House Deputy Speaker Encourages Boarding Schools with Thousands of Students to Manage Nutritious Food Kitchens

Abdul Wachid, Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, is pushing for Islamic boarding schools, known as "pondok pesantren," to manage their own kitchens for providing nutritious meals. He believes this move would empower the institutions, especially those with a large student population.

"Regarding MBG, it is precisely the boarding schools that have up to three thousand students that will be prioritized for their own kitchens," Abdul stated during a working visit to the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Central Java. He urged for data collection to identify eligible boarding schools for this program.

Currently, each nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) typically serves up to three thousand beneficiaries under the "Makan Bergizi Gratis" (MBG) program. Abdul suggested that boarding schools with 2,500 to 3,000 students could improve their existing kitchens to better serve their students. This initiative is seen as a way to enhance the value and services provided by the pesantren.

The proposal aims to integrate the provision of nutritious meals directly into the pesantren environment, potentially improving student welfare and empowering the educational institutions. The focus is on leveraging the existing infrastructure and student numbers to create a more self-sufficient and effective nutrition program within the schools.