UNS — Village potential is one of the assets that can improve the residents’ welfare when explored massively and consistently. The Village Empowerment Development Program (P3D) Team from the Agricultural Extension and Communication Student Association (HM Pelita) Faculty of Agriculture (FP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Led by Riskia Akbar, aims to improve residents’ capacity in Gondangmanis Village, Karanganyar Regency, by boosting various village potential. The P3D programs are part of the 2020 Village Development and Empowerment Holistic Program (PHP2D), which has more advanced level. This P3D program received a funding facility totaling Rp 50 million. There are 81 teams that received this P3D funding from all over Indonesia.
One of the actions taken to explore Gondangmanis village potential is carried out through P3D inquiry socialization with the local village residents. This socialization was carried out by the P3D Bina Desa HM Pelita Team using the inquiry approach model. This socialization activity is carried out to the related Gondangmanis Village apparatus, such as Gondangmanis Village Head, Chairman of Village Consultative Agency (BPD), Chairman of Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK), Chairman of Gondangmanis Village Youth Association, Chairman of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), Chairman of Village Community Empowerment Institute (LPMD) and many others, as well as for the expansion of program partners.
Riskia states that this activity aims to discuss and coordinate the design of the P3D work program in Gondangmanis Village. “This socialization is carried out with the aim to discuss and coordinate the design of the P3D work program in Gondangmanis Village as a partner of the UNS Village Development P3D Team. This inquiry approach model is carried out with the objectives to involve the residents in direct participation during problem formulation and information collection,” said Riskia as the Chair of HM Pelita’s P3D Team on Tuesday (09/21/2021).
Mushrooms are one of the village’s potential that can be developed in Gondangmanis Village. Mushroom processed food products developed in Gondangmanis is crispy mushrooms, an initiative of the Gondangmanis Roadside Transportation Cooperative (KUPJ). P3D Bina Desa UNS Team held assistance and training in making processed mushrooms into nuggets and pempek to develop processed mushroom products initiated by the residents of Kumpul Hamlet, Gondangmanis Village. Processed mushroom diversification training was held on Saturday (09/18/2021) at one of the local resident houses. This training activity was attended by the members of the Women Association in Dusun Kumpul as participants, inviting Anif and Eny, culinary art teachers in the State Vocational High School (SMKN) 4 Surakarta, as the mentors. Anif revealed that mushrooms have a high nutritional content.
“Mushrooms have high nutritional content, and of course, it is crucial to diversify processed mushroom products into nuggets, chips, broth, meatballs, and many others. Diversification of processed mushrooms is also expected to improve the residents’ income and welfare in Gondangmanis Village,” said Anif as the mentor in the mushroom processing training.
A positive response was conveyed by Ngadiyono, as the Head of Kumpul Hamlet.
“We are very grateful for this training can enhance the residents’ insight and contribute to the activities of the women association in the Kumpul Hamlet, even improving the standard of living of our residents,” he said.
Marketing channel strengthening is initiated by collaborating with several partners such as stalls, angkringan, and souvenir shops around Karangpandan Sub-District, Karanganyar, and other surrounding areas.
“The marketing for mushroom chip and nuggets is conducted independently to nurture the awareness for continuous entrepreneurship,” explained Efnu as the Head of Kumpul Village Women association.
Not only diversification of processed mushroom products, the team led by Eksa Rusdiyana, S.P., M.Si., explained that the development of mushroom cultivation centers as a tourism attraction, and expansion of existing mushroom potential, are proposed in this P3D program.
Hasan, a member of HM Pelita’s P3D Team, explained that the development of mushroom cultivation centers in Gondangmanis Village was chosen to establish a mushroom center in Karanganyar. Mushroom Edu-Tourism aims to provide a direct learning experience for the visitors of the mushroom cultivation center in Gondangmanis village. The mushroom cultivation process that can be studied by visitors starts from the process of making mushroom planting media (baglog), baglog treatment and mushroom growth, and finally harvesting.
The Gondangmanis Village Head, Sutarmo, greatly appreciated and thanked the team for choosing Gondangmanis Village as a partner village in this PHP2D and P3D program.
“The empowerment program carried out by HM Pelita is very useful to empower the Gondangmanis Village and for the expansion of village partners,” Sutarmo said.
The program is expected to provide sustainable benefits for the residents of Gondangmanis Village and HM Pelita P3D Team, as well as strengthen brotherhood and solidarity. Humas UNS
Reporter: Zalfaa Azalia Pursita
Editor: Dwi Hastuti