Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

21 May 2025

Post No. 405

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Reconfigure; Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation (Starting from Wednesday 21/05/2025)

• Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households

• Orphaned Children in Africa Are Searching for Support: Can You Help?

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Reconfigure; Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation (Starting from Wednesday 21/05/2025)

 

After resetting and changing a system, our system of poverty reduction, there are stories to tell and share.  In the case of Serial 3 of our All in Development Stories Telling Programme, these stories to tell and share are those of reconfigure (configuration), continuous improvement and adaptation.

Stories of Reconfiguration after resetting a system (or System Post-reset Stories of Reconfiguration) are the histories of rearranging the elements or settings of a poverty reduction system or life.  Stories of Reconfigure after resetting a system (or System Post-reset Stories of Reconfigure) refer to the practice of using stories to document and learn from change processes.  These stories illustrate what is working , not working, and how changes are being made.

Stories of Continuous Improvement after changing a system (or System Post-change Stories of Continuous Improvement) are the anecdotes of uninterrupted amelioration.  They illustrate how individuals or organisations make incremental changes to processes, products, or their own skills, leading to significant improvements over time.

Stories of Adaptation after changing a system (or System Post-change Stories of Adaptation) are anecdotes of fitting into new circumstances and situations.  Stories of System Adaptation showcase real-life examples of how systems, like our system of poverty reduction, adapt to changing environments or challenges.  These stories often highlight successful planning, funding, implementation, and monitoring of adaptation solutions, aiming to inspire other to take action.

The above is the key message about this week’s two-story series.  More details about Serial 3 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households (CCIIS4Hs)

 

CCIIS4Hs is the continuation of some of the climate elements of Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households; programme which we ran in the last four weeks.  The new impact investing strategies are all part of our aim to continuously empower households, particularly those making our community.  These new strategies, which are included in our Financial Controls Project, take into account the elements of asset protection and Financial Resilience Programme for Households, which we ran last year at this time of the year.

To better understand these strategies, let us briefly explain the basic concepts revolving around them, then define CCIIS4Hs and provide the areas we have selected in order to work with households.

 

• • Basic Concepts Revolving around CCIIS4Hs

 

There are two basic concepts revolving around CCIIS4Hs that need explanation.  They are climate consciousness and impact investing.

 

• • • What is climate consciousness?

 

Climate consciousness can be defined in many ways.  According to ‘vivaglammagazine.com’ (1),

“Climate consciousness is a term referring to people’s awareness of the impacts of climate change on the environment and life.  As such, those who are climate-conscious acknowledge the effects of climate change”.

This consciousness can be applied to the area of investment.  From the perspective of climate investing, ‘ellevest.com’ (2) argues that climate consciousness is about environmentally having a portfolio that gives you a powerful way to invest for a cleaner planet by having organisations that meet standards for environmental stewardship while still seeking market returns.

So, this concept of climate consciousness is central to strategies that households, particularly those making our community, can follow to invest in a greener future.

 

• • • What is impact investing?

 

There are many ways of explaining impact investing.  One way to do it has been given by ‘nerdwallet.com’ (3) which argues that

“Impact investing is an investing strategy that focuses on investing in companies that create measurable, positive change in the world in addition to generating a financial return.  Impact investors often focus on a company or investment fund’s environmental, social and corporate governance (also known as ESG) impact”.

Household conscious impact investors would thus focus on a company or investment fund’s ESG impact.  There are households that are aware of ESG criteria.   For those households making our community that are unaware of it and may be interested in CCIIS4Hs, they can work with CENFACS under CCIIS4Hs.

 

• • What Is CCIIS4Hs?

 

CCIIS4Hs are processes of integrating ESG factors into household investment decisions, aiming to align investments with climate goals and long-term sustainability objectives.  These strategies include prioritising investments in sectors and companies that contribute to low-carbon economy and mitigating climate risks.

From what we have just described what is CCIIS4Hs, CCIIS4Hs will focus on working with household impact investors to stay climate-conscious or to become more climate-conscious when impact investing.  To do that, we are going to work with them on the following selected aspects of these strategies:

 

≈ Integrating ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors into household investment decisions

≈ Climate-resilient investments

≈ Climate-aligned portfolios

≈ Climate-related investment risks

≈ Perspectives in household investment decision-making processes.

 

These aspects will be looked at from the perspective of households since we are trying to work with them on climate consciousness and resilience in the way or methodology  they follow to build their assets and invest.  The following table provides the key dates and topics for work with them.

 

 

Let us kick off the first aspects of our CCIIS4Hs, which is Integrating ESG in Household Investing Strategy.

 

 

• • Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 21/05/2025: Integrating ESG into Household Investing Strategy

 

To integrate ESG factors (like carbon footprint and carbon emissions)  in household investing strategy or investment decisions, there is a need understand ESG.

 

• • • What is ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)?

 

There are many interpretations within the sustainability literature about ESG criteria.  One of them can be found on the website ‘theimpactinvestor.com’ (4) which states that

“The environmental criteria measure how a company’s business practices and initiatives respect the environment.  The social criteria examine a company’s relationships with its suppliers, customers, employees , and community.  The governance criteria measure a company’s leadership, audits, executive pay, shareholder rights, and internal controls”.

The website ‘theimpactinvestor.com’ adds that “ESG is an established set of standards that socially conscious investors measure to screen good investments”.

These elements of ESG need to be considered when climate-conscious households are planning and implementing their investing strategies or decisions.  Those households that may be struggling to implement them can work with CENFACS.

 

• • • Working with households on Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies

 

Climate-conscious household impact investors would check ESG or socially responsive investing criteria to include them into their impact investing strategy.  Likewise, their asset managers can also assist them in this matter.  Those households that are struggling to include them and do not have asset managers for assistance can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about Integrating ESG Factors into Household Investing Strategy as well as Climate-conscious Impact Investing Strategies for Households (including how to access these strategies), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Orphaned Children in Africa Are Searching for Support: Can You Help?

 

The continuing poly-crisis events of recent years keep on making Africa a tougher place to survive for orphans and children in care.  Their numbers and conditions speak for them.

According to ‘cafo.org’ (5),

“The estimated population of Double Orphans is 8.2 million for Sub-Saharan Africa…  The population in institutional care in Sub-Saharan Africa is 650,000“.

Similarly, the Statistical Compendium about the State of African Children from UNICEF (6) reveals that

“The number of children in residential care between 2010 and 2023 was 68 for the total per 100,000 in African Union” (p.51)

Many of these orphaned children (aged between 1 to 17 years) are

 

~ exposed to illnesses (like typhoid, malaria, etc.)

~ lacking medical check-up and follow-up

~ out of school

~ homeless

~ neglected

~ briefly living under life-threatening and -destroying conditions.

 

Yet, it is possible to reduce orphan vulnerability and stop generational ramifications of the problems they face, whatever the causes of orphanhood and lack of parental care.  These children desperately need help.

Can you help them? If yes, you can help…

 

~ improve the lives of orphaned children in Africa

~ provide essential resources like food, clothing, medical care, education and shelter

~ sponsor them by giving ongoing financial support for their education, healthcare, and emotional well-being.

 

You can even share the information on Africa’s orphans to encourage further support.

You can support the Orphaned Children in Africa who Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope.

You can Light up a Blaze of Hope for them.

You can also donate £5 or more since their needs are urgent and pressing.

With the current international aid cuts, there are critical funding gaps/shortfall in humanitarian response.  Your donation, however small it may be, can help reduce these gaps.

Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach the Orphaned Children in Africa.

These Orphaned Children in Africa need your life-saving and -sustaining humanitarian response right now.

Please help them!

To donate or light a blaze of hope, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

•  Fundraising and Journaling Your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during This Event Season

• Mini Themed Workshop on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance 

• Focus Group on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

 

 

•  Fundraising and Journaling Your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during This Event Season

 

Let us start with fundraising aspect of your Run Project, then writing aspect of it – its journal.

 

 

• • Introducing a Giving Feature in the Run Activity

 

For those who are running events in the context of Triple Value Initiative of ‘Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2025’, they can use the opportunity of the event season to insert a giving feature in their Run activity.  They can ask those who are involved in the run with them to support good causes, including CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful ones.  This ask for support concerns both in-person and virtual runs.

 

• • • An Example on how to insert a fundraising feature

 

They can create a fundraising page by using the appropriate social media platform.  Alternatively, they can talk to CENFACS for its online fundraising tools.  They can share their story with friends, families and colleagues.  They can encourage donations by setting a fundraising goal and update their page on a regular basis with progress updates and stories.

 

• • • Keeping Your Run Activity cost-effective with a fundraising feature

 

They can make their Run activity cost-effective with a fundraising feature while running with or without others.   Making their Run activity cost-effective is about achieving results in the most economical way.  It means that the resources they will use to produce any given results from their Run activity are at the lowest possible cost.

 

• • • Evaluating your fundraising drive

 

Once the fundraising element has been inserted, it is wise to evaluate their fundraising drive.  To evaluate it, they can proceed with the evaluation steps suggested by ‘classy.org’ (7), steps which include analysis of fundraising data, tracking of numbers and performance, staying focused on the mission of their Run project, evaluation of fundraising results and to be forward thinking.

However, they must remember that the aim of the CENFACS’ Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa is to select or find the African best runner of poverty reduction in 2025, rather than raising money.

 

• • • Having problems in installing or inserting a fundraising feature

 

For those who may be having or are experiencing some problems in installing or inserting a fundraising feature in their runs, there are resources both online and in print on how to organise a fundraising event for a Run Project.  Amongst the resources is the one provided by ‘donorbox.org’  (8).  It is worthwhile looking at this resource as it provides eight steps to realise your fundraising event.

For those who would like to involve or talk to CENFACS about their Run Project, they can speak to CENFACS.

 

 

 

• • Journaling the Run Project

 

They can as well journal and develop a story about their Run activity.   To do that, they can proceed with the following:

 

~ Track their Runs

~ Use running apps or journals to log their distance, time and pace

~ Reflect on their journey by writing about their experiences, and successes

~ Share their journey by posting photos, videos, and updates on social media to inspire others

~ Connect with others by joining online communities or forums for runners who are fundraising for similar causes.

 

They can share the contents of their journal and story of run with us and others.

Journaling their Run Project can have benefits.  To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.

 

• • • Benefits of journaling your Run Project

 

The journal will help you to capture the moments of your Run Project via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring their progress on Run Project, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of your Run Project.  They can even show their style and express their feeling or character through their writing.  Another good thing of journaling their Run Project is that it makes things easy when it comes to report to CENFACS and others before the deadline of 23 December 2025.

 

• • • Journaling the goal of Run Project

 

The goal is basically to explore and enrich one’s Run Project through creative writing.  This goal does not stop users of Run Project to have their own journaling goal.  Besides their journaling goal, they need to add what their journal can help achieve.

 

• • • What one’s Journal of Run Project can achieve

 

It can achieve many things including the following:

 

∝ Solve problems encountered in the cycle of your Run Project

∝ Enhance one’s health and wellness via Run Project

∝ Improve Run Project outcomes.

 

For those who are undertaking a Run Project and would like to write a journal about their activity, they can do it.  There are many online and print resources available on the matter.  Please select resources that are concise and have some links with your Run Project.

For those who would like to approach CENFACS for help and support to write a Journal of Run Project or to select appropriate resources, they are welcome to do so.

Briefly, people can effectively fundraise for poverty reduction by implementing a Run Project, while documenting their running journey and inspiring others to join the cause.

To discuss your progress regarding your Run Project, the fundraising feature and Journal of your Run Project or any other issues relating to All Year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Mini Themed Workshop on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance 

 

To introduce this workshop, let us define it, provide its aim, key aspects and the areas it will cover.

 

• • What Is Mini Themed Workshop on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance?

 

It is a training or learning event that focuses on how to mobilise, manage, and utilise funding to address both climate change and poverty. 

 

• • What Is the Aim of Mini Themed Workshop on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance?

 

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about climate finance and poverty reduction finance .   It aims to educate participants about climate finance mechanisms, sustainable finance principles, and how to integrate poverty reduction considerations into climate-resilient projects and investments.

 

• • Key Aspects of the Workshop

 

Key aspects of the workshop will include the following points:

 

~ understanding climate finance

~ sustainable finance principles

~ integrating poverty reduction

~capacity building

~ networking and collaboration.

 

• • Areas to Be Covered by the Workshop

 

The workshop will cover the areas below:

 

~ climate finance development

~ addressing climate finance and poverty

~ climate-resilient development

~ sustainable finance

~ green economy

~ and disaster risk financing.

 

Those who need an in-depth climate finance skills training assessment are also welcome.   The workshop will provide recommendations for actions with options and opportunities for the participants.

To enquire about the workshop, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Focus Group on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

To help those who would like to participate in this focus group, let us say what is about and how it will help participants.

 

• • What Is This Focus Group about?

 

This is a qualitative research method to be used to explore how people perceive the relationship between the two topics (that is, climate finance and poverty reduction finance).  The focus group will bring together a small group of individuals (between 6 and 10) making the CENFACS Community to discuss their ideas, experiences, and perspectives on how climate finance can be used to reduce poverty.

 

• • How Helpful This Focus Group Will Be

 

The focus group will help

 

~ understand needs

~ inform policy

~ promote ownership

~ identify barriers

~ and test new ideas about climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

 

To take part in the focus group, group that will use deliberative practice strategies, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activité/Tâche 5 de l’Année/Projet de Restauration (R) : Raconter et Partager des Histoires de Restauration pour la Réduction de la Pauvreté

La cinquième activité/tâche du projet “R” concerne le partage avec ceux ou celles qui en ont besoin de quelques histoires inspirantes sur la restauration. Mais qu’est-ce qu’une histoire de restauration ?

