The Covid-19 pandemic that has affected Indonesia and other countries over the past two years has had an impact on the health, social, and economic aspects of society. As of now, we have experienced three waves of the pandemic, and the increase in positive cases has started to decline. Restrictions on community activities are gradually being eased, but the economy is still experiencing a slowdown. The community service program in the adopted village by the Department of Chemistry this year is a continuation of the 2021 program.
This year, the program involved the production of handmade solid soap, which took place on Saturday, June 4, 2022, in the Girirejo Village, Imogiri, Bantul, DIY (Yogyakarta Special Region). The program invited guest speakers, practitioners, and small-scale natural soap business owners, Prof. Dr. Sri Handayani and Fatma Rizky Azzizah, S.Si. The program, which was attended by more than 40 residents, was conducted to address economic issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic through entrepreneurship training for small business groups.
Soap is a crucial material in preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The handwashing movement is one of the essential measures in preventing the spread of Covid-19. “Soap making is a simple application of chemical science that can be carried out by the general public,” said Dr. Winarto Haryadi, the head of the Community Service Team of the Department of Chemistry at UGM. The Village Head of Girirejo, Mrs. Dwi Yuli Purwanti, S.H., also mentioned that the training on making handwashing soap, liquid detergent, and solid soap conducted in the past two years is expected to create opportunities for the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises (UMKM) producing handmade soap by small community-based business groups in Girirejo Village, Imogiri, Bantul.
