Yogyakarta, January 24th 2024─Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM is committed to helping equitable development, especially in areas that have potential but have not been developed. This time, FISIPOL UGM together with Pertamina Foundation held a community capacity building program in economic activities and development of non-timber commodities that support green conservation in accordance with the function of Forest Area with Special Purpose (KHDTK) in Ngrawoh Village, Blora Regency on Wednesday (24/1).
This activity is one of a series of programs that have been implemented with debriefing and community skills training. The purpose of this program is to encourage the community’s ability to develop various existing potentials, including in environmentally friendly and sustainable innovations. “We from Pertamina Foundation and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM strive for change in Ngrawoh Village. Our program with UGM is quite long, hopefully until 2028 and extended again until later it can make the community more prosperous. We will also see the extent to which changes occur in this village, and hopefully other parties will also be interested in creating empowerment programs,” said Rohmat Puji Purnomo as Senior Manager of Community and Environmental Empowerment of Pertamina Foundation.
The community development training targets three main groups, namely farmer-livestock groups, women’s groups, and youth groups. FISIPOL UGM and Pertamina Foundation provide guidance to these three groups by providing various insights, such as solving animal feed problems, making batik works, and empowering youth groups. As further support, incentive grants are given to the community in various forms. All the assistance was handed over that afternoon at the Ngrawoh Village Hall.
“The cooperation between FISIPOL UGM, Pertamina Foundation, and the village community is part of our commitment. FISIPOL UGM has the knowledge, Pertamina Foundation has the resources, and the community has the spirit, so it will be a strength. I am happy and hope that this assistance can be developed further. So it is not only given and used up, but it will multiply later,” said Dr. Arie Sujito, S.Sos., M.Si, the Vice Rector of Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni.
The incentive grants provided are not in the form of cash, but rather assistance that can be utilized immediately. For the farmer-livestock group, there is a grant of 45 sheep that are ready to be bred. Women’s groups received production equipment to help make village products, such as high-pressure stoves, choppers, and large-scale cooking utensils. As for the youth group, incentive grants are given in the form of tools to encourage digital capabilities, namely smartphones, laptops, and tripods. The provision of this incentive grant is expected to be the basic capital for the community to be creative and maximize their potential.
“This empowerment is not only for the community, but we from FISIPOL UGM also get tremendous benefits. It is proven that the engagement between FISIPOL UGM and the community is solid and familiar, and there is even a sense of belonging, that this program is not merely a program of FISIPOL UGM and Pertamina Foundation, but also helps the community carry out social, economic, and even ecological functions,” said Vice Dean of FISIPOL for Research and Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni, Fina Itriyati, Ph.D.
The relationship between FISIPOL UGM, Pertamina Foundation, and the people of Ngrawoh Village is well established thanks to this program. In addition, several efforts of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were also realized, namely SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (no hunger), SDG 10 (reduced inequality), and SDG 17 (partnership to achieve goals). “We, the people of Ngrawoh Village, would like to express our deepest gratitude for the extraordinary assistance. Of course, for the invaluable assistance, namely insight. Later, this insight will make our village more empowered,” said Purwondo, Head of Ngrawoh Village.