Unisan Gorontalo Students Boost Local Food MSMEs in Owalanga

GORONTALO — Unisan Gorontalo KKN students in Owalanga Village, Gorontalo Regency, are pushing local food MSMEs based on cassava, corn, and coconut so residents can sell products at higher value.

The program comes at a time when the village still sells much of its harvest in raw form. For residents, the effort matters for two reasons at once: it can lift income and open the door to a wider market.

Focus on processing, not just physical work

The village coordinator for the Unisan Gorontalo KKN team in Owalanga, Sumitro Antu, said the group deliberately placed MSME development at the center of its work, rather than limiting itself to physical activities during the service period. The choice grew from the village’s strong food potential.

“Our work program is not only focused on physical development, but also on community empowerment through MSME development. We want to help residents process local food into products with higher selling value and expand their marketing,” Sumitro said.

He said Owalanga has raw materials that residents can easily find. Cassava, corn, and coconut are available in enough quantity, but processing remains far from optimal. That is where the students see room to step in.

Selling raw crops keeps economic value limited. Once the same crops are turned into derivative products, margins can rise. That is the space the KKN students want to touch through simple mentoring, from product ideas to how those products are sold.

Local products need packaging and a sales strategy

The KKN students are also paying attention to packaging and marketing. Those two points often become weak spots for small village businesses. Good products do not always sell well if the presentation looks plain. The problem gets bigger when the product has no strong story behind it.

Sumitro said the support given by the team is expected to give residents new knowledge about product innovation, packaging, and marketing strategy. In that way, local products are not left circulating only inside the village.

That approach fits many villages in Gorontalo. The region has rich farm and plantation resources, but added value often disappears after harvest. Local food MSMEs offer a realistic entry point to improve that situation.

For readers, the issue is close to daily life too. When village products have better packaging, stable quality, and neat marketing, the chance to enter shops, modern markets, or online sales also opens. From a home kitchen, a product can move up. Slowly, but surely.

Village government prepares support through BUMDes

Owalanga Village Head Rusdiyanto Kule welcomed the Unisan Gorontalo KKN program. He said the initiative fits the village government’s direction to grow the local economy through the MSME sector.

Rusdiyanto stressed that local food such as cassava, corn, and coconut should no longer be sold only in raw form. He said the village has a strong interest in encouraging product processing so household incomes can rise as well.

“The local food potential in Owalanga Village, such as cassava, corn, and coconut, is very large. We hope residents can share knowledge with the students so these products are not just sold as they are, but can be processed into more modern products and marketed outside the region,” Rusdiyanto said.

He also hopes the program will not stop once the KKN period ends. That hope matters, because many service programs fade after students leave. Real change in a village needs follow-up and steady business networks.

The village government, he said, is ready to support the program through cooperation with the Village-Owned Enterprise, or BUMDes. The scheme is intended to help fund residents who want to develop businesses based on local food.

“We will provide support through cooperation with BUMDes. If residents have products but face capital constraints, we are ready to encourage that business development so Owalanga Village MSMEs can grow and be marketed more widely,” he said.

Why the local food MSMEs push matters

The Unisan Gorontalo students’ approach puts value addition at the center. That is the key. The village does not just produce raw materials; it builds a small business chain that keeps money circulating locally. If it works, the effect can spread to other households.

The program also gives residents a practical learning space. The students bring energy, while residents bring field knowledge and raw materials. When the two meet, simple ideas often emerge and prove effective, such as signature food products, new packaging, or more attractive promotion methods.

In Owalanga Village, the potential is still long-term. As long as raw materials remain available, residents stay committed, and the village government keeps backing the effort, local food MSMEs have room to grow. What comes next will depend on continuity. After KKN ends, the work has to keep moving.