RW 07 Tlogomas Subdistrict, located in Lowokwaru District, Malang City, was selected for the program of plant identification and the creation of a digitalized living pharmacy with medicinal plants. This initiative is carried out by UM Thematic KKN students, as part of the MBKM (Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka) program by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of Universitas Negeri Malang, and the Regional Resource Center (PSDW) of Universitas Negeri Malang.
In this initiative, UM Thematic KKN students identified medicinal plants available in Tlogomas Subdistrict. This was done to recognize the richness of local flora and use it as a resource for creating medicines. After identifying medicinal plants, UM Thematic KKN students proceeded to create a living pharmacy using the identified medicinal plants.
“Digitalization of the Living Pharmacy” in RW 07 Tlogomas Subdistrict is crucial as the local community needs beneficial green spaces. This is a solution to improve community health by using resources available in the local area.
As part of this initiative, UM Thematic KKN students used the identified medicinal plants to develop a website containing the plants’ Latin names, benefits, and processing methods as medicinal plants. Additionally, they created plant signs that included barcodes, common names, and Latin names of the medicinal plants. The barcodes on the plants lead to the website, creating an interconnected system.
Through this initiative, UM Thematic KKN students successfully created a living pharmacy with medicinal plants in Tlogomas Subdistrict. This initiative serves as an example for the community that solutions to improve health and address medication shortages can be derived from locally available resources. It also provides the community with broader access to knowledge about medicinal plants and encourages active participation and involvement in utilizing these plants.
Ultimately, this initiative realizes greenovation, which is an effort to develop environmentally friendly solutions and use local resources. With this initiative, UM Thematic KKN students became pioneers in creating a living pharmacy with medicinal plants in Tlogomas Subdistrict. Furthermore, through the living pharmacy initiative, they contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and Goal 15 (Life on Land).
