The Village Community Development Department of the Student Executive Board of Universitas Gadjah Mada (BEM-KM UGM) organized a community service program titled Gemilang Desa in Donoharjo Village, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Province. This program aims to promote rural community empowerment while enhancing student engagement in advancing sustainable village development.
“This year, Gemilang Desa features two main activities, namely Gebyar Desa and Kongres Abdi Desa, designed to integrate students’ innovative ideas with tangible actions in the village environment,” said Faris Zakiy Ramadhan, General Coordinator of Gemilang Desa, on Tuesday (Oct. 21).
According to Ramadhan, in the Gebyar Desa sub-event, 59 UGM students from various faculties took part directly in community activities. They organized a series of interactive programs, including Gemilang Desa Mengajar (GEMAJAR), a General Medical Check-Up (GMCU), an Herbal Plants Education Session featuring UGM Faculty of Pharmacy lecturer Dr. Joko Santosa, the Keping Cerita Donoharjo storytelling game, and the Healthy Living with the Community program.
Additionally, students supported the Healing Tourism Festival, which contributed to the event’s vibrancy. The activities were warmly welcomed by residents, with over 50 adults and 30 children from Donoharjo Village actively participating.
Ramadhan expressed hope that the initiative would foster synergy and genuine collaboration in addressing rural challenges, from sustainable development and human resource improvement to strengthening the roles of youth as agents of change.
“We want villages to no longer be seen as underdeveloped areas, but as centers of inspiration and drivers of national progress,” he said.
For Ramadhan, national development can and should begin in villages, as they possess valuable human, social, and natural resources that are capable of supporting sustainable transformation. Upholding the spirit of rural development as its main theme, Gemilang Desa reflects the concrete efforts of students to position villages not merely as objects of development, but as empowered agents of change.
Sumaryono, a resident of Donoharjo Village, expressed enthusiasm for the Gebyar Desa activities, particularly the free health check-up service.
“I am very grateful for the free health check-up facility. It’s truly helpful for us villagers. I hope such activities can be held more often,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zaki, another resident who joined the Herbal Plants Education Session, said the program provided new insights and knowledge about the benefits of medicinal plants.
“Now, more people understand the uses of herbal plants,” he said.
On the other hand, Kongres Abdi Desa served as a sub-event that emphasized both competition and discussion. More than 300 participants from various universities and high schools took part in three competition categories of Gemilang Desa: the Business Plan Competition, Essay Competition, and Poster Competition. After a series of selection rounds, the ten best teams from each category advanced to the Gemilang Desa grand finals.
The community service program also featured an educational talk show, Suara Pemuda untuk Kemajuan Desa (SEDASA)or Youth Voices for Village Advancement, which presented speakers from diverse backgrounds and professions.
The panel included Joko Susilo, Founder of Gunungkidul Menginspirasi, representing community activists; Professor Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, an academic from UGM Faculty of Agriculture; Kanjeng Yudanegara, Head of the Yogyakarta Office of Community Empowerment, Village Administration, Population, and Civil Registry, representing policymakers; and Antonia Elena, Environmental Ambassador of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY).
Author: Alena Damaris
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: BEM-KM UGM