Jakarta, 24 October – The iBuddy Community Impact Summit 2025 officially concluded on a high note, with students from our university, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Universitas Padjadjaran, IPB University, and Universitas Katolik Atma Jaya Jakarta showcasing their reflections through a project exhibition at our Anggrek Campus. This event served as a celebration of collaborative spirit and of our international buddies\’ ongoing development to create impact.   

(Photo Editor: Mufti Warits)

Before arriving at our campus, the participants had the opportunity to visit West Java, stopping at Universitas Padjadjaran in Jatinangor and IPB University in Bogor. They attended a design thinking workshop at Alam Sutera and took part in learning activities at Girirejo. The students collaborated with the community in Jatiroke Village to develop sustainable coffee plantations, promote eco-tourism in the Sukajadi Village near the Geulis Mountain region, and enhance the digital systems at Posyandu Kenari 3. 

(Photo Editor: Mufti Warits)

In Jatiroke Village, the iBuddy realized that there is a strong link between producing high-quality coffee beans and adopting sustainable practices. Despite limited coffee-processing equipment and a heavy reliance on rainfall, there is great potential to produce premium coffee while promoting environmentally friendly practices. 

“The locals taught us how to plant and process coffee sustainably,” said Daniel Obeng from UII.   

Using information from the community, the iBuddy proposed several solutions that farmers can implement to improve their product, such as developing small-scale irrigation systems to ensure consistent water access and maintain output.  

“I also realized that there is potential to promote this location as a tourist destination! We suggested branding the product as Gunung Geulis Coffee and using digital marketing to reach a wider audience,” added Daniel. 

With the beautiful scenery and pristine nature, our iBuddies saw an opportunity to expand eco-tourism at Sukajadi Village to the world.  

“The Sukajadi village implements unique yet sustainable agriculture systems that others can learn about through eco-tourism activities. For example, the minapadi technique enables the community to grow rice and fish,” said Lilis Sucahyo, M.Si., a Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Biosystems Engineering at IPB University during his lecture to introduce the community.   

(Photo Editor: Mufti Warits)

From home stay to integrated tour packages such as hiking, cycling, and local cooking workshops, visitors can immerse themselves while enjoying themselves without hurting nature. A perfect initiative that balances economic growth and ecological protection!  

It would be incomplete without addressing the challenge faced by Posyandu Kenari 3 in improving health data monitoring due to outdated infrastructure and medical tools. The program is vital because it offers a range of general medical services such as growth monitoring, vaccinations, nutrition checks, prenatal care, and elderly healthcare that promote a healthy community.  

“In this program, we don’t aim to educate the community as we will learn much from them as well, so we can improve its system and sustain its efforts,” said Alfiasari, S.P., M.Si, as the Deputy Director of Managing International Education at IPB University. 

The Buddies realized that training the medical staff might be the most practical solution to ensure they can provide the highest level of service to the community. With additional funding, they might want to consider upgrading the waiting areas and other locations to improve their comfort and accessibility.  

(Photo Editor: Mufti Warits)

To sum up, the experience with iBuddies throughout the program shows that sustainable change begins with empathy, partnership, and shared purpose. They realized that students have an opportunity to create a global impact by empowering communities, protecting the environment, and inspiring future changemakers across Indonesia.