90 UGM Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) students were deployed to various regions in North Sulawesi, including the Bunaken Islands, Talaud Islands, and Sangihe Islands.
The deployment of KKN students to North Sulawesi Province is part of the 7,162 students sent to 35 provinces across Indonesia. Through this service program, students are expected to apply the knowledge gained on campus to develop natural and economic resources for improving community welfare.
“UGM may not be synonymous with KKN, but KKN will always be an essential part of the mandatory courses students must take, along with Pancasila, Civic Education, and Religion. The number of KKN students we deploy is the largest, with the westernmost being on Enggano Island and the easternmost on Liki Island, Sarmi, Papua,” said UGM Secretary Dr. Andi Sandi.
On that occasion, the meeting was held at the Manado City Government Office on Friday (Aug. 9). The Manado City Government was represented by the Head of Bapelitbangdal Manado, Liny Tambayong, accompanied by the Head of the Bunaken National Park, Faat Rudhianto, and the Chair of the Kagama in North Sulawesi, Rudy Mokoginta.
Dr. Andi Sandi expressed special appreciation and gratitude to the Manado City Government for facilitating the KKN activities on Bunaken Island.
“Thank you to the Manado City Government for providing temporary housing for 27 KKN students. Besides North Sulawesi, there are also students in Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo. In North Sulawesi, they are in Bunaken, Sangihe, and Talaud,” he said.
Dr. Andi Sandi stated that UGM is always open to collaborating with the Manado City Government, other local governments, and all Kagama regional branches to support the KKN-PPM activities.
“In the future, we are always ready to cooperate with the North Sulawesi Regional Board and the Manado Kagama Branch with connections and integration to work together on KKN, education, and research activities,” he said.
On this occasion, Dr. Andi Sandi also expressed appreciation for the support from the Kagama board in monitoring and facilitating every program carried out by the students.
“The Kagama regional board always assists us in coordinating with KKN activities,” he explained.
The head of Bunaken National Park, Faat Rudhianto, mentioned that UGM KKN students have implemented several programs, such as facilitating a tourist information center at the entrance of Bunaken Pier, planting mangroves, and transplanting coral reefs.
“We are very pleased with their enthusiasm, even though we initially faced challenges, such as a broken electric generator in the field. We at the National Park are ready to assist them with mangrove planting, turtle release, and tomorrow’s coral transplantation,” he said.
Chair of the Kagama in North Sulawesi Rudy Mokoginta stated that they are ready to support every program carried out by the students, especially since some teams are stationed in remote and border areas.
“Our task is to support the KKN students, including those in the Talaud Islands. We appreciate the support from the National Park,” he explained.
Head of Bapelitbangdal Manado, Liny Tambayong, welcomed the deployment of KKN students in Manado, particularly in supporting tourism activities in Bunaken.
“We are also very grateful for the programs implemented over the past 50 days, such as coral reef planting,” she said.
On this occasion, Tambayong also discussed Manado’s extreme poverty rate and unemployment levels, which she noted as the city government’s responsibility and is currently being addressed in the regional medium-term development plan.
“Population growth has decreased, but the influx of newcomers has increased the city’s capacity. Growth and income have increased, but unemployment has decreased yet remains high, and the Gini ratio has widened, even though economic growth has improved,” she said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto