Children Are No Longer Stunted Thanks to Nutrition Posts

Stunting is a pressing issue that has garnered significant attention from both the government and Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI). Children who suffer from stunting experience stunted growth, not only physically but also in their brain and intelligence. This is why WVI implements various programs to reduce stunting rates in Indonesia, one of which is through Nutrition Posts. 

Ibu Mamik, the mother of a 3-year-old boy named Fikri, is a beneficiary of WVI's support program and also a Nutrition Post cadre in the Simokerto area of Surabaya. She has gained a wealth of knowledge through her involvement as a cadre. 

"When Fikri was younger, his weight was still very low. As it turned out, Fikri had been unwilling to try new foods since he was a child. He wouldn't eat rice at all until he was 18 months old. As a parent, I was very worried because he was really hard to get to eat," she recounted. 

Ibu Mamik then received food assistance from WVI through the Surabaya Nourishing Meals (SNM) project. It turned out that one of the foods provided, noodles, was liked by her son Fikri. This then made her even more enthusiastic and involved as a Nutrition Post cadre. At the Nutrition Post, Ibu Mamik received training on how to prepare nutritious and delicious food for children. In addition, she was also happy because at the Nutrition Post, she met many other mothers, shared experiences, and found that other parents also had similar experiences. She felt that she was not alone and could share with each other. 

"I remember very clearly when we learned to cook at the Nutrition Post. But not only that, WVI also invited nutritionists. From there I gained a lot of new knowledge. The nutritionist asked me to find out why Fikri didn't like to eat. I also just learned that in child growth, not only food is important, but parenting and sleep patterns are also very important," she continued. 

Ibu Mamik feels that the Nutrition Post activities are very useful and beneficial. This program has also changed her, especially changing her parenting style and how she prepares food. Fikri used to only like eggs and was only made fried eggs. But now Ibu Mamik is more creative in preparing food for Fikri. She learned to add other nutrients such as carrots, mushrooms, and others to the eggs that Fikri likes to make them more nutritious. "I learned that food doesn't have to be expensive. Food can be cheap, but the most important thing is that it is complete in nutrition for our children," she said. 

"Alhamdulillah after joining the Nutrition Post, I gained knowledge and practiced it for my own child. And before, my child who only wanted to eat one menu, now my child eats more variations. Plus the food support from WVI, my child now wants to try any food, and alhamdulillah his weight has increased," said Ibu Mamik happily. 

Author: Yuventa (Head of Public Engagement and Communications unit) 

Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)