FMIPA UI Department of Biology Support Sukarame Villagers to Develop Regional Leading Products Capacity

FMIPA UI Departement of Biology, collaborate with Pandu Cendikia Foundation to carrying out Community Engagement program activities with the theme of Regional Leading Product Capacity Development.

The product was developed based on the ethnobotany concept which is a science that studies the use of plants by local communities. Therefore, the program chaired by Afiatry emphasizes the use of plants around Sukarame Village as an object of economic value.

The program with the theme “Development of Ethnobotany Workshop as an Effort to Increase the Capacity of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) Sukarame Village Community” was chosen because Sukarame Village has a location that can be said to be unique and strategic by being flanked by beaches and forests/mountains.

The public can find a variety of plants in the forest which can then be processed into creative products that can be sold as souvenirs to beach tourism visitors.

The community engagement program supported by the UI Directorate of Research and Development (DRPM) began with a training session on July 20th, 2018, to introduce UMKM financial management, the creation of an online store and the addition of expertise in the art of rope ties.

The training involved lecturers from the Department of Biology FMIPA UI as well as practitioners from the Pandu Scholar Foundation, namely Afiatry Putrika, M.Sc., Dr. Retno Lestari, Putri Rahayu Ratri, M.Biomed., Merry Niarsi, M.Sc., and Amelia Said, M.Psi.T. The training aims to increase basic knowledge in managing business and improve the skills and creativity of the people of Sukarame Village.

According to Afiatry, Sukarame Village is a strategic village because it is flanked by the central tourism area, namely beach, forest, and waterfall tourism. He also added that in addition to a strategic location, the village also has abundant natural wealth, but has a low economic wheel. The lack of knowledge, educational background, and the difficulty of opening access to a wider market share are the main obstacles for the community in developing the local potential of the village. A variety of Natural Resources (SDA) that can be utilized is very easily found in Sukarame Village, such as recycled plants which can be used as basic materials for accessories and wood trees that can be used as raw materials for the wood industry.

Afiatry added that in this activity, the community was also introduced to have skills, namely the basic techniques of rope tie art (macrame), training in waste wood processing, training in processing furniture from wood and bamboo.

The training was conducted aiming at the village community to get other alternatives to make handicrafts that can be used as souvenirs for sale to tourists. If the product produced is creative, then the product can increase the income of their UKM.

The art of tying the rope can be applied using parts of plant stems, namely fern nails or other plants that are quite abundant in the area. The use of recam stem fiber is expected to be an alternative raw material for making various kinds of souvenirs.

Pandu Cendikia Foundation founder, Fajar Reza Budiman explained that this program was felt necessary to optimize the utilization of Natural Resources (SDA). In this program, it is hoped that local potential can develop by starting to equip rural communities with the importance of building Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is a group that runs a business by applying the principles of togetherness, a democratic and transparent economy, independence, balance of progress, and sustainability. Fajar said that one of the main pillars in upholding MSMEs is good business management, such as regular financial management and product marketing to the right points.

UMKM financial management must be carried out routinely and in detail, for example by running a UMKM accounting system. Besides, the expansion of product marketing can be developed through online trading sites, considering that in this era of technological sophistication has been rampant so that market opportunities are higher and wider.

The majority of participants in the training are housewives. They seemed quite enthusiastic about this activity, which was marked by the number of participants that exceeded the target, from 30 people to 40 people.

The participants hope they can advance in developing their products. According to Endang Sutiyoso (Pak Eton), as a village development activist, this activity is expected to open the way for the community to develop their small businesses to improve the living standards of the village community. The large potential of natural resources in the village of Sukarame is also expected to be used sustainably by residents to be used as raw material for making souvenirs so that its existence is well preserved

The output of this community service program is expected to increase both in terms of knowledge, creativity, and economy of the Sukarame Village community. Villagers who have been equipped with the knowledge and have creativity are the main key in optimizing the utilization of local potential so that the development of Sukarame Village UKM can be carried out sustainably.