1/2/2016

Sara-Hafeez I Shohra-Haider I Nayab-Sajjad I Fatima-Zia I Mahadia

TECHNICAL RESEARCH REPORT ON THE PROBLEMS

WRITING AT CAFETERIA OF AWKUM
Contents Page

Abstract 1

Introduction 1-2

Research Objective 2

Statement of problem 2-6

Evidences 6-10

Research 10-11
methodology
Findings 11-18

Suggestions 18-20

Conclusion 20
 A report on the unhygienic and mismanaged of
Cafeteria at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan

Abstract

The report investigates the current conditions of cafeteria at Abdul Wali Khan
University Mardan. A brief survey on the management and hygiene of the
cafeteria was conducted. The discussion then focuses on basic problems
such as food expenses, cleanliness of washrooms adjacent to cafeteria,
hygienic food facilities, sitting management, ventilation at cafeteria, food
serving etc. The result indicates that majority of the students face these
problems at cafeteria. The report concludes that co operative effort of
students and management can improve the conditions of cafeteria. It is
suggested for them to be solved by the administration and higher faculty as
soon as possible.

Introduction

The establishment of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan is a significant step

towards development and a bold step forward to motivate young scholars
and to deepen their vision about the crying need to join together the human
society irrespective of caste, color or creed administered by Prof. Dr. Ihsan
Ali, bringing education and positivity in people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by
the provincial government. The people of the area are already devoted to
scholarship and learning. AWKUM provides latest knowledge to broaden the
minds of people and to make them see that the vast world is open for them.
The University has introduced all the modern departments, teaching basic
sciences, social and applied sciences with a credible base of quality
education and research to equip the minds of young scholars with
worthwhile objectives of life.

For a university to run properly, studies is not the only requirement and it
should be well shaped from all dimensions and all the basic requirements of
a university should be kept in check. The proper function of an educational
institute other than good study schedule includes good faculty, reliable
transport system, infrastructure and good food.
Abdul Wali Khan University attracts students from Swabi, Charsadda,
Nowsehra, Mardan, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir, Chitral, Northern Punjab,
Kohat, Southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the extensive Tribal
region along the boundaries of the Province and provides all basic facilities. A
very important facility provided in a university is good and affordable food
for students, faculty and in case of AWKUM the workers as well since it is
under construction. Most of the young students of the areas mentioned
above who have the intellectual capability of receiving higher education are
suffering from poverty. The university provides a platform to these students
to receive higher education with a lot of assets.

Recently a number of staff and students have complained about the

mismanaged conditions of cafeteria and asked what the official cafeteria
policy is. This report examines the issue of cafeteria facility. There are two
cafeterias currently present in university and unfortunately both of them are
not satisfactory and students are facing problems related to food expenses,
food quality, cafeteria sitting area and serving.

This report clearly shows that though the cafeterias are functional and very
active but are substandard and the problems concerned with cafeterias
should be highlighted and solved as soon as possible.

Research Objective

The research was conducted to find out whether the cafeteria is maintaining
a high standard in its food and hygiene. The researchers attempted to
explore various problems faced by the students at the cafeteria in depth and
detail.

Statement of problem

For a university to run properly the main things required are faculty,
transport system, infrastructure, a good study schedule and food. Food
provided in the cafeteria is very important for students and faculty. The
students need it to be able to get through a whole day of lectures,
presentations, quizzes and results while it is equally important for the faculty
so they can teach their students and take quizzes without getting a
headache. From all this we conclude that one of the basic need of students
include food. In every university you will find a first class cafeteria providing
healthy food under sanitary conditions but unfortunately at AWKUM the
cafeteria is a lot more different. The cafeteria of AWKUM faces a lot of
problems.
In the cafeteria the food provided is expensive, plates and crockery used is
unclean and the water is contaminated. The bathrooms adjacent to cafeteria
(girls) causes a lot of problems as they cause bad smell and serves as a
home for flies and germs. The sitting area allotted to girls is small and is
used as a common room instead of an eating area most of the time since
there is no other common room or sitting area. Substandard food is served.
One such example is mixing of ketchup with water which is a common
occurrence. The service is slow and in rush hours there is absolutely no place
to sit. The glass doors of the cafeteria though classy are a danger because
the front is broken and have exposed sharp edges causing accidents; cutting
hands of the students who open the door every now and then. The cafeteria
is mostly littered with rubbish. The cafeteria rubbish is usually burnt out in
open university places such as behind the library which are home to
mosquitoes, flies and germs. Burning causes smoke and the place looks like
a dump collection causing a very bad smell especially when it rains.

