Klaten Regency, Central Java is one of the locations for Community Service Program (KKN) activities for Diponegoro University (Undip) students, an area that has a lot of potential for development. Klaten Regency has 6 (six) flagship programs in various categories, and with the presence of Undip KKN teams in 30 (thirty) villages in Klaten supporting at least 3 (three) of Klaten’s flagship sub-programs including Klaten Laris (strengthening in trade, economy, and MSMEs), Klaten Mapan (strengthening in agriculture), and Klaten Tangkis (reducing poverty and unemployment rates).
With product diversification according to the potential of each village, 2022/2023 Diponegoro University Community Service Team 1 students who carried out KKN in Klaten held a Diponegoro University Community Service Program: Exhibition of Community Service and MSMEs Products on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at Graha Yudhistira, Pundungan Village, Juwiring Sub-District, Klaten Regency collaborated with village and sub-district officials where the Community Service Program was held and BAPPEDA Klaten. The series of activities include KKN Exhibition, Art Stages, MSMEs Bazaars, Culinary Parties, and Entertainment & Bands.
The Head of Pundungan Village, represented by Novita Keisyarinni said that this KKN expo supports the competitiveness and capabilities of MSMEs actors. “One of our superior products is MAPAN rice products at a lower price than market prices and of course high quality,” said Mrs. Novita.
In his remarks, Head of Juwiring Sub-District, Herlambang Jaka Santosa, S.E., M.Si. mentioned that KKN students are involved in sub-district governance. “We involve students in socialization activities regarding rice field management, designing village offices and village parks, and studying government governance with the community starting from village offices, Posyandu, and Pusrembang activities at the village to sub-district levels,” said Herlambang.
Deputy Academic Director, Dr. Eng. Agus Setyawan, S.Si., M.Si. representing Undip stated that further collaboration could be established with the Klaten community, in the form of thematic KKN or collaboration with faculties.
The KKN village product presentations were delivered by representatives of Juwiring Sub-District, Karangdowo Sub-District, and Tulung Sub-District. The flagship products of Juwiring Sub-District include conveyor belt prototypes, making charcoal briquettes from rice husk waste, instant ginger powder IJAH (Iki Jahe), WEB-GIS distribution of MSMEs in Pundungan Village, landfill designs, carbolic acid cleaners from used cooking oil, development of the Payung Juwiring Tourism Village , prototype MPASI 4 stars, training on making eggshell flour from waste, diversifying the use of glutinous rice.
From Karangdowo Sub-District, the flagship products include innovations for modification of high-protein formula milk, verticulture urban farming, maggot cultivation, MSME cowhide crackers, laundry soap from used cooking oil, dish-washing soap from banana skins, Karangtalun village aquaponics, automatic fish feed tools, pest traps, tools gas and fire leak detection.
While innovations from Tulung Sub-District include developing a Bono village website, MPASI recipe books, making lotions to prevent dengue fever, developing Sendangsari Mini Edu Park, using corncob waste into briquettes, empowering disabled groups through MSMEs eco-printing, making mineral blocks as additional feed, processing functional food from moringa leaves, organic fertilizer workshop, socialization of balanced nutrition in infants 0-6 months.
Lecturer coordinator of KKN Klaten activities, Ana Irhandaningsih, M.Si. hopes that the activities carried out by the KKN Undip student team can benefit local residents and become superior products that have sales value so as to improve the welfare of the people of Klaten district. (Titis – Public Relations)
