Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
11 August 2021
Post No. 208
The Week’s Contents
• FACS, Issue No. 72, Summer 2021: Investing in the Not-for-profit African Organisations within the African Continental Free Trade Area
• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Natural Capital Assets, Trending Topic in Focus from Week beginning 09/08/2021: Soils
• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity
… And much more!
Key Messages
• FACS, Issue No. 72, Summer 2021: Investing in the Not-for-profit African Organisations within the African Continental Free Trade Area
How to reduce more poverty in the African Continental Free Trade
As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) keeps its momentum, many keep calling on investors to pour in their capital. However, given the size of poverty in Africa, would not be better for investors motivated by other motives than profit to move towards those areas of AfCFTA or African market that are not-for-profit making but that take poverty reduction as their core mission?
For example, when navigating the impact of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, the International Monetary Fund (1) argues that
“In Sub-Saharan Africa, estimated employment fell by about 8½ per cent in 2020; more than 32 million people were thrown into poverty…” (p. 11)
This estimated number of COVID-19 induced poor has to be added to the pre-pandemic poor. If there are so many people living in poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, it makes sense to appeal to not-for-profit investors to chip in.
Another COVID-19 impact is given by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2) which claims that
“Foreign direct investments to Africa declined by 16 per cent in 2020, to $40 billion, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to have a persistent and multi-faceted negative impact on cross-border investment globally and regionally” (p. 40)
This decline could mean less opportunity for those who could have benefited from these investments in Africa. This information could also send a message to the not-for-profit African organisations in need of investment to find alternative ways of meeting their investment needs in a climate of investment decline.
The 72nd Issue of FACS examines how not-for-profit driven international investors can support not-for-profit organisations and development in the AfCFTA. Especially, this Issue looks at the climate and conditions in which this could bring more and better poverty reduction outcomes in Africa.
Through this Issue, we are going to discuss a new direction or re-orientation of investments in Africa with a mission to lift more and better people from poverty and hardships. This will help to add value to poverty reduction work already carried out via the classic route or channel of investments in Africa.
The 72nd Issue is indeed a progressive way of thinking as it perceives investment beyond African special economic zones to instead consider the possibility of scaling up investment towards African areas of high level of poverty. The Issue is in itself a vindication for an investment recovery for Africa’s not-for-profit development sector in the post-pandemic era.
The 72nd Issue is therefore a journey with those in need in a new area of enhanced trade integration in Africa with new types of investors ready to meet their own altruistic interests, while responding to local needs of those in most need and build forward better from the COVID-19 induced poverty and hardships. Amongst those investors are social ones.
As Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber (3) put it in the introduction to their book:
“In a social business, an investor aims to help others without making any financial gain himself” (p. xvii)
They also argue in the same introduction the following:
“No doubt humans are selfish beings, but they are selfless beings, too. Both these qualities coexist in all human beings” (p. xv)
It is this selfless motivation or dimension driven by investors, here not-for-profit investors, that will be about in the 72nd Issue of FACS in order to lift more people out of poverty.
Under the Main Development section of this post, we have given Key Summaries making the contents pages of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 72.
• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Natural Capital Assets, Trending Topic in Focus from Week beginning 09/08/2021: Soils
The 2nd trending topic of our activity in following the direction of poverty reduction via natural capital assets is about soils, particularly about the relationship between soils (or lands) and poverty.
Before going any further let us give this precision on the concepts of soil and/or land.
• • Conceptualising soil and/or land
We shall use the word soil or land without making any specific distinction between the two, although economists tend to focus on land (as a resource) while pedologists put emphasis on soil (as a natural body). We are not going to enter the debate between economists and pedologists on this matter.
Both land and soil are natural capital assets. In the context of this 2nd trending topic, we are following the direction of poverty reduction via soil (or land) as a natural capital asset.
