Magetan Regency boasts a variety of MSMEs across different sectors, ranging from culinary products made from local ingredients to crafts and fashion items.
However, efforts to transform and digitalize these businesses to enhance market reach and competitiveness have been limited. Universitas Gadjah Mada deployed 78 KKN students from various disciplines to Takeran District and two other locations in Plaosan District to help map potentials and strengthen MSME institutions through digital media utilization, aiming to improve their competitive edge.
UGM Rector Professor Ova Emilia expressed her pride and gratitude for the student’s community service, which significantly benefitted the people of Magetan.
“It is heartwarming and pleasing to see the students’ dedication and how they interact with the residents. Fortunately, we have alumni in every area, and connections with Kagama make it easier for KKN students to collaborate and develop work programs,” Professor Emilia said during the KKN monitoring and evaluation (Monev) on Friday (Aug. 9) at the Takeran District Office in Magetan, East Java.
Professor Emilia added that the KKN program, which has been running for 70 years since its inception in 1951, demonstrates that theory and practice must complement each other, especially for students.
“Theories learned on campus will have no meaning if not practiced in the community. So let’s put forward our best ideas because I am sure Kagama and the local government will support them to make them a reality, and these work programs will become potential masterpieces for all KKN students,” she encouraged.
Wisnu Bambang Dwi Hartono, Takeran District Head and a UGM alumnus, expressed his appreciation for the significant changes in his village following the arrival of KKN students.
“These UGM students are different; they can position themselves well in the community as young intellectuals. One interesting program is that they taught us how to sell through digital platforms, enabling our pecel sambal to be distributed outside Magetan,” Hartono shared.
He thanked UGM and hoped his village could welcome KKN students again next year. He noted that the students’ involvement in the agricultural sector was particularly impactful, as they initiated regular meetings with all Farmer Groups and Field Agricultural Extension Officers (PPL) to discuss food and horticultural agriculture.
“There is also a program for creating innovative products based on local food. Hopefully, our village will become more advanced after this,” Hartono added.
Tiara, a member of the KKN student team in Takeran, explained some of the flagship programs for MSMEs at both the village and hamlet levels.
“At the village level, we focused on batik MSMEs, helping with promotion, creating new motif innovations, and providing batik waste processing machines,” she explained.
In Babadan Hamlet, the team provided mentoring and training on product innovation, such as catfish crackers, dish soap, and bath soap.
“Since peanuts are a prominent agricultural product here, we also taught the women how to make peanut butter, mochi, and peanut candies to add value to peanuts as a raw material,” Tiara added.
Additionally, the students created a map showing the distribution of MSMEs across the three districts that were part of the UGM KKN locations, hoping it would be useful to the local government.
Strengthening MSME institutions was also a priority program, implemented through various strategies, including MSME data collection and geotagging, social media content creation assistance for marketing, QRIS utilization outreach, bookkeeping training, website usage guidance, and public credit education in collaboration with Bank Ekadharma.
The closing of the KKN Monev event in Magetan Regency included the handover of a batik waste processing machine made by the KKN students, which the UGM Rector presented to the Takeran District.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Photographer: Devi
Post-editor: Afif