How Indonesia aims to combat childhood malnutrition

DW (English)

Indonesia's schoolchildren are now receiving free meals as part of a plan by President Prabowo Subianto to tackle malnutrition and stunting across the nation. The government hopes the initiative will improve the lives and health of millions of people.

Transcript

00:00Free lunch for every child in Indonesia. That was a campaign pledge from the country's new

00:06president Prabowo Subianto, and now it's being rolled out in schools across the nation.

00:12Today it's tempeh, eggs, rice and vegetables on the menu, with an orange for dessert.

00:17I want to ask for more fruit. Maybe add two sialik fruits or two oranges.

00:27Anything else? Also add a little more rice.

00:37I don't always finish it. Sometimes I don't eat the vegetables because I don't really like them.

00:47The program is aimed at tackling malnutrition and standard growth.

00:53It offers free meals to all children in Indonesia, regardless of their family's income.

01:00But there's already been a setback. Less than two weeks after its launch,

01:0440 students in Central Java's Sukuharjo district fell ill

01:08after eating meals provided by the program.

01:10The issue in Sukuharjo was purely a technical error with no intentional wrongdoing,

01:18and it's already been resolved. The 40 children affected were treated by local clinic staff,

01:24have recovered, returned to school and are back to normal.

01:32Still there are other problems with the program. So far it has only reached a small fraction of

01:37those who are supposed to benefit, which also includes pregnant women and new mothers.

01:43Logistical challenges, including delays in food distribution, especially in rural areas,

01:48are slowing progress. Then there are concerns over the program's financing.

01:58People are worried about the 4.3 billion euro budget for the free nutritious meal program

02:03that is expected to run out by June 2025, so the president needs to find a new way to keep it going.

02:10The government's plan is to sustain the program by securing more state funds and

02:14seeking partnerships with local governments and the private sector.

02:18They aim to improve efficiency and focus on high-impact areas to ensure the program

02:22can continue long-term. Some experts have also warned that the budget of just 60 cents per meal

02:29is not enough to deliver the quality of nutrition the program claims.

02:33But authorities reject that.

02:37So here's the thing. With 60 cents per portion, people might think that a small amount of money

02:42would only get you a small portion at a food kiosk or restaurant.

02:46But what we're doing is providing a large quantity, around 3,000 to 3,500 portions per day,

02:52so the ingredients we supply and use are cheaper.

02:56Some schoolchildren who often cannot afford lunch or have never tasted meat

03:00are grateful for this program. But it needs better financial planning to succeed in the long run.

03:09I want to keep getting free meals because they're more nutritious.

03:13Snacks outside are so oily, so this is a healthier option.

03:23Despite concerns over food safety, the program has gained strong public support

03:27and boosted President Prabowo's popularity.

03:30Close to 100 days in office, he's boasting an 81 percent approval rating.

03:35And the nutritious meal scheme has been credited as key reason behind that.

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