Enhancing Nutritional Quality for Children Survivors of the Cianjur Earthquake: Human Initiative and XM Indonesia Host Cooking Class for Mothers

Cianjur, West Java – In 2023, tackling stunting remains a significant challenge for Indonesia, despite a decrease in stunting rates from the previous year. To support the government’s efforts in addressing stunting and improving children’s nutritional quality, Human Initiative collaborated with the goodness of XM Indonesia to organize a cooking class for mothers who are survivors of the Cianjur earthquake in Gasol Village, Cugenang Subdistrict, Cianjur Regency, West Java.

The collaboration was realized through the implementation of the Sahabat Gizi Kita (SAGITA) program in the form of a series of nutritional education activities. Participants, consisting of mothers with toddlers aged 12 to 60 months, received nutritional education. This comprehensive education was delivered directly by Nutrition Facilitators, Ade Irma 2 Posyandu Chairwoman, and Posyandu cadre members. The activity series took place from August 2-3 for baseline surveys, cooking class on August 5-6, nutritional education on August 9, interspersed with the distribution of Supplementary Feeding (PMT).

The most engaging part of this nutritional education was the cooking practice integrated into the cooking class activity. Held from August 5 to 6, 2023, the education engaged mothers in preparing food together to address children who experience difficulty in eating. The menus they cooked together on August 5, 2023, included tempeh pudding and rice balls. On the following day, August 6, 2023, mothers learned to make sweet corn porridge.

Empowering Cianjur Earthquake Survivor Mothers through Knowledge Enhancement

“Through providing healthy food packages, conducting cooking classes, and nutritional education, Human Initiative and XM Indonesia hope that mothers become more empowered and skilled. Our aim is to increase the knowledge of mothers about nutrition so they can serve healthy menus for their children,” said Dalila Alifia, Nutrition Facilitator at Human Initiative.

In addition to these activities, Human Initiative and XM Indonesia also included the promotion of 10 Household PHBS (Clean and Healthy Living) Indicators. Some of the key points conveyed by Human Initiative include encouraging safe childbirth attended by healthcare professionals, exclusive breastfeeding, monthly weighing of infants and toddlers, washing hands with clean water and soap, engaging in physical activity every day, consuming fruits and vegetables daily, eradicating mosquito breeding sites at home, using clean water, using proper sanitation facilities, and not smoking indoors.

“As part of our commitment as a humanitarian organization, mothers will receive Supplementary Feeding in each nutritional education session. This way, mothers can immediately put their knowledge into practice and no longer believe that nutritious food is expensive,” she continued.

The food items that mothers take home after each educational session include eggs, boneless chicken fillet, tempeh, mung beans, potatoes, carrots, and chayote squash. On the last day, mothers receive Supplementary Feeding with a different menu combination. This menu includes eggs, tempeh, carrots, scallions, oranges, and UHT milk.