A month of june 2015 was a moment when me and friends of 2012 students in Unesa had to face the so-called community service. The program that is held by LPPM Unesa in which it is divided into 2 session, and fortunately I got the first session to run this program. To run this program, we are obliged to stay for about 3 weeks in a village that needs to be improved.
Me and my friends in group 19 got opportunity to do community services in Ds.Metatu, Kec.Benjeng, Kab.Gresik. Even though, this village is located in Gresik where I lived, yet I am still unfamiliar with this village. It is far enough from my house, in fact. This period of community service seemed different from previous ones since it was held on fasting month. It is apparent that we all the members of KKN period 1 would run the holy month without family. Thus, these such circumstances make us perceiving this program as a challenge that need to be successful as it is run in a month that full of blessing.
To keep the commitment, before this program started, we were so enthusiastic to prepare everything especially regarding the job program. Since among of us should be divided into 5 division which are health division, environment division, art and religion division, economic division, and education division, we were frequently had meeting to make any plans and discussion related to the proposing program in each division.
Fortunately, in the 21st of june the head of the village and also the villagers welcomed us in a great hospitality. After Mr. Nurul, the head of the village giving kind of greeting to us, describing the community geographical of Metatu village, we were guided to find where we could stay. For the male members, it was recommended to stay in village hall since there are some rooms that possible to be stayed. Furthermore, for female members, we were suggested to stay in one of villager’s house, yet we need to pay for the rent. Since the house looked comfortable and convenience, we had no chance to reject Mr. Nurul’s recommendation.
The first week was still about adaptation and observing the condition of the village. We tried to consider whether the environment or the community condition of the village possible to be matched with our proposing projects. It was crucial to get approach to the villager in order that we are in ease to give most proper project for their better life. For instance, in the morning when there are women talking each other, we tried to get along on their conversations. We would like to show that we came to their village in the aim of serving them as proper as possible. Moreover, when there were some children visiting us in a rented house, we also share everything makes them feel comfortable to learn with us.
Second week was a period when we starting our project. Despite we had been divided in each division, it did not mean that we need only to focus on our own division instead of helping each other. Although, I belonged to environment division, I still participated on other friends’ division. I cannot deny that the sense of teacher always appeared whenever I meet some children. For example, when education division run their program by giving informal teaching to children there, without being asked, I was enthusiastic to get along with the children and joining to teach them. I thought that even though we are divided in each division, it did not mean that we have to be ignorant to other projects. We come to this village together, therefore, we need to feel the same by having the same responsibility in smoothing every kind of program we had made.
Moving to my own division, the environment division, in which 5 of us had an idea to make this village green by growing ginger. Why we choose ginger as an object to plant? We thought that ginger has many advantages especially for traditional medical. Besides, the villager could make this program as a part time job since it is common that growing ginger is easy and no regret about the profit. In an economical view, people will get much profit besides selling the original gingers, they also can proceed the ginger into some products such as powder, beverage, candy, and so on.
To conduct that project, firstly we held the so-called seminar about cultivating the gingers. The participants at the moment were PKK women. We chose them as the participants of the seminar because we thought that they have high interest to cultivate the gingers then proceed these into kind of cosmetic powder, or healthy beverage. Indeed, they were so enthusiastic when we demonstrate how to proceed the ginger into a health powder. There were some women who came forward to join the demonstrator in finishing making the ginger powder. In demonstration, we were helped by another division, which is health division. Furthermore, in the end of the seminar, we gave each of them small ginger plant to grow at home.
Then a week after this seminar held, we made a follow-up program of cultivating gingers. Since we knew that most of the villagers’ yard has been covered by paving, then we try to find an alternative how to grow these plants. At the moment, we decide to invite the villager to cultivate together. We prepare the sacks, fertilizers and other materials supporting the activity. By having no area to grow the plants, it did not mean that the villagers had to stop their desire to growing the gingers. As a result, in that moment, we would like to show them that cultivating the gingers are possible by using sacks. They can make use of unused sacks to plant the gingers, and then looking for the fertilizer to support the growing. The most important is they can keep an eye on the gingers’ growth by watering regularly, and also put it under enough sunlight. That’s very simple to do, and we thought that everyone is able to, even the kids. We hoped that such little program will be useful and sustainable for their life.
To conclude, I think this community service program benefits us more than the villagers got. Why is it so? We only contribute little things in a such short period, and we do not think that those would be meaningful for the villagers. Whereas, we got a lot of things regarding life experiences. As a future generation, we are very lucky to join this program since we know how to behave and respect others properly, then we understand when and how to use our knowledge. We need to raise high awareness that even though we are from high education, in community view we are all the same. What makes us different from other is that our behavior. We are nothing even we have lots of knowledge, yet we cannot behave properly.
In this KKN, we learn more than what we learn at campus. Truly, we will know who we are when we get along with society. Then our sense of humanity is really sharpen by joining this program..
