Paringin, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Balangan's various hard work in colaboration with Adaro Group to reduce the problems of stunting have finally paid off. The prevalence has reduced from 52 to 32 percent.
The Provincial Government of South Kalimantan has then awarded Balangan as the best in reducing stunting at the 2024 Provincial Development Planning Forum (Musrenbang) in Banjarbaru, Thursday.
Balangan Regent H Abdul Hadi, who welcomed the award, immediately expressed his appreciation for Adaro's contribution.
"Adaro's CSR contribution to the stunting program is quite large. Alhamdulillah, Balangan's stunting rate has dropped to 32 percent," said Balangan Regent, Saturday.
In the implementation of acceleration program to reduce stunting in 2022, Adaro Group through its subsidiaries, namely PT Adaro Indonesia, Balangan Coal Companies, PT Saptaindra Sejati, and the Adaro Bangun Negeri Foundation (YABN) contributed to the handling of pregnant women, stunted babies under 2 years, and breastfeeding mothers in Balangan.
Adaro collaborated with the Balangan government through the Balanting (stands for Balangan fights against stunting) Working Group as an effort to reduce cases in 'Bumi Sanggam' (Balangan's nickname).
Related news: Adaro Group focuses on handling stunting in 28 villages
Head Division of External Relations & GA Balangan Coal Group Thoha even became one of the foster parents for stunted children as a private commitment to reduce stunting and to support the regency government in optimizing empowerment of its cadres.
Head of PT Adaro Energy Indonesia CSR Department Zuraida Murdia Hamdie expounded that the intervention was to ensure more children are free from the risk of stunting in their first 1,000 days of life as the best investment.
"Once this critical period of early life is passed well, children will be able to grow and develop optimally, this is a prerequisite for achieving Adaro's CSR goal of creating a post-mining community that is competitive, independent and sustainable," Zuraida said.
She also expressed her appreciation for the seriousness of the Balangan government, thus they won this achievement.
In the implementation, Adaro focuses on improving the health status of stunting toddlers and pregnant women, achieving the 5 pillars of community-based total sanitation targets with the availability of access to local food security at the household level, and facilitating the targets to have BPJS Health.
"Adaro carries the concept of empowerment and behavior change in the community and was in line with the Balangan government's program," explained Marthina Jessica Timisela, as the Stunting Program Facilitator from YABN.
The village cadres and facilitators also received training so that they could provide assistance to the program targets.
Adaro also provides stimulant assistance in the form of supplementary intake, namely eggs, milk, vitamins, for 3 to 5 months to the targets accompanied by daily assistance by cadres to record health developments and ensure supplement is consumed effectively and appropriately.
Jessica added that Adaro also provided vegetable seedlings to the target and together with the puskesmas conducted a survey.
Read also: Balangan Coal trains farmer groups through field school
Read also: Adaro Go Digital MSMEs launched in Tabalong
