Does Zakat Matter in the Midst of a Pandemic?: a Case Study

Abstract

Various problems have arisen after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only affecting the health care system, but also the economy and education. This triggers the numbers of unemployment in Indonesia. Additional skills are needed to survive in the midst of a threatening pandemic. The existence of zakat funds that can be maximized as a means of defense should be used to overcome problems starting from the aspect of education. This study aims to see the impact of productive zakat which become the source of funds for Pesantren Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi (PeTIK) as a technology-based education program. Using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) method the results show that the PeTIK ratio is at 1.7, which means that there is an impact of Rp. 1.7 of every Rp. 1 invested. The impacts created are undergraduate scholarship programs for alumni, an increase in education, income, employment opportunities, and children's education, and also a decrease in poverty levels. This indicates that PeTIK is one of the solutions to problems that arise due to COVID-19.