The amount total of 29 UGM students conducts Real Work Lectures in Biak, Eastern Indonesia. Even though the members line up are coming from 13 faculties and Vocational Schools, the Community Service Team has the same vision and mission. They have a similar purpose for applying the knowledge earned from campus to the Biak community by bringing out the theme entitled “Developing Potential Areas and Local Resources to Improve Welfare”.
Biak Numfor Regency is a group of islands in the northern mainland of Papua directly opposite the Pacific Ocean. Biak Numfor has enormous natural potential.
There are many parties admitted the natural beauty of Biak Numfor. Biak Numfor as a hidden paradise in the Land of Papua had once published on Nationalgeographic.grid.id in 2018.
On Friday (3/7), Hery Mulyana, S. Sos., M Si was welcoming the UGM KKN team through a zoom meeting on Friday and deliver some points “This will also make the government pay more attention to the natural potential of Biak Numfor. Besides, regarding the Biak Namfor that will be completed in 2020-2024 RPJMN, it aligns with the determination of Biak Namfor as one of the eight national priority goals,” he said.
The head of the One-Stop Integrated Investment Service Office (DPMPTSP) of Biak Numfor Regency emphasized that doing service in Biak is an opportunity as well as a challenge. Because in this area, there is a requirement for students who are members of the Biak KKN Team to be able to manage natural resources (SDA) and existing human resources (HR).
“Therefore, there is the real distribution of the dedication, this year, the location of the Biak Community Service Team is in Anggaduber Village, Oridek District, East Biak, which in the previous year was in Samberpasi,” he said.
Dyah Arum Sekar Pratiwi, one of the KKN students, regretted that the students could not go down directly to Biak due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even so, service will not stop, UGM KKN team in Biak expresses their creative ideas by compiling and managing development programs and empowering the local potential to benefit local communities.
“Surely our UGM KKN team in Biak works together with the local government,” he said.
Therefore, after getting a speech from the local government through online, each division of the Biak KKN Team explained the work program. The tourism division is planning tourism object development by relying on the mapping module as well as preparing the Pokdarwis to face a new normal in the tourism sector.
The UMKM Division develops and establishes the BUMDes and helps the processing of fishery products through training and financial management. The infrastructure division conducts the development of tourism potential by supporting the construction of supporting facilities.
The education division focuses on formal and non-formal education, such as psychoeducation dealing with pandemics, clean and healthy living behaviours, saving culture, and so on. The health division seeks to increase public awareness of the importance of health through several programs, one of which is optimizing the nutrition of mothers towards healthy children and health history records. The government division seeks to realize good governance and comprehensive public services.
“From all divisions, the output produced can be in the form of modules, posters, ebooks, sketches, audio material, video graphics, webinars, podcasts, program introduction presentation materials, and website concept development,” said Dyah Arum.
The Head of the Tourism Office, Turbey Onesimus Dangeubun, welcomed the UGM KKN team in Biak. He hopes that the Community Service Team will always work closely with the Department of Tourism to develop “Enchantment of Biak” as a national priority destination.
“This plan will be sum up with the availability of a tourism development masterplan which is the result of cooperation between the tourism division and the infrastructure division,” he pleaded.
Dr. Eng. R. Rachmat Sri A.Wijaya, S.T., M.T as the Field Supervisor stated that the real work lectures of UGM students in Biak are in line with the Merdeka Campus which was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Education so that students can interact outside of teaching and learning activities and research. Although community service activities carried out by KKN-PPM UGM amid a pandemic and online are expected to be able to produce students who are adaptive to the issues of work competency and the needs of the Indonesian people.
“We hope that this Community Service Program will produce an output of a guide book on how to undergo an online Community Service Program, which is planned to be published in the English language. This plan aims to the beneficial reference material for future online Community Service Program,” he said.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: Overseas News
Translator: Natasa A