To Improve the Village Skills and Potential, A Group of Students of IPB Revive Kelompok Wanita Tani

Regional food becomes a hot issue from time to time, and agriculture sector which play a vital role in food production and food security have absorbed million Indonesians  labour force. Women make crucial contributions in agriculture as food producers and rural enterprises, they contribute for food business and the development of regional foods. Yet women do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. There are many Kelompok Wanita Tani (KWT – Women Farmers Group) in various regions to support the role of women in the agricultural sector, however their efforts still faced many obstacles. An aspect of categories which is very much highlighted by those  KWTs are challenges of embedding 21st century knowledge and skills.

Applying the concept of community-based education, a group students of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) for Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa bidang Penelitian (PKM-P Student Creativity Program for Research) carried out coaching program for KWT Sekar Arum, Lumpang Village, Parung Panjang District, Bogor. Under the the PKM-P program the group designed the packaged program on Smart Ecoprofitable Local Food (SELF). The program started by observing the potential and skill of villages.  the PKM-P team, chaired by Tri Eva Laila, found out the great potential of the diversity of purple sweet poteto, banana and cassava. These  three commodities were utilized as initial capital for improving the socio-economic status of KWT Sekar Arum. Members of the PKM-P team were Moh. Nailun, Ni'am, Hifzullisan Sohih, Gunung Aji, Massaid, and Alfia Irfani.

Since March 2017 the PKM-P team for  SELF program conducted weekly activities at KWT Sekar Arum treasurer's house. The Lumpang village itself had been selected previously to have opportunities to do several government programs planned by community development section, but so far no follow-up actions have been set up. By the weekly meetings planned by the PKM-P team for  SELF program,  it will revive the potential and skill of KWT Sekar Arum, Lumpang Village, Parung Panjang District, Bogor..

Using creativity, KWT Sekar Arum members developed those three great potential of their regional foods into potentially marketable food products, namely  cassava chips, purple sweet potato cakes, and coconut root cakes made of bananas. After development food products, then followed by the strengthening strategies. Training on food packaging, was next step activity. During which members of  KWT Sekar Arum had been trained on how to have attractive packages for their products. Currently KWT Sekar Arum products are packed safely and attractively. Marketing courses of their products were also implemented for members of  KWT Sekar Arum, included in the courses were business analysis and marketing expansion. To support business continuity, members of KWT Sekar Arum had been coached on how to process the PIRT registration.

Currently, ordering system has been applied for the marketing KWT Sekar Arum products, in the near future they will produce their products routinely. In addition, various online media were introduced to KWT Sekar Arum members which might be helpful for them to market their products.  It is expected that the PKM-P team for  SELF program will open the eyes of the community to see that their local food potentials will drive the community’ economy status not only through the plant cultivation program, but by improving into the added-value products. (Wied)