Hyberdabad journalist, Manju Latha Kalanidhi, took inspiration from the ice bucket challenge used to spread awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis  (ALS), and created an Indian version to help feed the poor.  

In a country where clean water is a luxury that many cannot afford, she believed swapping rice for ice not only saves water from going to waste, but also helps give food to many starving families.

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The ice bucket challenge has turned into an online phenomenon with A-list celebrities sharing their own videos. People who are called out to do the icebucket challenge must either pour a bucket of ice cold water over their heads, or give a donation to ALS research. Many participants have donated sizable amounts to charities in addition to completing the challenge.

Kalanidhi replaced ice with rice, first of all because it rhymed with the original challenge, which consequently provided recall power, and also because rice is a staple food in India.

In the challenge, she asks people to post a photo of themselves giving a bucket, a bowl, or a bag of rice, or any food, to a charity or someone in need. They are then asked to tag friends or other people to do the same.

Although the rice bucket challenge does not have the same visual impact at the original ice bucket challenge, the movement has been gaining steam in India. The hashtag #ricebucketchallenge has gone viral on Twitter and the movement's Facebook page already has more than 25,000 likes in just three days.

Kalanidhi said she is overwhemed by the support the whole world is showing for the rice bucket challenge. She has been receiving letters and emails from people as far as England and Sweden, showing their appreciation for her efforts to raise awareness and feed those starving in the country at the same time. 

Tagsice bucket challenge, Rice Bucket Challenge, rice