Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) carried out a community service activity entitled increasing the knowledge of the Bagan Deli fishing community in processing food for children and pregnant women to prevent stunting by introducing healthy food innovations in the form of moringa leaf fish meatball pompoms.
The service was chaired by a lecturer from the USU FKM Dra. Syarifah, M.S., with members Prof. Dr. dr. Arlinda Sari Wahyuni M.Kes. (FK-USU), Prof. Dra. Pujiati, M.Soc, Ph.D., (FIB-USU) and Dr. Ir. Zulhaida Lubis, M.Kes (FKM-USU).
The partners involved and targeted in this service were members of the Indonesian Coastal Women's Union (KPPI) Medan branch and mothers who have babies and toddlers in Bagan Deli Village totaling 20 people. This activity was carried out based on several problems found by partners, namely the lack of knowledge of the Bagan Deli sub-district fishing community regarding stunting, the lack of knowledge and skills of the community in processing food for children and pregnant women that can prevent stunting, while in the surrounding environment there are many fish sources of protein that can be processed to overcome this problem.
In this activity, the community was given knowledge about the importance of balanced nutrition in preventing stunting, especially in children and pregnant women. They were also taught how to utilize fish catches for the nutritional needs of children and pregnant women. In addition, by introducing moringa leaves, which are known to have high nutritional content, to be processed into attractive and nutritious food.
The food innovation introduced in this program is pom pom moringa leaf fish meatballs. This food is expected to be a practical solution to meet the nutritional needs of families, especially the nutrition of children and pregnant women. In this community service activity, the community was taught how to process meatballs by mixing moringa leaves into the dough, so that they produce meatballs that are not only delicious but also rich in nutrients. For the sustainability of this activity, KPPI was also given a set of meatball making tools, so that the community can use it alternately in processing meatballs, especially the small fish caught by husbands that are not suitable for sale but can be processed by wives as a food source to improve nutritional status or to overcome stunting.
The head of the USU FKM community service team, Dra. Syarifah, M.S., said that this program is part of the community service efforts carried out by USU in improving the quality of life of the community, especially in coastal areas that are prone to health and nutritional problems. "We hope that through this service, the fisherwomen in Bagan Deli can practice providing good and nutritious food to our children, so that we can overcome the problem of stunting together," said Dra. Syarifah, M.S.
One of the community members, Mrs. Nilawati as the head of KPPI, admitted that she was very helped by this service. "I understand more about the importance of nutrition for children and pregnant women and how to process fish catches into food that children prefer."
With the spirit of dedication and innovation, FKM USU continues to be committed to making a positive contribution to society. Programs such as the KPPI partner are concrete steps in realizing USU's vision as a superior university through community service and the development of quality human resources.
Source: https://www.medanbagus.com/read/2024/07/26/47373/pemberdayaan-perempuan-nelayan-(kppi)-dalam-mengatasi-stunting-dan-modifikasi-makanan-pompom-bakso-ikan--daun-kelor-di-kelurahan-bagan-deli