Japan, UNICEF Collaborate for Free Meals and Education in Papua

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February 25, 2025 | 12:12 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Yasushi Masaki, and Maniza Zaman, the UNICEF Representative in Indonesia, signed and exchanged documents for the 2024 Grant Assistance Project on Monday, February 24, 2025. The project is titled “Cooperation Program with UNICEF to Improve Learning, Nutrition, and Quality of Life for Children in Biak Numfor Regency, Papua Province.”

The signing took place at the Embassy of Japan in Jakarta. This is a two-year project to provide free meals and education through a collaboration between Japan and UNICEF, starting in April 2025. This humanitarian program also responds to a request from the National Nutrition Agency.

The Embassy of Japan in Jakarta stated that this program will provide free nutritious meals and basic education for 2,500 children. It is planned to begin around July 2025 through a central kitchen built by the Indonesian government in Biak, Papua Province. These free nutritious meals will be prepared by chefs and nutritionists assigned by the Indonesian government.

Additionally, the program will offer guidance from UNICEF nutrition specialists to support the nutritionists and chefs deployed by the Indonesian government.

Besides providing nutritious meals, this aid project will offer education, including nutrition awareness to healthcare workers, teachers, government officials, and parents. They will also be taught how to improve food provision in schools.

Nutritional education materials will also be developed for use across Indonesia. The project costs will cover food ingredients expense of school meals for one year, UNICEF nutrition experts fees, and training costs for school principals and teachers on nutrition education and related issues.

This project is expected to improve children's nutrition and quality of life, helping to address stunting and malnutrition among Indonesian children. As stated by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during the Japan-Indonesia High-Level Meeting in January 2025, Japan aims to respond to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's aspiration to provide free nutritious meals for Indonesian children and seeks to collaborate by leveraging Japan's experience.

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