Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) sent 2535 students to 42 villages in Central Java and Yogyakarta on Saturday (1/8). The students will carry out a thematic community service (KKN). Moreover, KKN participants of the even semester 2014/2015 are the greatest of the previous community services.
Head of Educational, Research, and Community Development (LP3M) of UMY Hilman Latief, M,A., Ph.D. was interviewed after the ceremony of the KKN at Lapangan Bintang of UMY. He mentioned six regencies for the KKN namely Bantul, Sleman, Gunung Kidul, Kulonprogo, Magelang, and Purworejo. “In this thematic KKN, we send 2535 students. 270 students were sent in ‘Mubaligh Hijrah’’ (Ramadhan 143), and the others will be sent in 42 villages in Jogja and Central Java. There are 121 sites in DIY and 4 sites in Central Java. The KKN will be conducted from 1 August to4 September 2015,” he conveyed.
Hilman addressed that 33 KKN sites in 20 villages are sites of the previous KKN with sustainable theme, and 92 sites in 22 villages are new sites which may possibly became ‘Desa Mitra’ (Partner Village). For the sites, there are 61 sites in several districts in Bantul namely Dlingo, Pajanga, Kasihan, Sewon, Pandak, Srandakan, Sedayu, and Bambangliporo; 50 sites in districts in Sleman namely Gamping, Godean, Turi, Tempel, Cangkringan, Ngaglik, Pakem, Mlati, and Sleman. “For Gunung Kidul, we only have four sites in Semanu and Purwosari, while in Kuloprogo there are 6 sites in Nanggulan, Sentolo, and Galur. For Magelang and Purworejo, we only have a village in Srumbing Magelang with three sites and one sites in Karang Rejo village – Loano – Purworejo,” Hilman told.
Hilman, who is also the lecturer of Islamic Faculty of UMY, conveyed that the themes of this KKN were summarizes in one huge theme, namely “Economic Empowerment of Community”. The theme encompassed agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism village, and rural industry, public organization development, human resource development, and public health. The thematic KKN engages 36 supervisors. “The supervisors are expected to supervise the students to develop the community. For one reason, KKN is media for students to find out various issues in community. The students are also expected to be able to work with the community and to become active, creative, and innovative students,” he inserted.
Furthermore, a student of English Education Department (PBI), Faculty of Language Education (FPB), UMY, Dede Rahayu Pratiwi stated that she was ready to undertake KKN for a month. Besides preparing a proposal of the program, her friends and she prepared mentally to stay and adapt to their new environment in Gilangharjo village, Pandak, Depok, Bantul. “We have prepared mentally to stay at a new place. After observing the site, we knew that we have to draw from a 25-meter well to take a bath. Moreover, it is now dry season so that we definitely ought to prepare everything from now on,” she addressed.
On the other hand, Dede was glad to have community service in the site with her 16 friends. In fact, the people have waited for their arrival as what head of the hamlet admitted. “When we observed in Gilangharjo, head of the hamlet felt pleased with our arrival. He said that people of Gilangharjo, who are mostly member of Muhammadiyah, have waited for students of UMY to undertake KKN. Thus, we are also happy to assist the people,” she told.
Dede, who also actively join UKM Pramuka (Scout) of UMY and University Residence (Unires) stated that her team will carried KKN with the theme of “Planting Gnetum gnemon and fungi and Development of tourism village”. The theme was based on the circumstance that most of the people are a labor and the only one is the collector of Gnetum gnemon and fungi. “We attempt to help the people by improving the marketing of Gnetum gnemon and fungi. Therefore, there will not be only a person who runs the business and they do not only rely on one type of Gnetum gnemon and fungi. We also will make a view post as the development of tourism village of Gilangharjo since the village has potential to be tourism village as Bukit Bintang in Gunung Kidul. Thus, we wish that the village can be one of the tourism destination by having the view post,” she ended.
