As many as 26 UGM students have been performing a community empowerment program in Grogol, Parangtritis, Kretek, Bantul, Yogyakarta. This program includes the empowerment of breeder, the tourism development in Gumuk Pasir, and the utilization of waste manure as biogas. The community service program has been running for a month and it can attract four foreign students from the University of Sidney, Australia to participate in the program. “It is an astonishing program,” said Miryam, one of the foreign students at an animal husbandry in the program location on Monday (11/4).
Miryam admitted she is very glad of joining the community service program. According to her, she does not have this kind of program at her university. Moreover, she can directly adjust and interact with the society and look for the solution to solve the society problems. “This is a very valuable and inspiring experience for me and I want to share it with my friends in my university,” she added.
Miryam and her two colleagues were invited to see the cowshed and visit Gumuk Pasir which have been developing by UGM students. The development of Gumuk Pasir as a tourism spot is not easy because some of the society want to utilize the beach sand as minerals.
Kamri Hadi, the Head of Grogol IX Village appreciates the students who perform the community service program in his village. “The programs are very beneficial particularly the production of cow feed, catfish feed, and the development of Gumuk Pasir as a tourism spot,” said Kamri.
Suripto (72 y.o.), one of the breeder association members said the cowshed is used together by all of the breeders in the village while each breeder has 2 until 3 cows. All this while, they feed their cows with grass. Fortunately, UGM students make a formulation of supplementary feed to fulfill the cows nutrient and help cleaning the cowshed. “We are disinfecting the cowshed, processing waste manure to be biogas, and making supplementary feed,” said Apriliana Putri, one of the UGM students.
Apriliana Putri who is a student of Faculty of Animal Science said they look for natural feed source which is easy to get and affordable. “We make an organic feed using ginger, catfish, fish bones, egg shells, palm sugar, and banana,” she explained.
Those ingredients are used as an alternative source of natrium and calcium phosphate. Moreover, this feed is also used as catfish feed.
Regarding the visit of the foreign students in this community service program, the Field Supervisor, drh. Woro Danur Wendo said many foreign countries have been interested in the program and sent their students to join it. “They usually want to know about students activities in the society,” said Woro.