The Story of Rojali, a Flood Survivor in Aceh Tamiang, Rises Again through Baznas Community Kitchen

The National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) of Indonesia does more than just distribute consumable aid to flood displacees in Aceh Tamiang Regency. Through the Ramadan Blessed Meals Community Kitchen programme, Baznas directly involves survivors in managing independent kitchens as part of mental recovery and community empowerment during emergencies. One such individual is Muhammad Rojali (44), a survivor whose home was completely swept away by flash floods last November. Since January, he has chosen to join as a cooking volunteer at the Baznas community kitchen to help others in the same predicament. “Initially, I only received food aid, but I felt compelled to help with the cooking. I didn’t feel right just receiving; I wanted to contribute,” Rojali said when met at his evacuation tent in Lubuk Sidup Village on Thursday (26/3/2026). Rojali, now living in an emergency tent with his wife and three children, also shared that the community kitchen serves as a vital source of nutrition for the community amid post-disaster economic hardships. “It’s very beneficial, especially for meeting the community’s food needs. Without this programme, we’d be struggling. We couldn’t even afford to buy meat to cook ourselves, but through Baznas aid, we can eat properly and nutritiously,” he added. Each day, the community kitchen processes around 50 kilograms of rice to provide up to 700 portions of meals. Uniquely, operations are conducted collaboratively by the local community on a rotational basis, from cooking vegetables and fish to preparing iftar snacks. Rojali expressed his appreciation to Baznas and the donors. “We are very grateful to Baznas for helping us every day through this community kitchen. This aid gives great motivation to us volunteers and survivors. May Baznas continue to progress, and may the donors be blessed with prosperity and health for caring about our fate in the evacuation,” Rojali said. The Executive Secretary of Baznas RI, Subhan Cholid, emphasised that involving the community in the community kitchen is Baznas’s strategy to empower residents and rebuild the mentality of disaster-affected people. “The philosophy of zakat is empowerment. Through this community kitchen, Baznas not only distributes food but also creates an ecosystem of mutual cooperation. We want the recipients to be actively involved, fostering self-confidence and collective independence during recovery,” Subhan explained. Subhan added that Baznas is committed to continuing to support survivors until the rehabilitation phase. “Pak Rojali’s story proves that zakat can move people to help one another. It is the power of solidarity and mutual cooperation that will strengthen Indonesia’s recovery post-disaster,” he stated.