Since Indonesia has not recovered from the pandemic situation, all the groups of UGM SCS-CEL should carry the community service online. One of the groups is the YO-169 SCS-CEL student group that took place in Wukirsari Village, Imogiri District, Bantul Regency, supervised by Prof. Dr. Cahyono Agus. As many as 20 UGM students have completed their community service in Imogiri, Bantul from 29 June to 18 August 2020.
This Students Community Service (SCS) is specifically aimed at supporting the Community Partnership Program of the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education which has been revitalized for the adaptation of Covid-19 to become the "Covid-19 Affected Community Empowerment Program: Agro-Geo-Edu-Wisata Gunung Sewu GeoPark". There were various activities relevant to the theme, including an online facilitation program for the community and the Covid-19 Prevention and Management program.
"Other programs are the Development of the Orphanage and the Eternal Well Area, the Tri-Center Program for Education, Environmental and Community Health, Social Service and Community Empowerment and MSMEs," said Cahyono Agus on Monday (24/8).
In his remarks, he also said that the students had also rehabilitated the eternal springs of "Den Bei" and "Den Nganten" wells in the karst mountain area which is known for its drought. This rehabilitation effort is expected to guarantee the availability of clean water throughout the year.
"Petilasan eternal well has also been crowded with religious tourism visits, pengowes, or imitation. Besides, the orphanage is also upgrading facilities in the form of renovating walls, rooms, floors, meeting rooms, electricity, clean water, and others so that they become proper for permanent development activities for foster children and surrounding community," he said.
Cahyono Agus explained that UGM students also provide internet facilities and LCD projectors so that people who are in the peak of the limestone mountains can join them and empower children to go to school by accessing the internet for their school assignments. The local society enthusiastically flocked up and down the hill to take part in the webinars on the latest various programs held by students every Sunday morning.
Some elderly mothers are still enthusiastic about going up and down hills to come to the orphanage because most of them do not have their gadgets. The mothers seemed very enthusiastic when the remote webinar displayed video on a projector screen and the latest information submitted by students.
"On Thursday, we are very grateful that we can run the program of Tri-Pusat Pendidikan Semesta in remote areas so that it can help children who go to school online by having internet access and guidance at the orphanage. There were also distributions of masks, hand sanitizers, hand washing equipment, water vats, posters for the Covid-19 campaign which also greatly helped residents to cope with Covid-19 independently," he explained.
Collaborating with KAGAMA Care, SCS-CEL Unit YO-169 Imogiri has created a vegetable canthelan program for the community affected by Covid-19 in many places. Moreover, UGM students and BAZNAS DIY are also committed to helping provide food packages to be distributed to residents affected by Covid-19 under the guidance of UGM and orphanages.
"Alhamdullilah, we have a lot of donors who are also motivated to participate in providing additional canthelan and grocery packages so that the program can sustainably run," he said.
Cahyono Agus added that the provision of groceries and canthelan were given when community attended a remote webinar centered at the Mandiri Creative Home which was usually held every Sunday morning and special days. Elderly parents are touched by this program, with the support of packages of basic food and vegetables they are greatly helped because they live in an area that is always undergoing drought.
“Especially at this time, the impact of Covid-19 and drought has seriously tormented the daily lives of people in the Karst Mountain Area. They give thanks and pray to the donors, students, and all parties to be always healthy and gain good fortune and reciprocation from Gusti Allah," he explained.
Along with the ABI community (Agus Bumi Indonesia), Yogyakarta has collaborated to hold a social service in the form of providing 1,000 catfish seeds and vegetable canthelan packages on Sunday, July 12, 2020. This event collaborated with an SCS webinar which took the theme of catfish-kale cultivation, accompanied by videos and demonstration plots.
Besides, there was a collaboration with PPPA Darul Qur'an DIY who also donated 2 goats during Eid al-Adha. Some qurban companions from the general public also gave their sacrificial animals to be managed together.
"The support of a team of militant volunteers from the Panti Kreatif Mandiri Foundation (YPKM) under the coordinator Budi Ariyanto S.Kom, with high fighting power, has spearheaded the success of the online SCS program, however, the community must still feel the service," he added.
At the point of the service, SCS-CEL students made a presentation on the results of the SCS and Community Partnership Program activities which were carried out online on August 14, 2020. It involved the community from its village and sub-district officials. The presentation of the results of the Community Service Program was also attended by the Head of Wukirsari Village, Susilo Hapsoro, S.E., and the Head of Imogiri Sub-District, Dra. Sri Kayatun.
As a result, there have been publications in some outputs such as books, posters, videos, containing various kinds of master plans, and village potential development plans were published, in the form of hard-copy, soft-copy, and media links. The results of the UGM Student Community Service Program are considered as a part of a very important education and online reference source for the development of Wukirsari Village.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Translator: Natasa A