YOGYAKARTA – As form of care to survivors of natural disasters, particularly the eruption of Mt. Merapi, today as many as 500 students of KKN-PPM Peduli Bencana (PB) UGM are dispatched to several locations affected by the disaster. The dispatching ceremony of those students is done by Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D., in Balairung UGM.
Previously, Secretary of LPPM UGM, Dr. drh. R. Wisnu Nurcahyo, said that this KKN-PPM Peduli Bencana (PB) was planned as part of UGM emergency response to Merapi eruptions. “In addition to the 500 students, many other students became volunteers in mitigation activities,” Wisnu said in his speech.
Wisnu added that students of KKN-PPM PB would be accompanied by 25 field lecturers, The students have been briefed by managers of LPPM, local government, and disaster experts to prepare them in the field. “This activity is supported by other groups such as Health Agency, Baznas, Solidarity Group of Wives of Cabinet Ministers (SIKIB), Foreign Affairs Ministry, National Disaster Mitigation Agency, local governments and private companies,” he added.
The activity starts today, 10 November, until 10 December 2010. Four locations of the KKN-PPM PB are Sleman (Maguwoharjo and Turgo), Magelang, Boyolali, and Klaten. The students are from 12 Faculties (Medicine, Biology, Pharmacy, Cultural Sciences, Social and Political, Philosophy, Law, Economics and Business, Maths and Natural Sciences, Engineering, Forestry, and Animal Sciences).
In the ceremony Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D said that the implementation of KKN-PPM PB UGM has integrated elements of the Tridharma motto, which comprises education, research, and community service. It is done based on priority that refers to seven main programs, including logistics, health-psychology, infrastructure, education, economic recovery, public administration and disaster mitigation. “Of course, UGM does not want to work alone in this program. With various other institutions, industry, and local community, UGM is ready to work together to help ease the burden of the people,” the Rector said.
The Rector also touched upon some UGM concepts to handle IDP shelters which still prioritize on safety and health toward good and harmonious living. Such principles are the stance to position IDPs as a community that builds a new life in line with the local condition independently. Meanwhile, the task of the volunteers are to help establish a new community and help toward social independence that leads to an independent IDP society.
As the start of the KKN-PPM PB activities, witnessed by the Board of Trustee, Academic Senate, Council of Professors and Field Lecturers, the Rector put hat and mask on representatives of lecturers, students and volunteers. The lecturers were represented by Toto Sudargo, S.K.M., M.Kes. (Faculty of Medicine) and Murtiningrum, S.T.P., M.Eng. (Faculty of Agricultural Technology). The students were represented by Ega Nastriana (Faculty of Medicine) and Frenky Fika P.P. (Faculty of Animal Science) and two volunteers, Puput and Kausar.