Buru Island, July 16, 2025 – Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) continues to carry out its Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) program across 35 provinces in Indonesia. One of its inspiring initiatives came from Shang Narendra, affectionately known as Adam, a student of the Arabic Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. During his KKN service in Lamahang Village, Waplau District, Buru Regency, Maluku Province, Adam introduced two unique programs: the creation of a pocket Arabic dictionary and simple Arabic language lessons for students.
The pocket dictionary was carefully prepared in Yogyakarta and later distributed during the school orientation period (Matsama – Masa Ta’aruf Madrasah) at MTs Al-Khairaat in Lamahang. The classes targeted first-year students who had never been exposed to Arabic before, aiming to introduce them to basic vocabulary, everyday conversation, and inspire early motivation to learn a foreign language.
The pocket dictionary contains practical, thematic vocabulary across categories such as household, school, environment, body parts, and pronouns, making it easier for students to recall and use words in daily situations. Beyond serving as a learning resource, the dictionary was also given as a keepsake to MTs Al-Khairaat. Interestingly, its usefulness sparked interest from KKN students in other regions, who later helped distribute the dictionary more widely—turning it into one of UGM’s KKN innovations with a broader impact on Arabic language education.
In practice, Adam began lessons by introducing simple greetings and personal pronouns (isim dhamir) through interactive learning media such as colorful slides and posters. The students of MTs Al-Khairaat welcomed the sessions with great enthusiasm, showing remarkable eagerness to learn. Not only did they enjoy the introductory Arabic lessons, but they were also able to immediately practice the new words with their peers.
The program was considered highly successful in sparking student interest to explore Arabic further. The school even expressed hopes for more future visits from UGM’s KKN participants. As a touching farewell, the KKN team received parting gifts from the MTs students before their departure—a heartfelt gesture that reflected the strong bonds formed between the students, teachers, and the local community.
[Public Relation of FIB UGM, Shang Narendra]
