Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
14 December 2022
Post No. 278
The Week’s Contents
• Knowledge Year and Project: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation
• Supporting All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion 2022/2023: Volunteering for Nature and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty
• ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO for Autumn 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Knowledge Year and Project: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation
At the start of 2022, we dedicated 2022 as a year of knowledge (1) of poor people’s needs and demands; knowledge which would better help work with them so that they can navigate their way to poverty reduction. To deliver this dedication, we set up a Knowledge Project to accompany them in their journey to the reduction of poverty and hardships.
As part of the Knowledge Project, a number of activities and processes have been conducted each month to enable smooth implementation of the project. Now we have reached the last activity or episode of the Knowledge Project, it is logical and normal to continue the process of looking back what happened in the last 11 months until now. This is our impact monitoring task. Equally, it is worth to start the task of evaluating the Knowledge Year and Project. We may not finish this evaluation by the end 2022, but it is better to start now and continue it in January 2023 if we do not finish.
The two exercises or tasks (i.e., monitoring and evaluation) will enable to inform any interested parties (e.g., project beneficiaries, supporters, our audiences, etc.) the findings about what we did not know and we now know about the needs and aspirations of the people in need making our community. These monitoring and evaluative exercises would also lay ground to seize the early impacts or outputs from the delivery of the Knowledge Year/Project.
From these monitoring and evaluative information and knowledge as well as other discoveries within the project, we can plan the kinds of appropriate responses we may develop or ways of working together with them in 2023 to meet those unmet needs and demands.
There are more details about the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of the Knowledge Year and Project that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.
• E-discussing Volunteering for Nature and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty and Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS)
Our Winter e-discussion about Volunteering for Nature and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty continues as scheduled and as the United Nations Biodiversity Conference under COP15 (2) is in progress.
While our Winter e-discussion is going on, we would like to ask to our audiences the need to support CENFACS‘ All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS).
• • 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 lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. These effects have also affected the cost of giving to charities or 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 effects of the above-named crises.
Also, your support will help us to support others who have been affected by the same crises and effects.
One can still enjoy a great festive season while supporting us.
There are many simple helpful and useful ways of adding great 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
√ Net-zero or low carbon economic products to protect the environment and nature
√ Digital and media support to better volunteer for a climate neutral and sustainable world
√ Health and safety (e.g., 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 greenhouse gas emissions world
Etc.
To e-discuss Volunteering for Nature Goals and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, please contact CENFACS.
To support AiDVS with your wintry gift, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
• ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO for Autumn 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal
We have only one week remaining for our humanitarian appeal for Autumn 2022. This appeal is about supporting Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Communities and Organisations in Africa. What are the projects making this appeal?
• • Projects making this appeal
The appeal includes the following five selected projects:
√ Green Skills for Green Recovery
√ Save Flora and Fauna
√ Symmetry
√ Gender and Youths in Africa’s Recovery
√ Maintaining School Momentum
A brief summary of these projects can be found on the ‘Support Causes’ page at Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk) of this website.
The full proposals for each project forming this appeal is available should any of the potential donor or funder makes a request.
• • Supporting the Autumn 2022 Campaign
Donors and funders can directly and respectively donate or fund these projects.
A message about this appeal can also be passed on to a person who is in a position and willing to support. Many thanks to those who will be passing this message!
We understand that the world is still experiencing an extremely difficult time with the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. These effects impact the cost of giving or the ability of people to support good and deserving causes.
These lingering effects are even stronger in place where there is a high level of poverty like in Africa. This is why this seasonal appeal was launched to help not only to reduce poverty but also to save lives from these effects.
• • Where donors’ and funders’ money will go
We are inviting those who can to donate £2 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans, 1 benefit for fauna and flora and 1 shared benefit between humans and nature) or any amount starting from £2 or more as they wish or can. In other words, for every £2 raised, £1 will go to humans, £1 to fauna and flora and £1 to shared benefit for humans and nature).
• • Gift-Aiding your donation
You can declare your charitable donation made as eligible for Gift Aid. You can as well support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, budget, capacity and willingness.
To donate, gift-aid and support otherwise; please contact CENFACS or go to our ‘support causes’ page at Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)
Extra Messages
• Goal and Target for the Festive Month: Reduction of Income Poverty for the Income Poor
• Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Stability Programme and Scheme
• Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa; In Focus from Week Beginning 12/12/2022: Rate of Return on Investment as a Rate of Poverty Reduction
• Goal and Target for the Festive Month: Reduction of Income Poverty for the Income Poor
Our goal for the festive month is about reducing income poverty since we are in Income Generation Month within CENFACS. This goal has a target or a result aimed at achieving.
