Muharram Unites Compassion: 'Lebaran Yatim' Embraces Orphans and People with Disabilities
The momentum of the month of Muharram 1446 H has become a new historical record for the philanthropic movement in West Sumatra. Through a programme titled ‘Lebaran Yatim dan Disabilitas’ (Orphan and Disability Eid), hundreds of orphans and people with disabilities in the region experienced joy through the distribution of aid and school kits.
The activity, which carried the theme ‘An Inclusive Message from the Soul of a Child for the Nation: Spreading Benefit, Strengthening the Ummah’, was not merely an annual ceremony. This event marked the strengthening of collaboration between the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of West Sumatra Province, the Amil Zakat Agency (BAZ), Amil Zakat Institutions (LAZ), and the West Sumatra Zakat Organisation Forum (FOZ).
Edison, Head of Administration at the West Sumatra Ministry of Religious Affairs Regional Office, representing the Regional Head, expressed high appreciation for the active role of amil zakat institutions. According to him, the success of this programme was the fruit of solid cooperation from the planning stage to execution in the field.
‘We express our gratitude and appreciation to all amil zakat institutions that have supported this activity. Without strong cooperation and collaboration, of course, this activity, which has been running since this morning, would not have been carried out properly,’ Edison said in his speech.
He emphasised that the benefit programmes run by zakat institutions have had a real impact, especially for the poor, orphans, and people with disabilities who often require extra attention.
One of the important points in this year’s Lebaran Yatim implementation was the involvement of people with disabilities as primary beneficiaries. This is a progressive step compared to previous years, which only focused on orphans.
Edison assessed this step as a tangible form of the government’s and social institutions’ commitment to providing inclusive services. ‘If the previous two years focused on orphans, this year we are partnering with people with disabilities. This is a very good step because both are groups that equally need support, attention, and wider access,’ he explained.
This spirit of inclusivity, Edison continued, is in line with the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ grand vision to realise a harmonious, intelligent, and beneficial society in welcoming Indonesia Emas 2045.
The West Sumatra Ministry of Religious Affairs plans to bring this collaboration to a more strategic and structured level. Edison revealed that the potential for expanding the programme’s impact is enormous, considering the Ministry has a network down to the grassroots level.
‘There are many things we can collaborate on. How the management of the poor community not only touches on the aspect of aid but also guidance and empowerment. We fix their houses, and we also guide the occupants,’ Edison added.
In addition to the distribution of aid in the form of basic necessities and school tools, the atmosphere of the activity was also enlivened by various achievement competitions. This aimed to provide a space for expression and increase the self-confidence of orphans and children with disabilities.