TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, affirms the continuation of the free nutritious meal program during Ramadan, which is expected to start on March 1, 2025.

“The children will go to school and bring home meals that can last until it’s time for Muslims to break fast,” said Dadan on Monday night on February 3, adding that all schoolchildren will still receive free nutritious meals, albeit with different distribution patterns.

One of the adjustments to make is providing meals to take home. “For children who do not fast, they are encouraged to eat at home and not at school to respect those who fast,” said Dadan.

Dadan claims that as of February 3, the free nutritious meal program has served over 730,000 people, with 425 public kitchen units operable across 34 provinces in Indonesia. The program has reached 0.8 percent of the 82.9 million target recipients and will reach 1.5 percent by mid-February.

“Don’t worry about missing out on the meals, as we have only reached 0.8 percent of the target,” said Dadan.

The government will also invite state agencies and religious organizations to help accelerate the program implementation. Some of these agencies include the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and religious organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

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