TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Baznas disburses donations for 1,000 orphans through Baitussalam Foundation
Change Size
T
he National Alms Agency (Baznas) recently disbursed donations for 1,000 orphans living in the Serpong area of South Tangerang, Banten, through the Baitussalam Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Baitussalam Mosque in the area’s Green BSD City residential complex.
The donation was symbolically handed out to the foundation’s officers to mark the Baitussalam organization’s eighth anniversary on June 3.
According to Baznas deputy Zainulbahar Noor, the donation was also enlivened with a ceremony commemorating the nuzulul Quran (the revelation of the Quran), broadcasted live by television station TVOne in its Damai Indonesiaku (Peaceful Indonesia) program.
The ceremony also featured a talk show with former Baznas chairman Didin Hafiduddin and celebrity cleric Sumarno Syafei, who explained the history of the Qur’an revelation in a session moderated by TVOne host Agung Izzulhaq.
Baznas alms distribution and empowerment director Nasir Tajang added that the charity program for orphans was the Baitussalam Foundation’s annual project done in cooperation with several other organizations.
“In 2016, the foundation cooperated with members of the BSD Mosque Forum to disburse donations to 2,500 orphans across the South Tangerang area. In 2017, Baznas supported them to disburse donations to 1,000 orphans [with each institution spending money to support 500 orphans],” Nasir explained.
Besides the charity program for orphans, previously Baznas has also cooperated with the Baitussalam Foundation to improve the nutrition for cows to be slaughtered during Idul Adha, or the Islamic Day of Sacrifice. Both institutions disbursed a total of Rp 1.37 billion to finance the program.
As part of its program to boost zakat (alms) payments in Indonesia, Baznas also conducted a different talk show on June 2 inviting local female celebrities wearing the hijab on their mission to raise awareness about the importance of zakat payment.
The talk show featured 2018 Miss Indonesia pageant runner-up Raudha Kashmir as well as Baznas national retail collection division head Fitriansyah Agus Setiawan.
“Praise God, Baznas’ various breakthrough programs help us to be more aware on the importance of zakat payment. The agency has also optimized its services, making it easier for us to pay zakat,” Raudha said.
She said the agency’s digital innovations had in particular been very helpful for alms payers.
“We are now able to pay our alms through digital applications like GoPay. Currently, the agency also has a personified artificial intelligence service named Zaki [answering customers’ questions]. With these innovations, the millennial generation will be more eager to pay their alms through Baznas,” Raudha said.
Fitriansyah, meanwhile, lauded the decision made by Raudha — along with other Indonesian celebrities — to wear the hijab.
“Praise God, hopefully what Raudha Kashmir — along with other female celebrities who wear the hijab — has done will serve as exemplary behavior for Indonesian youngsters to come in droves to pay their alms through Baznas,” he said.
