UNAIR NEWS – Child growth, development, and stunting prevention have emerged as key priorities for students participating in Universitas Airlangga’s Learning with Community (BBK) 7 engagement program, who are deployed in Barurejo Village, Siliragung Subdistrict, Banyuwangi Regency. The initiative underscores the students’ commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all.
Through a community-based initiative known as Kelas Keluarga Cerdas Tumbuh Kembang, the students worked directly with residents to strengthen nutritional monitoring for toddlers. The program was centered at Posyandu Naga in Sumberurip Hamlet on Monday (January 12, 2026), combining basic health checks with interactive educational activities.
Rather than waiting for residents to visit the community health post, the BBK 7 team, led by Mona, Farrel, and Abid, took a proactive approach by going door to door, visiting households across the hamlet.
Personalized, data-driven strategy
The program was designed to challenge the assumption that stunting is purely an economic issue. As part of the implementation, students conducted anthropometric assessments, including measurements of children’s height and weight, to ensure that growth data were accurately documented.
Education was delivered using a personalized approach alongside these measurements. The students explained that inadequate parenting practices and the lack of routine monitoring often play a significant role in stunting. The door-to-door strategy allowed the team to reach families unable to attend Posyandu Naga, while also providing a private setting where parents felt more comfortable discussing their children’s nutritional status without stigma.
Partnering with human development cadres
The program’s effectiveness was closely tied to the principles of SDG 17, which emphasizes partnerships to achieve shared goals. Collaboration between the students and village authorities proved essential. The BBK 7 team’s outreach efforts in Sumberurip Hamlet received positive feedback from Endah, a Human Development Cadre (KPM) in Barurejo Village.
“This health initiative has been extremely helpful, particularly the activities at Posyandu Naga followed by door-to-door visits to residents’ homes in Sumberurip Hamlet. The presence of BBK students has helped us gain a clearer picture of community health conditions. This direct approach makes health education more readily accepted by mothers,” Endah said.
Ensuring program continuity
Through the initiative, the students aim to help establish a more accurate village-level database on children’s nutritional status. To support long-term impact, the BBK 7 team also distributed simple nutritional guideline leaflets to cadres at Posyandu Naga.
The educational materials are expected to serve as practical references for both cadres and the Barurejo Village administration in designing targeted health interventions after the students’ community service period ends.
Author: Ahmad Abid Zhahiruddin
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
