Thirty Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students from the Cahea Busel Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) unit are carrying out community service in Gaya Baru Village, Lapandewa District, and Gerak Makmur Village, Sampolawa District. Located at the southern tip of Buton Island in Southeast Sulawesi, the two villages will be home to the students for 50 days as they learn, collaborate, and grow alongside local communities.
During KKN, UGM KKN students are implementing hundreds of initiatives to create lasting benefits for local communities. However, meaningful change cannot be achieved without collaboration that extends beyond the classroom. This collaboration brings together students from diverse academic backgrounds, including the Social Sciences and Humanities, Science and Technology, Medical, and Agriculture clusters, which focus on generating impact in governance, tourism, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Raihan, the Student Coordinator of the Cahea Busel Unit, said the KKN team is implementing numerous programs designed to deliver long-term benefits to the community. These include health screenings, the development of regional information access through a WebGIS platform, village social media branding workshops, and coral reef rehabilitation initiatives.
“We hope the entire series of programs will empower communities by creating economic opportunities while supporting sustainable village development through collaboration between residents and village governments,” Raihan said on Tuesday (Jul. 14).
The Field Supervisor (DPL), Dr. Nur Rokhman, explained that this year’s community service program carries the theme “Pendekatan Multisektoral dalam Optimalisasi Potensi Maritim dan Sumber Daya Lokal sebagai Pilar Utama Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Desa Gaya Baru dan Gerak Makmur,” which serves as the guiding framework for all activities. Through the KKN-PPM program, Dr. Nur Rokhman said students are expected to become agents of change by identifying the development potential of South Buton Regency and helping accelerate its growth.
“The students’ direct engagement in the community will sharpen their social and cultural awareness while enabling them to develop appropriate solutions to local challenges,” Dr. Nur Rokhman said.
Raihan added that the UGM KKN team plans to organize the BlueCoast Eco Festival: Gelora Pesisir Menuju Sail to Indonesia 2026. The festival will showcase local culture, MSMEs, and sustainable tourism, leveraging the region’s coastal potential through a series of community activities.
“The festival is part of the region’s preparation for Sail to Indonesia 2026 and is expected to increase international exposure,” he said.
Scheduled for early August, the festival is expected to promote sustainable local economic growth by strengthening local identity through youth participation while integrating cultural preservation with technological innovation.
“We hope the festival will become the culmination of all our programs and serve as the closing event of our KKN activities, where the initiatives we have implemented throughout the program will be presented to the public,” Raihan said.
True to its name, “Cahea Busel,” the UGM KKN-PPM team seeks to become a light of hope for the people of South Buton. Not merely a temporary light, but one that gradually illuminates the region’s untapped potential, enabling communities to move forward with greater independence. At the same time, the students’ service in South Buton serves as a valuable learning experience, allowing them to apply their knowledge while making meaningful contributions to communities in central Indonesia.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Priyanandaningrat
Photo: Indo.rent and KKN UGM Team