Dream - The feeling of joy mixed with sadness is still felt by Supartono, a resident of Sekar Taman Street, Tonatan Village, Ponorogo Regency, East Java. The grandfather, who works as a scavenger, will perform the hajj pilgrimage. Mbah Tono, his nickname, is part of group 19 in the Surabaya embarkation and will depart with 316 other pilgrims from Ponorogo to the Haji Sukolilo Dormitory in Surabaya on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in the early morning.

Before leaving for the Holy Land, Mbah Tono was paraded by his friends from the Environmental Care Scavenger Community (Pepeling). Dozens of friends from Pepeling accompanied this father of two children using a cart that is commonly used for scavenging.

"I feel happy about it. I bought this cart in 1983 for scavenging," said Mbah Tono. The 61-year-old grandfather admitted that he didn't make any special preparations before his departure to the Holy Land. He just regularly walked five kilometers while scavenging."

"However, I just surrender to Allah. Hopefully, I depart safely, return safely, without any obstacles, and become a haji mabrur," he said. One of the members of Pepeling, Marshudi, mentioned that the procession is a form of gratitude from the community because Mbah Tono can perform the hajj after 26 years."

Marshudi hopes that Mbah Tono's journey to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam will bring blessings to Pepeling and inspire others. "Mbah Tono started from a garbage cart. So we lifted this cart. Hopefully it will become a blessed pilgrimage. Have a safe journey, both going and returning," he concluded.