Jakarta – The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Masaki Yasushi, has shown interest in the free nutritious meal program for students proposed by the elected president for 2024-2029, Prabowo Subianto.
Yasushi emphasized the importance of the free nutritious meal program and mentioned that the Japanese government plans to invite the Indonesian government to discuss the program in September 2024.
“We will invite the Indonesian government to Japan, specifically to discuss this topic of free school lunches and what they can learn from schools in Japan,” Yasushi said, as quoted from Antara on Sunday (June 23).
Yasushi explained that Japan has had a free school lunch program for over 100 years, which was initiated after the war to improve children’s nutrition and help low-income families provide nutritious meals.
The Japanese government is keen to support Indonesia by sharing their experiences as a country that has successfully implemented free school lunches, with a focus on education about food and nutrition.
“Children need to understand the importance of choosing the right foods and nutrients every day,” Yasushi elaborated.
“This is what we have implemented to promote nutrition education in schools, which would be very beneficial for the people of Indonesia,” he added.
The free nutritious meal program at schools is one of the flagship programs announced by Prabowo and the elected vice-president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The program is expected to commence in 2025 and will be rolled out in phases.