Kampung Padang Jawa, 16 December 2023 – UiTM students revolutionized Smart Gardening in Kampung Padang Jawa through the implementation of Aeroponic, Hydroponic, Vertical Garden and IoT Automatic Plant Watering System techniques. The Smart Gardening project which in part a community outreach program, under the initiative of Service Learning Malaysia – University for Society (SULAM), was successfully organized by the College of Computing, Informatics, and Mathematics (KPPIM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.
The smart gardening initiative is in response to the challenges faced by residents in Kampung Padang Jawa. As it is a highly dense area, further impeded with inadequate lighting and water supply, they are often faced with diminished fertility and yield of the cultivated plants. The next generation gardening method offers stress free gardening techniques due to its ability to conserve water, maximize space, and reduce labor. Moreover, it has the ability to produce higher crop yields up to 80%.
The program is the result of the hard work by 40 undergraduate students from the Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons.) and Bachelor of Information System (Hons.) Information System Engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Azhar Abd Aziz. Planting and installation activities were meticulously carried out by the undergraduates at residential areas of Jalan Mat Raji, Kampung Padang Jawa. The residents were also provided with demonstrations on how to use the smart gardening technologies.
Tuan Haji Hisam, one of the participants, expressed that he and his family have acquired knowledge in various Smart Gardening Techniques from these programs. They are hopeful that the initiative initiated by the undergraduates will enhance the efficiency of crop yields. Additionally, Tuan Haji Hisam also expressed gratitude stating “This smart gardening technique is beneficial as it provides residents exposure to alternative methods of planting to conserve water, maximize space, and reduce labor. We hope that more programs like this will be introduced in the future”.
KPPIM SULAM 2023/2024 programme is one of the initiatives aimed at empowering and serving the community through volunteer activities. Undergraduates are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge practically and discover how the knowledge they have acquired can also improve the living standards of the local community. The activities also support the aspirations of Fourth, and Eleventh Sustainable Development Goals, which are Quality Education, as well as Sustainable Cities and Communities. It is also in line with the visions of Malaysia Madani.