On Saturday (9/5/2026), Special Education (PLB) students from UNS trained local women in Gadingan, Klaten, to make dishwashing soap from pandan leaves and lime. This training aimed to enhance community skills, open up business opportunities, and promote eco-friendly products.
UNS — Students from the Special Education Study Program of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta organized a community training program on producing natural dishwashing soap for residents of Gadingan Hamlet, Trunuh Village, South Klaten, on Saturday (9/5/2026). The activity was attended by 24 local women residents and was also joined by the Head of Neighborhood Unit (RW 04) and local community leaders.
The training program aimed to enhance community skills in utilizing natural ingredients that are easily found in the surrounding environment and transforming them into environmentally friendly household products with economic value. Through hands-on practice sessions, participants were introduced to every stage of producing natural dishwashing soap, ranging from ingredient preparation and mixing processes to product packaging.
This initiative formed part of a community empowerment program initiated by UNS Special Education students under the theme “Strengthening Family Economic Independence through the Production of Natural Soap in Gadingan Hamlet.” Beyond serving as a safer and eco-friendly household alternative, the program was also designed to open opportunities for small-scale home-based businesses within the community.
Head of the Impactful Learning Grant Team, M. Husain Yassar, explained that the activity emerged from the community’s need for practical skills that could be directly applied in daily life.
“Through this training, we hope that the women of Gadingan Hamlet will not only gain new knowledge, but also be able to utilize these skills both for household needs and potential home business opportunities,” M. Husain Yassar told uns.ac.id on Wednesday (13/5/2026).
Participants demonstrated great enthusiasm throughout the activity. They actively took part in demonstrations and practical soap-making sessions alongside the student team. Support from local community officials also played an important role in ensuring the smooth implementation of the program.
On Sunday (10/5/2026), the student team continued the initiative by distributing the natural dishwashing soap products to local residents as a follow-up to the training. The products are expected to be independently utilized by the community while also serving as examples of household products made from natural ingredients.
The activity contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.
Through this initiative, UNS students hope to encourage greater public awareness regarding the importance of environmentally friendly products while simultaneously strengthening family economic independence through simple, practical, and sustainable skills.
HUMAS UNS
