Program Generasi Sihat
Programme Generasi Sihat (PGS) aims to address malnutrition and stunted growth among urban poor kindergarten children in Taman Medan Cahaya via affordable healthy food alternatives and through food and nutritional education for the entire community, including parents, teachers and community members. A study done has found that almost 50% of children in the target area suffer from stunted growth and malnutrition.
The rationale behind the Programme is the recognition that young children, especially the urban poor, are at risk of malnutrition which can prevent them from achieving optimal growth and development. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of child malnutrition through nutrition education and the provision of healthy food.
BACKGROUND
The PGS implementation team and expert partners are targeting children aged 5-6 years, their parents and teachers at Tabika Kemas Sri Melati for the period May 2024 - May 2025 (one year - according to the school schedule). We intend to implement a daily nutrition program that is highly nutritious, balanced and has an educational component to encourage children, parents, young people and teachers towards adopting better long-term eating habits.
PGS, which is a pilot program, is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations which is also contained in the 12th Malaysia Plan and is a key component of Madani Malaysia. This program includes SDG Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being; SDG Goal 4 – Quality Education; SDG Goal 8 – Decent Work and SDG Goal 10 – Reducing Inequality. These goals are interrelated and mandatory to initiate long-term behavioral change in health; as well as providing our educational institutions with the sustainable and necessary ecosystem to support children, parents and teachers.
However, this program is aware that these groups are affected by economic challenges, from low income to daily rising commodity prices, which complicates their ability to provide nutritious food for their families. We believe that reducing malnutrition and stunted growth in order to create a healthy community should be done in tandem with efforts to explore income opportunities for a community. It is therefore equally important to expose the community to economic options and opportunities in order to pave the way for the progress of the community in building a better life for young children, youth and for themselves as parents.
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METHODOLOGY
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Consultation with key stakeholders, including, KEMAS Petaling, children, teachers and parents of Tabika Kemas Sri Melati to reach consensus and build understanding on the direction, goals and results of the program.
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Tabika Kemas Anggerik is suggested as a control nursery for comparison purposes at the end of the year.
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Engagement with teachers and assistants throughout the program to deal with costs for a healthy diet, as well as taking into account the constraints of urban poor communities.
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Involve parents to encourage them to take up nutritional and healthy lifestyle changes and to further influence the student's home environment with regards to healthy living.
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Conduct learning session regularly, with the aim of improving the project to achieve its goals and results.
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Prepare year-end reports to be presented to KEMAS, and all stakeholders.
