Enviro News Asia, Purwokerto – Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED) launched a community service program today empowering local women’s groups (Ibu-ibu PKK) to transform vacant land into productive gardens for Family Medicinal Plants (Tanaman Obat Keluarga/TOGA).
Held in Kedung Wringin Village, Patikraja District, Banyumas Regency, the initiative brought together 20 enthusiastic PKK members from RT 1 RW 2 for hands-on training in cultivating stevia, roselle, and butterfly pea (telang).
Supported by the Grant from DPPM (Directorate of Research and Community Service), Community-Based Empowerment Scheme, Scope of Community Partnership Empowerment, this cross-faculty collaboration between Unsoed’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Agriculture fulfilled Indonesia’s higher education mandate of community service.
Titled “Revitalizing TOGA Through Community Management Strengthening for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention,” the program combined educational workshops with practical planting sessions.
Project Chair Apt. Suci Wulan Sari, M.Farm., emphasized TOGA’s critical role in family health resilience.
“We aim to educate communities on using medicinal plants as sustainable alternatives for managing non-communicable diseases while revitalizing land through independent herbal cultivation and processing.”
Participants received end-to-end training covering cultivation techniques, post-harvest handling, and value-added product development.
The initiative advances global and national sustainability goals, directly supporting Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption).
It also aligns with Unsoed’s Key Performance Indicators by engaging students in community service (IKU 2), deploying faculty expertise in pharmaceutical and agricultural sciences (IKU 3), and generating research for health education (IKU 5).
Furthermore, the program resonates with Indonesia’s National Research Master Plan (RIRN 2017-2045) in health, herbal medicine, and community empowerment.
Key contributors included Faculty of Health Sciences representatives Apt. Wening Wulandari, M.Farm.Klin.; Apt. Vidiya Gunarsih, M.Clin.Pharm.; and Apt. Putri Khaerani Cahyaningrum, M.Pharm.Sci., alongside Faculty of Agriculture experts Dumaris Priskila Purba, M.Si. and Nor Isnaeni Dwi Arista, M.Si.
Their multidisciplinary approach underscores Unsoed’s commitment to transforming theoretical knowledge into tangible community health solutions, fostering local ownership of sustainable wellness practices. (*)
