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Friday, August 12, 2011

Free Rice? Sounds nice.

Yesterday I have discovered the site, Freerice.com. At first, there was doubt. I answer questions, and every question donates 10 grains of rice to the Horn of Africa? Apparently these rice grains are allowed to be sent because of advertising on the question pages. After answering some questions, right now my total is at 3 thousand odd rice. However, once again, instead of taking a nice charitable gesture for what it is, I must instead analyze it and criticize it.


Or maybe it's just me. Oh well, here goes nothing.

Today I didn't have much time at all. Same as yesterday, where I didn't have time to write blog posts as well. Back to the point: I didn't answer Freerice questions (I'm going to after this post). But then I realized:
If these quizzes are actually preventing people from dying of starvation, THEN WHY AM I NOT ON 24/7. It's kind of sickening when I come to think about it. "I don't have time to save people's lives."
But that's the case. Eventually, those grains that you contribute will feed someone, will prolong a possibly near-death life.

And here, sitting at home in comfy industrialized North America, Europe, or wherever else, we do it to be convenient for us. Sure it's nice knowing we're contributing to the cause, but just enough so it's comfortable for our schedule. Well quite frankly, death by starvation does not operate according to your schedule.

Taken from: africaproject2020.com

One might argue that "Well, Viktor, the rice doesn't get there immediately. It's not like by answering questions, you immediately feed someone in Africa. First Freerice.com probably has weekly/monthly inventories of the amount of grains, purchases those packages, then additional organizations ship it over. But my counter-argument to this is, if not enough people earn those grains in the first place, then by the time they're shipped over, there might not be enough.



So, I encourage you to do the same. Try generating as much hype about Freerice as possible. No matter what bad shit you're going through in your life, (it all seems to suck at times), nothing in our lives compares to what people in 3rd world countries go through.

So go ahead, take some time, this is more worthwhile then spending your time on the internet reading random blogs :)
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2 comments:

  1. Hey Viktor,

    I like reading your posts, they're quite insightful. I'd just like to respond by adding my own two cents.

    First off, I believe the main reason people aren't glued face-to-screen to these charitable websites is because they are too far removed from the issues that people in poverty face. Until you witness it firsthand, it's just another part of the do-gooder's marketing campaign to most of us.

    Obviously, the more effective alternative to FreeRice.com would be to donate money or time to help these people. Unfortunately, time and money are luxuries not worth wasting for "noble" people like us. For now, initiatives like FreeRice are the best we have, and even though the ad revenue they generate is meager at best, it DOES make a difference, as does any charitable work.

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  2. @Tony:

    That's one of my points (that I didn't fully expand upon.) You can use that excuse that we are removed from those issues. But imagining yourself, even for 15 seconds, in that situation, should be incentive to do your part.

    Well that's another good point. We all have spare money. Surely giving that money to charity to help starving people is better than buying ourselve a slushie/icecream whatever.

    But buying these small luxuries for ourselves is SO much more convenient don't you think?

    I mean, SOMEONE else SURELY must be contributing more money right?

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