The brainchild of Hyderabad-based Manju Latha Kalanidhi, the rice bucket challenge was touted as a ‘desi’ version of the ice bucket challenge.
Since its inception in August, over 70,000 kg rice has been donated as part of the challenge.
The challenge is as simple as it can get -- people take a bucket of rice and donate it to a needy person. They follow this by posting pictures of them donating on social media and nominating other people to carry forward the challenge.
However, questions have been asked on how long can such challenges survive after the initial hype.
"When I began the challenge, I thought we will last probably for a week. But it is going steady even now. I feel the challenge is actually being taken up in a big way at present," said Manjulatha, a senior editor at Oryza, Hyderabad.
"At least 30 firms have donated 2000 kg each. A lot of individual donations have also been made. 70,000 kg, one could say, is a very conservative estimate," she added.
The rice bucket challenge, over the last two months, has voluntarily been taken up by individuals and organisations.
And the challenge is not just restricted to larger cities.
"People are taking on the rice bucket challenge across the country, in larger cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore and in relatively smaller ones too, like Dehradun and Baroda,” Manjulatha asserted.
The popularity of the challenge can be gauged from the fact that the idea of the challenge has been picked up by few other countries as well.
“Phillipines has taken it up very seriously. Some in Dubai also took up the challenge," she said.
For Manjulatha, the other challenge she likes apart from her inception, is the tree challenge.
"I like the tree challenge. But the challenge requires one to plant a tree and also take care of it afterwards which may deter some from taking up the challenge."
So far Manjulatha’s experience has been ‘great and overwhelming’.
"A woman in Mysore donated rice three times since the challenge began. I do not want this to become a one-time challenge. I want it to become a habit. Just as we pay electricity bills or buy grocery every month, I wish people could also make donating a habit. People can donate on their birthdays or anniversaries; they must fix a few days in the year to donate,” she said.
By donating rice, Manjulatha said, one could help people in several other ways simultaneously.
"If you give someone rice, you may help the person save Rs 200 in a month. He may repair his roof with that money or even buy medicine. A woman, who was donated rice through this challenge, saved Rs 600 in a month. She used the money to enroll her son in computer crash course. Today her son has a job with a local supermarket,” she stated.
Manjulatha, who has a busy time juggling a full time job, family and various aspects of the challenge, for now has her hands full. She is trying to work out a plan which could make this challenge a more sustainable concept, like a food bank.
Story Courtesy: The News Minute
Photographs Courtesy: The Rice Bucket Challenge Facebook Page
