The Student Organization Capacity Strengthening Program (PPK Ormawa) team from Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU), which received grant funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), carried out a flood mitigation initiative on Wednesday (August 20) in Mekar Sawit Village, Langkat Regency.
Among the programs implemented by the PPK Ormawa team of the Student Association of Agricultural Sciences (HIMAGRI), Faculty of Agriculture, were the development of hydroponic farming facilities in elevated areas to help maintain food security during floods. The students also promoted the use of charcoal briquettes as an economically valuable product for local communities and planted waru trees along the riverbanks as a disaster mitigation measure by strengthening vegetation in riparian areas.
The program was officially opened by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd., represented by UMSU Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Alumni, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faisal, S.H., M.Hum. He explained that PPK Ormawa is one of the university’s initiatives to facilitate student community service.
“PPK Ormawa is not merely a student program but a tangible form of student service to the community. We want every innovation introduced to address the needs of the village while fostering students’ awareness of environmental issues and strengthening community resilience in facing disasters,” he said.
He emphasized that collaboration among higher education institutions, village authorities, and local communities is essential to ensure that the programs extend beyond their implementation period and deliver sustainable benefits to residents.
Meanwhile, Mekar Sawit Village Head Supriadi expressed his appreciation for UMSU’s decision to select the village as the site for the PPK Ormawa program.
“We warmly welcome UMSU’s presence through PPK Ormawa in Mekar Sawit Village. Programs such as hydroponics, charcoal briquettes, and waru tree planting are highly beneficial because they address the needs of our community following the major flood we experienced last year,” he said.
He expressed hope that the synergy between UMSU and the Mekar Sawit Village Government would continue, allowing the innovations initiated by students to be further developed together with the community and strengthen the village’s resilience against future disasters.
The program was designed based on the challenges previously experienced by the people of Mekar Sawit Village. A major flood the previous year disrupted access in and out of the village and hampered the distribution of essential goods, resulting in food insecurity.
The event was also attended by Head of the UMSU Bureau of Student Affairs and Alumni Abdurrahman Zuhdi, M.I.Kom.; Chair of the UMSU Student Research and Creativity Centre (SRCC), Fatimah Sari Siregar, S.Pd., M.Hum.; and Vice Dean III of the UMSU Faculty of Agriculture, Juita Rahmadani Manik, S.P., M.Si.