• • Brève explication de l’histoire de la restauration

Une histoire de restauration peut faire référence à plusieurs concepts liés, tels que les suivants :

a) la structure narrative des récits où un héros surmonte le désordre et rétablit l’ordre ;

b) le récit d’histoires personnelles à la lumière d’un récit plus large de restauration, souvent dans un contexte religieux ou spirituel ; et

c) des histoires mettant en avant les expériences et les résultats concrets des projets de restauration écologique.

Les concepts de récit de restauration mentionnés ci-dessus peuvent être racontés et partagés comme moyen d’achever l’Activité/Tâche 5 du Projet/Année de Restauration (R).

• • Raconter et partager votre récit de restauration pour la réduction de la pauvreté

On peut raconter et partager ses expériences, succès et défis des projets ou activités de restauration écologique réelle pour inspirer des efforts de réduction de la pauvreté. Ces expériences, succès et défis peuvent être complets, de la conception à la surveillance post-restauration. D’autres peuvent être plus analytiques.

Par exemple, le site web ‘eauk.org’ (9) présente l’Histoire de Restauration de Tearfund, qui est un film racontant des histoires de chrétien(ne)s du monde entier qui s’unissent pour lutter contre la pauvreté, l’inégalité et le changement climatique – en vivant différemment, en priant et en s’exprimant.

Ainsi, l’Activité/Tâche 5 de l’Année/Projet de Restauration (R) consiste à Raconter et Partager Votre Histoire de Restauration pour la Réduction de la Pauvreté.

Pour ceux ou celles qui ont besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser à CENFACS.  Pour toute autre question concernant le projet ‘R‘ et la dédicace de cette année, veuillez également contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Reconfigure; Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation (Starting from Wednesday 21/05/2025)

 

The following items made up Serial 3 of our All in Development Stories Telling Programme and Series:

 

σ Key Storytelling Concepts Used in This Serial 3

σ Stories of Reconfigure after Resetting a System; Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation after Changing a System

σ Relationships between Stories Making Serial 3 and Poverty Reduction

σ Incorporating Visual Aids into Your Storytelling

σ Working with the Community on Stories of Reconfigure, and Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

σ Supporting CENFACS Community Members through Stories of Reconfigure, and Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation.

 

Let us look at each of these items.

 

• • Key Storytelling Concepts Used in This Serial 3

 

There are four main concepts involved in this Serial 3: reconfiguration/reconfigure, continuous improvement and adaptation.  Let us briefly explain them.

 

• • • Reconfiguration and Reconfigure

 

Concerning reconfiguration, the website ‘bursahaga.com’ (10) explains that

“Reconfiguration refers to the process of modifying an existing system, structure, or product to improve its performance, functionality, or design”.

Regarding reconfigure, ‘dictionary.cambridge.org’ (11) states that

“Reconfigure is to arrange or put together something in a new or different way”.

Both reconfiguration and reconfigure we are talking about will happen after resetting a system, in particular our system of poverty reduction.  These two concepts will help to generate stories of reconfiguration or reconfigure after resetting a system, our system of poverty reduction.

 

• • • Continuous Improvement

 

Continuous improvement can be perceived in many ways.

The website ‘coursera.org’ (12) explains that

“Continuous improvement is a process aimed at consistently enhancing performances and refining methods within individuals and organisations.  It involves a commitment to ongoing growth and innovation, fostering a mindset that embraces change and learns from mistakes”.

The website ‘provalet.io’ (13) takes a slightly a different position by speaking about continuous improvement post-implementation which it defines as

“The ongoing process of refining systems, tools and strategies after a project rollout.  It involves analysing performance data, identifying inefficiencies and making small incremental changes to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and maintain competitiveness”.

Depending on the perspective used, continuous improvement can provide stories after a system has been changed.

 

• • • Continuous Adaptation

 

Before looking at continuous adaptation, let us first explain adaptability.  The website ‘reverseoptimism.com’ (14) states that

“Adaptability is your capacity to adjust to new conditions and environments with ease”.

From this perspective, adaptability can be defined at personal and professional levels.

Continuous adaptation can be approached from many angles.  One way of approaching it is given by ‘evolv.ai’ (15) which argues that

“Continuous adaptation describes an autonomous process of adapting to changing variables without having to stop and restart an experiment.  The process optimizes towards the top performing combinations and aims to improve the quality of outcomes”.

Like reconfiguration and reconfigure, both adaptability and continuous adaptation can be associated with stories in the context of Serial 3.  Let us summarise these stories.

 

• • Stories of Reconfigure after Resetting a System; Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation after Changing a System

 

 

• • • Stories of Reconfigure after Resetting a System

 

Stories of Reconfiguration after resetting a system (or System Post-rest Stories of Reconfiguration) are the histories of rearranging the elements or settings of a poverty reduction system or life.  System Post-reset Stories of Reconfigure refer to the practice of using stories to document and learn from change processes.  These stories illustrate what is working , not working, and how changes are being made.

In terms of our system of poverty reduction, Stories of Reconfigure after Resetting a System (or System Post-reset Stories of Reconfigure) are those of

 

~ modifying a system and adapting the system to changing circumstances

~ making adjustments to poverty reduction systems and processes without having to start from scratch

~ improving the performance and efficiency of our system of poverty reduction

~ ameliorating the functionality and efficiency of our poverty reduction system

~ reducing errors and mistakes

~ enhancing performance and productivity

~ adapting to changing needs or circumstances

~ continuous monitoring and adjustments to ensure optimal performance of a system

etc.

 

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Reconfigure after resetting a system (or System Post-reset Stories of Reconfigure), please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation after Changing a System

 

Stories of Continuous Improvement after changing a system (or System Post-change Stories of Continuous Improvement) are the anecdotes of uninterrupted amelioration.  They illustrate how individuals or organisations make incremental changes to processes, products, or their own skills, leading to significant improvements over time.

In terms of our system of poverty reduction, these stories are those of

 

~ identifying bottlenecks to our system of poverty reduction

~ maintaining momentum

~ leveraging tools

~ feedback loops

~ performance metrics

~ refining processes

~ enhancing efficiency of our system of poverty reduction

etc.

 

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Continuous Improvement after changing a system (or System Post-change Stories of Continuous Improvement), please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Stories of Continuous Adaptation after Changing a System

 

Stories of Adaptation after changing a system (System Post-change Stories of Adaptation) are anecdotes of fitting into new circumstances and situations.  Stories of System Adaptation showcase real-life examples of how systems, like our system of poverty reduction, adapt to changing environments or challenges.  These stories often highlight successful planning, funding, implementation, and monitoring of adaptation solutions, aiming to inspire other to take action.

These stories of adaptation should not be confused with literary adaptation (that is, the process of retelling or recreating a story from one medium to another) or story adaptation (which refers to any situation where a story is changed or adapted to suit a context, audience, or medium).   They should not also be confused with adapted stories in the context of adaptive story cycle where the storyteller tells the tale, the storyteller is dead an audience member adapts the tale and the new storyteller tells the adapted tale.

However, there could be stories of adaptation in climate change, meaning that the real-life examples of local actions and good practices of dealing with the impacts of climate change or the effects changing our system of poverty reduction.

For instance, the stories of local communities adapting to climate change often highlight the importance of respecting human rights and ensuring that adaptation efforts are inclusive and equitable.

If they are stories of system adaptation, they will showcase real-life examples of how systems, like communities or organisations, adapt to changing environments or challenges.

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Adaptation after changing a system (or System Post-change Stories of Adaptation), please contact CENFACS.

There could be relationships between the above-mentioned stories and poverty reduction.

 

 

• • Relationships between Stories Making Serial 3 and Poverty Reduction

 

These are the links between Stories of Configure and Poverty Reduction, between Stories of Continuous Improvement and Poverty Reduction, between Stories of System Adaptation and Poverty Reduction.  Let us briefly explain these links.

 

• • • Links between Stories of Reconfigure and Poverty Reduction

 

Reconfigure including their stories can be linked to various strategies and approaches that aim to reduce poverty.  This could be about reconfiguring economic structures, social policies, systems and approaches, and technology.  In other words, reconfiguring in the context of poverty reduction means taking existing systems, policies, and approaches and changing them in a way that is more effective and equitable in addressing poverty.

For instance, reconfiguring systems and approaches would involve how we approach development and interventions, ensuring they are more inclusive and address the specific needs of communities.  This reconfiguring of systems and approaches can provide us stories to tell and share.

 

• • • Links between Stories of Continuous Improvement and Poverty Reduction

 

Continuous improvement and stories behind it are strongly linked to poverty reduction by driving economic growth, which in turn can improve living standards and reduce poverty levels.  Continuous improvement focuses on systematically enhancing processes and systems, leading to increased productivity, efficiency, and overall economic activity.

For example, continuous improvement can be applied in specific sectors and areas, like healthcare, education, and social services, to improve efficiency and effectiveness.  This can lead to better access to services for vulnerable populations like those living in poverty.

 

• • • Links between Stories of System Adaptation and Poverty Reduction

 

Climate adaptation initiatives can impact poverty by mitigating the effects of climate.  Adaptation strategies that specifically target poverty-vulnerability linkages are known to be crucial for achieving effective poverty reduction while addressing climate challenges.  And there are stories to tell and share.

For instance, adaptation measures such as investing in drought-resistant crops or improving water management, can help reduce vulnerability and protect livelihood, potentially leading to income stabilisation and poverty reduction.

As one can notice, there are correlations between Stories Making Serial 3 and Poverty Reduction.  The examples we have just given are few of them.  Those who have stories about these types of correlation, they can tell their tales to CENFACS and its community.  When telling them, they can use storytelling tools such as visual aids.

 

• • Incorporating Visual Aids into Your Storytelling

 

All in Development Stories Tellers can incorporate visual aids  – like infographics, animation, data visualizations (charts, graphs and maps), video and other storytelling aids – to highlight insights into their storytelling and tell a more compelling story.  To do that they need to follow some steps like the following one:

 

~ Choose the right visuals

~ Synchronise them with their narratives

~ Ensure they complement their message.

 

Those who would like to incorporate visual aids into their storytelling projects to enhance their message, engage us or their audience and leave a lasting impression can go ahead.

 

 

• • Working with the Community on Stories of Stories of Reconfigure, and Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

 

We can work with those members of our community who would like us to get involved in their  Stories of Reconfigure, and Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation. 

 

• • • Working with the Community on Stories of Reconfigure

 

It is about

 

~ prioritising building trust

~ fostering inclusivity

~ creating engaging platforms for sharing stories

~ using diverse mediums (like digital stories, workshops, or even digital storyboards) to capture and disseminate stories of reconfigure and poverty reduction with the community and reach different audiences within this community.

 

• • • Working with the Community on Stories of Continuous Improvement 

 

It is about

 

~ sharing ideas about continuous improvement

~ encouraging participation and collaboration about continuous improvement initiatives

~ fostering a culture of continuous learning to improve

~ celebrating successes and recognising contribution (for instance, encouraging community members to share their stories of success and how they have benefited from continuous improvement initiatives)

~ using processes and frameworks (like Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) to structure continuous improvement projects and ensure systematic approaches.

 

• • • Working with the Community on Stories of Adaptation

 

It is about

 

~ prioritising community-led processes

~ using storytelling as a powerful tool for engagement

~ focusing on practical actionable solutions

~ involving the community from the onset

~ building trust through shared stories, experiences and local knowledge.

 

Briefly, working with the community on stories matter will be about three things:

 

a) creating spaces for community members to share their stories (about reconfigure, continuous improvement and adaptation)

b) learning from one another

c) and paving their way towards the reduction of poverty; poverty due to the lack of sharing storytelling experiences.

 

• • Supporting CENFACS Community Members through Stories of Reconfigure, and Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

 

Storytelling can be a supportive tool in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.  Stories of Reconfigure, Continuous Improvement and Adaptation coming from our members and others, once shared, can support CENFACS Community members.  How?

They can

 

~ encourage and inspire them

~ help them in the fight against poverty, disadvantages and vulnerabilities

~ and assist them to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

These stories can send a relieving message to our members that there is always a possibility to reconfigure their system of poverty reduction, to continuously improve this system and adapt it changing environments and challenges as well as to win over poverty.

