A total of 69 students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI), participating in the MIPA Green Village 8 initiative, visited Sukawangi Village, Sukamakmur District, Bogor Regency, West Java, from December 3-4, 2022, and again from January 14-22, 2023, to carry out community development activities focused on improving sanitation facilities and literacy.
This activity is the team’s response to various issues developing in the area related to water quality and distribution, early childhood gadget addiction, the neglect of a library at one of the public elementary schools, SDN Sirnabakti, which has led to a decline in students’ reading activities in the library, and the suspension of main activities at the Early Childhood Education institution, resulting in reduced educational activities for young children.
Under the guidance of Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., a lecturer from the Department of Biology, FMIPA UI, the MIPA Green Village 8 team then took intervention steps, including addressing sanitation issues by constructing water storage tanks, reservoirs, and water filtration systems. Meanwhile, regarding literacy issues, the team organized seminars on limiting gadget use among young children, conducted teaching activities, renovated the SDN Sirnabakti library, and created a Learning Garden.
Team leader Shafy Urfa Haidar (Geology 2021) stated that based on the team’s survey identification, they found several water-related problems in Sukawangi Village. These included issues with water quantity, quality, and distribution. Therefore, the MIPA Green Village 8 Research and Development team, together with experts, carried out interventions consisting of three parts: constructing a new water storage tank because the land used for the old tank might be reclaimed by its owner at any time; building a 2,000-liter reservoir for residents of Sukawangi Village whose homes are located in lower areas; and creating a water filtration system to filter water in the MIPA Green Village reservoir from the previous year. This activity was carried out from January 16 to 21, 2023.
“The result of the intervention is that the water flow and quality received by families supplied from the reservoir and water filtration have improved, with a higher water flow rate, clearer water, and reduced sediment in the water,” said Shafy to the FMIPA UI public relations team.
As the next intervention step, the team held a village seminar themed on limiting gadget use among children, featuring psychologist Yusnita Katagori, M.Psi., from Hermina Hospital, and involving 84 local residents on Sunday (December 4, 2022). The main agenda of this Village Seminar was to educate the people of Sukawangi Village, particularly parents, on the importance of limiting screen time gadget use in children and how to use gadgets wisely.
The next intervention step continued with the renovation of the library at SDN Sirnabakti. This library has great potential in terms of its building size and a fairly diverse book collection. Unfortunately, due to the absence of a librarian and the poor condition of the room, the SDN Sirnabakti library was deemed unfit as a proper learning space for students.
“Therefore, we renovated the library by making use of existing items and adding some new ones. We also created a better book borrowing system to prevent the books from being lost,” said Shafy.
This activity was carried out on December 3–4, 2022, and continued on January 14–15, 2023.
The team’s efforts were then appreciated by the school and the students, including Meisyha, a 6th-grade student who was happy to see the school library improved once again.
“The library is nice now, comfortable for studying,” said Meisyha to the team.
To complement the literacy development activities, the team conducted teaching sessions at SDN Sirnabakti, targeting students from grades 3 to 6. The teaching activities were held over three effective days from January 17 to 19, 2023, involving a total of 18 instructors and 210 students. On the first day, the lessons focused on arts and culture; on the second day, the students were taught basic mathematics; and on the third day, they participated in simple and engaging science experiments.
“I am very pleased with the presence of UI students serving at SDN Sirnabakti. I hope this can be a motivation for the students of SDN Sirnabakti to study more diligently and enthusiastically,” said Mr. Acep, S.Pd., MM.Pd., Principal of SDN Sirnabakti.
To support the sustainable improvement of literacy interest in Sukawangi Village, the MIPA Green Village 8 team created a learning facility called the “Learning Garden,” built next to a food stall owned by a local resident. This learning garden is equipped with writing and drawing tools, toys, puzzle, and also contains books that have been classified by age groups, ranging from children, teenagers, to adults.
“The construction of this Learning Garden is also a response to one of the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) centers in Sukawangi Village that has ceased operations. Therefore, the Learning Garden was created so that the children can remain productive and enthusiastic about learning,” said Shafy, concluding his interview with the FMIPA UI public relations team.
MIPA Green Village (MGV) is a work program of the Social and Environmental Department of the Student Executive Board (BEM) FMIPA UI since 2016, aimed at increasing awareness and social concern among FMIPA UI members towards underdeveloped villages. It also serves as a participatory platform for carrying out community service activities as a manifestation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education values.
