UNAIR NEWS – The enthusiasm of community service student who are members of Bidikmisi Service Camp continues. This time, Community Service Camp held an entrepreneurial dissemination by presenting speakers from Office of Cooperatives and Micro-Business in Lamongan Regency. In line with the theme of Community Service Camp 2019 which focused on entrepreneurial aspects, the purpose of this activity was to empower regional potential while developing entrepreneurship skills for the residents of Suwaluh Hamlet.
Suwaluh itself is an area that is famous for its potential in agriculture. Almost all residents in Suwaluh depend their lives on agriculture and plantation. As a result, Suwaluh has abundant crops each year. Ranging from rice, shallots, green beans, tobacco, to eucalyptus oil.
Therefore, Bidikmisi Community Service Camp took the initiative to empower Suwaluh residents’ crops through the development of MSMEs. So far residents only sell all of their crops in the form of raw materials. If they make a product from their crops, it will certainly have a higher selling value.
As stated by Nunung, presenter from the Office of Cooperatives and Micro-Business in Lamongan Regency during the socialization took place. She explained that Suwaluh agricultural products need to be processed to become high-value products.
“Currently MSMEs have many assisted villages in Lamongan and their crops has been sold in other island even abroad. I saw the potential for large produce in Suwaluh. Thus, it’s a pity to sell it in the form of raw materials. “We can make a product from it, of course the selling value will be much higher,” she explained.
Nunung also added that the Office of Cooperatives and Micro Enterprises will provide guidance for residents who are interested in entrepreneurship. With the condition, there must be one citizen who is willing to be a leader and has four or five people in one team. After forming a group, they can visit Office of Cooperatives and Micro-Business in Lamongan Regency directly to get special guidance regarding the business that they want to develop.
Nurul, one of the residents expressed her desire to develop a small business. With the socialization, she was also willing to submit herself as a leader to coordinate the small business groups. The plan, nurul and her five members of her business group will begin to develop home-cooked onion business.
“While there are five members. The plan is to make it small first after that take a picture and then send it to Mrs. Nunung. Hopefuly, the business group of Suwaluh resident can develop their business and goverment can help them, “said Tri Mia Purnamasari as the person in charge of entrepreneurship socialization.
Author: Zanna Afia Deswari