Baznas and MUI Collaborate to Restore Aceh and Sumatra through Education Zakat Programme

The National Zakat Amil Agency (Baznas) of Indonesia and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) have officially established a partnership in the education zakat programme. As an initial step, Baznas received Rp600 million from MUI to be distributed to disaster victims, particularly in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. Baznas RI leader, Idy Muzayyad, welcomed the cooperation between Baznas and MUI. The zakat funds from MUI, he said, will be distributed precisely to disaster survivors in those three provinces. “The Rp600 million will be allocated for Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, with a focus on educational costs for victims and schools impacted by the disaster,” he stated, as quoted from an official release on Thursday (9/4). Idy explained that Baznas has the Baznas Disaster Response Team (BTB) with an unquestionable track record and international certification. MUI also has Muslim Disaster Rescue, so this collaboration, in his view, will have a positive impact and bring benefits to the community. “If the Baznas Disaster Response is collaborated with MUI’s Muslim Disaster Rescue team, this will be an extraordinary potential for community welfare,” Idy emphasised. Furthermore, according to Idy, this cooperation is crucial to strengthen the legitimacy and reach of dakwah in every humanitarian action. Thus, he hopes that this partnership will not be limited to disaster programmes but also extend to other Baznas initiatives. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary General for Disaster Affairs, Mabroer, stated that the cooperation with Baznas is packaged in the “Education Zakat” programme. This programme specifically targets children of disaster victims and private educational institutions such as Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs), Madrasah Aliyah (MA), and pesantren that are not state-owned, which often struggle to recover independently after disasters. “This assistance does not solve the problem entirely, but we hope it becomes a stimulus for the wider community to continue giving serious attention, because private schools in disaster areas are very vulnerable compared to public schools that receive state intervention,” Mabroer explained. Therefore, he said, MUI together with Baznas will provide special attention so that these schools can quickly rise from post-disaster hardship. “The hope is that together with Baznas, there will be additional donations and they will be distributed soon, so the benefits can be felt immediately for our children in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra,” Mabroer clarified.