IPB University Students and TP PKK Help Improve Resilience of Cikundul Community after Earthquake

Cikundul Village, Sukabumi City has experienced 13 earthquakes throughout 2021, but community awareness of the importance of food security after an earthquake is still low and there is no structure that directs disaster management at the community level.

Based on this problem, the Cikundul Family Empowerment and Welfare Team (TP PKK) together with students Syahida Zulfa Raihani, Nadia Clarissa, Fenniya Angel Lee, Nurul Fauzi and Muhammad Ihsan implemented the FIT-Triple Action program as an alternative to improving the earthquake mitigation capacity of the Cikundul Village community.

Through the PKM-PM funding event (Student Creativity Program for Community Service) in early 2023, Syahida and her team were able to realize this program under the guidance of Ir Murdianto, a lecturer at the Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University.

“FIT-Triple Action is a series of activities involving students and in collaboration with TP PKK Cikundul Village, Sukabumi, which aims to increase the understanding and skills of the community in dealing with earthquakes and give attention to the importance of food security after an earthquake,” said Syahida.

She explained that the activity also aims to provide awareness to the community of the urgency of post-earthquake food security and facilitate disaster management, infrastructure and institutions at the community level.

“The FIT-Triple Action program begins with socialization to partners. Then, the first series of activities, FIT Action Food Emergency, involved a demonstration of making food for post-earthquake food security using cooking demonstration and socialization methods,” she said.

She continued, FIT Action Infrastructure and Facility, which involves creating disaster management institutions at the community level and contingency planning through discussions.

“Communities that receive program benefits are then involved in FIT Action Training and Capacity Building, which includes training materials and earthquake mitigation simulations,” she said.

Syahida explained that there is a monitoring and evaluation phase to assess the sustainability of the program using pre-test and post-test methods. She hopes that the sustainability of this program includes collaboration with the Sukabumi City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the establishment of a disaster management institution structure, and the provision of modules and guidelines for partners.

The Chief of TP PKK Cikundul Village, Hj. Siti Homsanah, stated that FIT-Triple Action is a valuable community empowerment initiative that deserves to be continued.

“This program helps people understand earthquake mitigation measures, especially in Cikundul Village,” said Siti Homsanah.

Program partner Ria Mariawaty also appreciated the program as a good step in post-disaster preparation, especially in terms of food security. (IAAS/NVA)