Those members of our community who have Stories of Reconfigure, Continuous Improvement and Adaptation to tell, they should not hesitate to share them.  Any other interested party who may have these stories, they can tell them to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Reconfigure, Continuous Improvement and Adaptation, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://vivaglammagazine.com/why-climate-consciousness-is-so-important-for-our-future/ (accessed in May 2025)

(2) https://ellevest.com/magazine/climate-conscious-impact-strategy (accessed in May 2025)

(3) https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/impact-investing?msockid=Oc47b2d36a6164b91139a7796baa655e (accessed in May 2025)

(4) https://theimpactinvestor.com/what-is-esg/#:~text=… (accessed in May 2025)

(5) https://cafo.org/orphan-statistics/ (accessed in May 2025),

(6) https://data.unicef.org/resources/soac-2025/ (accessed in May 2025)

(7) https://www.classy.org/blog/properly-evaluate-fundraising-campaign/# (accessed in May 2023)

(8) https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/organize-a-charity-run (accessed in May 2023)

(9) https://www.eauk.org/resources/member-resources/discipleship/earfund-restoration-story (accessed in May 2025)

(10) https://www.bursahaga.com (accessed in May 2025)

(11) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reconfigure (accessed May 2025)

(12) https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-continuous-improvement? (accessed in May 2025)

(13) https://www.provalet.io/guides-posts/continuous-improvement-post-implementation (accessed in May 2025)

(14) https://reverseoptimism.com/mastering-continuous-adaptation/#understanding-continuous-adaptation (accessed in May 2025)

(15) https://evolv.ai/glossary/continuous-adaptation-2#:~:text (accessed in May 2025)

 

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

14 May 2025

Post No. 404

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2025 with a Focus on Monitoring, Adapting and Learning Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Restoration; Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support (From Wednesday 14/05/2025)

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Consideration from 14/05/2025: Support Your Communities to Support You Build Climate-resilient Assets 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2025 with a Focus on Monitoring, Adapting and Learning Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction

 

CENFACS does not only work in bringing and lighting a Blaze of Hope for the victims of destructive wars, natural disasters and other major crises (like the coronavirus shock or the cost-of-living crisis or aid emergency).  CENFACS takes the process of working with these victims further in helping them to overcome underlying poverty and hardships induced by these events as well as supporting them to build their future.

CENFACS works with them and or their representative organisations to alleviate poverty and hardships as the lack of hopes and expectations.  In the process of relieving poverty as the lack of hopes and expectations, the next step or phase of our advocacy is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives.  We call it Rebuilding Africa.  The latter depends on the events of the preceding and current years; events which determine the theme or focus of this rebuilding process.

 

• • The Focus for This Year’s Rebuilding Africa

 

This year, our Rebuilding Africa advocacy will focus on Monitoring, Adapting and Learning Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction.

Indeed, we shall work with communities in Africa and Africa-based Organisations to continuously monitor, adapt and learn from challenges, ensuring that Africa’s systems for poverty reduction remain robust and capable of thriving in the face of future uncertainties and threats.

This work will involve continuous monitoring, adaptability and flexibility, learning from experience, cultivation of adaptable leaders, thriving a cycle of resilience, anticipation, coping and adaptation, and resilience as a state of being.

Therefore, we shall have the following two types of rebuilding work:

 

a) Broad Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations (ASOs) which will be based on the broad aspect of the rebuilding work;

b) Specific Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations where our ASOs operate will specifically deal with the particular aspects of the rebuilding work (like monitoring, adapting and learning of community members’ system of poverty reduction).

 

In both types (broad and specific) of rebuilding work, we shall look at monitoring, adaptiveness and learning of systems of poverty by using a multifaced approach, prioritising community-led solutions, focusing on sustainable development when working with communities.  Similarly, we shall focus on building strong ties with ASOs and mutually beneficial partnerships, understanding local contexts, and focusing on sustainable solutions.

 

• • Where Rebuilding Africa Can Take Place

 

Rebuilding Africa can take place in any place in Africa that needs to be rebuilt or built forward.  CENFACS‘ ASOs will be part of this rebuilding process.

There are ways in which ASOs can play their role in the rebuilding process where African countries need monitoring, adapting and learning about their systems of poverty reduction.

For instance, at this new era of international humanitarian aid cuts, many African countries will closely scrutinise the way they deal with their budgets (particularly aid budget), adapt to the new international development landscape and learn themselves from the way they approached foreign aid and direct investment in the past.  This challenge in the international scene provides us food to monitor and learn Africa’s systems of poverty reduction as well as investigate where these systems need to adapt.

So, at this era of challenging and changing way of giving aid to Africa, there are many places where rebuilding work is needed in Africa and where our ASOs can be part of this rebuilding process and play their rebuilding role.

Further details about this advocacy work on Rebuilding Africa can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Restoration; Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support (From Wednesday 14/05/2025)

 

Our All in Development Story Telling Programme and Series continue with Serial 2, which is about Stories of Restoration after Resetting a System and Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support after Changing a System.  Let us reveal the contents of this two-story series.

 

• • Stories of Restoration after Resetting a System

 

To provide these stories, let us refer to what ‘ask.com’ (1) argues about reset process and post-reset.  The website ‘ask.com’ explains that when you reset your system, two things may happen: you can keep the contents (files) or remove everything.  Keeping the files or contents will reinstall the operating system while retaining your personal contents or files.  All applications will be removed.  Removing everything will completely wipe your system of personal files and installed applications, returning it to its factory settings.

From this explanation of reset and post-reset processes, one can explain restoration.

 

• • • What is restoration?

 

Restoration can be approached in many ways.  Referring to Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (2), restoration is defined as

“The act of renovating or re-establishing something to close to its original condition, such as the structure and function of a damaged habitat or ecosystem” (p. 382)

Restoration can apply to a particular area of life.  For instance, if one considers ecosystems, one can speak about ecosystem restoration.  Ecosystem restoration means, according to ‘decadeonrestoration.org’ (3),

“Assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact”.

From the above-mentioned definitions, it is possible to identify stories of restoration after resetting a system.

 

• • • What are Stories of Restoration after resetting a system?

 

They are the narratives of any system post-reset action or process used to repair, re-establish, or renew tangible and intangible assets.  To be more specific, they are those of

 

σ restoring data after reset and filling information in the storage space

σ reinstalling new contents or applications

σ troubleshooting issues relating to post-reset

σ rejuvenating the performance of your system

σ resolving post-reset problems

σ smooth transition into a new system

σ addressing common post-reset concerns

σ  building post-reset confidence

etc.

 

If one considers ecological restoration, they could also be the tales of actively planting trees to help nature to recover on its own, and of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Restoration after resetting a system, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support after Changing a System

 

To understand these stories, it is better to explain Ongoing Maintenance and Support.

 

• • • What is Ongoing Maintenance? What is Ongoing Support? 

 

Within the literature about system change, the two terms used are: system maintenance and post-implementation support.

A system maintenance is defined by ‘ecocomputernotes.com’ (4) as

“An ongoing activity, which covers a wide variety of activities, including removing programmes and design errors, updating documentation and test data and updating user support”.

System maintenance can be corrective, adaptive, preventive and perfective.

As to post-implementation support, the website ‘gomanagedit.com’ (5) explains that

“It refers to the range of activities and services provided after a new system, project or process has been implemented.  The goal of this support is to ensure that the new implementation continues to function smoothly, address any issues that arises, and adapts to the evolving needs of the organisation”.

From these two definitions (of system maintenance and post-implementation support), it is possible to identify stories linked to them after changing a system.

 

• • • What are Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support after changing a system?

 

They are the plots relating to regular upkeep, and updates, and keeping system from falling.  They are those of ensuring that your system or process stays maintained and supported.

To be precise, Stories of Ongoing Maintenance are those of

 

σ monitoring and evaluation

σ troubleshooting issues

σ training and support

σ system maintenance and updates

σ feedback collection

σ continuous improvement

etc.

 

As to Stories of Ongoing Support, they would be those of

 

σ ensuring system functionality

σ minimizing downtime

σ promptly addressing potential challenges

σ monitoring troubleshooting

σ ongoing training to better use the new system

σ post-implementation review

σ gathering lessons learned

σ feedback

σ system metrics

etc.

 

In short, Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support after changing a system are those of fixing errors, updating a system to accommodate changes in the poverty reduction environment or market, improving performance and ensuring that the changed system continues to meet people’s needs, especially the needs of the poor.

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Ongoing Support after system change, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Consideration from 14/05/2025: Support Your Communities to Support You Build Climate-resilient Assets 

 

A household can support its communities through various acts of service like volunteering, donating and neighbourhood activities.  By supporting its communities, a household can find itself supported by its communities and build climate-resilient assets.

Perhaps, the best way of understanding how households supporting their communities can get support from the same communities, is to explain communities for households, provide the types of support that households can give to their communities and highlight how supporting communities can help households to build climate-resilient assets.

 

 

• • What Are Communities for Households?

 

It emerges from the literature on communities that communities for households can range from intentional cohousing communities to more traditional neighbourhoods with shared values and interests.  They offer a sense of belonging, shared activities, and mutual support among residents, often fostering a stronger social fabric compared to isolated household living.

From the same literature, communities for households can be of different types like cohousing communities, neighbourhoods, communities of interest, etc.  The key features among these communities for households are shared space and activities, mutual support, shared values and interests, active participation and the improvement of social fabric.

There are many ways that households can use to support the communities to which they are attached.

 

• • Ways of Supporting Communities by Households

 

There are many ways through which households can support their communities.  They include the following:

 

~ Volunteering (spending their free time to community issues)

~ Doing the act of generosity by donating to communities’ good and deserving causes

~ Supporting local and community businesses by shopping locally

~ Attending community events

~ Taking environmental responsibility at community and local levels

~ Responding to communities’ communications (e.g., community survey)

etc.

 

Supporting in the above-mentioned ways can benefit both communities and households.

 

• • Support Your Communities to Support You Build Climate-resilient Assets

 

Supporting communities can help households build climate-resilient assets.  This can happen by fostering collective action, sharing resources, and promoting sustainable practices that enhance resilience to climate change impacts.  This can include strengthening community infrastructure, diversifying livelihoods, and empowering communities to manage risks and adapt to changing conditions.

There are many examples that can show that supporting communities can help households build climate-resilient assets.  Among these examples are the following ones:

 

~ By working with their communities, households benefit from the pool of resources and share knowledge with other community members

~ Supporting community-based enterprises can help households diversify their income sources and reduce their over-reliance on climate-sensitive livelihoods

~ Community-led social protection programmes can provide financial assistance and support to households during climate-resilient shocks

~ Supporting community-led infrastructure projects can improve the overall resilience of the community to impacts; resilience which households could benefit

~ Helping community initiatives promoting energy efficiency and water conservation can help households build climate-resilient assets

~ Backing community-led education and awareness programmes can help households develop better coping strategies

~ Taking part in community climate planning and decision-making processes can help climate resilience measures to be aligned with households’ needs

etc.

 

These above-mentioned examples demonstrate that by supporting communities, households have a greater chance to build climate-resilient assets that can enhance their capacity to withstand and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.

For those households that would like to Build Climate-resilient Assets by Supporting Their Communities, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about Support Your Communities in the context of Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Last Words about Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households

 

Most households have assets and need to build or increase their value.  There are many ways of building assets and increasing their value.  One way of doing it is in a climate-resilient way.  This is whether it is about building capacity or resilience into your home or incentivising finances or supporting communities.  Climate-resilient asset building approach could be the best way of doing it.  This is because Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households focuses on ways of supporting households in building their overall resilience.

We would like to thank all those who have been with us throughout this programme and those who have been supportive towards it.

We would like as well to take this opportunity to announce that we shall soon run another programme to complement Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households.  This new programme for households will be called “Climate-conscious Investment Strategies for Households”.  This is all part of our aim of continuously empowering households, particularly those making our community.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• ReLive Issue No. 17, Spring 2025: The Returned Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Need Some Assistance to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives, Can You Help?

• Story Submission and Permission

• E-workshop for Gamers of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League: Create a Poverty Reduction League Table

 

 

• ReLive Issue No. 17, Spring 2025: The Returned Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Need Some Assistance to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives, Can You Help?

 

The Campaign will help

 

≈ give to the returnees a fresh start

≈ rebuild or repair infrastructures (like schools, water systems, roads and healthcare)

≈ them reintegrate and access rights

≈ them find housing and work

≈ them enrol children in schools

≈ them get cash assistance to cover initial basic needs such as personal hygiene items and rent, rehabilitate land

≈ in brief rebuild and renew lives in a gradual, safe and sustainable way.

 

The Campaign is done through Gifts of Renewing Lives or Life-renewing Projects (LRPs).  We are running 14 Gifts in a world of 20 Reliefs or Helpful Differences.  What does this mean?

It means donors or funders have 14 Gifts of Renewing Lives to choose from and 20 Reliefs to select from to make helpful differences to the returnees.

In total, our Spring Relief 2025 Campaign is providing to potential supporters 14 GIFTS of rebuilding returnees’ lives in Africa in 20 RELIEFS to make this happen.

For this renewal to happen, support is needed towards LRPs.

To support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

• Story Submission and Permission

 

• • Story Submission 

 

How to make your stories reach CENFACS and others in the community

 

Before submitting your story, it is better to check our Short Story Submission Rules.

 

• • • Short story submission rules

 

To submit your story, please align your story with our submission rules.  Basically, these rules request any storyteller or giver to proceed with the following:

 

∝ Check CENFACS submission guidelines and deadlines

∝ Be mindful of CENFACS storytelling terms and conditions

∝ Follow entry instructions

∝ Include a short pitch of your story (approximately 32 words)

∝ Be concise and simple

∝ Submit early.

 

 

• • • Means or ways through which you can submit or donate your story

 

There are many means or ways through which you can submit or donate your story or impact story.  You can only donate stories or impact stories since we do not buy or sell stories.  We are not a literary agent or story publisher.  Also, we do not accept AI-powered stories.

In the context of this Serial 2 of All in Development Story Telling Programme and Series, there are ways that one can use to do it, which include written text options, phone calls, audio storytelling and listening, short film experiences, and video options.  Let us highlight each of these means.

 

• • • • Written text options

 

You can write your story in a textual format.  You can use email, mobile phone, text messing system and CENFACS’ contact form; and send your story in the form of text.  To do that, you need basic typing skills, not special skills.  You can use the standard Manuscript Format (like a.docx or .doc file) with your last name and your story title.

 

• • • • Phone calls

 

You can call CENFACS and give your story via phone.

