SABACIREBON – Widyatama University successfully held an integrative collaboration program with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture and the West Java Provincial Handicraft Council (Dekranasda) in Parongpong District, West Bandung Regency (KBB) on Thursday (16/09).
On this occasion, Widyatama Rector Prof. Dadang Suganda, together with Deputy Meko PMK Didik Suhardi, Ph.D, Chair of Dekranasda Jabar Atalia Praratya, and Sonya Fatmala as Chair of Dekranasda West Bandung Regency, jointly carried out tree planting activities in the PTPN VIII Parongpong Protected Forest Area.
For Widyatama University, this collaboration with Kemenklo PMK and Dekranasda Jabar was also an implementation of the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi program in carrying out Community Service (PkM) activities in the form of symbolically planting 342 thousand tree seedlings as part of planting 10 million trees throughout Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Widyatama’s collaboration with Dekranasda Jabar and Dekranasda KBB took the form of an exhibition of the works of a number of MSME entrepreneurs in a number of places in West Java in the form of a festival, which was carried out in collaboration with 27 PkM clusters in various study programs at Widyatama University.
During the integrated PkM activity, all participants and guests, after planting various types of tree seedlings, were given the opportunity to witness a festival showcasing the works of MSME entrepreneurs who were mentored by a number of PkM clusters at Widyatama University.
On that occasion, Widyatama University Rector Dadang Suganda reminded all parties by saying:
“This country is not a legacy from our ancestors, but a gift for our children and grandchildren. In the context of mental change, hopefully negative things such as illegal logging can be transformed into positive things such as tree planting.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Didik Suhardi commented on the implementation of the Integrative Community Service Program by stating, “I greatly appreciate Widyatama University for successfully collaborating with us in the Mental Revolution through the planting of 10 million trees. We at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture act as coordinators who connect those who provide seedlings with those who need them.”
He added that the Mental Revolution is not just something to be aware of, but requires concrete action through mutual cooperation.
Indonesia is located in the middle of the Ring of Fire, which must be saved, and we must realize that natural disasters everywhere are inseparable from human error itself.
Didik Suhardi also reminded, “Indonesia is a very large fruit importer every year.”
“We spend trillions on imports, even though Indonesia is an agricultural country. Hopefully, with this activity, we can all become aware of our own needs.”
Meanwhile, in another speech, the Chairwoman of Dekranasda West Java, Atalia Praratya Kamil, said that there are around 700,000 hectares of critical land, 200,000 hectares of which are critical land in protected forests in West Java that have not been maximized.
Atalia hopes that tree planting activities will not only be carried out once but will continue to be carried out continuously.
“We in the government have made it a habit to contribute by donating and planting one tree whenever someone has a birthday or a promotion. To that end, we encourage the academic community (Widyatama) and the public who are present to participate in activities such as this. We must work together because the government cannot do this alone,” said the Chair of Dekranasda Jabar.