• • Following the direction of poverty reduction via soil (or land) as a natural capital asset
Let us beginning this following up activity with what Martin P. Heger et al (4) argue in their article about land and poverty. In their article, they draw three main conclusions as follows:
“First, land improvements are important for poverty reduction in rural areas and particularly so for Sub-Saharan Africa. Second, land improvements are pro-poor: poorer areas see larger poverty alleviation effects due to improvements in land. Finally, irrigation plays a major role in breaking the link between bad weather and negative impacts on the poor through reduced vegetation growth and soil fertility”
Indeed, if land improvements or any alteration to the land that makes it more usable and increases land value are done fairly or equally, this can help to reduce poverty, conflicts and insecurity. These land improvements include roads, landscaping, fences, etc. They can also be referred to land ownership, laws, rights and obligations that can impact the conditions of life of those living in poverty in terms of produce from land (e.g. crops, staples, raw materials, houses, etc.)
For example, the lack of land improvements in many places in Africa (such as the Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, etc.) has led to ethnic conflicts, violence, insecurity, hunger and poverty.
So, this week’s trending topic is all about following the direction of poverty reduction via soils or lands as natural capital assets. It is known that at this time of changing climate and enduring COVID-19, it is challenging to gather information and data about how land improvements are helping those living in poverty to escape from it. This is let alone the knowledge of exact number of poor people who really benefited from land improvements or reforms against the backdrop of COVID-19.
To follow the direction of poverty reduction via natural capital assets with us, just contact CENFACS.
• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity
Generosity is one of the six predictors of happiness and healthiness. One can create a journal about what they are giving (or gave) or are receiving (or received) unselfishly.
Like last Summer, this Summer is tough for many ordinary people and families as COVID-19 endures. Many of these poor people and families are looking for unselfish help and support. For those who would manage to give or receive this generous support; they can create a journal for the things, organisations and people who have been unselfishly supportive to their happiness and healthiness during this Summer 2021.
They can record their thoughts, feelings and experiences in relation to the generous support they have received or given. They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy generous support. This can be recorded in their journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2021.
To share the contents of their happiness and healthiness journal relating to generous support, and help build a better Summer holiday experience, they can contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Integration or Factorisation of Le Dernier Carré (the Last Square of Poverty Relief) into Build Forward Better Programme
The Last Square of Poverty Relief (or le Dernier Carré) is CENFACS’ four step model of poverty relief that deals with four types of poverty: income poverty, consumption poverty, energy poverty and in-working poverty. It is also the square of escape or inescapability from poverty, a four-dimensional poverty.
Multi-dimensional poverty requires multi-dimensional approach to tackle it. CENFACS’ Le Dernier Carré (the Last Square of Poverty Relief) model is an example of multi-dimensional approach to poverty reduction. The model is mostly in action when using CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction as it enables to classify team countries according to their efforts in reducing poverty.
As we set up Build Forward Better Programme to manage the post-COVID-19 era, it would be a good try to include this model in the process of building forward better together greener and cleaner from the legacies of COVID-19 and lockdowns. In practical terms, it means building forward better income, consumption, energy and work. This is a positive outlook of Le Dernier Carré.
For further enquiries or any queries about integration of Le Dernier Carré (or the Last Square of Poverty Reduction) into Build Forward Better Programme, please contact CENFACS.
• Online TRACK to CENFACS e-charity Summer Shop for Summer Goods Donations and Buys
Every season is an opportunity to do something about the environment and poverty. You can recycle or donate your unwanted or unused goods and presents to do something about the environment and or poverty. You can also buy goods to meet the same ends.
This Summer you can online track CENFACS e-charity shop to help the environment and poverty relief. If you are a fun of online tracking and shopping, you can take an online course of action or online path or even course of travel to save the environment and reduce poverty with CENFACS.
Instead of you in-person going to physically shop or donate your goods, you can from the comfort of your home buy or donate goods to CENFACS e-charity shop to help the deserving cause of poverty relief and sustainable development.
