Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) University involves lecturers and students in efforts to restore community social after flood disasters in several areas of Sumatra through the assignment of Disaster Response Volunteer Team and strengthening of education programs based on service.
A total of 18 lecturers and 25 students were deployed to help flood-affected communities in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra with an integrated approach that includes food, health and psychosocial aspects.
Rector of IPB Alim Setiawan while releasing the volunteer team at the IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor Regency, West Java, Saturday, said the involvement of academic staff in disaster management was part of the commitment of universities in directly answering social issues.
According to him, universities have a strategic role not only as education and research centers, but also as social recovery agents that are able to present science-based solutions.
In its implementation, the IPB volunteer team provided training on the manufacture of emergency food in the form of ready-to-eat sterile rice to local volunteers and post-college volunteers so that the innovation can be produced and used independently.
The Director of Community Development of Agromaritim IPB, Handian Purwawangsa, said that the innovation of sterile rice was designed to meet the needs of practical food in disaster areas.
"This sterile rice can be consumed directly without having to be cooked or heated, has a shelf life of up to two years, and is in line with the tastes of the Indonesian people," said Handian.
He explained that sterile rice raw materials are easy to obtain in the market and are available in several menu variants, such as steamed rice, yellow rice, uduk rice, fried rice, and bitter orange chicken rice.
In addition to food interventions, IPB also provides psychosocial assistance services after disasters to help communities recover their mental conditions and strengthen social resilience in affected areas.
The involvement of students in this activity is in line with the implementation of IPB's Tematik Inovasi Real Work Lecture (KKNT Innovation) as a compulsory course that emphasizes learning based on real experiences in the community.
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