Digital Waste Management Initiative by UMS Empowers Juwiring Village

The Community Service Program (PkM) team under the PMM BIMA Diktisaintek scheme, funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), officially launched a program titled “Digital Zero Waste Desa Juwiring.” The program represents a collaboration between lecturers from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) and Universitas Veteran Bangun Nusantara (Univet), along with students and residents of Juwiring Village, Klaten.

The Program Chair, Siti Azizah Susilowati, S.Si., M.P., Ph.D., stated that the opening ceremony took place in the Juwiring Village Hall and was attended by the village head, community leaders, youth organization members, and the women’s farming group. The enthusiasm of the community was evident through the strong participation of various village elements ready to support the program.

She also emphasized that this program represents a collaborative effort among academics to provide community service-based solutions to real societal challenges.

 Siti Azizah Susilowati (second from left) presented the program at the Juwiring Village Hall. Private Documentation.  

“This program, alhamdulillah, received funding from Dikti. Its foundation is similar to the student community service program (KKN), which focuses on serving the village. Through this initiative, we will implement a digital waste bank management system and aquaponics development with the villagers,” she explained on Sunday (5/10/2025).

She also expressed her gratitude to Kemendiktisaintek for the grant and called for the community’s full support to ensure the program’s success. The opening event included a group photo, introduction of the student team, and a technical presentation of the program delivered by Team Coordinator Muhammad Nauval Al-Faruq and Training PIC Khumairah Ramadhan.

The activities carried out under this program consist of five main agendas:

(1) 3R Waste Management Training,

(2) Eco-enzyme Production Training,

(3) Aquaponics Training,

(4) Maggot Cultivation Training, and

(5) Digital Waste Bank Training.

The program is also supported by other team members, Muhammad Al Fatih Hendrawan, S.T., M.T., and Dr. Ratna Dewi Eskundari, M.Si., who plays an active role in mentoring the activities alongside the students.

A total of 20 students from various study programs in the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) UMS are involved, including Physical Education, Informatics Education, Mathematics Education, English Education, Indonesian Language and Literature Education, Civic Education, and Primary School Teacher Education.

“The presence of students in the program, which was held last Friday, is expected to provide direct assistance to the community in implementing the knowledge they have gained on campus. This way, knowledge and skill transfer can take place effectively,” explained Azizah.

She added that the Digital Zero Waste Program in Juwiring Village not only focuses on environmental aspects but also integrates digital approaches as a means to improve the efficiency of waste management and empower local communities.

“Through this program, the people of Juwiring Village are expected to enhance their awareness, skills, and innovation in managing household and environmental waste,” she emphasized.

According to her, with the support of various stakeholders, this initiative is believed to create a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, while serving as a model for digital-based community empowerment in rural areas in the modern era.

The Head of Juwiring Village, Sugiarta, expressed his appreciation and full support for the implementation of the program. He stated that the initiative aligns with the needs of the villagers, who are currently facing serious issues related to waste management.

“This program is very good and directly addresses the problems faced by the people of Juwiring, especially in waste management. We are ready to collaborate so that the results can be felt directly by the community,” he concluded.

Writer: Fika Annisa’ Sholihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid