Acting Deputy for Coordination of the Improvement of Education Quality and Religious Moderation at the ministry, Warsito, conveyed this here on Monday.
He lauded the steps taken by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which started implementing the free meals program.
Warsito stated that this program is essential to ensure that Indonesian children receive adequate nutrition to support their growth and development.
"Of course, the nutritional content (of the food) has been calculated," he affirmed.
In addition to the nutritional benefits, he emphasized that this program also has the equally important objective of educating about healthy eating habits.
Furthermore, the Free Nutritious Meals program is viewed as a strategic initiative in building character education and a sense of national identity.
"There are many effective educational values that can be instilled in children, such as gratitude, social awareness, respect for food, and others," he elaborated.
The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture expressed hope that the program would significantly contribute to developing younger generations who are healthy, possess strong character, and demonstrate a high level of social awareness.
The Free Nutritious Meals program, which officially started on Monday, is one of the work programs of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for their 2024–2029 term.
A budget of Rp71 trillion (nearly US$4.4 billion) is allocated for the program.
The government formed the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in August 2024 to support the program's implementation.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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