To support us either by shopping or supplying us with products or goods you no longer want or use so that we can sell and raise the money for the good cause of poverty relief, please go http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/
• Virtual and In-person Trips for Field Research
Trips to the local need this week include as well those travels made or to be made to conduct fieldwork research in Africa and anywhere else in the context of poverty relief and sustainable development projects.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns it has generated, we recommend to those who want do trips for field research to only do them virtually. In exceptional circumstances whereby people have to in-person visit coronavirus-affected people or related projects, it is in the interest of everybody that they should take care of the following:
√ They have to be fully vaccinated and or negatively tested against the coronavirus
√ They should wear appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves and others against the Covid-19.
√ They should follow local, national and international rules related to the protection against Covid-19 such as social and physical distancing rules, personal hygiene (washing of hands with soaps at least 20 seconds), disinfecting of their own properties if they have been in any site, etc.
These fieldwork researches or practical experiences to gain knowledge and skills could be of varying forms such as observation and collection of raw data, interviews, group discussions, practical activities to support overseas development projects, etc.
If you are a researcher and did or are doing some fieldwork research on sustainable development and poverty reduction, and think that your work can enhance CENFACS’ work, you could share with us your experience, research findings or outcomes.
To share the experiences and results of your fieldwork research, just contact CENFACS and CENFACS will get back to you.
A lire et vous accompagner cette période estivale, le 72e numéro de FACS:
Les pages 5 et 6 de ce numéro, que nous vous prions de trouver sous la section ‘Main Development’ de cette poste, vous donnent une idée succincte des thèmes développés.
Pour ceux ou celles qui veulent prolonger ou approfondir leur lecture de ce numéro 72 de FACS en français, ils/elles peuvent contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• FACS, Issue No. 72, Summer 2021: Investing in the Not-for-profit African Organisations within the African Continental Free Trade Area
How to reduce more poverty in the African Continental Free Trade
The contents and key summaries of the 72nd Issue of FACS, which is the sole development of this post, are given below.
• • Contents and Pages
Relationship between not-for-profit investment and poverty reduction (Page 2)
Theory of poverty reduction in bulk within the context of AfCFTA (Page 2)
Construction of an index of contribution of not-for-profit development to poverty reduction (Page 2)
Investing in Not-for-profit African Sister Organisations (Page 3)
Reducing investment gaps to reduce gender disparities and poverty in the AfCFTA (Page 3)
Investments in nature-based solutions to poverty in the not-for-profit organisations (Page 4)
Green and blue alignments of investments with ASOs within the AfCFTA (Page 4)
Des règles du jeu équitables dans la répartition des investissements entre les organisations africaines à but non lucratif et organisations à but lucratif au sein de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (Page 5)
Que peut-on faire pour attirer plus d’investissements directs étrangers vers les organisations africaines à but non lucratif? (Page 5)
Pallier au déclin des investissements directs étrangers dû au COVID-19 au sein des organisations africaines à but non lucratif (Page 6)
Partenariat équilibré avec les organisations africaines à but non lucratif pour un protocole d’investissements réducteur de la pauvreté (Page 6)
Sustainable Development Goals enabling investments and African not-for-profit organisations (Page 7)
The African Investment Bank and not-for-profit investments (Page 7)
Investments in energy, food security, the protection of nature and biodiversity (Page 8)
Investing in localisation via the not-for-profit development (Page 8)
African-focused not-for-profit investor events (Page 9)
E-discussion: Investment absorption capacity development (Page 9)
Online focused support (Page 9)
Survey on the role model of not-for-profit investee (Page 9)
Not-for-profit investment quiz (Page 9)
African not-for-profit investment fund project (Page 10)
• • Key Summaries
Please find below the key summaries of the 72nd Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.
• • • Relationship between not-for-profit investment and poverty reduction (Page 2)
There are empirical studies that generally assert that poverty reduction can be proportionally or disproportionally be associated with levels of investments. This impact or association can happen with both foreign and national direct investments.
