Indonesia launched its much-anticipated free meals for children initiative on January 6, with President Prabowo Subianto at the helm of this flagship policy. The program, aimed at providing nutritious meals to school students across the nation, commenced on a Monday with a scaled-back start. Initially slated to serve 3 million students, the program managed to reach 570,000 students on its first day. This accounted for less than a fifth of the original target, highlighting the challenges faced in rolling out the program on a national scale.
The initiative saw participation from 26 provinces, marking a significant step forward in the government's efforts to combat child hunger and malnutrition. Despite being launched on a reduced scale, the program's ultimate goal remains ambitious—providing meals to nearly 80 million students throughout Indonesia. The free meal boxes, which were distributed to school students, symbolize a new approach towards ensuring basic nutritional needs are met within educational environments.
In Jakarta, students at an elementary school experienced the benefits of this program firsthand. On January 6, these young learners enjoyed free meals for the first time under this new initiative. The government aims to use this program as a cornerstone policy to support student welfare while addressing broader socio-economic challenges.
The free meals for children initiative represents a critical policy shift by the Indonesian government, underscoring its commitment to improving student nutrition and wellbeing. While the initial rollout fell short of expectations, it signals the beginning of a larger effort to incorporate more students in the coming months.