Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
17 February 2021
Post No. 183
The Week’s Contents
• Ituri Peace Appeal
• Access to Quality Essential Healthcare Services for the Poor
• Poverty Reduction Goals Project, Goal No.7: Reduction of Situational / Transitory Poverty
… and much more!
Key Messages
• Peace Appeal for Ituri Region of the North-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo…
to Support the Victims of Insecurity and Displaced Persons
This is an appeal to save lives (of women, men and children), to stop the creation of favourable conditions for the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and to restore destroyed essential infrastructures (e.g. health centre, homes, fields, livestock, etc.) in the Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This February 2021 appeal is part of CENFACS’ Light Appeals or Projects. Any positive response to this appeal will help to stop further poverty and hardships as well as the reversal of the current situation to a major humanitarian catastrophe in the same region.
We know that the coronavirus pandemic has reduced the capacity of many supporters of humanitarian causes to act. However, since most of them are equipped with distance working technologies and means of support, one can use them in order to remotely save lives in places where people are in extreme and urgent needs but do not have any means to survive the impact of violence posed upon them. Inaction to help can only make the matter worse for them. There are many ways in which one can help to change the situation on the grounds as explained below.
For further information about the Peace Appeal for Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, please read under the Main Development section of this post.
• In focus for week beginning 15/02/2021 of the month of sustainable development is:
Access to Quality Essential Healthcare Services for the Poor
Our study on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Target 8 of this goal is focussing on the Access to Quality Essential Healthcare Services for this week. The attention about this access will be paid on the poor since our work is on poverty reduction.
One of the problems with access to healthcare services is that those who have the means can access quality essential healthcare services, whereas those who are poor often do not have the same access, especially in developing countries (like of Africa). This is particularly true in places where there is no equal access to health services or there is a lack of universal health coverage. This is despite the fact that the access to coronavirus healthcare has put everybody on the same playing field, particularly in Africa.
Before continuing further, let us first try to make the reader understand our perception of healthcare since it is one of the key words in access to quality essential healthcare services for the poor.
• • Understanding healthcare
There are many ways of perceiving healthcare. However, for the purpose of this second key message we are going to use Craig M. Wax’s (1) definition which is:
“Healthcare is not a thing at all to be given, bought or sold, but an entire ecosystem with many unique moving parts that are only connected by virtue of the existence of the patients. Each patient having individual needs, will have a landscape that suits the needs of their own health, and one that will change with time.”
From this definition, one can argue the following. Like everybody, poor people too have their individual health needs that can be linked to their situation on being on poverty or multi-dimensional poverty which can impact on multiple aspects of their life or health. This consideration leads us the approach we are using in dealing with access to quality essential healthcare services.
• • Approaching healthcare from the lens of poverty relief and sustainable development
Without going to a variety of approaches used in healthcare, let us simply explain that healthcare here will be approached from the perspective of poverty reduction and sustainable development rather than from the point of view of other theories or ideologies. For example, there are approaches that see healthcare as a free market product that follows the free market competition.
Poor people have their own health problems and often they are unable to pay for health services unless they get some help. That is why enabling equal access to quality healthcare services to them is important. This equal access is better achieved when healthcare is considered as an ecosystem in its entirety. Where there is equal access will normally include quality as well.
So, the central idea of this second key message is that effort must be deployed so that those who cannot afford to pay for quality essential health services to be empowered but not to be denied access because of their financial incapability to pay for quality health services.
As part of this week’s study of Access to Quality Essential Healthcare Services, we will be conducting some research work on CENFACS’ Community Experience on Access to Quality Essential Health Services.
For those who have something to comment on this week’s topic for the sustainable development month, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
• Poverty Reduction Goals Project, Goal No.7: Reduction of Situational / Transitory Poverty
The work on the Reduction of Situational Poverty is part of CENFACS 2020s Development Programme and Poverty Reduction Goals. In this work, we are approaching the goal 7 (which is Reduction of Situational or Transitory Poverty) of this project from two dimensions or areas (UK and Africa). In other words, to reflect our areas of work (UK and Africa), situational poverty will be treated with reference to both our work in the UK and in Africa.
