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.
Category
đ
NewsTranscript
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.