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Will Prabowo’s flagship free school meal plan achieve its goal?
The initiative to prevent stunting is laudable but its success will depend on fixing some issues, not least the potential for corruption.
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Pupils attending a free lunch programme trial at an elementary school in Tangerang, Indonesia, in August.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Alldo Fellix Januardy and Edbert Gani Suryahudaya
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The 2024 election campaign of Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was marked by a slew of ambitious promises, but one stood out: free meals for schoolchildren.
The free lunch initiative is the flagship initiative among the eight contained in Mr Prabowo’s election manifesto. The message was simple yet powerful: no child in the sprawling archipelago should go hungry, and proper nutrition can be a critical factor in preventing stunting, a longstanding health challenge in the country.
