Nutrients requirement is important for the first 1000 days of a child for them to be able to grow well. Lack of nutrients will affect their health and intelligence. Unfortunately, awareness on the importance of nutrients is still low among mothers. Not a few cases of malnutrition have been found at this golden moment.
Concerned with this condition, five UGM students: Eria Riski Artanti and Melinda Diah Asmoro (Nursing Sciences), Aprilia Ayu Sholihati Nafisah (Nutrition and Health), Nisrina Maulida Rozanti (Medical Education) and Yuni Rahmawati (Midwifery), were trying to raise awareness on nutrient requirement for a child. They empower 30 cadres of public health service groups to socialise this issue. The people are from Toragan, Gansekan, and Kalongan hamlets in Sleman regency.
Erika said they made this movement as they had been inspired by the Indonesian heroine on women’s emancipation, Kartini. “The story of Kartini has inspired us to continue her movement by empowering women to be at the forefront to succeed the nutrients programme for the first 1000 days of a child,” she said on Friday (22/4) on campus.
The five students joining a student community service programme raised the theme of the first 1000 days of a child, which is a government programme to generate a qualified generation. It aims to generate a healthy generation by fulfilling the nutrients requirement for the 270 days into pregnancy and 730 days after birth.
There are four programmes for the student’s group: the first 1000 pre-natal days, the first 1000 post-natal days, nutrient importance in the first 1000 days, and ideal concept of public health service group. During the project, the students give guidance, including cooking baby food, workshop on breastfeeding and antropometry measurement. “We also educate the people directly door to door,” she added.
To run this programme, the students also invited Dr. dr. Emy Huriyati, M.Kes., from Indonesian Medical Nutrition Society (PDGMI). The people apparently welcomed the programme initiated by the students.