Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
20 September 2023
Post No. 318
The Week’s Contents
• Autumn of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises
• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises
• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 18/09/2023: Reduction of Grey Spaces-induced Poverty and -Threats to Sustainable Development
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Autumn of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises
• • What is Autumn about for CENFACS and Its Community?
It is about Freshness. Autumn is the time of natural recycling process of plants and trees. Leaves change colour and fall. Without reinventing the wheels, we can say that Autumn of Freshness at CENFACS is the season after the long sunny weather and break of Summer; season during which our body and mind naturally recycle and engage in renewed energy, strength and thoughts.
Autumn of Freshness is the season of
∝ making fresh start after returning back from Summer to resume our life routine, work, education and voluntary work, particularly poverty relief one
∝ restarting after having some life and/or work experience (e.g., voluntary work or experience over the Summer, project visits, holiday trips, tourism, travel/expeditions of all kinds, etc.)
∝ beginning to apply or introduce and share those new experiences, ideas and discoveries we had during the Summer break or holiday
∝ novelty, creativity and innovation to try to resolve the old, new, challenging and emerging issues of poverty and hardships.
Will this Autumn be same as the previous ones?
• • Autumn of Freshness 2023
This Autumn 2023, we are going to refresh the methods, approaches, theories and tools we have been using to tackle crises, particularly the cost-of-living crisis. Why do we need to refresh our ways of tackling crises or to be more specific the cost-of-living crisis?
Many economic analysts and expert bodies (like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Resolution Foundation, chief economists at World Economic Forum, etc.) think that the cost-of-living crisis will last until the end of 2024, when household real disposable incomes will increase and inflation drop back. Some even predict that it will carry on up to 2027/2028. Until then, inflation and interest rate pressures will unfortunately remain.
If this is the case or scenario, one may need to refresh their autumnal way in which they are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. Let alone the economic theory they are using. Refreshing is needed within CENFACS, between CENFACS and its community for the following reasons:
σ to conduct a brand refresh used or take a process of adjusting the brand in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis
σ to update with the latest information and knowledge about this crisis
σ to fix projects, activities and programme areas which are not working or where there are bugs
σ to review some of the fundamentals
σ to refresh values from an improved perspective
σ to take refresher training to close the gaps in knowledge in the way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis
etc.
All these reasons will help improve the way we are fighting the cost-of-living crisis. They will assist in dealing with the enduring cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis and any lingering effects of the coronavirus.
So, the key words and phrases for our sharing and engaging contents over this Autumn are Refreshing or Reviving Ways of Tackling Crises; words and phrases which will underpin all our work over this period.
• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises
Autumn of Freshness is about working together with our users, members and stakeholders through a helpful bundle of Fresh Start projects blended together to give a contemporary and targeted relief, thanks to a good knowledge of users’ and members’ needs and expectations.
These projects will help implement new and improved ways of working with local people to meet changing needs mainly led by the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring cost-of-living crisis in the Year of Influence; a year of influencing skills and social influence on those in the position of power to change things to meet poor people’s needs in a new era and landscape of poverty reduction and development policies. These projects make up our Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme.
• • What is Included in the Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme?
The Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme is made of
(a) Skills, tips, hints, tweaks and hacks to refresh ways of tackling crises
(b) Transformative experiences
(c) The Season’s appeal to stand up again against poverty and hardships
(d) A Slice and feast of Africa’s history
(e) A Campaign to end the stubborn cost-of-living crisis
(f) A Spatial analysis of poverty via blue, green and grey spaces
(g) Blue and green realignments of initiatives to the principles of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets
(h) Thoughts and inspirations to finish the unfinished work of building forward from previous crises (like the coronavirus).
All this is flavoured with hopes, dreams and reasons to believe in the future; a poverty-free, sustainable, net zero and crisis-free world.
So, the line-up for CENFACS’ Starting XI Projects and Campaign to end the lingering effects of the coronavirus and cope with the enduring cost-of-living crisis for this Autumn is as follows:
(1) Women, Children and Self-efficacity Skills to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises – NEW
(2) Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household – UPGRADED
(3) Pension Project of Old Age Poverty Reduction – NEW
(4) Making Memorable Difference through Cottage Industries in Africa
(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga – UPGRADED
(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact
(7) “A la Une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) with a Focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates
(8) Advice for Africa-based Sister Organisations and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa – IMPROVED
(9) Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis
(10) Campaign to End the Enduring Cost-of-living Poverty
(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals.