These problems are discussed in detail

 Poor service

The service is poor; the serving takes a lot of time as a result many students
leave without eating. The management of the cafeteria workers is not done
properly as there is only one servant for all of the girls. There is only one
person to take orders so the girls have to wait for quite a long time to even
give their orders.

 Improper cleaning

The cafeteria is dirty most of the time as it is not cleaned regularly. The
tables have left over from previous meals i.e. dirty dishes, spoons and juice
boxes and the students have to eat at those tables which usually turns off
their appetite and they end up eating nothing. The cafeteria workers do not
take care of the hygienic conditions of the cafeteria which is again due to the
improper management of the cafeteria workers.

 Substandard Food

The food provided is pricy and the serving is very little. The charges per plate
are much more as compared to the amount of food in it. The ketchup which
is given free is diluted with water taken from the washroom. The rice is
usually undercooked and the amount of yogurt in chaat is minute.

 Cafeteria being used as common room

Most of the time the cafeteria is used as a common room due to the lack of
any other sitting area. The girls face more problems in this regard as
compared to boys as they cannot sit outside to eat. The girls who go to
cafeteria to eat have to leave without having any lunch due to lack of space.

 Broken glass door of cafeteria

The door of the cafeteria is made of glass and was meant to look stylish and
classy but unfortunately it ended up being hazard to the students because it
is broken and its jagged edges are exposed which could cut the hands or
fingers of students who open the door.

 Unhygienic conditions

The utensils used are not clean. Flies are seen hovering over the food. The
tables are dirty with spilled juices and gravy. The cooks while cooking or
cutting vegetables and using the ingredients required for cooking do not
wear gloves and do not cover their heads which is a necessary precaution to
prevent food from getting contaminated by germs. This negligence results in
making many students sick. This attitude of workers is because they lack
awareness of proper hygiene.

The extent of carelessness towards hygiene can be judged from the fact that
recently a mouse was found running around in Café Libro which was caught
and killed in the library adjacent to the cafeteria.

 Exposed electricity wires

In the cafeteria sitting area the electricity boards are broken and electricity
wires are exposed to open area. Students may step on the wires or any
accident can occur which may lead to electric shocks and burning of wires
may lead to electric sparks and fire which is very dangerous and the electric
board should be fixed, the wires should be properly covered instead of being
ignored by cafeteria’s management.

 Bathrooms adjacent to cafeteria

The bathrooms are not separated from the cafeteria (girls) and are
constructed inside it, adjacent to the eating area. As they are used regularly
the cafeteria usually suffers from bad odor and the students usually just
leave without eating as they cannot bear it.

Washrooms are not only irritating the students but are also a warm welcome
to germs and pathogens that finds their way to food contaminating it causing
diseases and sickness. The construction of washrooms adjacent to the
cafeteria is the cause of these problems.

 Sitting Area

The sitting area of the cafeteria (girls) is much smaller as compared to that
of boys. This results in congestion, overcrowding and mayhem in the
cafeteria. There is no place to sit and eat and students are usually seen
standing to eat during lunch hours. Girls cannot eat outside as they have to
take care of their hijab so the sitting area of girls should be larger rather
than being small. There are no waste baskets for throwing garbage inside
the cafeteria. The ventilation system is poor which results in humidity and
suffocation specially in summer.

 Improper disposal of cafeteria dump

There is no proper system for the disposal of waste. It is usually thrown in

the open spaces in university grounds usually behind the cafeteria adjacent
to the library. This waste is left to form heaps and piles of garbage with flies
buzzing over the dump piles. When the heaps get even larger instead of
disposal they are burnt in the very area and forms home for rodents, flies
and germs. The garbage heaps is ecological problem as well as health
problem. These unhygienic conditions in university grounds are the major
cause of diseases and an unpleasant environment. The café workers are too
lazy for the proper disposal of waste of cafeteria destroying the university
grounds and health of the students.

