UNS — An innovative program entitled ‘Sekoci’ created by Rizka Ayu Setyani, SST., MPH., an alumnus of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, receives an award from the Paragon Innovation Awards 2021. During this occasion organized by PT. Paragon Technology and Innovation, Rizka, and the team were awarded the Best Participant under the Health category.
When contacted by uns.ac.id through a phone call, Rizka explains that the Paragon Innovation Awards is a form of appreciation to the nation’s innovators, with 5 (five) categories in this award, namely Education, Health, Social, Sociopreneur, dan Youth Change Maker.
Meanwhile, ‘Sekoci’ or Sekolah Komplementer Cinta Ibu (Complementary School for Mother’s Love) is an innovation from the development of Health Class for Pregnant Mother in two Puskesmas (t/n: community health center) in Yogyakarta, which initiated by Rizka and two of her friends at the beginning of 2020. Including the term ‘Complimentary’ in its name, Sekoci aims to complete and add to the unavailable materials within the midwifery information in Health Class for Pregnant Mother Program.
Rizka admits that she and her team members are never targetting any award for their initiative, which becomes their contribution in the health sector. Their reason to register is merely to get any experiences.
“There was this opportunity, so we joined. Even I do not know that the Paragon Award is a great event. Ministers and well-known innovators are attending this event. I am still flabbergasted until now,” she said on Sunday (28/3/2021).
As for the selection stages, there are two stages that they need to follow. The first is online registration, administrative selection, submitting innovation abstracts, social media posting, and Sekoci-related news releases.
Sekoci, then, is announced passing the first stage alongside the four others nominators under the Health category. Afterward, the nominators must attend an interview through Zoom Cloud Meeting and presented their innovation in front of the board of juries.
Rizka states that the most critical point in the assessment is the community’s social impact through innovation. Does it meet the community’s needs, or merely an innovation but is not really appropriate to be implemented in the community.
“Based on my analysis, Sekoci is different from the other nominators. The others are more about products or health tools. But Sekoci is the only innovation program that started from a problem in a region. Because of this, the community will be able to feel the direct effect and benefits for free,” Rizka, who currently is enrolled as one of the Doctoral students in UNS, explains.
At the end of the discussion, Rizka reminds an essential point in creating an innovation based on a current problem arising in the community because a good innovation is beneficial for the target community.
“Start with an analysis of the problem first. Do not reverse the process. It will be useless if you have a great concept, but it does not need by the community. Moreover, while we are young, always creating with heart,” Rizka reveals. Humas UNS
Reporter: Kaffa Hidayati
Editor: Dwi Hastuti