YOGYAKARTA — Dompet Dhuafa continues to strive to maintain donor trust and involvement by inviting them to the location of empowerment programs. This activity was packaged in the form of Yogyakarta Sharing Leave with the title “Learning to Bring Happiness”, which was held on Tuesday-Thursday (3-5/12/2024) in the Imogiri and Gunung Kidul areas, Yogyakarta.
This activity not only shows transparency in reporting, but also provides opportunities for donors to participate in programs that are already running in a sustainable manner. Through voluntarism activities, Dompet Dhuafa tries to connect donors with local heroes and beneficiaries directly.
A total of 15 donors were involved in the Yogyakarta Sharing Holiday. The trip began with a visit to the Aloe Vera processing program fostered by Dompet Dhuafa Yogyakarta. The program includes two main products, namely Rasane Vera, which offers healthy food and beverage products such as Nata de Aloe Vera, Aloe Vera Cube Drink, Aloe Liquid, Aloe Fiber, Pure Aloe Vera Slice, and Mr. Kriuk’s. Also, Aloe Land, which focuses on healthy food and beverage products. Also, Aloe Land, which focuses on comprehensive educational tours related to the cultivation to processing of Aloe Vera.
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During a visit to Aloe Vera Education Village in Jeruklegi Hamlet, Gunung Kidul, donors met Alan Efendi, a beneficiary of the Dompet Dhuafa program as well as a local leader of Aloe Vera cultivation since 2017. Thanks to the assistance of the program, Alan has succeeded in developing Aloe Vera cultivation and various processed Aloe Vera products which are now the flagship of his region. Previously, he had started Aloe Vera cultivation independently since 2014.
“Through Dompet Dhuafa’s support, we built a sustainable cultivation system, trained local farmers, and created downstream products with high economic value,” Alan said.
Aloe Vera products under the Rasane Vera brand are now marketed nationally and are preparing to export to the international market. Alan Efendi chose to focus on food and beverage processing because it only requires small capital, but has a big impact. The strategy is designed to not only develop cultivation and processing, but also involve the surrounding community, thus providing wider economic benefits.
“With what hope, later they can cultivate, they can sell and they can improve the economy. Increasingly, they are not only selling raw, they can also sell in processed form, which I also train them on,” Alan added.
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In 2017-2018, Dompet Dhuafa distributed free Aloe Vera seeds involving 100 women, complete with farming tools and cultivation training. This successfully improved the quality of the harvest and supported the marketing of Aloe Vera products under the Rasane Vera brand, which are now widely marketed in souvenir shops and tourist attractions.
Thanks to the sustainability of this program, remote hamlets in Gunung Kidul have been positively impacted. Not only through Aloe Vera, but also other potentials in the region. In 2023, Dompet Dhuafa expanded this program by establishing Aloe Land, an educational tourism site that integrates Aloe Vera cultivation, processing, and marketing, as well as a learning tool for students and other institutions to apply similar concepts in their areas. With a cultivation area of -+3500 square meters, and 115 farmers.
“I have been running this business for a decade, and God willing, the spirit is still burning, me and the women around here who plant Aloe Vera. Alhamdulillah, those in Magelang are also partners with me also through the Dompet Dhuafa program as well, through the zakat given, it turns out that the benefits can be this wide. So indeed, thank God, we are still running with Dompet Dhuafa and there are still many more programs or planning in the future to improve and introduce Aloe Vera in the national and international arena,” Alan added.
Sales of Rasane Vera have continued to increase since it was first marketed through small grocery stores. Within three years, this product began to be recognized and penetrated into souvenir shops as well as agent and distributor markets in various cities. As demand increased, production capacity was increased. This step succeeded in expanding the market reach, although most of the production process was still done manually.
The donors were also introduced to Suyatmi, a lurik artisan from Klaten, who is part of Dompet Dhuafa’s empowerment program, Lurik Aulia. In 2017, Dompet Dhuafa offered assistance to weavers to improve the quality of production, especially through natural (organic) coloring.
This assistance includes the provision of capital, looms, and training, which initially involved a group of seven people. Now, group members have their own brands and actively empower local residents to support the lurik production process.
“In the past, we only produced rough cloth, but now we create various products such as clothes, pants, bags, and even made from lurik. After the assistance, thank God, our economy has improved. Thank you all,” added Suyatmi.
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In addition to visiting the program locations, the donors also participated in the Inter-Kindness Program. In this activity, they directly handed over assistance in the form of prayer equipment and compensation to Quran teachers and preachers in remote areas of Mount Kidul.
One of the donors who participated was Yasril. He has known Dompet Dhuafa for more than seven years. He felt happy and proud when he saw firsthand the implementation of the zakat funds that had been distributed by Dompet Dhuafa.
“Here you can get happiness. Now the impression is that we are getting closer to Dompet Dhuafa and its services. We are invited to visit several places where they are recipients of Dompet Dhuafa assistance and what we see is how they develop their business, that’s where we see the importance of the existence of Dompet Dhuafa so that the people who receive it and the surrounding community feel it, and that makes us feel satisfaction, and feel that Dompet Dhuafa exists and can be useful for other residents, “said Yasril.
“Yesterday at Aloe Vera we also visited Aloe Vera how they manage their business, to the Batik place, to Aloe Vera too, making lurik, and that makes us even more convinced that Dompet Dhuafa is really channeling what has been entrusted and it is our pride and it is a witness too, we see that the efforts made have many benefits,” he concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Anndini Dwi Putri
Editor: Dhika