Faculty of Agriculture UGM along with Mandiri Amal Insani (MAI) launched Economic Empowerment Program for the Blind and Mental Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday (21/12) in Temanggung. Present in the event were Vice-Dean of UGM Faculty of Animal Sciences, Bambang Suwignyo, Ph.D., and Abdul Ghofur, General Manajer of MAI.
Bambang Suwignyo said the animal husbandry sector has the role to provide food, particularly, from animal, that come in the form of eggs, milk, or meat. Bambang is opitimistic that this sector would bring economic independence to the people that run it, including the blind people.
“Our discussion and field assessment showed that the business in making salted eggs can be the choice for the blind to make,” he said.
After the launching, training is given to the blind people on salted eggs business, presenting speakers from the Faculty, Dr. Heru Sasongko and Dr. Panjono. They explained how to identify good quality of eggs, ingredients to make the eggs salty, storing and cooking the eggs. Further, they donated utensils to make the salted eggs, including buckets, salt, clay, pans, graters, and eggs, to each participant,
Budi, one participant, appreciated the care given by Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM and MAI. He hopes this business would be the way to achieve economic independence for his family, adding that “hopefully, there will be more guidance given to us,” Budi said.
Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, D.E.A., encouraged the organisers to go to the field directly and from home to home of the business players. He also asked them to engage students.
“Get the students involved and guide the business players until they really are skillful in producing the salted eggs,” said Ali.
According to Ali, the Plaza Agro at Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM had facilitated the sales of salted eggs from the group. Currently, the comparison of products sold at Plaza Agro are 64 percent from agricultural produce and 36 percent from retail.