"The food can be taken home to be later consumed on Iftar. The agency will organize it because the meal is an important part," he said in Jakarta on Monday.
He made the statement in response to questions regarding the MBG distribution scheme during the month of fasting.
He informed that students of Islamic boarding schools will also receive food to break their fast on Iftar.
"The implementation of the MBG program at Islamic boarding schools during Ramadan will be easier. The cooking activities will run as usual and the food will be distributed for Iftar," Hindayana expounded.
Currently, around 30 thousand Islamic boarding schools with five million students are being targeted by the MBG program. He assured that the target will be met gradually.
"This will be met gradually. If all runs according to plans, we can complete the target this year," he said.
The BGN has also established cooperation with the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) to expand the MBG program to reach more students, while accelerating the implementation of the program, as per President Prabowo Subianto's directions.
The collaboration will be regulated through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on January 31, 2025, Hindayana informed.
The collaboration will also seek to drive the economy in the Islamic boarding school environment, for instance, by establishing a nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) or public kitchen in the schools and sourcing food ingredients from local communities around the schools, he said.
The Free Nutritious Meals program was initiated by President Prabowo. Currently, the program is running in 31 provinces with the help of 238 SPPGs, serving around 650 thousand children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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