The 2025 Universitas Gadjah Mada Community Service Program (KKN-PPM UGM) Merintis Rainis Team is currently running its community service program in one of Indonesia’s outermost regions: Alo Village, Talaud Islands, North Sulawesi.
One of their work programs is to encourage the formation of a disaster-resilient village by creating evacuation route signs and assembly points. This is part of their effort to provide direct impact for the community in mitigating earthquake disaster risks.
They installed these evacuation route signs and assembly points on Sunday (Jul. 20) in the Alo Village road area.
Nanda Ishaqi, as the Unit Coordinator of the KKN-PPM UGM Merintis Rainis Team, stated that the creation of these signs was based on Alo Village’s coastal location and frequent earthquake occurrences.
He also admitted that the sign-making process involved enthusiastic synergy between KKN students and local villagers.
“The materials we used to make these monuments were collected through the solid efforts of KKN students and villagers,” Ishaqi said on Tuesday (Jul. 22).
For several days, the student team, along with local residents of Alo Village, worked hand-in-hand to build the sign frames, dig foundations, and form the sign structures with a strong spirit of togetherness.
Ishaqi also said that seven of these signs were then placed in the Alo Village road area.
Their distribution includes three signs at road intersections, three on the roadside, and an assembly point sign in the high area of SMP 5 Rainis.
According to Desius, Head of Alo Village, the signs made by KKN students have become an important symbol to guide local residents when disaster strikes.
“These signs will also serve as a memento from the students who conducted KKN in this village, as this is the first time KKN students have visited this village,” Desius said.
Furthermore, Program Coordinator Abraham Asadel Achwan hopes that these signs can serve as a concrete manifestation of the initiative to form a disaster-resilient village.
Moreover, he said, these monuments and signs can serve as a reminder for local residents. This is so the community will be more prepared when an earthquake disaster occurs.
“We hope that with these signs, the local community will be more prepared when an earthquake occurs,” Achwan stated.
Reporter: KKN-PPM UGM Merintis Rainis Team/Nanda Ishaqi
Author: Lintang Andwyna
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographs: Pikiran Rakyat and KKN-PPM UGM Merintis Rainis Team