Moilong and South Batui Districts, Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi — Strengthening stunting prevention at the community level requires more than health services, but also strong inter-village coordination, effective local leadership, and timely policy implementation at the grassroots level. In response to this need, the activity entitled “Koordinasi 14 Desa Prioritas JOB Tomori” was conducted as a structured coordination forum with village governments in the JOB Tomori priority intervention areas. The activity was implemented on 17, 19, and 20 December 2024, under the coordination framework of the field implementation team in collaboration with village stakeholders across Banggai Regency.
The purpose of this program was to strengthen communication between village governments and the JOB Tomori collaborative program team, particularly in supporting the implementation of the 2025 stunting prevention work plan. In addition, the activity aimed to identify operational challenges in village-level nutrition programs, assess coordination gaps in stunting interventions, and discuss the impact of delayed village fund disbursement on the effectiveness of health and nutrition activities in priority villages. Although the program was designed to reach 14 priority villages, field implementation successfully covered 12 villages. Two villages, Paisubuloli and Toili, were not visited due to scheduling constraints and the unavailability of village heads during the coordination period. The activity involved key local stakeholders, including village heads, village secretaries, village officials, village midwives, village cadres, and Posyandu cadres, reflecting strong cross-sectoral engagement in addressing child nutrition challenges at the community level.
Session focus: strengthening village-level coordination for stunting prevention and nutrition governance in priority rural communities.
During the coordination visits conducted by Prof. Veni together with the field implementation team, discussions focused on strengthening village-level stunting prevention planning, improving coordination mechanisms across institutions, and identifying barriers to program execution at the village level. One of the major issues highlighted was the delay in village fund disbursement, which significantly affected the continuity and timeliness of nutrition interventions. This constraint was identified as a critical bottleneck in ensuring effective implementation of stunting prevention programs in remote and rural communities
As a responsive solution, participants discussed the development of temporary bridging mechanisms, including the proposed “Bapak Asuh” program, in which community leaders, local entrepreneurs, and social stakeholders may provide interim support for children at risk of stunting while awaiting formal budget realization. This initiative reflects the importance of adaptive, community-driven solutions in addressing urgent nutrition challenges at the village level.
This activity contributes significantly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It directly supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, through strengthening community-based stunting prevention and child nutrition improvement. It also aligns with SDG 2: Zero Hunger, by addressing structural barriers to adequate nutrition access among vulnerable households. Furthermore, it contributes to SDG 1: No Poverty, as stunting is strongly associated with household economic vulnerability and limited access to basic needs. In addition, the activity supports SDG 4: Quality Education, through increased community awareness and capacity building on nutrition-sensitive development, and strongly reinforces SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through collaboration between village governments, JOB Tomori, health workers, Posyandu cadres, and academic–community field teams.
