Spotlight On: HelpThirst

HelpThirst http://www.helpthirst.com/ is another site that has decided to make providing clean water to impoverished areas its philanthropy. The site does not feature the founder, or any of the people that are attached to the project, however, it clearly states that they make their donations of water through World Vision (http://www.worldvision.org/), an organization already known for its many philanthropic ventures, amongst them the donation of water, food, education, malaria intervention etc.

The way that the site works is that the creators clock and calculate the amount of water generated or "donated" by the user, and give World Vision the equivalent monetary value of the water, the revenue for which is generated via the advertisements on the site. World Vision then supply developing nations with clean drinking matching the number of liters that helpthirst.com has produced.


The website features a mathematical "memory" game. A number is displayed in a rather cute droplet shaped area on the screen, alongside an ever decreasing blue bar, so you only have a certain amount of time to memorize this number. Once the blue bar diminishes entirely and the time is up, you have to enter the same number, either through the web-based pad provided or through your own keypad. For every correct answer, you have donated a cup of water. The numbers get more complicated and longer as the levels progress. The interesting thing is, these are not just actual numbers - they are actually numbers to the populations of different countries, the area of a certain place/country, the GDP of a certain place, etc. A little question (for example: What is the GDP of the United States? Answer: 13843825 million USD - u better memorize that!)



According to the creators the game helps improve your short term memory recall, and falls under the category of something called "Daily brain training" or "Daily brain conditioning". It is supposed to be helpful in improving memory, attention, focus and the ability to calculate mathematical figures quicker, thus improving cognitive function.

The HelpThirst people calculate 1 cup at 100 ml, and a liter = 1000 ml, which results in 1 liter of water for every 10 cups donated. That's marvelous, don't you think? Overall, I really like this website, however, the only qualm I have is about the format of the questions involved - the time allotted passes so quickly that although I may be conditioning my brain to react/memorize faster, I am not really retaining the facts, such as what the actual question was - I merely remember the numbers! But you can't have it all! It is still an extremely interesting and fun game - and I realize that I am able to memorize the numbers better the more I play! :)

Spotlight On: Free Flour

Free Flour http://www.freeflour.com/ is very similar to FreeRice in its workings, however, it is not affiliated with any legitimate organizations, and it does not specify to whom, or how, this donation occurs. According to the website, they do not donate actual flour, but donate an amount of money equivalent to one spoon of flour to multiple charities.

The website states that currently it is displaying Google Ads in order to generate the money needed to make the donations, and that it helps for you to visit these ads/sites that are sponsoring the program. However, when I click on these banners, most of them (but not all) appear to be expired.

I know that the lack of connection to a legitimate organization, along with not having any corporate sponsors is cause for concern to many of you contributors, but I featured the site because like FreeRice, the project is a noble one.

As for it's content, the questions are mostly based on general knowledge trivia, pertaining mostly to different countries, their capitals, landmarks and customs. The questions are relatively simple & easy, therefore it is easier to amass many "spoonfuls" of flour for donation in a very short period of time. I was able to donate 5 loaves & 1 bun (1 loaf = 500 spoons of flour; 1 bun = 10 spoons) within merely 15 minutes!


This site is not impressive in any way, other than the thought behind it. Like I said, I know it would make me feel better (as well as, I am sure, many others) if I knew exactly how, or through what organisations, these donations were being made, but overall it's a good attempt. Rather than to ensconce myself in doubt, I just think a few minutes spent on it couldn't hurt! Plus, maybe if they see a significant increase in people visiting the site, they'll be more inclined/motivated to get more sponsors and commit to an organization *shrugs* who knows? :)

Spotlight On: FreeRice

FreeRice http://www.freerice.com/ is a non-profit organization/website run by the United Nations World Food Program which was setup by the United Nations Organization to provide emergency relief for the hungriest people on the planet.

The website runs with the help and generous contributions of sponsors, who are featured at the bottom of the website if you care to find out further about them, and also with the generous help of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

The website features a great way to gain knowledge, while at the same time contributing to end world hunger. Initially you could only answer questions in the subject of "English Vocabulary" but now they have added various subjects, which you can change during the quiz/game as you please, such as Languages, Math, Geography, Art & Chemistry.

For every correct answer (in any subject) to the questions on the site, they donate 10 grains of rice on your behalf. 10 correct answers = 100 grains of rice and so forth, which means the more you play, the more grains of rice you donate. Now, keep in mind that a 100 grains of rice is approximately half a teaspoon (approximation due to the fact that there are various kinds of rice and they vary in weight/length), and a tablespoon = 3 teaspoons which comes down to 600 grains of rice. You need anywhere between 7,000 to 9,000 grains, in order to donate a cup of rice. I suggest you read the FAQ section at the top of the page, it provides the answers to a lot of question that inquisitive minds have.

Do NOT be disheartened, I did not write this in order to make donating a cup of rice seem like a Herculean feat. I am just trying to make sure that you know the facts so that with every cup of rice you donate, you can feel that much more proud of yourself! :) Trust me, when you begin playing on this site, within 10 minutes you will have donated somewhere between 300-500 grains, so just do what you can and as much as you can. The efforts of people like you and me have already translated into WFP food rations for over 20,000 Myanmar refugees, currently living in Bangladesh. Pregnant women in Cambodia, school children in Uganda, and Bhutanese refugees in Nepal are also receiving rice thanks to the award-winning site. Plus, if I can do it, you definitely can too! :)



I find this site truly remarkable, for not only does it provide a way for you to gain knowledge on various subjects & exercise your cognitive abilities (for free), it also provides a great service by donating free rice to help alleviate world hunger!