UNAIR NEWS – Five Universitas Airlangga students in a Community Service Student Creativity Program (PKMM) team succeeded in implementing the 3R ( Reuse , Reduce and Recycle ) system to elementary school students SDN Sidotopo IV / 51 Surabaya, so they focus on character education by increasing awareness of the environment (waste management) and interest in reading.
The five students are Dede Wulanita Sari (team leader), Lia Dwi Lestari, Nyayu Erika Sofiah Junaidi, Sharah Nuzila Ramadhani, and Fatmah Sapta Dewi, all students were from Faculty of Public Health (FKM) UNAIR. The method applied for the community serice is called “S-Banking”, inspired by one of the programs developed by Tri Rismaharini, Surabaya Mayor, Merdeka dari Sampah (MDS) in 2018.
According to Dede Wulanita Sari, with the program, the students SDN Sidotopo IV / 51 Surabaya are able to choose and sort between organic and inorganic waste. Once sorted, the waste is processed according to its type. For organic waste (dried leaves, fruit peel, food waste) is processed into compost.
“The fertilizer is then sold or used alone. The income from fertilizer sales can be used to develop of the library, “said Dede Wulanita.
Previously, SDN IV / 51 Sidotopo located at Jl. Bolodewo 46 Village Sidotopo, Semampir subdistrict, Surabaya in running the vision of character education had some obstacles, such as low awareness of students to put away the garbage and the lack of trash cans. The organic and inorganic waste was also put into one container and it was burnt in an open space and posed a health risk.
The limited library facilities make students’ reading interest low. This is due to the lack of book collection which is limited to BOSDA book aids. With creativity, Dede and friends have built MENGKUDU library.
“SDN IV / 51 Sidotopo hoped that there is a program that can solve the problems and help the learning process that embodies character education, so we do this PKMM program,” added Dede Wulanita.
EDUCATION in waste sorting by UNAIR students at SDN Sidotopo IV / 51 Surabaya. The S-Banking program succeeded in advancing the school. (Photo: PKMM Unair)
Mengkudu Library
The success of Dede and friends was then reported in the paper “Dahwah Sehat” under the guidance of UNAIR lecturer, Dr. dr. Atik Choirul Hidajah, M.Kes. The proposal passed the selection and obtained research grant from Kemenristekdikti for PKM 2018.
Now in this SDN, the inorganic waste from used bottles, cardboard, cans, glass bottles etc, collected by students and will be brought to S-Banking every week to be weighed and sold. The money from the selling is not directly given in the form of money, but in savings that can be taken every semester for school purposes.
From this waste management, the school gets three advantages, the environment becomes clean and comfortable, students are taught to save money, and they have more interest in reading so eventually MENGKUDU library was built.
MENGKUDU Library is a library system to improve reading interest by inviting students to play an active role in adding book collection and using the preferred method of learning through fun teaching education.
“The school response was very supportive with our program, even planning to incorporate into the learning curriculum in the next semester,” said Dede Wulanita Sari.
In the future, S-Banking program is expected to support MDS program, increasing students’ awareness to preserve the environment, and increase student’s motivation to build Mengkudu library.
“We hope that this S-Banking program can be an alternative role model for other elementary schools to improve character education,” added Dede. (*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
