Building a Free Generation Through a Plate of Nutrition

Morning always comes early for many families. Some parents must leave for work before the sun is fully up. There are also children who rush off to school with a makeshift breakfast. This is a familiar sight for some parents of students at SDN Gentan, Seyegan, Sleman. Therefore, when the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) began at the school, what they felt was not just receiving extra food. There was a sense of relief because the children still received nutritional intake to get through their school day. For Is Hartati (43), MBG addresses a problem often encountered at home. Hartati is pleased because she has seen firsthand that all the menus served are nutritionally balanced and hygienic. “Children usually at home only have one or two spoonfuls of breakfast and then feel lazy. It turns out, alhamdulillah, this MBG programme is very helpful for fulfilling nutrition and so on,” said Hartati. Hartati is also grateful that the MBG menu regularly provides fruit. For her family, this is an additional nutritional intake that may not always be available at home. She believes this can help her son, who is in the fifth grade, grow and develop appropriately for his age. “In terms of health, alhamdulillah it has improved because the programme includes fruit. We parents from the lower-middle economic bracket are very grateful,” she said. For families like Hartati’s, the benefit is not just about the menu. The presence of fruit and nutritious food is part of the effort to fulfil children’s basic right to proper nutrition during their growth period. Beyond nutrition, Hartati sees good habits growing at the school. Children take turns collecting food according to a duty roster, so they learn responsibility from an early age. “What I see is that it also indirectly fosters awareness in the children,” she said. A similar experience is felt by Rosi Doniyati (40). She has seen changes since her child started regularly receiving MBG at school. The child eats fruit more often and comes home from school feeling full. “Alhamdulillah, there is even leftover pocket money,” she said. For Rosi, this change also helps parents. She said that during the MBG implementation, her child, who is in the third grade at SDN Gentan, has never experienced health problems from the food received. “Alhamdulillah, during this MBG programme, my child has been perfectly fine,” she said. Although they feel the benefits, both Hartati and Rosi hope MBG will continue to be improved. They hope that in the future, the portion of rice will be increased, the menu will be more varied, and the programme can better embrace small entrepreneurs around the school to have a greater impact on the economic sector. Both hope MBG will continue so that more children can grow up healthy and learn with enthusiasm. This wish is shared by the students at the school, one of whom is M. Aldiano Saputra, nicknamed Ando, a fifth grader. “I’m happy, because it’s delicious, free, and filling,” he said. He said feeling full helps him focus more in class. Concentration on subjects is certainly important for this student who dreams of becoming a police officer. The opportunity to learn in a full and healthy state is part of the effort to ensure every child can develop their potential and achieve their dreams without being limited by nutritional issues. “I want MBG to continue,” said Ando. MBG has become part of daily life at SDN Gentan since it was first provided on 18 August 2025. Behind the routine of distributing food every afternoon, teachers have witnessed small changes felt by the children at school. The MBG coordinator at SDN Gentan, Wihandoko Suko Lelono, said the programme provides benefits, especially for students who come to school without having had breakfast. According to him, parents’ busy schedules in the morning often mean children have to leave before eating. Therefore, he said, the presence of MBG acts as a safety net so that children’s right to nutritional intake is still fulfilled despite the family’s hectic morning activities. Before the programme ran, Wihandoko witnessed how some parents would deliver packed meals to school later in the day. “In the past, before MBG, if a child hadn’t had breakfast, the parent would bring food to school. Now they get MBG,” said Wihandoko. Changes are also visible in the classroom. According to him, children whose lunch needs are met tend to be more ready to follow lessons. He assesses that a better physical condition makes students less easily tired or sleepy while studying. However, the impact on academic achievement cannot be assessed in a short time because each child’s development is different. “What is clear is that their concentration and enthusiasm have increased,” he said. Wihandoko believes the programme’s benefits will be felt more in the long term. With a healthy body and better-maintained nutritional needs, children have a stronger foundation to engage in the learning process sustainably. According to him, building a healthy, intelligent, and competitive generation cannot be done instantly, but rather through the continuous fulfilment of children’s basic needs. Therefore, the school hopes the Free Nutritious Meal Programme can be continued. Besides helping to meet students’ nutritional needs, the menu, which is compiled based on nutritionist recommendations, is considered an added value for children during their growth period. “If the child’s condition is healthy and their stomach is not hungry, they remain enthusiastic about learning,” he concluded.