JAKARTA —— The aroma of home-cooked meals wafts once again from Warung Nasi Teteh Kuningan at Jalan Manggarai Selatan II No. 174, South Jakarta. Behind the simple display case, now filled with a variety of traditional Sundanese side dishes, lies the story of Pak Kasnadi’s (65) struggle—a migrant from Kuningan who had to face one of the toughest trials of his life.
For Mr. Kasnadi, this warung is more than just a place to sell food. He and his family depend on this long-standing business for their daily livelihood. Together with his wife and family, he runs this simple eatery, which has been the family’s source of income for many years.
However, on March 30, 2026, disaster struck unexpectedly. At the time, Mr. Kasnadi was in his hometown of Kuningan when the bad news reached him. A fire broke out, presumably caused by a gas leak that triggered an explosion on the stove at his food stall.
“I got a call from there. ‘Mang, the shop’s on fire.’ I was immediately shocked and rushed back here. When you hear something like that, you’re bound to panic,” recalled Mr. Kasnadi.
At the time of the incident, a family member was minding the shop. The explosion, triggered by the gas leak, caused the fire to spread rapidly, completely destroying the building and everything inside.
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Upon arriving at the scene, he found that the small shop—which served as his family’s main source of income—had been completely destroyed by fire. Business equipment, household furnishings, and various valuables could not be saved. The estimated loss amounted to Rp50 million.
“Everything is gone. There’s nothing left to salvage,” he said.
The disaster not only brought the family’s business to a halt but also left them facing an even greater ordeal. In the incident, Mr. Kasnadi’s brother-in-law suffered burns and had to undergo intensive care at the hospital. With their business at a standstill and their source of income gone, the family now faces the significant burden of medical expenses.
Mr. Kasnadi admitted that he was initially at a loss as to how to cover the medical expenses. At the time, he did not have health insurance that he could use immediately, so he was forced to borrow money from family members and relatives to cover the cost of treatment. The total hospital bill he had to pay amounted to tens of millions of rupiah.
“The hospital bill came to tens of millions. I also borrowed money from family members to pay for the treatment. Alhamdulillah, the hospital granted an extension on the payment deadline,” he said.
During his recovery, the family’s business nearly ground to a halt. Most of his daily time was spent caring for his family and figuring out how to get the food stall back up and running. Fortunately, support from family and relatives helped them survive amid these difficult circumstances.
New hope then came through assistance from ROIS OJK, distributed by Dompet Dhuafa. As a trusted zakat distributor, Dompet Dhuafa provided assistance worth 15 million rupiah to Mr. Kasnadi to help ease the burden his family faced in the aftermath of the fire.
The aid was used to help cover the medical expenses of a family member who suffered burns, as well as to boost business capital so that Warung Nasi Teteh Kuningan could resume operations.
“This aid has been a huge help. Part of it went toward hospital bills, and part toward business needs. So our burden has been eased a bit,” she said.
Slowly but surely, Warung Nasi Teteh Kuningan is back on its feet. After undergoing renovations and a reorganization that lasted about a month, the warung is now serving customers as usual. Although it is still in the recovery phase, customers are starting to return, and business is back on track.
For this 65-year-old man, his hopes for the future are quite simple. He wants his business to return to normal, his family to stay healthy, and a steady stream of halal income to continue flowing to meet their daily needs.
“My hope is that things can go back to normal, that I can sell my goods again. The important thing is to be healthy and have a livelihood. Alhamdulillah, thank you to Dompet Dhuafa and ROIS OJK for their help. May humanitarian aid like this continue,” said Mr. Kasnadi.
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Mr. Kasnadi’s story serves as a reminder that behind every tragedy, there is always hope that grows through the compassion of others. The assistance provided not only helped rebuild the shop that had been burned to the ground, but also revived a family’s spirit and optimism to get back on their feet and move forward with their lives.
Let’s continue to make a difference for more families through Dompet Dhuafa Donations. Because every act of kindness you contribute can help them get back on their feet and build a better life. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Nurul
Editor: Dhika