By: Ratna Soemirat *)
The free nutritious food program for mothers and children is a strategic step carried out by the Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration. Since the beginning, the high-ranking Indonesian military officer who became the President-elect of Indonesia in the 2024 general election, together with Gibran, has placed human development as the main pillar of the nation’s vision for progress.
One effective way to improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources (HR) is by providing free nutritious breakfast and lunch, especially for children.
This program aims to strengthen the health foundation of Indonesia’s young generation, while reducing nutritional disparities among mothers and children, especially in areas with high poverty rates.
The Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia, Bambang Soesatyo, assessed that the idea of President-elect Prabowo is very relevant to the mandate of the constitution. The state does have an obligation to improve the welfare of its people, including by improving the quality of children’s nutrition.
In his view, the government can realize the program by optimizing the use of the State Budget (APBN). Steps such as budget refocusing, adjusting priority scales, and tightening supervision to prevent corruption are the main keys.
According to him, the Prabowo and Gibran governments are taking the right direction by prioritizing programs based on human development, not just infrastructure projects alone.
In the international context, the free nutritious food program has also received wide recognition. Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), views the program as an important investment for the country.
Sachs assessed that, although the costs incurred are quite large, the impact on improving long-term nutrition is very significant. This program, if implemented properly, will not only improve the health conditions of children from an early age but also make a major contribution to the nation’s productivity in the future. He also emphasized that the free lunch program for school children is one of the most effective forms of intervention to improve the quality of human resources in various countries.
With a clear focus on human development, the Prabowo-Gibran administration has directly identified children’s nutrition as a critical factor in shaping the nation’s future.
President-elect Prabowo Subianto understands very well that improving the quality of children’s nutrition means strengthening the foundation of Indonesia’s human resources. Therefore, providing nutritious food for children, especially in schools, is considered a strategic program that must be implemented by his government.
Not only does it provide direct benefits in the form of improved health, the program is also projected to reduce stunting rates and malnutrition problems which are still major challenges in various regions of Indonesia.
As the General Chairman of the Gerindra Party DPP, Prabowo Subianto always emphasizes the importance of investing in the quality of human resources from an early age. The policy of providing free nutritious food for pregnant women and children under school age, as well as free breakfast for school children, is a real step in creating a healthier generation that is ready to compete in the global arena.
In the long term, this step is believed to have a significant impact on increasing Indonesia’s competitiveness, considering that developed countries generally have strict and organized nutrition policies for their children.
Not only that, this program is expected to improve socio-economic conditions in various regions, especially in areas that are still economically disadvantaged. As is known, many children in remote and isolated areas are malnourished due to limited access to nutritious food.
With this program, the central government will work with local governments to ensure that all Indonesian children, both in big cities and in remote areas, have equal access to quality nutrition.
The Vice President-elect for the 2024 Election, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is known as a young and visionary figure, has an important role in supervising the implementation of this program in the field.
As part of the government elected with Prabowo, Gibran will ensure that the program can run effectively and evenly throughout Indonesia. Collaboration between the central government, regions, and related institutions, such as schools and hospitals, will be one of the determining factors for the success of the program.
Ultimately, this free nutritious food program is not just a short-term effort to address nutritional issues. The Prabowo-Gibran government sees it as a long-term investment in building superior Indonesian human resources.
Through this program, they want to create a healthy, intelligent, and productive generation, which will later become the driving force of economic and social development in the future.
With these concrete steps, this government emphasizes that building a nation is not only about strengthening physical infrastructure, but also about strengthening “human infrastructure.” The combination of policies that focus on education, health, and nutrition will be the foundation for achieving Indonesia’s great ideals as a developed country in the future.
*) Social Problems Researcher – Nusantara Social Studies Institute