Bengkalis, October 13, 2024 – Lecturers from the Sociology Department, through the Village Development Program, have partnered with Sungai Nibung Village to establish a "Kampung Kelor" (Moringa Village) in Mekar Jaya Hamlet. The community service team, led by Drs. Yoskar Kadarisman, M.Si, consists of four members: Dr. Achmad Hidir, M.Si, Dr. Hesti Asriwandari, M.Si, Rina Susanti, S.Sos., M.Si, and Teguh Widodo, S.Sos., M.Si. They aim to empower the village community by introducing the moringa plant (Moringa oleifera), which holds significant economic, ecological, and health benefits, on Saturday (October 12, 2024).
The creation of Kampung Kelor was initiated due to the village's vulnerability to droughts and floods, considering the presence of the Bakung and Siak Kecil rivers flowing through the area.
Additionally, the community's lack of knowledge about high-value plants was the primary reason behind this community service program. Mekar Jaya Hamlet was selected as the pilot area, marked by the installation of a “Kampung Kelor” sign at the hamlet's entrance.
The community service activities spanned three days, from October 10 to 12, 2024, including the installation of the gate sign, collection of secondary data, and the main event on Saturday (October 12, 2024) – a socialization session and the distribution of moringa seedlings to the village residents.
The event, held in the yard of the Mekar Jaya Hamlet head's house, was met with great enthusiasm from the local residents, as evidenced by the attendance of 37 villagers.
During the socialization session, Drs. Yoskar Kadarisman, M.Si, explained that the program represents the academic community's commitment to empowering society. “We chose Mekar Jaya Hamlet as a pilot area because its residents are open to new knowledge. On this occasion, we distributed 130 high-quality moringa seedlings.
We hope that with these seedlings, every household in Mekar Jaya Hamlet, which has 86 households, will plant at least one moringa tree,” he explained.
Teguh Widodo and Rina Susanti, as speakers, also explained the benefits of the moringa plant. “Although its leaves are small, moringa has countless benefits.
Besides being consumable, moringa also offers ecological and economic advantages. This plant can absorb carbon, retain groundwater, and maintain soil moisture. Additionally, moringa can be processed into economically valuable products, such as moringa leaf tea and moringa pudding,” they explained.
The head of Mekar Jaya Hamlet, Mr. Iskandar, expressed his appreciation and support for the community service activity conducted by the Sociology Department team. “We are very grateful to the community service team for selecting Mekar Jaya Hamlet as a pilot for Kampung Kelor.
We will plant and care for the moringa seedlings provided, so this hamlet truly becomes Kampung Kelor. We hope the Sociology community service team will continue to support the villagers, so this moringa plant can create business opportunities and become a flagship product of Sungai Nibung, especially Mekar Jaya Hamlet,” he stated.
This community service activity also involved four students (Indra, Rifki, Niken, and Adelyatri) as part of a collaborative and concrete contribution to environmental conservation, improving health and the welfare of the community through the development of Kampung Kelor.
(Amanda)