Posted by Kath on January 28, 2008, at 20:34:06
Hi - my daughter sent me this link. It's a really simple & enjoyable vocabulary game. By getting a word 'right', 20 grains of rice are provided (paid for by income from advertisers whose ads appear on the page.) The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program.
I thought it sounded somewhat unrealistic & like a 'scam', but I've copied some of the FAQ's (frequently asked questions) so you can skim it & get a bit of info.
I am a rather "wordy" person, so I actually really like this game in and of itself, but to realize that by playing it, I'm able to actually do my small part in helping with world hunger & THAT sure feels good.
I had been forgetting to play, so I added a "shortcut" on my screen so I can click & play at least briefly each time I go onto my computer!
Enjoy! Kath :-) ps - I sent this to my email address list, as I think the more people who know about it the better.http://www.freerice.com/index.php
WHO PAYS FOR THE DONATED RICE?The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. This is regular advertising for these companies, but it is also something more. Through their advertising at FreeRice, these companies support both learning (free vocabulary for everyone) and reducing hunger (free rice for the hungry). We commend these companies for their participation at FreeRice.
IF FREERICE HAS THE RICE TO GIVE, WHY NOT GIVE IT ALL AWAY RIGHT NOW?FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 20 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.
DOES FREERICE MAKE ANY MONEY FROM THIS?
No, it does not. FreeRice runs the site at no profit.
COULDN'T I JUST WRITE A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO PLAY ALL DAY & GIVE A LOT OF RICE THAT WAY?
There are two problems with this. First, it overloads our servers so that real people can't play and learn vocabulary. Second, without real people playing and buying products, it is no longer cost-effective for companies to advertise. Without advertising, we cannot give any rice at all.
ARE THERE ANY BANNERS I CAN USE TO LIN TO FREERICE?
Yes, these are available here.
WHO DISTRIBUTES THE DONTATED RICE?
The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The World Food Program is the world's largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to visit the United Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach to ending hunger.
Will the rice I donate make a difference?
The rice you donate makes a huge difference to the person who receives it. According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children. To a mother or father watching a loved child die in their arms from hunger, the rice you donate is more precious than anything in the world.WHAT IS BEING DONE TO END WORLD HUNGER?
There is great progress being made to end world hunger. Many organizations across the globe are involved in this struggle. Each day, hundreds of thousands of ordinary men and women work for these organizations. Through their efforts, millions of impoverished people have food to eat, learn skills and find hope for the future.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP END HUNGER?
Here are two key things you can do to help end hunger. Both are free and easy to do.
Add your name to the One Campaign, where several million people have already joined together "as One" to end hunger and extreme poverty. If enough people join, dreams for a better world can be made into reality very quickly.
The United Nations estimates that the cost to end world hunger completely, along with diseases related to hunger and poverty, is about $195 billion a year. Twenty-two countries have joined together to raise this money by each contributing 0.7% (less than 1%) of national income. Some of the countries have already met this goal. Others are being a little slow, but this can be fixed. You can see how the countries are doing here. You can print a letter to support your country's participation here.WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HUNGER?
One last important thing you can do to help end hunger is to become knowledgeable about it. A good way to do this is to visit our sister site Poverty.com (designed so that busy people can learn quickly about hunger and poverty) or one of the many excellent sites listed here. We believe that when enough people around the world become knowledgeable about hunger, it will no longer be tolerated.
poster:Kath
thread:809444
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080104/msgs/809444.html