 

• • • • Audio storytelling and listening

 

You can use the capacity of audio to tell your volunteering story.  Audio storytelling (with short digital narratives, podcasting, social media and online streaming) can help create and share the impact of the change you made or have made.

 

• • • • Short film experiences

 

You can make short films to support your storytelling experiences and create a social impact.   You can make film on your smart phone with a video content.  Shooting interviews with story participants can also help to create experiences that maximise social media and essential story contents.

 

• • • • Video options

 

You can use audio High Definition video calling (for example Skype video calls or Google Meet for video conferencing options) to tell and share you story with CENFACS and others.

If you are going to use video options, it is better to use a free option and non-profit programme, as they are accessible to everybody to join in with at home or wherever they are.  By using this free option, you do not add any financial costs to anybody who wants to listen or follow your story.

Some of our users and members may not be able to afford to pay for some types of video options on the market.  That is why it is better to use something which is accessible by the majority of people.

For the purpose of data protection, please use the security tips attached to your chosen option.

If you know you are going to tell your story via video calling or conferencing option or storytelling tools that are unfamiliar to the majority of people, and you want CENFACS to participate or join in, you need to let us know at least three days before your story calling or conferencing start so that we can plan ourselves.

You need as well to inform us about the date, time and possibly participants.  You can email, phone, text or complete the contact form to let us know as we are busy like you.

If you have a story, you can tell and share with us and others via the above named means.  And if you do not mind, we will circulate – with your permission – your stories within the CENFACS Community.

 

• • • Tracking your submissions

 

You can keep track of what you have submitted by contacting CENFACS.

 

 

• • Permission to Share a Story with CENFACS

 

Generally, when we ask people’s stories, we also seek permission to share their stories.  This is because telling us your story does not necessarily mean that you have given us the permission to share it.  Your permission could be verbal or written.

We review the conditions of permission in the light of the law.  Our story telling and sharing policy includes as well images or any infographics making these stories or the use of AI-powered stories.  Our story telling and sharing policy is available to story tellers on request.

To keep our Story Month within the spirit of this policy, we are dealing with copyright law, permissions and licensing in order to share your story contents.  We are particularly working on copyright permissions that story donors need to give to us in order for us to share their stories.

Working on copyright permissions is about staying copyright compliant as far as permissions to share your story is concerned.  In simple terms, it means we will ask you whether or not, you agree for us to share your story including imaging or infographic parts of your story.

We are as well responding to any questions linked to copyrights relating to sharing stories.

For those who may have any issues to raise with story telling and sharing in the context of CENFACS’ AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme and Series, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• E-workshop for Gamers of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League: Create a Poverty Reduction League Table

How to create your African Countries’ League Table when gaming for poverty reduction

 

As part of CENFACS’ All Year Round Play Project (that is, CENFACS Poverty Reduction League), we can work together to support you (as a gamer) create your league table as you play. 

To create a Poverty Reduction Table for African countries, you can organise information about each country by focusing on poverty indicators, potential interventions and related challenges.  There are steps or tasks to undertake.

 

• • Process and Procedure for Creating a League Table

 

You can start by listing African countries and then include columns for poverty reduction rates, factors contributing to poverty reduction (like good governance, education and less economic inequality).

You can create a poverty reduction table showing the following:

 

√ Your selected African team countries (by categorising them based on their levels of poverty reduction )

√ The number of criteria/indicators you can assess them against (like poverty rate, extreme poverty, poverty line, etc.)

√ The number of criteria/indicators any of them has passed

√ How many of them they average

√ How many of them they under-perform

√ How many of them they score against the opposition

√ How many of them they concede against the opposition

√ Points they earn or share for each game.

 

You can as well consider contributing factors to poverty reduction (like economic growth, good governance, education, less inequality, conflict resolution and political stability), potential poverty relief interventions, and other elements.

By systematically and continuously recorded the results, scores and actions of your game fixtures via this table, you will in the end know which African country that would best reduce poverty by the end of 2025.

To process and proceed with a league table, one needs to have some economic indicators as criteria for measuring the performance of each country making CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction.

 

• • Example of Poverty Reduction Indicators to Create a League Table

 

For example, those who would like to go extra miles in the workshop, they can work with us using classes of indicators (that is, input, process and impact) for monitoring and tracking the poverty reduction performance as provided by the World Bank (6).  Poverty indices like headcount index, poverty gap index and squared poverty index can be utilised when dealing with your league table.  They can also include rural terms of trade and unskilled wage index in their table.

To access this e-workshop and get the grips with skills and techniques to create your poverty reduction league table, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in English-French (Message en Anglais-Français)

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses ‘How to Finance Emergency Needs in Africa after Cuts in International Humanitarian Aid’

International humanitarian aid to Africa has been cut amid emergency needs in some places in Africa have not been delivered.  Many humanitarian agencies and the beneficiaries of these needs are wondering where financial resources will come to fill the gaps left.

As part of CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum’s discussions, we are debating this:

How to Finance Emergency Needs in Africa after Recent Cuts in International Humanitarian Aid.

Perhaps the starting point of this debate is to explain emergency needs.  The website ‘lawinsider.com’ (7) argues that

“Emergency need means a situation that requires an immediate change in services, in service providers, or in both services and service providers, and is necessary for the health or safety of the consumer”.

The website ‘ifrc.org’ (8) speaks about the assessment of these needs which include food, safe drinking water, shelter, essential items (such as blankets, heaters and water containers), medical care, sanitation and waste disposal, psychological support and protection.  Their assessment could be initial, rapid and in-depth.

As one can notice, these needs are required to be funded to maintain life of those who need them.  However, how to fund them and where the funding is going to come under the constraint of international humanitarian aid.  This is our e-discussion.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join our poverty reduction pundits and/or contribute by contacting CENFACS be.Africa Forum, which is a forum for discussion on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members by making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To contact CENFACS about this discussion, please use our usual contact address on this website.

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne ‘Comment peut-on financer les besoins d’urgence en Afrique après les réductions de l’aide humanitaire internationale?’

L’aide humanitaire internationale à l’Afrique a été réduite alors que les besoins d’urgence dans certaines régions d’Afrique n’ont pas été satisfaits. De nombreuses agences humanitaires et les bénéficiaires de ces besoins se demandent d’où viendront les ressources financières pour combler les lacunes laissées.  Dans le cadre des discussions du Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS, nous débattons de la question suivante :

Comment peut-on financer les besoins d’urgence en Afrique après les récentes réductions de l’aide humanitaire internationale?

Peut-être que le point de départ de ce débat est d’expliquer les besoins d’urgence.

Le site Web ‘lawinsider.com’ (7) soutient que “Le besoin d’urgence signifie une situation qui nécessite un changement immédiat dans les services, dans les prestataires de services, ou dans les deux, et qui est nécessaire pour la santé ou la sécurité du consommateur”.

Le site Web ‘ifrc.org’ (8) parle de l’évaluation de ces besoins qui incluent la nourriture, l’eau potable, l’abri, les articles essentiels (comme des couvertures, des chauffages et des contenants d’eau), les soins médicaux, l’assainissement et l’élimination des déchets, le soutien psychologique et la protection. Leur évaluation pourrait être préliminaire, rapide et approfondie.

Comme on peut le constater, ces besoins doivent être financés pour maintenir la vie de ceux ou celles qui en ont besoin. Cependant, comment peut-on les financer et d’où viendra le financement sous la contrainte de l’aide humanitaire internationale coupée ?  C’est notre discussion en ligne.

Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette discussion peuvent se joindre à nos experts en réduction de la pauvreté et/ou contribuer en contactant le ‘me.Afrique’ du CENFACS (ou le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS), qui est un forum de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

Pour contacter le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site Web.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2025 with a Focus on Monitoring, Adapting and Learning Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction

 

The following sub-headings explain our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa in 2025:

 

a) Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope

b) The Concepts of Poverty Reduction System and Project Planning

c) Broad and Specific Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations (ASOs)

d) Projects and Activities of Learning, Monitoring and Adapting Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa

e) Working with Communities and Africa-based Organisations on Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems.

 

Let us briefly explain the contents of these sub-headings.

 

• • Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope 

 

As argued in the Key Messages, Rebuilding is the next step in our process of helping in reducing the impacts and effects of war and natural disaster events or any other major crises or shocks.  Saying that we are going to rebuild Africa, it does not mean that we are going to remake all the sectors of Africa from scratch.

Rebuilding in the context of our poverty relief work has to be placed in the perspective of working with and helping poor people and their organisations to overcome the ill effects of wars and natural disasters or any other major crises (like misinformation, disinformation, extreme weather events, and social polarization).  It is down to Africans to rebuild Africa, not CENFACS.  CENFACS as a charity just gives a helpful hand to them to reduce or better end poverty.

 

• • • What Rebuilding Africa is about

 

Rebuilding Africa addresses the legacies left by destructive war and natural disaster events or any other major crises or shocks like the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis and international aid cuts.  Every year, many human and wild lives as well as other ways of life have been destroyed as a result of wars, armed conflicts, economic shocks  and environmental disasters.  These events often lead to humanitarian catastrophes, emergencies, contingencies, crises and responses.

What’s more, where there is destructive war, there is always a destruction of the environmental life.  Examples of these destroyed lives are what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Chad, in the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.

Rebuilding Africa initiative is a response to these events by undertaking projects planning and development activity within CENFACS, with communities and in association with our Africa-based sister organisations.

What will Rebuilding Africa initiative will about for this year?

 

• • • Rebuilding Africa in 2025

 

Rebuilding Africa in 2025 will be about Monitoring, Adapting and Learning Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction.  At this new era of international humanitarian aid cuts to Africa, there is a great need to (re)learn, monitor and adapt Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction.  To respond to this need or challenge, we shall have the following two types of rebuilding work:

 

a) Broad Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems for Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations (ASOs) which will be based on the broad aspect of the rebuilding work;

b) Specific Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Systems for Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations where our ASOs operate will specifically deal with the particular aspects of the rebuilding work (like monitoring, adapting and learning of community members’ system of poverty reduction).

 

However, before going any further let us clarify the concepts of poverty reduction system and project planning.

 

• • The Concepts of Poverty Reduction System and Project Planning

 

These concepts are central in the process of rebuilding and they need explanation.  Let us explain them.

 

• • • Understanding Poverty Reduction System

 

Poverty reduction system can be approached in many ways.  In the context of Rebuilding Africa in 2025, a poverty reduction system refers to a set of interconnected or interrelated parts forming a complex whole of measures both economic and humanitarian designed to lift people out of poverty and improve the quality of life.  The system involves a combination of policies and programmes aimed at increasing income, providing essential services, and creating opportunities for the poor.

The poverty reduction system we are dealing with is the Africa one.  The literature about Africa’s poverty reduction system indicates that Africa’s poverty system encompasses a variety of approaches, including structural reforms, investment in social sectors, and addressing global challenges like commodity price fluctuations and agricultural subsidies.  It also involves empowering individuals and communities through education, healthcare, and access to resources, as well as promoting economic diversification and job creation.

However, Africa is a continent.  There could many systems of poverty reduction depending on countries and areas of focus.  Most of these systems would have something in common which is lifting people out of poverty and improving the quality of their life.  These systems can be learned, monitored and adapted in line with the changing development landscape like the current environment of international humanitarian aid cuts and crises.  One way to adapt these systems is to plan and develop a number of projects that will make up the new system.

 

• • • Projects Planning and Development 

 

Project planning can be approached in many ways.  According to ‘coursera.com’ (9),

“Project planning is the second stage of the project management lifecycle.  The full cycle includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, and closing.  Project planning refers to the phase in project management in which you determine the actual steps to complete a project.  This includes laying out timelines, establishing the budget, setting milestones, assessing risks, and solidifying tasks and assigning them to team members”.

In terms of Projects Planning and Development process within CENFACS, this process enables us to know the needs on the grounds and reach out to those in most need in Africa.  It also assists to improve our way of doing development work, to rethink and exchange new ideas, avenues, approaches, theories, frameworks of analysis and projects to systematically respond to the way in which we are going to proceed with our rebuilding work.  In the context of Rebuilding Africa in 2025, the plan will be to Broadly and Specifically Monitor, Adapt and Learn Africa’s Systems for Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations.

 

 

• • Broad and Specific Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations

 

These two aspects (that is, broad and specific ones) can be highlighted as follows.

 

• • • Broad Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations 

 

This broad aspect can be explained in the terms highlighted below.

 

~ Broad monitoring of Africa’s poverty reduction systems can be done by using a combination of data collection analysis, and evaluation methods.  This includes monitoring poverty rates, analysing the effectiveness of specific interventions (like the ones provided by ASOs), and assessing the impact of broader sustainable development policies on poverty reduction in Africa.

~ Regarding the adaptation of Africa’s poverty reduction systems, this can be undertaken by focusing on sustainable agriculture, continuing to invest in education and healthcare, empowering women, promoting inclusive economic growth, and unlocking the creative economy (that is, music, film and digital industries).  This includes having self-reliant poverty reduction strategies, levying green taxation, improving rural infrastructure, enhancing financial inclusion and diversifying economies.

~ Concerning learning of Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems, Africa’s poverty reduction efforts offer valuable lessons, emphasising the importance of sustainable economic growth, addressing inequalities, investing in human capital, focussing on specific sectors like agriculture and health.

 

These three elements (that is, monitoring, adaptation and learning) of dealing with Africa’s poverty reduction systems can be undertaken by working with communities and ASOs.  Communities in Africa and ASOs can shape the way in which one approaches monitoring, adaptation and learning in this matter by providing specific and practical way of doing it.

