Bekonang Village, Mojolaban District, Sukoharjo Regency, August 3, 2024 – On Saturday, August 3, 2024, Gabriel Christoffel (UNDIP Field Studies and Community Service), carried out a community empowerment work program, namely training in making mosquito spray medicine from orange peels and lemongrass leaves. This program aims to utilize organic waste such as orange peels and lemongrass leaves as raw materials for making natural mosquito repellent. In addition to providing health benefits, this innovation also contributes to environmental conservation.
Orange peel contains citronellal, citronellol and geraniol which are known to function as mosquito repellents. While kitchen lemongrass leaf extract contains citronella which can kill mosquitoes and ants. Citronella has properties as a poison that can provide death to mosquitoes, where mosquitoes will lose fluid continuously, so that mosquitoes will experience dehydration (lack of fluid). Both raw materials are the right choice in making natural mosquito spray, besides being cheap and easily available, these raw materials are also natural without chemicals so they are safe for health and environmentally friendly.
This program was initiated by Gabriel Christoffel, a student of Industrial Chemical Engineering, Diponegoro University, which aims to increase public awareness about the importance of protecting health and the environment, as well as providing a cheaper and safer alternative to mosquito repellent for the people of Bekonang Village. In the training held on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 10:00-11:30 WIB which was attended by the community, especially elderly mothers from Mojosari Sub-Village, Bekonang Village, at the elderly posyandu of Mojosari Sub-Village, Bekonang Village, participants were taught the steps of making a natural mosquito spray from orange peel and lemongrass leaves.
“According to WHO data, dengue fever is still a serious health problem in Indonesia. By using natural mosquito repellent, we can help reduce the number of people suffering from dengue fever,” said Gabriel, a student of UNDIP Field and Community Studies.
As for the stages of the process of making mosquito repellent spray from orange peel and lemongrass leaves, are as follows,
- Weigh lemongrass and orange peel approximately 1 ounce each.
- Wash and cut the orange peel and lemongrass into small pieces.
- Put the pieces of orange peel and lemongrass into a blender
- Add 50 ml of clean water
- Blend until smooth
- Strain and take the extract
- Dilute the orange peel and lemongrass extracts in 100 ml of clean water.
- Put the solution in a spray bottle
- Natural mosquito repellent spray is ready to use
We hope that this program can provide significant benefits to the community of Bekonang Village in creating a healthy environment free from dengue fever.
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