As to not-for-profit investments, they should normally have a positive impact on poverty reduction because of their nature. On principle, they are meant to advance human development causes rather than simply aiming at achieving business goals (such as maximising profit or income or a high return on investment). The not-for-profit investments would aim at good or high result on poverty reduction.
However, to know if there is any relationship between not-for-profit investments and poverty reduction in the context of the AfCFTA, there should be quantitative data and analysis that can help to find this relationship. One can hope as the AfCFTA develops, there would be opportunity to collect enough data and to test this correlation between the not-for-profit investments and poverty reduction.
• • • Theory of poverty reduction in bulk within the context of AfCFTA (Page 2)
One of the long running problems that the African continent faces is huge poverty. COVID-19 has not made things easy for the continent. Not only it has led to mass unemployment, mass closing down and mass lockdown; it has wiped out many years of hard-won poverty reduction results in Africa.
In this post-pandemic era of recovery, it is possible to reverse the downward trend of poverty reduction. It is likely probable that if investment is fairly oriented and distributed within the AfCFTA, there could be a chain of poverty reductions across African countries. If the pattern of poverty reduction repeats itself and becomes consistent and continuous, this could lead to a poverty reduction in bulk or in mass. However, for this to happen, the goal of poverty reduction should be central to any investment initiative.
• • • Construction of an index of contribution of not-for-profit development to poverty reduction (Page 2)
To know that the not-for-profit is contributing to poverty reduction within the AfCFTA, it would be better to create and develop a method to track the performance of not-for-profit investments and assets in an institutionalised or properly defined way. Perhaps, establishing an index of contribution of not-for-profit investments could be the useful way of measuring this performance.
Those who have already built or would like to build this kind of index; this is an interesting research ground or path to embark on. Those who would like to discuss the index of contribution of the not-for-profit to poverty reduction, they can contact CENFACS.
• • • Investing in Not-for-profit African Sister Organisations (Page 3)
African Sister Organisations (ASOs) can be an alternative route for investing in the AfCFTA for those investors having other motives than only making profit. Investing in this sort of organisations is a way of thinking differently and approaching poverty from a different and new perspective.
Indeed, there is a difference between investing in organisations that consider poverty reduction as a residual or appended aspect of their main trading activity compared to those organisations that take poverty reduction as their main or core mission or activity. So, if one wants to see real improvements in reduction of poverty in quality and quantity; then putting their money into ASOs that take poverty reduction as their core mission could be a viable option.
• • • Reducing investment gaps to reduce gender and generational disparities and poverty in the AfCFTA (Page 3)
Investing in the not-for-profit development is also about investing in equal way in women and men, girls and boys, young and old people projects in order to reduce investment gaps between the two sexes, between generations. This is important especially in places where the majority of projects are discriminately run by one single gender or generation.
In closing investment gaps between women and men, girls and boys, younger and older generations; this will help not only to address gender and generational disparities and inequalities, but also to reduce gender and inter-generational poverty within the AfCFTA. And the African not-for-profit organisations working on gender issues could be the better organisations to invest in if one wants to end gender and inter-generational poverty in the AfCFTA.
• • • Investments in nature-based solutions to poverty in the not-for-profit organisations (Page 4)
Investments in nature-based solutions (like those in the protection of biodiversity, sustainable forestry, re/afforestation, etc.) can help to stop or reduce human activity that threatens and damages the planet’s environment to regenerate. These types of investment can also assist in moving away from solutions to poverty that threaten and endanger the health and life of nature.
Not-for-profit organisations that are already working in the nature-based solutions need investments to keep their work going. They need support so they can keep holding responses to poverty that maintain the health and wealth of nature in good condition, to keep harmonious relationship with nature’s capital or natural capital assets.
