Headline:
Indonesia‘s New ‘Makan Bergizi Gratis’ Program: A Nutritious Lunch for 15 Million Students by 2025
Subheading:
Prabowo administration launches flagship program aiming to ensure no child goes hungry in school
Article:
The Indonesian government, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, has launched a critically acclaimed initiative, makan bergizi gratis (MBG), aimed at providing free nutritious meals to students in schools across Indonesia. With an allocated budget of IDR 71 trillion, this program is set to revolutionize the way students approach learning and development.
The program, launched on January 6, 2023, has already begun making waves, although it hasn’t been fully implemented in all regions yet. The program targets three million beneficiaries in its first three months, including kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school students, as well as preschoolers and pregnant women.
Dr. Hasan Nasbi, the head of presidential communications, shared that the program aims to reach a total of 15 million beneficiaries by the end of 2023. In Jakarta, four Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) centers have been set up to supply meals to 41 schools. The city targets operating 17 SPPG centers by January 2024.
However, not all regions are on board yet. Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) missed the initial launch due to unpreparedness but plans to commence the program on January 13. There’s also been confusion regarding the consumption of milk, with Hasan clarifying that it’s not mandatory each day.
The program’s varied menu, which changes daily, has been a topic of interest. For instance, on January 6, students at SDN Slipi 15 in Jakarta Barat received a meal consisting of rice, fried chicken coated with flour, tofu, beans, and oranges. The next day, they were served rice, scrambled eggs, green beans, carrots, UHT milk, and bananas.
Here’s how the system works: participating caterers pay for the ingredients upfront and then receive reimbursement from the Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN) on a weekly basis. Chef Jonie Kusuma Hadi, who runs ‘Dapur Sehat Anak Bangsa’ at Halim Perdanakusuma, shared that each meal costs about IDR 10,000 to prepare.
Despite the program’s promising start, some students have expressed dissatisfaction with the meals.feedback from several educational institutions in Jakarta revealed that some students, particularly in SMP 1 Barunawati, struggled to finish their greens. In Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, a student voiced a desire for fried chicken in their meal box.
The MBG program is an ambitious step forward in ensuring Indonesia’s students have access to balanced and nourishing meals. As the program progresses, we’ll keep you updated on its implementation and any changes to the menu. (yoa/DAL).
(Paywall/Lockable Section with Video Embed: To view the video coverage of the MBG program, click here.)
