Logo WhiteLogo Green
ENBH

  • The Importance of Evidence-based Initiatives in Stunting Prevention

    The Importance of Evidence-based Initiatives in Stunting Prevention

    Proper data is vital to understanding and solving problems, which is why an evidence-based approach is one of Tanoto Foundation’s three guiding principles, alongside a focus on impact and achieving results through partnership.

    So the first thing that Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, did after deciding to support the Indonesian government’s drive to reduce stunting was to look for accurate data.

    Information on the nutritional status of children under five is currently available at the national, provincial and district levels, based on the 2018 Basic Health Research conducted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Health. To complement this data, Tanoto Foundation is working closely with the SMERU Research Institute to develop a map of the nutritional status of children under five at the sub-district and village levels.

    The mapping will be carried out in seven districts included in 514 national priority districts for stunting reduction, namely Kutai Kartanegara (East Kalimantan), Rokan Hulu (Riau), North Lombok and West Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara), Pandeglang (Banten), West Pasaman (West Sumatra), and Garut (West Java). The findings from this mapping will be used to assist the government in developing a behavior change communication strategy for stunting prevention, which is one of the five pillars of the national strategy for the acceleration of stunting prevention.

    Tanoto Foundation also provides grants to Alive & Thrive, a global nutrition initiative to save lives, prevent illness and ensure healthy growth and development through improved maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practice. The collaboration aims to help the government through the study ‘Exploring Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition & Early Childhood Development Practices in Indonesia’ conducted in 2019 to find practical recommendations related to communication for behavioral change regarding feeding for infants and children.

    The study, which was conducted in six districts in Indonesia in South Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Sumatra and West Java, provided recommendations to the Government in developing communication strategies for social change and behaviors related to breastfeeding, complementary feeding, maternal nutrition, and early childhood development.

    “In achieving a broader impact of our programs, we are collaborative, impact-oriented, and data-driven as our way of working,”

    Global CEO of Tanoto Foundation, J. Satrijo Tanudjojo.

    “In helping the Government to accelerate stunting prevention, we partnered with the SMERU Institute and Alive & Thrive to conduct studies as a basis for taking appropriate steps to reduce the burden of stunting, and ensure Indonesian children can lead healthy and productive lives. This study also led us to find more effective and efficient ways to support the government of Indonesia reducing the national stunting rate to below 20 per cent in 2024.”

    KZTC

    ,

  • Achieving SDGs in the New Normal: How to Enter the Decade of Action

    Achieving SDGs in the New Normal: How to Enter the Decade of Action

    This year should have been the beginning of a decade of concrete action to achieve targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. However, these ambitious targets now face a significant setback due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world.

    The latest UN Sustainable Development Report 2020 indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to cause severe negative impacts on most SDGs, specifically SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG 2 (ending hunger), SDG 3 (achieving health and prosperity) and SDG 8 (full employment and economic growth).

    The SDG Academy Indonesia – a collaborative initiative among the UN Development Program (UNDP), Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, and the National Development Planning Ministry (PPN/Bappenas) – is a capacity-building program to build expertise between both government and non-government actors in implementing the SDGs at a local level.

    Read more in the article Achieving SDGs in the New Normal: How to enter the decade of action first published in The Jakarta Post.

    KZTC

    ,

  • Creative Idea from Tanoto Scholars to Help Community on Stunting Prevention

    Creative Idea from Tanoto Scholars to Help Community on Stunting Prevention

    Written by Arini Dina Yasmin, Tanoto Scholar from Brawijaya University

    We are a team of eight students of Brawijaya University, three of whom are Tanoto Scholars: Adam Syarif Hidayatullah, Ismelia Novitasari, and myself, Arini Dina Yasmin, developing an educational stunting prevention smartphone app called SMAOTHER (Smart Mother).

    The idea to create SMAOTHER came from Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981. While participating in Tanoto Foundation training activities, we listened to presentations about their various programs to improve human capital development in Indonesia.

    One of Tanoto Foundation’s areas of focus is contributing to the prevention of stunting in Indonesia. We looked more deeply into stunting, and it turns out the problem is very serious and complex in Indonesia. The stunting figure is still quite high in the country – around 27.7 per cent – according to the 2019 survey data from the Ministry of Health.

    This inspired us to make an app to educate people on stunting prevention. We wanted to get involved and do something to help improve the quality of human resources in Indonesia.

    We began the process of creating the app in March 2019. It took about two months of hard work to complete it. Each team member had a role in developing the app – data collection, content creation, or the technical process of making the app itself.

    We often had to work late during that time. We even worked until dawn in the days nearing the deadline. Since starting the project, we were determined to spend time on it with the notion that we were going to create something that would be beneficial to the nation. As young people, we feel the need to be involved and offer solutions to existing issues. We can’t just stand idly by.

    Our SMAOTHER application has several features. First, it contains educational information about stunting. It also contains news and tips on maternal and child health. The app features information about pregnancy and fetal development according to age, which users can use to compare with their own pregnancies.

    SMAOTHER also allows users who have children below five years old to input their biodata (including the child’s age and weight) which will be sent directly to their nearest Posyandu (Child Health Centre) so that the centre can monitor the child’s health.

    We are proud because our efforts have been recognised at several regional forums. In June 2019, our team won the gold medal in the education application category at the 2019 Young Inventors Exhibition (WYIE) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 2019 WYIE was attended by participants from 11 countries, including Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Qatar, Australia and China.

    Right now, we are planning to further develop SMAOTHER by releasing it to the public. We hope this small step can help the government in preventing stunting in Indonesia.

    KZTC

    ,