Pilot Project to Secure Food Access for Children
About 1 in 4 clients who approach MWS Family Service Centre – Yishun (YFSC) have sought urgent food assistance. Recognising the traumatic impact of food insecurity, MWS YFSC piloted Kopi Kids to make healthy food options more accessible to children from less privileged backgrounds.
The 3-month pilot programme, which ran from March to May 2023, connected children with heartland hawkers and bakers in the neighbourhood. Every child received 3 sticker vouchers a week during the pilot run, and could redeem their meals (valued at $5 each) at participating stalls by presenting a drawing of their desired food on the sticker voucher.
Kopi Kids seeks to raise awareness of food insecurity and encourage patrons of participating stalls to pay it forward by sponsoring a child’s meal. The project also entailed an urban farming educational workshop by Ground-up Initiative where the children learnt more about food sources and sustainability.
