Medan – FKM USU: The Nutrition Students Association of the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara, held a community service activity titled “Optimizing Cassava to Improve Toddler Nutritional Status” in Tuntungan II Village, Pancur Batu District, Deli Serdang Regency, on Saturday, September 5, 2026. The activity was part of AIMGI’s Social Nutrition Division work program. It was supervised by the Head of the Undergraduate Program in Nutrition, Dr. Ernawati Nasution, S.K.M., M.Kes., with Fitri Handayani, S.Gz., M.Kes., as the person in charge. It was aimed at mothers with infants and toddlers in Tuntungan II Village.
The activity was prompted by widespread problems meeting nutritional needs, limited understanding of balanced nutrition, and the still-low use of local foods in infant and young child feeding (PMBA) practices. Tuntungan II Village, Pancur Batu District, has an abundant supply of cassava. It can be processed into nutritious, affordable supplementary feeding (PMT). The program included measuring toddlers’ nutritional status (body length, upper arm circumference, head circumference, and weight), nutrition counselling, and a presentation on meeting toddlers’ nutritional needs and preventing stunting by Dr Diza Fathamira Hamzah, S.K.M., M.Kes., a lecturer at FKM USU. The event also included a question-and-answer session, educational games, and a cooking demonstration of cassava-based PMT. Through these activities, the mothers are expected to gain better knowledge and skills in processing cassava into PMT using local ingredients. The activities also aim to raise public awareness of the importance of local food for family health and well-being. For the students, this service activity was a way to apply nutrition science directly through education, nutritional status measurement, and counselling in the community. It also reflects FKM USU’s contribution to the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, especially community service. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), which aims to support healthy and prosperous lives.