Regular Free Meal Programme for Lecturers and Staff at UNISSULA

Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA) provides direct and practical food-support interventions to help prevent or alleviate hunger and food insecurity among members of staff.

During the 2025 reporting period, UNISSULA implemented a recurring Free Meal Programme for Lecturers and Staff, with meals provided every Tuesday and Friday within the university environment.

The programme provides ready-to-eat meals directly to lecturers and staff free of charge, helping ensure that employees have reliable access to food during working hours.

This recurring initiative forms part of UNISSULA’s broader commitment to employee welfare, social solidarity, and Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

Free Meals Every Tuesday and Friday

One of UNISSULA’s principal staff hunger interventions is the provision of free meals every Tuesday and Friday.

The programme is conducted regularly and provides direct access to meals without charge.

The intervention includes:

• free ready-to-eat meals;
• regular provision every Tuesday;
• regular provision every Friday;
• direct access for lecturers and staff;
• on-campus implementation; and
• recurring support throughout the working year.

Because the intervention is repeated twice each week, it provides predictable and continuing food support rather than being limited to a one-time or occasional activity.

Direct Food Support for Staff

The Free Meal Programme is designed to support university employees directly.

Beneficiaries include:

• lecturers;
• academic staff;
• administrative staff;
• non-academic staff; and
• other eligible university employees.

By providing meals directly and without charge, UNISSULA helps reduce the financial burden associated with daily food needs and supports staff welfare during working hours.

The programme therefore represents a direct and practical hunger intervention rather than relying solely on awareness campaigns or the general availability of food on campus.

On-Campus Accessibility

The programme is implemented within the UNISSULA campus environment.

This makes the intervention easily accessible to employees during working hours and enables lecturers and staff to receive meals without having to leave the university.

On-campus provision reduces practical barriers to food access and makes the programme suitable for regular staff welfare support.

Recurring and Continuous Intervention

The Free Meal Programme is not implemented as a one-time activity.

Free meals are provided on a recurring basis every:

• Tuesday; and
• Friday.

This regular schedule demonstrates a continuing institutional intervention to support staff access to food.

The repeated provision of meals throughout the year also strengthens the programme’s role as part of UNISSULA’s broader employee welfare system.

Food Support during the 2025 Reporting Period

The Free Meal Programme continued throughout the 2025 reporting year.

During 2025, UNISSULA maintained regular meal support for lecturers and staff through twice-weekly free food provision.

This continuity demonstrates that staff food support is integrated into university welfare practices rather than being limited to temporary or isolated activities.

Supporting Staff Welfare

UNISSULA recognises that adequate access to food contributes to employee health, well-being, and productivity.

Regular free meal provision supports staff by:

• reducing daily food expenses;
• improving access to meals during working hours;
• supporting employee well-being;
• strengthening social solidarity among staff; and
• contributing to a supportive working environment.

The programme therefore connects access to food with the university’s broader commitment to staff welfare and well-being.

Additional Social and Food-Support Mechanisms

The regular Tuesday and Friday Free Meal Programme is complemented by other forms of food and social support within UNISSULA.

Additional support may include:

• Ramadan food-sharing activities;
• free iftar meals;
• food packages;
• social assistance;
• LAZIS UNISSULA support;
• zakat, infaq, and sadaqah-based welfare assistance; and
• other humanitarian and basic-needs support programmes.

These additional mechanisms complement recurring meal provision and strengthen UNISSULA’s wider framework for supporting members of the university community who may experience financial or social difficulties.

LAZIS UNISSULA and Staff Welfare

LAZIS UNISSULA contributes to social protection and welfare through charitable-support mechanisms.

Through the management of zakat, infaq, sadaqah, and other charitable resources, assistance may be provided to members of the university community who require additional support.

For staff experiencing financial hardship, these mechanisms can complement direct meal provision by helping address broader basic-needs challenges.

Affordable Campus Food as Complementary Support

In addition to direct free-meal interventions, lecturers and staff also have access to affordable campus food services.

Campus food outlets provide meals and beverages at different price levels, allowing employees to select food according to their preferences and financial circumstances.

Campus food services also consider:

• nutritional quality;
• reasonable pricing;
• food variety;
• hygiene and safety;
• clean preparation and dining areas; and
• responsible waste management.

Affordable campus food therefore complements, but does not replace, the university’s direct hunger-intervention programmes.

Social Solidarity and Employee Well-Being

UNISSULA’s staff food-support initiatives reflect the university’s broader culture of social responsibility and mutual assistance.

The programme contributes to:

• social solidarity;
• employee welfare;
• collegial support;
• shared responsibility; and
• a caring university environment.

This approach is consistent with UNISSULA’s broader Budaya Akademik Islami (BudAI) values and institutional commitment to staff well-being.

Institutional Commitment to Staff Hunger Intervention

UNISSULA recognises that staff well-being includes access to basic daily needs, including food.

By maintaining recurring free-meal provision twice each week and complementing it with Ramadan food-sharing, welfare assistance, LAZIS support, and affordable campus food services, the university provides a practical framework for supporting staff food access.

This approach demonstrates that UNISSULA’s staff hunger intervention is based on direct, recurring, and accessible assistance rather than one-time food distribution alone.

Evidence of Implementation

UNISSULA’s staff hunger interventions are demonstrated through the following institutional evidence:

1. A recurring Free Meal Programme for lecturers and staff.
2. Free meals provided every Tuesday.
3. Free meals provided every Friday.
4. Lecturers, academic staff, administrative staff, and non-academic staff included as beneficiaries.
5. Ready-to-eat meals provided directly without charge.
6. On-campus delivery of food support.
7. Programme continuity throughout the 2025 reporting period.
8. Additional Ramadan food-sharing, iftar, food-package, and social-assistance mechanisms.
9. Support through LAZIS UNISSULA and other welfare programmes.
10. Affordable campus food access as a complementary support mechanism.