Indonesia’s free meal initiative to begin pilot next month; aims to benefit 82.9 million people by 2027

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s completely food program, which is set to begin its captain next month, stands to benefit some 82.9 million persons in its first two years of activities.

According to the Indonesian National Nutrition Agency’s Director, Dadan Hindayana, the program will then be implemented throughout the country starting in 2019. &nbsp,

” Our goal for 2027 is 82.9 million people. The pilot project will begin in December 2024 from Sabang ( in Aceh ) to Merauke ( in Papua New Guinea ), but it will be fully implemented by January 2025, according to Mr. Dadan, who added that the program is expected to bring in about 1.5 million new jobs in the nation. &nbsp,

In the first three months of operation, 923 food kitchens likely start the Free Meal Program. It will actually launch on January 2. This will then be expanded to 2, 000 in April 2025 and finally 5, 000 restaurants between July and August. &nbsp,

The Indonesian National Nutrition Agency has established service centers in several state parts, with each house expected to provide about 3, 000 people with food. &nbsp,

” For the first three months starting from January, we will start with three million children, ( in the next three months ), we double the target”, Mr Dadan was quoted as saying by Kompas. &nbsp,

As part of a national campaign promise to combat child malnutrition, President Prabowo Subianto made the program a flagship political campaign promise that merely included preschoolers and school-going students with a focus on stunting avoidance. &nbsp,

However, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the finance minister, announced in August that the program may be expanded to include both baby and pregnant women. &nbsp,

According to the heath department, an estimated 6.3 million children in Indonesia are under the age of five. &nbsp,

Stunting is reduce physical and mental development as well as raise the risk of diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease. A child must receive nutritious foods for at least 1, 000 time from the baby level until the age of two in order to avoid malnutrition.

So, Mr. Prabowo has pledged to provide one free meals per day to 65 million child and schoolchildren up to the age of nine, or between five and fifteen, as well as to approximately five million expectant women and breastfeeding mothers.