For instance, our goal for the income generation month could be to make sure that the members of our community have enough income to cover their basic expenses, pay off debts and save for emergencies. The target could be how many of them can realistically achieve this goal. The target could be as well the level or seize (e.g., being at or above the international poverty line) they need to realise this month.
The above is our poverty reduction goal and target for this month, which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.
• Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Stability Programme/Scheme
As part of Financial Stability Programme and Scheme Periods (01 to 07/12/2022 and 08 to 14/12/2022), we are available to work in hybrid way with users via a Financial Stability Programme (FSP) or Scheme (FSS) so that they can start stronger in the New Year. Both FSP and FSS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial instability and improve their intergenerational income and transfers.
These are exclusive activities to maximise programme and scheme beneficiaries’ financial knowledge and skills for a successful year-end. To practise FSP and FSS , we are carrying out structured festive activities for the two periods as indicated below.
• • • Structured Festive Activities under Financial Stability Programme (01 to 07/12/2022)
Under the FSP, we are currently running the following structured activities.
Activity 1: How to avoid festive impulse buying
Through this activity, we can work together with the community so that users with impulse buying problems can set up their spending threshold on their planned budget and do not spend the money they do not have.
Activity 2: Debt-to-income analysis for your household financial stability
Through this second activity, we can work with users with financial stability problems to help them stay within manageable debts in comparison to their earnings or income.
Activity 3: Savings for future emergencies
Through this third activity, we can work with income poor users to explore any affordable means for them to save for the future and reduce poverty linked to the inability to save.
Briefly, via these activities we will help them to carry out the following:
√ Eliminate toxic assets
√ Find sources of funding
√ Absorb the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and other potential financial crises
√ Prevent events like the cost-of-living crisis from disrupting household financial health and wellbeing
Etc.
Need festive advice or support regarding your financial stability problems, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
If you have financial stability problems and missed any of the activities of the FSP, you can still contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial stability needs and support you to start the New Year stronger and confident.
• • • Structured Festive Activities under Spending Limit Scheme (08 to 14/12/2022)
We can work together with you and help you elaborate an action plan about your financial stability 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 financial stability
Through this activity, we shall work with users with financial stability planning issues to produce an action plan or budget for financial stability 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 financial 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 and wellbeing are concerned.
Need festive advice or support regarding your financial stability planning problems, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
If you have financial planning problems, you can contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you to start the New Year stronger and confident with a plan.
• Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa; In Focus from Week Beginning 12/12/2022: Rate of Return on Investment as a Rate of Poverty Reduction
The general principle or theory here is that those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit sector and in poverty in Africa, they should not expect to gain any profit as a return. They will be investing areas where per capita income lags behind the rest of the world.
Instead, they should expect more and better results or outcomes in terms of poverty reduction, if possible the end of poverty for the end-users or beneficiaries. Their return on investment will be the rate of poverty reduction to be achieved. The higher this rate will be, the higher the number of people will be lifted out of poverty.
We can suggest most popular places and organisations in Africa that can provide high rates of return in terms of poverty reduction. Likewise, we can advise potential investors against organisations and places with greater degree of risk in terms of their investment.
For those potential not-for-profit investors who would like to invest, we can work with them to systematically analyse the degree of risk attached to their investments. In other words, we can give evidence-based advice on the correlation between risk and potential return in terms of poverty reduction.
For example, how much risk can a not-for-profit investor accept in return for a certain level of poverty reduction for a particular project or for a given organisation?
For those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit organisations in Africa and need some guidance, CENFACS can work with them so that they can have better knowledge or measure about the rate of poverty reduction.
Interested in Knowing the Rate of Poverty Reduction that can stem from your Investment in Not-for-profit Organisations in Africa as well as in our Guidance Programme, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
Message in French (Message en français)
SEULEMENT UNE SEMAINE pour l’appel de secours humanitaire de l’automne 2022
Il ne nous reste qu’une semaine pour notre appel humanitaire pour l’automne 2022. Cet appel vise à soutenir les personnes nécessiteuses, la flore, la faune, les communautés et les organisations en Afrique.
• Projets faisant l’objet d’appel
L’appel comprend les cinq projets sélectionnés suivants :
√ Compétences vertes pour une relance verte
√ Sauvons la flore et la faune
√ Symétrie
√ Genre et jeunes dans le redressement de l’Afrique
√ Maintenir l’élan scolaire pour les élèves.
Les propositions complètes pour chaque projet faisant l’objet de cet appel sont disponibles si l’un des donateurs ou bailleurs de fonds potentiels en fait la demande.
• Soutenir la campagne de l’automne 2022
Les donateurs et les bailleurs de fonds peuvent directement et respectivement donner ou financer ces projets.
