UMKM Kipang Kacang Gemi Bersaudara Encouraged to Level Up
Universitas Nurdin Hamzah (UNH) Jambi continues to strengthen the role of higher education in driving the growth and competitiveness of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through community service activities (PkM).
One of the programmes implemented is a Community-Based Empowerment Scheme activity, under the Community Partnership Empowerment scope, titled “Improving the Competitiveness of Gemi Bersaudara Peanut Brittle Products through Packaging Innovation, Digital Marketing, and Financial Management”.
This activity is funded by the Directorate of Research and Community Service, Directorate General of Research and Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology for the 2026 fiscal year.
The funding supports programmes to increase production capacity, packaging innovation, strengthening financial management, marketing digitalisation, and ongoing mentoring for the Gemi Bersaudara Peanut Brittle MSME, a home industry producing traditional peanut-based foods.
The series of activities began with the handover of production equipment, packaging innovations, and an e-commerce website to the partner. The main equipment handed over includes a peanut roasting machine, laminating machine, continuous sealer machine, trays, grinder, and peanut brittle cutting tools. The assistance is expected to improve efficiency, capacity, and consistency of product quality, as well as produce more attractive and professional packaging.
The handover was attended by the Rector of Universitas Nurdin Hamzah, Samsuddin. He emphasised that community service activities must not stop at the handover of assistance and training. The sustainability of the partner’s business must remain a concern until the MSME is able to develop independently and professionally.
“This activity must not stop here. The sustainability of the Gemi Bersaudara Peanut Brittle MSME must continue to be supported until it can truly stand independently and professionally,” he stressed.
The activity then continued with training on the use of production equipment and packaging innovation so that all employees are able to operate the equipment independently.
Strengthening business governance was carried out through financial management training provided by lecturer Windy Adriana, covering transaction recording, management of income and expenses, separation of personal and business finances, and preparation of simple financial reports.
Meanwhile, lecturer Reny Wahyuning Astuti provided e-commerce management training. The partner was trained to manage the website that has been built, from products, stock, prices, online and offline sales, to transaction recording. The system also supports financial management and produces reports in a more integrated manner so that business activities can be documented and data-driven.
Students Nanda Khariunnisa and Andika Dwi Putri also played an active role in technical assistance, helping with the implementation of training, use of equipment, e-commerce management, and application of the knowledge provided to the partner. Student involvement also serves as a means of direct learning in applying knowledge within the community.
The programme leader, Fery Purnama, said that the next stage is mentoring and monitoring to ensure the programme produces measurable changes.
The targets set include an active e-commerce website with at least 10 first online transactions, production of 500 standing pouch packages, a 25% reduction in production time, a 50% increase in production capacity, and all employees able to operate equipment without supervision.
On the financial aspect, the partner is targeted to have cash flow, profit and loss, and simple balance sheet reports, as well as being able to record 100% of daily transactions for two consecutive months. These targets serve as a foundation for the partner to build more orderly financial administration and objectively understand business development.
The owner of Gemi Bersaudara Peanut Brittle, through her daughter Gemi Agustin, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology for the funding support and to the lecturers and students of Universitas Nurdin Hamzah for the mentoring provided.
Through this programme, Universitas Nurdin Hamzah affirms its commitment to strengthening the community economy through collaboration between higher education and MSMEs. The combination of production modernisation, packaging innovation, marketing digitalisation, strengthening financial management, and ongoing mentoring is expected to bring Gemi Bersaudara Peanut Brittle to the next level, expand its market, increase production capacity, and become an independent, professional, and competitive MSME.