Baznas Provides Religious Education for Street Children in Ciputat, South Tangerang
Jakarta – The National Zakat Collection Agency (Baznas) of the Republic of Indonesia has implemented the Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan (Pesantren 1000 Lights of Ramadan) programme, a humanitarian and religious outreach initiative targeting street children at the Community Reading Park (TBM) Kolong in Ciputat, South Tangerang on Friday, 27 February.
Farid Septian, Head of the Education and Outreach Division at Baznas RI, explained via statement in Jakarta on Sunday that scholarship recipients from the Baznas Cendekia Scholarship (BCB) programme at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta serve as driving forces for this social initiative, which has engaged 200 children.
“Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan is designed to engage, inspire and provide conducive Islamic education for street children and other marginalised groups. We want to ensure that the blessings of Ramadan reach them as a light, for those who have previously not had access to adequate religious instruction,” said Farid.
“This programme is our effort to reach and embrace children who have been unable to enjoy available facilities. Through Pesantren 1000 Cahaya Ramadhan, we are not only providing mentoring, but also fostering a spirit of literacy and spirituality,” said Saidah Sakwan.
Meanwhile, Ali Munhanif, Vice Rector III at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, praised Baznas’s approach of involving university students in direct community engagement as a positive example.
“Students must be role models – they are intelligent and committed, and now they are returning to embrace their less fortunate younger siblings. We fully support this activity so that the community surrounding the campus continues to have a healthy learning environment and encouragement to succeed in the future,” said Ali Munhanif.
The positive impact of this educational programme has been felt directly by the surrounding community, including Ambarwati, a housewife who attended to support her child.
“I am very grateful to Baznas for this highly beneficial activity for our children during the holy month of Ramadan. I hope Baznas continues to progress, remains trustworthy, and becomes a blessing for all people,” said Ambarwati.
This programme is part of the social responsibility obligation of scholarship-holding students during Ramadan and is being implemented simultaneously across 233 sites spread across 30 provinces in Indonesia and 10 countries. Beyond street children, the programme also targets disabled children, orphans, disaster victims, and Palestinian refugee children in the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.