Purwakarta (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) – Deputy Chairman of the Gerindra Party’s Board of Trustees, Dedi Mulyadi, conducted a trial run of the Prabowo-Gibran free lunch program for students at Ciwangi Public Elementary School (SDN Ciwangi) in Purwakarta, West Java, aiming to find an effective formulation.
“This lunch program is one of the initiatives proposed by Mr. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming,” said Dedi Mulyadi in Purwakarta on Monday (04/02/2024).
He explained that there were two models of free lunch programs simulated. These two models included lunches prepared by the Student Parents Forum (Fortusis) and providing direct cash to parents to prepare lunch for their children.
“Each of these free lunch models has the same value, which is Rp15,000,” he said.
According to the simulation results, the lunches prepared by Fortusis were uniform with a menu of rice, teriyaki chicken fillet, stir-fried vegetables, and an orange, while those prepared directly by parents varied, and were even more comprehensive.
“The first model (Fortusis) results in too much waste such as disposable containers and plastic spoons, which are less effective, with a cost equivalent to one or two eggs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the lunches prepared directly by parents varied greatly. The meat portions were larger, with more vegetables and fruits, and the meals were tailored to the children’s preferences.
Dedi suggested that the subsidy for free lunches be given directly to the parents, allowing them to manage the money themselves for their children’s lunch needs at school.
He proposed this because if free lunches were managed by a single party, it would not be efficient, potentially sacrificing nutritionally adequate menus and portions for administrative project-based concerns.
For Dedi, the free lunch program itself is not new. When he was the Regent of Purwakarta, he implemented a similar program by providing eggs and milk to all students.
“So, if you ask whether there is a budget for it? Well, back in Purwakarta, everything worked smoothly, students were given free eggs and milk, the infrastructure was good, and neighborhood officials were paid well, even though the budget was the smallest,” he said.
In the future, he mentioned that if the free lunch program is successful, children’s pocket money from their parents could be saved. The schools would collaborate with banks for this savings program.
However, he emphasized that the current efforts are merely simulations to find the best formula. He leaves the policy entirely to the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration, which will implement the program.
“This is just my suggestion after observing simulations like this where money given directly to parents results in more varied and nutritious meals,” he said.
During the simulation, Dedi Mulyadi provided subsidies for one week to all 579 students at SDN Ciwangi. Each child received a subsidy of Rp15,000 from Dedi’s personal funds.
