The Defense Minister's Staff Calls The Need For Free Nutrition Eating In Papua Managed By Locals

The Special Staff of the Minister of Defense for Sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia Lenis Kogoya (right) in the socialization of Free Nutrition Food at the Baptist Elementary School, Timika, Central Papua, Monday 10 March 2025. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Special Staff (Staffsus) of the Minister of Defense (Manhan) for Sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia Lenis Kogoya emphasized that all Nutrition Service Fulfillment Units (SPPG) for Free Nutrition Food (MBG) in Papua will be managed by local communities, including the Indigenous Community Institution (LMA).

"The principals of the school built all the gardens for MBG, so we have to be firm, all the vegetables imported from Jakarta, we stop everything, everyone has to make gardens, vegetables from our gardens, because the money is there, so money is there for the community, our children get vegetables, nutritious food," he said at Eme Neme Yauware Building, Central Papua Province, Monday, March 10, confiscated by Antara.

This is intended to absorb more labor.

He explained that the management of SPPG in each region will be handed over to the Indigenous Youth Task Force, most of which are people who graduated from junior high to high school who have not yet found a job.

"The manager is the Indigenous Youth Task Force, this traditional institution is strong, that's what we believe, maybe he still graduated from junior high, high school, but we trust that to regulate logistics, so about 50 people -per SPPG) -" he said.

According to him, the involvement of indigenous peoples will be more effective for MBG who are more targeted, as well as educating the Papuan people who are still resistant and less accepting the President's priority program.

"Well, the Papuan children themselves are trained, fostered, and those who cook, those who feed them too, because I want the community together with the government, so the center will open land, each area opens, then the vegetables will be delivered to BGN," he said.

He also said that the food tastes of the Papuan people are certainly different from Java, so the use of local materials is needed to make the MBG program a success.

"The National Nutrition Agency builds kitchens, determines the nutritional value, the education office coordinates to determine the locations, our people who make kitchens, so those who cook are our own mothers, who share for children as well as our own people," he said.

According to him, if all people work together, then the MBG program in Papua will start soon.

"If the children eat nutritious food at school, they become smart, healthy, responsible, so that the Golden Indonesia can be realized. The Ministry of Defense and BGN, we will continue to coordinate, so immediately the community through the Indigenous Peoples Institute, for example, determine where the kitchen is," he said.

Previously, BGN stated that it would attract independent institutions to accredit the implementation of the MBG program to control the quality of food produced from the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG).

Head of BGN Dadan Hindayana said the accreditation was carried out after the MBG implementation had covered six million beneficiaries and the operation of 2,000 SPPGs.

"Later there will be accreditation related to that, we will first carry out the intervention until it hits 2,000 SPPG covering six million people, it will last until August. As long as the SPPG does not increase, we will accredit," said Dadan after attending the awarding of a tax by President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 4.