Singaraja- The Covid-19 pandemic has made the community’s economy, especially the lower middle class, slump. Not a few people have lost their jobs which impact the difficulty of meeting the necessities of life. One of these conditions is experienced by speech-impaired residents Krama Kolok in Bengkala Village, Kubudindingan District, Buleleng Regency. This reality is the concern of the Undiksha Student Republic Student Executive Board (BEM-REMA). Efforts were taken to handle this student organization by distributing basic food assistance, Sunday (15/8/2021).
The social activity was attended by the Deputy Chancellor for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Public Relations of Undiksha, Prof. Dr. I Wayan Suastra, M.Pd. A total of 42 food packages were distributed to residents at Camp Kolok Kajanan, Bengkala. The source of funding for this assistance is directly from Undiksha. On the sidelines of the activity, Prof. Suastra expressed his appreciation for the movement carried out by these students. “The activities of BEM Undiksha were extraordinary in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The community really needs a helping hand from students and this has been well realized by Semeton Bengkala. So I really appreciate this,” he said.
Delivered further, this activity is also in line with the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana which is the basis for realizing Undiksha’s vision to become a superior university in Asia in 2045. One of the principles in this philosophy is the person, namely establishing good relations between people. “So this is a form of humanitarian realization realized by students who are members of BEM-REMA,” he said.
On this occasion, the vice-chancellor who had served as Director of the Undiksha Postgraduate Program also asked students to continue to move to identify problems faced by the community and then find solutions for handling them. In addition, it also identifies feasible potentials to be developed and made innovations in the context of improving the community’s economy. “Here there is a typical weaving made by semeton kolok, incense making, food making. This needs to be innovated and also marketed later through internet networks, and social media. This is what needs help going forward. So students should not only be able to criticize but act. So helping hands, care must be grown and implemented. This is what I ask of students, “he said.
Meanwhile, Vice President of Student Republic of Undiksha, I Komang Widhi Adnyana explained that the implementation of this activity could not be separated from the declining community economy due to the pandemic. “So we, as students, took the initiative to help people affected by the economy. As WR III said, we as students can not only criticize but also take to the streets to help the wider community. That is the background for this activity,” he explained while giving appreciation to the university which has supported the implementation of this activity.
The manager of Camp Kolok Kajanan, Bengkala, I Ketut Kanta, who also represents the residents, expressed his appreciation for the concern shown by Undiksha students. According to him, this assistance is able to ease the burden on residents who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. “Earlier this was conveyed by one of the representatives, Covid-19 had a huge impact on the people’s economy,” he said. This man who is fluent in sign language mentioned before the pandemic, residents stamp duty most of them work odd jobs. Some also become artisans of weaving, incense, and food to be marketed to tourists. (hms)
