The Indonesian government has unveiled a bold $28 billion initiative aimed at addressing malnutrition and stunting, targeting nearly 90 million children and pregnant women across the nation. The program, dubbed the Free Nutritious Meal Program, fulfills a key campaign promise of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last year to lead Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Stunting, which affects 21.5% of Indonesian children under the age of five, has been a significant focus for Subianto’s administration. In addition to improving child nutrition, the program is designed to benefit farmers by increasing the demand and value of their crops.

“This initiative addresses the alarming fact that too many of our brothers and sisters live below the poverty line, and too many children go to school without breakfast or proper clothing,” Subianto said.

The Free Nutritious Meal Program is a cornerstone of Subianto’s long-term vision to develop Indonesia’s human resources. The plan includes providing free school lunches and milk to 83 million students across more than 400,000 schools nationwide. These efforts align with his ambitious goal of creating a “Golden Indonesia” generation by 2045, as he highlighted in his October inauguration speech.

Subianto also pledged to raise Indonesia’s GDP growth from 5% to 8%, framing the program as both a social investment and a driver of economic development.

The program is estimated to cost over 450 trillion rupiah ($28 billion), a significant investment that Subianto insists the government can afford. “The calculations have been thoroughly done, and we are fully capable of implementing this extensive program,” he assured.

As Indonesia moves forward with this ambitious initiative, it not only aims to tackle malnutrition and stunting but also to lay the foundation for a healthier, more prosperous future for its children and the nation at large.