The Dewan Masjid Indonesia (DMI) held the Mosque Entrepreneur House Festival at Masjid Raya K.H. Hasyim Asyari, Jakarta (January 11). This event underscores DMI's tangible commitment to strengthening the ummah's economy through mosque-based community empowerment.

Rumah Wirausaha Masjid (The Mosque Entrepreneur House Programme), launched in October 2024, aims to position mosques as centers of sustainable economic empowerment through training, market access, and capital support. This initiative is part of DMI's 11 flagship programs for the 2024-2029 period, outlined during the DMI Congress in March 2024, to transform mosques into community-based economic empowerment hubs.

The programme is projected to make a significant impact, including providing training for over 850 MSMEs and mosque members, integrating 500+ Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) into digital platforms, and digitising 30 mosques (five main mosques and 25 secondary mosques) to enhance management efficiency. Additionally, it aims to increase the revenue of partnered MSMEs by 20-30% while allocating 2.5% of digital transactions to support zakat, infaq, and sedekah (almsgiving).

DMI Chairman H. M. Jusuf Kalla emphasised that this festival reflects DMI's commitment to transforming mosques into centres of economic transformation for the ummah. "DMI is here to lead mosque-based empowerment initiatives, turning mosques into catalysts for sustainable economic change for the ummah," he said.

DMI’s Chair of Economic Empowerment and Acoustic Development, Arsjad Rasjid, highlighted that the programme's success is evident not only from DMI's efforts but also from the extensive collaboration involved. “The role of mosques as centres of social and economic transformation is proven through strategic partnerships in this programme. This is not just DMI’s belief but concrete evidence of synergy involving various stakeholders to support mosque-based economic empowerment,” he stated.

DMI's efforts in driving economic transformation also align with the values upheld by its partners. Furthermore, this initiative acts as a catalyst in building an inclusive and sustainable economic ecosystem.

The festival also serves as a collaboration among several partners to support sustainable economic growth. Temasek Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ng Boon Heong, said, “We believe that our support for the entrepreneurs in digital transformation will allow them to contribute to their communities positively. We are glad to be part of this collaboration that showcases how various sectors can come together to impact lives and uplift communities.”

In addition, the importance of enhancing mosque governance was highlighted by Azis Armand, CEO of Indika Foundation. “Through the Mosque Entrepreneur House Programme, we aim to encourage better management of mosques and zakat, infaq, and sedekah (charity) through educating mosque administrators. This is part of our efforts to strengthen mosque governance and empower the ummah,” he noted.

Support from strategic partners such as Grab Indonesia and Shopee Indonesia, which provide access to digital ecosystems to help MSMEs become merchants, as well as full support from Grab Indonesia and Paragon in organising the festival, exemplifies real efforts to expand the programme’s reach. This collaboration among religious organisations, the private sector, and communities represents a concrete effort to establish sustainable mosque-based economic independence.

Through the Mosque Entrepreneur House Festival and various strategic collaborations, DMI is optimistic about enhancing the role of mosques as centres of economic empowerment while creating tangible impacts for society.