Rizki Hamdani encourages santri in Jombang, East Java, to get involved in social entrepreneurship.
By
Elsa Emiria Leba
·5 minutes read
ARSIP SATU INDONESIA AWARD
Rizki Hamdani
Islamic boarding schools (Ponpes) are known as places of religious studies. However, Rizki Hamdani, 34, sees santri (Ponpes students) as having the potential to become entrepreneurs. So, he encourages santri in Jombang, East Java, to get involved in social entrepreneurship.
Rizki has initiated an entrepreneurial group called Kelompok Santri Tani Milenial (KSTM) or millennial farmer santri group. Santri with the spirit of entrepreneurship are expected to be born out of this group. Rizki refers to them as santripreneurs.
The KSTM focuses on engagement in four business fields, which are agriculture, livestock breeding, fishery and the environment. Santri are taught to grow sorghum, chili and tomatoes, besides breeding cows, goats, chickens, ducks and catfish.
Rizki applies the integrated farming system that combines the components of agriculture, livestock breeding and fishery so as to produce no waste. For example, in this zero-waste concept, catfish pond water waste is used as plant fertilizer and vegetable harvest waste is processed into cattle feed.
“We distribute our harvests and never fail to pay zakat (charity). It’s the KSTM’s principle as a social entrepreneurship body. Although I don’t receive anything, I’m very happy, because I can bring benefits to Ponpes,” said Rizki from Jombang on Sunday (6/12/2020).
So far, there have been around 40 KSTMs of 20 small Ponpes in Jombang. Of the total, about 20 KSTMs are actively operating, each listing 15-20 members. KSTM members are santri as well as graduates of ponpes. More than 500 santri have joined the groups.
ARSIP SATU INDONESIA AWARDS
Rizki Hamdani at a cattle farm managed by a group of millennial farmer santri at the Fathul Ulum Jombang Islamic boarding school, East Java, 9 September 2020.
Originally, the KSTM were aimed at meeting the needs of santri in Ponpes. It turned out that their yields went beyond expectations. Ponpes harvests can now even be sold. “Santri can thus be self-supporting, [hence no longer] depending on their parents, as most of them come from middle and lower-income families,” said Rizki.
Ponpes Fathul Ulum became the first pilot project. Other than this Ponpes, not all boarding schools undertake the four business fields. The others operate according to their respective capacities, so that their monthly profits vary. Fathul Ulum, for instance, can earn a profit of around Rp250,000 per day from breeding egg-laying ducks. Every month, this Ponpes registers a turnover of more than Rp50 million from sales of various commodities. Its market is the community around the Ponpes.
In selling their commodities, santri are advised to find their harvest purchase guarantors themselves. This is meant to hone the business acumen of the santri. Usually, they sell their produce through middlemen, Ponpes graduates, or directly to slaughterhouses.
The KSTMs also strive to expand the positive impact of santri in society. Some Ponpes instruct people in land cultivation. In the environmental area, Rizki calls on people to conserve the environment by distributing productive fruit trees to them to be grown.
Independent santri
As a flashback, in 2016, as a cattle breeder, Rizki happened to meet the santri of Ponpes Fathul Ulum. He later visited the Ponpes to observe their breeding effort, where he got acquainted with school principal KH Ahmad Habibul Amin.
Then he served as an informal consultant to Fathul Ulum for a while. In 2018, the Ponpes joined the Desa Sejahtera Astra (village welfare) program. In the following year, Rizki was requested to assist in conceptualizing santripreneur and sociopreneur development in Fathul Ulum.
“Pak Kiai (KH Ahmad) wanted his santri to possess life skills when they leave the Ponpes. Santri should be able to secure financial resources from their own business enterprises, so as not to make Al Quran verses a means of their transactions,” said Rizki.
Rizki urged Ponpes Fathul Ulum to apply the integrated farming system. Rewardingly, this Ponpes emerged as the champion in the event KBANNOVATION 2019 themed “Our Innovation, Country’s Inspiration”. So, the idea of the KSTM formation in Jombang struck him.
Rizki later met with Jombang Regent Mundjidah Wahab to discuss the KSTM potential and development. In his view, the KSTMs can help the regeneration of farmers in Indonesia, as the farming profession no longer attracts young people. He got the regent’s consent, so that Jombang’s KSTMs are now supported by central and regional governments.
The promotion of entrepreneurship skills among santri comes with challenges of its own. Rizki has to be smart enough to maintain their entrepreneurial spirit. Admittedly, yields from farming and breeding fluctuate, while young santri still want to have free activity. Rizki was once asked whether the program benefitted himself. But his conviction has never changed.
“I was asked, do you get paid? I just replied, when I help and take care of God’s creations, I’m sure God will also care for him. Lastly, with everything I’m doing, I can now be engaged in planting without opening land, production without having a factory and selling without owning capital,” added Rizki with a smile.
Rizki Hamdani
Born: Jakarta, 8 September 1986
Wife: Silvia Nur Rochmah
Education: State Senior High School 2 Bireuen, Aceh
Award: Recipient of 11th Anniversary Appreciation of Semangat Astra Terpadu Untuk (SATU) Indonesia Award 2020 for the Environment.