Un message au sujet de cet appel peut également être transmis à une personne qui est en mesure et disposée à le soutenir. Un grand merci à ceux/celles qui transmettront ce message!
Nous comprenons que le monde traverse toujours une période extrêmement difficile avec les effets persistants de la pandémie de coronavirus et de la crise du coût de la vie. Ces effets ont une incidence sur le coût du don ou sur la capacité des gens à soutenir des causes bonnes et méritantes.
Ces effets persistants sont encore plus forts là où il y a un niveau élevé de pauvreté comme en Afrique. C’est pourquoi, cet appel saisonnier a été lancé pour aider non seulement à réduire la pauvreté, mais aussi à sauver des vies de ces effets.
• Où ira l’argent des donateurs et des bailleurs de fonds
Nous invitons ceux/celles qui le peuvent à faire un don de 2 livres sterling pour créer 3 biens (1 bien pour les humains, 1 bien pour la faune et la flore et 1 bien partagé entre les humains et la nature) ou tout montant à partir de 2 livres sterling ou plus comme ils/elles le souhaitent.
Pour chaque 2 livres collectées, 1 livre ira aux humains, 1 livre à la faune et à la flore et 1 livre au bien partagé pour les humains et la nature).
• Faire un cadeau
Vous pouvez déclarer que votre don de bienfaisance soit admissible ou déclarable à “Gift Aid“.
Vous pouvez aussi faire un chèque-cadeau ou un bon-cadeau.
Vous pouvez également soutenir ces projets de la manière la plus appropriée et liée à votre situation, votre budget, votre capacité et votre volonté.
Pour faire un don, offrir de l’aide-cadeau et soutenir autrement; veuillez contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Knowledge Year and Project: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation
The following items highlight the impact monitoring and evaluation of the Knowledge Year and Project:
∝ What is the Knowledge Project?
∝ What is monitoring and evaluation of the Knowledge Project?
∝ What are the 12 Knowledge Project episodes to monitor and evaluate?
∝ How can you help or get involved in the monitoring and evaluation processes of the Knowledge Project?
∝ Supporting the findings of the Knowledge Project
Let us highlight each of these items.
• • What is the Knowledge Project?
From what we argued early in this post, one should have an idea about Knowledge Project. If you do not have, please be informed that the Knowledge Project is an initiative set up by CENFACS to enable us to formalise and implement this Knowledge Year which is a dedication of 2022 as the year of knowledge.
The Knowledge Project is a knowledge-based poverty reduction made of a wealth of information and knowledge topics about the people in need. The project is essentially comprised of 12 knowledge project episodes whereby each episode draws on a particular area of knowledge and information about the people in need. The project uses data collection and analytics tools.
In this respect, the project is a collection of knowledgeable activities carried out with those people so that the better their needs become well known, the better they can drive support towards themselves.
At the end of this project, it is possible to produce the state of knowledge on poor people’s needs. Before that, it is useful to conduct impact monitoring and evaluation of this project.
• • What is monitoring and evaluation of the Knowledge Project?
To conduct impact monitoring and evaluation for any project, one may need to understand these words: ‘monitoring’ and ‘evaluation’.
To understand these words, we are going to refer to what ‘keydifferences.com’ (3) argues about them. ‘keydifferences.com’ explains that
“Monitoring refers to a routine process, that examines the activities and progress of the project and identifies bottlenecks during the process… It is the systematic process of observing and recording on a regular basis, the activities carried out in a project, to ensure that the activities are in line with the objectives of the enterprise”.
The same ‘keydifferences.com’ defines evaluation as
“An objective and rigorous analysis of a continuing or completed project, to determine its significance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability by comparing the result with the set of standards. It is the process of passing value judgement concerning the performance level or attainment of defined objectives”.
So, we are going to refer to these two definitions in order to conduct impact monitoring and evaluation of the Knowledge Project. To monitor and evaluate the Knowledge Project, we need to recall the 12 knowledge activities we carried out.
• • What are the 12 Knowledge (‘K’) Project episodes to monitor and evaluate?
Since we started the delivery of CENFACS Knowledge Year as a Project, the twelve activities (or 12 knowledge project episodes) mentioned below have been conducted so far.
Activity/Task 1 of the Knowledge Project: Knowledge about the Consumption Needs of Those in Need
This knowledge on them and consumption needs will help needs-based solutions so that they can improve their circumstances and consume what it takes to reduce poverty and hardships.
Activity/Task 2 of the Knowledge Project: Knowledge about How Those in Need are Meeting Sustainable Development Goals
Knowing whether or not poor people are meeting needs and moving towards the realisation of sustainable development goals is an interesting issue. In this respect, the task was about working to know if our members are meeting or failing to meet sustainable development goals.
