West Sumatra Hajj Ministry Office Initiates 'Young Hajj' Movement for Students

Padang (ANTARA) - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Hasting and Umrah (Kemenhaj) of West Sumatra has initiated the ‘Young Hajj’ movement for students as part of an effort to strengthen the national Hajj ecosystem.

“Through the Young Hajj movement, Kemenhaj aims to cultivate a culture of Hajj savings from an early age,” said the Head of the West Sumatra Kemenhaj Regional Office, M. Rifki, in Padang on Wednesday.

Rifki stated that the movement is an effort to prepare a generation that is ready to perform the fifth pillar of Islam during their productive years.

The programme will target students ranging from primary school to senior high school. Students will be encouraged to voluntarily open Hajj savings accounts and familiarise themselves with setting aside a small portion of their daily pocket money on a regular basis.

He noted that the programme will be implemented through collaboration with banks authorised to receive Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (Bipih) deposits, as well as Islamic banks, ensuring that students can open Hajj savings accounts without being charged account opening fees.

On this occasion, he emphasised that the Young Hajj movement is not intended to burden students, but rather to build good habits through savings with manageable amounts.

If a student is able to set aside Rp2,000 every day, they would accumulate approximately Rp50,000 to Rp60,000 per month. This means that in a year, the amount could reach around Rp600,000, serving as an initial step in building Hajj readiness from a young age.

“The amount may seem small, but if done with discipline and continuity, it will become a significant provision for our children to realise their dream of travelling to the Holy Land,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Governor of West Sumatra, Mahyeldi, welcomed the idea of the Young Hajj movement proposed by the West Sumatra Kemenhaj Regional Office. The programme is considered not only positive for strengthening the Hajj ecosystem but also beneficial for the Minangkabau region.

“This programme has the potential to provide positive benefits for West Sumatra,” he said.