• • • Green and blue alignments of investments with ASOs within the AfCFTA (Page 4)
Aligning investments to the principles of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets can be better done with the engagement of ASOs within the AfCFTA. Likewise, aligning investments to fresh, safe and clean waters can also be conducted with ASOs within the context of AfCFTA.
The double alignment of investments with ASOs will be beneficial not only for nature within the AfCFTA, but also for users making this trade area and the world. This double alignment will help reduce the enormous pressure on natural resources (as trade integration grows) while decreasing poverty amongst people, especially the poor ones. And ASOs working on the health of nature and the reduction of poverty would be in a better position to expand the benefits of their work to keep nature healthy and lift more people out of poverty within the space provided by African trade integration.
• • • Des règles du jeu équitables dans la répartition des investissements entre les organisations africaines à but non lucratif et organisations à but lucratif au sein de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (Page 5)
Quand il s’agit de réduire et d’éliminer la pauvreté, il serait mieux de faire jouer les règles de l’équité et d’égalité dans la répartition des investissements. Des organisations qui ont fait leur preuve et qui ont une longue tradition ou expérience de réduction de la pauvreté peuvent faire l’objet de plus d’attention dans cette entreprise.
Le respect de l’équité et celui de l’égalité, parfois en fonction de résultats atteints dans le passé, permettront d’éviter des gaspillages en matière d’investissements au détriment de la réduction de la pauvreté. Car, ce qui est recherché ici est la réduction et l’élimination de la pauvreté plutôt que l’efficacité ou l’efficience de l’organisation bénéficiaire des investissements.
En fixant des règles de jeu transparentes et vérifiables sur les mécanismes de répartition et distribution des investissements visant la réduction de la pauvreté, on peut aboutir à des résultats encourageants sur la réduction de la pauvreté.
• • • Que peut-on faire pour attirer plus d’investissements directs étrangers vers les organisations africaines à but non lucratif? (Page 5)
L’un des problèmes que les organisations africaines à but non lucratif font face est leur capacité d’attirer plus les capitaux ou investissements directs étrangers. Pour qu’elles y arrivent, elles doivent entreprendre des efforts sur beaucoup de plans.
L’un de ces efforts est l’amélioration de leur image gestionnaire auprès des investisseurs directs étrangers et au-delà de la zone du libre-échange continentale africaine. L’amélioration de cette image passe par la démonstration des méthodes de gestion efficace, efficiente et sereine; sans oublier leur propre histoire en matière de gestion des investissements. A cela, il convient d’ajouter leur vision à long terme.
Elles ne doivent pas surtout se poser comme des demandeuses d’investissements sans pour autant ayant quelque chose à offrir, particulièrement en matière des garanties explicites et exceptionnelles sur leurs méthodes et résultats de leur gestion. En d’autres mots, cette amélioration de l’image pour accéder aux investissements doit être accompagnée par des preuves palpables et vérifiables, et dans le cas échéant être appuyée par des agences de crédit international spécialisées en matière d’investissements régionaux.
Brièvement parlant, c’est en donnant l’assurance sur leur gestion et leur stratégie d’avenir que les organisations africaines à but non lucratif pourront attirer advantage des capitaux étrangers et non africains vers elles et vers l’espace de l’intégration commerciale africaine.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
Foreign Direct Investment inflows in AfCFTA were 38 billions of dollars in 2020 and 45 billions of dollars in 2019; that is nearly -15.4% in terms of 2019-2020 negative change. (Source: UNCTAD FDI/MNE database)
• • • Pallier au déclin des investissements directs étrangers dû au COVID-19 au sein des organisations africaines à but non lucratif (Page 6)
Bien avant que le COVID-19 arrive, il y avait des problèmes pour les organisations africaines à but non lucratif d’accéder le niveau requis des investissements afin d’accomplir leurs travaux et mission. Avec l’arrivée de COVID-19, il y a eu un recul significatif des investissements directs étrangers vers des organisations africaines à but non lucratif, y compris des soutiens de la diaspora africaine.
