Covid-19 pandemic does not deter education, research, and community service activities at the UGM campus. If educational and teaching activities are undertaken online or virtual, it goes similar with the actual work lecture activities. During this time, the Community Service Program (KKN) requires students to mingle with residents, but during this pandemic, they are required to carry out activities online. However, they occasionally go down directly to residents by distributing aid in the form of masks to other medical devices.
Risma Sari Septianingrum from the Environmental Geography Study Program said that she and 20 of her colleagues carried out thematic KKN activities starting from March 12 to April 30 in Hargotirto and Hargowilis Sub-districts, Kokap, Kulonprogo. After five days they have undergone fieldwork, then it was gone online. “For five days, we were at the KKN location before finally being withdrawn through the Chancellor’s Decree,” Risma said in an online conversation with reporters on Monday (11/5).
Although only for five days, said Risma, she and her colleagues had made observations with a direct survey to determine the program. They had met with village officials, community leaders, and residents. They also had a chance to hold a meeting with community leaders to discuss and work on the programs. “As long as Coronavirus cases still appear in Indonesia and service-learning is withdrawn from the location, we carry out online service-learning activities,” she said.
The program is implemented regarded as the program that was compiled from the beginning and supplemented with the Covid Emergency Response Program. It is because she cannot interact directly with the residents. Risma implements the program by making presentation material and educational videos for residents. “We send the material to the village. There is also a program in the form of mapping tourism in Hargotirto Village, which is carried out through online coordination with DPL, village officials, and tourism managers,” she said.
While for Covid’s emergency response activities, KKN students said Risma, in collaboration with the UGM DERU team, PIAT, UGM RSA, and UGM DPKM, conducted some programs. The programs are packaging and distributing hand sanitizers to traders in the market, making face shields, PPE packing, distributing fruit juices for internal UGM, and the creation and publication of Covid-19 educational posters.
The student from Seyegan, Sleman, told her engaging experience when she was distributing masks and hand sanitizers to market traders who were conducted before dawn. “As we come, the situation in the community market is still relaxed without a mask and keep a distance to interact,” she recalls.
Risma said that most of the time, KKN activities are carried out online from home. Occasionally she was invited to take part in the activities of becoming a DERU volunteer to go into the community and help with logistics distribution. During the online KKN implementation, according to her, it was quite cost-saving because more were at home. However, she admitted that he was sad because he could not mingle with residents like KKN activities during normal conditions. “I think it might be said that KKN can save money and energy. However, our sorrow cannot go directly to the location of the Community Service program, so it seems we are only volunteers, not participants of the Community Service program in general, “he recalled.
Another UGM online KKN participant, Eko, admitted that online KKN activities were aimed at minimizing covid transmission. In fact, for Communication with fellow KKN teams, they do it online. “Communication between unit members and implementers of several programs is done through Communication via mobile phones and online. Grief may be because we can not meet directly with friends KKN units for Communication and development of KKN. But I like it for some friends to do it at home without having to travel, “he said.
After the withdrawal of KKN students from the location, he said, he and his friends were directed to conduct Covid-19 prevention activities by helping distribute personal protective equipment to several health facilities and when providing hand sanitizer packages to markets.
Field Supervisor Lecturer, Dwi Umi Siswanti, S.Sc., M.Sc., said that KKN activities amid the pandemic are now more directed to assist residents in countering hoax information that is spread in the media and social media and straighten out the information. “Besides, sharpening the understanding of residents related to Covid-19, from hazards, ways of prevention, ways of handling, and how people should behave towards other citizens whose status is ODP, PDP, is positive for Covid,” he said.
Besides providing education to the community, his side also provides input to residents about activities that can be done at home so that they can remain productive.
Undergoing KKN activities online, according to Dwi, requires students not to be able to meet face-to-face with all citizens for socialization and program execution. “We get around by appearing in counseling programs, making maps, pamphlets, posters, web, pocketbooks, learning videos, online student learning assistance,” he said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Translator: Natasa A