To facilitate the implementation of this goal, let us answer the following questions: what is situational poverty, what causes it and how to get rid of it?
• • Understanding situational/transitory poverty
To understand situational poverty, we have selected the following simple definition from Richmondvale.org (2) which defines it as
“a period wherein an individual falls below the poverty line because of a sudden event”.
Which event can make people to fall below the poverty line?
• • Causes of situational / transitory poverty
Events that can trigger situational poverty include the following:
# Conflicts and prolonged civil insecurity
# Land disputes
# Inequality
# Climate change (e.g. drought), environmental disasters like earthquakes
# Lack of adequate access to clean and safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and food
# Lack of reserves to live
# Health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic
Etc.
The above events may be incontrollable and sometimes unpredictable for those suffering from them. Some of these events can be cyclical, just as situational poverty can be.
Whether it is about the community living in the UK or project users from our Africa-based Sister Organisations, any of them can be subject to a particular event that may lead to situational or transitory poverty or they can become transitory poor. When this happens, then a solution needs to be found to edge this type of poverty out.
• • Reducing and ending situational / transitory poverty
To navigate way out situational or transitory poverty, its root causes must be addressed.
For example, if ethnic conflicts caused human displacement and situational poverty, then the conflicting sides need to negotiate to tackle the root causes that led to this type of poverty amongst their peoples. The outside world can provide transitory humanitarian relief to save lives, but the ultimate goal should be to negotiate and reach a peace agreement between the two sides of disagreement. Additionally, this peace deal needs to be implemented and monitored so that there should not be a repeat of violence.
What’s more, a no-size-fits-all view should be considered as a solution to each event depends on the circumstances and the people who have been affected. For example, transitory poor from the coronavirus outbreak may be of different types like informal workers who lost their jobs, those who do not have access to clean water and sanitation, those who are suffering from the asymmetrical distribution of the effects of lockdown event, etc.
In a structurally egalitarian society, people can experience transitory poverty for a short period. However, in uneven or developing societies (like of Africa); situational poverty can take longer to heal to the extent that if not dealt with properly it can become a generational one.
For those of the members of the CENFACS Community who may be subject to situational poverty or threatened by it, they can discuss the matter with CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Circular Economic Solutions to Poverty in the Month of Sustainable Development
The month of Sustainable Development is also of an opportunity to find circular economic solutions to poverty and hardships. Those of our community members who are looking for circular economic solutions to poverty, they can work together with CENFACS in order to find solutions or get the leads to them.
We can together co-create solutions that will shape pathways and drive action for sustainable solutions to the issue of poverty that some of you are experiencing. Working together on this matter will help to deliver positive change for your current needs and those of the generations to come.
Need to find circular economic solutions to poverty, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS. You can contact CENFACS by phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.
• Project Planning Service for the Users of Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects)
Following last week’s announcement regarding the start-up of Triple Value Initiatives (made of Run, Play and Vote projects), our project planning service is now available for those who would like to engage with either of these projects.
For those who are interested in this service, they can contact CENFACS by phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website. We can together discuss your proposals about either your Run or Play or Vote projects.
• Advice-giving Service: Coping and Overcoming Situational Poverty
You can get the grips with some of the recipes on how to navigate your way out of situational or transitory poverty.
The coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have caused a lot of pains to many to the extent that some people are now experiencing situational or transitory poverty. If you are one of those suffering from transitory poverty, we can advise you on how to cope with this type of poverty and possibly work together so that you could navigate your way out of it. We can as well signpost you to relevant and or customised services where our capacity to deal with your problem is limited.
Need advice on dealing with situational poverty; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
Main Development
• Peace Appeal for Ituri Region of the North-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
This is an appeal to support innocent peoples (that is, women, men and children) who are suffering from a deadly conflict between the agriculturalist Lendu and pastoralist Hema ethnic groups in the Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• • What is happening in Ituri
As a result of the resurfaced ethnic conflict and land disputes in Ituri, there has been high level of civil insecurity with repeated attacks. Villages were burnt; women, men and children have been raped and maimed. Homes, fields, livestock and other infrastructures have been destroyed as well as human rights have been violated as the crisis goes on. As a result, many people have been displaced. Many of them are homeless and seeking for refuges in neighbouring villages, towns and countries.