En effet, tout le monde s’est replié sur soi-même, vers ses propres problèmes plutôt que d’aider les autres. Certains investisseurs du monde riche se sont cantonnés dans leur territoire d’origine pour affronter les problèmes sanitaires et économiques que le COVID-19 a causé. Les quelques investissements qui ont été déployés n’arrivent pas aux petites et moyennes organisations africaines à but non lucratif. Ces quelques investissements ont été conçus pour faire face au COVID-19 plutôt que de résoudre le problème de pauvreté spécifiquement. Ç’a été un contexte du déclin généralisé des investissements de réduction de la pauvreté entre 2019 et début 2021. Ç’a été un déclin des investissements directs étrangers à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur de l’Afrique.
Avec le développement du marché de libre-échange continentale africaine, d’aucuns peuvent espérer qu’il y aura une nouvelle dynamique pour attirer les investissements pour le besoin de financement des organisations africaines à but non lucratif. On peut compter sur le marché pour ainsi pallier au déclin du capital étranger vers le besoin de financement des organisations africaines à but non lucratif pendant la période post-pandémique.
• • • Partenariat équilibré avec les organisations africaines à but non lucratif pour un protocole d’investissements réducteur de la pauvreté (Page 6)
S’il on veut un protocole d’investissements qui est vraiment réducteur de la pauvreté, il y a lieu de développer un partenariat équlibré avec les organisations africaines à but non lucratif.
En effect, en entreprenant des efforts d’investissements dans le cadre de la zone du libre-échange continentale africaine, les organisations africaines à but non lucratif ne doivent pas seulement être considerées comme des bénéficiaires des investissements, mais plutôt des vraies parties qui veront leur point de view respecté et tenu. Pour cela, il faut établir les principes de création et du maintien d’un partenariat équlibré entre elles et les investisseurs dans le cadre de réduction de la pauvreté. C’est pourquoi le protocole d’investissements doit être celui qui include la réduction de la pauvreté.
Grosso modo, ce genre de partenariat permettra d’atteindre les objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté au sein de la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine dans un context d’équilibre.
• • • Sustainable Development Goals enabling investments and African not-for-profit organisations (Page 7)
Investments that enable and promote the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 are needed during the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 times. And the African not-for-profit organisations that are already working with local people within the sphere of AfCFTA to realise these goals should also be taken into account amongst the beneficiaries of these investments.
Not leaving behind the African not-for-profit organisations in the distribution of those investments to keep implementing these goals should be part of the agenda and priority. This could imply that the direction and flows of these investments are fairly and symmetrically distributed between for-profit and not-for-profit organisations in terms of products and services designed to achieve these goals within the AfCFTA.
• • • The African Investment Bank and not-for-profit investment (Page 7)
The African Investment Bank is one of the three financial institutions of the AfCFTA. As the implementation work of the AfCFTA project progresses, it would be interesting to see if the African Investment Bank will promote the not-for-profit investments within the AfCFTA in order to boost the work of poverty reduction.
Many banks across the world are now investing in poverty reduction projects via their not-for-profit arms. One can anticipate that the African Investment Bank will follow suite and will be amongst the biggest investors in poverty reduction in Africa. One could as well expect that the African Investment Bank will take the lead on the poverty reduction matter since Africa (together with South Asia) is the region of the world with a high number of poor people. One could finally hope small and medium scale sized African not-for-profit organisations will not be forgotten in terms of investments.
• • • Investments in energy, food security, the protection of nature and the biodiversity (Page 8)
Energy, food security, protection of nature and biodiversity are attractive areas for new investments within the AfCFTA. They are also those areas related to the respective types of poverty: fuel poverty, food poverty, human insecurity, depletion of natural resources and threats to biological diversity.
