Fifth-Grade Student Writes Letter to Prabowo Praising the Free Nutritious Meal Programme

A small letter from an 11-year-old may not change the course of national policy, but its content is enough to warm the hearts of anyone who reads it.

Alkhalifi Muhammad Marfen, a fifth-grade student at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) Darussalam in Sidoarjo, East Java, wrote a letter to President Prabowo Subianto. In simple handwriting and language, Marfen expressed his gratitude for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme that he now enjoys at school.

The letter was received by Prabowo during his working visit to Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on Saturday, 16 May 2026. He was inaugurating the Marsinah Museum, a monument in honour of the struggle of labour activist National Hero Marsinah, and also launching the operation of 1,061 Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperatives (KDKMP) spread throughout Indonesia.

“Thank you, Sir, for the free nutritious meals. I am happy to receive them because the food is nutritious,” Marfen wrote in his letter.

At the end of the letter, Marfen included a simple request that reflects the dreams of many children his age: he wants to see the President in person, not just on television.

“I want to meet Mr. President by attending the 17 August 1945 ceremony at the State Palace because I can only see it on TV,” he wrote.

The letter concluded with a sincere prayer. “Thank you, Mr. President, stay healthy,” Marfen ended his letter.

The Free Nutritious Meal programme launched by Prabowo’s administration targets students from early childhood education to high school levels, as well as pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, and children under five years of age throughout Indonesia. For Marfen and millions of other children, this programme is not just a lunch menu, but a real form of state attention that can be felt even in schools.