Nutritious school meals: from mothers to the community
A food tourist’s paradise, the Indonesian province of North Sumatra’s bustling capital city is well known as the culinary heart of Indonesia. The streets of Medan are packed with hawkers offering local delicacies that reflect its multicultural makeup, like dishes such as lontong sayur, soto medan and the sweet bika ambon.
Despite the apparent abundance of tasty cuisine, however, not everyone has equal and easy access to the colourful dishes and the nutritional properties they bring. In fact, a considerable portion of the population are faced with difficulties of eating healthy, affordable food. This is due to the poverty affecting at least 25 million (with 264 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country). Relatively high food prices and insufficient nutrition education compound problems.
But slowly and surely, green shoots of change have begun to appear. And it is a group of mothers leading the way, taking matters into their own hands to give their children the best possible diet they need to grow and develop.
On the week of International Women’s Day, meet the women of Medan who are pushing for nutrition in their community.
Taking school meals seriously, one school at a time
On the surface, RK Pardomuan Nauli Primary School looks like any other educational institution in the sprawling metropolis of Medan. But here in Percut Sei Tuan district, a group of mother-turned-school cooks-turned entrepreneurs has transformed the way children eat and community thinks about food and nutrition.
Every school day, Manur Panjaitan, wakes up at 4 in the morning. After tending house chores, she, along with another four mothers, heads to the school and get the school kitchen ready.
By 5, the preparation begins. While busy hands work on dishes like the Ketoprak, a Javanese dish of rice cakes, tempeh, tofu, vegetables and peanut sauce, smiles, chats and exchanges of new discoveries of fresh ingredients and market locations bounce off from one mother to another.
“I’ve gained so much since joining the cooking group,” says Manur. “I’ve made friends, learned about nutrition; now I know what diversity of food a child should eat! I also understand my community better. Now when I go food shopping, I try to buy foods that are produced locally to support my community.”
Adding diversity to the plate
Supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture’s home-grown school meals programme (known as PROGAS), the group — Manur and her group of mothers, all with children at the school — came together to help improve nutrition for schoolchildren, especially those from poor families.
Cooking groups have been trained and educated on the importance of nutrition, especially through the meals they eat every day. Using a colourful cookery book packed with dishes from across the archipelago of Indonesia provided by WFP and the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, they not only cook tasty, healthy lunches for the children, but also introduce them to the rich culinary heritage the thousand island nation has to offer.
“People here are used to eating only meat, but now the children are opening up to different types of foods, like green veggies and fish. It may be hard to convince them at first — but with a little time, they start to love them and even ask for them!” Manur says.
At each lunch break, student representatives of each class head to the kitchen to fetch the hot meals in lunch boxes for their classmates. Once the food is brought, everyone sits at the table, then the head of the class leads the children in prayer. Following lunch is recess! Full of energy, the children run out to play on the field before class starts again.
Besides cooking, Manur and her group also promote good hygiene practices such as handwashing with soap. With their advocacy, the school has set up a handwashing area with two blue barrels retrofitted as washbasins, set up right in the middle of the school field.
Change is coming
WFP focuses on providing nutrition education using innovative ways. By training teachers on nutrition and interactive games for the students; learning about health and food becomes fun and exciting during class time.
Lestari Tamba and the other teachers have noticed an increase in the children’s energy and enthusiasm in class. “Children need nutritious meals so that they can concentrate,” says Lestari. “With PROGAS, I can see the children are getting more engaged with their studies. No one is sleepy anymore, and the absence rates have dropped.”
Jendapulung Br Bangun, principal of the school is particularly pleased with the change in behaviour and attitude among her students.
“Praying together before eating, not leaving any food to waste, table manners and not eating while the mouth is full. These small acts help to produce a positive change in our students,” she notes.
Beyond the classroom
Since 2016, some 300,000 children across the country have been part of the PROGAS school meals programme, enjoying healthy meals and learning about nutrition and hygiene, thanks to the collaboration of WFP, private sector companies Cargill and Evolve, Japan Friends of WFP and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
WFP has been an initial supporter for school meals in Indonesia, bringing in history and experience working as the pioneer implementor at district levels. Since 2016, WFP is focused on advisory support in strengthening the national approach to school feeding.
Mothers and families play a big role in promoting healthy diets for their children, with lots of veggies and beans, little fish, meat or eggs and some rice. Good nutrition starts from homes, is thus amplified at schools and gives energy back to families and the future of the children.
For Manur, her proudest achievement is the change she has witnessed in her own child. “Before, he didn’t eat vegetables, and always wanted people to feed him,” said Manur of her son Ferdi, 10. “Now, he asks for vegetables and he also eats by himself — I no longer need to spoon-feed him.”
By introducing wholesome, nutritious choices through the PROGAS school meals programme, Ferdi has developed a relationship with healthy food that can last him a lifetime, giving him the best opportunity to grow into a healthy, confident adult.
WFP continues to support and advocate for national investment on school feeding. Read more about WFP’s work in Indonesia.