The Udayana Anthropology Study Program has organized a community service event for the Kusamba salt farmers.

• By Admin
• Jumat, 9 Mei 2025

The Anthropology Study Program of Udayana University executed Community Service (PKM) activities on May 9, 2025, in Kusamba Village, Dawan District, Klungkung Regency, Bali. The objective of this initiative is to provide assistance to the traditional salt farmers of Kusamba, who have maintained their commitment to the practice of organic salt production for centuries. This PKM is a tangible manifestation of academics' concern for the preservation of local culture, especially in maintaining traditional wisdom in the midst of modernization.

The Kusamba location was selected due to its status as one of the areas in Bali that continues to produce organic salt through the utilization of traditional methods that have been passed down through generations. The salt farmers in Kusamba confront a myriad of challenges, including competition with modern salt products and inadequate infrastructure support. The Udayana Anthropology Study Program's objective in conducting this activity is twofold: first, to provide tangible assistance in the documentation of the traditional salt-making process, and second, to underscore the imperative for safeguarding cultural heritage practices that are inextricably linked to the environment.

The assistance provided encompassed the provision of essential goods and the dissemination of information, with the objective of enhancing the quality of salt while preserving its traditional values. Anthropology lecturers and students participated directly in this activity, conducting participatory observations to better understand the challenges faced by the farmers. "Our objective is to safeguard Kusamba's traditional salt-making methodologies and ensure their sustainability as a viable means of income for the community," stated one of the PKM team representatives.

This initiative is an integral component of the Udayana Anthropology Study Program's broader commitment to fostering collaboration with local cultural practitioners. The exploration of local wisdom has been identified as a potential catalyst for fostering appreciation and preservation of cultural heritage among the younger generation, particularly in the context of traditional practices such as salt making. In the future, the Anthropology Study Program plans to establish further cooperation with local governments and salt farming communities to develop more comprehensive preservation strategies (drd).