26th March - Protest Against the Cuts in London Photo's

My Red Nose Day Vlog :)

I realise this isn't great, but I am new and I am trying to find my voice :)

The Importance of Charity

Ok, so I am going to have a SLIGHT moan about the importance of charity and the selfishness of many people I know. This Friday (18th March 2011) is Red Nose Day (Comic Relief). For those of you who do not know what RND is, it is a one night TV event where celebrities (from A list to Z list) appear in skits, one of music videos etc. The BBC Newsreaders do their infamous dances, Dr Who gives a preview of the next series and the Soaps join together, usually in a comedic sing-song. It began in 1988, following the huge famine in Africa, Ethiopia especially. It's slogan is 'Do something funny for money' and every two years it raises tens of millions of pounds that will go to those worse off than us; those in extreme poverty, with HIV etc - all in the UK and Africa. Over the years it has already made a big difference, but it is still an important part of our culture, with the majority of the country tuning in to watch. It's something that I have always been involved in, and it is especially close to my heart after visiting Africa in 2008 and witnessing first hand the conditions many people live in, and the effect that a small amount of money has on these people's lives. 

I am really looking forward to RND '11, yet I have a number of friends - or at least people I know - who not only think that I am weird for feeling this way, but also have no interest in helping out. With regards to this charity, or any charity. And I wonder how, in this day and age, with the amount of suffering that is in the world, people do not care enough to give even £1 (which buys a red nose, or may buy videos/CD's/DVD's in charity shops) to a charity. Why? Because they care more about themselves than others. And it's not just charity, it's things that DIRECTLY affect them; such as the government's cuts to the public sector which they will not fight to save; it is saving money for university/holidays/the future in general. They do this because they live in the here and now, they aren't currently effected by the cuts, and they aren't directly linked to any charity - so see no need to support or care for any of this. Instead, they fritter their money away on clothes, food, DVD's, whatever; materialistic stuff that they will use once and never again. Now, I am not saying I am perfect; but I am getting better with my money nowadays and unlike many people, I don't get government support (such as EMA) and I have a job (of which every penny I have earned has gone into a savings account) but I still splurge now and then. However, my reasoning for doing so differs from that of many people my age. The reason I may spend £40 on an item of clothing when I have money is because I know I will get good use out of it for a long time, and because I know if I don't, then I am at risk of wasting all my money on food/alcohol which I then get annoyed about. My friends keep inviting me out on nights out, and of course I would LOVE to go, but spending £15-25 a week on a night out with friends = up to £100 a month, and that is RIDICULOUS. I cannot see how people can be so uncaring and unaware - and they then complain that they don't have any money, yet I have £1,800 that I don't want to dip in to in order to go out with them. 

Luckily for me, I think I will fare quite well at university and as long as I am careful, I should have minimal debt at the end of it. Many people I know, however, will have extremely huge debts because they throw their money away like bits of rubbish. Now, I may be overexaggerating here, but you get my point. Today's youth is more concerned about themselves and feeding their needs than about others or about their future troubles (as they don't pay any attention to the news and the stories of the economic climate). I urge people to, instead of spending money on an item of clothing that you will wear once, think 'Do I love this? Will I wear it a lot?', if no, put it back. Maybe some of your money could be given to charity. £10 - which is nothing - will make a huge difference to someone's life, someone who is less fortunate than you in some way; maybe they have a disease, are in poverty etc. £10 will buy two mosquito nets for African's. That will save two people from getting Malaria, and two people from dying. If you watch RND, actually ring or text in and GIVE them money. Don't be one of those people that sits there, enjoying the entertainment but doesn't think about giving any donations. Save your money up; create a separate savings account that half your earnings each month goes in to and you'll be surprised how much you save so that you can spend it on something worthwhile (thats how I got my MacBook Pro!). Just.....care.