Activity/Task 3 of the Knowledge Project: Knowing Climate Actions that Mitigate both Adverse Impacts of Climate Change and Poverty
It was about learning and working on projects that simultaneously reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and help poor people to navigate their way out of poverty.
Activity/Task 4 of the Knowledge Project: Knowing the Kind of Protection that the Impacted of the Rising Cost of Living Need
To undertake Activity/Task 4 of the ‘K’ Project, we tried to have some understanding and information about the types of protection that those who have been impacted by the rising cost of living may need.
Activity/Task 5 of the Knowledge Year/Project: Knowing the Real Stories of People in Need
This activity or task included listening to those in need tell and share their own stories, with their own words and numbers.
Activity/Task 6 of the Knowledge Year/Project: Understanding the Creative Skills of Those in Need
It was about knowing the creative skills of those need. Through that knowledge, it has been possible to work with them to use their creative skills and or develop them so that they could reduce poverty and come out poverty through their creative skills.
Activity/Task 7 of the Knowledge Year/Project: Discover and Communicate Any Meaningful Patterns from Data about Those in Need
This activity or task covered analysing data from those in need by using mathematics, statistics and computer software. The outcome from this analysis has been to discover and communicate meaningful patterns from their data.
Activity/Task 8 of the Knowledge Year and Project: Run/Walk with or Visit the People in Need to Discover their Problems
The activity or task carried out was to undertake the physical activity of running or walking with the people in need. It was also about in-person visiting the people in need and trying to find out through the visit the kind of problems they have been experiencing and discuss with them the types of solutions they would like to see.
Activity/Task 9 of the Knowledge Year and Project: Give Opinions, Not Advice
It was about giving your opinions or saying what you know about the issue those in need are experiencing or would like to hear other people’s views. It was about giving your opinions without advising them what they could do to resolve the problems.
Activity/Task 10 of the Knowledge Year and Project: Know the History of People in Need
This activity or task was about Knowing the History of People in Need and building the knowledge of their history. The more one could get the historical details from those in need, the better position in which they could be in order to help them.
Activity/Task 11 of the Knowledge Year and Project: Identify the Skills of Those in Need
It was about recognising or establishing the identity of the skills and capabilities they possessed. Depending on the skills they possessed and or could acquire, it was possible to think of what opportunity could meet their skills.
Activity/Task No. 12 of the Knowledge Year and Project: Know the Income-generating Activities of the Income Poor
This activity/task is being carried out during this month of December 2022. It is about Knowing the Income-generating Activities that Income Poor People Can Undertake to Move out of Poverty.
From what is known about their income-generating activities, it is possible to work with them so that improvement can be made to their activities.
The above-mentioned activities or tasks are the ones we are monitoring and evaluating. We are now carrying on with the systematic process of observation, recording, collection and analysis of information regarding 12 knowledge project episodes in order to get their impact or at least its output. We are as well undertaking the sporadic activity to draw conclusion regarding the relevance and effectiveness of the 12 knowledge project episodes presented.
To conduct such monitoring and evaluation, it requires the contribution of every body who took part or came across these activities.
• • How can you help or get involved in the monitoring and evaluation processes of the Knowledge Project?
As part of this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, we would like to ask to those who have been working with us throughout the last 11 months and two weeks to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these two areas:
(a) The overall “Knowledge Year/Project”
(b) Any of the activities/tasks they have been interested in or used to know the needs of those people living in poverty.
You can share your feelings and thoughts with us by:
∝ Phoning
∝ Texting
∝ E-mailing
∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.
• • Supporting the findings of the Knowledge Project
Monitoring and evaluation are not an end for themselves. After concluding them, there will be some findings in terms of knowledge of poor people’s needs. There will be some suggestions or proposals in terms of project planning and development. In other words, these findings could mean that we may have to take some steps forward in terms project planning and development in the New Year.
If there are new projects to meet those unmet needs within the community, how can one support those findings or emerging new project proposals?
For those who are willing to support those findings and projects stemming from those findings, we are willing to share the findings with them.
To request the findings from the 12 knowledge project episodes, please contact CENFACS.
To support projects that may result from these findings, please let CENFACS knows.
_________
• References
(1) cenfacs.org.uk/2022/01/19/the-dilemma-faced-by-africa-based-sister-organisations/(Accessed in December 2022)
(2) https://www.unep.org/un-biodiversity-conference-cop-15 (Accessed in December 2022)
(3) https.//keydifferences.com/difference-between-monitoring-and-evaluation.html (Accessed in December 2022)
_________
• 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 also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS. Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.
Donate to support CENFACS!
FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.
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 until the end of 2022 and beyond.
With many thanks.
