Home Industry Training: Making Liquid Soap and Developing Business Ideas for the Taklim Assembly of the Ismul Azham Mosque Makassar

Makassar – Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) successfully held entrepreneurship training for members of the Makassar Taklim Ismul A'zham Council, with the theme of using used cooking oil to make liquid soap. This activity was held at the Ismul A'zham Mosque, BTN Paropo Complex, on Saturday (14/9/2025), as part of the Community Service (PkM) program for the Superior scheme which received funding from UMI.

A total of 30 participants, the majority of whom were women from the taklim assembly, were enthusiastic about participating in all the training sessions. Apart from the practice of making liquid soap through the saponification process, the training also discusses strategies for developing a home business. Participants are taught how to calculate the cost of goods sold (COGS) so that the products they make can be sold at a reasonable price and remain profitable.

The UMI team that hosted the event consisted of lecturers from Chemical Engineering and Industrial Engineering, led by Dr. Eng. Ir. Irma Nur Afiah. In the first session, Ir. Muh. Arman and Syarwan Hamid (Chemical Engineering) led a demonstration on making liquid soap from used cooking oil. Both emphasized that used cooking oil, which usually becomes waste, can be reprocessed into environmentally friendly and cost-effective products.

The second material was delivered by Dr. Ir. Nurul Chairany, who explained business aspects, especially calculating COGS so that small businesses can run sustainably. Meanwhile, Dr. Irma Nur Afiah in the motivation session encouraged participants to start a business from home with ideas, creativity and consistency - not just big money.

Apart from that, the training event also presented interactive sessions and quizzes with prizes to test participants' understanding. At the end of the activity, participants complete an evaluation test as a measure of their understanding of the material taught.

According to Dr. Irma, this training is an initiation by UMI to support local economic empowerment and household waste management. "This is UMI's real step in empowering the community while protecting the environment," he said. Through activities like this, household waste such as used cooking oil can be converted into marketable products, as well as opening up small-scale business opportunities for the women of the taklim assembly.