SERANG, BANTEN — According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) 2021, Banten is one of the poorest provinces in Java with a figure reaching 14.4 percent or around 1.4 million poor people. The poverty factor is triggered by the low quality of education and Human Resources (HR).
In this case, Dompet Dhuafa is here to take strategic steps to improve the welfare of people’s lives. One of them is by channeling the donors’ mandate to several economic and community empowerment programs such as the Momong House and the Dompet Dhuafa Sentra Farm or DD Farm in Serang, Banten.
Dompet Dhuafa is also committed to maintaining the donor’s mandate so that it is conveyed to the beneficiaries in the form of a report and took the initiative to hold a “Care Visit to Banten”. The visit, which was held on Sunday (06/09/2024), was a form of direct interaction between donors and beneficiaries. As well as an effort to transparency in the distribution of Dompet Dhuafa donations to donors.
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A total of 44 donors departed from Dompet Dhuafa Philanthropy Building Headquarters, Pejaten, South Jakarta to Rumah Momong, Serang, Banten. Once there, they discussed directly with the beneficiaries regarding the management of economic empowerment of mothers at Momong House.
Ambudhipa products became the hottest topic. Ambudhipa is a dried Telang flower, then processed into a herbal drink base with a high content of antioxidants. This product is useful for reducing inflammation and controlling blood sugar. The proceeds from the sale of Ambudhipa will fully benefit the beneficiaries.
The visit, which was held on the eve of Eid-ul-Adha, also became a space to reflect and raise the awareness of the donors to carry out both sharia and social worship, namely qurbani. The donors and mothers of Rumah Momong also listened to the study of Fiqh of Sacrifice by Ahmad Fauzi who is a member of the Secretariat of the Sharia Council of Dompet Dhuafa.
The head of Dompet Dhuafa Banten Branch, Mokhlas Pidono, expressed his happiness and emotion for the donors’ visit to a community empowerment program such as Rumah Momong. He said that Momong House was present as an effort to improve the human resources of housewives in Banten. Given that in one family, you cannot only rely on your husband to work, in order to realize a proper education for your children.
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“Not only Rumah Momong, we also have another empowerment program, namely DD Farm. (DD Farm) This is a farm that involves the community to be educated about animal husbandry. Then later they will become local breeders at DD Farm Banten. Later, the results of livestock will be sent during Tebar Hewan Kurban (THK), which is a DD program in distributing sacrificial meat. Ladies and gentlemen, Banten is still a province with extreme poverty. Even during Eid al-Adha, one of the villages in Serang Regency consisting of 300 families only sacrificed two animals, “explained Mokhlas.
In the midst of the heat of Serang at that time, the donors still had high spirits to continue the visit to DD Farm Banten. The person in charge of DD Farm Banten, Agus Salim, led the group to tour the farm. Starting from the feed processing barn, sheep / goat and cattle pens, to quarantine pens for animals undergoing treatment. Agus also conducted socialization related to Dompet Dhuafa’s THK program and introduced the beneficiaries of farmers who currently work at DD Farm.
“THK is a form of Dompet Dhuafa’s commitment to distribute sacrificial animal meat to beneficiaries who barely meet their meat protein consumption. As well as being a program to empower local breeders in managing their sacrificial animals.
Agus and his party also ensure that the sacrificial animals managed by DD Farm Banten are included in the 3 Definite criteria. Must be male, so as not to break the reproductive chain of farm animals. Definitely passed Quality Control, namely checking animal health and according to Sharia. Finally, it must be distributed to remote areas. He said THK in Banten will target areas with minimal qurbani, namely Serang, Lebak, Pandeglang and Tangerang Regencies.
At the end of the visit, as many as seven donors wanted to sacrifice at DD Farm Banten. Among them, four donors chose local THK in Banten, and three donors chose National THK, which will then distribute sacrificial animals to other parts of Indonesia.
Hermina was one of the donors who finally chose to sacrifice on that day. According to her, donors should choose an organization that is transparent in its management, such as Dompet Dhuafa.
“I have seen the animals myself, then the feed management. I didn’t expect this far, it was my first time at DD Farm. It turns out that Dompet Dhuafa runs its empowerment program this well. Finally, I decided to sacrifice here. Alhamdulillah, the process was easy, I immediately met the officers here,” he said.
In line with Hermina, Maria, one of the donors who has channeled mandates through Dompet Dhuafa since 2012, admitted that this was her first time visiting DD Farm. She expressed her pleasure in visiting Dompet Dhuafa’s empowerment sites. She never imagined that Dompet Dhuafa managed a farm as large as DD Farm Banten.
“I am happy with today’s Care Visit. Donors can go to the field and see Dompet Dhuafa’s empowerment process. This is my first time to DD Farm. I was very impressed because it turns out that Dompet Dhuafa is very strict in its qurbani distribution, relying on its own farms and empowering local farmers, “said Maria. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Hany Fatihah Ahmad
Editor: Riza Muthohar