Kicked off during a formal event on Thursday, this year’s program targets 25,500 donors nationwide and 350,000 beneficiaries globally for Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice), which falls in early July.

At a press conference following the launch event, Human Initiative president Tomy Indrajati said the annual qurban program was the organization’s second-largest after its Ramadan program. It highlighted the charitable nature of Indonesians in helping the less fortunate people.

“The qurban program has a wider reach, as public support is usually greater. This year, we have set a target of 25,500 benefactors, with 85 percent of qurban to be distributed across Indonesia and the remainder earmarked for other countries,” said Tomy. He added that Human Initiative’s international outreach efforts are currently focused on African countries.

In Indonesia, the focus of the qurban distribution is the eastern regions, including Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua, with distribution points also to be set up in Sumatra and Java. At the same time, the organization aims to reduce the buildup of supplies in the cities to ensure access for rural inhabitants.

While COVID-19 restrictions have been eased gradually, this year’s Idul Adha follows reported outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) among the country’s livestock. As such, Tomy said Human Initiative was working closely with the government to ensure that the animals were safe to consume, “just as we did during the pandemic, [when] we worked intensely with the government to ensure that every step of the process is safe by applying strict health protocols”.

“This is also a challenge for us to be safer and more precise than last year,” he added.

At the same event, Human Initiative also launched a dedicated website, www.solusipeduli.org/qurban, to provide convenience and ease for benefactors. It offers several options for benefactors to donate to the program, including different types of cows with a range of distribution routes.

“We hope that more families will be supported through the InsyaAllah Qurban program, especially our brothers and sisters in rural and outermost areas. Inshallah, they will be able to enjoy qurban this year through the program.

“Local farmers will also benefit directly from the [program],” said Miftahul Surur, the head of Human Initiative’s qurban project.

“Reflecting our tagline, even though we had to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, our people still have the spirit of sharing through qurban, showing that Indonesians have a strong social sense,” Tomy stressed.

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