Many African not-for-profit organisations work on the above mentioned areas. Investments in those areas could mean addressing poverty and hardships relating to these issues. African not-for-profit organisations working on these issues can do their best to capture any investments covering these issues since they have experience in dealing with poverty and hardships linked to these issues.
• • • Investing in localisation via the not-for-profit development (Page 8)
The content of poverty reduction services and products need to be translated for local users and localised contents. There is a need to invest in the localisation work via the not-for-profit development in order to put the contents of poverty reduction services and products to better serve local needs and local people.
The not-for-profit development organisations working on local issues in Africa can be eligible to this sort of investments, meet local needs and facilitate the process of integration within the AfCFTA.
• • • African-focused not-for-profit investor events (Page 9)
In order to encourage not-for-profit investment drive for the not-for-profit organisations, online events or platforms gathering and inviting African-focused not-for-profit investors could be a way forward for sharing ideas between international investors and African organisations to stimulate not-for-profit investments for the AfCFTA.
For those who are in favour of such an initiative they can discuss it with CENFACS.
• • • E-discussion: Investment absorption capacity development (Page 9)
One of the problems when it comes to utilise investments or capital wanted is to have the capacity required to do so. This is because organisations may genuinely need investments or funds; however they may not have the capacity required to absorb some levels of investments or funds. Therefore, developing investment absorption capacity is crucial for African not-for-profit organisations in the context of AfCFTA.
Those who would like to e-discuss with us on investment absorption capacity development, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.
• • • Online focused support (Page 9)
Poverty-reducing effects of not-for-profit investments: scopes and limits
You can help CENFACS deepen its research work on the not-for-profit development by participating to its online focus work on the effects of not-for-profit investments on poverty, particularly in terms of their amount of contribution and limits. In other words, you can argue the extent to which this contribution can happen and where this contribution, if any, can stop.
This online focus work is running throughout this month. To take part in it, just contact CENFACS.
• • • Survey on the role model of not-for-profit investee (Page 9)
This survey is to establish the profile of African not-for-profit organisations that are likely to make good use or succeed if investors invest in them. The survey focuses on organisations dealing with green and blue projects or activities.
As part of this survey, we are running a questionnaire. One of the questions is: How can you describe, in twenty seven words, the portrait of a prototype African not-for-profit organisation that would be the best user of not-for-profit investments in the AfCFTA?
You can directly send your answer to CENFACS.
• • • Not-for-profit investment quiz (Page 9)
Do you think that investing in the African not-for-profit organisations operating within the AfCFTA can help reduce?
Yes or No
If yes, will it reduce poverty more or less or averagely?
Please tick below:
Ο More
Ο Less
Ο Averagely
• • • African not-for-profit investment fund project (Page 10)
This is a fundraising project aiming at reducing income poverty amongst African not-for-profit organisations operating within the boundaries of the AfCFTA. The fund to be raised via this funding pot or scheme will enable those income-deprived organisations to acquire the financial capacity and strength to deliver poverty reduction projects, particularly but not exclusively in areas with high level of poverty within the AfCFTA.
To support or contribute to this investment fund project, please contact CENFACS.
For details including full project proposals and budget for the African not-for-profit investment fund project, please contact CENFACS.
The full copy of the 72nd Issue of FACS is available on request. For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
_________
References
(1) International Monetary Fund (2021), Regional economic outlook. Sub-Saharan Africa: navigating a long pandemic, World Economic and Financial Surveys, April 2021, Washington, D.C.
(2) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2021), World Investment Report 2021: Investing in Sustainable Recovery, Geneva, 2021
(3) Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber (2011), Building social business: the new kind of capitalism that serves humanity’s most pressing needs, Public Affairs, New York
(4) Martin Phillip Heger, Gregor Zens and Mook Bangalore (2020), Land and Poverty: the role of soil fertility and vegetation quality in poverty reduction, Cambridge University Press
https://doi.org/10.1017/S135570X20000066 (accessed August 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 http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
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.
