Palembang, Fober.id— Bank Sampah Indonesia Legacy, mitra binaan PT PLN (Persero) Unit Induk Distribusi Sumatera Selatan, Jambi, dan Bengkulu (UID S2JB), menerima penghargaan dari Pemerintah Kota Palembang, Senin (6/7), atas inovasi Program Pembayaran SPP dengan Sampah. Penghargaan tersebut menjadi pengakuan atas model pemberdayaan masyarakat yang memadukan pengelolaan lingkungan, pendidikan, dan ketahanan pangan dalam satu ekosistem.
Penghargaan ini menandai keberhasilan program yang dikembangkan Yayasan Qur’anic Farm Indonesia bersama Bank Sampah Indonesia Legacy dalam menjawab dua persoalan sekaligus, yakni pengelolaan sampah dan akses pendidikan bagi anak-anak yatim serta dhuafa.
Melalui skema SPP Dibayar dengan Sampah, siswa cukup menyetorkan sampah organik dari rumah sebagai pengganti biaya pendidikan. Sampah tersebut diolah menjadi kompos, Nutrisi Organik Cair (NOC), dan barang bernilai guna, kemudian hasil penjualannya digunakan untuk mendukung operasional pendidikan. Hingga kini, program tersebut telah membantu 153 siswa tetap mengenyam pendidikan, melibatkan sekitar 150 kepala keluarga, sekaligus mengurangi ratusan kilogram sampah organik yang sebelumnya berpotensi berakhir di tempat pembuangan akhir.
Di sisi lain, rogram ini dipadu dengan Program Santri Mandiri Pangan, mengintegrasikan pendidikan karakter, pertanian terpadu, dan pengelolaan lingkungan sehingga para santri tidak hanya belajar ilmu agama, tetapi juga dibekali keterampilan memproduksi pangan secara mandiri melalui pemanfaatan pupuk organik hasil pengolahan sampah.
Keberhasilan tersebut tidak lepas dari pembinaan berkelanjutan PLN UID S2JB melalui Program Tanggung Jawab Sosial dan Lingkungan (TJSL). Sejak 2025, PLN mendukung penguatan kapasitas Bank Sampah Indonesia Legacy melalui pembangunan fasilitas pengolahan, penyediaan peralatan operasional, pelatihan sumber daya manusia, hingga pengembangan program ekonomi sirkular berbasis masyarakat.
Pada 2026, dukungan itu kembali diperluas melalui Program Energi dari Sampah: Terangi Pendidikan Negeri. Program tersebut diarahkan untuk meningkatkan kapasitas pengolahan sampah plastik menjadi produk konstruksi ramah lingkungan seperti paving block, batu bata plastik, dan genteng yang dimanfaatkan untuk mendukung pembangunan sarana pendidikan. Program juga mencakup pengembangan Gerobak Listrik Sampah (GELIS), perluasan area pengolahan, serta peningkatan kompetensi pengelola agar manfaat ekonomi dan sosial yang dihasilkan semakin luas.
General Manager PLN UID S2JB, Diksi Erfani Umar, mengatakan penghargaan tersebut menjadi bukti bahwa program tanggung jawab sosial perusahaan akan menghasilkan dampak berkelanjutan ketika masyarakat menjadi pelaku utama perubahan.
"PLN does not want to stop at distributing aid. What we are building is an ecosystem so that the community can grow independently. When waste can open access to education, drive the economy, and at the same time produce productive santri in the food sector, that's where we see coaching truly adding value. This award belongs to all the people who have consistently maintained the spirit of collaboration," said Diksi.
Director of Qur’anic Farm Indonesia, Denny Satria Mandala Putera, said that the award from the Palembang City Government is an appreciation for all the people, volunteers, teachers, santri, and partners who have consistently built a waste management movement based on empowerment.
"From the beginning, we believed that waste is not just an environmental issue, but an entry point to solving social problems. When children can continue to go to school by bringing waste from home, when santri learn to farm with fertiliser from their own processed waste, and when the community gains economic value from waste that was previously thrown away, that is where change truly happens. This award serves as encouragement for us to expand the benefits of the program," said Denny.
He added that the support from PLN UID S2JB was one of the important factors that enabled Bank Sampah Indonesia Legacy to grow from a community movement into an environmental and circular economy education centre, which is now visited by various schools, government agencies, companies, and communities from various regions.
"PLN not only provides assistance but also builds trust and accompanies us as we grow. This coaching has made us more prepared to develop innovations, improve waste management capacity, and ensure its benefits return to the community through education, food security, and economic empowerment," said Denny.
The award from the Palembang City Government further solidifies Bank Sampah Indonesia Legacy's position as a model of circular economy-based empowerment that delivers tangible benefits. The programme now not only serves as a waste management solution but has also developed into an environmental education centre, strengthening food security, and providing educational funding, attracting the attention of various schools, communities, government agencies, and companies for replication. (Ika)