- GERAK LESTARI

Processed Food-Based Entrepreneurship Movement in the Mentari Village Area, North Balikpapan

Abstract

The GERAK LESTARI (Movement for Entrepreneurship Based on Local Food Processing) program is a community service initiative conducted by students of the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK) under the guidance of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM ITK). The program aims to enhance community economic independence through entrepreneurship development utilizing local food resources in Mentari Village, North Balikpapan. The activities focus on processing key local commodities such as ginger, lemongrass, and cassava into high-value products, namely the herbal beverage Legunda and the cassava-based snack Legunda Cassticks. The implementation stages include local potential surveys, product formulation, flavor testing, production training, digital promotion, and consumer feedback collection for continuous evaluation. Collaboration with the Tunas Harapan Farmer Group supports raw material availability through a 25 × 25-meter cultivation area planted with ginger, lemongrass, and cassava. As of the current progress, the program has produced finalized product formulations and increased community engagement in production activities. In the next stage, this program is expected to develop into a sustainable community-based entrepreneurship model that is innovative, adaptive, and competitive in the regional market.