Toronto, July 8, 2026 – The Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Toronto, Vevie Damayanthi, expressed full support for the Family Economic Literacy Roadshow, initiated by Dompet Dhuafa USA in collaboration with Sakinah Finance and Comfasion. The program aims to enhance the Indonesian diaspora’s understanding of financial management in accordance with shariah principles. The support was conveyed during a meeting at the Indonesian Consulate General in Toronto, attended by Consul General Vevie Damayanthi, accompanied by R.M. Virgino Rikaryanto as senior diplomat who serves as the Consul for Protocol and Consular Affairs (as well as the Head of Chancery/Chancery Chief) and Ni Nengah Yuni Ariastiti who serves as the Consul for Information, Social, and Cultural Affairs. During the meeting, the Consulate welcomed Murniati Mukhlisin, Founder of Sakinah Finance, accompanied by Nina Marliani; Sitti Sahro Locke, Executive Director of Dompet Dhuafa USA; and Thomas Locke, Founder of Comfasion.
Murniati Mukhlisin explained that the series of Islamic financial literacy halaqah (study circles) began in Ottawa before continuing to Montreal, Kingston, and Toronto, after which it will continue to several cities across the United States. The program is designed to raise public awareness particularly among Muslim members of the Indonesian diaspora about the importance of managing family finances in accordance with Islamic teachings.
In addition to discussing family financial management, Murniati highlighted the importance of strengthening Indonesia’s halal industry ecosystem, which is currently being promoted by the government. According to her, the Indonesian diaspora plays a strategic role in introducing and enhancing the global competitiveness of Indonesia’s halal industry across sectors including food and beverages, fashion, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, tourism, Islamic finance, and media. She emphasized that sound financial management for Muslim families should go hand in hand with adopting a halal lifestyle in every aspect of life.
During the same meeting, Sitti Sahro Locke, Executive Director of Dompet Dhuafa USA, presented the organization’s humanitarian programs both in Indonesia and internationally. In addition to distributing zakat (obligatory almsgiving), infak (voluntary charitable donations), and qurbani (sacrificial animal) assistance in Indonesia, Dompet Dhuafa USA also participates in food drive initiatives for communities affected by the war in Gaza.
“During last Ramadan, we also organized community iftar gatherings for new Muslim converts, distributed copies of the Qur’an, and assigned chaplains to provide religious guidance to Muslim inmates in various prisons across the United States. In addition, we provided assistance to Indonesians affected by flooding in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra,” said Sahro.
During the discussion, Murniati Mukhlisin also presented several proposals to the Indonesian Consulate General in Toronto. First, she proposed establishing a forum for the Indonesian Muslim community in Canada to serve as a platform for collaboration among the Consulate, the Indonesian Embassy, and Muslim diaspora communities. Second, she suggested organizing financial literacy programs for prospective Indonesian workers and students before their departure to Canada so they would be better prepared to manage their finances while living abroad. Third, she expressed hope that the Consulate could help address the need for certified Halal Slaughterers (JULEHA) by facilitating cooperation between Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) and Indonesian experts to support the needs of halal small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada, particularly those established and operated by the Indonesian diaspora.
Responding to these proposals, Consul General Vevie Damayanthi welcomed the Islamic Financial Literacy Roadshow and expressed hope that similar initiatives would continue on a regular basis. According to her, the need for Islamic financial education will continue to grow alongside the increasing number of Indonesians in Canada, including workers, entrepreneurs, and students. She also expressed hope that Dompet Dhuafa USA would continue supporting the religious development of the Indonesian diaspora, particularly through sending Islamic preachers during Ramadan and facilitating the distribution of zakat, infak, and qurbani contributions from the diaspora to Indonesia. In conjuction with increasing halal literacy, there will be food bazaar on July 18 in the Downtown Toronto that requires all sellers to offer only halal food and beverages.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Murniati Mukhlisin presented a copy of her book, Islamic Personal Finance, to Consul General Vevie Damayanthi, saying: “I wrote this book together with Luqyan Tamanni and Farisah Amanda as part of an effort to encourage personal and family financial management to become part of school and university curricula, both in Indonesia and abroad.”
The collaboration between the Indonesian Consulate General in Toronto, Sakinah Finance, Comfasion, and Dompet Dhuafa USA is expected to become a meaningful step toward expanding Islamic financial literacy among the Indonesian diaspora. Through continuous education, it is hoped that more Indonesian families living overseas will be able to build financial resilience, develop sound financial plans, and achieve greater long-term well-being.
Source: Sakinah Finance Public Relations
