Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
08 December 2021
Post No. 225
The Week’s Contents
• Leafy Year/Project – The 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction: Leaf to Generate Income
• Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Spending Limit Programme/Scheme
• All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion 2021/2022: Remote Volunteering for Climate Neutrality and Poverty Reduction
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Leafy Year/Project – The 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction: Leaf to Generate Income
In a series of activities for the Leafy Year/Project (or the 2021 as a Year of Leaves) within CENFACS, we are undertaking the last activity this month. This activity consists of looking at how leaves can help in offsetting the growing financial pressure on our household users’ budget and of working together with them so that they can undertake activities that could help them to generate a little extra income to tackle certain forms of poverty (like the coronavirus-induced poverty) over the festive period and beyond.
The continuing effects of COVID-19 are such that many earning capacities have dramatically collapsed while one can notice the soaring of COVID-19 debt burden for many poor households making our community. To respond to this persisting challenge, the last episode of our series of the Year of Leaves is about finding a promising way of working with or empowering those poor beneficiaries so that they can remake their lost income earning capacity and where possible they can make a little extra income to make ends meet in a month of Income Generation within CENFACS. In doing so, they can grow or develop a leaf to generate income and reduce poverty.
The details of this 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction or Leaf of Income Generation together with the previous Leaves of poverty Reduction can be found under the Main Development section of this post.
• Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Spending Limit Programme/Scheme
As part of Spending Limit Programme and Scheme Periods (01 to 07/12/2021 and 08 to 14/12/2021), we are available to work in hybrid way with users via a Spending Limit Programme (SLP) or Scheme (SLS) so that they can start stronger in the New Year. Both SLP and SLS will help beneficiaries to reduce spending risks and improve their intergenerational income and transfers. To practise SLP and SLS, we are carrying out structured festive activities for the two periods as indicated below.
• • Structured Festive Activities under Spending Limit Programme (01 to 07/12/2021)
Under the SLP, we are currently running the following structured activities.
Activity 1: Spending Threshold
Through this activity, we can work together with the community so that users with spending limit problems can set up their spending threshold on their planned budget.
Activity 2: Respect for Spending Restriction
Through this second activity, we can work with users with spending limit problems to help them stay within the spending limit they planned/agreed themselves or agreed/imposed by third parties (like bank overdrafts).
Activity 3: Little Extra Income Generation
Through this third activity, we can work with income poor users to explore any suitable means for them to create further income and reduce poverty as lack of income.
Need festive advice or support regarding your spending limit problems, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
If you have spending limit problems and missed any of the activities of the SLP, you can still contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your spending limit needs and support you to start the New Year stronger.
• • Structured Festive Activities under Spending Limit Scheme (08 to 14/12/2021)
We can work together with you and help you elaborate an action plan about your spending limit for a given period (e.g. a week or a month or a six months or a year). Under this scheme, we can organise together the following activities.
Activity 1: Elaboration of an action plan for spending limit
Through this activity, we shall work with users with spending plan issues to produce an action plan or budget for spending limit that matches their financial circumstances and conditions of life.
Activity 2: Building and understanding cash flow statements or projections
Through this activity, we shall work with users with spending planning issues to write down their cash inflows and outflows as well as opening and closing balances so that they can start the New Year with confidence as far as their financial health is concerned.
Need festive advice or support regarding your spending planning problems, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
If you have spending planning problems, you can contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your spending planning needs and help you to start the New Year stronger.
• All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion 2021/2022: Remote Volunteering for Climate Neutrality and Poverty Reduction
As the 2021 will come soon to an end at the end of this year, we need to start thinking about our voluntary work. We need to do it, although we are still dealing with the post-coronavirus pandemic legacies.
From 05 December 2021, we started to think of it since CENFACS is a volunteering-involved and -based organisation; meaning that CENFACS heavily relies on volunteers in order to deliver its services and programmes. It also means we need to start planning for this next year in terms of the way in which we would like to volunteer so as to continue to achieve CENFACS’ vision, mission, aim, objectives and charitable objects. This planning process is even important as we are in a post-coronavirus and post-exit economic era.
