PAPUA – Central Papua Province since early November 2024 has tested the Nutritious Healthy Breakfast program for students and teachers at the Early Childhood Education and Elementary School levels.
According to the Acting Chairperson of the Central Papua Province Empowerment and Family Welfare Movement Team (TP-PKK) Yosina Anwar Damanik, the recipients of this program reached 2,706 children from 3,300 packages provided for 31 days.
“The Healthy and Nutritious Breakfast Program is not only for students but also for teachers. Of the 19 schools that tested this program, there were 15 kindergartens and preschools and four elementary schools,” he said after the TP PKK National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) in Jakarta, quoted on Friday, November 22, 2024.
Yosina Anwar Damanik said the program, which was launched on November 4, provides milk, mineral water, two types of cakes made from bread and processed local food, green bean porridge and boiled eggs every day.
This program also involves a team of nutritionists from the Nabire District Nutritionist Association (Persagi) as advisors as well as supervisors of the provision and distribution of nutritious healthy breakfasts.
He admitted that with the current limitations, not all schools in the Central Papua Province area can be served, so it is devoted to several schools in the city of Nabire, both public and schools under the Persit, Bhayangkari, and Prosecutor’s Office organizations.
“This is done to facilitate the supervision and distribution of the Nutritious Healthy Breakfast program packages and is adjusted to the funds that come entirely from the Regional Budget of the Central Papua Province Education and Culture Office in 2024,” he continued.
He said the nutritious healthy breakfast program is the implementation of the 10 main PKK programs, especially in the family development program, and one of the efforts is to improve the quality of family life through the fulfillment of balanced nutrition.
The Nutritious Healthy Breakfast Program carried out by TP-PKK Central Papua received the attention of the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Ribka Haluk who immediately made a visit on Tuesday (12/11) to Filadelfia Nabire Kindergarten / Early Childhood and Elementary School.
During the visit, Wamendagri Ribka Haluk advised on the multiplier effect of this program so that it can have a broad effect on society through the involvement of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as supply partners and of course the use of food made from local ingredients.
“He hopes that this program can be continued by the national program next year so as to encourage the creation of a golden generation, especially Papuan children in Central Papua,” he said.
The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) will be a program implemented in the Red and White Cabinet government which will begin in January 2025.
Priority recipients of free nutritious meals are pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under five and all school children. Currently, TP-PKK Central Papua chooses to run a healthy breakfast program for a number of reasons, including that with a healthy breakfast, children tend to be more focused and have better memory.
A regular healthy breakfast can help regulate children’s weight, increase children’s endurance and a good breakfast can make children more cheerful and energetic.
