USU PR - The Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), together with the Haji Financial Management Agency (BPKH), organized the BPKH Talks USU 2024 event. The event took place at the USU Auditorium on Wednesday (11/13/2024).

The event was attended by students, lecturers, and invited guests from various universities in North Sumatra. Carrying a big theme about the importance of awareness and financial preparation for Haji, this activity aims to encourage the younger generation to start planning for Haji early on.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. dr. Muhammad Fidel Ganis Siregar, M.Ked (OG), Sp.O.G, Subsp. F.E.R, Secretary of USU, expressed his appreciation to BPKH for taking the initiative to hold this event at USU. According to him, this activity has an important meaning because it provides education about Haji governance that is more inclusive and opens opportunities for the younger generation to be involved in future Haji programs.

“Through BPKH Talks, we hope that the younger generation can understand how important it is to prepare for Haji, not only spiritually but also financially,” said Prof. Fidel.

Amri Yusuf SE, Ak., CA, MM., as a member of the BPKH RI Executive Board, explained the importance of encouraging the younger generation to start planning for Haji as early as possible. According to him, Haji requires physical and mental readiness, which ideally should be done at a young age. BPKH is currently actively working with various parties, including the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the House of Representatives, to socialize the young Haji campaign so that the demographic structure of Indonesian pilgrims becomes more balanced.

“Currently, the majority of our pilgrims are elderly, whereas Haji requires excellent stamina. By encouraging young people to plan for Haji early on, they can perform the pilgrimage with a stronger physical condition,” said Amri.

Amri Yusuf SE, Ak., CA, MM., also explained that the biggest challenge in encouraging the younger generation is financial commitment. To overcome this, BPKH invites influencers and young people who have already performed Haji to help voice the importance of Hajj planning from a young age.

“The younger generation tends to find it difficult to distinguish between needs and wants, and their financial priorities are also different. Often, Hajj is not a top priority in their life plans,” Amri added.

BPKH Talks has been conducted regularly for the past year on almost 20 campuses in Indonesia, including UGM, Undip, and UNPAD. This activity will continue to take place up to the high school level, so that awareness of Haji at a young age can be instilled early on.