The Community Service Team (PkM) of Indo Global Mandiri University (UIGM) launched a strategic program at the Tuan Kentang Craft Center in Palembang, in collaboration with the Young Jumputan Entrepreneurs Forum (Forjuma).
This activity is part of the 2025 Nusantara Art Innovation Program (PISN) funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek). The program aims to improve the quality of life of creative and productive communities in jumputan fabric craft centers, while also leading them towards economic independence.
The Tuan Kentang Craft Center, established in 2017, is known as a center for jumputan, songket, tajung, and blongsong fabric craftsmen.
This area has become an icon of culture-based creative economy, although it still faces obstacles in promotion and digitalization. In response to this, the UIGM PkM-PISN Implementation Team—chaired by Aji Windu Viatra, M.Sn, together with Dr. Doris Febriyanti M.Si and other team members—carried out empowerment activities for eco jumputan crafts based on natural dyes.
The PISN activities included Socialization, Natural Dye Training, Eco Jumputan Production, Branding, Digital Marketing, Institutional Management, and Financial Management. The production training resulted in eco jumputan products with new artistic patterns.
“One of the main points in the development of Forjuma’s business products is through the creation of products using natural dyes made from natural waste materials, such as mangosteen peel, secang, kayu tinggi, kayu teger, and jolawe, which can add value to environmentally friendly products,” said Aji Windu.
This PISN program, he continued, enables higher education institutions to function as drivers in addressing issues in the community. The main objective of this program is to encourage cooperation between universities, artisan communities, and the government in order to increase productivity, competitiveness, and the sustainability of the cultural arts ecosystem. Thus, this activity not only preserves traditional arts but also strengthens Palembang’s position as a competitive center of Nusantara culture at the national and international levels.
“This community service program aims to improve the skills of artisans and strengthen the Tuan Kentang Craft Center ecosystem as a competitive, sustainable, and innovation-based center of arts and culture,” he concluded. (andhiko ta)
