Five students of Universitas Gadjah Mada are assisting the Mitra Karya Sejahtera Disability Empowerment Group (KPD) in Gunungkidul with stingless bee farming. This initiative aims to tackle unemployment caused by low self-esteem and limited job accessibility for the disabled community. Stingless bee farming is well-suited for the KPD Mitra Karya Sejahtera as it requires low investment, minimal physical activity, and is safe for people with disabilities.
The group of students participating in this Student Creativity Program (PKM) are from Faculty of Animal Science: Aliya Rahmawati Nurkhasanah, Desta Lovefiyana Nurpita, and Satriya Putra Pratama. They joined with Muhammad Fahmi Rafsanjani from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM and Paras Ardina Aya Shopya from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM. The team is supervised by Moh. Sofi’ul Anam, S.Pt., M.Sc., lecturer from Faculty of Animal Science UGM. Recognizing the importance of empowering the disabled to enhance their skills and support their income sources, the team not only provides assistance but also trains the participants in stingless bee farming, specifically with the klanceng bee (Trigona sp.).
“KPD Mitra Sejahtera has a 250 m² area that has not been utilized. This area can support productive activities carried out by KPD Mitra Karya Sejahtera. Stingless beekeeping is easy to manage because the bees forage from the plants around the area,” said Aliya, the team leader, on Friday (19/7).
The assistance and training program runs for four months, from May to August 2024. The program starts with planting bee forage plants, followed by training in bee farming, selecting and relocating colonies, maintaining klanceng bee, and harvesting honey. These activities are conducted at the KPD Mitra Sejahtera. A total of 24 disabled members participate in the program, including those with physical disabilities, hearing and speech impairments, visual impairments, autism, mental retardation, and others.
Previously, several training programs such as chicken farming, goat farming, and catfish cultivation were introduced but failed due to high costs and physical demands. However, after the klanceng training, the disabled group has gained new knowledge and skills in stingless bee farming with proper management. Aliya and her team also provided training on good marketing practices and the development of honey-derived products like bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly.
In addition to empowering disabled members, the team also conducts training of trainers for the KPD Mitra Sejahtera leaders who have participated in the training program, enabling them to facilitate other disability empowerment groups. The chair of the Mitra Sejahtera Disability Empowerment Center in Gunungkidul expressed hope that the support from the UGM students will equip the Mitra Karya Sejahtera group members with new skills. Furthermore, it is expected that the training can be sustainably applied to other disability empowerment groups.
Source: PKM-PM Team
Editor: Satria
Translator: Prisilia Putri