Housewives Rally at Patung Kuda to Support Continuation of Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A group of demonstrators, dominated by housewives, held a protest to support the sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme in the Patung Kuda area, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Observations at the location at 12:30 WIB showed that the protesters, arriving from East Jakarta, were wearing white costumes and carrying various posters and banners supporting the MBG programme and the arrest of corrupt officials.

A command vehicle was also seen parked in the middle of the gathering. The open-back truck was draped with a large banner stating the purpose of the protest.

Several housewives expressed their support for the continuation of the MBG programme initiated by the government.

Suhartini (42), a resident of Pondok Ranggon, East Jakarta, stated that the MBG programme eases the burden on parents, particularly for children who rarely eat breakfast at home.

“My child happens to rarely eat breakfast at home. Therefore, with this MBG programme, my child can eat directly at school with their friends,” Suhartini said when met at the protest site.

Suhartini, whose child is in the first year of junior high school, explained that the menu received by her child is quite varied each day.

To optimise the programme in the future, she suggested that menu variations should focus on practical types of food that children enjoy.

“My hope for the future is that the menu can be more varied and practical, such as dry foods, bread, burgers, or milk that children like, while still meeting nutritional requirements,” she added.

Echoing Suhartini’s sentiments, another resident, Nur, noted that the programme is very helpful in reducing daily family expenses.

Nevertheless, Nur proposed an alternative option so that the fulfilment of children’s nutrition could be achieved through the direct empowerment of parents.

“This programme is actually very good because children can eat for free. However, it would be even more optimal if, in the future, there were a scheme where parents are directly involved in cooking or managing the budget, so that the menu served can better suit children’s tastes,” Nur said.

The demonstration proceeded peacefully, with security forces maintaining strict surveillance at the location.