UNS — The Covid-19 pandemic that has affected Indonesia for one and a half years has impacted food security. Food vulnerability in the urban area is generally caused by the availability of foods and the inability of poor households to access safe and quality foods in sufficient quantity. In facing the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening the strategy in food security starts from the household level, for example, with the use of urban farming technology.
This method is implemented by Student Creativity Team – Community Service (PKM-PM) from the Faculty of Law (FH) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta. The team implements urban farming technology using floating raft system aquaponics in Muhammadiyah Orphanage (PAYM) Danukusumo, Purworejo District. The team consists of Hanif Alwan Mumtaz, Khafid Alfian Rosyadi, Mia Silviana, Cut Dede Diah Rosyidah, and Haani Aulia Sabina.
“Urban farming is a strategy to utilize land in the urban area to improve community economy, facing food security crisis, and reduce market dependence. With myriads of benefits, urban farming could provide a solution to be implemented during the pandemic,” Hanif, the PKM Leader, explained on Saturday (24/7/2021).
The team program received positive feedback from the orphanage, including Ibu Sri, the manager of Danukusumo Orphanage. “Anything that improves knowledge or skills for the foster children is welcomed,” she stated.
The program aims to provide education and training for the foster children on aquaponic skills to equip them to be independent after completing their education. Hanif explained that the floating raft system aquaponics would reduce the number of plastic wastes while utilizing limited land in urban areas. The system is a combination between aquaculture and hydroponic. “Aquaculture is keeping fishes while hydroponic is planting using water as planting media. Floating raft is selected because it will utilize plastic bottle waste as planting media,” he added.
The team also introduced the Danukusumo Aquaponik House program to create a business unit as a source of income-generating for PAYM Danukusumo. This program also empowers the foster children by providing creative and innovative business knowledge in fish and plant cultivation in urban areas with limited lands.
Under the supervision of Rysca Indreswari, S.Pt., M.Si., the team added that their program would utilize the waste collected by the waste bank pioneer developed by the orphanage. The raft is created according to the foster children’s creativity; thus, the model is not monotonous and adjustable to the available materials. “Because they have a waste bank, many bottles can be used to make a floating raft,” Hanif explained.
To develop continuous development, the PKM-PM team collaborates with two aquaponic experts in Purworejo, Iim Garden from Iwan Sulistyo Rejosari Village, Kemiri, and Han’s Green from Dwi Hantoro Adhi Jenar Wetan Village, Purwodadi. The partners assist the team in implementing the program by preparing aquaponic installation, giving direction and suggestions in cultivation, and preparing collaboration for the marketing process. Besides as promotional media, both partners were delighted to participate in a social program and share their knowledge.
Iwan Sulistyo stated that the competition in the job market based on the diploma is very tight. Skills are strongly needed to succeed. “Relying only on the diploma is challenging. Finding a job, you have many competitors. If you can make something like this (aquaponic), you can make money and create job opportunities. As far as I know, there was no activity like this for the orphanage. Whatever it is that could improve foster children’s skills, I will try to help,” Iwan Sulistyo stated in his conversation with PKM-PM Team in his house in Rejosari Kemiri Village.
The PKM-PM team also held a blended workshop on Saturday (17/7/2021) to improve partner’s knowledge in aquaponic, simple bookkeeping, and digital marketing. The team invited Paramaputra Wisnu Mahastian, Alumnus of Agribusiness Program UNS and aquaponic activist, and Mia Silviana, Development Economic Program Pembangunan UNS student PKM-PM Team Member. The event was attended by 15 foster children, and three orphanage managers ran smoothly and were full of enthusiasm from foster children.
The Orphanage Head, Ahmat Jainudin S.IP., M.M., highly appreciated and thankful to the team for selecting his orphanage as a partner in this program. “I am thankful to the Community Service Program led by Mas Hanif and Bapak Ibu partners who have provided media and facilitate our children to learn about aquaponics. Alhamdulilah, our children are very excited to participate and learn new things,” Ahmat Jainudin mentioned in his remarks.
The event attended by the Head of Law Science Program UNS, Dr. Muhammad Rustamaji, is expected to improve theoretical knowledge for partners and strengthen the relationship between PKM-PM Team, PAYM Danukusumo, Iim Garden, dan Han’s Green. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti