FreeRice - a vocabulary game that saves life

I am not sure how wholly authentic this "Feed the Starving" program is but the vocabulary game at this website is really nice. The premise is that for every word you get right (and the words need not be consecutive), the site will donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger. It is a noble mission and though 10 grains may seem like an insignificant amount to the average man, even 10 grains means a lot to someone who is starving. There are two reasons why you might want to participate. The first is to believe in the authenticity of the program and help do your part to feed the starving. The rice is supposedly paid for by the advertisers whose names appear at the bottom of the vocabulary game. The second is that the game in itself is quite fun. I think the game is rather well programmed. It taps into a database of English words that are classified into different levels of difficulty - 50 being the highest. The beauty of it is that the game automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, assigns you an approximate starting level. You then determine a more exact level for yourself as you play. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. This one-to-three ratio is best for keeping you at the “outer fringe” of your vocabulary, where learning can take place. See the complete FAQ here. So the game is fun, you get to boost your vocabulary power and you lend your support towards helping the starving needy all at the same time. Bookmark this "game" at http://freerice.com and play it perhaps once a day! =)

Donate to the Garden City Fund

Singapore is widely known as the Garden City. Unless you already live in a forest, you will likely be pleasantly surprised when you touch down and pass through the gates. The Singapore government has spent considerable resources planting trees all around and basically keeping the island green. Such effort is easily evident as the flora certainly beautifies the surroundings. The Singapore Environment Council and the Garden City Fund, a registered charity, have jointly launched the Plant-A-Tree Programme. On the last Sunday of every month or on special days such as the World Environment Day or Earth Day, the public can now plant trees at designated parks or nature reserves. Planting trees does not come cheap though. To plant just one tree, you need to fork out S$200. You get a "discount" if you plant 10 trees which will set you back S$1,500. 50 trees will cost you $5,000. Personally, I feel that the minimum amount of 200 bucks is a deterrent in itself. $200 is no small sum of money to the general masses and one suggestion would be to open one-tenth or one-quarter shares to the public. It's like, people can choose to do their part for the environment by sponsoring one-tenth of a tree for 20 bucks. This will make the programme affordable to more people and even students who are not earning can participate. For details of the Plant-A-Tree Programme, check out www.gardencityfund.com.sg . You can also see a report from Channel NewsAsia here (mirrored here). If you have any queries, go ahead and push an email to Garden_City_Fund@NParks.gov.sg .

Loans that change life

Ever wanted to donate money yet hesitant because you don't know where the money would go? Many charities have been set up for noble causes and many dollars have found themselves in the coffers of these organizations. However, one issue often crops up on the minds of donors. Exactly how is the money being spent? How much of it goes to offset administrative fees? How much ultimately reaches the recipients? More and more of the super rich have jumped onto the bandwagon of setting up their own foundations. They know exactly which areas they want to contribute their money to and they contribute their money to see to precisely that. Having their own foundations gives them more control over how the money would be used - this is something not realizable for a public charity organization. So does this mean that if you are not rich, you cannot contribute the way you want it? Check out Kiva at http://www.kiva.org . Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. It lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you have sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back. Make a loan to an entrepreneur in the developing world for as little as $25. You know where your money is going, and you can choose which business to help. To top it, you are helping to give someone the ability to help himself. This makes it better than a simple one-off donation. Check it out and open your heart. ;-)