Schoolmilk in Indonesia

Indonesia developed the current unique approach to school milk in 1998 by cooperating with a local NGO, Yayasan Bina Putra Sejahtera, to access developmental aid funds from the United States Government. In 1999, Indonesia received 5000 tonnes of non fat milk powder (NFMP) from US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and launched the "Susu Sekolah" school milk programme in Java. A comprehensive de-worming programme ran parallel to the school milk programme to ensure that the children gained optimally from milk drinking.

The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Health supported the local NGO, that functioned both as an aid applicant and an administering body.

The success of the initial programme led to subsequent expanded cooperation with other US NGOs such as Land O’ Lakes and Mercy Corp International to develop new programmes. Fortified biscuits were added to the distribution. In 2002 chocolate flavoured soy drinks were added to the menu through the "Susu Kedelai" school-feeding programme, reaching 290,000 children in Sumatra at end of 2003.

Since 2005 the USDA-Land O’Lakes program has ended but the Soy milk program is still in progress targeting 240,000 children in Sumatra who receive soy milk three times a week. Local government funding has taken over some program funding in Java and Sumatra. The number of schools covered under the locally funded programmes are 1802 (April 2006), with 177.000 student of primary schools receiving milk on a regular basis.

Tetra Pak Indonesia has been working closely with the various school feeding programmes throughout the period. Enironmental education has been offered, and support has been given in crisis handling in connection with food scares.

(Model: Financed by foreign development aid and local governments and led by NGOs)

For more information please contact our Food development office