The Universitas Indonesia Nature Lovers held a UI Membangun Nusa (UIMN) (Universitas Indonesia Strenghten The Nation) program which was held in three points, namely Prajak Village, Labuhan Sumbawa Village, and Labuan Aji Village, Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province.
The implementation of UIMN 2022 is supported by several partners, including the Bakti Barito Foundation, BNI, BRI, PT Timah, Sumbawa Regency Government, Sumbawa University of Technology, BKP 79, REI, Pelni, Army Disjasad (TNI-AD Facility Provider), Korem 162 (TNI-AD Transportation Provider), BEM UI, Student Voice, Danone, National Library, Himbio (Scientific and Community Service Division), HMDG (Scientific and Community Service Division), Mapala Maras, Mapala Lestari, Pasatwa UI (Community Service Division), and Alfan Baharudin. The concern shown by UI students is a form of contribution and practice of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.
There are three agendas implemented in this program, namely Community Empowerment, Trash to Cash, and Rumah Baca Nusantara. In Prajak Village, the UIMN Team focused on Community Empowerment activities by utilizing seaweed as an abundant natural resource in Prajak Village.
The seaweed raw material is processed into crispy seaweed products, so that this product is expected to become one of the processed foods that are increasingly recognized and become a new characteristic in Prajak Village or Sumbawa Regency. The program was implemented in five stages.
The first stage, recollecting, involves finding production and market places; negotiating with partners and souvenir shops for cooperation; and bridging the needs and licensing of the committee. In product preparation, the stages began with purchasing seaweed; preparing tools and materials; inviting the community to be directly involved; product trials; product manufacturing demonstrations; and presentations to stakeholders and participants.
For the product manufacturing stage, the process starts with the production of goods, quality control, and product marketing schemes. The UIMN team educates the community with product stabilization, market stabilization, cooperation offers, evaluation of production results, preparation of production schemes, and long-term sales to participants. Finally, the product distribution stage is carried out by making MoUs and mediating with sales partners and stakeholders.
In addition to Community Empowerment in Prajak Village, the UIMN Team also promoted the Trash to Cash program in Labuhan Sumbawa Village. They conducted counseling and technical guidance to residents on how to process waste properly, especially how to sort organic and non-organic waste.
For organic waste, innovation is developed through the cultivation of maggot or good flies to help the waste composting process. Meanwhile, non-organic waste was processed by the team and residents into paving blocks. On August 18, 2022, the waste processing equipment was brought by the UIMN Team to Mojo Island so that it could be used by the local community.
The Trash to Cash program was implemented in three stages. First, the recollecting process is carried out by organizing training for the community for the waste sorting stage.
Second, the reprocessing process is applied through technical guidance on waste processing and conducting business meetings with stakeholders and target markets. Third, the remarketing process is carried out by showing the results of eco paving block products and establishing partnerships with local stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Rumah Baca Nusantara program was held by the UIMN Team in Labuan Aji Village, Mojo Island. The UIMN team built a library to increase the community’s interest in literacy, especially children and the younger generation. The program is also complemented by reading, writing and counting (calistung) activities; a celebration of the 77th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia; edu-workshops; and visits for teachers and parents. Through these activities, it is hoped that the community’s interest and ability in literacy will increase.
“UIMN 2022 activities in Sumbawa are a form of collaboration between universities in Indonesia and the implementation of Merdeka Belajar and Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) for students. Indonesia as an archipelago that stretches from Sabang to Merauke requires strengthening and equalizing inter-island relations so that there is an understanding, so that they can strengthen each other and share knowledge and experience as a form of state defense, “said Dr. Taqyuddin. S.Si., M.Hum., as the Field Assistance Lecturer.
UIMN is a visionary activity and has a mission to trigger social change. This program carries the values of effectiveness, synergy, and sustainability to have a positive impact in the outermost, foremost, and disadvantaged (3T) areas.
The vision carried out in this activity is a pilot project as a contribution of students to the homeland. “This goal is in line with the activities of Mapala UI, which has the pleasure to explore and do activities in remote places. The spirit to contribute to building the archipelago is channeled through development in small parts of Indonesia,” said the Chairman of the Executive Board of Mapala UI, Magkma.
According to UI Director of Student Affairs, Dr. Badrul Munir, S.T., M.Eng.Sc., UI academics who have academic traditions and culture and are based on the values of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, have a role and responsibility to make the best contribution to their fellow countrymen in the 3T areas. “With a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, we can apply what we have learned for change for a stable social, economic and environmental order,” Dr. Badrul said.
