WNAM REPORT: The Free Nutritious Meals program not only aims to improve people’s nutrition, but also create a local economic ecosystem, according to Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar.
“Together with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), we are working hard to make the Free Nutritious Meals program a success in Indonesia,” he said at the launch of the Empowerment Study Center at the State University of Surabaya (UNESA), East Java, on Friday.
“We hope this program can be part of ecosystem that leads to advanced community businesses,” he added.
Iskandar said he believes that the program, which is spread across 30 thousand units in the country, could empower the community economically as well as help eradicate poverty and extreme poverty.
He referred to the program’s scheme, under which up to Rp8 billion (around US$494 thousand) will be allocated per service unit per village to purchase local agricultural products and employ local people.
“Thus, we can provide free nutritious meals while also encouraging new entrepreneurs,” he added.
Iskandar further explained that the program aims to improve Indonesia’s future generations by fulfilling the nutritional needs of pregnant women, toddlers, schoolchildren, and those at risk of stunting.
The program is in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita vision of building superior and high-quality human resources in Indonesia.
Thus, the benefits of the program are multi-aspect, including creating an intelligent generation, a healthy generation, and an independent environment, he added.