For more on these projects, please read below under the Main Development section of this post.
• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 18/09/2023: Reduction of Grey Spaces-induced Poverty and -Threats to Sustainable Development
This week, we are continuing with the grey framework to analyse poverty reduction and sustainable development. In particular, we are going to deal with ways of reducing spatial causes of poverty as well as track grey space in terms of hazards it may present to health and other indicators of sustainable development. To proceed, let us look at the relationship between urban morphology and spatialisation of poverty, then grey space and sustainability.
• • Relationship between Urban Morphology and Spatialization of Poverty
This relationship is about the link between spatial segregation and poverty in terms of the distribution of poverty. There has been a number of research works on the matter. One of the works comes from Vaziri et al. (1) in their analysis of poverty as a function of space. Vaziri et al. argue that
“Like many socioeconomic problems, poverty is a function of space, and spatial analysis can be key to deeper understanding and implementation of effectual intervention policies. In the era of advancement of geospatial techniques, many of our socio-economic problems can be explained through spatial analysis, mapping and visualization”.
Another study is from Charles Booth (2) with his Descriptive Maps of London Poverty. He uses space syntax theory and techniques of line segment maps. He applies space syntax methodology by analysing street-level data at a spatial scale. He speaks about the formation areas and the creation of poverty areas as a spatial process, a poverty line dividing the poor from the prosperous. In his spatial analysis of poverty, he provides the example of East-End of London as an area of persistent poverty.
Analysing poverty from the point of view of grey space or spatial structure is one thing. The other thing is reducing this type of poverty. From the perspective of doing something against poverty, we are interested in exploring ways of reducing or ending this type of poverty. To that effect, we will be running a focus group for those who may be interested in and who have points to make on the way of engaging with space to deal with poverty induced by or linked to grey space, they can let us know.
• • Grey Space and Sustainability
Grey space can help to measure and track the spatio-temporal dynamics of progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (3). There are many examples that allow to illustrate this tracking. Amongst these examples are grey infrastructure and urban intensification.
Regarding grey infrastructure, Ivan Bruce (4) explains that
“Grey infrastructure is impermeable materials that have contributed to the increased frequency of flooding and raised the temperature of urban spaces”.
If one wants to undertake action on climate, then they may need to carefully think the way they approach grey infrastructure.
Concerning urban intensification, John D. Potter et al. (5) argue that
“Grey space – the urban landscape – largely presents hazards to health… Urban intensification has resulted in reduced exposure to green and blue space and associated health-enhancing factors… Grey space, largely made up of impermeable and hard surface such as concrete and tarmac has further isolated us from the natural environment including soil”.
Additionally, Paul O’ Connor et al. (6), who frame skateboarding in both the material and symbolic space of greyness contend that
“Skateboarding reveals a lot about how pollution functions with and through leisure in the Anthropocene… Grey spaces help us address the ambiguities and contradictions of leisure in the Anthropocene”.
From the above-mentioned arguments on urban intensification, efforts can be made to reduce the hazards from grey space to health and to make skateboarding or any other leisure activity net zero.
• • What Can CENFACS Do about Helping the Community to Navigate out of Poverty and Lack of Sustainability Linked to Grey Space?
The purpose of these notes about grey space is not to develop theories or make statements. The real aim is to work with the members of our community so that they can find answers to the problems they are facing. One of these problems is grey space-induced poverty. And we can work with them to deal with this issue by taking a sustainable development path.
For example, if the expansion of grey space is prohibiting them to benefit from green and blue spaces, we can advise or guide them to access green and blue spaces. Where grey space is a hazard to their health, we can as well work together so that they can find the support they need. Where skateboarding activity is polluting their close environment, we can also work together to find solutions to the problem.
There could be limitations in what we could offer and what they can do since we are talking about poor people or grey poor. However, by working together with them, we can achieve more outcomes together than not working together.
The above is our third note for the Grey Space. To add your input and or enquire about this third note, please contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Two Days to Go!
• Starting or Renewing your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work this Autumn 2023
• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Foresight, Preparedness and Warnings about Natural Events in Africa
• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Two Days to Go!
