MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – Muhammadiyah follows up its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Nutrition Agency, signed during the Tanwir National Meeting in Kupang last December. The organization is developing a free healthy meal program to sustainably meet the nutritional needs across Indonesia.
Nurul Yamin, National Coordinator of the Muhammadiyah Nutritional Meal Program, stressed the importance of careful planning and a comprehensive approach to ensure the program’s success.
“This ecosystem should address all aspects, including providing raw ingredients, setting nutritional standards and menus, ensuring hygienic kitchens, managing transportation and distribution, and conducting monitoring, evaluation, and food waste management,” said Yamin in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on ‘the Muhammadiyah Free Nutritional Meal Ecosystem’ conducted from Friday, January 3, to Saturday, January 4, at SM Tower & Convention, Yogyakarta.
Yamin also highlighted the need for financial analysis, sustainable funding, effective human resource management, and character-building among students to support the program’s success.
Muhammadiyah vast national network is key to the program’s implementation. The organization boasts over 120 hospitals, 172 universities—25 of which include nutrition study programs—and thousands of schools and Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia.
“Muhammadiyah assets, such as donated land and agricultural and fisheries resources, will further strengthen this initiative,” Yamin explained.
Yamin also noted the involvement of grassroots movements such as the Muhammadiyah Farmer Association (JATAM) and Muhammadiyah Fisherman Association (JALAMU) across various regions. These groups are ready to supply essential food items such as rice, vegetables, and fish. This collaboration strengthens the foundation for a sustainable and effective free meal program.
Some Muhammadiyah schools and Islamic boarding schools have already implemented lunch programs, becoming models for school-based kitchens. These kitchens are efficient because they don’t require additional transportation for distribution. He highlighted that this model, along with communal kitchens, offers a practical way to meet students’ nutritional needs.
Yamin explained that the primary role of the National Coordination Team, which is to unite Muhammadiyah resources at all levels—central, regional, and local. These efforts involve mobilizing human resources, institutions, and community networks to ensure the program’s success.
Through this initiative, Muhammadiyah hopes to contribute significantly to improving community nutrition and fostering a healthier, more productive generation in Indonesia.
