Preventing Malnutrition and Stunting through Workshop, Sharing Session, and FGD: “Let’s Fight the Stunting Monster”

(Writer: Wenny Yosselina; Editor: Tan Lai Yong)

Picture 1 Event participants

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, Building F of WidyatamaUniversity became a warm meeting point between public health, participatory art, and the disability community. For approximately two and a half hours, the event titled “Let’s Fight the Stunting Monster” featured a sharing session, a participatory comic workshop, and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with parents.

This event was part of a Tanoto Foundation alumni community project in collaboration with illustrator and visual researcher Wenny Yosselina as the initiator. The project involved two special needs schools in Bandung: PKBM Puspa Terang Nusantara (PKBM Puspa) and Art Therapy CenterWidyatama (ATC Widyatama). A total of 20 students aged 7–21 participated in the comic workshop, accompanied by seven teachers from both institutions. In addition, six parents took part in an open and reflective FGD session. The event startedwith remarks from ATC Widyatama's mentor, Ms. Sri Juniati. This was followed by the event chair, Wenny Yosselina, who is also a graphic design instructor at ATC Widyatama.

The event specifically featured Dr. Tan Lai Yong from the National University of Singapore (NUS), who also serves as a partner of the Tanoto Foundation and has lots of experience volunteering in remote areas of Eastern Indonesia. His presence at Widyatama University opened opportunities for potential international collaboration in the future.

Picture 2 Board members (left to right: Ms Sri Juniati-ATC, dr. Tan Lai Yong-NUS,

Ms Devi Sumarno-PKBM Puspa, Wenny Yosselina-ATC, Firli Herdiana-ATC)

Bridging Two Social Issues

This project originated from two distinct yet interconnected social challenges.

The first issue concerns stunting and malnutrition, which remain significant challenges in various regions of Indonesia. The country continues to face a double burden of malnutrition. The prevalence of stunting (chronic malnutrition) remains at 21.6% (Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey/SSGI 2022), while wasting (acute malnutrition) also poses a serious threat.

Interestingly, the issue does not always stem from a lack of nutritious food sources. In regions such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), for example, fish resources are abundant and rich in protein. However, ineffective health education often leads communities to sell their fish rather than consume it themselves.

During the sharing session, Dr. Tan emphasized that the core problem often lies not in access, but in the approach to education,one that is insufficiently relevant and not grounded in the local context. One-directional and non-contextual health education struggles to reach the lived realities of communities.

The second issue relates to the disability community, particularly young artists. They frequently face stigma suggesting that their artwork is appreciated out of sympathy rather than artistic merit. In reality, their creative potential is immense. Through this project, students with disabilities were given the opportunity to produce professional-quality work and contribute to broader national issues. Disability art should not be limited to conversations about disability itself; it can also serve as a medium for social change.

Comics as a Participatory Medium

Comics were chosen as the primary medium due to the power of visual narratives, which are accessible and appealing to children. With seven years of experience designing picture books with the disability community, the project initiator recognized the strong potential of comics as a bridge for cross-cultural and cross-regional communication.

During the session, Dr. Tan shared his personal story. As a child, he and his older brother were once diagnosed as stunted. The doctor advised consuming meat and chicken as sources of protein. However, due to financial constraints, this recommendation was difficult for the family to follow. A nurse later bridged the communication and suggested more affordable alternatives, such as vegetables and anchovies as protein sources. Gradually, their condition improved.

This story highlighted the importance of empathetic communication and context-sensitive solutions.

To explain the importance of nutritional balance, Dr. Tan used an analogy involving two balls: a ping pong ball and a golf ball. The golf ball bounced higher because it was denser, like a child who receives sufficient protein. However, when submerged in water, the golf ball sank because it was too heavy, while the ping pong ball floated. The message was clear: optimal growth requires balance, neither deficiency nor excess.

Photographs from Kei Island further enriched the discussion. Dr. Tan showed images of children experiencing stunting despite living in areas abundant in fish and marine resources. The cause was an imbalanced diet dominated by instant noodles.

In his sharing session, Dr. Tan stated:

“Kei Island has abundant fresh fish and vegetables, yet all the children are stunted. Why? Because they prefer eating instant noodles. Morning, afternoon, night, instant noodles.Your task is to make them interested in nutritious food. Create good drawings, use appropriate methods, and language that everyone can understand.”

At the end of the session, Dr. Tan used a caterpillar puppet as a metaphor for the project. The head represented the workshop—the drawing and creative process. The tail symbolized the dissemination of the comics to regions with high stunting rates. The entire caterpillar represented a long, interconnected project. Without the head, it cannot move. Without the tail, it is incomplete.

After the sharing session, a workshop was held and the children began drawing comics. The comics would be made from a series of drawings, so one complete comic would consist of drawings by 2-4 different participants and be laid out into a meaningful comic. The comic tells the story of a stunting monster that attacks children, causing them to not grow optimally and become sickly. Then comes the nutrition hero who will eradicate the stunting monster with practical steps that children can do, such as washing hands and eating nutritious food and reducing unhealthy foods like instant noodles and sugar. There were also several children who drew things they liked, such as whales, Trans7 advertisements and transportation. As a creative process, these images will also be processed into visual assets to be displayed in the final comic.

Picture 3 Comic workshop (left: Kenzo-participant form PKBM Puspa, right: Mufrih artwork-participant from ATC)

Parents’ Reflections in the FGD

Picture 4 FGD session with dr Tan Lai Yong and parents

The FGD session provided a safe space for parents to share their concerns. Questions extended beyond children’s socialization to issues of control, communication, and expectations.

One father asked how to support a child who refuses to socialize. Dr. Tan emphasized patience and allowing time to work. He shared his personal experience of camping with his son and gradually inviting friends to create a comfortable social environment.

Another question addressed children who are withdrawn and reluctant to share stories or artwork. The response focused on acceptance. Not all children need to be open at all times. As long as they are developing well and remain safe, parents can learn to respect their child’s personal space.

When a mother expressed a strong desire to control her child’s behaviour, Dr. Tan responded honestly that fully controlling children is impossible. He even shared how his own son sometimes raised his voice when being advised, something that is human in parent-child relationships.

One participant questioned why Dr. Tan’s answers did not provide direct, concrete solutions. He explained that what works for one family may not work for another. Offering a single formulaic solution could burden parents if it fails. Therefore, he chose to share experiences as reflections rather than prescriptions.

The Next Steps

This workshop marks not an end, but a beginning. The next phase involves developing the comics created by the students and distributing them through community health centers(puskesmas) in rural areas across Indonesia, particularly in regions with high stunting rates. These comics are expected to serve as grounded, communicative, and child-friendly educational tools.

This pilot project was made possible through the collaboration of many parties: Dr. Tan Lai Yong, Mrs. Nunik (Supervisor of ATC Widyatama), Mr. Firli (Director of ATC), Mrs. Devi Sumarno (Head of PKBM Puspa), teachers, volunteers, parents, and enthusiastic students.

Through this creative initiative, art, health, and community converge in a shared movement. May this small step contribute to a larger transformation. Let us become heroes for our own bodies and for a healthier Indonesian generation.