Building a Qur’anic Generation: "One Village One Hafiz" Scholarship Program in Bantaeng

The Bantaeng Regency Government has officially released the list of students (santri) selected for the "One Village, One Hafiz" Scholarship Program for the 2025 fiscal year. This flagship program is part of the local government's commitment to enhancing the quality of human resources by fostering a religious and noble-minded generation.

According to the official announcement, dozens of students from various Islamic boarding schools (Pondok Pesantren) and Quranic Memorization Houses (Rumah Tahfidz Qur’an) have successfully passed a rigorous selection process.

The scholarship recipients are enrolled in several prestigious religious educational institutions across the Bantaeng region. Notably, An-Nawawi Islamic Boarding School is represented by two students in this year’s program.

Through this initiative to produce a generation of Quranic memorizers in Bantaeng, the selected students will undergo intensive training within a serene and conducive boarding school environment.

The two students representing this program are Essenza Quranique from Pa’Bumbungang Village and A. Muhammad Al Ghifari H. from Bantaeng City. Both individuals symbolize a youthful spirit dedicated to preserving the purity of the Divine Word.

"This program does not focus solely on memorization, but also on character building and the development of noble morals (akhlakul karimah). With the support of various relevant agencies, An-Nawawi Islamic Boarding School is committed to becoming a center of excellence for Islamic education in South Sulawesi," stated the Director (Mudir Ma’had), Ustadz Hasan Basri, Lc.

Following this achievement, Ustadz Hasan Basri expressed his pride and offered his heartfelt congratulations to the two students who successfully secured the scholarship.

The "One Village, One Hafiz" program aims to ensure that every area within the Bantaeng Regency has at least one Quranic memorizer who can serve as a spiritual guide for the community. The scholarship provides financial educational assistance, allowing students to focus entirely on completing their 30-juz memorization.

A key highlight of the announcement is the program's inclusivity. Recipients hail from diverse boarding school backgrounds, demonstrating the government’s equitable appreciation for all tahfidz institutions contributing to the development of Bantaeng.

With the publication of these selection results, it is hoped that the scholarship recipients will be increasingly motivated to complete their studies on time. Furthermore, the program is expected to reduce school dropout rates among high-achieving students who face financial constraints.

Author: Bakriatul Husna