Ministry of Social Affairs and Baznas Forge Collaboration to Enhance Social Welfare and Support People's Schools

The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) and the National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) have agreed to form a strategic collaboration to support President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programmes. This partnership was established during a meeting between Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf and Baznas Chairman Sodik Mudjahid at the Kemensos office in Jakarta on Thursday, 7 May 2026.

The collaboration focuses on enhancing social welfare through empowerment programmes and the People’s Schools initiative, including support for renovating unfit homes (rutilahu) for parents or families of students.

During the meeting, Gus Ipul explained that Kemensos and Baznas will strengthen cooperation on existing programmes. One such initiative involves continuing the empowerment and relocation of fisher families, previously implemented for 93 families in the coastal area of Eretan, Indramayu Regency, West Java.

“We collaborated with Indramayu Regency, which provided one hectare of land. The houses were built by the Ministry of Social Affairs through the empowerment programme. Subsequently, the infrastructure and places of worship were constructed by Baznas, including spaces for MSMEs and MSME empowerment. There was also additional support from a company’s CSR,” said Gus Ipul.

To ensure programme sustainability, after the relocation process is complete, Kemensos will provide mentoring and empowerment so that the fisher families can become more independent. In the future, this programme will be extended to several regencies, including for 118 families in Mesuji Regency, Lampung.

“And, God willing, we will move to several regencies, including Mesuji Regency in Lampung Province. We will also collaborate to relocate more than 100 fisher families living along the riverbanks there,” he clarified.

Furthermore, Gus Ipul stated that the collaboration will focus on implementing the People’s Schools. Both institutions have agreed to provide assistance for renovating unfit homes for parents or families of People’s Schools students.

“For People’s Schools, as we often mention, the children attend school, the parents are empowered, the children graduate, and the family advances. As part of this empowerment, the families of People’s Schools students’ parents will receive other strategic programmes from the President, such as assistance for unfit homes,” he said.

The unfit home assistance is specifically provided to parents or families of students whose homes are built on land they do not own, thus ineligible for government budget intervention. “Not all families or parents of People’s Schools students can be assisted with government funds, because some of their homes are built on land that is not their own. For these cases, we need Baznas’s help, as Baznas can certainly assist even if the house is not on their own land,” said Gus Ipul.

With this collaboration, Kemensos is committed to encouraging all employees to channel their zakat, infak, and sedekah through Baznas. “We will also invite the general public; if anyone has surplus income, they can channel it through Baznas, and it will be fully used to help the most needy families in the National Single Social and Economic Data,” he said.

Baznas Chairman Sodik Mudjahid stated that the cooperation with Kemensos is a strategic step. This is because both entities have the task of improving welfare and eradicating poverty.

Sodik explained that Baznas channels zakat, infak, and sedekah to eight asnaf (groups), focused on education, health, small business development, dakwah, and humanitarian efforts. “These are fields that intersect with the Ministry of Social Affairs. That’s why we met, to ensure that in the future, these programmes are more coordinated and focused, so they are not limited to just charity distribution and sharing, but have an institutional impact,” said Sodik.

The meeting was also attended by Kemensos Secretary General Robben Rico, Director General of Social Empowerment at Kemensos Mira Riyati Kurniasih, Special Staff to the Social Affairs Minister for Empowerment and Handling of the Poor Ishaq Zubaedi Raqib, Baznas Distribution, Utilisation, and Empowerment Division Head Idy Muzayyad, Deputy 2 for Distribution and Utilisation at Baznas Imdadun Rahmat, and other related officials.