Learning Community Empowerment Through Development Planning

     On our 15th day as exchange students at IPB University, we once again joined the Plantation class—this time for a seminar on community development. The keynote speaker was Mr. Said Abdullah, M.Si, the National Coordinator of the People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP). His presentation focused on the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) and the Theory of Change in Community Development Program Planning—tools that help guide and structure solutions to real-world problems faced by local communities.


     He started with a presentation about theory of change. To make the session more interactive, Mr. Said gave us an activity. First, we counted off from 1 to 4 to form our groups. Each group was assigned the task of identifying a community in Indonesia, diagnosing its main problems, and proposing practical steps students like us can take to help.


     My group focused on a community called Sumber Makmur, which is experiencing deep economic and social challenges. The main problems identified were:


  • Lack of community awareness (especially on infrastructure)
  • Poor welfare conditions
  • No government support
  • Absence of irrigation systems
  • Limited market access
  • Low community participation
  • Lack of education



     As students, we proposed the following solutions:

🔹 Education-focused seminars on growth, self-empowerment, and community change

🔹 Engaging children first, as they are the hope of the future. As Dr. José Rizal said, “The youth is the hope of the fatherland.”

🔹 Non-financial support, such as tapping into government programs or requesting aid from the Department of Agriculture to distribute seeds

🔹 Organizing a regular market day, similar to what we do at Guimaras State University, where community members can sell their products

🔹 Basic learning sessions offered by volunteer students to help children gain foundational knowledge


     Our goal was to present realistic and achievable actions that can lead to a resilient and empowered economic future for Sumber Makmur. After we shared our solutions, Mr. Said reviewed our group output and was impressed by the creativity and practicality of our ideas.


     Today’s lecture taught me how essential community development is in shaping a better society. It empowers people, reduces inequality, and promotes sustainability. Most importantly, it helps individuals identify problems and take action—step by step—toward meaningful solutions.

      The session ended with a round of applause from the entire class, celebrating a successful and insightful seminar. Rodney and I also had the opportunity to share our reflections and learnings from the discussion. This experience deepened my understanding of how even students, with the right mindset and effort, can contribute to real community change.


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