There are only two days to go before our Summer Humanitarian and Fundraising Campaign ends.
All poor, unprotected children, undervalued young carers, distressed poor and those poor suffering from the lack of opportunities in sport development and sustainable development; they all are asking for support to reduce and or end the type of poverty they are experiencing.
Their requests are summarised inside the 2023 Edition of CENFACS’ Summer Humanitarian Appeal Projects.
The projects making this appeal include the following:
√ Win against Distress in Africa
√ All Gifts for All Poor
√ International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis
√ Iconic Young Carer
√ ELCLASSICO International.
The above five projects require donation or funding or influence.
Please remember, the fundraising and influencing campaign for them will end by 22 September 2023.
CENFACS will accept any support given during and beyond the duration of this campaign.
Please do not wait to donate or influence as the needs are pressing and urgent NOW.
To support and or enquire about these humanitarian relief appeal projects, please contact CENFACS.
Thank you for your generosity.
• Starting or Renewing your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work this Autumn 2023
The beginning of every season is an opportunity either to continue to do the things we always do as they work or to think of taking on new initiatives in the new season or to do both. Likewise, in time of enduring cost-of-living crisis there are not only worries and stresses; there are as well opportunities and possibilities to do things differently. One can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis to review or change things. One way of doing is to start or continue to look forward. There are many ways in which one can look forward this Autumn.
For example, one can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis and rethink on the types of organisations and projects they support. One may find appropriate to start or increase or even reduce their support to a particular development cause. One could also think of getting involved in CENFACS’ work or renewing their commitment to it if they have ever got involved in it before. The decision is theirs.
We have spelled out below various ways in which one can enhance CENFACS’ noble cause and make a useful impact on poverty reduction with us.
• • Getting the Most of Your Involvement with CENFACS into Poverty Reduction Work from Autumn 2023 and Beyond
• • • Where to start: Sign up!
√ Register with us and or update us with your contact details
√ Respond to our communications and communicate with us when occasion arises
• • • Stay in touch with our…
√ Newsletter and other paper and free-paper communication materials
√ Regular updated and upgraded resources and supporting information
• • • Involve us in raising awareness of the poverty relief issue
√ Advertise with us for helpful good and deserving causes
√ Pass our relief messages on to interested third parties
• • • Share your transformative experience
√ Tell us what you think and or your development story
√ Help us improve with your voices, comments, reports and feedbacks
• • • Boost your support
√ Support us according to your means and limits as every support counts
√ Add value to your support, if you can, by improving your support to us to support you and or others
• • • Get noticed to go further with your involvement
√ Register and keep up to date with information about your event, project, activity and so on
√ Join up our network of poverty relief and development work
• • • Stay ahead of the game with us
√ Communicate with us before hands and when the needs arise
√ Often read our news alerts, tweets and switch to our new developments
• • • Deliver on your promises
√ If you promise to do something for or with CENFACS and others, please do it
√ If you can’t do it, please let us know. Don’t just stay silent!
• • • Make our communications with you to be a two-way process and multi-channel approach
√ Talk to CENFACS and CENFACS will talk to you as well and vice versa
√ Help us improve the flow of information on poverty relief and development using a variety of channels and platforms
• • • Be contactable and present via
√ E-mail, (tele or mobile) phones, physical address and social media platforms
√ Word-of-mouth recommendations, outreach and other means of contact (like video calls)
• • • Get the word out on your communication channels
√ Spread words about CENFACS’ work on your social media links
√ Promote CENFACS’ work in what and where you think we can fit in
• • • Keep your involvement with CENFACS digitally and on papers
√ Up-to-date information on to your mobile by our free text alerts and messages
√ Check CENFACS’ website and make enquiries online 24 hours 7 days a week
• • • Act upon information received from us
√ Don’t just read or hear them and do nothing about them. Please react and be vocal!
√ If they are irrelevant to you, please pass them onto an interested and committed party
• • • Build and protect standards of trust in CENFACS
√ Correct inaccuracies and misinformation, stop the spread of false information about CENFACS and its community/network
√ Tackle with us disinformation and distrust about our poverty reduction work and initiatives
• • • Continue the legacy of CENFACS’ work
√ It is now 21 years and two months that CENFACS has been working on poverty relief and sustainable development since it was registered in 2002. You can continue this legacy with us.
