Indonesia Launches Free Meal Scheme for Children and Pregnant Women

In Solo, Central Java, children are among the first to benefit from a new free meal scheme aimed at improving nutrition among young Indonesians. The trial program provides nutritious lunches, with today’s menu featuring chicken and papaya. School principal Nunung Harini notes that these meals are healthier than what many children typically consume at home.

“Sometimes parents give them instant noodles or sausages, which is not actually good for the children’s growth and development,” she said.

This initiative follows the February election of President Prabowo Subianto and his deputy, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who will assume office in October. Their campaign’s central pledge was to provide free daily meals for children under five, schoolchildren, and pregnant women. They touted this program as a strategy to combat childhood malnutrition and stunting while simultaneously boosting the agriculture sector and creating jobs.

Despite Indonesia’s progress in reducing stunting, it still affects around 20% of children. “We will continue the testing until October. Maybe the menu will be different. We want to get input from the children, parents, teachers, and also nutritionists,” explained a program official.

Each meal costs around 90 cents, raising concerns among analysts about the financial sustainability of feeding nearly 80 million children. The estimated cost for the first year exceeds $7.6 billion. “It takes maybe 15 or 20% of our budget. This program will likely reduce funding for other government initiatives over the next five years,” one analyst noted.

Nutrition experts emphasize the importance of thorough assessments before fully implementing the initiative. “The first thing is not just about the food itself, but also the safety and hygiene. Under the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), you have to be sure that this food is safe,” a nutritionist advised.

While experts debate the program’s cost and implementation, the participating students have a simpler concern: whether they enjoy the food. When asked by their teacher if they liked the meals, the children responded with a resounding “yes.”