Surabaya, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 – Efforts to empower the local economy are once again being promoted through the "Peduli UMK Vol. 2" program, a collaborative initiative between the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga (FEB UNAIR) and the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU). The program, which runs from July 8 to August 7, 2025, carries a key mission: strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs so they can adapt to the challenges of open competition and accelerated digitalization.
In Malang City, Olive Budiman Surjadi, a student in the Accounting Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Airlangga University (UNAIR), is the main program implementer. She partnered with three local MSMEs with potential for development: Da Rifi, Part of Happiness (Bocil Nyempluk), and Ol Say Malang. All three businesses face challenges in expanding their markets outside the city and have not yet optimally utilized online sales platforms.
Da Rifi, who produces cimol seblak chips, intestine chips, and banana chips, has actually taken various online digital marketing classes, but struggled to understand the technical implementation. Part of Happiness (Bocil Nyempluk), a producer of emping, corn marning, and tahu pilus, already has a Shopee account but doesn't know how to market their products other than by placing them in a physical store. Meanwhile, Ol Say Malang, a producer of innovative snacks in the form of delicious candies made from pak choy vegetable flour, has obtained PIRT and HAKI logo permits, but still relies on consignment sales without a wider market reach.
To address these challenges, Olive focused her support on utilizing Shopee as a digital marketing channel. These steps included reactivating Da Rifi's Shopee account, converting buyer accounts to sellers for Part of Happiness, and re-registering Ol Say Malang after the number was removed from the old account due to a forgotten password.
Furthermore, Part of Happiness' support also includes managing social media to make it more professional and accessible to consumers. Olive reorganized her Instagram account name, improved her bio, and created a Linktree to integrate important links like her product catalog and ordering contact information. Meanwhile, all MSMEs were provided with more attractive product photos, editing templates, a search-friendly product naming strategy, accurate product weight settings, and clear descriptions.
Furthermore, MSMEs were taught to recalculate their selling prices to remain competitive even while participating in the Free Extra Shipping Program, which has a 4–6 percent service fee. They were also introduced to the "Boost Products" feature, a free promotional tool on Shopee. The results are starting to show: all three MSMEs now have active seller accounts, marketable product photos, and independent skills in managing and promoting their products online.
The positive impact was immediately felt by the business owners. The owner of Da Rifi revealed that face-to-face mentoring was far more effective than online training. "Initially, I often participated in online digital marketing programs, but I didn't understand them. Once I was taught directly, I realized I could," he said. Meanwhile, the owner of Part of Happiness expressed his gratitude for the new knowledge he had gained. "Gosh, thank you so much for your help. Without this, I wouldn't have learned the tips on Shopee and how to sell online successfully," he said.
Olive, not only focusing on business owners, also extended the program's benefits to the world of education. She visited SMAK Kolese Santo Yusup Malang to provide education to 12th-grade students. The material presented included an introduction to FEB UNAIR, its study programs, university entrance pathways, and supporting facilities. Students were highly enthusiastic, with many asking questions about the selection process and graduate prospects. This activity aimed to foster student motivation in planning for higher education, while also introducing FEB UNAIR as a leading economics education institution producing globally competitive graduates.
The "Peduli UMK Vol. 2" program in Malang offers extensive benefits. For MSMEs, this activity improves digital literacy, expands marketing reach, and enhances service professionalism. For the younger generation, educational visits broaden their horizons regarding study and career opportunities in economics. For Olive, the program provides a platform for directly applying business insights, sharpening cross-generational communication skills, and fostering empathy for traditional business owners.
This activity is also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This program contributes to SDG 1 (No Poverty) by providing access to digital markets that have the potential to increase MSME income. Through digital literacy training for business actors and education for high school students, this activity supports SDG 4 (Quality Education). Mentoring that equips MSMEs with adaptive skills in the digital era is a concrete manifestation of the achievement of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Moreover, the synergy between universities, state institutions, and business actors reflects the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships to Achieve the Goals), proving that cross-sector collaboration can create sustainable change.
Through intensive mentoring and cross-sector education, Olive Budiman Surjadi has proven that one student can bring about real change—pushing MSMEs to the next level while inspiring the younger generation to achieve a better future.
