Friday, 18 September 2026
JAMBI | INDATANEWS.COM - The sound of shalawat prayers accompanied the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Baitunnadiyah Mosque on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Jalan Syalendra, RT 05, Rawasari Urban Village, Alam Barajo District, Jambi City. Led by Jambi Mayor Maulana, the ceremony marked the beginning of the mosque's construction and, at the same time, opened a new chapter for a neighborhood that for years had been associated with the stigma of prostitution.
The construction of the mosque means far more than creating a new place of worship. It is part of an effort to transform the image of a neighborhood once known by residents as Pucuk or as the Payo Sigadung red-light district. Although prostitution has not completely disappeared from the area, its activities have declined significantly, while residents are increasingly working to transform social life and the environment in the neighborhood.In the past, residents often saw prostitutes sitting on the verandas of their homes or in the minibars where they worked. Negotiations between women and men seeking sexual services were also part of daily life. Even minors were not spared from the environment.
Today, the situation is beginning to change. Children who once grew up under the stigma of a red-light district are increasingly being given space to learn about religion. Every afternoon, the children put on their uniforms for Quran classes and visit prayer rooms in the neighborhood.What she witnessed every day eventually prompted Wiwin to take action. She saw many children growing up without fathers and living in the shadow of drugs and prostitution. In their social environment, children from Pucuk also had to endure the painful stigma and discrimination associated with the neighborhood.
Wiwin then began taking concrete steps. In 2023, she and several women conducted a raid on a location suspected of being used for methamphetamine consumption, locally known as sabu-sabu. The location was not far from her home. The action was recorded on video and subsequently went viral, drawing public attention and support.Since then, Wiwin has become increasingly active in mobilizing residents. She converted her mother's minibar building next to her home into a prayer room. She had the building demolished and subsequently rebuilt it as Musala Al Arva.
The movement continued with the construction of a tahfiz house, an institution dedicated to Quran memorization. The religious facilities and Quranic education gradually brought a new image to Pucuk. Every afternoon, children filled the prayer room to learn how to read and recite the Quran.The transformation gained further momentum after residents elected Wiwin as the chairwoman of the RT, a local neighborhood administrative unit. From this position, she continued promoting various programs aimed at reducing prostitution and creating a better environment.
Wiwin faced numerous challenges along the way. Some people whose livelihoods still depended on prostitution felt disturbed by her activities. She also faced various allegations which, in her view, were unfounded and intended to undermine her position as RT chairwoman.
Those encounters led to the idea of building a more suitable mosque. Maulana asked Wiwin to look for land that could be used for the mosque.
Wiwin subsequently made a far-reaching decision by donating her own house as the central site for the mosque's construction. The plot was then expanded to include the adjoining house, which was already unoccupied.The release and consolidation of the land proceeded relatively quickly. Wiwin's house and another vacant house were demolished using an excavator. Once the site had been prepared, Maulana personally led the groundbreaking ceremony for Baitunnadiyah Mosque on Saturday morning.
Maulana emphasized that the mosque's construction would be financed from his personal funds and would not use funds from the Jambi City Government budget.In his speech, Maulana said he had been deeply moved when he first saw children from Pucuk learning and memorizing the Quran. The cramped and hot conditions inside the small prayer room further motivated him to provide the children with a more comfortable place to learn and pray.
"I was deeply moved the first time I came. I saw small children learning the Quran in a small and hot prayer room. I tested their Quran recitation, and they were good. Fifty children were studying there. That touched my heart and made me determined to provide these children with a more comfortable learning environment," Maulana said in his speech on Saturday morning.Maulana has greater ambitions for Baitunnadiyah Mosque. In his vision, the mosque should not merely serve as a place where people pray. It should also develop into a center for religious tourism and a venue for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), locally known as UMKM.
The concept is intended to create new sources of income for residents who choose to leave activities previously connected to prostitution. In this way, the transformation of the neighborhood is expected to encompass not only its social and religious aspects but also provide residents with economic alternatives.Maulana also urged those responsible and all parties involved to accelerate the mosque's construction. He hopes residents will be able to use the mosque by the upcoming Idulfitri celebration.
"Hopefully, it can be used for this year's Idulfitri, and the MTQ Quran recitation competition at the Alam Barajo District level can also be held here," Maulana said.She said she had never expected the transformation she had fought for to progress so quickly. What began with a small prayer room and a tahfiz house has now developed into the construction of a mosque intended to become a center for religious activities and the economic development of residents.
"I am very, very happy and deeply moved. I never thought we would reach this point in such a short time. Allah has fulfilled so quickly the intention we had been fighting for even before I became RT chairwoman," Wiwin said.Despite receiving support from residents and the government, Wiwin acknowledged that she continues to face pressure. She said slander and allegations were repeatedly directed against her with the aim of undermining her position as RT chairwoman.
Wiwin, however, chose to continue her struggle. She acknowledged that the pressure had at times affected her mental well-being. Nevertheless, she has no intention of abandoning the movement she initiated herself."To this day, I am still standing here, even though the accusations and slander against me are painful. I even lost three kilograms within a few weeks as a result of the slander I faced," she said.
The support of Maulana and several other parties strengthened Wiwin's determination to continue her efforts. Maulana even gave Wiwin, her 70-year-old mother, and a ustazah who had long been working with others to provide religious education to children in the neighborhood a free Umrah pilgrimage.Wiwin, however, decided to give the opportunity for the Umrah pilgrimage to the ustazah's parents. According to her, the ustazah was among those who had been involved from the beginning in establishing religious education for children.
"Alhamdulillah, the mayor gave me a free Umrah pilgrimage. However, I gave it to the parents of the ustazah who had been involved from the beginning in helping the children learn. That is why I gave the free Umrah pilgrimage to her parents, who had truly wished for it," she said.The construction of Baitunnadiyah Mosque has now become a symbol of Pucuk's long journey of transformation. The neighborhood, once identified with prostitution, is gradually developing a new identity through religious education, social activities, and efforts to strengthen economic opportunities for residents.
For Wiwin, the mosque is far more than a building. It is proof that change can emerge from within a community when courage, care, and support come together. For Maulana, meanwhile, the construction of Baitunnadiyah Mosque is a first step toward giving Pucuk a new identity and providing the neighborhood's children with a better future. (IDNC)REPORTER: Dalil Harahap | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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