Center of Strategic Studies visited one of the empowerment programs conducted in Sikakap village, Mentawai Islands Regency in order to measure the Zakat Village Index together with LAZNAS DDII. One of the empowerment programs is Pesantren (Islamic boarding school)-based empowerment program conducted at  Darul Ulum Sikakap Islamic Boarding School. According to the Chairman of Sikakap Darul Ulum Foundation, Ustadz Iswandi, the student at Darul Ulum Islamic boarding school are ranging from junior and senior high school students. Those students come from surrounding rural area in the Mentawai Islands because there are no educational facilities in their area, then the student must leave the area to continue their education to junior and senior high school.

Page 432 of 752