Socialization of Berkah Wasaka Mandiri Cooperative: Efforts to Rebuild Trust and Synergy in the ULM Environment
Banjarmasin (February 4, 2025) – The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) hosted the socialization of the Berkah Wasaka Mandiri Cooperative. This event was attended by the Chairperson of the Cooperative, Noer Komari, S.Si., M.Kes., the Dean of FISIP, the Head of the Academic Sub-Division, and prospective cooperative members.
In his remarks, the Chairperson of the Berkah Wasaka Mandiri Cooperative, Noer Komari, S.Si., M.Kes emphasized that this cooperative is present as an effort to reactivate cooperatives at the university level.
“As is known, we have had a cooperative before, but the cooperative has been inactive for a long time. This is a challenge as well as a moral burden for us to rebuild trust,” he said.
The Berkah Wasaka Mandiri Cooperative was established in 2023 with the main objective of managing mangrove forests in Kotabaru. This is related to ULM’s policy of being given the right to manage the forest.
“This cooperative is expected to grow and develop, not only to manage mangrove forests but also to facilitate new opportunities when ULM transforms into a more dynamic Public Service Agency (BLU). This cooperative will be ULM’s strategic partner in various economic activities,” he added.
In addition to forest management, this cooperative has around 14-15 other activities that will be developed gradually, including savings and loan businesses. Currently, the cooperative has run a toga rental business as an initial step.
“We want to change the system with a profit-sharing model that is more profitable for institutions and cooperative members. With the permits and Business Identification Numbers (NIB) that have been taken care of, we are optimistic that this cooperative will grow and provide real benefits for the entire ULM academic community,” he concluded.
Through this socialization, it is hoped that prospective cooperative members will understand the vision and mission of the Berkah Wasaka Mandiri Cooperative and actively contribute to supporting transparent, accountable, and highly competitive cooperative management in the future.
