Serang City Government Partners with Swiluva to Achieve Family Health Resilience

Serang City Government, Banten, together with BioMom initiative founder Swiluva Sigalovada, has launched the “Probiotic City: Healthy Gut, Healthy City” programme to realise healthy families. “This programme is a strategic step by the local government to achieve family health resilience starting from the smallest scope,” said Serang Mayor Budi Rustandi in a press release in Jakarta on Thursday (30/4/2026). He stated that the collaboration with the innovative teenager is part of efforts to create a resilient and productive society. Through education on making independent probiotic drinks, Budi hopes that family immunity can be optimally maintained. “This is a concrete step to realise healthy families. By making their own health drinks at home, residents not only maintain fitness but also help the government in building community health independence,” said Budi. Budi added that in the initial stage, 2,000 housewives in Taktakan sub-district will receive intensive training until 20 May 2026. The mothers are positioned as the frontline in maintaining healthy nutritional intake for their family members. Meanwhile, Swiluva Sigalovada, an 11th-grade student at Tzu Chi School who studies microbiology in the United States, explained that the BioMom initiative arose from the awareness that around 80% of the human immune system is in the digestive tract. She stated that a healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy family. “We want to popularise water kefir as a practical and affordable alternative to maintain digestive health. The goal is for this healthy lifestyle to become a routine habit at home,” she said.