EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FOOD SELF-RELIANCE SCHOOL MODEL IN STRENGTHENING HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AS A STRATEGY FOR STUNTING PREVENTION AT DESA OINLASI, KABUPATEN TIMOR TENGAH SELATAN

Abstract

Stunting remains one of the major human development challenges in Indonesia, particularly in regions characterized by high poverty rates and low household food security. Efforts to reduce stunting have predominantly focused on health interventions, while the integration of nutrition literacy, local resource utilization, and community economic empowerment into a comprehensive intervention model has received limited attention. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the Food Self-Reliance School Model in improving nutrition literacy, strengthening household food security, and enhancing community economic empowerment in Oinlasi Village, South Central Timor Regency, Indonesia. The study employed a mixed-methods approach using a one-group pretest-posttest evaluative design. Data were collected through observations, interviews, documentation, and pretest-posttest assessments involving 32 participants, consisting of teachers, students, parents, and community health volunteers (Posyandu cadres). The program included nutrition education, school garden development, home garden utilization, household-scale fish farming, and training on local food processing. The findings revealed that the program improved participants' nutrition literacy with an N-Gain score of 0.60 (moderate category), expanded the utilization of home gardens, increased household food diversification, and promoted value-added food processing based on home garden products. The integration of nutrition education, food production, and community economic empowerment contributed positively to strengthening household food security and encouraging healthier dietary behaviors within the community. The Food Self-Reliance School Model can be considered a promising community empowerment approach for strengthening household food security and supporting accelerated stunting prevention strategies in rural areas.