Semarang, March 5, 2025 – The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time when Muslims fast for a full month and is considered a sacred and blessed time. Aston Inn Pandanaran Semarang welcomes this special month with joy through its social program titled Nostalgic Ramadan.
This social initiative is an annual tradition and program. This year, it began with a Blood Donation Drive held on Friday, February 28, 2025. This event was not only a way to welcome the holy month but also aimed to support the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in maintaining a sufficient blood supply ahead of Ramadan.
Following this, on Monday, March 3, 2025, the management distributed iftar hampers to the local community surrounding the hotel. A total of 40 meal boxes, specially crafted by Chef Ganjar Trisaputra, were provided to be enjoyed during iftar with their families. These hampers were personally handed out by Mrs. Yuliani Krisharyati, Executive Assistant Manager, along with HOD members, as well as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of SSA. This initiative was a gesture of gratitude and care for the local community, acknowledging their continuous support and cooperation since the hotel’s establishment, without which the hotel's success would not have been possible.
After distributing the iftar hampers to the local residents, the following day, the hotel hosted an iftar gathering with the children from Tarbiyatul Yatim orphanage. This event also welcomed representatives of the local community, including the neighborhood (RW and RT) leaders. The event was held in collaboration with Inisiatif Zakat Indonesia (IZI).
At exactly 3:00 PM, the children from Tarbiyatul Yatim arrived at the hotel and were warmly welcomed by Mr. Ibnoe Ichwan Chambali, General Manager, who then guided them to perform the Asr prayer together at Al Fitri Mosque on the 5th floor.
At 4:00 PM, the event began with an Ice Breaking session led by the IZI team, followed by a welcome speech from Mr. Ibnoe Ichwan Chambali, who introduced the Aston Inn Pandanaran Semarang HOD team. Next, Mr. Djoko Adhi Saputro, Head of the Central Java Representative Office of Inisiatif Zakat Indonesia, also delivered a speech.
As part of the event, the staff and management prepared and handed over special gifts for the orphanage, along with a monetary donation of IDR 3,000,000 distributed among 30 children from the orphanage.
The program also featured a storytelling session about good and bad deeds in the eyes of Allah SWT. The event concluded with Maghrib prayer in congregation, followed by iftar. To make the moment even more special, the Head of Departments (HOD) team from Aston Inn Pandanaran Semarang personally assisted the orphanage children in serving their meals for iftar.
"With gratitude, Alhamdulillah, we were able to carry out the Nostalgic Ramadan social (CSR) activities to welcome the holy month of Ramadan, starting with a Blood Donation Drive before Ramadan, followed by iftar hamper distribution, and then an iftar gathering with the orphanage children, the management team, and local community leaders. This social initiative is not over yet; on March 9, 2025, we will be inviting 30 orphanage children for a special stay at our hotel." – Ibnoe Ichwan Chambali, General Manager of Aston Inn Pandanaran Semarang.