 

• • • Specific Monitoring, Adapting and Learning of Africa’s Systems of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Organisations

 

~ Specific monitoring of Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems could be applied to 

≈ data collection, in particular by considering household surveys, social surveys, data from development agencies (like non-governmental organisations and ASOs), big data and machine learning, climate data, etc.

≈ analysis and evaluation by using poverty measures (like poverty headcount ratio, poverty gap, and poverty severity), impact evaluation, cost-effectiveness analysis, social impact assessment, political economy analysis, etc.

 

~ Specific adaptation of Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems will try to look at specific actions in terms of

≈ supporting sustainable agriculture and food security (like boosting productivity)

≈ education and skills (for instance, the development of relevant skills to deal with new ways of funding development)

≈ healthcare and social protection (e.g., ways of improving healthcare access)

≈ economic growth and diversification (like the promotion of trade within African Intracontinental Free Trade Area)

≈ good governance (e.g., transparency and accountability for aid budget and effectiveness)

≈ addressing inequalities and vulnerabilities (for instance, measures to protect vulnerable sections of populations)

≈ external support (such as philanthropic investments)

etc.

 

~ Specific adaptation of Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems will be about

how Africa’s ecosystem of poverty reduction is strategically adapting to cope with competition and change in the global environment (for instance, how Africa is dealing with tariff war and de-globalisation threat).  It means looking at Africa’s adaptive capacity, that is a measure of the extent to which Africa’s ecosystem is able to adjust to environmental change or the new global development landscape.   This can also involve Africa’s policies and actions to prevent or reduce the adverse impacts of climate change.

 

To monitor Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems, deal with with their adaptation as well as learn from these systems, it may require to plan and develop some projects as well as the undertaking of certain activities.

 

 

• • Projects and Activities of Learning, Monitoring and Adapting Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

• • • Projects of Learning, Monitoring and Adapting Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

They are a series of interrelated tasks and activities planned and to be executed to achieve the objectives of learning, monitoring, and adapting systems of poverty reduction within specific constraints of time, costs and resources.  They are planned pieces of work that aim to monitor, learn and find out adaptive capacity of Africa’s poverty reduction systems.

These projects could be or include the following:

 

~ Impact evaluation projects to assess the effectiveness and lessons learned from poverty reduction programmes

~ Social impact assessment of funded projects to check if the best value is obtained from investment made

~ Projects of tracking progress in poverty reduction for work carried out by ASOs

~ Projects integrating climate and poverty

~ Projects to find the effects of programmes run by ASOs on gender equality, social inclusion and empowerment

etc.

 

• • • Activities of Learning, Monitoring and Adapting Systems of Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

They are specific actions or doing something to learn, monitor and find out about adaptation of Africa’s systems of poverty reduction.

These activities could include:

 

~ Conducting surveys with ASOs to gather their perceptions about new ways of funding their work

~ Advocacy/appeals to philanthropic global organisations and major donors to support ASOs in the era of international aid cuts

~ Advising ASOs to explore social enterprise models (that is, income-generating initiatives)

~ Running workshops on financial self-reliance and self-sufficiency policies to reduce ASOs reliance on international foreign aid

~ Providing guidance and information on private-charity partnerships for poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa

~ Campaigning with ASOs to raise private donations locally

~ Organising focus groups on alternative funding mechanisms

etc.

 

The above-mentioned projects and activities will be conducted to help communities and ASOs to meet their goals of

“moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society”.

However, to realise these projects and activities, it is better to work with communities and ASOs in Africa.

 

 

• • Working with Communities and Africa-based Organisations on Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems

 

• • • Working with Communities on Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems

 

Working with Communities on Africa’s  Poverty Reduction Systems to reduce poverty will involve the following:

 

~ Supporting community-led initiatives

~ Economically empowering those in need

~ Developing human capital

~ Enhancing socio-economic inclusion and addressing gender inequalities

~ Developing poor people’s infrastructure and promoting access to basic services

~ Sustaining development

~ Building partnerships and collaborate with these communities

etc.

 

• • • Working with Africa-based Organisations on Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems

 

Working with ASOs on Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems will be about the following:

 

~ Selecting organisations to partner with and building better relationships with them

~ Understanding the local context

~ Focussing on sustainable solutions

~ Effectively collaborating

etc.

 

This will involve identifying organisations with proven track records, aligning our goals with theirs, and ensuring that our efforts contribute to local development rather than simply providing aid.

The above-mentioned areas of work with communities and ASOs will be undertaken through our capacity building, advocacy, advice, networking, and signposting services.

For those Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations that are looking to working with us, CENFACS is prepared to work with them on Rebuilding Africa.

CENFACS can work with them to ensure that Africa’s Poverty Reduction Systems deliver their goals.

We can work with them under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  

For further details about  Rebuilding Africa in 2025, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.ask.com/news/expect-windows-reset-recovery-reinstallation-tips (accessed in May 2025)

(2) Park, C. (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York

(3) https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration (accessed in May 2025)

(4) https://ecocomputernotes.com/mis/implementation-and-evaluation/what-is-system-maintenance-what-are-its-different-types (accessed in May 2025)

(5) https://gomanagedit.com/what-is-post-implementation-support/ (accessed in May 2025)

(6) https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentationdetail/27201468765605934/indicators-for-monitoring-poverty-reduction (accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/emergency-need#:~text= (accessed in May 2025)

(8) https://www.ifrc.org/our-work/disasters-climate-and-crises/supporting-local-humanitarian-action/emergency-needs (accessed in May 2025)

(9) https://www.coursera.org/articles/project-planning (accessed in May 2023)

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

07 May 2025

Post No. 403

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May 2025 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories after Systems Reset and Change

• All in Development Story Telling Series and Programme 2025

• Activity/Task 5 of the Restoration (R) Year/Project: Tell and Share Restoration Stories

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• May 2025 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories after Systems Reset and Change

 

Story telling is our main content for the month of May.  It is the month and time of the year we dedicate ourselves to telling and sharing poverty relief and sustainable development stories.

 

• • Why Do We Tell and Share Stories? 

 

This is because in whatever we do to help reduce poverty and appeal for support to enhance the development process we are engaged in, there is always a story to tell and share from various places we intervene and from different individuals and communities or organisations involving in our work.

 

• • How Do We Tell and Share These Stories?

 

We do it through All in Development (AiD) Stories project, which is our storytelling project.  The project is made of a one month’s storytelling programme and series as explained below.

 

• • • AiD Storytelling Programme is a one month project that focuses on developing and promoting storytelling skills, techniques and approaches in the specific context of CENFACS‘ community engagement to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

• • • AiD Storytelling Series is a set of related stories presented by CENFACS or volunteer storytellers with a shared theme and a set number of episodes.  The series follow a serial format of a continuous story told over multiple episodes.

 

There is an explanation about this project that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  Every year, there is a different theme for this storytelling project.

 

• • This Year’s Theme for AiD Stories Project

 

This year, the theme for AiD Stories Project is about Stories after Resetting and Changing Systems, particularly our system of poverty reduction.  They are the stories of a system which has already been reset to meet people’s (poor people’s) needs.  Where a system was changed instead of being reset, then stories will be of after a system change.

 

• • • What are After System Reset and Change Stories?

 

Let us first explain After Systems Reset Stories, then After Systems Change Stories.

 

• • • • Stories after a system reset

 

Depending on the way one has reset its system, they may use the steps they find the most suitable for them after resetting.  In the context of AiD Stories Project 2025, we are going to utilise the following steps, which are commonly used in the information, technology and communication environment: reinstallation, restoration, reconfiguration of settings and updates of software. There are relationships between them in order to make our reset system better work.

So, After-system-reset stories are the tales of reinstallation, restoration, reconfiguration and updating of our system of poverty reduction or life.

 

• • • • Stories after a system reset

 

Following the type of change initiated to the system, one can use the steps they feel appropriate to them after system change.  For the convenience of our AiD Stories Project 2025, we are going to employ the steps that are familiar with what happens in the information technology and communications systems.  To be precise, we are using the following steps: stabilisation and verification, communication and training, ongoing maintenance and improvement.

Therefore, After-system-change stories are the accounts of stabilisation and initial testing, ongoing maintenance and support, continuous improvement and adaptation, documentation and knowledge management, and maintenance of our system of poverty reduction or life.

Both stories (after system reset and change stories) are the tales of physical, social, environmental and economic lives and how we try to deal with reset and changed systems, in particular our reset and changed system of poverty reduction.

 

• • • When will these stories start?

 

Entries for May 2025 Stories were opened since last March when we announced the general theme of Spring Relief 2025, which is

“moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society”. 

So far, some of our members and supporters have shown some interests.  For those who have not yet submitted or told us their stories, this is the month to do it.

These stories are based on a principle.

 

• • Underlying Principle of AiD Stories Project

 

The principle of AiD Stories Project is that it is about stories told by volunteers or people who are giving their stories not for money or not being paid for their experience they had in relation to the story theme.  However, this principle does not stop anybody to provide a story even if what they are saying come from their paid position.

Besides this general principle, we have two criteria we would like to highlight about the theme of AiD Stories Project for this year.

 

• • Criteria for the Theme of AiD Stories Project 2025

 

~ 1st Criterion

For this year’s AiD Stories project, we are mainly interested in Stories of moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society, as mentioned above.  They are the stories of those who hit rock bottom of poverty and hope that a reset and changed system can provide them an opportunity to bounce forward in a sustainable way.

 

~ 2nd Criterion

We are registering people’s personal experiences of being or at risk of being left behind in the process after the system has been reset or changed. 

Indeed, experiences show that in many cases after resetting and changing systems, not all people receive equal support or benefit resulting from new systems (or reset or changed systems).  There is always a possibility that aid (or help or income) that has been transferred to vulnerable people and households does not reach everybody or if its does it does not reach them proportionally or equally.  For those who have not been reached, their personal stories need to be heard as well.

Additionally, we would like to select amongst submitted stories the best ones.

 

• • Selecting the Top Real True Story of the Month

 

This year, we would like to select the top three stories of poverty reduction of the month and the real true story of poverty reduction of the month.  To do that we will use impact story approach.  This approach is often used when monitoring, observability and evaluation are restricted.  What do we mean by that?

We mean what ‘civicus.org’ (1) says about impact stories, which is:

“Impact stories are a useful way to systematically documenting anecdotal evidence that expected activities occurred, and the perceived results thereof”.

Our storytelling assessors will try to capture elements of storytelling that respond to our storytelling criteria.  Stories that build inclusion and inspire people after system reset or change have more chance to win more votes or points than other ones.

To facilitate and organise ourselves in the way of telling these stories, we are going to do it through a series or programme or a timeline of scripts.  There is more information about this series below.

For more information on AiDS project and this year’s storytelling focus and scripts, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

To tell your story after reset and change for change to CENFACS, please contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

 

 

 

• All in Development Story Telling Series and Programme 2025

 

The 2025 series of AiDS Telling Programme started from the 1st of May 2025, every Wednesday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2025.  These series, which are part of May 2025 Stories, are a timeline of scripts or a set of notes arranged in line to tell and share Stories after System Reset and Change.  But, these stories do not need to be linear (that is, problem > action > solutions).  We take non-linear stories as well.

To arrange this programme, we are going to utilise the four steps below, which are commonly used by theoreticians and practitioners in distributed computing and communication networks after resetting a system: reinstallation, restoration, reconfiguration of settings and updates of software.  We are going to apply these steps to the fields of poverty reduction, humanitarian relief and sustainable development.

Let us briefly explain these steps.

 

a) Reinstall

After resetting your poverty reduction system, the contents of this system will removed.  You will need to put them in place and make them ready for use again or the reset ones.

 

b) Restore

You need as well to bring these contents back to a normal or proper state, or restore them from a back-up.

 

c) Reconfigure settings

You will need to reset these contents to their default values and to your preferences.

 

d) Updates and upgrades of our system for poverty reduction

When doing reset, please make sure to check for and install any available updates or upgrades.

 

We are also referring to the steps that are familiar with what happens in the information technology and communications systems when changing a system.  The steps below can be used after changing a system.

 

i) Stabilisation and verification

There are about testing the new system to ensure it correctly functions and meets the requirements, tracking the system’s performance and identifying any potential problems, and addressing any issues or bugs that arise during the initial phase of operations.

 

ii) Communication and training

It is about communicating the change to all relevant stakeholders (e.g., project users and beneficiaries, Africa-based Sister Organisations, funders/donors, volunteers and other supporters, etc.), explaining how to effectively use the new system, and documenting all the changes made to the system.

 

iii) Ongoing maintenance

It is about ensuring the system is kept up-to-date with security patches and updates, continuously monitoring the system’s performance and optimising it as needed, gathering feedbacks

 

iv) Improvement

It is about identifying areas for improvement, maintaining and updating the relevant documentation to the system.

 

From the above-mentioned four steps from each system (that is, reset and changed systems), we can organise our stories line.  There is no single logic or model of organising a story.  We thought that to make it easier, our storytelling series for reset and changed systems will follow these four plus four (4+4) model or two-story sequences:

The four plus four (4+4) or two-story sequences can be linked each other in a sequential way.

For further details about these two-story sequences or timeline of AiD scripts, please continue to read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 5 of the Restoration (R) Year/Project: Tell and Share Restoration Stories for Poverty Reduction

 

The fifth activity/task of the “t” Project is about sharing with those in need some inspiring stories about restoration.  But, what is a restoration story?

