ChipIn to Donate Smiles! and win prizes!

Hunger and poverty claim 25,000 lives every day.

524 million of the world's hungry live in South Asia - more than the populations of Australia and USA.

One out of four children - roughly 146 million - in developing countries are undernourished.

One child dies of hunger every four seconds.

A UN report in May said that half of the world's under-nourished children live in South Asia, with most in India.

India's Prime Minister has gone on record to say that the prevalent rate of under-nutrition in the 0-6 age group in India remains one of the highest in the world.

Economists say that India's economy has grown at over 8% over the past three years. But despite the new-found prosperity of the few, close to 300m Indians still live on less than $1 (40 rupees) a day.

Quotes taken from various news sources and reports published by non-profit organizations.

What are you doing about it? What can you do about it? Even the Indian Government can't seem to wrap its head around a solution.

This is how we desensitize ourselves. By shrugging and saying, "It's not in my control." Indian food blogger, V. K. Narayanan of MyDhaba decided that it was high time he made a difference — a dent in these growing and alarming figures. He started an initiative he called Feed A Hungry Child (FAHC).

feedahungrychild.org is a not-for-profit charitable organization formed in a collaborative effort of the like-minded people from all around the world. It aims to replace the empty plates of the underprivileged children and replace them with ones of food. While FAHC addresses the holistic needs of each children it supports, it believes illiteracy, malnutrition, and other concerns can only be addressed when hunger is appeased.

With the help of dedicated volunteers, FAHC began to support a pilot batch of 14 children and their families since April 2007. FAHC is currently raising funds to support more children and their families. Funds from FAHC programs go directly to the children and their families in the form of food kits. According to their web site, FAHC does not have any paid employees or any other direct administrative expenses.

The goal is to raise $3,360 by October 23, 2007. The drive is called Donate Smiles.

You were wondering what you could do about it? Here is your chance to make a difference without moving from the warmth and comfort of your homes. And Indira of Mahanandi is organizing a raffle where you could win a whole range of prizes!

The raffle prizes are:

1. Grains, Greens and Grated Coconuts, Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy by Ammini Ramachandran
   Donated by Indira
2. A Gift Box of Spice Extracts
   Donated by Anjali Damerla of Supreme Spice
3. Two copies of Complete Digital photography by Ben Long
   Donated by Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi.
4. Two autographed copies of Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran
   Donated by the chef and author Suvir Saran
5. Two autographed copies of the just released cookbook American Masala by Suvir Saran
   Donated by the chef and author Suvir Saran
6. Two prizes: Dinner for two each, wine included, at Suvir Saran's restaurant Dévi in New York City
   Donated by chef and owner of Dévi, Suvir Saran


7. And I am adding to the mix by donating two ready-to-wear children's sarees as raffle prizes. A donation of at least $25 is required to be eligible for a raffle prize.
   
   Red Saree with red blouse, children's size 28 (Indian sizes), which will fit a 5 or 6 year old of average height.
   
   
   
   
8. Dark Green Saree with a matching blouse, children's size 28 (Indian sizes), which will fit a 5 or 6 year old of average height.
   
   
   
   
   These pictures were taken indoors with light constraints. I will update the images as soon as possible. I did not want to hold up this post because of lack of quality images. The colors are quite true to life, though.
   
   There will be no shipping or mailing expenses (and this holds for all raffle prizes).
9. Mountain Valley - Oil on Canvas 16 X 20
   Donated by Shilpa of Aayis Recipes
10. A delectable Fair Trade Hamper with fabulous goodies
    Donated by Padmaja of Spicy Andhra
11. A beautiful hand-painted plate with a name of your choice
    Donated by Mythili of Vindu
12. 30-Minute Meals ~ by Rachel Ray
    Donated by Siri of Siri’s Corner
13. Dark Chocolate Made With Icewine
    Donated by Richa of As Dear As Salt
14. Cooking at Home with Pedatha by Jigyasa Giri, Pratibha Jain
    Donated by Shruthi, a friend of Indira's
15. Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan
    Donated by Shruthi, a friend of Indira's
16. Essential Andhra Cookbook with Hyderbadi & Telangana Specialities by Latif I Bilkees
    Donated by Shruthi, a friend of Indira's
17. Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian
    Donated by Shruthi, a friend of Indira's
18. Indian Cooking ~ by Madhur Jaffrey
    Donated by Maria, a friend of Indira's

I will (try) to keep this list updated as the prizes start roll in. The master list is over at Indira's. The response has been amazing and I am in awe of everyone's kindness and generosity.

How to Contribute:

1. Click on Chip-in to donate funds using PayPal or a valid credit card. Please be patient as it could take a few seconds to load.
   
   
   If you cannot access the link above, please use this link instead: Contribute Now!
   
   Your contribution is sent to the Feed A Hungry Child Account, created and managed by Vijay K Narayanan of FAHC at State Bank of Travancore, Chittur, Palakkad, India.
2. Each $25 donation will give you one raffle ticket for a prize of your choice.
3. After you donate, please forward your payment confirmation message to donatesmiles@gmail.com, clearly specifying which prize or prizes you are interested in. Please mention how many tickets per prize, for example, a donation of $50 will buy you 2 raffle tickets for a cookbook.
4. For all correspondence by email, please use the same email address that you have used for your Chip-in contribution. This helps us validate your entry to the raffle and to contact you should you win a prize.
5. The event will be close on 23rd October, 2007 and raffle prize winners will be announced on 25th at Mahanandi, as well as Indian Food Rocks and Jugalbandi. (The drawing will be done manually).

If you need more information about donating to the cause or the raffle prizes, please contact me via comments to this post or write to Indira at donatesmiles@gmail.com.

Go on! ChipIn now and help make a difference in a child's life.