Awkward Utopia

On October 7, 2007, Free Rice was brought into the internet to help feed the poor. It features a vocabulary building game where you match increasingly harder words with their synonyms. For every word you get correct, 20 grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Programme. The money for the donated rice is provided by sponsors at the bottom of the screen. Here are some words from the FAQ:

How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?

FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying degrees of difficulty. There are words appropriate for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most scholarly professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, homemakers, doctors, truck drivers, retired people… everyone!

FreeRice 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.

There are 50 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above level 48.

If FreeRice has the rice to give, why not give it all away right now?

FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 20 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.

As I write this, 12,255,121,230 grains of rice has been donated. This is 422,590 lbs or 211.3 short tons of rice (using 29000 grains of rice in one pound as a rough estimate). Also, there is 1630 calories in a pound of rice.

Now, I believe Easterly over Sachs that donations to individuals will work better than a big push of aid through governments will help the poor. However, It is worth going through the UN to convert 10 minutes of spare time to give a meal to a poor person.
I have donated several thousand grains of rice myself as I try to play this for about 10 minutes a day. My level is varies around 29 to 32. I recommend you all to try this website out as well!