PALEMBANG, SOUTH SUMATRA -– A journey of 431 km from Jayakarta to Sriwijaya. The Trans-Sumatra toll road, which was recently inaugurated by the government, became the route for the trip. All of this was done for one purpose: to ensure the quality of the sacrificial animals entrusted by donors, both in terms of health and weight, so that they are fit for consumption by the beneficiaries.
Throughout the journey through forests and swamps, one of the QC teams from Tebar Hewan Kurban (THK) Dompet Dhuafa, Ihsan Harivy, carried out his duties with enthusiasm and dedication. This time, he was still carrying out his mission to safeguard the trust of donors entrusted through THK 1443H. Around 1,000 sheep and goats and 5 cows from various THK Dompet Dhuafa partners in Sriwijaya were his targets.
“My presence here coincided with the anniversary of the oldest city in the archipelago. My awe never wavers from the iconic bridge built in the 1960s by the republic’s founding father, Ir. Soekarno. Since my journey to Palembang was made in the late afternoon, after coordinating via a messaging platform, I decided to rest my weary body after the long journey,” Ihsan recounted.
The next day, greeting the morning sun in Sriwijaya, after getting ready to start his activities, Ihsan was visited by the Dompet Dhuafa South Sumatra team. Coordination while enjoying a typical Palembang breakfast was the start of the morning. However, the purpose of visiting Sriwijaya was not for a culinary tour, but to ensure that the sacrificial animals that were part of Dompet Dhuafa’s Tebar Hewan Kurban (Sacrificial Animal Distribution) program were in the best condition.
Quickly Handling the Health of Sacrificial Animals
“I received information that the sheep and goats at the DD Farm Palembang pen had been affected by bloating. However, the team here was quick to respond and took immediate action. Two weeks before the inspection, DD Farm Palembang brought in a veterinarian to handle the case. Alhamdulillah, the sacrificial animals were not infected with the PMK virus; it was just a matter of adjusting to the weather. Of the approximately 500 sheep prepared by DD Farm Palembang, some of them passed the quality control process. Next, the animals that passed will be quarantined separately from the animals that are still in the recovery process,” added Ihsan.
This approximately 6-day trip ended with a visit to the barn of Masyarakat Mandiri’s partner, who had prepared 5 cows in the South Lampung area. After checking the cows, Ihsan immediately returned to Jakarta by land, crossing the Sunda Strait and submitting his report to the distribution team and quality control team. (Dompet Dhuafa/Ihsan Harivy/TYN)