 

• • Brief Explanation of Restoration Story

 

A restoration story can refer to several related concepts like the following ones:

 

a) the narrative structure of narratives where a hero overcomes disorder and restores order;

b) the retelling of personal stories in light of a larger narrative of restoration, often in a religious or spiritual context; and

c) stories showcasing the real-world experiences and outcomes of ecological restoration projects.

 

The above-mentioned concepts of restoration story can be told and shared as a way of completing Activity/Task 5 of the Restoration (R) Year/Project.

 

• • Telling and Sharing Your Story of Restoration for Poverty Reduction

 

One can tell and share their experiences, successes and challenges of real ecological restoration projects or activities to inspire efforts of poverty reduction.  These experiences, successes and challenges can be comprehensive from conception to post-restoration monitoring.  Other ones could be more analytic.

For instance, the website ‘eauk.org’ (2) states Tearfund’s Restoration Story, which is a film that tells stories of Christians all over the world who are coming together to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change – through living differently praying and speaking out.

So, Activity/Task 5 of the Restoration (R) Year/Project is about Telling and Sharing Your Restoration Story for Poverty Reduction.

For those who need any help before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.

For any other queries and enquiries about the ‘R‘ project and this year’s dedication, please contact CENFACS as well.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Goal of the Month:  Reduction of Ecological Poverty through Restoration Stories

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Focus from 07/05/2025: Financial Incentives

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 12: Impact Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

 

• Goal of the Month:  Reduction of Ecological Poverty through Restoration Stories

 

Our goal of the month is linked to Activity/Task 5 of the Restoration (R) Year/Project, which is Telling and Sharing Your Restoration Story for Poverty Reduction.

In order to meet this goal, it is better to understand ecological poverty, then to explain how restoration stories can help improve one’s efforts to reduce and possibly end poverty.

 

• • What Is Ecological Poverty?

 

Ecological poverty can be defined in various ways.  One of its definitions comes from ‘ncesc.com’ (3) which argues that

“Ecological poverty is the lack of an ecologically healthy natural resource base that is needed for a human society’s survival and development.  It is not the economist’s Gross National Product that matters to them.  It is the decline of the Gross Nature Product that matters to them”.

The decline of the Gross Nature Product matters to us to deal with poverty that this decline is causing.

 

• • How Stories Can Help Reduce Poverty

 

Telling and sharing real life stories can help people who listen to them to shift their perceptions of poverty and build support for anti-poverty measures, programmes and policies.  By drawing on what the website ‘commonslibrary.org’ (4) states, your stories can help

 

~ bring the social setting to the foreground

~ shift the public discourse broadly

~ foreground social justice

~ challenge stereotypes

~ amplify voices on poverty issues 

etc.

 

In short, restoration stories can increase understanding and activate hope to solve ecological poverty.

 

• • Implications for Selecting the Goal for the Month

 

After selecting the goal for the month, we focus our efforts and mind set on the selected goal by making sure that in our real life we apply it.  We also expect our supporters to go for the goal of the month by working on the same goal and by supporting those who may be suffering from the type of poverty linked to the goal for the month we are talking about during the given month (e.g., May 2025).

For further details on the goal of the month, its selection procedure including its support and how one can go for it, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Focus from 07/05/2025: Financial Incentives

 

To treat the above-mentioned focus, let us first provide the meaning of financial incentives, then relate it to households, especially to vulnerable ones.

 

• • What Is Financial Incentive?

 

Financial incentives can be of various types.  However, there is a convergence in its definitions.  Without stating many of its definitions, let us limit to the one given by ‘getcompass.ai’ (5) which is:

“A financial incentive is a reward or benefit offered to individuals or entities to encourage specific actions or behaviours.  These incentives are typically monetary in nature and can take various forms, such as bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing, stock options, salary increases or performance-base pay”.

This definition is related to financial incentives offered by businesses.  They are financial incentive programmes are run by employers to encourage greater productivity and loyalty among employees.

The website also adds that other entities (like governments and other organisations) can give financial incentives.   Both financial incentives run by businesses and other entities can benefit households.

 

• • Households’ Access to Financial Incentives

 

Households can access a number of financial incentives.  They can access at their work place if they are working; just as they can be eligible for some types financial incentives which are not work-related.

For instance, there are many types of financial incentives that vulnerable households can get which include the following:

 

~ financial incentive for reducing electricity use during peak periods

~ a free cash payment to help with the cost of living through Government’s Household Support Fund Scheme

~ help to pay for essentials like energy bills and food

~ council tax support to help pay council tax bill for those who cannot afford

~ discretionary housing payments to deal with rent shortfalls, rent arrears, deposits, and moving costs

etc.

 

These incentives and related products to incentivize households are available and households, in particular the poorest ones, are required to learn, know about them and apply for them.

Those households that are unaware of them, this is the opportunity to conduct some research about them if they want to build climate-resilient assets.  If they have some difficulties in getting information and guidance about them, they can work with CENFACS.

For those households that would like to build climate-resilient asset via Financial Incentives, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about Financial Incentives in the context of Climate-resilient Asset Building Programmes for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 12: Impact Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

In Step/Workshop 11 of your Play, Run and Vote Projects, you conducted an outcome evaluation by measuring your behaviour, participation to and achievement following the delivery of these projects.  Now, you can proceed with an impact evaluation.  An impact evaluation will help to evaluate the effect of your Play, Run and Vote Projects on you and the environment surrounding you.  But, what is an impact evaluation?

 

• • Basic Understanding of an Impact Evaluation

 

The definition we have chosen to understand an impact evaluation comes from ‘betterevaluation.org’ (6).  According to ‘betterevaluation.org’,

“An impact evaluation provides information about the impacts produced by an intervention.  The intervention might be a small project, a large programme, a collection of activities, or a policy”.

The same ‘betterevaluation.org’ states that

“A impact evaluation can be undertaken to improve or reorient an intervention (i.e., for formative purposes) or to inform decisions about whether to continue, discontinue,  replicate or scale up an intervention (i.e.,  for summative purposes)”.

In other words, an impact evaluation tries to measure the difference between outcomes with an intervention and without it in a way that can attribute the difference to the intervention, and only the intervention. 

For instance, an impact evaluation of  your Run Project will assess changes in your wellbeing that can be attributable to your Run Project.  The figure below is an impact evaluation exercise showing how your all-year-round project can impact on you.

 

 

To carry out an impact evaluation, one needs to answer/know the why, when, what and who to engage in the evaluation process.  Also, one can base its impact evaluation on a particular way of thinking or a theory.

 

• • Theories to Be Used in Your Impact Evaluation 

 

To simplify the matter, an all-year-round project beneficiary will use a theory of change that will guide them to causal attribution or to answer cause-and-effect questions; meaning that changes in outcome are directly attributable to an intervention (here your Play, Run and Vote Projects).  Therefore, you need to better plan and manage your impact evaluation.

 

• • Example of Planning and Managing the Impact Evaluation of Your All-year Round Projects

 

To better plan and manage the impact evaluation of Your All-year Round Projects, you can proceed with the following:

 

σ Describe what needs to be evaluated

σ Identify and mobilise resources for your evaluation

σ Decide who will conduct the evaluation and engage it

σ Set up an evaluation methodology/approach/technique

σ Manage your evaluation work

σ Implement your evaluation work

σ Evaluate the result/impact of Your All-year Round Projects on you and/or others

σ Share your evaluation results/report.

 

The above is one of the possible ways of impact evaluating your All-year Round Projects.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Impact Evaluation of their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Note about This 12-week Workshop Programme

 

To conclude this 12-week workshop programme, we would like to thank those who have been engaged with it.

We would like to ask to those who can to measure the impact and effectiveness in working with them/you on how to plan, execute and evaluate your All-year Round Projects. 

For example, they/you can state that on overall they/you have positive or negative impacts from this programme.  They/you can send your statement to CENFACS‘ usual contact details as given on this website.

Those who need help for any aspect of the plan of their All-year Round Projects, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Good luck with their/your All-year Round Projects!

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Numéro 87 de FACS du Printemps 2025, qui s’intitule ‘Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et le Financement pour le Climat et la Réduction de la Pauvreté en Afrique’

Le 87e numéro de la FACS traite des stratégies et des outils que les Organisations Caritatives Africaines (OCA) utilisent ou peuvent utiliser pour entreprendre la planification et la budgétisation climatiques, ainsi que pour formuler leur offre d’investissement afin de rechercher et d’obtenir ou de mobiliser des fonds.

Le 87e numéro de FACS est une étude sur la façon dont les OCA tentent d’accéder à des fonds par le biais d’institutions locales dotées de capacités et d’autonomisation où elles opèrent. C’est sans ignorer les efforts qu’elles peuvent faire pour travailler avec le secteur privé ou à but lucratif sur les questions de changement climatique. En d’autres termes, le numéro 87 de FACS est une enquête sur la façon dont les OCA tentent de collaborer et de s’associer avec d’autres pour améliorer leur capacité et leur coordination à gérer les questions liées au financement de la lutte contre le changement climatique.

Le numéro 87 traite également du financement de la réduction de la pauvreté. En effet, obtenir un financement climatique n’implique pas nécessairement obtenir des financements pour la réduction de la pauvreté. C’est pourquoi, il y a lieu de travailler également sur l’utilisation d’instruments financiers qui permettent aux OCA d’accéder à des fonds et de répondre aux besoins de leurs bénéficiaires et des habitant(e)s. À cet égard, le 87e numéro vise à vérifier s’il y a ou non un alignement entre la stratégie des OCA en matière de financement du climat et de financement de la réduction de la pauvreté. Et s’il y en a, où mène cet alignement.

Le 87e numéro analyse la relation entre le financement de l’action climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté. Plus précisément, il met en évidence l’interdépendance entre le changement climatique et la pauvreté. On sait que le changement climatique peut exacerber la pauvreté en provoquant des catastrophes naturelles, l’insécurité alimentaire et les déplacements; tandis que la pauvreté peut rendre les personnes et les communautés plus vulnérables aux impacts climatiques.

Loin d’être un catalogue de défis et d’obstacles, le 87e numéro se penche sur l’amélioration des stratégies de financement des OCA en ce qui concerne les questions de climat et de réduction de la pauvreté. En particulier, le 87e numéro fait valoir ce qui suit :

σ l’intégration entre la stratégie de financement de l’action climatique et la stratégie de financement de la réduction de la pauvreté, car il existe des avantages connexes et des synergies entre la réduction du changement climatique et les initiatives de réduction de la pauvreté

σ un modèle de collaboration entre les OCA et tous les autres acteurs pour mobiliser le financement de l’action climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement durable

σ l’alignement entre le financement de l’action climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté

σ l’amélioration de la planification des projets des OCA qui ne reflète pas seulement les besoins du climat, mais qui prenne également en compte la demande de ceux ou celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté en Afrique

σ le suivi des fonds climatiques et des fonds pour la réduction de la pauvreté et le développement durable

σ l’élaboration de cadres qui incluent à la fois l’investissement climatique et l’investissement d’impact dans la réduction de la pauvreté

σ l’amélioration de la planification et de la coordination entre les projets de lutte contre le changement climatique et les projets de réduction de la pauvreté.

Pour lire les résumés clés de ce nouveau numéro, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• May 2025 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories after Systems Reset and Change

 

The items making the contents of May 2025 Stories include the following:

 

∝ What is All in Development Stories Project?

∝ May 2025 Stories: Stories after Systems Reset and Change

∝ Story Telling Sequences or Series

∝ AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Reinstallation and Stabilisation (Starting from Wednesday 07/05/2025)

∝ Further Information about May 2025 Stories.

 

Let us highlight each of these elements.

 

• • What Is All in Development Stories Project?

 

All in Development Stories (AiDS) is a life story building, developing, telling, sharing and learning project set up by CENFACS in 2009 in order to give opportunities to volunteers, interns and other development supporters and enthusiasts to inspire others and spread the good news and will of better change to the community.  It is also a narrative approach to documenting and managing features, tasks and project progress that has features or properties, storytelling programme and series.

 

• • • AiDS Properties

 

The project, which is run during the month of May, has six properties as follows:

 

1) AiDS is a telling and sharing story

 

It is about telling and sharing with us your experience and achievements made in the fields of local (UK) and International (Africa) developments.

 

2) AiDS is an expression of the problem

 

It expresses the problem (of poverty) to be solved, the user’s or project beneficiary’s perspective, and the desired outcome.

 

3) AiDS is a learning and development process

 

It is also about learning from volunteers and interns how they improved their own life, changed deprived lives and reached out to the needy communities.  After learning, one can try to develop strengths and better practices to solve problems.

 

4) AiDS is an inspirational and motivational support network

 

The project seeks to inspire and motivate others on the road of change for better change; especially for those (who are part of our network and those who would like to be part of it) who might prepare and use their summer break or any other occasions to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

 

5) AiDS is a building storytelling skills initiative

 

It helps story tellers to develop skills to tell and supply stories (stories generation) to meet the demand of stories listeners (stories heard) in order to connect those in need to poverty reduction.  These stories that connect to poverty reduction can be linear and non-linear as well as deliberately action-oriented.

 

6) AiDS finally is a state-of-the-art project 

 

After all, it is the art of poverty relief telling story that enables us to get up-to-date information, knowledge and thinking in the fields of poverty reduction and sustainable development from those who went on the grounds to learn and experience real-life development works.  They return with volunteering stories to tell and share.  As the National Storytelling Network (7) puts it in these terms:

“Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination”.

