Bank Wakaf Mikro: The Operations and Its Role Towards Muslim Community Economic Empowerment in Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

<p>Many poor people cannot access financial services because they are seen as unbankable. Bank Wakaf Mikro (BWM) is established to address this issue. This study aims to dissect the operation of BWM and its role on community economic empowerment. This research is a type of qualitative descriptive study, conducted at BWM in West Sumatra, Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. Data collection techniques are done by interview, observations and documentation data. All data are analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that BWM is a Sharia Microfinance Institution (LKMS) incorporated as a cooperative. The empowerment model carried out by BWM is to provide financing and assistance with the potential productive poor market segments around the Islamic boarding school. Distribution of funding and assistance uses a group approach to the joint responsibility system. In its journey, BWM has shown its role in community economic empowerment through providing training to prospective customers, then channeling financing to customers who pass the group feasibility test and provide assistance to customers who receive financing through weekly <em>halaqah</em> activities.</p><p class="abstrak"><em>Banyak masyarakat miskin tidak dapat mengakses jasa keuangan karena mereka dipandang unbankable. </em><em>Bank Wakaf Mikro (BWM) didirikan untuk menjawab persoalan tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan membedah operasional BWM dan peranya terhadap pemberdayaan ekonomi masyarakat. </em><em>Penelitian ini merupakan jenis penelitian deskriptif kualitatif, dilakukan pada </em><em>BWM</em><em> </em><em>yang ada di Sumatera Barat, Yogyakarta, Jawa Tengah, dan Jawa Timur. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara, observasi dan data dokumentasi. Seluruh data ditela’ah dan dianalisis secara kualitatif.</em><em> </em><em>Hasil penelitian menunjukkan BWM merupakan Lembaga Keuangan Mikro Syariah (LKMS) berbadan hukum koperasi. Model pemberdayaan yang dilakukan oleh BWM adalah menyediakan pembiayaan dan pendampingan dengan segmen pasar masyarakat miskin potensial produktif yang berada di sekitar pondok pesantren. Penyaluran pembiayaan dan pendampingan menggunakan pendekatan kelompok dengan sistem tanggung renteng. Dalam perjalannya BWM sudah menunjukkan perannya </em><em>dalam pemberdayaan ekonomi masyarakat </em><em>melalui</em><em> pemberian pelatihan kepada calon nasabah,</em><em> kemudian m</em><em>enyalur</em><em>k</em><em>an pembiayaan </em><em>kepada nasabah yang lulus uji kelayakan kelompok </em><em>dan </em><em>memberikan </em><em>pendampingan </em><em>kepada nasabah yang menerima pembiayaan melalui kegiatan halaqah mingguan.</em></p><p> </p>