UMI Pharmacy Lecturer Innovates to Prevent Stunting by Empowering the Community by Making Jelly Candy from Moringa Leaf Powder

As a form of implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, lecturers at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) again went directly to the community in Community Service activities which took place on Wednesday, October 23 2024.

This activity is a form of UMI's commitment to contribute directly to improving the quality of life of the community, especially through the pharmaceutical and health sectors. This kind of service continues to be carried out as a real effort to bring science and technology closer to the wider community.

This time, the service location chosen was Pitusunggu Village, Ma'rang District, Pangkep Regency. This activity carries a theme"Empowering the PKK Group in Pitusunggu Village, Ma'rang Pangkep District by Making Jelly Candy from Moringa Leaf Powder to Overcome Stunting in Children."

Through this theme, lecturers at the UMI Faculty of Pharmacy focused on increasing the knowledge and skills of the PKK group in utilizing local potential, such as Moringa leaves, which are rich in nutrients. It is hoped that this program can be an innovative solution in supporting the prevention of stunting among children, as well as empowering the community's economy through value-added products.

The service team in this activity are lecturers from the Faculty of Pharmacy including Dr. apt. Mirawati, apt. Nurlina and apt. Hendra Herman and assisted by 3 other lecturers, namely Nasrul Haq, Nurul Ilmi and apt. Aztriana and 4 students from the UMI Faculty of Pharmacy. This activity was attended by the people of Pitusunggu Village and also village officials, where the community warmly welcomed the activity.

The method used in this service includes counseling followed by direct training to the community on how to make jelly candy from Moringa leaf powder. This activity aims to provide understanding as well as practical skills to participants. In closing, a discussion and question and answer session was held which was very interactive, showing high enthusiasm from all service participants.

The theme of this activity was chosen with the consideration that some people still have an inaccurate understanding of stunting. Many people do not realize that stunting is a serious problem, and most even consider it to be the result of hereditary factors, not due to poor parenting or nutritional intake. This activity aims to educate the public to understand the real causes and importance of preventing stunting in children.

"We hope that this activity can increase knowledge, understanding and community participation in stunting prevention programs by utilizing nutritious plants around us, such as Moringa leaves, which are abundant in Pitusunggu Village. Moringa leaves have excellent nutritional content for children's growth. However, they are often difficult to give to children because they tend to refuse to eat vegetables. Therefore, by processing them into jelly candy from Moringa leaf powder, we hope this will be a more attractive solution and easy for children to consume," said Dr. apt. Mirawati, M.Sc., Head of the Service Team for the Faculty of Pharmacy.

The service participants revealed that their knowledge about the dangers of stunting increased after participating in this activity. They also expressed their gratitude for the knowledge provided, especially regarding how to use Moringa leaves to make jelly candy. This product not only benefits the health of children in the village, but also has potential economic value for the community. Participants hope that similar activities can be held more often in Pitusunggu Village in the future.