Improving Community Competitiveness and Productivity, KKNM Unpad Team Conducts Environmental Counseling

Bandung, West Java – Education can be done just about anywhere and not merely on campus or school. This is also the case with knowledge that everyone should be able to obtain, regardless of age or background.

This is in line with what has been conducted by the Universitas Padjadjaran KKNM team with the Field Supervisor (DPL), namely Prof. Dr. Betty Natalie Fitriatin, Ir., M.P. The KKNM team supervised by Prof. Betty carried out its community service agenda in Patrolsari Village, Bandung in July 2023.

The KKNM team focused on carrying out a number of activities to support the village’s agricultural activities. The first activity was in the form of counseling environmentally friendly fertilizer held at the Patrolsari Village Office Hall on Sunday (23/7). The counseling was attended by representatives of farmer groups, village officials, and all RW heads in Patrolsari Village.

The problem of using chemical fertilizers that are widely chosen by farmers is the focus of the counseling of the Unpad KKNM team for this specific event. The KKNM Unpad team mapped out the environmental problems before the counseling took place. This was done to ensure that the right problem-solving strategy was obtained.

Based on interviews during mapping, the KKNM Unpad team obtained information that Patrolsari Village produces quite rich agricultural commodities. These include rice, corn, cassava, and several types of fruits and vegetables. However, the use of chemical fertilizers chosen by farmers is a serious problem in this village’s agriculture, because it can have a negative impact on the environment in the long run.

“In an effort to increase public awareness to be more concerned about the environment, we held a socialization on the use and manufacture of environmentally friendly fertilizers that are expected to benefit the community, especially the farmers in the village,” said KKNM Group Leader, Irvan Jeay.

The series of socialization activities included a presentation of material on the use and implementation of environmentally friendly fertilizers, followed by the demonstration of producing fertilizers using household waste, such as rice washing water and fruit or vegetable waste.

In addition to making fertilizer, the KKNM team led by Irvan also conducted counseling on the use of plastic bottles as planting media at SMPN 2 Arjasari. This decision was based on the problem of plastic bottle waste around the school.

In the counseling activity, the KKNM students conducted training on how to convert plastic bottles into verticulture planting media. This aims as a form of greening efforts in the SMPN 2 Arjasari environment.

The training on the utilization of plastic bottles also introduces bamboo as a possible material to be used, so that objects that were originally considered less valuable become functional products.

“If organized and arranged properly, the pots made from plastic bottles can look attractive and add to the beauty of the SMPN 2 Arjasari yard,” said Irvan.

Counseling and training such as that conducted by the KKNM Unpad team contributes to various positive impacts on the environment, both in the near and long term. In addition, activities like this are also deemed potential in increasing the productivity and life skills of the community and the students themselves. Thus, both of these activities should be continuously implemented to further improve the self-sufficiency and competitiveness of the community.

Writer: Maria Imanuella Dewi Sekartaji
Translator: Dhia Anaulva Putri