 

• • • AiDS Telling Programme

 

The programme, which is a short-term project (of one month in May), focusses on the process of storytelling by developing and promoting storytelling skills, techniques and approaches with the purpose of enhancing communication, creativity, empathy, and engagement to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The programme uses narratives, stories and personal anecdotes to enhance engagement, comprehension, and retention of information relating to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

• • • AiDS Telling Series

 

It is a set number of episodes or chapters with a defined beginning and end that focuses on presenting a collection of related stories with the purpose of engaging audiences, exploring themes, and developing narratives.  Through this series, stories will be shared with an audience in a serial format or a continuous story told over multiple episodes.

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Stories after System Reset and Change.

 

• • May 2025 Stories: Stories after System Reset and Change

 

Before highlighting these stories, let us explain the key terms where these stories would originate.

 

• • • Key Terms leading to After System Reset and Change

 

They are the terms we can use after resetting and changing our systems of poverty reduction.  These terms are given below.

 

• • • • Key terms after a system reset

 

Depending on the way one has reset its system, they may use the steps they find the most suitable for them after resetting.  In the context of May 2025 Stories, we are going to utilise the following steps, which are commonly used in the information, technology and communication environment: reinstallation, restoration, reconfiguration of settings and updates of software.  The words or expressions used for these steps make up the key terms after our system reset. Let us highlight these terms.

 

• • • • • Reinstall

 

After resetting your poverty reduction system, the contents of this system will removed.  You will need to put them in place and make them ready for use again or the reset ones.

 

• • • • • Restore

 

You need as well to bring these contents back to a normal or proper state, or restore them from a back-up.

 

• • • • • Reconfigure settings

 

You will need to reset these contents to their default values and to your preferences.

 

• • • • • Updates and upgrades of our system for poverty reduction

 

When doing reset, please make sure to check for and install any available updates and upgrades.

 

The above-mentioned expressions or words or verbs are the ones we shall use after resetting our poverty reduction systems.  There are also relationships between them in order to make our reset system better work.

 

• • • • Key terms after a system change

 

Following the type of change initiated to the system, one can use the steps they feel appropriate to them after system change.  For the convenience of our May 2025 Stories, we are going to employ the steps that are familiar with what happens in the information technology and communications systems.  To be precise, we are using the following steps: stabilisation and verification, communication and training, ongoing maintenance and improvement.  The terms used for these steps constitute the key terms or terminology after our system change.  Let us briefly explain these terms.

 

• • • • • Stabilisation and verification

 

There are about testing the new system to ensure it correctly functions and meets the requirements, tracking the system’s performance and identifying any potential problems, and addressing any issues or bugs that arise during the initial phase of operations.

 

• • • • • Communication and training

 

It is about communicating the change to all relevant stakeholders (e.g., project users and beneficiaries, Africa-based Sister Organisations, funders/donors, volunteers and other supporters, etc.), explaining how to effectively use the new system, and documenting all the changes made to the system.

 

• • • • • Ongoing maintenance and improvement

 

It is about ensuring the system is kept up-to-date with security patches and updates, continuously monitoring the system’s performance and optimising it as needed, gathering feedbacks to identify areas for improvement, maintaining and updating the relevant documentation to the system.

The above key terminology will help to generate the types of May 2025 Stories after System Reset and Change.

 

 

• • • What are Stories after System Reset and Change?

 

Reset System Stories or Stories after resetting system are

 

• the sequencing tales of reinstallation 

• the narratives of restoration

• the histories of reconfiguration

• the tellings of updating and upgrading our system of poverty reduction or life.

 

Changed System Stories or Stories after changing system are

 

• the accounts of stabilisation and initial testing

• the plots of ongoing maintenance and support

• the anecdotes of continuous improvement and adaptation

• the reports of documentation and knowledge management of our system of poverty reduction or life.

 

Both After System Reset and Change Stories will be presented via AiD Story Telling programme.  They can be compared and contrasted in terms of their similarities and differences. One can even use Ven Diagramme to compare and contrast these/their stories.

During this month of May, we are running 4+4 or two-story series of AiD Story Telling programme that will revolve around the process of ‘Moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society.

For those who want to tell their Stories after Resetting and Changing Systems; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories.

 

• • Story Telling Sequences or Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting on 07/05/2025 and after every Wednesday until the end of May 2025

 

The following two-story series or sequences have been planned for this month of storytelling (May Stories).

 

σ Serial 1: From Wednesday 07/05/2025: Stories of Reinstallation, and Self-stabilisation and Initial Testing

σ σ Stories of Reinstallation are the sequencing tales of putting our poverty reduction system in place so that it is ready for use and for deliver its results. 

σ σ Stories of Self-stabilisation and Initial Testing are the accounts relating to our poverty reduction system’s ability to recover automatically from unexpected faults, as well as of ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of the processes and products of system of poverty reduction.

 

σ Serial 2: From Wednesday 14/05/2025: Stories of Restoration, and Ongoing Maintenance and Support

σ σ Stories of Restoration are the narratives of any action or process used to repair, re-establish, or renew tangible and intangible assets.

σ σ Stories of Ongoing Maintenance and Support are the plots relating to regular upkeep, and updates, and keeping system from falling.

 

σ Serial 3: From Wednesday 21/05/2025: Stories of Reconfiguration and Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

σ σ Stories of Reconfiguration are the histories of rearranging the elements or settings of a poverty reduction system or life

σ σ Stories of Continuous Improvement and Adaptation are the anecdotes of uninterrupted amelioration and fitting into new circumstances and situations.

 

σ Serial 4: From Wednesday 28/05/2025: Stories of System Updating and Upgrading,  and Documentation and Knowledge Management

σ σ Stories of System Updating and Upgrading are the tellings of renewing our system by replacing older versions, enhancing functionality and reducing system vulnerabilities.

σ σ Stories of Documentation and Knowledge Management are the reports of making the information more relatable and easier to understand, and of ensuring knowledge of our poverty reduction system remains accurate, up-to-date and useful.

 

Both Stories after System Reset and Change will help us Moving forward to protect the gains or legacies of our building-forward-better-together work while building upon progress to achieve a more equitable and inclusive society.

 

 

 

 

• •  AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Reinstallation, and Self-stabilisation and Initial Testing (Starting from Wednesday 07/05/2025)

 

We have two stories from our two-story model: Stories of Reinstallation and Stories of Self-stabilisation and Initial Testing.  Let us look at each of them.

 

• • • Stories of Reinstallation

 

To present these stories, let us first try to briefly explain a reinstallation, then provide the stories linked to it.

 

• • • • Brief explanation of reinstallation

 

Reinstallation is the process of putting in place a machine or equipment and making it ready for use.  This is done often to resolve a problem or update the system.  In the context of May 2025 Stories, we are going to reinstall our system of poverty reduction.

Reinstallation can provide a story.  In this respect, reinstallation story can refer to the narrative or experience surrounding this process including the reasons for reinstallation and the troubleshooting steps taken.

 

• • • • Stories of Reinstallation

 

As said above, these stories are those of putting in place our system of poverty reduction so that it is ready for use and for delivery of its results.  In other words, they are the stories of performing all the necessary system configuration steps to make it ready to use.  It means running the programme’s installer.

From this definition, we have identified the following stories of reinstalling our system of poverty reduction:

 

a) the reinstallation stories of fixing issues like system conflicts

b) the storytelling infographics of resolving persistent problems

c) the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices and tones of the frustration of a corrupted system or the relief of a successful reinstall

d) the tales of the problems encountered, the solutions attempted and the final outcomes.

 

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Reinstallation, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Stories of Self-stabilisation and Initial Testing

 

To understand these stories, let us first explain self-stabilisation and initial testing, then identify stories relating to them.

 

• • • •   Short explanation of self-stabilisation

 

On the website ‘direct.mit.edu’ (8), self-stabilisation is defined as

“A system’s ability to recover automatically from unexpected faults”.

It is the ability of a system to reach a legitimate state (a correct or desired state) from any arbitrary initial state, even if it is caused by transient faults.

This concept is used in the field of distributed computing and fault tolerance to highlight the ability of a system to self-correct and maintain its functionality even in the face of unexpected events.  The concept can also be applied in the fields of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

From this definition, it is possible to explain a story of self-stabilisation.

 

• • • • Stories of Self-stabilisation

 

A story of self-stabilisation refers to a narrative that illustrates how a system or process can automatically recover from faults or disturbances and return to a stable, desirable state.

From this definition, it can be argued that Stories of Self-stabilisation are

 

a) the accounts of system’s autonomous recovery without external intervention

b) the anecdotes of system detecting and correcting the effects of the faults without external intervention

c) the narratives of system returning to a stable state

d) the records of tones of voice a system’s resilience and its capacity to withstand challenges, learn from them and return to reliable state

e) the tales of explaining the nature of the faults or disturbances.

 

These stories can be used to communicate the ability of our system of poverty reduction to self-stabilise without external intervention.

For example, these stories can help to know how those involved in community-led systems can change initiatives by telling compelling stories about the nature and impact of their work or how these stories can be used to enable and celebrate community-led systems change work.

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Self-stabilisation, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • •   Short explanation of initial testing

 

Within the literature relating to the field of distributed computing and fault tolerance, initial testing refers to the first set of evaluations or examinations conducted to determine the functionality or characteristics of something, usually at the beginning of a process or before significant changes are made.  It is a way to identify potential issues early on, ensuring safety and efficiency later.

After conducting initial testing of our new system of poverty reduction, there could be stories to tell and share. 

 

• • • • Stories of Initial Testing

 

These stories will be about ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of the processes and products making our newly changed system of poverty reduction.  They are also the narratives that explain how one can avoid problems down the line via initial testing of the new system.  

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Initial Testing, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Further Information about May 2025 Stories

 

• • •  2025 Story Areas of Interest

 

We normally take stories that cover any areas of poverty reduction and local and international sustainable developments.

 

• • •  Contexts of Stories

 

Stories could come from any level of project/programme cycle (i.e. planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review) as long as it is to do with poverty reduction and sustainable development.

They could also be a result of research and field work activities or studies.

They could finally be an experience of everyday life.

  

• • •  Call for 2025 Entries

 

As said above, the 2025 Edition of AiDS has already kicked off.  For those who want to enter their stories of life renewal, please note you are welcome to do so.

Just read below the annotated timetable for story submission and CENFACS’ storytelling terms and conditions.

We await your responses to our call.

 

• • •  Annotated Timetable for Story Submission in 2025

 

∝ Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2025)

∝ Story submission deadline (31/05/2025)

∝ Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2025)

∝ Submission of revised stories (01 to 31/05/2025)

 

• • • Storytelling Check List

 

Before submitting, please check that your story meets the following:

 

√ Relatable

√ Relevant

√ Engaging

√ Inspiring

√ Building inclusion

√ Poverty-relieving

 

• • •  CENFACS Story Telling & Sharing Terms

 

To tell and/or share your May story, please let us know the following:

 

√ who you are

√ where and when your experience took place 

√ and of course the story itself.

You could also

√ text

√ twit 

√ record voice/video

√ send some forms of supporting materials/resources to back up your story.

 

Should you wish not to be name, please let us know your decision.

Please see below our story telling, sharing and learning terms.

 

• • • CENFACS story telling, sharing and learning terms

 

1) We welcome told, untold, linear and non-linear stories

2) Inside, witness, news, behind the scenes and case stories are eligible

3) We only take real life stories, not fiction stories or fake news or artificial stories

4) Tell true and evidence-based stories only, not lies

5) If possible, back up your stories with facts and data (numerical or textual or voice or video or even infographics)

6) Mention location, dates and names of events in the story

7) We accept photos, images, pictures, videos, info-graphic materials, audios and other forms of resources (e.g. digital or e- technologies) to support, capture and communicate the impact of your story

8) Plagiarism, prohibited, offensive, violation of copyrights and unlawful/illegal materials are not accepted

9) Hacking, flaming, spamming, scamming, ransom ware, phishing and trolling practices are not accepted as well

10) We greatly consider stories building on inclusion, inspiring people to change, containing poverty-relieving elements and highlighting nature-based solutions to poverty and hardships.

 

For further clarification, contact CENFACS.

 

Tell and share your storyline of change for change by communicating the impact you make!

CENFACS is looking forward to engaging with you through your story.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to CENFACS at facs@cenfacs.org.uk.

_________

• References

 

(1) https://www.civicus.org/monitoring-toolkits/toolkit/impact-story/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(2) https://www.eauk.org/resources/member-resources/discipleship/earfund-restoration-story (accessed in May 2025)

(3) https://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/what-is-environmental-poverty/# (accessed in May 2025)

(4) https://commonslibrary.org/talking-about-poverty-narratives-counter-narratives-and-telling-effective-stories (accessed in May 2025)

(5) https://www.getcompass.ai/glossary/financial-incentives (accessed in May 2025)

(6) https://www.betterevaluation.org/methods-approaches/themes/impact-evaluation (Accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(8) https://direct.mit.edu/books/monography/3220/Self-stabilisation (accessed in May 2025)

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 April 2025

Post No. 402

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Project Integrating Poverty Reduction and Climate Finance

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Focus from 30/04/2025: Resilience into Your Home

• Preview of May 2025 Stories 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Project Integrating Poverty Reduction and Climate Finance

 

Project Integrating Poverty Reduction and Climate Finance (PIPRCF) takes at practical level many of the ideas put forward in FACS newsletter, Issue No. 87 published last week on this website.  How does it take them forward?  It takes them further as explained below.

