Baznas Invites People with Disabilities to Study Islam through Pesantren 1000 Cahaya

Jakarta — The National Zakat Board (Baznas) has invited people with disabilities to study Islam through the Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan initiative held at the Foundation for People with Disabilities (YPD) in Bogor City, West Java, on Saturday, 7 March.

Farid Septian, head of the Education and Outreach Division at Baznas, explained through a statement in Jakarta on Monday that the programme represents a coordinated effort mobilised by students of the Baznas Cendekia Scholarship scheme (BCB) across 233 locations spread across 30 provinces in Indonesia and 10 countries, including reaching Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

“Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan is designed to inspire and provide Islamic instruction for disabled and marginalised groups who may not have had access to adequate religious education,” he said.

Saidah Sakwan, head of Distribution and Empowerment at Baznas, emphasised that the activity represents one of Baznas’ commitments to embracing all communities.

Meanwhile, Taufik, chairman of the Indonesian Association of People with Disabilities (PPDI) Bogor City branch, expressed gratitude for Baznas’ presence given the limited facilities they face and hoped the activity would serve as a catalyst for others to pay attention to disability equality and empowerment.

“We are grateful to Baznas for the Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan programme. Currently, we are still struggling independently to cover operational costs and training for specialist teachers. We want to demonstrate that people with disabilities can be empowered if given equal opportunities,” Taufik said.