Rumah Zakat Trains Volunteers for Disaster Response in Greater Jakarta

Risks of urban disasters are not distant events but are ever-present in the capital and its surrounding buffer cities. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded 3,233 disaster events across Indonesia throughout 2023 up to 31 December, with floods being the most frequent at 1,652 incidents, followed by extreme weather at 714 incidents. This situation places volunteers as the parties who often arrive at affected locations before formal assistance, especially during the critical early hours that determine victim survival. However, rapid presence alone is insufficient; without field assessment skills, first aid, and understanding of safety procedures, volunteers risk adding to the handling burden.

This gap between high volunteer spirit and technical competency in the field has become a concern for the humanitarian organisation Rumah Zakat. Responding to this need, Rumah Zakat held the Volunteer Basic Training (VBT) 2026 over three days from 10 to 12 July 2026 at Villa Pink Camping Ground, Mount Halimun Salak National Park, Bogor Regency. The activity was attended by 42 participants from six Rumah Zakat branches, including Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Bintaro, and Cilegon.

Rumah Zakat CEO Irvan Nugraha stated that the Volunteer Basic Training is an annual programme as part of the regeneration of humanitarian volunteers who possess competence, integrity, and a collaborative spirit. “Volunteers are the spearhead of every humanitarian mission. We hope they continue to improve their capacity and are ready to engage in various humanitarian actions throughout Indonesia,” said Irvan.

Carrying the theme ‘Impactful and Sustainable Humanitarian Volunteers’, participants received knowledge briefings on Islam by Muhammad Ali Akbar from Rumah Zakat’s Humanitarian Division, Medical First Response (MFR) by Dr Eky Danu Fahrizal, disaster management by Tubagus from the Bogor Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), as well as materials on Search and Rescue (SAR), survival, safeguarding, and leadership in emergency situations by Donny Amrizal, a Junior PKPP Expert from the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS). Participants also undertook a long march to the training location and a disaster simulation designed to train field assessment, team coordination, first aid, and decision-making in emergency conditions.

The activity was also supported by the Telkomsel Taqwa Assembly (MTT) and Cita Sehat Foundation (CSF). The Chair of the VBT 2026 Organising Committee, Rulyando Rizky Juliansyach, said the training is expected to be the starting point for producing volunteers who have care, competence, and commitment to bring benefits to the community. A participant from the Depok branch, Rifaza Saulimatema, admitted to gaining a lot of experience during the training. “Alhamdulillah, I gained a lot of knowledge from Volunteer Basic Training 2026. Not only knowledge about disasters and first aid, but also mental and character building as a volunteer, as well as strengthening Islamic values. This provision motivates me to continue to be ready to contribute in every humanitarian action,” said Rifaza.

With the trend of hydrometeorological disasters showing no signs of abating, such training cannot stop at a single event. First aid and SAR competencies are skills that decline if not sharpened regularly, while the volunteer regeneration cycle demands continuous cadre development. Through the 2026 Volunteer Basic Training, Rumah Zakat hopes to see the emergence of more volunteers who possess technical competence, strong character, and a collaborative spirit, ready to be at the forefront of humanitarian actions and community empowerment programmes across various regions of Indonesia, especially in the Greater Jakarta and Cilegon areas.