The patriot expedition team of Indonesia’s Ministry of Transmigration for 2026 led by Prof. Dr. apt. Sukardiman, MS. officially began developing community empowerment programs through a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of oyster mushroom cultivation facilities on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. This activity represented an initial step in implementing the program championed by Prof. Sukardiman in the transmigration area of Prafi District, Manokwari Regency, West Papua.
The program carried the theme “Optimasi Limbah Sawit sebagai Media Tanam Jamur Tiram untuk Mendukung Sanitasi Sehat dan Peningkatan Ekonomi Masyarakat di Distrik Prafi Kabupaten Manokwari Papua Barat” (Optimization of Palm Waste as Growing Media for Oyster Mushrooms to Support Healthy Sanitation and Economic Improvement for Communities in Prafi District, Manokwari Regency, West Papua). Through this program, palm waste available in the local area would be optimized as material for oyster mushroom growing media so it would have practical and economic value for the community.
The groundbreaking ceremony for facility construction was also attended by the Head of Desay Village, Manokwari, West Papua, together with the Patriot Expedition team and local residents. The presence of various parties in the ceremony represented support for program development that integrated aspects of local resource utilization, sanitation, community empowerment, and economic strengthening of the transmigration area.
Facility construction became an initial stage to support sustainable oyster mushroom cultivation development. Beyond producing food products with potential to become new income sources, utilizing palm waste as growing media was hoped to encourage the application of circular economy principles in the community. Waste that was previously underutilized could be processed into production media with added value.
The program led by Prof. Sukardiman was also directed to provide mentoring and knowledge transfer to the community, from processing growing media materials, cultivation processes, maintenance, to development of production results. Thus, the community not only became a beneficiary but could also actively participate in developing oyster mushroom cultivation businesses independently.
This initiative simultaneously demonstrated the role of higher education through academics' involvement in supporting transmigration area development. Through research-based and empowerment approaches, the Patriot Expedition Team sought to present solutions appropriate to the potential and needs of the local community.
The program also aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being through support for healthy environment and sanitation, and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth through development of productive business potential for communities. Collaboration among the expedition team, village government, and community also reflects the spirit of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
