BANTEN — “Mom! I don’t want to go to school yet. I’m afraid the building will collapse,” said one of the students, which really struck Rosita’s heart. The head of MDTA Al-Khairiyah did not refuse. Rosita also realized that the building that became a place of religious learning for dozens of students had the potential to harm the people inside.
The good news is that Dompet Dhuafa and Matahari Store have once again established a synergy to provide support for Indonesian education. Efforts to strengthen and improve the quality of education for the nation’s children this time focused on school renovations. The target of this renovation is the building of Madrasah Diniyah Takmiliyah Awaliyah (MDTA) Al-Khairiyah, where Mrs. Rosita educates the children of Tegalsari, Walantaka, Serang City.
The poor condition of the school building was the main reason why MDTA Al-Khairiyah was chosen as the recipient of this school renovation assistance. The decades-old building suffered severe damage to the roof, potentially jeopardizing the safety of students. In addition, the woodwork, windows, floors, and learning facilities such as tables, chairs, and blackboards were also in poor condition.
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Despite the poor condition of the building, the spirit of teaching and learning in this school remains high. As a woman social activist, Rosita revealed that the school has 65 students with 6 teachers. The lessons taught are religious materials, such as fiqh, akidah, morals, hadith, Al-Qur’an, and others. Teaching and learning activities are actively carried out every Monday to Thursday from 14.00 to 16.00 WIB.
For Rosita and five other teachers, in bad weather conditions, the school actually does not want to force students to continue learning, for safety reasons. But most of the students still wanted to go to school. In cases like this, teachers are forced to move the classrooms to mosques, musala, or houses to avoid the risk of roof collapse.
“We (teachers) have become more enthusiastic about teaching. Children and parents hope that school will not be canceled. They must continue learning. Their spirit is also very high, even though the wind (comes) and rain (falls), they still go,” said Rosita, who has served for five years at MDTA Al-Khairiyah.
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According to Rosita, who is also a volunteer with Dompet Dhuafa’s health program, the MDTA Al-Khairiyah teachers come to teach voluntarily. They do not expect a salary. However, some parents still want to collect donations as an appreciation for their children’s teachers. The collected infaq is then managed by Rosita to be given to the teachers, at least, as a substitute for their travel expenses.
“It is important to educate children so that faith and piety are instilled for later provision in the afterlife. Alhamdulilah, now there are donors from Matahari Store customers who want to rebuild this school. Actually, this building is not suitable for school use. Since there are no more diniyah (religious) schools around here, whether we want it or not, we have to continue. Moreover, the children are also enthusiastic about learning,” said Mrs. Rosita.
On Wednesday (16/10/2024), the school renovation process began. With great enthusiasm, local residents helped dismantle the damaged roof and tiles. This shows the community’s concern for their children’s education. The community has long wanted to renovate the school so that their children can study comfortably and calmly.
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Athar Ibrahim Khalaffaith, one of MDTA Al-Khairiyah’s 4th grade students, said he enjoyed studying at the school, especially hadith lessons. However, he also expressed concern about the damaged condition of the building.
“I study comfortably because I like it. It’s fun to study here. The teachers are also good. But I’m a little scared because the building, especially the roof, is damaged,” said the soccer enthusiast.
Athar also shared that to get to school, he only needs to walk. The close distance between his house and the school is the reason. Later, if the school renovation is successful, he believes MDTA Al-Khairiyah will be a comfortable and safe place for him to study. Athar also promised to be more active in deepening religious knowledge there.
Similar to Athar, a 3rd grade student, Nazma Anindya Putri, also admitted that she feels comfortable attending MDTA Al-Khairiyah. The reason is because the teachers are kind and friendly, and the location is close to home. Unfortunately, the inadequate condition of the building sometimes forces her to worry every time she studies.
“When it rains, we move to the teacher’s house. It’s comfortable, but I’m a little afraid of the roof collapsing. Hopefully it can be repaired to make it more comfortable to study,” said the child who aspires to become a doctor.
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In the process of rebuilding this school building, Dompet Dhuafa greatly appreciates the local residents who are so enthusiastic in helping. No matter how much assistance is provided by Dompet Dhuafa and Matahari Store for this school, it will not run smoothly without the support of the local community.
Zamakhsyari as the Education Program Division of Dompet Dhuafa Banten said, the target of this renovation process will be completed in the next few months. In addition to renovating the 3-classroom building, Dompet Dhuafa will also strive to provide adequate toilet space. So that when students want to urinate or defecate during class hours, they don’t need to go home as they have been doing. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Riza Muthohar
Editor: Dhika Prabowo