Foto: Having delivered her fourth child last November, Pancoran local Mila Safitri (29) is one of our nutrition kit beneficiaries
JAKARTA – Behind the towering buildings of southern Jakarta, lies a reality far from the city’s glitz and glamor. For many urban settlers, daily life isn’t what they dreamed back home.
This is a lived experience for Mila Safitri (29), who had her fourth child last November. The Warung Buncit local spends her days struggling with chores and childcare duties as her husband makes ends meet through ride-hailing.
Busy and lacking a proper diet, Mila — as she’s called — was diagnosed with chronic energy deficiency (CED) during her latest pregnancy. CED is defined as a nutritional issue stemming from long-term imbalance of energy intake and expenditure and is most commonly found among fertile and pregnant women.
Marked by a mid-upper arm circumference below 23.5 cm, this condition may result in long and taxing labor, premature birth, bleeding during delivery, and increased risks of anemia and maternal death.
Amid this alarming situation, the Pancoran Puskesmas (local term for state-run health centers) and Korindo Foundation came through with a six-month “nutrition kit” or food basket program. Each kit included milk and nutrient-rich ingredients to meet pre-partum nutritional needs.
“This kit had been especially useful in getting my weight up from what used to be below average. (After I began the program,) I also saw my arm size increasing above average levels,” said Mila.
Expectant mothers with low weight or CED need additional energy of 500 kcal/day from nutrient and animal-protein-dense foods, said Hilga Tiara Dewi, who serves as a nutritionist at Pancoran Puskesmas.
“Pregnant individuals with normal nutritional status will need around 180-300 calories per day, but those with CED require up to 500 calories. Ideally, this additional energy should come from a diet high in nutrients and animal protein.”
Photo: Puskesmas staff monitor mother and baby health pre- and postpartum
Yet, Hilga is aware that working alone couldn’t solve all the challenges surrounding national development and community needs.
The more stakeholders are involved through cross-sector partnerships, the more mothers are helped and benefit from better health outcomes.
“Nutrition kits are one effective way to prevent stunting, especially if provided regularly. It’s also a [good] indicator of nutritional status change,” Hilga added.
Mila is one of many whose nutritional status has improved through Korindo Foundation’s strategic collaboration, demonstrating that multi-stakeholder synergy can deliver sustained, effective nutrition interventions and health impacts for mothers and children.
This work has allowed Korindo Foundation to provide targeted, life-enhancing social initiatives. (PR)
