods and the enthusiasm of the mosque caretakers and our teachers here. They are ageless in their dedication. So, how we can be of benefit to others, and in benefiting others, there is happiness. As for the implementation of the five pillars, I will apply them in my mosque, God willing,” Kasmawati concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa/Anndini)