Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) UGM students, 2015 class, Muhammad Khoerul Fadhli and Rauufa Prasadita, were selected as UGM delegates to attend the 2018 community service program SUIJI-SLP (Service Learning Program) in Japan from August 17 to September 3, 2018. The two FAS students placed in Takagawa Site, a rural area that lies between mountains and rice fields.
“At Takagawa Site, we carried out a number of activities, namely discussing the issue of decreasing population that they are facing, helping with land processing and harvesting agricultural products, and visiting farmers,” Khoerul said in a release he sent on Friday (12/10).
The student, whose nickname is Erul, added that Takagawa was facing a population problem that was continuing to decline because many teenagers and children in Takagawa were moving to the city. “In fact, the land population is so vast that a lot of land has not been utilized,” he said.
Erul and other participants provided solutions by making promotional videos as Takagawa branding. “We introduced Takagawa to the public through video,” he said.
In addition to making videos, Erul also visited dairy farmers. There, he learned about the process of milking, feeding, waste management, and management of calves.
“This program is very interesting, we can know the culture of Japanese people in depth because we are directly involved in the community. That way, we can provide immediate solutions to problems that exist in the community,” said Erul. In fact, he added, after the program was completed, their family ties were still very close. Erul and other participants still often in contact with Japanese society.
At the end of the program, Erul gave a presentation on his activities at the Ozu Building in Ehime Prefecture. “For the younger students who want to participate in this activity, immediately prepare your passport and TOEFL certificate,” he said.
SUIJI’s activities are the cooperation of 6 universities, namely 3 universities in Indonesia (UGM, UNHAS, and IPB) and 3 universities in Japan (Kagawa University, Kochi University, and Ehime University). (Nadia)