Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) facilitates families at risk of stunting in Karimun District, Riau Islands Province, by providing coaching on food ingredients' processing and entrepreneurship.

Head of the Riau Islands Representative at BKKBN Rohina stated that fish-based ingredients were processed into nuggets that the children liked. She delivered the statement in Batam on Thursday.

"This activity facilitates (training for) batik skills for 15 participants, and at the same place and time, also invites 15 other ladies gathered to participate in processing food ingredients sourced from fish into processed food nuggets that are in great demand by children," Rohina remarked.

She noted that these processed foods can provide a variety of dishes that were expected to spark the children's interest to consume fish that was rich in magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, fluorine, iron, copper, zinc, and selenium, all of which were good for the body and for boosting their intelligence.

Deputy for family welfare and family empowerment at BKKBN Novian Andusti called on mothers, who partook in the fish food processing coaching, to promote love for fish consumption that can help to safeguard children from the dangers of stunting.

"Later, after leaving here, women who are here will help (spread the message) to the general public to always eat fish," Andusti noted.

Head of Karimun District Aunur Rafiq said that through this event, it was expected that more varieties of healthy, nutritious menus could be fed to the children.

"Later, please teach other mothers to be able to make processed fish food into food that children have an interest in. We hope that children in Karimun would avoid the risk of stunting and become smart by consuming fish," he noted.

The agency also held batik lessons for families at risk of stunting.

It is expected that the attending families or participants can learn and pursue the skills, so that they can later become a source of financial income that can help the family's economy.

"We hope that in future, there will be motifs iconic to the Karimun District area, and from here, hopefully, batik artisans will pop up," Rafiq concluded.

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Translator: Jessica A J H, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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