Balikpapan Regional ToT Strengthens Kalimantan’s Readiness for the Free Nutritious Meals Programme

As part of efforts to strengthen regional implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, training of trainers (ToT) for the Kalimantan region was held from Wednesday to Saturday, 25–28 February 2026. The activity brought together 41 participants from provinces across Kalimantan.

The Kalimantan Regional ToT in Balikpapan was an important opportunity to establish a shared understanding across provinces of MBG implementation, particularly nutrition standards, food safety, implementation in educational institutions and nutrition education.

Participants represented provincial health offices, Pusat Pengendalian Lingkungan Hidup Kalimantan, Balai Besar POM and Balai POM, provincial offices of Kementerian Agama, provincial education offices, Balai Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan (BPMP), regional heads of Badan Gizi Nasional, and regional branches of Persatuan Ahli Gizi Indonesia (PERSAGI). This participation shows that MBG implementation requires strong coordination so that regions work within a shared standards framework rather than in isolation.

Participants strengthened their understanding of three main modules:

1. Nutrition Standards and Food Safety for Food Handlers at Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG);
2. Training Module on MBG Programme Implementation in Education Units;
3. Nutrition Education Module for the Free Nutritious Meals Programme in Education Units.

Together, these modules provide an important foundation for comprehensive MBG implementation. They address both the nutritional adequacy of meals received by students and the safe, hygienic and standards-compliant production, handling and distribution of food. Nutrition education is also strengthened so that the programme builds understanding and healthy eating habits in schools as well as distributing meals.

The training was delivered in a spirit of collaboration through Center of Excellence Pemenuhan Gizi Nasional (CoE-PGN), a cooperation platform involving Bappenas, Badan Gizi Nasional, IPB University and UNICEF. This collaboration helps ensure that the official training modules provide consistent technical guidance for facilitators across Indonesia.

Strengthening regional facilitators is particularly significant in Kalimantan. The region faces distinctive challenges in food distribution, the availability of local protein sources and quality oversight across varied geographical conditions, including relatively remote areas. The training was therefore designed to strengthen theoretical understanding and equip participants to adapt the application of standards to their local contexts.

Throughout the activity, participants attended presentations, discussions and in-depth module sessions designed to strengthen their facilitation capacity. Participants are expected to generate a multiplier effect by passing on their knowledge and skills to educators in educational institutions and food handlers at SPPG, supporting more effective, systematic and sustainable implementation.

The Kalimantan Regional ToT also emphasised that MBG’s success depends on both food availability and a system capable of maintaining food safety, nutritional adequacy and long-term programme sustainability. The programme is thus expected to provide direct benefits to students while investing in the health, intelligence and productivity of future generations.

Through this activity, regional facilitators in Kalimantan are expected to be better prepared to support coordinated, measurable and accountable MBG implementation across provinces. The cross-sector capacity developed through this ToT is an important step towards quality, equitable and sustainable implementation, supporting a healthy, intelligent and capable generation towards Golden Indonesia 2045.