Jakarta – Indonesia’s National Alms Agency (BAZNAS) expressed its desire for increased collaboration in education and humanitarian programs with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) to enhance the welfare of Indonesians, according to a top official from the organization on Monday.
BAZNAS, a government agency responsible for managing zakat (Islamic alms) and other social funds in Indonesia, has a track record of working with various international aid agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and UNICEF.
In 2022, KSrelief partnered with BAZNAS to provide food aid to Indonesians in need. This year, the Saudi aid agency extended its support by distributing food assistance in 22 districts and cities across Indonesia during the holy month of Ramadan.
Saidah Sakwan, the head of BAZNAS’s distribution and utilization department, highlighted the significance of Saudi cooperation and expressed hope for its continuation and expansion into other programs that promote the welfare of Muslims and people worldwide.
Given that nearly 10 percent of Indonesia’s population, approximately 26 million people, live below the national poverty line, support from aid agencies plays a crucial role in meeting their daily needs. Sakwan emphasized that the aid distributed by KSrelief holds great importance for these individuals. BAZNAS is currently in discussions with KSrelief regarding an education program aimed at benefiting tens of thousands of Indonesian orphans.
In May, Sakwan was part of a high-level BAZNAS delegation that visited the KSrelief headquarters in Riyadh to explore avenues for advancing collaboration. She expressed BAZNAS’s aspirations to continue synergizing with KSrelief in the future, with a focus on increasing cooperation in education and humanitarian programs, as well as poverty alleviation.
Sakwan also highlighted the ongoing development of relations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. If this positive trajectory continues, she believes it will bring numerous benefits to the public at large.