√ You can be the face of CENFACS to those who are looking for a lifeline of support from us.
The above ways of getting involved in CENFACS’ work may not be exhaustive. Should you have any other way, please let us know.
To get involved with CENFACS into poverty reduction work, just let us know.
• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Foresight, Preparedness and Warnings about Natural Events in Africa
In the light of the current natural and disaster events in Morocco (stricken by an earthquake) and Libya (hit by flooding and two catastrophic dam collapses), CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the way to foresee, better prepare and execute warning signals against such events in Africa in order to reduce and/or nullify the deadly impacts they may cause.
The e-discussion is not only about foresight and preparation to mitigate these events. Our e-discussion is also about how to make those who are responsible for applying warning signals and alerts to act on time or before it is too late to avoid mass scale damages and tragedies from these natural disasters.
Our e-discussion is part of CENFACS project planning and development linked to short-term environmental strikes and disasters linked to climate change cycles.
Those who may be interested in this discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.
To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.
Message in French (Message en français)
• Reportage de l’été 2023 dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et graphiques d’information
Les deux semaines dernières, nous avons commencé à déverrouiller ou à décompresser nos données de vacances d’été et à nous préparer à raconter nos histoires de vacances d’été. Cette semaine, nous allons plus loin dans la mise en pratique de nos données déverrouillées ou décompressées à l’appui d’expériences ou d’histoires estivales.
• • Le reportage sur les expériences de l’été 2023 comme une opportunité supplémentaire
À partir de la semaine dernière et jusqu’à ce jeudi 21 septembre 2023, nous demandons simplement à ceux ou celles qui le peuvent de partager avec nous et d’autres leurs expériences estivales; expériences sur ce qu’ils/elles ont fait pendant les vacances d’été et pensent que c’est utile pour le partage.
L’activité de Rapport sur les expériences d’été 2023 est une autre occasion de rendre compte, de partager, d’apprendre et de se développer pour ceux ou celles qui ne nous ont pas encore informés des résultats des projets; projets en attente de rapports, expériences personnelles à partager, leçons à tirer et tendances de développement à repérer.
• • Partager des expériences de développement, des histoires, des contes et des rapports sur l’été 2023
Comme nous approchons la fin de l’été 2023, nous aimerions nos bénéficiaires. membres ainsi que ceux ou celles qui sympathisent avec la cause du CENFACS partagent avec nous et d’autres leurs expériences, histoires et rapports sur les initiatives mentionnées ci-dessous.
a) Projets Courir, Jouer et Voter (Initiatives à triple valeur 2023)
Vous pouvez commenter les réalisations ou les résultats d’action de vos projets Courir, Jouer et Voter.
b) Histoires de bénévolat et de création
Vous pouvez également partager vos histoires de bénévolat avec nous et d’autres si vous avez fait du bénévolat pendant les vacances d’été.
c) Programmes d’été: projets de bonheur, de santé et d’attractivité
Vous préférerez peut-être rendre compte de votre utilisation des projets de bonheur et de santé et de votre réponse à nos projets d’appel de secours humanitaire.
d) Activités tendances d’août 2023
Vous pouvez également rendre compte de votre expérience de suivi de la direction de la réduction de la pauvreté par le biais des services écosystémiques marins et côtiers.
e) Influencer les activités/tâches de l’année
Comme nous sommes dans l’année d’influence du CENFACS, nous serions plus qu’heureux d’entendre des histoires édifiantes liées à la dédicace de cette année.
f) Journal du bonheur et de la santé
Vous pouvez partager le contenu de votre journal du bonheur et de la santé relatif à l’été 2023 heureux, sain et confiant; ainsi que d’aider à construire une meilleure expérience de vacances d’été.
g) Autres expériences et reportages d’histoires mémorables
Vous pouvez commenter toute expérience émouvante ou histoire transformatrice que vous avez vécue au cours de l’été 2023.
Vous pouvez signaler votre expérience par courriel, par téléphone et par l’entremise des réseaux de médias sociaux ou des canaux de communication (p. ex., Twitter).
Merci de nous soutenir avec votre expérience, votre histoire et votre rapport de l’été 2023 dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et graphiques d’information.
