Monday, August 22 2022, a reception for KKL (Student internship program) students of Amikom University Purwokerto was held at the Desa Melung Office, Kedungbanteng District, Banyumas Regency. The 10 KKL students were welcomed by Mr. Khoerudin, S. Sos as the Head of Desa Melung. The students were from various study programs from both the Faculty of Computer Science and the Faculty of Business Economics and Social Sciences.
The acceptance of KKL students of Amikom University Purwokerto ran well and the KKL participants will be accompanied by local residents so that KKL activities in Desa Melung can be carried out well and can be of benefit to both the village and the students. The Field Work Lecture of Amikom University Purwokerto will start from August 22 2022 to September 3 2022. The reception event ended by taking photos with the KKL students at the Desa Melung office with the Village Head. This event is hoped to become a good bridge between students, village officials and the people of Desa Melung, so that in the future collaboration can be established in overcoming problems in Desa Melung.
Children playing in the rice fields is a rare sight that we see nowadays. They spend more time at home. They prefer having fun with cell phones with lots of games on it or by watching television rather than playing with their friends. Such conditions do not only happen to children in cities, what is even sadder is that it also happens in villages which is far from cities. Actually, in general, the life between children and rice fields should be close.
In the past, rice fields were a playing area for children where they catched grasshoppers or play in the mud. They also chased frogs, looked for fish, ran around the rice fields. Consequently, their clothes became dirty after they fall repeatedly in the mud of the rice fields. By joining their parents’ activity as farmers, they can learn to love nature and learn more about the process of the food they eat every day. By learning and experiencing, children can appreciate the nature.
Nowadays, when children gather with their friends, they just sit and are busy with their own dreams and fantasies. Starting from a concern, we tried to create a place for children to play by utilizing the existing natural environment with a touch of creativity from village cadres.Children can play and have fun so the happiness can be felt, not something that is fake.
To develop the economy of Desa Melung, IAIN Purwokerto Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) students Batch 41, Group 35, held Bedogol Banana Chip Making Workshop. KKN students created something new to hold workshop on making chips from Bedogol Banana. The workshop event for making bedogol banana chips was held in the yard of the Head of RW 1, Desa Melung. It was attended by 5 people in each RT in the RW 1 and RW 2 areas of Desa Melung. Khoerudin, S. Sos. as the Head of Desa Melung, strongly supported it because this workshop was still new and interesting. The Village Head hoped the residents will be able to develop making bedogol banana chips later.
The workshop on making Bedogol banana chips presented by Sugeng, who is a Bedogol banana chips entrepreneur in the Sumpiuh area, Banyumas Regency. He has been producing Bedogol banana chips for 3 years. At first he tried to make bedogol banana chips business and then he succeeded. The workshop participants were very enthusiastic during the workshop. The workshop participants also took part in slicing bedogol banana (some kinds of banana), placing it in the pan and frying it.
Lesung is a tool for pounding rice. Lesung is made from wood with the size of tree. Then Lesung is hollowed out in the middle. The length is approximately 2 – 3 meters. In the past there were no rice grinding machines, to separate the rice grains and husks you needed a tool. This tool is called lesung. Lesung is used to hull the grain into rice with the help of a tool called alu as pounder.
Harmony and togetherness at that time were still very strong. If there is a villager who has khajat (An activity carried out by the community in the context of thanksgiving.), whether it is marrying off a child or having a child, it needs a lot of rice as a complement to the thanksgiving ceremony. In that moment, the villagers worked together to help pounding the rice. Because the shape of lesung is like a kentong (a hole in the middle of it), when alu as a pounding tool is dropped on the lesung, it will make a loud sound. While waiting for a friend to start pounding rice, the kotekan begins. Kotekan is also a sign that someone in the village is having a wedding. After hearing the kotekan, villagers will come to help pounding the rice.
After the rice pounding is finished, they usually make kotekan as entertainment. The combination of sounds from each side of lesung hole produces a very melodious rhythm accompanied by singing according to the rhythm.The following are the lyrics of the song Kotekan, which was popular at that time. “Lesung jumengglung sru imbal-imbalan. Lesung jumengglung manengkeng manungkung, ngumandang ngebaki sak jroning padesan. Tok tok tek tok tok gung tok tok tek tok tek tong gung.” The combination of musical rhythms accompanied by the sound of songs stimulates several people to dance. Nowadays, the art of kotekan lesung is rarely performed.
Ferns are wild plants that can grow anywhere, especially in humid areas. There are many types of ferns, but there are only three types that can be cooked, namely .menir fern,.teja and.urang fern. These three types of ferns usually can be found around river flows. This plant that grows wild is only used as vegetable and not many people cultivate this plant. In fact, this plant is quite promising for increasing income.
Cultivating vegetable ferns is a promising business opportunity, because many people are not interested in cultivating them. The treatment is also very easy, because this plant can vegetate in the grass area and can be planted under the stand.
After the first harvest of this vegetable fern plant, we don’t have to wait in long time to harvest it again, just wait approximately 5 to 6 days, and we can pluck it again. Vegetable ferns have a selling value of Rp. 2,000 for each bundle.
