MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA — ‘Aisyiyah signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration at Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (Unisa) Yogyakarta on Tuesday, May 20. The agreement marks a joint effort to support village development through key areas such as education, health, food security, and religious values.
President of ‘Aisyiyah Salmah Orbayinah explained that this partnership supports Aisyiyah vision to build strong and prosperous communities through the concept of Qaryah Thayyibah—villages that are peaceful, fair, and thriving.
“In line with the theme of Aisyiyah’s recent anniversary, ‘Strengthening Food Security through Qaryah Thayyibah for National Resilience,’ we hope to create villages that shape high-quality communities, contributing to a strong and united nation (baldatun thayyibatun wa rabbun ghafur),” said Salmah.
Salmah highlighted the strength of Aisyiyah grassroots network, from the national level to rural communities. This wide reach allows Aisyiyah to deliver programs that respond directly to local needs. The focus areas include economic empowerment through cooperative development, preventing violence against women and children, and building local capacity through education and training.
Meanwhile, Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Yandri Susanto underlined the vital role villages play in the country’s future.
“Villages are now seen as the backbone of national development. From countries like Japan and Korea, we’ve learned that when people move from villages to cities, it creates social challenges like declining birth rates and a lack of future generations,” said Yandri.
Yandri stressed the need to prevent excessive urban migration by making villages stronger economically, socially, and spiritually.
“With Aisyiyah, we are forming a ‘super team’ to tackle issues like drug abuse, youth problems, and even the lack of mosque leaders in villages. This MoU is more than just a simple formality. It’s a commitment to strengthen both the body and soul of our communities,” he added.
The partnership will focus on three main areas: healthcare, education, and food security. With Aisyiyah strong community presence and the ministry’s support, the collaboration aims to build villages that are self-reliant and grounded in shared values of humanity and faith.
This agreement is seen as the starting point for long-term, sustainable village development to help create a stronger, more prosperous Indonesia.
“Thank you to Aisyiyah and Muhammadiyah. Let’s work together to develop our villages, to care for both physical and spiritual needs. This is our best chance. I invite and challenge all of us to take action and empower our villages,” expressed Yandri.
