Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Staff Hunger Interventions
The Maldives National University > Sustainability 2025 > SDG 2 > Staff Hunger Interventions

The Maldives National University (MNU) provides free food to staff through official functions, ceremonies, academic activities and community events held across the University and its faculties. These activities include internal and external scholarship awarding ceremonies, public lectures such as the Fahi Mustagbal Visiting Lectures and student lectures, the Ilmy Foavehi series, faculty and University-level conferences such as the Theveli International Conference, memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremonies, and academic symposiums organised by various faculties and central administrative departments. MNU also provides food during community engagement events, including Fahi Sihathu and Vara Expo activities hosted at the University and faculty levels. Through these arrangements, staff have opportunities to access food provided as part of the University’s institutional, academic and community activities.

Food provision at these events offers a practical way of supporting staff access to meals during University functions and activities. By making food available to staff from these events, MNU helps ensure that catering arrangements serve the wider University community. These activities also provide an opportunity to promote a supportive campus environment in which food resources are made available to staff rather than being unnecessarily discarded. The provision of food through official and community events forms part of MNU’s broader approach to managing catering arrangements and making effective use of resources.

Distribution of Surplus Food from Catered Events

The Maldives National University (MNU) redistributes suitable surplus food remaining after catering activities, ceremonies, conferences, symposiums and other official functions among staff at its campuses. Rather than allowing all remaining food to go to waste, the University makes it available for staff consumption where appropriate. This practice helps extend the use of prepared food beyond the original event, supports staff access to food, and reduces the amount of edible food discarded following catering activities. The redistribution of suitable surplus food also encourages greater awareness of responsible food management and the importance of making efficient use of food resources.

Through staff food provision and the redistribution of suitable surplus catering, MNU demonstrates practical efforts to support its staff community while minimising avoidable food waste. These activities provide opportunities to strengthen responsible catering practices across the University and encourage more effective planning, preparation and distribution of food at institutional events. Continued documentation of these activities, including the number of events, quantities of food redistributed and staff reached, would help MNU assess the scale of its support, demonstrate the benefits of its approach and identify further opportunities to improve food resource management across its campuses.

Theveli 2025 International Conference 

During the four-day Theveli 2025 International Conference, the Maldives National University provided free meals to approximately 80 staff members and 30 students involved in the catering events managed by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies. The meal arrangements included breakfast, lunch and evening tea each day, ensuring regular food provision for those engaged in supporting the conference activities. In total, approximately 110 staff and students benefited from these meal arrangements throughout the event period. This initiative supported the well-being of the staff and students, ensured they were adequately catered for during their duties, and demonstrated the MNU’s commitment to promoting food accessibility and welfare within the university community.

Vara Expo 2025

Students from the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (FHTS) participated in VARA Expo 2025 on 17 November2025, gaining valuable hands-on hospitality experience. In the Skills Zone, they demonstrated professional fine-dining table setup and engaged visitors in interactive table-setting activities. 

Through the Market Zone canteen stall,students gained practical exposure to food preparation, service, customer interaction and daily operations. The activities strengthened their teamwork, communication, customer service and resource management skills. All staff working in the VARA expo were given free food from the canteen.

Fahi Sih’hath 2025

Students from the Advanced Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism programme at theFaculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (FHTS), The Maldives National University(MNU), volunteered to provide food and beverage services at the Fahisih’hath event. The event aimed to raise awareness of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) andpromote healthier lifestyleswithin the community. Through their involvement, students applied their hospitality knowledge and service skills while supporting a meaningful public health initiative. The experience strengthened their teamwork, communication, service delivery and event support skills. This initiative connected classroom learning with practical experience while promotingcommunityengagement and social responsibility. FHTS continues to encourage experiential learning and volunteering opportunities that support students’professional development and positive contributions to society.

Ilmee Foavahi 

Ilmee Foavahi 2025, organized by The Maldives National University (MNU), comprised a series of academic forums conducted throughout the year to promote knowledge sharing and academic engagement. The programme brought together staff, students, academics and other participants from the university community. According to the official MNU report, ten sessions recorded a combined attendance of approximately 1,280 participants. MNU-FHTS supported the programme by providing food for all participants attending the sessions. The arrangements ensured that participants had access to meals and refreshments during the events. This support contributed to the comfort and well-being of participants throughout the academic forums. The initiative also demonstrated MNU-FHTS’s commitment to supporting university-wide activities and facilitating the successful delivery of academic programmes. Overall, the catering support reflected the Faculty’s contribution to enhancing participant welfare and promoting food accessibility within the university community.

Fahi Musthagbal

The Fahi Musthagbal Speaker Series 2025, organized by The Maldives National University (MNU), featured at least six documented sessions, comprising three external speaker discussions and three Student Edition discussions. Each session accommodated approximately 100 participants, giving an estimated 600 participant-attendances across the six sessions. MNU-FHTS supported these activities by providing food for all participants attending the sessions. This catering support contributed to participant welfare and the smooth delivery of the programme. 

LunchTime Talk

The Lunch Time Talk series, conducted by The Maldives National University (MNU) in 2025, comprised 14 sessions aimed at promoting knowledge sharing and professional engagement among staff. Each session was attended by approximately 10–15 staff members, resulting in an estimated 140–210 participant-attendances across all sessions. MNU-FHTS provided catering support for these sessions, ensuring that staff had access to food during the programme. This initiative contributed to staff welfare while supporting the university’s efforts to encourage knowledge exchange and collaborative learning. 

 

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