Exporia is an implementation of the Village Innovation Variety Expo program by Diponegoro University students of the Community Service (KKN) Team I for the 2022/2023 academic year. The event which held innovation and community empowerment in the village of Sukoharjo Regency was successfully carried out at the Toriyo Village Sports Hall on Wednesday (08/02). The event was attended by representatives of several levels of local government. This interesting program will also later support the local government in the Sukoharjo Innovation Award competition where various flagship and innovative products from each village are displayed, especially in the Bendosari and Nguter Sub-Districts. At each stand, Undip students from various departments were represented as a result of the KKN programs. The number of KKN Undip students participating in the Bendosari Sub-District was 123 students and from the Nguter Sub-District there were 122 students.
The leading innovative program for KKN Undip Team I students in the Bendosari Sub-District, a total of 13 villages, one of which provides assistance in the production and marketing of “SRINGS” dish-washing soap in Manisharjo village. It is manufactured by the Self Help Group (SHG) Manis Mandiri as an effort to improve the economy of local residents through making 80% natural dish-washing soap made from a mixture of oranges and pandan leaves. Initially the Self Help Group (SHG) Manis Mandiri was a group of people with disabilities in Manisharjo Village with activities that had been carried out including training in making mushroom chips, spinach chips, and other similar products. Before the KKN Undip students deployed in the KKN area, the training had stopped, so there was no progress. To continue the training, Undip is present through the Community Service program to provide assistance.
“Undip Students of Community Service Program Team I have the principle of teaching residents to be independent and creative,” said Ir. Daud Samsudewa, S.Pt., M.Si., Ph.D., IPM., as the field supervisor. Furthermore, Ridho Puji Laksono as the Coordinator of Manisharjo Village added, “During the Community Service Program, the KKN Undip team I provided assistance to cadres regarding the production process, determining the selling price based on the cost of production; transparent bookkeeping and marketing, especially in packaging design and promotional posters, as well as discussion of selling prices in order to achieve maximum profit.”
Meanwhile, Mulyadi, a cadre of the Self Help Group (SHG) Manis Mandiri, confirmed that the promotion and marketing stage was assisted by Undip students via Whatsapp and offline selling (such as door to door). Offline selling is conducted massively to several places in Manisharjo Village, Agencies in Sukoharjo and Semarang Regency. Alhamdulillah, 125 bottles of “SRING” product have been sold, with a selling price of IDR 2,500 per 100 ml and IDR 6,500 for 400 ml packaging.
When taking a visit to the production house, representatives from Undip namely Dr. Nurjazuli, S.KM., M.Kes as Deputy Dean I of the Faculty of Public Health; Dr. dr. Sri Winarni, M. Kes. as KKN Coordinator of Sukoharjo Regency; Ir. Daud Samsudewa, S.Pt., M.Si., Ph.D., IPM., together with the Head of Manisharjo Village, Retno Wahyudi and Maryanto as companions for SHG Manis Mandiri, who were previously served as Head of SHG Manis Mandiri. Maryanto had mentioned that residents who are members of SHG Manis Mandiri have extraordinary enthusiasm and high self-confidence even with physical limitations that do not discourage entrepreneurship. Their spirit to work is supported by attention from the Village Head and marketing support to Government Agencies, Academics and Media assistance through innovative development of lime and pandanus products. Innovation will be sustainable if the raw materials are obtained from local raw materials (not from outside the region). The problems encountered is coloring the composition between a mixture of lime and pandanus which was less than optimal, and ended up using pandanus leaf as a coloring agent instead of fragrant pandanus. For the aroma to be more identical to the original, it is taken from lime fruit.
Through her remarks, the Head of Manisharjo Village, Retno Wahyudi expressed her gratitude for the assistance from the KKN Undip student team. She said that, “The embryo of the creative economy of Manisharjo village, Bendosari Sub-District, Sukoharjo Regency, is in the form of fruit agrotourism. By educating local residents, for those who like plants, we will facilitate thousands of avocado, durian and orange seed breeding. For the time being, the use of lime fruit and pandanus leaves as “SRING” brand dish-washing soap is being used by residents who have special needs. This activity is expected to improve the local economy. Not only that, this activity also aims to create more natural products and market their products so that they are more developed to the wider community.” (Diah/Nuril – Public Relations)