Every morning, the aroma of nutritious food wafts from the kitchen of the Rawaurip Village Head in Cirebon, West Java. The kitchen is used by members of the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) working hand in hand to prepare supplementary feeding (PMT) menus for toddlers as part of their concrete efforts to address stunting in the village.
The “Kangen Pangenan” Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), currently serving in Rawaurip Village, has been given the opportunity to help prepare the PMT alongside local health cadres.
“We are involved in preparing this supplementary food,” said Franzeska Sandrina Regita Cahyani, a student from the KKN Kangen Pangenan unit, on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025.
Cahyani explained that the PMT menus, which are served with balanced nutrition, such as boiled eggs, vegetable soup, or stir-fried vegetables, processed tempeh and tofu, chicken, and fish, complemented with fruits, offer hope to the villagers, especially the beneficiaries.
“The menu is adjusted to the nutritional needs of the children and guided by health cadres and nutrition officers from the local health center,” she said.
According to data collected by the KKN students, a total of 25 toddlers at risk of stunting have been designated as beneficiaries.
“These children are spread across more than four neighborhood blocks, such as Blok Pon A with four children, Blok Pon B with four children, Kalibangka with six children, and the rest located in each of the surrounding hamlets,” she explained.
Cahyani added that student involvement goes beyond cooking.
This activity also serves as an informal educational forum for parents.
Cadres participating in providing food often exchange information while distributing PMT, ranging from parenting practices, hygiene, and the importance of providing balanced nutrition, to broader topics such as current socio-political issues.
“This program has played a major role in increasing parental participation in Posyandu activities because of the attention given and the sense of empowerment it fosters. In addition, there has been an improvement in the weight and height of children previously categorized as at risk of stunting,” she said.
The spirit of mutual cooperation demonstrated by the PKK team is a tangible example that significant change can begin from the village kitchen.
Simple actions such as cooking together and caring about children’s nutrition have proven to have a great impact on the future of the younger generation.
“Stunting prevention starts with food. If we can cook nutritious meals every day, God willing, children will grow up healthy,” said Siti, one of the PKK members.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: UGM KKN ‘Kangen Pangenan’ Team