BOGOR – The Madina Zone after revitalization presents an area intended to become a center of society activities. On this occasion, Kawasan Zona Madina Dompet Dhuafa inaugurated Madina Zoo and Madina Playground as one of the mustahiq (zakat recipients) empowerment efforts, on Thursday (9/2/2023), on Jl. Raya Parung, Jampang, Kemang District, Bogor Regency.
Madina Zoo and Madina Playground as educational centers and educational tourism parks are perfect for all people to visit, from children to adults. Visitors seem to be pampered with various types of animals and playgrounds provided. The visitors can see Colombian iguanas, guinea pigs, ornamental fish, Ringneck chickens and birds.
The inauguration of Madina Zoo and Madina Playground was carried out by flying pigeons done by Dini Khoirinnisa, Social Entrepreneurship Manager of ZM; Nurul Choiriyah, Operation Manager of ZM; Syahwardi as Fundraising and Communication Manager of Madina Zone Dompet Dhuafa; and two representatives of the participants present.
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Dini said that the existence of Madina Zoo and Madina Playground was an effort to attract people to enter and see the Madina Zone area. According to her, the mini zoo has a simple concept, but it is interesting for tourists, especially children, especially Bogor as a family tourism city.
“Because actually this area has great potential for activities that become the center of activity for the surrounding society. That’s why we made a kind of “anthill” that can bring people into the Madina Zone area. That’s why this year we made Teras Madina, we made a mini zoo. There are iguanas, birds, fish, and guinea pigs. There is also a playground, so this becomes an attraction so that the society is interested in entering the Madina Zone area,” Dini told Dompet Dhuafa.
Dompet Dhuafa has always been attached to empowering the mustahiq (zakat recipients), as well as Madina Zoo and Madina Playground. The managers of Madina Zoo and Madina Playground are the mustahiq located around the Madina Zone.
“All those activity centers are managed by mustahiq, such as Teras Madina, it is held by mustahiq mothers who used to work in the Madina Zone’s canteen; the people who manage mini zoos and playgrounds are the surrounding society, mustahiq around the madina zone who really need work and enter the Madina Zone to get benefits. So the hope is that the area will be more crowded, and mustahiq will also get benefits, especially economic benefits,” Dini added.
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After the inauguration, the participants who attended were presented with a performance of “Dongeng” (fairy tales, fables) from one of the Dompet Dhuafa Lembaga Pengembangan Insani or LPI (Human Development Institute) teams, Dian, performing the story of “Dobi the Sheep”. The children watched carefully and enthusiastically, they also laughed out loud while listening to the fable.
Followed by walking around, the participants were divided into 4 groups that would take turns visiting Madina Zoo and Madina Playground. Besides that, the children also learned archery and played the games that had been provided. The kids were also allowed to enter the cage and feed the existing animals directly.
One of the people who visited Madina Zoo was Leli, a teacher of PAUD Permata Hati (Kindergarten). According to her, the existence of this mini zoo can entertain children.
“Today we listened to fairy tales, stories about animals, then secondly, the children enjoyed playing at the playgrounds, they also played games as well as seeing animals while giving food to guinea pigs and birds, so the children felt entertained and relaxed, because well… every day they rarely see animals, but with the animals here, Alhamdulilah they felt entertained,” said Leli.
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Meanwhile, according to Siti Fatimah, a teacher of PAUD Pengembangan Insani, Madina Playground and Madina Zoo can train children’s motor and cognitive skills, which can increase children’s knowledge about animals. Children also become more active by playing at the playground.
“It’s very useful because it introduces the children about animals and it trains children’s motor skills as well because of jumping around, and cognitive skill also trains children to remember what animals are there in the mini zoo, then the archery was also very exciting, because it’s the first time for the children,” explained Fatimah.
Aqila, one of the students of PAUD Al Istihad, told about her excitement of feeding fish at Madina Zoo.
“I was playing with fish, feeding the fish, I was happy and it was exciting… I also saw iguanas too,” said Aqila.
Friends can also feel the excitement by visiting Madina Zoo Madina Zone directly, besides being able to see the animals directly, friends can also do archery, of course with pocket-friendly tickets. Weekdays tickets will be charged for Rp.5000, while weekends will be charged Rp.10,000,-
In the future, it is hoped that more and more people will visit, in addition to the existing tourist options, in the future a place will also be provided for associations of communities or people engaged in philanthropy. (Dompet Dhuafa/Anndini Dwi Putri)