Yandri Chandra (34) looked delighted as a new street light, installed by Universitas Gadjah Mada Community Service Program (KKN-PPM UGM) students, now stood right in front of his house. Even more remarkably, the 5-meter-high light operates on solar power.
“We are deeply grateful to them for helping our nagari (village) progress further. This is truly beneficial for the wider community,” said Chandra after helping students dig the hole for the lamp post in Nagari Sungai Nyalo Mudiak Aia, Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra, on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2025.
Before the installation, Chandra said the village road was dark, and it was not uncommon for people to trip into holes along the block-paved path.
“At night, it used to be pitch black,” he recalled.
Prior to installing the solar-powered lights, the KKN students held consultations and socialization sessions with local residents to discuss their plans and identify points where lighting was most needed.
“They surveyed the darkest areas that were hard to reach by regular electricity lines. We are truly thankful,” Chandra added.
The Head of Sungai Nyalo Mudiak Aia, Putra Mayoga, emphasized that the street lights were highly beneficial for the community.
He expressed appreciation to UGM for sending its students to the village to carry out impactful community service activities.
“The people of Nagari Sungai Nyalo Mudiak Aia are proud and very grateful to UGM for sending its students here. We can see their various community programs blending with and benefiting the locals, and all activities went smoothly. This solar-powered panel project is one of them, among many other initiatives they have carried out,” said Mayoga.
According to him, street lighting in the past relied solely on residents’ porch lights.
With the addition of solar-powered street lamps, the village has become brighter, supporting nighttime activities.
“Usually, we used PLN (state electricity) connections from residents’ houses and placed lamps along nearby roads. Areas far from houses often remained unlit. This is a new and effective solution for us,” he said.
Muhammad Jati, a KKN-PPM UGM student from the Department of Engineering Physics, said the installation was prompted by the lack of adequate lighting in the village.
“People here relied on lamps from their houses. Some pole-mounted lamps existed, but almost 90% no longer functioned. By installing these solar panels, we aim to make residents feel safer and more comfortable,” he explained.
Jati said the choice of solar energy was also part of supporting the government’s energy transition program. The installation points were chosen based on areas frequently used by residents but lacking lighting.
“At night, it gets extremely dark here. We selected points that residents often pass through and that are particularly dark,” he said.
In total, ten solar-powered lamps were installed, each with a capacity of 700 watts.
The cost for each unit was around Rp3-4 million, covering both procurement and installation.
“We were supported by sponsorship from Perusahaan Gas Negara and the UGM Center for Energy Studies,” Jati added.
He hoped that the lights would be well maintained, noting that they are environmentally friendly, cost-free for residents, and require minimal maintenance.
In addition to the lighting project, KKN-PPM UGM students also introduced several community development programs, including processing karamunting leaves into tea, training in batik-making using natural gambir dye, developing nipah-based products such as jam, syrup, and juice, and producing shredded tuna.
Lulu Putri, a student from the Aquaculture Study Program, Department of Fisheries, UGM Faculty of Agriculture, said the idea of using gambir as batik dye came from the abundance of gambir production in Mandeh.
“This regency is the second-largest gambir producer in West Sumatra. That’s why I thought gambir has great potential for development, especially in the Mandeh area,” she said.
Until now, gambir in Mandeh has been processed mainly for export in its raw form.
Prices are volatile, and when they drop, residents stop producing gambir.
“We initiated this innovation to increase the added value of gambir here,” she explained.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian