The Food Canvas, That Streamlines The Process Of Food Donation In Singapore

Kushaan Khadepaun is no ordinary teenager. The 16-year-old self-professed foodie who loves cooking and sports, recently founded The Food Canvas, a charity portal that streamlines the process of food donation in Singapore.

- Louisa Lim

Kushaan’s dream? That no individual goes to sleep hungry.

What started off as a small-scale initiative among his family, friends, and neighbors eventually grew to a solid network of beneficiaries and charity organizations such as The Food Bank, Food From The Heart, and Hope Centre Singapore. His charity portal is especially welcome at a time like this: while COVID-19 has disrupted many charities, The Food Canvas was barely impacted as most of the transactions are made online and require minimal face-to-face interactions.

We speak to him about his vision for his charity and the hurdles and help he encountered along the way.

Congrats on this great initiative, Kushaan! Tell us about yourself.

I moved to Singapore from India in 2013. Ever since I was a child, I was always inclined towards exploring different types of cuisines. By the time I was eight, I would help my mum in the kitchen with cooking. I hope to be a culinary entrepreneur and work in the F&B industry someday.

What drew you to volunteer work?

I was inspired by Chef Vikas Khanna, who’s also a judge on MasterChef India. I read how, during COVID-19, he started the “Feed India Campaign” to donate food rations to many poor people across India. I then began volunteering with a group of female volunteers in my condo, making flatbreads for migrant workers in 2020 when they were hard hit by the lockdown.