Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto, the President-elect of Indonesia for the 2024-2029 term, stated that the free nutritious meal program aims not only to improve the health of children but also to serve as a ‘growth driver’ for the Indonesian economy.
This was discussed by Prabowo during an exclusive interview with tvOne titled ‘Prabowo Subianto Speaks for Indonesia’, on Wednesday (22/5/2024).
Initially, Prabowo clarified that the program, initially coined as ‘free lunch’, should more accurately be termed ‘free nutritious meals’ to better align with the school schedules of children who attend in the morning and leave around 11-12 noon.
“After studying it, we found that the correct term is free nutritious meals for children. That’s the full term. Because if a primary school student starts in the morning, waiting until lunch is too long. So, they need to eat in the morning, hence the change,” said Prabowo.
Further, he emphasized that this program is crucial for the future of the nation as many children are currently malnourished.
“This is very crucial for the future of the Indonesian nation. Our children are our future and it is undeniable that a portion of our children are malnourished. Approximately 25% of our children suffer from malnutrition. This is very concerning,” he added.
He also noted that 76 countries already provide nutritious meal programs for children in schools, and there are 6 more countries preparing to implement such programs.
“So, if we implement it in October (free meals for children), we could possibly be the seventh country, aside from the previous 76,” he said.
Moreover, he revealed that trials of this program had been conducted in several places. The results showed that children attended school more regularly and their focus on learning improved.
“We have studied other countries and conducted trials. Over the past few months, I’ve initiated pilot projects in several places and the results are very convincing,” he stated.
Not only will children directly benefit from the free nutritious meal program, but the economy of the region will also be boosted, especially for farmers and livestock breeders.
“The economy will grow, our farmers’ incomes will improve. I believe production will be better. I think this is a growth driver. A national economic growth booster that will greatly enhance the life of our nation. So, I am optimistic and I believe we will become a stronger country,” he concluded.