Indeed, the scale of the health and economic damages caused by the coronavirus disaster is colossal and will be still felt in the future in the living memory. In addition, there are still COVID-19 variants (e.g. like newly identified Omicron variant) that are coming to apply more threats and damages to lives. This is despite the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine and booster jabs. These damages will be mostly felt by those who have not got any capacity and means to deal with them. Amongst them, there are poor people.
It will be difficult to pay for the cost of these damages in the short and medium terms. Volunteering will be much needed to help deal with some of the legacies of the coronavirus disaster.
Likewise, the economic impact of the UK’s exit from the EU regional economic model of integration is still felt. The cost of changing economic ties with the EU has led to some forms of adjusted volunteering for us to continue the work of poverty reduction and sustainable development.
In order to get ready, some preparations must be done. We already started these preparations last and this years. We are continuing these preparations and discussions through our All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion. These Winter e-volunteering discussions, which already began since the 5th of this month, are briefly on Remote Volunteering for Climate Neutrality and Poverty Reduction.
• • What is remote volunteering?
The National Centre for Voluntary Organisations (1) defines volunteering as
“Any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives. Central to this definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual”.
From the above definition, one can argue that remote volunteering is about volunteering at a time and location (that is, away from a usual workplace) that matches the volunteer’s needs while still making a positive impact on the life of those in need. Such type volunteering requires specific types of means like distance-working technologies.
• • What is climate neutrality?
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (2), climate neutrality refers to
“The idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing those emissions so they are equal (or less than) the emissions that get removed through the planet’s natural absorption; in basic terms it means we reduce our emissions through climate action”.
From these two definitions, we are e-discussing on how volunteers can support CENFACS in the New Year in order to remotely help reduce poverty in the context of climate neutrality. These e-discussions revolve around the following points.
• • E-discussion volunteering Points
The following points are scheduled to be part of the e-discussion:
√ How remote volunteers can help CENFACS to deliver an action plan for climate neutrality and poverty reduction in 2022 and beyond
√ How remote volunteers can assist CENFACS to use technologies (especially distance-working ones) to transform its volunteering operations
√ How remote volunteers can support CENFACS to deliver a strong impact digital volunteering experience in the post-pandemic age
√ How remote volunteers can effectively contribute in the situation of return of COVID-19 threats brought by its variants (like the newly identified Omicron variant)
√ How remote volunteers can deliver true value poverty reduction in the landscape of climate neutrality
The clarification about these points will help to determine remote volunteers’ involvement and engagement with CENFACS. To put these points in practice, we are considering the following beyond volunteering theories.
• • Practical examples to remotely volunteer for climate neutrality and poverty reduction
The examples below are our way of engaging and involving volunteers in 2022:
a) Remote volunteers can help to measure or estimate their own or users’ CO2 emissions using a calculator (online carbon footprint calculator) in terms of energy consumption in Kwh/month.
b) They can as well measure heating energy source (i.e. coal, gas, wood, charcoal, electricity, etc.)
c) They can help encourage users to switch to green electricity provider, to walk or cycle.
In brief, they can help to estimate CENFACS Community’s CO2 emissions.
There would be more examples and many ways of getting volunteers engaged and involved in 2022; examples which would be e-discussed.
The above points are some of those issues we have identified so far which are being discussed and put to all our supporters to help us in providing their inputs.
To add your views about Remote Volunteering for Climate Neutrality and Poverty Reduction, please contact CENFACS. Also, for those who would like to know more about the organisation of All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion 2021/2022, they can refer to the timeline below.
The above timeline indicates that from 06 to 11 December 2021, we are e-discussing Remote Volunteering within CENFACS. From 13 to 18 December 2021, we will be e-debating Volunteering for Climate Neutrality. These two volunteering e-discussions would include poverty reduction as well.
Between 19 December 2021 and 02 January 2022, we will break for festivity and end-of-year celebration like everybody. It is also a time to digest what would have been discussed and start to think of new volunteering ideas and proposals for the New Year.
