Red Nose Appeal... Is there something different that should be done??

[Jacqui Harvey]

This may be controversial, but.  I have been watching the Red Nose appeals on T.V. and saw Miranda Hart last night out in Africa. She was at the bedside of a four year old little girl, Florence, who was very ill with diarrhea.  Miranda is asking that everyone donate £5.00 to save children like this.  This is a message I have been hearing since I was a child in the sixties and it seems nothing has changed.  Every year we have been  told that thousands of children are dying in Africa.
Further into the report Miranda tells us the Mother of four year old  Florence is a single Mother with two children and is 17 years old.  Now, this may be a silly idea, but how about a programme of birth control in Africa?  There are methods of injections that act for months at a time. So, why not start a programme to have Birth Control Clinics?  I for one would gladly give money to this cause.  I would think that the 17 year old mother of this little girl could and probably will go on to have lots more children and perhaps if there was a major Birth Control push, in future we may not see as as many children born into misery that need to be saved. 

[Scunner]

I am sorry but I cannot stand Red Nose Day. I've bought noses for the kids for school but that will be my contribution I'm afraid. There's something a little bit vulgar about a bunch of comedy chums all getting together and climbing Kilimanjaro - who's up there to save? Why don't they all stay in the UK, choose a town centre or city each for every day they would have been "gallivanting" around Africa, stand in the market square making people laugh while holding out a collecting bucket - that would raise many times more than a series of short films about rich people climbing up a mountain together.

One of them could climb Kilimanjaro if they feel footage of such a thing is helpful - 10 celebrities climbing it won't raise 10x what one celebrity will.

Maybe it's me but it seems like it's more about celebrity careers and them enjoying themselves than the real issues.

[nichola]

They already do birth control in Africa, largely funded by the Americans; they are called sterilization programmes!

The most significant contributing factor to reducing poverty and changing life outcomes for the better is education and I would recommend that anyone interested in making a real difference donates to schemes like the UN World Food Programme.

http://www.wfp.org/school-meals

[Jacqui Harvey]

So, if they Americans are funding women being sterilised, which is drastic birth control, I think a proper programme funded by Red Nose Day should be started.   Education is part of understanding birth control and woman should be educated and things explained to them.  I am sure the 17 year old who must have had Florence when she was 13 years old had no idea of what birth control was.  All she understands now is, if her children get ill she will depend on other countries to donate money to cure them.  In the meantime she will go on getting pregnant. 

[kayakebab]

I think the main reason behind it is to encourage youngsters to watch and to understand issues in Africa and elsewhere.

Quite rightly it's been on our screens for many years, but certainly my children have watched their favourite DJs and celebs with admiration for what they're were doing, and in fact my daughter was inspired to visit Africa and make a contribution herself because of it.

All I remember of campaigns to raise awareness as a kid was short films after the 6 oclock news showing starvation and poverty and my dad complaining loudly that they always showing these films when you're having your dinner.
Not much inspiration there!

[angela]

I agree with all of the above in principle, but you need watchability to encourage people to contribute I'm afraid. The stupidity of having people like Frankie Boyle involved annoys me intensely, but you do need that 'celebrity' element or we would all just turn over. There is always the contentious issue of,  is it our problem when we have enough home grown ones??, not my opinion but it's out there.

[Lotty]

I agree there's more than a bit of self promotion that goes on with some of these 'stars'. It's not altogether altruistic. Just sending them there costs money which could be better spent. However the sad, desperate situations need to be seen to touch people's hearts. I just don't think it needs celebrities, they all seem to have 'jumped on' now.

[BlackAdder]

I'll give something, I always do. Not for the "celebrities" but because it's better than doing nothing and if my £20 helps to save one life then it's worth it. The easiest thing of all to do, is to do nothing.
I'll probably watch hardly any of it though as most of it, all the dancing and that, is crap.