The Community Engagement Team initiated by Retno Lestari and Andi Salamah carried out the UI Community Engagement Program (Pengmas) for the Nation on Tuesday (10/22) in Bojong Koneng Village, Sentul.
The program implemented was the team’s effort to build community awareness of the potential benefits and cultivation of empon plants.
Empon plants are biopharmaca plants that are included in the horticulture sub-sector. The benefits are various, including medicines, cosmetics, cooking spices, and health drinks consumed or used from plant parts such as leaves, stems, fruits, rhizomes or roots.
“This program is in line with one of the objectives of the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) that has been prepared by the Bogor Regency, which is to improve the economic competitiveness of the community and the development of businesses based on natural resources and tourism,” said Retno at FMIPA UI, Depok.
These community engagement activities are carried out through several stages. The first stage starts with preparing the land and planting it with various emponons.
Then provide training to the participants on the benefits of various kinds of empon both for daily needs such as cooking ingredients, medicines, and teach skills such as making healthy and nutritious drinks by using various concoctions of emponons.
Retno Lestari as the initiator and team leader explained that through this community engagement program, the community is expected to be able to contribute to the management and arrangement of land in Bojong Koneng Village, provide alternative educational locations, and to directly impact local community income.
“It is hoped that with this program, it can transform idle land (non-productive land) in the village of Bojong Koneng, Sentul to become a center for the utilization and cultivation of empon plants. Furthermore, the existence of Empon Park can be a productive intellectual and business area in the future, “Retno concluded.
In addition to the support of the Directorate of Research and Community Engagement UI (DRPM UI), this program can be carried out by joining the students of FMIPA UI, Pandu Cendikia Foundation, and Bumi Kepanduan Sentul as collaborative partners.