Our e-discussions will resume on 03 January 2022. From 03 to 05 January 2022, we shall work on 2022 Action Plan with key action points and policy recommendations on the direction of All-in-Development Volunteer Scheme. In particular, the points to be highlighted will help to indicate how we can deliver a high impact volunteer experience in the post-COVID-19 poverty reduction world in 2022 and beyond.
• Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS)
It is possible to support CENFACS and its AiDVS from wherever you are (at home, work, away, online, abroad, on the go and move, etc.).
It is true that many people are still suffering from the health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic which have also affected the way in which they support good causes.
However, supporting us does not need to be magical and majestic. One can still support deserving causes like CENFACS while trying to recover from the health and economic effects of the coronavirus.
Also, your support will help us to support others, like you, who have been affected by the same coronavirus crisis and effects.
One can still enjoy a great festive season while they are supporting us.
There are many simple helpful and useful ways of adding value to our voluntary work.
Here are some suggestions on ways of supporting with wintry and festive news, information and products:
√ Gift ideas for the best ways of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing projects and programmes in the New Year
√ Savings and scrimping for AiDVs
√ Festive deals, packages, coupons and vouchers for AiDVs
√ Distance working technologies for volunteering to make the world a better place for a low-carbon, COVID-19 free and sustainable future we all want
√ Low carbon economic products to protect the environment and nature
√ Digital and media support to better volunteer for a climate neutral and sustainable world
√ COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment gifts for healthy and safe volunteering in the New Year
√ Wintry and festive giveaways for volunteering for a net zero CO2 emissions world
Etc.
To e-discuss Remote Volunteering for Climate Neutrality and Poverty Reduction, please contact CENFACS or just forward your comments, views and experiences to us.
Extra Messages
• Stepping up COVID-19 Campaign this Festive Season
The coronavirus rules have been recently strengthened in England due to the newly identified Omicron variant. The booster programme is being expanded and face coverings have re-become compulsory in shops and on public transport. Because of that, we are stepping up our COVID-19 Campaign during the festive period and in the context of the Phase 3 (Rehabilitation Phase of this Campaign). We are as well stepping up the latest development of this campaign (End of Covid-19-induced Poverty) which is related to type of poverty generated by the coronavirus or Covid-19-induced Poverty.
• • What does stepped-up COVID-19 Campaign mean?
A stepped-up COVID-19 Campaign means a number of actions for CENFACS’ two areas of operations (in the UK and in Africa) will be undertaken within the Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Phase. This phase or stage includes the following sub-stages: recovery, repair, strengthened restoration and functional capacity.
It also means that actions need to be taken for both the original and broad COVID-19 Campaign which mostly deals the health and economic issues posed by the coronavirus pandemic, and End of COVID-19-induced Poverty, which is a specific COVID-19 post-vaccine and post-testing campaign designed to help reduce and mostly end poverty and hardships brought by the coronavirus pandemic and its associated effects.
• • • Actions relating to the operation in the UK
Stepped-up actions relating to this operation mean the following.
We are following to letter health advice and guidance from the National Health Service, the World Health Organisation and the UK authorities (both local and national) about the protection of ourselves, the community and the wider public.
We are wearing face coverings, sanitising our hands, applying social distancing rules and using personal protective equipment when it is compulsory to do so.
We are still working in hybrid format and where in-person service is unavoidable; we can intervene in a COVID-19 secure manner.
• • • Actions relating to the operation in Africa
We are continuing to follow the development of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic and the newly identified variants in Africa where cases keep on increasing. We are doing it via our shadowing model.
We are as well monitoring the evolution of the coronavirus vaccine rollout and testing programme in Africa. In this checking process, we are looking at the involvement of our Africa-based Sister Organisations in supporting their local users. Where our hands are needed, we would be pleased to help when we can.
Furthermore, we are continuing to advocate for the reduction and or end of COVID-19-induced poverty and hardships in Africa.
The above is our stepped-up and updated COVID-19 Campaign, particularly the 3rd Phase of this campaign. In this phase, we shall deal with the four sub-phases (i.e. recovery, repair, strengthened restoration and functional capacity) at the same time since these sub-phases are interlinked.
For further details about this stepped-up and updated COVID-19 Campaign, please check with CENFACS’ COVID-19 Hub for Poverty Reduction.
