13 August 2025
Syafrijal S.Kom
Lecturers of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of North Sumatra (USU) carried out Community Service (PkM) with the theme "Education and Training in Making Carrot Yogurt as an Effort to Improve the Economy and Nutrition of the Community in Rumah Berastagi Village" in Jambur Taras, Rumah Berastagi Village, Karo Regency, North Sumatra. The service also involved students from across educational levels, starting from Bachelor of Pharmacy (S1), Masters (S2) and Doctoral (S3) students of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, USU, chaired by Emil Salim Ph.D., Apt, with members Dr. T. Ismanelly Hanum, Yuandani Ph.D., Apt and Hafid Syahputra M.Si., Apt. Students who participated from the Bachelor's Program were Angelica Glorya Sihaloho, Yulia Fitri, Fauziah El Farhani Hasti Habibi Samosir, Fani Tree Sabina, Irene Hanna Magdalena Simangunsong, Jonathan Pebrian Siregar, and Rantyta Try Nursylla; from the Master's program, Faustina Kusuma Danny, Thara Naja Sakinah, and Sintia Karina Putri, and from the Doctoral program, Herianto Bangun and Nabila. In this community service, Emil Salim Ph.D., Apt. educated residents about the benefits and how to make carrot yogurt as a solution to improve family finances, as well as improving community nutrition. Emil also said that yogurt contains good bacteria and is good for digestive health, immunity, and milk contains calcium to strengthen bones and teeth. Furthermore, carrot-based yogurt is beneficial for eye health due to its rich vitamin A content. Next, Dr. T. Ismanelly Hanum presented a presentation titled "Business and Entrepreneurship: Carrot Yogurt, a Healthy Opportunity – Home-Based Business Opportunity," and invited participants to explore the potential of carrot yogurt as a home-based entrepreneurial product.
She also explained to the 27 participants, members of the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), that carrot yogurt has economic potential because the ingredients are readily available, easy to make, and no one has yet produced it.
"The main goal of this community service is to increase the knowledge of housewives interested in running a small business from home. It also aims to utilize the remaining carrot harvest from the village community, which has been underutilized because its shape and size do not meet market standards," said Team Leader Emil Salim, Ph.D., Apt.
All participants enthusiastically participated in the community service activities. The series of activities began with a pre-test and concluded with a post-test, each consisting of 20 questionnaire questions to gauge participants' understanding.
Participants received educational materials on the health benefits of yogurt, presented interactively. The activity continued with a video showing how to make carrot yogurt as a preliminary overview before the practical session.
During the training session, participants were divided into small groups to practice making carrot yogurt, covering everything from preparing ingredients and sterilizing equipment to the fermentation process. The training was guided by lecturers and students.
The atmosphere was active and conducive, with lively discussions among participants and mentors. The activity concluded with the announcement of the best group based on creativity, teamwork, and the yogurt product produced.
At the end of the activity, an evaluation session was held and participants shared their impressions. One participant stated that making yogurt was very beneficial and hoped it could become a new business opportunity to increase family income and enhance health knowledge.
Other participants stated that the activity was very interesting and the knowledge gained was highly relevant to supporting the development of MSMEs in the Rumah Berastagi Village Family Welfare Movement (PKK) group.
They also hoped that similar activities could be held again in the future, with other innovative ideas, such as training on making radish cake or other local food products.
https://www.metro-online.co/2025/07/inovasi-desa-wisata-peningkatan.html
