The National Community Service (KKN Kebangsaan) Program, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), provides opportunities for students to contribute to community service. This program allows students to convert community service activities carried out during KKN into Semester Credit Units (SKS), as it is done in regular KKN at universities.
In 2024, the XII National Community Service Program will be held in Ambon with Universitas Pattimura as the host. One of the delegates from Universitas Brawijaya (UB), Alkautsar Satria, a student of the Faculty of Agriculture class of 2022, also participated in this program. Alkautsar along with three other students, namely Nayla Octaviani, Elsy Taruk Linggi, and Salma Rasheeda, were selected to represent UB in the program that will run from July 25 to August 25, 2024.
Alkautsar explained that the main difference between KKN Kebangsaan and regular KKN lies in the focus of the implementation area. “KKN at Universitas Brawijaya, which is usually called Students Build Village (MMD), is focused on Malang and East Java areas, with several specific work program areas that must be implemented and participants are not only from 1 campus but from all campuses in Indonesia consisting of approximately 500 students,” said Alkautsar.
In KKN Kebangsaan, students from around 70 universities in Indonesia collaborate in small groups consisting of 10-15 people. “The work program that was presented has been suggested by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology with 12 branches, then summarized by the host according to the needs of each region,” explained Alkautsar
Alkautsar also added that the experience of participating in the National KKN provided new insights into Maluku culture. “This is similar to a student exchange, but more focused on building a country or village,” he said. This program also improves relations between students from various universities in Indonesia from Sabang-Merauke.
After the briefing until July 28, 2024, KKN participants were divided into several groups and placed in areas such as West Seram, Central Maluku, and Buru. This activity ended with a withdrawal on August 23, 2024 and closing in Ambon City on August 24, 2024.
During the program, Alkautsar and his team learned a lot about local culture and customs, including the term “Bapak Raja” (king) for village head and the term “Negeri” (country) for village. This experience also enriched their understanding of education in Maluku.
The obstacles faced during the National KKN, such as communication signal problems, did not dampen Alkautsar’s enthusiasm. “We live with our mother and father who are very helpful in ensuring that food and other needs are met,” explained Alkautsar.
At the end of the interview session, Alkautsar expressed his hope that the National KKN activities would continue and bring benefits to the community. “This experience is truly valuable, we learned a lot about culture, language, and customs, and can share the knowledge we gained at university,” he concluded. (dilla/WDD/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
