The students of Community Service (KKN) of Diponegoro University (Undip) in Ampelgading Village, Ampelgading District, held training activities in bouquet-making skills and photo techniques on Tuesday (18/7/2023) for a group of PKK women cadres at the Ampelgading Village Hall. The bouquet-making training activity is a form of implementation of one of the scientific work programs (individuals) for KKN students. Hasna Humaira, a representative of KKN Undip students in Ampelgading Village from the business administration study program, conveyed the purpose of this activity. “The aim and objective of teaching bouquet-making skills and photo techniques to PKK women, the majority of whom are housewives, is to have qualified skills in doing business with currently trending products. This activity includes teaching about planning to build a business, how to make products, calculating capital and selling prices, and how to take attractive product photos. Hence, potential consumers are interested in buying,” said Hasna.
The Head of Ampelgading Village, Suparto, opened the training activity. “Alhamdulillah, the KKN Undip team held a community service program in business administration. The mothers in this village can participate in the bouquet-making training program to have their own business. I hope that after attending the training, the mothers will have additional income and create jobs for residents,” said Suparto.
The number of PKK women cadres who participated in skills training activities was 35 (thirty-five). Activity equipment and supplies have been prepared as material packages ready to be used. This training focuses on making snack bouquets with a simple model, affordable prices, and high buying interest. A snack bouquet, or what is usually called a buket jajan in Indonesian, means a collection of various types of snacks packaged in a series of souvenirs. Generally, bouquets are used as souvenirs at particular moments, such as birthdays, graduations, engagements, weddings, and other events worth celebrating.
The participants’ enthusiasm was obvious, coupled with a challenge for the first participant who made a bouquet quickly and neatly. The challenge is not only for the fastest participants but also for the best participants with beautiful bouquets. Suddenly, the training participants were very motivated to participate in the challenge, which included prizes for the winners.
Skills training activities teach how to make bouquets and raise the enthusiasm of PKK women to have a creative and innovative spirit to see opportunities around them. Based on a survey by KKN Undip students, there still needs to be more MSME actors in the Ampelgading Village environment. It is still scarce to find bouquet or gift shop businesses, which created a scientific work program to provide training that ends with product photography techniques. Training activities are carried out with direct practice. They are taught step by step, starting with calculating the capital expenditure, determining the selling price, and the manufacturing process up to the finishing stage. Participants are also invited to ask questions if they encounter difficulties during the bouquet-making process. When a participant met problems, Hasna immediately stepped in to check on the participant and teach them until they succeeded. The majority of participants were able to follow the steps taught well. The training practices are guided individually, and examples of the process are immediately given so they can be understood easily. The activity ended with the method of eye-catching product photography techniques and the distribution of prizes for the fastest challenge winners and the best bouquet.
Skills training participants expressed their thanks with delighted feelings to the KKN Undip Team for holding this activity, considering that in Ampelgading Village, there are still minimal MSMEs in the field of handicrafts. The KKN Undip Team closed the training activity with a photo of the participants and the winners of the fastest bouquet-making challenge.
