UNS – One of the students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, chooses a theme on ‘Supporting Understanding for the Community on the Clean and Healthy Behavior’ for her Student Community Service Program (KKN) in COVID-19. The student, whose full name is Ratri Hapsari, is not only focused on COVID-19 education in her KKN program, but also taking an initiative to teach her friend in designing. Which is certainly inseparable from the design needs for Covid-19 various online and print educational media such as posters, pamphlets, stickers, MMT, etc. Even though there any many materials available on the internet, however, according to Ratri, this is the main essence and value learned during the KKN program.
“Starting from here we are forced to learn, those who initially do not know how to design need to learn and now are starting to practice. Although I teach my friend to do a simple design, among other programs, I feel that design education is the most useful,” reveals the student of FISIP UNS.
Support to fellow students who currently taking KKN Program is also provided by Ratri through the poster design she designed and shared through her social media. She also welcomes her fellow students who are not able to design yet, to use the poster.
The designs, Ratri added, has been adjusted to the target community. There is some material taken from the internet, in which she needs to adjust the content accordingly. “I adjust the diction. For instance, I choose ‘empower’ instead of ‘fighting COVID-19’ that is commonly used. For me being empowered sounds like we are fighting but with enough provisions, this is important,” Ratri explains.
As for field program, Ratri chooses her neighborhood in Perumahan Swakarya AD RT.03/RW.08, Desa Palur, Kecamatan Mojolaban, Kabupaten Sukoharjo. Her programs consist of provisions of information through various media (poster, MMT, sticker, and flyer) and production and distribution of simple hand washing basins from paint buckets. The programs are chosen after Ratri discussed the matter with the Head of the local Neighborhood Association (RT), which leads her to conclude that the community understanding in the housing complex still needs to be improved.
“There are still many people who are ignorant in by housing complex. Especially the youngster who still often move in groups outside the home without using a mask. Whether it’s just for hanging out or playing games,” Ratri explains.
Further, the student under the supervision of Drs. IF Bambang Sulistyono Sk, MT.arch, explains that the printed information is placed on strategic places, while stickers and flyers are distributed directly to each house. Even further, Ratri also provides a special poster to be placed on food stalls that contains an invitation for sellers and buyers to be able to do things according to the health protocol Covid-19 while in the stall.
When asked about obstacles, Ratri said that there were difficulties in time management because it coincides with the Ramadhan and semester exam. Thus, there are several program implementation and design, which differ from its initial plan. Even though so, Ratri reveals that the community members who met her give a positive and enthusiastic response. Humas UNS
Reporter: Kaffa Hidayati
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
