Frequently Asked Questions updated January 1st, 2008

Are you really donating to the World Food Program? How can I be sure?

We understand how one can be skeptical of claims on the internet. To put our users at ease we try to provide as much proof as we can. The history tab lists the checks we've made out so far and the thank you letters we've received.

Who pays for the donated rice?

The rice is paid by the advertisers you see on the vocabulary screen. Over $17 billion is spent on advertising per year. With Donate Rice, you can divert some of that money to someone in need.

Who distributes the donated rice?

The rice is distributed by World Food Program (WFP), the United Nation's frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. The World Food Program is the world's largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. Their operations aim to improve the nutrition and quality of life of the world's most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives. We encourage you to visit United Nations World Food Program to learn more about how they're working to combat hunger.

How does the vocabulary game work?

Donate Rice has a database of thousands of words and definitions of varying degrees of difficulty. Within the database there are words appropriate for all levels, from English learners up to English professors. As more people play the game, the program begins to determine the difficulty of each word by taking into account how many people answer it correctly. So as your vocabulary level increases you'll be presented with words appropriate for your level.

How'd you think of the idea?

We originally came across the idea from the website FreeRice. We thought we'd bring it into Bebo to expose it to a wider audience. The ability to invite your friends and promote it on your profile page is a wonderful affordance granted by Bebo that will hopefully increase the number of people donating. But aside from sharing the same concept, we are not affiliated with FreeRice.com in any way.

Do you have any fun facts on rice?

Why certainly. We thought you'd never ask. Source: http://www.producersrice.com

1. Rice is the staple food for two-thirds of the world's population. The simple grain has been a popular life-sustaining food for thousands of years because it is nutritious, versatile, economical, easy to prepare and tastes good!
2. Rice protein, when compared to that of other grains, is considered one of the highest quality proteins. It has all eight of the essential amino acids, necessary building blocks for strong muscles. Rice is also a good source of other essential nutrients -- thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, iron and potassium. Rice contains no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium. This along with being nonallergenic and gluten free, makes rice especially well suited for persons with special dietary needs.
3. In Asia rice is considered sacred. In Japan there are shrines to the god of rice.
4. Honda means "main rice field." Toyota means " bountiful rice field."
5. There are over 29,000 grains of rice in one pound (based on long grain white rice).
6. In India, it is said the grains of rice should be like two brothers: close but not stuck together.
7. In Thailand when you call your family to a meal you say, "Eat Rice."
8. In Japan, rice grains are affectionately called "little buddhas," to encourage children to eat rice for the rest of their lives.
9. In China, the typical greeting is "Have you had your rice today?" The typical answer is "Yes."
10. The Japanese word for cooked rice is the same as the word for meal.

Where do I go if I have more questions?

You can contact us at the following email: contact@vocabularydonate.com. Alternatively, you can send our lead developer a Bebo message.