Speaking at Brawijaya University here on Wednesday, he said that 500 pesantren have been registered as MBG recipients so far, and this number will grow in the future.
"I met with the BGN, which has registered around 500 Islamic boarding schools, and they said that they actually need more than that," he added.
He said that the government is currently working to build 30 thousand public kitchens across Indonesia to prepare meal packages for the MBG program.
"According to the information I received from the BGN, only 2 percent of the target 30 thousand public kitchens have been built so far," he informed.
Therefore, the BGN has requested an increase in the number of pesantren receiving MBG, with the target of covering at least 1,500 sites.
Syafi'i revealed that in addition to being beneficiaries, the Islamic boarding schools are also expected to serve as public kitchen locations.
He explained that if there are at least 1,500 pesantren covered by the MBG program, then one public kitchen can meet the target of providing free meal packages for three thousand people.
"So, if a boarding school has six thousand students, we will build two kitchens. If there are only two thousand students, one kitchen will be sufficient," he said.
The plan to include pesantren is also part of efforts to ensure proper nutrition for people living around the schools, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and students of other local schools.
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Translator: Ananto, Kenzu
Editor: Arie Novarina
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