• Cost Centre Project
This month, we are working with individuals and families with Spending Limit problems. Because we are talking about spending limit and cash flow statements for individuals and families, we thought that this is also an opportunity to re-introduce our Cost Centre Project. We first introduced it when we published the 73rd Issue of FACS (entitled as The Economic Costs of Building Forward from the Coronavirus) last October.
The project will deal with organisations that have problems or are struggling to set up and manage all their costs under the same roof, and or those that would like to set up a systematic structure of managing their costs so that they can deliver on the outcomes of their poverty reduction work.
• • What is a Cost Centre Project?
This is a project designed to work with Africa-based Sister Organisations in order to help them alleviate poverty due to the lack of systematic and analytic method and system to set up and collect costs needed to build forward.
• • Project objectives
The Cost Centre Project will help organisational beneficiaries to aim at the following:
∝ Track expenses
∝ Align costs with allocated budgets
∝ Recover overhead expenses
∝ Create more opportunities for poverty reduction within their community
∝ Conduct data analytics
∝ Help them to sustainably grow
∝ Ensure optimum efficiency and effectiveness
∝ Enable accurate forecasting and estimations about costs
Etc.
• • Project activities
Through this project, these organisations will better plan, organise, coordinate, control and monitor their cost of building forward from the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic at a cost centre or organisational unit with the responsibility for the costs these organisations incur. The setting up of costs via this project will be aligned with poverty reduction budgets and goals of those organisations.
• • Supporting this project
To support or contribute to this project, please contact CENFACS.
• • Want more information about this project
For further details including full project proposals and budget about the Cost Centre Project for Africa-based Sister Organisations, please contact CENFACS.
• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses the Link between Peace and Security on the one hand and Economic Growth and Sustainable Development on the other hand in Africa
The theme of festive season is peace within CENFACS. To accompany those who are suffering from poverty and lack of peace and security in Africa, the be.Africa Forum is e-discussing Peace and Security versus Economic Growth and Sustainable Development (which also includes poverty reduction).
Indeed, there are those who are continuing to defend their thesis on peace and security first in Africa before anything else. There are those who are opposing them by arguing that the only way you can have peace and security in Africa is if there are economic growth and sustainable development. Between this opposition, there are those who believe that peace and security can be associated with economic growth and sustainable development.
For those who would like to e-discuss with us, they can contact CENFACS to let us know their thoughts and feelings on this matter.
To join the e-discussion, please contact CENFACS.
Redéploiement des outils de combat contre le COVID-19
Avec les menaces du nouveau variant de COVID-19, le variant Omicron, le CENFACS intensifie sa campagne contre le coronavirus. A la suite de cette intensification, nous redéployons nos outils de combat contre ce virus, à savoir: le distanciel, les gestes barrière, les masques faciaux, les gants de protection, l’usage de gel hydroalcoolique, etc.
Nous espèrons que tout le monde dans la communauté essaie de faire la même chose.
Nous espèrons aussi que ceux ou celles qui ne sont pas encore vacciné(e)s le feront pour l’intérêt communautaire.
Enfin, nous prions à ceux ou celles qui manifesteront des symptômes de ce virus et/ou de ses variants de ne pas hésiter à se faire tester.
Pour plus de détails au sujet de la Campagne contre le COVID-19 de CENFACS et des différentes actions menées jusque maintenant au titre de cette campagne, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Leafy Year/Project – The 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction: Leaf to Generate Income
CENFACS dedicates every year to a particular subject or remembrance. This ending year was and has been dedicated as a Year of Leaves. As a result of this dedication, we set up a project to enable us to formalise and implement this Leafy Year; project that is called Leafy Project. The following will help to explain our Year of Leaves and understand what went on throughout the year of this dedication.
• • 2021 as a Leafy Year and Project
2021 as a Leafy Year and Project means for us the following:
√ Leaves are ways of relieving us from pains or diseases
√ Leaves have some curative properties or healing power
√ Leaves can heal from illnesses or ill health or health poverty
√ We use a leaf as our logo, a leaf of poverty relief
√ We have been celebrating throughout 2021 what leaves can do for those living in poverty
√ We turned over a new leaf from the start of 2021; a year of resolve covered with poverty reduction leaves to do better for and with those in need in 2021 and beyond
√ Leaves can help us to make New Year’s Resolutions
To deliver on the above meanings, we set up monthly activities and events that have made our Year of Leaves of Poverty Reduction, a Leafy Year.
