Community Service Program (PKM-PM) Eco-empowered by
Universitas Sumatera Utara and the Ndeskati Village PKK Partners Conduct Innovative Activities to Transform Coffee Husk Waste into Natural Dyes for Batik Aksara Karo. This activity was conducted in stages over three months, involving various elements of the village community and highlighting the vital role of women in cultural preservation and environmental management.
The program began with extracting natural dyes from coffee husk waste. The participants, primarily women organization (PKK) members, were enthusiastic about learning each step, from collection and drying to color extraction. "This is the first time we have seen coffee husk waste turned into something valuable. The process is interesting, and the results are very satisfying," said May, one of the training participants
Once the natural dye was ready, the training continued with a session on making Karo Script Batik. The participants were directly introduced to the history and meaning of Karo Script, guided by one of the PKM team members, Muslih Arridho, to introduce and revive the nearly faded Karo cultural heritage.
The women of the Ndeskati Village PKK were taught to apply Karo Script to create beautiful words written on batik using pencils and design paper. The wax painting process became the peak of creativity, where the partners carefully carved Karo Script motifs on the batik cloth to honor and represent Karo's cultural heritage.
The most anticipated moment was the dyeing process. The batik fabrics were dipped into the natural dye extracted from coffee husk waste, resulting in a unique and environmentally friendly light brown color. This process was completed with fixation and drying to ensure the resulting batik was high-quality and durable. "We are very proud of the results. This batik is beautiful and has high environmental and cultural value," said Wadaria, the head of the participant team.
This program produced high-quality batik products and empowered the village community, especially housewives. They now have new skills to increase family income and strengthen the local economy. "We hope to pass these skills on to other communities, making Ndeskati Village a training center for Karo Script batik," added Wadaria.
The sustainability of this program is supported by the establishment of the "Batik Aksara Karo" cooperative, which will independently manage the production and distribution of batik. This cooperative will also serve as a training center for other communities to ensure the continued development of this knowledge and skill. With firm commitment from the entire community and ongoing support from PKM-PM, Ndeskati Village is ready to become a model of a sustainable creative economy.
Ndeskati Village will shine as an inspiring example where tradition and innovation go hand in hand, bringing broad positive impacts on the environment and culture. This program has opened new opportunities, reduced waste, strengthened cultural identity, and created a greener and more empowered future for the entire village community.
