Following the successful implementation of the Build Our Kids' Success (BOKS) program in its first year, Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI), in partnership with schools and the government, announced that the program will continue until 2024, with the goal of reaching more children with physical activity and balanced nutrition education, said Saskia Rosita, Head of the Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) BOKS Program Team, in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday (December 9, 2022).
According to Rosita, in its first year of 2021, WVI successfully benefited 12,194 children in Jakarta (urban) and NTT (rural) with a total of 289 teachers and 51 elementary schools. Since its inception in Indonesia, the BOKS Program has aimed to encourage physical activity, balanced nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle through various engaging and enjoyable activities.
She continued, explaining that through the BOKS program, teachers and principals are equipped to facilitate and support regular physical activity for children, such as sports and fun games like icebreakers at the beginning or between lessons, as well as to revitalize the culture of gymnastics. BOKS also provides an understanding of balanced nutrition and daily food safety, and motivates students to bring and use water bottles. It is hoped that BOKS will contribute to achieving a healthy, strong, and independent generation of Indonesian children.
"Wahana Visi Indonesia is proud to support the creation of a healthy, safe, and enjoyable learning and play environment for children, especially after this pandemic. We hope that the BOKS program can be adopted and implemented in more schools across Indonesia so that more children can grow and develop holistically, that is, healthy, strong, and happy, both at school and at home. Of course, this can only be achieved if more parties join hands to make it happen," explained Rosita.
After two years of learning from home (BdR) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector in Indonesia is paying close attention to restoring children's enthusiasm for in-person schooling and optimizing their health and nutritional adequacy. Furthermore, WVI's 2022 research on 375 elementary school-aged children in Jakarta and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) also showed that only 40% of Indonesian children exercise for at least 60 minutes per day, according to WHO standards. Meanwhile, children in rural areas still have low levels of knowledge about nutritious food, Rosita explained.
In response to this situation, through Sun Life's 14 billion rupiah social investment to World Vision Canada, Wahana Visi Indonesia was entrusted with managing the BOKS program in Indonesia, totaling 4.65 billion rupiah for three years. This program aligns with the Healthy Schools campaign promoted by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, where two of its priorities are physical health and nutritional health, Rosita explained.
In its second year, the BOKS program targets an additional 50 schools and 10 assisted communities, and more than 10,800 children in Jakarta and East Nusa Tenggara will realize their right to be active and consume healthy food. Rosita concluded, "We hope this will contribute positively to the success of the Healthy Schools program and realize healthy, strong, and happy Indonesian children."