India has answer to America's Ice Bucket Challenge - the Rice Bucket Challenge.
This is not jumping on the bandwagon; this is doing something that truly reaches to people in need and that gives opportunity to every ordinary person to donate.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in America may have reached some Asian countries but the turnout was not as impressive. This is because nations like India have other important needs to address - hunger.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, almost one fourth of its 1.1 billion population is hungry. "India indeed is the world's hunger capital."
In this light, Indian journalist Manju Latha Kalanidhi started the Rice Bucket Challenge, where an individual can pick up a bowl of rice from the kitchen and give it to a person or family in need that is closer to home. After completing the challenge, take a picture and post it on Facebook using the hashtag #RiceBucketChallenge.
Some people argued though that this may put people being given to shame. The administrator of the page and other commenters then suggested that they can opt not to take pictures or they can just blur the face of the receivers.
The Rice Bucket Challenge became viral that at this early, the page has already received 64,982 likes. The story is also now being covered by news organizations in other countries like CNN and The Independent. The pro-poor campaign has also reached other Asian countries where rice is a staple like the Philippines.
The project may not be as huge as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge when it comes to popularity and donations but for India, it is the best for them as it does not wet their fellowmen - it feeds them. The campaign responds to their people's very need. It may not also be wider in scope but it gives ordinary individuals the chance to help others in the most possible way they can.