Main Development
• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises
The following two items provides the main idea of our Starting XI Campaign in 2023:
∝ What is Starting XI Campaign?
∝ Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises
Before highlighting the projects making the Starting XI Campaign in 2023, let us explain this campaign.
• • What is Starting XI Campaign?
It is an organised series of actions and operations designed to help achieve the goal of poverty reduction during the autumnal season. Normally, there are eleven projects that make this campaign and help work with the communities here in the UK and Africa to freshly start Autumn. These projects are our Fresh Start ones which will help beneficiaries to cope with the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring current cost-of-living crisis. What are these projects?
• • Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises
The XI projects we are talking about will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign. This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.
11 PROJECTS TO REFRESH WAYS OF TACKLING CRISES: 11 WAYS OF HELPING TO REDUCE AND END POVERTY THIS AUTUMN 2023
Please find below key highlights of projects making CENFACS’ Autumn 2023 of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises, including the month each of these projects is supposed to start.
• • • Key Highlights of Starting XI Projects
September 2023
(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects (including the Big Beasts sub-advocacy) will continue our advocacy work on the protection of plants and animals while we are carrying on to implementing new ways of working with local people and organisations in Africa to help save flora and fauna.
Since fungi have been recognised as separate kingdom in taxonomy, we have included Funga in our Save Flora and Fauna. From now on, we will be working on saving animal, plants and fungi. (Advocacy)
(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact is a step forward within the framework of the advice service we provide to the community. The leaves element within our local advice package, which marked CENFACS’ 2021 Year of Leaves, will continue to feature the advisory process of helping the community to reduce poverty. We have included impact as advice will be given with an impact strategy to maximise outcomes for the beneficiaries. (Advice)
(7) A la Une (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) will include our sub-advocacy work on nature, which is Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature. This year, A la Une project will focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates. We shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’.
‘Niamankεkε’ (that, Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment). It is an advocacy for the world’s smallest creatures. Niamankεkε is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered insects and invertebrates in Africa. Insects like Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, etc. are endangered species. The ‘Niamankεkε’ project will help to advocate for a safe life for these insects and invertebrates. (Campaign)
October 2023
(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals are a renewed engagement with supporters via appeals to deal with the exacerbation of poverty by climate change, the enduring cost-of-living crisis and any spotted lingering effects of coronavirus in Africa. These humanitarian relief and emergency appeals, which will help people and communities in most desperate situation, will include as well
~ short-term environmental strikes and disasters linked to climate change cycles (like in the cases of the recent Morocco-Safi earthquake and Libya deadly floods and landslides)
~ long-term environmental storms and catastrophes (e.g., the risk of freshwater sources to be contaminated in some parts of Africa by viruses, germs, parasites and pollutants creating water scarcity)
~ short-term crises and armed conflicts and disputes (e.g., the intensification of violence and worsening of humanitarian crisis in the African Sahel)
~ wars linked to economic trends and business cycles (e.g., the geo-economic tensions between Africa’s trading bloc and other economic blocs)
~ and long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare (e.g., the deterioration of the security situation in African countries where there have been military coups d’état like in Niger, Guinea with the possibility of long-running civil wars). (Humanitarian appeals)
(4) Making Memorable Difference (MMD): The focus for this October History Month will be on Cottage Industries in Africa or Household-based Industries in lifting people out of poverty. Our work for this year’s MMD will be about identifying the historical figures (and families) of Africa who could be called Industrious Proprietors (or Families) of Poverty Reduction. (History project)
(10) Campaign to End the Enduring Cost-of-living Poverty: It is an organised series of actions to gain support for the cost-of-living poor so that something can be done for them. These actions need to result in change, particularly the reduction and end of the cost-of-living crisis. The latter is now a barrier for many poor.
We shall continue our alignment of this campaign with the typical phases of crisis (i.e., crisis, de-escalation, stabilisation, resolve and post-crisis) as set it up in October 2022. We shall as well continue to offer the three services (short-, medium- and long-term services) linked to this campaign. (Poverty-relieving campaign)
November 2023
(9) Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis: There are people who are succeeding in their fight against the adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis. There are others, who could be the majority, who are failing to win this battle.
