Universitas Gadjah Mada students join the Research-based Community Service (PPMBR) in Hargantoro village, Tirtomoyo sub-district, Wonogiri regency, Central Java, from 11-16 January 2016. This is a joint activity of Faculty’s Study Group (KSF) that includes Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, Faculty of Geography, and Faculty of Agriculture. It is multi-disciplinary-based, aiming at improving people’s welfare.
“The research-based community service (PPMBR) programme in Wonogiri is an initial programme after successfully holding a community service for four years in Madura. Due to its early steps, the programme we offer is socialisation of feasibility and improvement of student learning motivation,” said speaker of the team, Muhammad Ihsan Al Hafiz, on Monday (18/1).
The Physics Engineering student of class 2013 added that Hargantoro village in Wonogiri is a hilly area. The local people are mostly farmers and cattle breeders. They have the problem of prosperity and education gap as compared to their neigbouring villages.
According to Ihsan, most people there only went to elementary schools and junior high schools. The students have to go between 1 – 1.5 hours to school through the hilly sides. There is a high rate of productive age there as early marriages are often found there, too.
“The community service activities are done for a week at the people’s residences. It is similar to the Student Community Service programme (KKN),” he added.
They give socialisation and meeting with the local people. They visited them one by one to get to know the real problem there. The second programme is education where they teach elementary school students and motivate them to pursue higher education.
“The teaching activity is done every afternoon. The response has been positive to the students’ presence among the local people,” he said.