Jakarta – Aura Prisca Medina, a 19-year-old Communication Science student from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), has made headlines after securing first place in the “Community Environmental Leadership” category at the Festival Astra 4 Pilar Indonesia 2025. The event, held at Menara Astra in Jakarta on August 8–10, attracted 1,449 proposals from across Indonesia.
Prisca’s innovation was centered on converting golden apple snails, commonly seen as harmful pests, into organic fertilizer. Working with the Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Srumbung, Magelang, she developed a fermentation technique using rotten fruit and nitrobacteria. The result was a fertilizer capable of boosting rice productivity from 2,800 kg to 3,100 kg on a 500 m² trial plot.
“The community’s response has been very positive. This innovation shows how a problem like pests can be turned into a sustainable solution,” Prisca said following her victory.
Since early 2025, Prisca has served as a young facilitator in Astra’s Desa Sejahtera Astra (DSA) “Kelir Berdikari Agrikultura” program. Her role involves educating farmers, facilitating discussions, and supporting local SMEs to develop value-added products from durian, pineapple, and salak. Despite the challenges of working with older community members, her approach has helped build trust and collaboration.
“Initially it was not easy to adapt, but Alhamdulillah, the farmers were very open. This success does not belong to me alone—it belongs to the community, the farmer groups, and the supporting teams,” she explained.
Prisca now prepares to lead a new empowerment project in Malang while aiming to continue her journey with Astra in supporting village-based development programs. She also emphasizes that achievement, while important, must be accompanied by real contributions to society.
“As a young woman, it is an honor for me to contribute to marginalized communities and deliver innovations that bring immediate benefits. Achievement matters, but what matters more is the impact we create for others,” she concluded.
