By: Marium Shaikh, Reporter

A small donation of rice will go a long way; that’s the mentality Manju Latha Kalanidhi, an Indian journalist, had when she added her own twist to the ice bucket challenge. Kalanidhi started this trend on August 23, 2014 when she donated fifty pounds of rice to her 55 year old neighbor. She refers to this new challenge as an “Indian version for Indian needs.”

Freshman Caleb Taylor says, “I feel that the Rice Bucket Challenge is a wonderful cause to help supply people who don’t have enough food.”

The inspiration was taken from the ALS Ice bucket challenge. In the Ice Bucket Challenge, participants pour a bucket of ice cold water on top of their heads to raise awareness about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that damages the brain and spinal cord.  The reason ice cold water is used in this challenge is so the participant can feel the effects a person with ALS has to go through on a regular basis. People with ALS are unable to complete simple tasks such as button a shirt, write, or turn a lock.

Sophomore Sarrah Virji says, “I support the rice bucket challenge more than the ice bucket challenge because it makes a difference in the lives of those who are hungry whereas the ice bucket challenge doesn’t help people with ALS except for the awareness factor and donations which is also achieved through the rice bucket challenge.”

In this challenge, the participants don’t pour a bucket of rice on their head. Instead, they donate a bucket of rice to the closest person in need and document the interaction on social media using the hashtag, #RiceBucketChallenge. Finally, they tag all their friends and family to increase awareness to the cause.

If the participants are unable to follow in the footsteps of a friend, they can simply donate 100 rupees ($1.63) of medicine to the nearest government hospital.

“I felt [the ice bucket challenge] was a little bizarre [however], hunger is a disease anybody would connect with,” Kalanidhi told Reuters, an international news agency.

Kalanidhi’s twist on the ice bucket challenge has inspired many people to follow. The largest donation was from students at Apoorva Degree College in Karimnagr; two thousand students donated 2,200 kilos (4850.17 lbs.) of rice.

Junior Brittany Ansley says, “We should have more movements similar to this so we can provide for people who are living in poverty and can’t afford to buy food for their families. No one should have to go hungry.”