The Free Nutritious Meal Program: A True Demonstration of the Government’s Concern for the Future of Indonesian Youth
By: Citra Kurnia Khudori)*
Through the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, the government has demonstrated concrete steps toward realizing its vision of human development as the foundation of national progress. The MBG program goes beyond simply providing meals to schoolchildren, but also strengthens the quality of human resources for the future.
Heri Herdiawanto, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Al Azhar University of Indonesia (UAI), assessed the MBG Program as concrete evidence of President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to the people and the nation’s future. He explained that the MBG is highly strategic because it addresses the most fundamental aspects of human development. To realize a just, prosperous, and equitable society, we must start with adequate and quality nutrition.
If we look at how this program is designed to target the most basic aspect of human development, namely the fulfillment of adequate and quality nutrition, then it can be understood that the approach used is not only based on the education or health sectors, but rather comprehensive human resource development.
The younger generation, currently in elementary, middle, and even high school, is the foundation of Indonesia’s future. If they grow up with malnutrition, the risk of falling behind in learning capacity, physical potential, and global competitiveness is real.
With the MBG program, the government is taking the stance that empowering the younger generation shouldn’t wait until later, but rather start now, through systemic and mass interventions. This demonstrates that the government’s commitment goes beyond campaign promises and is embodied in concrete policies.
The MBG program has also received support from civil society, including youth. As stated by Yuda Nugraha, Chairman of the Ciamis Regency Youth and Student Association (PPM), the MBG program represents a concrete manifestation of the government’s presence in ensuring that Indonesian children receive adequate nutrition from an early age.
He added that youth are ready to ensure the program is on target. This statement emphasizes that the MBG is not merely a top-down program but also provides space for community participation and youth as social monitors, a healthy practice of democratic development.
Without equal access on the ground, inequality will persist. Young people in urban centers and rural areas must receive equal access to facilities. If we truly care about the future of Indonesian youth across all regions, the distribution and quality of MBG programs must be equitable. And this, Yuda said, is supported by sound oversight.
Real-life stories from the field further strengthen the argument that MBG is more than just a symbolic policy. One example is the experience of an 18-year-old named Danang Dubra Setyo from Jayanti, Tangerang Regency, who now works in the MBG kitchen and feels proud to be able to support his family’s economy through this program.
Danang’s story illustrates how government programs transcend the boundaries of education and nutrition, impacting local economic empowerment, youth employment opportunities, and the development of value chains at the community level. From a social perspective, young people are not only beneficiaries but also agents within the program’s ecosystem.
Through these three foundations, government concern, active participation of youth/civilians, and real impact in the field, the MBG program can be said to be real evidence that the government is serious about making the future of youth a priority.
The MBG should be applauded as a significant step. It serves as a reminder to us all to work together to prevent undesirable outcomes, such as misallocation, declining quality, weak local control, and the risk of the program becoming a mere political tool with no long-term substance.
As a nation, we have a shared obligation to ensure that the MBG program truly becomes a pillar of future strength. Schools must actively monitor food quality, and parents and school committees must be empowered to exercise oversight. Youth, as Yuda Nugraha and his colleagues have done, must act as supervisors and partners in implementation. Local governments must synergize across agencies: education, health, agriculture, MSMEs, and logistics infrastructure.
Thus, the MBG program demonstrates that the government is not only talking about the future of the younger generation, but is taking concrete action, not just funding school meals for children, but building a nutrition, health, education, and economic ecosystem that targets the root causes of human resource inequality.
If implemented with integrity, quality, and equity, Indonesia’s young generation will be better prepared to face global challenges. And through the active participation of youth and civil society, this program can become a policy legacy that will have a real impact on Indonesia’s young generation, not just today, but for decades to come.
)* Observer of Socio-Economic Issues
