The thousands of kilometers stretching between Yogyakarta and Sintang Regency, West Kalimantan, have not diminished UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta's resolve to expand the meaning of community service. Ten students have chosen to make the journey to the heart of Borneo, coming not merely to fulfil a 40-day academic obligation, but carrying a mission to learn, build collaboration, empower communities, and plant the seeds of sustainability.

In Alai Village (Kelurahan Alai), Sintang District, service begins with the things closest to the daily lives of the community. Waste management, children's literacy, health, the protection of women and children, and the empowerment of the younger generation form the focus of the programs the students have prepared. Armed with diverse academic disciplines, they are committed not only to delivering solutions, but to becoming learning partners for both the community and the local government.

This commitment received a warm welcome from the Sintang Regency Government. At a reception ceremony held at the Sintang Regent's Official Residence on Friday (10/7/2026), Sintang Deputy Regent Florensius Ronny personally received the UIN Sunan Kalijaga KKN students together with Field Supervisor Dr. Rika Lusri Virga. Also present were the Head of the Sintang Regency Family Planning, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Office (Dinas KBP3A) Edy Haramaini, the Sintang Regency Children's Forum, and a number of Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) leaders.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, community service is a space of encounter between knowledge and social reality, a place where students learn to understand community challenges directly while implementing the academic competencies they have acquired during their studies. The programs brought to Sintang have therefore been prepared based on community needs and designed to continue developing through collaboration with various parties.

The Coordinator of KKN Batch 120 Students, Mufid, explained that the team comprises 10 students from across study programs, including Islamic Counselling, Social Welfare Science, Communication Studies, Arabic Language Education, Comparative Schools of Law, and several others. This diversity is an important asset in bringing different perspectives and enriching the approaches taken in carrying out service programs.

“We deliberately chose Sintang Regency as our KKN location. We want to get to know Kalimantan more closely while dedicating the knowledge we have to its communities. We ask for the guidance, direction, and support of the regional government so that all our programs can run well,” said Mufid.

During the service period, the students will run various programs touching on multiple aspects of community life. “In the field of the environment, we will work on waste management education, training on the production of liquid organic fertilizer (POC) from household waste, environmental clean-up movements, beautification of houses of worship, and a competition on the creative use of plastic waste in commemoration of Indonesian Independence Day,” Mufid added.

In the fields of education and human resource development, he continued, the KKN team from UIN Sunan Kalijaga is initiating the CERTUM program (Cerdas Belajar Baca, Tulis, Hitung— Smart Learning of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) for early childhood, digital literacy education and financial management for youth, the Ngabar Fest event together with Islamic learning centers (TPA), the 3S program (Exercise, Discussion, and Breakfast), and anti-bullying education in schools. All activities will be carried out together with various partners, including RRI Sintang, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) of Sintang Regency, Asmisi, the Sintang Regency Children's Forum, and a number of regional government units.

The Head of the Sintang Regency KBP3A Office, Edy Haramaini, noted that the various programs brought by the students are closely connected to the regional development agenda, and the regional government therefore expressed its readiness to build cross-sectoral synergy so that each program can deliver the broadest possible benefit to the community.

“We are ready to provide support to the best of our ability. Going forward, there will be many collaborations we build, particularly in the development of the Children's Forum, waste management, and joint programs with BNN, the Social Services Office, BPBD, and other relevant agencies,” he said.

Appreciation was also expressed by Sintang Deputy Regent Florensius Ronny, who noted that the presence of students from various regions brings new perspectives capable of enriching the regional development process.

“We are very pleased that our student friends have chosen Sintang Regency. The presence of students from various regions is an opportunity to exchange experiences, exchange ideas, and build collaboration for the advancement of Sintang Regency,” he said.

What drew the particular attention of the Sintang Regency Government was UIN Sunan Kalijaga's commitment that does not end with 40 days of KKN. The university has designed a sustained mentoring program extending up to three years, an effort to ensure that the programs already initiated can continue to grow together with the community.

“We greatly appreciate this commitment. Hopefully this program will truly deliver genuine impact for the community and continue in the batches that follow,” said Ronny.

Amid the various development challenges facing the region, the students' presence serves as a reminder that universities do not only produce graduates, but they also build networks of knowledge that grow together with communities.

Through KKN Batch 120 in Sintang Regency, UIN Sunan Kalijaga affirms that community service is not merely about being present in a community, but about walking together with communities to create lasting change. (humassk)