For those who are not winning this fight, they may need to rethink or improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis, especially as many experts believe that the cost-of-living will last until real household disposable incomes increase and inflation drops back to meet the UK Government’s 2 per cent CPI (Consume Prices Index) inflation target. For those failing this battle, they may need help to improve the way they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis, which will be a resource, will contain new information, tips and hints to help the community lifted out of the cost-of-living crisis. This initiative or resource could start or be published before November 2023. (Resource)
(1) Women & Children FIRST Development Day: This year, our Development Day will still be about skills that can be learnt and developed in order to freshly start Autumn 2023. It will be about Self-efficacity Skills to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises.
Every day, women and children respond to crises and risks they face. Because the nature of crises and risks is changing, there could be a need to refresh ways of tackling these crises. This can be done through three Self-efficacity skills – resilience, flexibility and agility – which are the third top skills of 2023 in demand, according to the World Economic Forum (7).
In the last three years, the Development Day has been designed to resonate with the November month of Skills Development within CENFACS. This year’s Development Day will too reverberate with the Skills Development Month within CENFACS. (Thoughts)
(8) Advice to Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa: Our support to Africa-based Sister Organisations via advice will continue to operate to help these organisations to overcome many challenges they face such as changing climate, the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis. We have added to the advice service the guidance we give to those who would like to not-for-profit invest with impact in Africa.
Under CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we run a programme to support not-for-profit investors in Africa. For both ASOs and not-for-profit investors, we have planned to conduct more activities this coming November 2023. (Advice & Guidance)
(2) Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household: We have upgraded Data Skills to Run Your Household by bringing Insight Skills. The upgraded initiative will deal with data (that is, raw, unorganised and unprocessed facts, quantitative and qualitative information) and insight (i.e., analysed information) at the same time.
The initiative will aim at empowering user households with skills to prepare, identify and visualise data (i.e., words and numbers) as well as get analysed information that run their life. It will help them to have control over their data and life. (Data and Insight Advocacy & Skills)
(3) Pension Project of Old Age Poverty Reduction (PPOAPR) is poverty-relieving initiative designed to work with unaware beneficiaries about their pension rights and obligations so that they can sort out their pension plans and rights as early as possible in order to avoid or reduce poverty in their old age.
Through this project, it is hoped that beneficiaries will take early steps both in terms of contributions and benefits so that they can avoid disappointment or surprise in old age that can lead to pension poverty. PPOAPR will also motivate them to improve their means of living and contributions towards their retirement while making responsible decisions in terms of pension scheme choices. (Support and Resource)
Note:
As said earlier, the above XI projects will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign. This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.
Although they are scheduled for Autumn 2023, we may slightly alter our initial plan and or introduce occasional initiatives to cope with the reality of the unpredictability and complexity of development situations (e.g., coronavirus uncertainty, side effects of the cost-of-living crisis, humanitarian and emergency situations like in the case of Morocco), in which case we shall let you know as early as we can.
________
• References
(1) Vaziri, M., Acheampong, M., Downs, J. et al. (2019), Poverty as a function of space: understanding the spatial configuration of poverty in Malaysia for Sustainable Development Goal number one. GeoJournal 84, 1317-1336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-018-9926-8 (accessed in September 2023)
(2) Booth, C. (2005), Space and Exclusion: The Relationship between physical segregation, economic marginalisation and poverty in the city at https://discovery-ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/675/1/Vaughanetal_2005_ (accessed in September 2023)
(3) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in September 2023)
(4) Bruce, I. (2017), Green vs. Grey: Every City is a Living at https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/suitablecitiescollective/green-vs-grey-every-city-living-body/572166/ (accessed in September 2023)
(5) Potter, J. D., Brooks, C., Donovan, G., Cunningham, C., & Douwes, J. (2023), A perspective on green, blue and grey spaces, biodiversity, microbiota, and human health, Elsevier
(6) O’ Connor, P., Evers, C., Glenney, B. & Willing, I. (2022), Skateboarding in the Anthropocene: Grey spaces of polluted leisure, Leisure Studies, DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2022.2153906 (accessed in September 2023)
(7) World Economic Forum (2023), Future of Jobs Report 2023: Insight Report May 2023 at https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ (accessed in September 2023)
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• 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 throughout 2023 and beyond.
With many thanks.
