Jakarta – After successfully implementing the School Lunch Program (SLP) since 2018 in two Islamic boarding schools as a pilot project, PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA in collaboration with the Dept. of Community Nutrition IPB & the Ministry of Religious Affairs presented the SLP Guidance Book which contains nutrition education, implementation tips of the program, and various applications of balanced delicious-nutritious menus, which are very easy to apply for Islamic boarding schools and public schools that provide lunch for their students. Through this SLP Guidance Book, PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA aims to implement the program to more Islamic boarding schools and public schools, in order to improve the nutrition status of children in Indonesia, especially in the pandemic.
“In our pilot project, we set target to decrease prevalence anemia status of students at the boarding school through providing balance nutritious meal and nutrition education. After we provided menus which are high in iron content (like Chicken Liver Rendang,) and vegetable menus cooked easily and deliciously with our products, children started to eat more. As a result, we were able to reduce 8% of the incidence of anemia among students at the Darul Falah Agricultural Islamic Boarding School in Bogor, and 20.9% in the Darussalam Islamic Boarding School in Bogor. Because this was a big success, based on that, we want to continue our contribution to overcome nutritional problems of children in Indonesia. Through socializing this SLP, we want more Islamic boarding schools and public schools to implement this program. We think this program is very important, because all children in Indonesia have the right to get effective learning methods without fear of health-threats around them, especially during a pandemic situation like this," said Katarina Larasati, Public Relations Manager - PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA.
According to Dr. Rimbawan, Lecturer at the Dept. of Community Nutrition IPB and head of the SLP program itself, this Guidance Book is not only useful for students in Islamic boarding schools and public schools, but also for teaching staff in educational institutions that implement it.
“Together with PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, we compiled the SLP Guidance Book into 3 books. The first book contains a nutrition education module in Islamic boarding schools which is useful for providing teaching staff with the basic knowledge of nutrition and health for children & teenager. The second book contains a module for providing balanced nutritious meals in Islamic boarding schools which is useful for kitchen coordinator of Islamic boarding schools. The third book contains a collection of recipes & application options for a delicious, balanced, & nutritious menu," said Dr. Rimbawan, in socialization held on July 31 – August 1, 2021 via webinar and attended by participants from Islamic boarding schools around West Java and East Java.
“Why did we choose boarding school as a pilot project before, and this year also disseminated the SLP program to more boarding schools, because our research shows that boarding schools are educational institutions that have made a lot of progress, but in terms of health, food, and nutrition, they still have not received proper attention. In general, students stay in Islamic boarding schools, therefore we assess that if their health and nutritional conditions aren’t good, it will greatly affect the learning process," he continued.
Dr. H. Waryono Abdul Ghafur, Director of Diniyah Education and Islamic Boarding Schools of the Ministry of Religious Affair RI, who was present to open the Webinar School Lunch Program, also expressed his appreciation for PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA & IPB for the collaboration. According to him, this SLP project can really support and help students at boarding school increase their nutritional status, so that students are easier to accept learning for their formal & religious education curriculum.
"I express my appreciation to PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA & IPB for the implementation of virtual socialization in these two days, thank God this event was attended by approximately 120 representatives of Islamic boarding schools in West Java & East Java. Hopefully, for the next period we can disseminate SLP to more Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia,” said Waryono.
PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA will not only continue to present deliciousness through its products, but also improve the wellness of the people in Indonesia as a solution providing company for food and health issues.
About PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA
PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA is a leading food seasoning producer that has colored the lives of Indonesians with high quality products and brings delicacy in every consumer's dish. With its global slogan "Eat Well, Live Well", at the age of 52, PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA has made extraordinary achievements that mark the strength and resilience of a company that can make a major contribution to Indonesian society.