YOGYAKARTA – After the enacment of Yogyakarta Specialty Law, the provincial government is currently improving itself to resolve poverty issue after a report showing the highest poverty rate in 2012 is in Yogyakarta. The Statistics Bureau records that poverty rate in Yogyakarta in 2012 reached up to 15,88%. A policy taken by Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X is the Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) Keistimewaan programme (Specialty Student Community Service). A coordinator has been appointed, namely former Chief of Community Service Institute, Ir. Gatot Murdjito, M.S.
Met at his office in Faculty of Animal Science on Friday (22/2), Gatot Murdjito, explained his appointment by Sri Sultan HB X to become coordinator is to synergise higher learning institutions with the provincial government through the student community service programme. Previously, the programme run by each university was not coordinated with the local government so the target of alleviating poverty has not been reached. “Sri Sultan expects that I can become the bridge between the local government and universities,” Gatot said.
Gatot said with the synergy of the local government and universities, the student community service owned by 14 universities can annually deploy up to 23,500 students. The number is very potential for people empowerment, particularly in increasing economy.
Every university will coordinate with the local government about which areas are categorised as poor. The programme will then adjusted with that of related agencies. The location of the community service will remain the same for 3 consecutive years.
Gatot said his office was doing mapping of poor areas and programme to be conducted there. The mapping will involve provincial, regency/municipality Bapeda in collaboration with Statistics Bureau to know the detail. “We would be able to know them by name and by address,” he said.
Deputy Chairman of the programme of LPPM UGM, Ir. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, M.Eng., Ph.D., welcomed the plan. He said that UGM would deploy up to half of the total of community service students in Yogyakarta. “Annually, we deploy up to 6,000 students. We will deploy some 3,000 in Yogyakarta,” he said.
Irfan plans to employ lecturers to do research in each location. “So, we will be able to know whether the theme for each location is suitable. We will monitor the operation of the programme,” he said.
In his opinion, the Specialty Student Community Service will be directed towards enhancement of human resource skills rather than physical assistance so that the programme can give direct benefit for the people whilst poverty alleviation can be done.