UNDIP, Semarang (9/8) – Eighteen students from Group 3 of the 2026 Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) KKN-T Team 83 carried out the “Tampah” (Tanam Rempah/Grow Spices) program to empower residents of the Class I Semarang Correctional Facility (Kedungpane Correctional Facility) on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The program was initiated in response to the availability of unused land within the correctional facility that could be utilized for productive cultivation.
KKN-T Team 83 adopted the theme “Post-Release Self-Reliance Development for Correctional Facility Residents through the Development of Food-Based MSME Products and Strengthening Business Legality.” Based on this theme, the students initiated a herbal plant cultivation program that could later support the production of value-added herbal beverages using ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, and temulawak (Javanese turmeric).
The program was designed as a sustainable initiative that could benefit both the correctional facility and its residents, including after their release. The herbal medicine business is considered to have strong growth potential amid growing public interest in natural and healthy lifestyles. Traditional herbal products are also widely perceived as an alternative to chemically processed products. In addition, herbal crops are relatively easy to cultivate and maintain.
The program is expected to provide direct economic and social benefits to both the correctional facility and its residents. If adopted as an ongoing program by the facility and implemented sustainably, the initiative could generate long-term positive impacts for various stakeholders.
“We are certainly pleased with the presence of students from Universitas Diponegoro. Conducting a community service program at an institution like this is unique. Still, it has certainly brought a very positive impact, particularly in supporting the self-reliance of the residents here,” said Ahmad Tohari, Head of the Class I Semarang Correctional Facility, expressing his appreciation for the initiative.
The team worked under the coordination of field supervisors Emy Handayani, S.H., M.Hum., Head of the KKN-T Team 83 Supervisory Lecturers, and Dr. Indra Waspada, S.T., M.TI., PIC Lecturer for KKN-T at the Class I Semarang Correctional Facility. The program also involved representatives from the correctional facility, including Priyo Hartanto, S.Sos., M.H., Head of the General Affairs Subdivision; Wahyu Budi Heriyanto, A.Md.IP., S.H., M.H., Head of the Work Activities Division; and Candra Putra Perwira, S.H., M.H., Head of the Work Product Management Section. (Public Communication/UNDIP)
