In order to develop innovation and villages in 115 regencies throughout Indonesia, UGM deployed as many as 5,982 students to conduct Students Community Service Programme (KKN-PPM). They were dispatched by Home Affairs Minister and UGM Rector on Friday (9/6). As many as 115 students are subserved in Girikerto village in Sine sub-district and 3 other villages in Pite sub-district, Ngawi regency, East Java, which are Pitu village, Dumplengan village, and Selopuro village from June 10 until August 4, 2017.
The welcoming ceremony of the Community Service students was held in Pendopo Wedya Graha Ngawi on Monday (12/6). The Regent of Ngawi, Ir. H. Budi Sulistyono, and UGM representatives, Atus Syahbudin S.Hut., M.Agr., Ph.D., (Field Supervisor in Pitu Village) and Adam Sukarno, S.IP., MA., (Field Supervisor in Dumplengan) attended the event.
During his welcoming speech, the Regent said the Community Service Programme gives many benefits, both for the students and the communities. Therefore, the students are required to conduct the programme seriously.
“Be serious in conducting KKN because it is not only about completing compulsory task as students of UGM, but also training the students to learn to be the leaders and maintaining the emotional relation and empathize with the community,” said Budi.
Budi also hopes the students perceive KKN and use their own passion to approach the community. Currently, The regional government is boosting the construction of village infrastructure, including roads, waterways, and roads between villages, as well as preserving the forests. These require applied science innovation considering the community surrounding the forest has passive character.
“The forest community is passive and monotonous. Therefore, we need an innovation to preserve the forest,” Kanang emphasized.
Meanwhile, Atus Syahbudin said the theme of KKN-PPM in Pitu village is Smart Forest Village: Strengthening Forest Village Community to Manage Sustainable Forest, while the theme for Dumplengan village is Strengthening Human Resources Based on Forest Empowerment Using Agroforestry System. On the other hand, Selopuro village focuses on Strengthening Forest Village Community Based on Local Wisdom for Realizing Sustainable Forest, while the students in Singe village focus on continuing the Girikerto Green Tourism Village which has been started since 2015. Atus emphasized the students to comprehend the local cultures and aware of the development needs of the forest village community.
In the occasion, Atus symbolically handed a book towards the Regent of Ngawi entitled The Diversity of Flora, Fauna, Landscape, Water Resources, and Local Wisdom of Mount Lawu Slope Community, Ngawi, East Java. This book is the result of research by the Community Service Programme students in 2015 and 2016. It is expected to be used as a reference regarding the natural resources potential in Girikerto village.