Community Service Program In East Belitung “Uniting Nusantara 2018”

Private Universities Coordination Region 3 and all Private Universities under its coordination, collaborated with the Government of East Belitung Regency and supported by the Indonesian National Armed Forces Headquarters initiated the Community Service for students and lecturers in Private Universities Coordination Region 3. Polman Astra as Private University under the  Private Universities Coordination Region 3 also send their representative to the event which was held on February 19 to March 4, 2018. Anggun Librianti, Integrated Service Unit of Informatics instructors, appointed as supervisors along with 2 students, Kenny Swa Widjaya (P4 Study Program level 2) and Adi ardiyanto (TPM Study Program level 2). They joined 299 students from 33 other private universities who participated in the Community Service program with the theme “Uniting Nusantara 2018”.

The event of send over the participants was took place at the Hangar Squadron Air 17 Wing 1 Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, led by Dr. Ir. Illah Sailah, MS, as the Coordinator of the Private Universities Coordination Region 3 as well as the person in charge of the Community Service program, and Major General Kustanto Widiatmoko, who represented the National Armed Forces Commander who was unable to attend. Tony Harley Silalahi, Director of Polman Astra along with other Private Universities officials was also attended the event. In his speech, Dr. Ir. Illah Sailah, MS explained that Community Service should have been done for 3 months, but at this time, it was only 14 days based on the current situation. He advised that the quality of output from the Community Service program could be maintained especially for the community where they work.

Another thing was also expressed by National Armed Forces Commander Marshal TNI Hadi Tjahjanto, through speech read by Maj. Gen. Kustanto Widiatmoko that the Community Service was born during the development process which essentially was the implementation of an educational philosophy based on the 1945 Constitution and Law Number 22 of 1961 about Higher Education which explains Tridharma of Higher Education. “The Community Service is an obligation that must be done as an intracurricular activity by placing students of a certain level of interdisciplinary study in a rural area that covers several villages within a certain time,” said the National Armed Forces Commander. He also advised that the participants should be able to find the solution to solve the village communities’ problems through this Community Service Program, and he wished that with the rapid development of science and technology, the participants could use it to solve the problems. He also said to always uphold the spirit of unity to maintain the integrity of Republic of Indonesia and finally hoped that through this Community Service, it can be used as a reason to learn the diversity among the participants.

The Community Service that started on February 19 to March 4, 2018, were divided into 4 programs, which is the creative industry, education, tourism and health, and was organized in 4 villages, and that is Baru Village, Lalang Village, Senyubuk Village and Buku Limau, East Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province. 299 students of the Community Service Uniting Nusantara were dispatched using the Air Force Hercules A-1321 aircraft with two batches. The first batch, departing at 10:00 WIB and the second batch at 14.00 WIB from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.

Anggun as the supervisor of Polman Astra through her written message said that Polman Astra students initiated the idea to create a hygienic fish dryer, since Bangka Belitung islands are rich with fish as the main resources. With the technical experience owned by Polman Astra students, she hoped that this tool will be appropriate to be used by the community, this is certainly match with the purpose of Community Service Program.