Baznas and Ministry of Religious Affairs fund 700 boarding schools

The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs and the National Board of Zakat (Baznas) are distributing Rp17.5 billion through the 2026 'Pesantren Nyaman Belajar' (Comfortable Boarding School Learning) program. The initiative aims to improve educational facilities and living conditions for students across 700 Islamic boarding schools throughout Indonesia.

Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar stated that the program is intended to build a child-friendly, healthy, safe, and comfortable ecosystem for students rather than just being a physical dormitory renovation project. Baznas Chairman Sodik Mudjahid noted that the program is one of 13 priority programs for Baznas for the 2026–2031 period, utilizing zakat funds as a strategic instrument for education.

The assistance will prioritize boarding schools where at least 35 percent of students are from underprivileged families (dhuafa), institutions serving vulnerable groups, and those located in frontier, outermost, and least developed (3T) regions or disaster-prone areas.