The First Friday Tour of LPPM (Institute of Research and Community Services) IPB in2011 in the Villages of Cibanteng and Benteng
The Institute of Research and Community Services, Bogor Agricultural University (LPPM IPB) held its first Friday Tour of 2011 in Cibanteng and Benteng on Friday (11/3). Head of Benteng Village, Abu Bakar said that the IPB’s Friday Tour can improve the welfare of its residents. "In these activities our communities process the families’ potential medicinal plants (TOGA) into a variety of herbal products that can be directly consumed and marketed," said Abu Bakar. He expressed highest appreciation for the services by the teaching staff of IPB and hopes that IPB continues to provide assistance for the residents. A similar view was also raised by the Secretary of Cibanteng Village, Kusnadi.
Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, IPB, Prof. Dr. Ir. Yonny Koesmaryono said that the Friday Tour is a form of IPB’s commitment to the public services for the communities around the campus. "We want to show that not all universities are like ivory towers for its surrounding area. In addition to establishing close relationship, IPB also wants to provide benefits for local communities through the community service programs," said Prof. Yonny. IPB together with the communities has initiated the formation of Family Empowerment Post (POSDAYA) to help increase family income, in addition to improving family nutrition by utilizing the potential local animal protein such as rabbit, chicken, eel, catfish and so forth.
The IPB TOGA researcher of the Faculty of Forestry IPB, Prof. Ervizal Amzu said that it is from the Benteng Village that we get the efficacy of soursop leaves as anti-cancer drugs and takokak leaves as the cure for prostate cancer. "For 20 years, the information has been uncovered. However, from the resulted research in the village of Castle, the soursop leaves are known to have the ability to cure cancer ten thousand more powerful than chemotherapy," said Prof. Amzu. Since the information was revealed to the media, almost every day Prof. Amzu has received calls from the public who complain of various diseases, and especially how to cure cancer. Prof. Amzu also told the experience of a mother from Benteng village who was declared to have been cured from cervical cancer after regularly for two continuous months drinking soursop leaf herbs. Prof. Amzu hopes in the future the residents can take advantage of their home yard by growing TOGA and making it as family medicine.
On that occasion, IPB gave aids to 20 orphans and plant seeds of TOGA to the villagers. The even was then continued with the testimony to the success in the empowerment and community services by local residents as well as a visit to a TOGA House and the Secretariat of POSDAYA in the Benteng Village. (Mtd)
