Serving in Luwung Village: An Inspiring KKN Story

By : Intan Luthfiyah Rahmah

Assalamualaikum, friends. Hi! My name is Intan Luthfiyah Rahmah from Surabaya, a student at Narotama University.

At my university, there is a Thematic Community Service Program (KKN) in the village, and I want to share my experience during KKN in Luwung Village, Ganggangpanjang Subdistrict, Sidoarjo Regency. I was not alone; there were 10 people in our team. Here, I served as treasurer, managing finances, income, and expenses, as well as handling consumption.

Here is the work program my team and I carried out:

1. July 27, 2024: Technical meeting and coordination meeting with Mr. RT 06 and RT 08.

2. August 3, 2024: Coordination meeting with Mr. RT 05 and RT 07.

3. August 14, 2024: Preparation for the KKN opening event.

4. August 15, 2024: KKN opening event with lecturers and local residents.

5. August 16, 2024: Preparation for the August 17th competitions.

6. August 17, 2024: Morning exercise and competition activities.

7. August 18, 2024: Healthy walk with RW 02.

8. August 24, 2024: Carnival committee meeting.

9. August 25, 2024: Healthy walk from RT 05 to RT 08.

10. August 29, 2024: Activities at the KKN post.

11. August 30, 2024: Socialization at SDN Ganggangpanjang.

12. August 31, 2024: UMKM socialization with residents.

13. September 1, 2024: Village carnival.

14. September 2, 2024: Closing of the KKN program.

Before starting the KKN in Luwung Village, my team and I conducted a preliminary survey on Thursday, July 25, 2024. We were directed to the village hall, where we met with Mr. Endy Pandu Nugroho, a village official. We explained our work program and activities, and then continued the survey around Luwung Village with Mr. Pandu. We visited several locations, including a café owned by Mr. Adenan, the village head, to request permission for the KKN. After that, we went to the KKN post at Mr. Pandu's house, followed by a field survey for the August 17th activities and a visit to the Punden Mbah Retjo tourist site.

On July 27, 2024, we attended a technical meeting about the KKN work program with Mr. Pandu and had a meeting with RT 06 & 08 for coordination regarding the August 17th competitions.

On August 14, 2024, I prepared to head to the KKN post because, the next morning, August 15, there would be a KKN opening event with Mr. Muhammad Adenan, the village head, Mr. Made Kamisutara, S.T., M.Kom., a lecturer in Informatics Engineering, and Mr. I Putu Artaya, S.E., M.M., a management lecturer. I was very happy because the lecturers could attend the KKN opening in Luwung Village, and the event went smoothly.

On August 16, 2024, my team and I worked together to prepare for the August 17th competitions, which would be held the next morning in the RT 06 field, including wrapping prizes. In the evening, after Maghrib prayer, I attended a tasyakuran in RT 06 to commemorate August 17th and remember the heroes. After the Isha prayer, my team and I attended a tasyakuran at the village hall with other invitees. I felt very proud to join and learn about the culture in Luwung Village, which is very different from where I come from.

After leaving the village hall, around 9 PM, my team and I received an invitation from the head of RT 08 to help with the competition activities. There were sack races, water-pounding contests, and more. Uniquely, the winners received cash prizes immediately.

On August 17, 2024, in the morning, my team and I participated in an exercise with the residents, followed by competitions for children and adults. The residents were very enthusiastic and friendly. There were various children's competitions, such as coloring, inserting pencils into bottles, marble relay races, eating crackers, and blowing ping-pong balls. For the adults, there were competitions like inserting straws into bottles, balloon races, and catching catfish. The activities were really fun! The events ran from 7 AM until noon, with a break and resumption at 4 PM for the prize distribution.

In the evening, we held a fishing competition at the Punden Mbah Retjo river, with local residents participating.

The next day, on Sunday, August 18, there was a healthy walk with RW 02 at the Punden Mbah Retjo tourist site. Unexpectedly, my team and I won prizes from the healthy walk, including two towels, two shirts, and one mukena. I felt very grateful to be part of and witness the activities in Luwung Village firsthand.

Thank you, everyone, and see you again next week!

I hope this experience can be beneficial and inspire all of you. I am very grateful to be able to share my story about KKN in Luwung Village. See you next time!