
ACTNews, BANTUL - The hot, dry air in the middle of August 2019 did not stop
the residents of Sidomulyo Village, Bambanglipuro Subdistrict, Bantul from gathering
at Ar Raihan Integrated Islamic Elementary School. There, around 90 goats were
slaughtered, and the meat was distributed to 200 impoverished residents. There
was also something special that day. It was the Sesarengan Syukuran Qurban, or the Qurbani Thanksgiving held by
Global Qurban – ACT Special Region of Yogyakarta that brought together hundreds
of residents. They enjoyed the gathering where they met to cut and prepare the
qurbani animals to be eaten together.
The meat was
processed into dishes that are familiar to the locals. However, the important
thing is not the food. Rather, the kinship and warm interactions among the
locals.
Bagus Suryanto,
Head of the Global Qurban – Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) Special Region of
Yogyakarta said, the event aims to cement the kinship among the local
residents. In unison with the Eid Al-Adha 2019, a severe drought hit Special
Region of Yogyakarta province, including Bantul. "With this event,
hopefully, the residents can strengthen each other in the midst of a disaster (i.e.
the drought)," Bagus said in August 2019.
Not only held
the Qurbani Thanksgiving event, Global Qurban – ACT also distributed cooked
meat to impoverished families and families affected by the drought. In 2019,
Global Qurban - ACT uses non-plastic packaging to reduce waste, and use woven
bamboo container instead.
In addition to
Bantul, the Qurbani Thanksgiving was also held in Gunungkidul. Grogol Village,
Paliyan Subdistrict, Gunungkidul, was one of the areas affected by severe
drought in Special Region of Yogyakarta. Sources of water dried up, and the
locals had no other choice but to buy water for hundreds of thousands Rupiah. "As
a result of this drought, not a few residents have to sell their livestock to
buy water," explained Winarno, a volunteer from the Masyarakat Relawan
Indonesia (MRI) Gunungkidul, in August 2019.
By holding the
qurbani thanksgiving and distributing both raw and processed meat, Global
Qurban - ACT aimed to bring happiness in the midst of the disaster. In 2020,
Global Qurban - ACT will visit disaster-hit areas such as North Konawe and Luwu
which were recently hit by flash flood. The happiness of the beneficiaries is
inseparable from the role of the donors who channel their qurbani through
Global Qurban - ACT. []