Free Rice

Is it possible to feed someone who is hungry in a third world country by playing a word game online? Apparently it is. While I am initially skeptical, I am intriqued. In 10 minutes of testing and expanding my vocabulary, I have managed to donate 400 grains of rice. Visually, how much rice is 400 grains? Well leave it to me to count grains of rice! I discovered that 400 grains equals approximately 2 tsp's of rice. That's not much really, but I can see how it can add up. Doing the math, since 1 tsp is 5 grams, and that equals to approximately 200 grains of rice, there are 10,000 grains of rice in one cup (250 grams). Later this afternoon I decided to test my vocabulary once again. In less than half an hour I raised 1,000 grains of rice. Since the launch of this site on October 7th, 2007; more than 1 Billion grains of rice have been donated. An article from the World Food Program states that through those grains of rice - 50,000 people had enough rice for one day. Using my math calculation that works out to 2 cups per person which I would say is a fair amount.

How it works is the website provides you with a word, and you have the option of 4 other words to choose from that best describe the first word. If you get it right, the site donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program (http://www.wfp.com/). How they raise money is that every time you get a word right, 3 advertisers show up at the bottom of the screen. The money that is spent on advertising is used to then purchase the rice. Most of the advertisers are big name companies, which is good to see their support for this cause.

Now the quote that came to mind is "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime". With rice being a vital staple in Asia, Latin America, and many African countries, it is something that is valuable in fighting hunger. Seeing the labour that goes into picking rice from my recent trip to Cambodia, it is not something people can easily access on their own. Therefore, help in supplementing rice can go a long way in fighting hunger. The operational aim of the World Food Program is to:

* Save lives in refugee crises and other emergencies

* Improve nutrition and quality of life of world's most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives

*Enable development by (a) helping people build assets that benefit them directly; (b) promoting the self-reliance of poor people and communities

World hunger is a big issue that can't be ignored, can it be so easy to play a part in making a difference? Apparently it is. I must admit, it can be fun too! I rather enjoyed testing and expanding my vocabulary. As you get a word right, it will provide a harder word. If you get a word wrong it will give you an easier word. It continues to adapt, showing your your vocabulary level as you go along. Go ahead, test yourself, have fun, and help make a practical impact!

http://www.freerice.com/