ENG
INA
Kersos Keswan XXXIX: Udayana University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Students Real Contribution to Improving Animal Welfare in Tiga Village’s
The Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) at Udayana University has once again organized the 39th Veterinary Community Service (Kersos Keswan). This activity is a flagship community service program aimed at improving animal welfare through various community service activities. Participation in Kersos Keswan is mandatory for sixth-semester students of FKH Unud, and this year’s theme is "Renjana Asa Dharma Sattwa Jagaddhita".
The 39th Kersos Keswan consists of two main parts: Preparation and the Peak Day involving direct community service. The Preparation session was held on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the Balai Guru Penggerak (BGP), Provinsi Bali. The entire event was attended by a total of 144 undergraduate students from FKH Unud class of 2021 as participants, along with students from the Veterinary Medicine Professional Program (PPDH) FKH Unud as mentors during the community service activities.
During the Preparation Session, three speakers were invited to provide insights to the participants. The session began with a presentation by the Head of Tiga Village, I Putu Merta Utama, S.E., who delivered a talk on "The Profile of Tiga Village, Susut District, Bangli Regency." Following this, the topic shifted to rabies awareness, presented by a veterinarian from the Bangli Regency Department of Agriculture and Food Security, drh. Juliana. The session concluded with a presentation titled "Biosecurity for Large Livestock," delivered by a lecturer at FKH Unud, drh. I Wayan Sukernayasa, M.Si. These pertinent topics were well received, evident from the active participation of the attendees during the discussion sessions.
The Peak Day activities were held on June 29-30, 2024, in Desa Tiga, Kecamatan Susut, Kabupaten Bangli. In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries of Bangli Regency, the Main Day of the 39th Kersos Keswan included community service activities such as outreach and animal health services in line with this year’s Kersos Keswan theme.
Day One: Opening Ceremony and Rabies Vaccination
The first day of the 39th Kersos Keswan took place on Saturday, June 29, 2024, starting with an opening ceremony at Wantilan Gebog Satak Tiga, Buungan. The opening ceremony was attended by the Vice Deans I and III of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, the Head of Desa Tiga, representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries of Bangli Regency, representatives from the Desa Tiga leadership, representatives from the Indonesian Veterinary Medicine Student Association (IMAKAHI), along with other invited guests.
“The implementation of Kersos Keswan focuses on breaking the chain of rabies virus transmission in dogs and educating about the importance of biosecurity in livestock barns. I hope that through this activity, we can make a tangible contribution to the community of Tiga Village," said the Chief Organizer of the 39th Kersos Keswan, I Gede Putu Anggita Raka Saputra, in his speech.
Following the opening, the activities continued with free Rabies Vaccination conducted at four locations in Desa Tiga: Banjar Buungan, Banjar Linjong, Banjar Tiga, and Banjar Penglumbaran Kangin. The vaccination targeted rabies-transmitting animals (especially dogs) owned by local residents. The vaccinated animals were given red collars as identifiers, and their owners received vaccination books to facilitate health records and monitoring.
Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication between the organizing committee and the relevant department, the rabies vaccination faced challenges. Many dogs had already been vaccinated by the local department, preventing some participants from vaccinating dogs in the designated locations.
The first day’s agenda concluded with a Social Evening open to the entire academic community of FKH Unud. This event was attended by undergraduate students, PPDH students, and FKH Unud alumni, serving as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between students and alumni and share experiences and stories about the veterinary field.
Day Two: Communication, Information, and Education on Large Livestock
The second and final day of the 39th Kersos Keswan was held on Sunday, June 30, 2024. The activities on the second day focused on Communication, Information, and Education (KIE) about large livestock. The main targets of this activity were the large livestock farmers (especially pig and cattle farmers) in several hamlets in Desa Tiga.
The KIE activities aimed to increase farmers’ awareness of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a contagious disease that can affect livestock productivity. Additionally, farmers were offered free Vitamin B Complex, deworming medication, antiparasitics, antibiotics, and antihistamines for their livestock. The provision of these medications was intended to help maintain livestock health and prevent disease outbreaks.
Following the KIE activities, a discussion and evaluation session was held regarding the completed community service activities. Participants discussed with their supervising lecturers to evaluate the success of the activities and identify challenges that need to be addressed for similar future activities.
The series of events for the 39th Kersos Keswan was officially closed symbolically by the removal of participants’ name tags during the closing session. This removal marked the end of all the beneficial and valuable activities of Kersos Keswan for the students.
The 39th Kersos Keswan not only provided benefits to the community of Tiga Village and their livestock but also offered valuable experiences for the participants. Through this activity, students could apply the knowledge they had learned and develop communication and teamwork skills in the context of community service. Thus, the 39th Kersos Keswan successfully achieved its goal of improving animal welfare and making a positive contribution to the community.
Author : Mia LPM SS
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY