RMAF and Indonesia’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardee visit CARD MRI to improve service to Islamic communities

Dompet Dhuafa, a non-profit organization based in Indonesia, together with the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) visited CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) as part of the learning exchange and dialogue on the poverty alleviation and to better understand the latter’s operations last November 9, 2017.

Dompet Dhuafa, one of the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for its contribution to uplift the dignity of the poor, was linked by RMAF to CARD MRI due to the successful implementation of the Shari’ah Financing, an Islamic micro-finance and banking scheme by Dompet Dhuafa.

Islam is the second largest religion in the country and CARD MRI wants to implement the Shari’ah Financing to help the Islam communities. “Having thousands of CARD MRI Muslim members in the country, we would like to know areas on how CARD MRI could help them without transgressing the Muslim rules and customs,” CARD MRI Managing Director Flordeliza Sarmiento said.

Shari’ah, which means God’s immutable divine law, is the Islamic law, religion, and ethics, which regulates the Muslims around the world.

“As Dompet Dhuafa successfully implemented the Shari’ah Financing, we would like to partner with like-minded organizations to learn various approaches in providing community development programs and services to the underserved Islamic communities,” Sarmiento added.

The visit will provide a better picture of Shari’ah financing strategy and its impact to the rural and poor areas of Indonesia and to provide assessment on how CARD MRI can help the socioeconomically-challenged Islamic communities in the country.

CARD MRI is also a 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for its mission in eradicating poverty through microfinance. The organization aims to eradicate poverty in the country by providing various financial, non-financial, and community development programs to marginalized communities.