One of the community service activities (PkM)-LPPM UT carried out by UT in 2023 is the Fostered Village Program or “Program Desa Binaan” in Bahasa Indonesia. This program is implemented in five villages: (1) Kampung Ciwaluh, Desa Wates Jaya, Kecamatan Cigombong, Kabupaten Bogor, (2) Desa Tegal, Kecamatan Kemang, Kabupaten Bogor, (3) Desa Situ Udik, Kecamatan Cibungbulang, Kabupaten Bogor, (4) Desa Tonjong, Kecamatan Tajurhalang, Kabupaten Bogor, and (5) Desa Muara, Kecamatan Teluk Naga, Kabupaten Tangerang.
PkM Desa Binaan activities in each village are carried out collaboratively and integrated by all faculties. Starting from needs analysis, solution design, design, and implementation of the programs are conducted by experts and lecturers according to their expertise, with a scientific and technological approach, considering local wisdom. Each team consists of 5 faculty members and 2-3 students.
The usefulness of the program for the partners was presented by faculty members from the four faculties: the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the Faculty of Law, Social and Political Sciences (FHISIP), the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP). The presentations covered not only the continuity of activities but also the challenges and obstacles faced by lecturers during the community service.
This was revealed during the evaluation of the implementation of PkM Desa Binaan UT in 2023, held on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at the Sinabung Room, Prof. Setijadi Building, Pondok Cabe. 16 representatives from PkM teams of all faculties and PkM-LPPM UT attended the evaluation.
The evaluation session was led by the Head of the PkM Center, Dr. Teguh Prakoso, S.Pd., M.Hum. Each PkM team from each village and each faculty presented the successes and challenges faced during their community service.
One of the villages among the five fostered villages worth highlighting is Kampung Ciwaluh in Kabupaten Bogor. This village is quite remote, far from the main road, and reaching it requires a considerable effort. PkM in this village was assumed successful and had a significant impact on the community. Ciwaluh is also seen as a potential ecotourism village. To realize this, Ciwaluh needs support with website presence as information about its potential.
Additionally, Ciwaluh community needs to be polished with digital marketing to explore existing UMKM potentials and abundant natural resources. Therefore, various training sessions were organized, such as tourism management training for Tourism Awareness Groups (Pokdarwis) and tourist guide training, especially in communication ethics, both in Bahasa Indonesia and English. In addition to training, infrastructure provisions such as pathways to the location, information centers, tour guide devices, and complete tourism facilities were also provided. Training sessions were also conducted for teachers, students, and the community on the importance of sustainability and tourism potential in that village and 21st-century learning. Equally important were training sessions to improve the quality of formal and non-formal education for teachers, students, and the community. Through education in marketing UMKM products, local products such as kopi Ciwaluh, teh kapulaga, Rengginang, and banana products (keripik) have become reliable commodities. All of this became complete when housed on kampung Ciwaluh website, namely https://ciwaluh.com.
The results were remarkable, Kampung Ciwaluh has grown as an ecotourism village. Its branding as a tourist village has strengthened with the increasing number of tourist visits. Now, Ciwaluh is becoming one of the well-known villages under UT guidance. The village gate has a sign indicating Ciwaluh as a UT fostered ecotourism village. Visiting the village can also be done through the Ciwaluh Village website, which includes various information, including local products marketed online, through platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok.
Ciwaluh is just one snapshot of the fostered village that UT will continue to develop as part of multi-year program. This is a tangible manifestation of UT service to the nation, “From UT for You,” through PkM Desa Binaan program. In the future, UT will continue to commit to improving the quality of life in rural areas. The extraordinary synergy between faculties is formed, and this program will undoubtedly impact UT education branding towards achieving one million students (JW dan TP).
