A health volunteer group in RW 4 Kadipaten Subdistrict, Kraton District, organized a toddler nutrition kitchen official launching on Thursday (12/11). The Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta Poerwati Soetji Rahajoe was involved in this event. The Head of the Kraton Sub-District, the Head of the Kraton Health Center, the Head of the Kadipaten Village and his staff, and the 3rd-period UGM SCS-CEL students Unit YO288 as the initiator of this activity also attended this event.
The official launching of the toddler nutrition kitchen was perceived as an effort to prevent Stunting and maintain the growth of toddlers, especially in RW 4, Kadipaten Kelurahan. This program gives insight into cooperation and sharing with those in need with the jargon “Ngluwihi Mbagehi”.
Poerwati Soetji Rahajoe also appreciated the effort to create a nutrition kitchen. She and other executives also hoped that this program would be sustainable for the long term so that students can assist the running program of nutrition kitchen until the Community Service Program ends.
“People who are included as the members of Healthy Volunteers can maintain their roles and functions optimally so that all toddlers in RW 4 of Kadipaten Village can grow healthily,” said Soetji Rahajoe.
According to Soetji, these toddlers are considered vulnerable groups because, eventually, they cannot meet their needs independently. The under-five children’s quality of life is closely associated with their family’s ability to buy good quality ingredients.
In the middle of this pandemic, there has been a decrease in people’s quality of life. Economic growth, which has experienced a significant decline, is one of the causes and has implications for the decline in under-five nutrition. If we do not prevent this, it may lead to a Stunting possibility.
“Stunting is a condition of failure of growth to children due to prolonged malnutrition, particularly in the first 1,000 days of life. Ministry of Health data for 2018 reveals 20 percent of children in the province of Yogyakarta Special Region suffer from Stunting. This failure can hinder brain growth. This condition is crucial because it can affect the children’s ability and achievement, hindering productivity and creativity that determine the child’s future,” she explained.
From this condition, RW 4 Posyandu cadres cooperated with PKK mothers to create Healthy Volunteers. Each volunteer was responsible for eight toddlers from birth to 60 months of age. They were required to observe toddlers’ development by recording body weight, height, head circumference, and upper arm circumference once a month.
Next, the data that have been collected were given to the Kraton Health Center. Unfortunately, there is no guideline for the mechanism of giving education and evaluation to families on child growth.
Therefore, five UGM SCS-CEL students, Alif Indiralarasati, Likuidita Yona, Gabriela Ivana, Brigitta Beata, and Bety Oktaviani, designed program brochures and conducted exclusive counseling with Healthy Volunteers. The counseling covers an evaluation process and education for families based on the KMS (Kartu Menuju Sehat), which belongs to each toddler, and follows WHO standards as guidelines for children’s growth.
“The introduction of children’s personalities and family socio-economic abilities is very necessary to determine problems related to toddler nutrition. At the final session, toddlers then got a healthy lunch box as a recommendation from the health ministry regarding nutritional balance,” said Alif Indiralarasati.
Socialization of Elderly Welfare
Meanwhile, the UGM SCS-CEL Period 3 Unit YO-288 organized welfare socialization for the elderly in Kampung Taman, Patehan Village, on Wednesday (14/11). The socialization was located at SMP Negeri 16 Yogyakarta, joined by the Chairperson of Kampung Taman, the Chairperson of the LPMK for Patehan Village, the PKK Representative for Kampung Taman, and the Youth Organization for Patehan Village
UGM SCS-CEL students organized this activity to improve their skills and knowledge in mentoring the elderly, including vulnerable groups. It was carried out in line with health protocols by providing a place for washing hands, wearing masks, checking the temperature, setting the distance with two-way circulation space, and limiting the number of participants.
Astri Wulandari, as an administrator of Fopperham NGO, an implementing agency for Yogyakarta Mayor Regulation Number 38 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Elderly Welfare, also attended this event as a resource person. In this opportunity, she delivered a message entitled “Meeting is Life Meaningful”.
Throughout this event, people might see how important the social aspect is in the welfare of the elderly, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to optimize our concerns for the elderly and implement health protocols at the same time.
Nando and Gustav were two students of the UGM Faculty of Medicine who initiated this program. Both of them also introduced non-stop “30 seconds of clapping” to the elderly as a simple physical activity.
Both of them also raised topics on awareness of degenerative diseases, physical activity suitable for the elderly, sleep disorders (insomnia) in the elderly, and elderly’s vulnerability to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We try to make it interesting and interactive by involving the participants, such as inviting them to sing the song ‘Lansia Sehat Bahagia’ by Dr. Proboseno,” added Nando.
Throughout this socialization, Nando hoped it could be possible to increase awareness of the importance of taking care of the elderly. Greeting the Elderly Movement and Optimizing the Elderly Commission is one of the attempts to accomplish elderly’s welfare while at the same time forming Yogyakarta City as a “Senior Friendly City”. In particular, they also hoped to motivate the younger generation to provide more support and care for the elderly in Kampung Taman, Patehan.