• • Situational poverty data that speak for the peoples of Ituri
According to local sources and organisations,
Around 647 have been killed in Ituri villages
More than 1.4 million people have been displaced
160 schools were damaged and around 80,000 children are out of school.
All this has happened without undermining the high risk of contamination of COVID-19 and other diseases amongst the displaced people living in makeshift tents.
• • CENFACS’ role in making this appeal
In response to the current humanitarian situation in Ituri, CENFACS is appealing for action to save lives in Ituri. Our appeal is not to interfere in people and communities’ ways and rights of running their places, affairs, countries or regions.
Our role is purely humanitarian one especially where lives have been already taken and a considerable number of people have been displaced. There is a growing number of risks (such as poor health, sanitation, further violation of human rights, humanitarian crisis, etc.) if this situation goes on.
• • What CENFACS wants you to do: Provide a Peace-Giving Gift
CENFACS wants you to create a magic by providing Peace-Giving Gift to the victims of this insecurity without giving money. How?
We are appealing to you to try to do something about what is happening in the Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, so that the poor civilians can enjoy sustainable peace and internally displaced people can safely return to their homes and lands.
We often argue that there are always some little things one can do to create a BIG change or simply to try to change a very complex situation on the grounds without sometimes giving money, although there is a say that Money is King. These little things include the following:
√ Talking to someone who has influence on what is happening on the ground can change life
√ Networking, campaigning, responding to a petition, and so on can make a significant impact
√ A phone/video call or a mobile phone text message or even a tweet or a video record can save millions of lives
√ Raising your voice about the crisis in the Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at a peace talks or rallies
√ Having online chat about possible ways out about this crisis
√ Spreading the news in your social networks and contacts about the issue
√ Having some thoughts about what is happening in Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and on practical ways of helping, as part of coronavirus lockdown activity
Etc.
These kinds of simple things that one can do matter a lot for those whose life is at risk. It is not surprising if Professor Wangari Maathai said that
“It is the little things citizens do. That is what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees”. (Professor Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner)
CENFACS hopes you will act upon this February 2021 humanitarian appeal and create the magic of Peace-Giving Gift without giving money so that the sufferers in Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo can navigate their way to sustainable and inclusive peace.
• • Who will benefit from this appeal?
The following victims of this deadly ethnic conflict will directly benefit:
√ Displaced persons (women, men and children)
√ Those critically lacking adequate shelter and refuge
√ Those living in makeshift tents
√ Unaccompanied women and children
√ Those in a greater risk of harassment and assault of exploitation
√ Those at risk of disease transmission (like the coronavirus) amongst displaced families
√ Those without or with very limited access to hygiene and sanitation facilities
√ Those lacking access to clean and safe drinking water and food
√ Those who lost all their belongings and their love ones in this conflict
Etc.
There will be as well some indirect benefit as destroyed essential infrastructures and structures (like homes, fields, livestock, schools, medical centres, etc.) need to be rebuilt.
• • Outcomes from your positive responses to this appeal
Let us hope that the following will be achieved from your positive responses:
√ Bringing the conflicting sides to return to the negotiating table
√ Restoration of normality and regularity
√ Reducing of the risk of spread of the epidemics like the coronavirus pandemic
√ Organisation of the return of displaced persons to their land
√ Settlement or workable solutions to the land disputes for invested parties
√ Rebuilding destroyed infrastructures and structures
√ Stopping any further violation of human rights
√ Above all, sustainable peace building process for all in the region of Ituri
• • Contacting CENFACS about this Appeal
You can contact CENFACS to discuss or talk about this appeal at http://cenfacs.org.uk/contact-us/
Thank you for considering delivering on this appeal.
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References
(1) Craig M. Wax (2019), What is healthcare at https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/what-healtcare (accessed February 2021)
(2) https://richmondvale.org/en/blog/situational-poverty-definition-and-types (accessed February 2021)
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Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.
Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.
We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.
With many thanks.
