UNAND KKN Students Support SDG 3 and SDG 15 through TOGA Planting Innovation in Sungai Tarab

Batusangkar, February 2, 2024 — Universitas Andalas (UNAND) students participating in the 2024 Thematic Community Service Program, known as KKN Tematik, collaborated with the community of Nagari Sungai Tarab, Tanah Datar Regency, to revitalize unused land through the planting of Tanaman Obat Keluarga or TOGA.

The activity was initiated by UNAND students from various faculties as one of the work programs of the 2024 KKN Tematik. The program focused on encouraging the community to make better use of available land by turning idle areas into productive spaces planted with family medicinal plants.

Intan, the person in charge of the TOGA planting program in Nagari Sungai Tarab, said the activity was expected to encourage the community to become more independent and productive in utilizing existing plants and land. She also explained that the program served as an educational effort by UNAND KKN students to help local residents understand how unused land can be transformed into a more beneficial area.

Through this program, the students and local residents worked together in a community clean-up activity to prepare the land before planting various types of TOGA seedlings. The activity was also attended by PKK administrators of Nagari Sungai Tarab, who took part in supporting the students in implementing the program.

According to Intan, the plants grown on the revitalized land are expected to bring direct benefits to the people of Nagari Sungai Tarab. In addition to making unused land more productive, TOGA plants can also serve as an option for first aid treatment using family medicinal plants.

The program received positive appreciation from the local community. One PKK administrator of Nagari Sungai Tarab said the work program carried out by UNAND KKN Tematik students had provided a very good impact, especially for PKK members who felt helped by the revitalization of idle land into a more productive area. The community also welcomed the students’ initiative and expressed readiness to support efforts to bring the land back to life.

In addition to land revitalization and TOGA planting, the UNAND KKN Tematik students also introduced a simple technology innovation to support public education. On the signboard placed in the TOGA garden, the students added information about the plants that can be accessed directly by the community through a QR code. This feature allows residents to obtain plant-related information more easily while strengthening the educational value of the program.

This activity supports SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being by promoting the use of family medicinal plants that can help communities access simple, household-level health support. Through TOGA planting, residents are encouraged to recognize the benefits of medicinal plants as part of daily health awareness and first aid practices.

The program also aligns with SDG 15 Life on Land because it revitalizes unmanaged land and turns it into a productive green area. By planting medicinal plants and encouraging community participation in land care, the initiative supports better land use, local environmental stewardship, and more sustainable village development.

Through this initiative, UNAND KKN Tematik students demonstrated how community service can combine education, environmental care, and simple technology. The TOGA planting program in Nagari Sungai Tarab not only helped revive idle land but also strengthened collaboration between students, PKK members, and the local community in building a healthier and more productive nagari.