Evidences

All the stated problems hold a record and the researcher have collected
proper evidences proving that the problems are really faced by the students
of AWKUM making the report more authentic. The evidences are collected by
the researcher in the form of pictures, videos, questionnaires, pie charts and
interviews

Some of the evidences are as follows

 Improper cleaning

Dustbins are usually full of garbage and very untidy. The sitting area is
also usually dirty and messy.

 Exposed electricity wires and broken board

These pictures are evidence that the electric switch boards are uncovered,
burnt and exposed.

 Substandard Food

The pictures clearly show that first loaf of bread is used for a so called
sandwich with filling of vegetables that are not fresh and tasty.

Cafeteria used as common room

Students are doing their assignments in cafeteria instead of having lunch.

There’s not much space and those who come for lunch get no place to sit
and eat so they leave in disappointment.


Sitting Area

When new students come to cafeteria for lunch the tables at the sitting area
are filled with lunch remains and drink bottles from previous students

Broken glass door of cafeteria

The opening glass door of the

cafeteria is broken which may
damage the hands of the
students opening it when they enter
the cafeteria
 Unhygienic conditions of cafeteria

It is clearly visible through the pictures how unclean the cafeteria floor and
table is. There is no proper check on cleansing of the cafeteria

 Improper disposal of cafeteria waste

These pictures were taken behind the cafeteria where the cafeteria waste is
disposed. It is a university ground behind the library where the cafeteria is
located. Dump in the greenery is burnt producing bad smell and serves as a
home for germs and mosquitoes.

Research methodology

This research was conducted by five students of BS-Biotechnology semester

3rd.The information was collected through interviews, questionnaires and
pictures. The staff and students visiting the cafeteria were also investigated.

A total of twenty questionnaires were distributed among students of different

departments to be filled out (see Appendix). The questionnaire used Lekert
scale to assess the attitude of students regarding the problems of cafeteria.
No personal opinions are added and the survey was voluntary. In this way
authentic information was collected and used to get a clear picture of the
situation.

The researchers visited the cafeteria and collected evidences regarding the
problem. Different pictures were taken from cafeteria which is added in the
report.

Findings

There was an 85% response rate to the questionnaires. As a result of data

collected from the questionnaires following findings were made. A
breakdown of responses is listed below

Object 1

Object 3
Object 5

Object 7
Object 9

Object 11
Object 13

Object 15
Object 17

Object 19
Object 21

Object 23
 Object 25

Object 27

The survey also allowed the subjects to give suggestions of their own for
improvement of the cafeteria and solution to the problems faced.
 Suggestions

Suggestions were taken from the subjects by the researchers to so that they
could be used in order to find solutions to the problems faced by the
students of the university at the cafeteria

Following recommendations were made:

 Scheduled change of menu

Healthy and tasty food should be added to the menu and the menu should
be changed regularly following a proper schedule.

 Affordably priced menu

The food served in cafeteria should be affordable. It is suggested that the

prices of contents of menu that are expensive should be decreased.

 Fixing the broken glass door

The glass door of cafeteria with exposed broken sharp edges should be fixed
as soon as possible

 Open space for girls

The sitting area space of girls’ cafeteria should be increased to avoid

overcrowding at the cafeteria.

 Hygiene check

The management of cafeteria should make sure that gloves are being used
by the cooks while cooking and serving the food, diluting ketchup with water
should be avoided and clean crockery should be used for serving food, drinks
and water.

 Active servants
The cafeteria workers should be active and the serving should be fast. More
servants should be hired.

 Clean washrooms

The washrooms adjacent to the cafeteria should be clean and tidy. Just as
the use of the washrooms is heavy the cleansing should be regular too.

 Proper cooking

Food at the cafeteria must be properly cooked, clean, tasty and healthy.

 Clean sitting area

The cafeteria sitting area and the chairs and tables in the sitting lounge
should be clean and dust free

 Dustbins

More dustbins should be placed in the cafeteria so that the students instead
of throwing garbage here and there may throw the garbage in the dustbins

Conclusion

The report concludes that the problems can be solved completely or decreased
to a certain limit by spreading awareness among students as well as
cafeteria workers.