Medan Area University (UMA) together with the Indonesian Palm Oil Technology Institute (ITSI) and the MBP Polytechnic carried out a collaborative Community Service (PKM) activity in Patumbak I Village on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

The activity, themed “Souvenir Soap: Technology, Production, Packaging, and Marketing,” aims to increase the capacity and empowerment of Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) members in the village. PKM is a manifestation of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, which encompasses education, research, and community service, as mandated by Law Number 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education and Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 3 of 2020 concerning National Standards for Higher Education.

The team of lecturers involved in this activity came from three institutions. From UMA, it consisted of Healthy Aldriany Prasetyo, STP., MT., Hermansyah, ST., MT., and Apip Gunaldi, SP., MSc. From ITSI, they were Ir. Rafael Remit Winardi, MP., Siti Aisyah, ST., MSi., and Muhammad Yusuf Dibisono, SP., MP. Meanwhile, from MBP Polytechnic, it was represented by Dra. Sinta Diana, M.Hum. This activity also involved six students from UMA and ITSI as mentors and training facilitators.

The activity coordinator, Ir. Rafael Remit Winardi, MP., explained that this activity is part of the lecturers’ routine community service program. The training theme is designed to be practical so that PKK members can immediately implement it as a valuable home-based business opportunity.

The event was officially opened by the Head of Patumbak I Village, Irwansyah Lubis, SH., accompanied by the Head of the Patumbak I Village Family Welfare Movement (PKK), Ms. Tuty. The event included outreach, training, and technical assistance on making souvenir soap, from the production process and packaging techniques to marketing strategies. Participants also participated in a hands-on soap-making demonstration.

As a form of appreciation and motivation, at the end of the activity the PKM Team gave gifts in the form of homemade bath soap to all participants.

The Head of Patumbak I Village, Irwansyah Lubis, SH., expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the entire PKM team for their dedication and tangible contributions to community empowerment. He hopes similar activities can continue with other themes to support human resource capacity building in Patumbak I Village.