Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) continues to demonstrate its commitment to community service through the program “Empowering Communities: Innovation in Making Mackerel Floss and Omega-3 Rich Nuggets as a Solution for Stunting Prevention in Gampong Jawa, Banda Aceh,” held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. This program aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of the community, particularly mothers with toddlers in the Gampong Jawa posyandu (integrated health post), in addressing nutritional issues and stunting in children.

During the first activity on July 20, 2024, the USK community service team provided technical guidance on the production of fish nuggets, proper packaging techniques to extend the shelf life of the products, and the selection and design of attractive packaging to make the product marketable. Drh. Rumi, M.Si stated that the goal of this activity is to improve the knowledge of mothers regarding child nutrition through animal protein foods such as mackerel nuggets. Additionally, this initiative is expected to boost the local economy through the idea of selling healthy and protein-rich supplementary foods.

On July 25, 2024, the second activity took place, which was a socialization event on stunting and its prevention.

The event featured Dr. Fiona Desi Amelia, Sp.GK., AIFO-K, a clinical nutrition specialist, who provided in-depth explanations about stunting and its prevention. The socialization was inaugurated by the Secretary of Gampong Jawa and was met with high enthusiasm from the local community. The head of this community service program, Drh. Rumi Sahara Zamzami, M.Si, along with Drh. Daniel, M.Si from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) USK, and Ns. Dara Ardhia, S.Kep., M.Kep from the Faculty of Nursing (FKEP) USK, was supported by 11 thematic KKN students from USK.

Through this program, Universitas Syiah Kuala hopes to make a tangible contribution to addressing stunting issues in the community and empower the local economy through the innovation of mackerel-based food products rich in Omega-3. This program exemplifies the role of higher education institutions in addressing problems, particularly in the fields of health and economic empowerment.