A total of 354 UGM students participated in Covid-19 Online Community Service Program from May 4 to June 22, 2020. The community service program areas are located in 18 villages in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, including Sleman Regency, Kulon Progo Regency, Gunungkidul Regency, and Yogyakarta City.
Previously, UGM had also carried out an online community service program since the outbreak of the Covid-19. Until now, the Covid-19 Online Community Service Program has entered its 6th period.
Director of Community Service, Prof. Irfan D. Prijambada, conveyed that under normal conditions, UGM usually deploys its students directly in groups to serve in villages and stay for two months mingling with the community. However, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of community service program was carried out online from the boarding house or each student’s house. Later, students will be guided by online field supervisors with the theme of education tailored to the region’s conditions.
“In general, the community service program is conducted online. It is not possible due to the current condition for students to go to the field and stay with the community for two months,” he explained when contacted on Wednesday (6/5).
He conveyed that the Covid-19 Care Community Service had the theme of health resilience. The students are focused on educating the public about the prevention, handling, and mitigation of Covid-19.
According to him, proper education about Covid-19 is needed in the current situation. The reason is until now, there is still a lot of misinformation about this new type of coronavirus and efforts to prevent it. For example, there are still many practices of spraying disinfectants on the body in villages. These actions endanger health.
“Now students are directed to continue to deliver correct information related to Covid-19 to the public, to fight against hoaxes,” he explained.
Not only doing education, but the students also help rural communities in preparing the community’s economy after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Irfan said that the implementation of an online community service program will still be carried out in the next period, considering that the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over. According to the plan, approximately 4,300 students will participate in community service program implementation in all provinces in Indonesia.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/19389-354-mahasiswa-ugm-ikuti-kkn-daring-peduli-covid-19