• • Monthly activities and events in the context of Leafy Project
• • • 11 activities or leaves of poverty reduction performed so far as part of Leafy Year/Project
Since we started the delivery of CENFACS Leafy Year as a Project, the following eleven activities (or leaves of poverty reduction) have been conducted so far:
1st Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
This activity was and has been about Responsible and Sustainable Consumption of leaves in order to keep harmony between human consumption of leaves and nature.
2nd Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Leaf of poverty reduction can be of sustainable development as leaves play a critical role in the Earth’s biosphere.
3rd Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
This activity aided or has aided to take climate action to help in the reversal of new patterns and trends that conflict with the natural senescence of leaves or their seasonal course of cycles.
4th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
This activity was and has been about the protection of leaves from biological pest and herbivores in order to help leaves survival and reproduction while helping in the reduction of consumption. This is despite the fact that leaves have own chemical defences.
5th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
The stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development can be related to leaves of poverty reduction and sustainable development. In other words, we tried to identify the relationship between leaves and stories telling through poverty reduction and sustainable development.
6th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Leaves were vital in developing creative capacities in the process of poverty reduction and sustainable development.
7th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Leaves eased the process of discovery, interpreting and communication of meaningful patterns and trends in data about poverty reduction and sustainable development.
8th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Virtual or in-person visits of leaf projects and or activities to COVID-19-hit local people and communities facilitated the connection with real needs on the grounds.
Equally, finding natural leaf trends in the contexts of leaf-related poverty alleviation and leaf-enhancing sustainable development contributed to the deepening of our understanding of leaves in practical poverty reduction and sustainable development lives.
9th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Integrating leaves and advice to produce poverty reduction encouraged to achieve high impact experience within CENFACS.
10th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
The history of leaves of poverty reduction with CENFACS is not a new one. Leaves of poverty reduction were and have been instrumental in helping to accomplish CENFACS’ mission and charitable objects. They supported and continue to support us to find communicative, meaningful and powerful way of working together with those in need in the UK and in Africa to navigate their way to a sustainable poverty reduction and to enhance the quality of their lives.
11th Leaf of Poverty Reduction (or Activity)
Skills and knowledge on leaves assisted us to work together with our users and Africa-based Sister Organisations to achieve more and better results in terms of poverty reduction and enhancement of sustainable development.
More details about the above activities or Leaves of Poverty Reduction can be requested from CENFACS.
• • • The 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction: Leaf to Generate Income
The last leaf of poverty reduction will be about way in which one can use leaves in order to either set up an activity or grab an opportunity or develop an activity with leaves as an output in order to generate or boost their income. In this respect, leaves can help to generate income to fight against poverty and hardships.
The 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction can assist poor people to generate little extra income in order to overcome income poverty. Indeed, leaves can contribute to…
√ Address the root causes of multi-dimensional poverty (including intergenerational income poverty)
√ Poor people’s access basic needs of food, medicine, shelter, energy, etc.
√ Poor people to gain ownership of productive means, resources and capacities
√ People-centred approach to poverty eradication
√ The productive use of assets for income generation
All these elements or attributes can contribute to the increase of generational income for multi-dimensional poor children, young people and families to ensure their financial sustainability and address income poverty during the festive time and beyond.
Briefly, there are about helping them to help themselves in generating some little extra income in the fight against poverty and hardships.
For further information about CENFACS Leafy Year and Project as well as the 12th Leaf of Poverty Reduction, please do not hesitate to contact us.
_________
• References
(1) https://www.ncvo.org.uk/policy-and-research/volunteering-policy (Accessed in December 2021)
(2) https://unfccc.int/blog/a-beginner-s-guide-to-climate-neutrality# (Accessed in December 2021)
_________
Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year.
We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.
One could consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Donate to support CENFACS!
FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)
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.
