Nurturing Islamic School Students of Eastern Indonesia

Bekasi. At the Bunut hamlet in Taman Sari, Bekasi, is an Islamic boarding school which goes by the name Nuu Waar Al Fatih Kaffah Nusantara, or AFKN.

The AFKN has 750 pupils wishing to learn more about Islam. And about 80 percent of these students —which Indonesians usually refer to as santri and santriwati for the girls— come from the eastern part of Indonesia, namely Papua, Maluku, and Sulawesi. 

But these santri and santriwati are not only deepening their understanding of Islam. They are also learning about solidarity and nationalism. Every afternoon, they gather at the mosque to read the Quran collectively once they finish their afternoon prayer. They get in groups to complete reciting the whole verses of the Quran. Placing the students in groups helps them learn about diversity. And this Ramadan, the AFKN students seek to complete the Quran  5,000 times.

AFKN accommodates all religious programs and levels of education from elementary to higher education. This boarding school is also tuition-free.

Islamic cleric Ustadz Fadlan Garamatan or "Ustadz Sabun Mandi" first founded AFKN in 2012, so that the young generation of eastern Indonesia possesses a more comprehensive knowledge, Islamic faith, and understanding of the Quran to build a better life for the nation.