GROBOGAN, CENTRAL JAVA — “Finally I can cook meat soup and rendang today. Matur suwun nggih (thank you) Dompet Dhuafa, for bothering to come to our village,” said Mbah Satiyem (60), kindly, when receiving qurbani meat on Eid al-Adha 1445 AH, Monday (06/17/2024).
Her expressive facial expressions and body language became a whip of happiness, bringing a cheerful atmosphere when Dompet Dhuafa distributed qurbani meat to Dukuh Kedung Udal, which is inhabited by around 90 families in Padas Village, Kedungjati District, Grobogan Regency. The happy glow of the other beneficiaries there also instantly folded the memory sheets of the extreme journey that the Dompet Dhuafa team had just traveled that afternoon.
Dukuh Kedung Udal is located at the easternmost tip of Kedungjati Subdistrict, bordering Boyolali Regency. There is no pedestrian bridge, requiring the Dompet Dhuafa team to go through difficult access when distributing using two-wheeled motorbikes, crossing two dry rocky river paths and up and down steep hills.
“This is the situation, this dukuh can be said to be isolated. The easiest access is through Juwangi, but it’s a long way from Boyolali. The easiest one is up and down across two dry river channels because there is no bridge. If it rains, we can’t go home,” explained Ustaz Nur Cholis, one of the frontliners of the Cordofa (Corps Dai Dompet Dhuafa) da’wah service in the interior of the teak forest.
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It was not the first time for Dompet Dhuafa’s THK (Tebar Hewan Kurban) 2024 team, Diana, to directly distribute qurbani meat during Eid-ul-Adha, which now reached Kedung Udal village. In fact, it is also an encouragement for her to convey the mandate of the qurbani donors to the recipients to remote areas of the country.
“The old man also told us a little about how difficult it is for them to send their children to school and access health care. You can’t imagine what the needs are if there are emergency illnesses and pregnant women here. I was moved and happy to see their honest happiness when distributing qurbani meat,” Diana admitted.
When receiving the qurbani meat, Mrs. Lawiyam (53)’s eyes teared up because she admitted that she rarely eats meat. Living alone with her son, she still cuts grass or helps corn farmers. However, due to illness, she is no longer as active as before.
“I can only be delivered (qurbani meat) like this, by Mr. Nur who often recites the Quran here, teaching the children here (Dukuh Kedung Udal). I am very happy because qurbani here is rather difficult, the road is like that,” said Mrs. Lawiyam.
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It was also interesting to meet Mbah Suminem (70). Although she was already senile (forgetful), she remembered Ustaz Nur and cheerfully greeted him when receiving the qurbani meat.
“Meeting them sparked my social spirit, one of them was Mbah Suminem. I really want to be able to invite many parties to do something in this hamlet. For the past two years, I have been asked to teach Quran in Kedung Udal, as well as to distribute qurbani meat. Alhamdulillah, they are all happy,” said Ustaz Nur Cholis.
There, DDV (Dompet Dhuafa Volunteer) friends also mobilized their energy to help mothers cook and package sacrificial meat. In addition to local wisdom, DDV’s ‘Fun Qurbani Without Plastic Waste’ initiative was also mobilized in packaging qurbani meat using rattan baskets and teak leaves as an effort to reduce plastic waste in its qurbani meat distribution activities.
Of the 1,800 sacrificial animals distributed in Central Java, Dompet Dhuafa slaughtered 95 sacrificial animals in Padas Village, Kedungjati and distributed them to 960 beneficiary families from several villages. Alhamdulillah, your qurbani is always delivered. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Dhika Prabowo
Editor: Dedi Fadlil