Web site game donates rice kernals for correct answers
Instead of sitting at home and checking Facebook for the hundredth time, college students now have the opportunity to help fight world hunger, right from their computers.
In October, the United Nations World Food Program started a non-profit Web site for people to enhance their vocabulary and combat world hunger.
The player is asked multiple-choice questions to define a series of words. For every vocabulary word a person gets right, they are awarded 20 grains of rice. The rice earned is then purchased by the United Nations World Food Program and distributed to countries in need.
As of December 6, FreeRice.com has donated 6,605,331,970 grains of rice.
FreeRice originally donated ten grains of rice for every correct answer, but at the end of November, increased it to 20 grains of rice.
“We hope to be able to increase this again in the future,” the Web site said. “Your part is to play and donate the rice. Our part is to increase the amount you can donate!”
CU students who have participated at FreeRice.com feel that they are not only helping others but are also helping themselves by enhancing their vocabulary.
“FreeRice has taught me some new words, but I play it mostly for fun,” Isabelle Evans, 18, a sophomore economics major, said. “I have donated 14,000 grains of rice so far.”
Evans likes that the UN is doing something to help those in need.
“I think it is definitely a great idea – hunger is a big problem and if there is something that the more fortunate can do to help is a good idea,” Evans said.
Other students hadn’t heard of the Web site, but were excited about the concept.
“I think it is an interesting idea, rather than just asking for money,” Rachal Noggel, 29, a first year student in the MBA program, said. “It would be nice to test myself, and it is a cool idea.”
Frequent players on FreeRice.com can also set up an account to track how much rice they have donated.
“I will definitely check it out,” Noggel said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Zach Keller at zach.keller@thecampuspress.com.