PIPRCF is a smart development project that will have climate co-benefits and contribute to long-term economic opportunities for those in need.  PIPRCF is an integrative initiative that strategically directs financial resources to benefit both climate action and poverty reduction efforts.

Integrating climate finance and poverty reduction finance helps to mobilise resources, promote sustainable development pathways, build climate resilience, diversify economic activities, improve access to markets, boost local economy and livelihoods, promote renewable solutions, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and improve energy access for the poor.

The real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of climate action funds and poverty reduction funds.  It is a project that help ensure that climate action benefits the most vulnerable populations and contributes to sustainable development goals.

PIPRCF will involve channelling funds towards activities that will simultaneously tackle climate change and reduce poverty.  It will ensure that climate action funds are aligned with poverty reduction funds in Africa.

It is hoped that through its implementation, the project will contribute to

 

~ mitigating the impacts of climate change on poor and vulnerable people

~ promoting sustainable development practices that benefit both people and the planet

~ diversifying livelihoods and reducing reliance on climate sensitive sectors

~ creating a more just and equitable transition to a low carbon development.

 

To get more insights into this project, please read its key components under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Focus from 30/04/2025: Resilience into Your Home

 

To approach this second topic of our programme with households, we are going to explain resilience into your home, what households need to know and the capacities they need to have to stay resilient into their homes.

 

• • Explaining Resilience into Your Home

 

Let us start with resilience.  Resilience can be explained in many ways.  The website ‘assets.publishing.service.gov.uk’ (1) provides a number of definitions of it.  It mentions the former DFID’s definition of resilience which is

“The ability of countries, communities and households to manage change by maintaining or transforming living standards in the face of shocks or stresses without compromising their long-term prospects”.

It also mentions climate resilience, which it states that

“It incorporates disaster resilience as well as the ability to cope with longer term climate changes (including transformative change/tipping points)”.

In the context of climate resilient asset building programme, resilience within a home refers to its ability to withstand and recover from climate-related impacts while maintaining functionality and habitability.  This includes the design in housing.

Regarding design in housing, the website ‘buildwithrise.com’ (2), explains that

“Resilient design in housing focuses on the ethic or value of increasing the autonomy of a home.  In other words, resilient homes attempt to limit their dependency on external inputs while supplying their energy, water, waste, and sewer disposal needs”.

Another approach to resilience comes from the website ‘flooding.org.uk’ (3), which looks at resilience in terms of flooding by arguing that

“Resilience is about reducing the impact of flooding should water get inside your property”.

To reduce the impact of flooding, households can use a tool like property protection advisor.

The above-mentioned definitions can be helpful when households are trying to learn resilience into their homes and to apply them in order to stay resilient.  This implies they need to know more about their homes.

 

• • What Households Need to Know about Their Homes 

 

In terms of resilience into their homes, households may need to have some basic knowledge or information about their homes’ resilience.  This could be some knowledge or information about the following:

 

~ Structure design of their home/property

(for instance, knowing that their home can withstand extreme weather events, the selection of materials made for their homes if the materials are resilient or not, the adaptability of their homes to changing conditions)

~ System design

(for example, learning about their home if it is energy efficient, water-efficient and has critical resilient systems)

~ Adaptation and response

(Households could be aware of the emergency plans and preparedness measures linked to their property, the ability to recover from caused damages by climate events, and sustainable design principles of their home)

~ Location

(Households could try to find out the flood risk assessment where their property is located, climate-specific design attached to their property or house, the overall resilience of the community within which they live; including if their property is located on a safe site).

 

By having the basic knowledge about the above-mentioned elements, households can create or build climate-resilient assets that can withstand and adapt to changing climate.  However, to stay resilient they may need some capacities.

 

• • Capacities to Stay Resilient into Your Home

 

They include the following:

 

~ Anticipatory capacity: Through preparation, household systems can develop some ability to anticipate and reduce the impact of climate variability

~ Adaptive capacity: Household systems can adapt to climate change risks, learn and adjust after a disaster

~ Absorptive capacity: Household systems can learn to cope with the impacts of climate variability

~ Transformative capacity: Household systems can develop the capacity to adapt to, anticipate and absorb shocks.

 

Household systems may need to have the above-named capacities or features to stay resilient.

Those households that are struggling to develop these capacities in order to build climate-resilient assets, they can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about Resilience into Your Home in the context of Climate-resilient Asset Building Programmes for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Preview of May 2025 Stories

 

This coming May 2025, we shall run two-series or “two horses” stories: after-system-reset stories and after-system-change stories.  What are they?

 

a) After-system-reset stories are the tales of reinstallation, restoration, reconfiguration and updating of our system of poverty reduction or life.  They will be about how people and communities are trying or have tried to reinstall, restore, reconfigure and update things in their life to reduce or end poverty or simply improve their life.

 

b) After-system-change stories are the accounts of stabilisation and initial testing, ongoing maintenance and support, continuous improvement and adaptation, documentation and knowledge management, and maintenance of our system of poverty reduction or life.  They will be about how people and communities are trying or have tried to stabilise, test, communicate, monitor and maintain things in their life to reduce or end poverty or simply improve their life.

 

Entries for these Stories on Poverty Relief and Development for May 2025 (May Stories) are now open.

To tell and share your story of after resetting and/or changing systems, please contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during This Spring Giving Season

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 11: Outcome Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Information and Guidance on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during This Spring Giving Season

 

CENFACS e-Store is opened for your Spring goods donations and goods purchases.

At this time, many household expenditures have been squeezed by the cost of living pressures mostly driven by the hikes in prices of basic life-sustaining needs (e.g., food, transport, housing, council tax, energy, etc.).

The impacted of the cost of living pressures need help and support as prices and bills are still higher while real disposable incomes are less for many of those living in poverty.

Every season or every month is an opportunity to do something against poverty and hardships.  This coming May 2025 too is a good and great month of the year to do it.

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods to CENFACS’ Charity e-Store, the zero waste shop built to help relieve poverty and hardships.

You can as well buy second hand goods and bargain priced new items and much more.

CENFACS’ Charity e-Store needs your support for SHOPPING and GOODS DONATIONS.

You can do something different this Season of Goods Donations by SHOPPING or DONATING GOODS at CENFACS Charity e-Store.

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

√ DONATE unwanted GOODS, GIFTS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS Zero Waste e-Store this coming May and Spring.

√ SHOP at CENFACS Zero Waste e-Store to support noble and beautiful causes of poverty relief this coming May and Spring.

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships brought by the cost of living pressures.

This is what the Season of Giving is all about.

Please do not hesitate to donate goods or purchase what is available at CENFACS Zero Waste e-Store.

Many lives have been threatened and destroyed by the cost of living pressures. 

We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by these pressures.

To donate or purchase goods, please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 11: Outcome Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

Normally, at the beginning of a project or activity, planners of this project or activity will indicate how they plan to evaluate it.  Planners can think of pre-project evaluation, ongoing project evaluation and post-project evaluation.  However, what is project evaluation for them?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Project Evaluation

 

To simplify the matter, we are referring to what Anna Allen and Catriona May (4) say about it, which is:

“Evaluation is a process of assessing what an activity or project achieves, particularly in relation to the overall objectives” (p. 36)

There are many types of evaluation depending on the areas of emphasis.  Evaluation can be before the project starts (pre-project evaluation), when the project is in progress (ongoing evaluation) and when the project is finished (post-project evaluation).  Evaluation can also be formative, process/implementation, outcome/effectiveness and impact.  It all depends on what you want to achieve in evaluating a project.

In the Step/Workshop 11, we are interested in Outcome Evaluation.

 

• • • What is an outcome evaluation?

 

To understand outcome evaluation, one may need to know outcome.   Outcome has been described in the United Nations Development Programme’s Guidance on Evaluation (5) as

“The intended changes in development conditions that result from the interventions of governments and other stakeholders, including international development agencies such as UNDP.  They are medium-term development results and the contributions of various partners and non-partners.  Outcomes provide a clear vision of what has changed or will change globally or in a particular region, country or community within a period of time” (p. 3)

Knowing what is outcome, it is possible to explain outcome evaluation.  According to ‘evalcommunity.com’ (6),

“Outcome evaluation is a type of evaluation that focuses on measuring the results or outcomes of a programme or intervention.  It is a systematic and objective process that involves collecting and analysing data to determine whether the programme is achieving its intended goals and objectives, and whether the outcomes are meaningful and beneficial to the target population”.

The same ‘evalcommunity.com’ states that there are many types of outcome evaluation which include impact evaluation, outcome-focused evaluation, process evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, and realist evaluation.

In this Step/Workshop 11, we are dealing with outcome-focused evaluation.

Let us exemplify this.

 

• • Example of Outcome Evaluating Your All-year Round Projects

 

Let us assume that one of our users decides to organise a 4-Km-a-day Run Project to raise money for CENFACS’ one of its noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction, which is to support Africa-based Sister Organisations currently helping displaced persons in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In order to outcome evaluate the 4-Km-a-day Run Project, our all-year-round project user will proceed with the following:

 

∝ Ensure that their project is on course and identify the problems as they come up

(Type of problems could be if everybody taking the run manages to run 4 kilometres or not)

∝ Measure progress towards their objectives

(E.g., if one of the objectives was to raise £500 on a particular day, they will check fundraising progress about this objective)

∝ Seize new window of opportunities

(For instance, if more people turn up than initially expected, our all-year-round project user can think of the possibility of running the activity again another day)

∝ Deal with any challenges during project implementation

(Like to organise a networking/talk session for the extra number of attendees who could not take part in the run because there is a restriction on the number of runners)

∝ Recognise success and failure

(I.e., our all-year-round project user will find out what went wrong or well during the Run Project)

∝ Give some recommendations for the future run of the project

(I.e., ask participants to make suggestions or tell them how you will improve the project if you decide to run it again)

∝ Keep all records

(Of the number of participants/runners, all the people involved, money raised, incidents, accidents, reports, etc.)

∝ Conduct a progress review

(If it is the second time to run your project, you will review the progress made in comparison with the previous run)

∝ Complete evaluation in due course

(I.e., remember to tick all the boxes of you evaluation sheets/forms when you finishes your project).

 

The above is one of the possible ways of outcome evaluating your All-year Round Projects.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Outcome Evaluation of their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Information and Guidance on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

As part of the continuation of our work on African Charities and Finance for Climate and Poverty Reduction – which is the main theme of Issue 87 of our newsletter ‘FACS‘- we are available to give Information and Guidance to Africa-based Sister Organisations in need.  This seasonal service includes two types areas of support via CENFACS, which are:

 

a) Information and guidance on climate finance and poverty reduction finance

b) Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing in climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

 

Let us briefly explain them.

 

• • Information and Guidance on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

Those Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are looking for information and guidance on climate finance and that do not know what to do or where to go, they can work with CENFACS.  Working with them includes two areas of support:

 

i) Conducting a needs assessment with them under CENFACS’ International Advice Service

ii) Providing them with leads about other organisations, institutions and services that can help them.

 

We can provide information and guidance to address climate finance issues and support to ASOs to reduce poverty and address the impacts of climate change. 

The support aims to help ASOs adapt to climate change. mitigate its impacts, pursuit low-carbon development, manage resources sustainably, etc.

 

• • Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about Impact Investing in Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about impact investing in climate finance and poverty reduction finance, we can direct them to the relevant services and organisations.

More tips and hints relating to the matter can be obtained from CENFACS‘ Advice-giving Service and Sessions.

To access this service, they need to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in English-French (Message en Anglais-Français)

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses Money Transfer Fees and Poverty Reduction in Africa

It is well known that international money transfer can play a significant role in reducing poverty in Africa.  It plays it in value as percentage of gross domestic product, economic impact, resilience and equalization.   This is without forgetting the role of digital remittances.  What is this role?

• • Role of International Money Transfer

To highlight this role, the website ‘daimagister.com’ (7) argues that

“Remittances play a pivotal role in many African economies, significantly contributing to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  In 2022, remittances accounted for an average of 7.6% of GDP in Western Africa, 6.8% in Eastern Africa, 4.4% in Northern Africa, 3.7% in Southern Africa, and 1.4% in Central Africa”.

Similarly, ‘remitscope.org’ (8), states that

“In 2023, according to the World Bank, over $90 billion flowed into Africa in remittances which is approximately twice the level of overseas development assistance”.

But, what is international money transfer?

• • Brief Understanding of International Money Transfer

According to ‘blog.9ov9.com’ (9),

“An international money transfer refers to the movement of funds across national borders.  The process facilitates transactions between parties situated in different countries, encompassing a diverse range of financial activities”.

A common example, says ‘blog.9ov9.com’, is the international transfer of funds by migrant workers to their home countries, like those to support families in lower-income countries of Africa.

International money transfer could even play a further role at the moment as Africa is experiencing aid cuts.  It could substitute aid cuts in some areas of humanitarian assistance.  However, to transfer money to Africa there are fees to be paid like in any financial transaction. These fees and their structure can impact poverty reduction in Africa.

• • The Impact of the Cost of Remittances on Poverty Reduction

The problem surrounding money transfer is not about paying a fee to send money.  The issue is when these fees (or costs of sending remittances) are high and negatively impact on the effects that money transfers would have had on poverty reduction.

In this respect, the website ‘africa.businessinsider.com’ (10) quotes the World Bank’s report on remittances which states that

“Sub-Saharan Africa is still the most expensive region in the world to transfer money to, with an average remittance cost of 8.37% in the second quarter of 2024”.

Indeed, many traditional banks and remittances services charge fees, which could be flat or percentage-based ones or a combination of both.  The structure of these fees, which can vary, could impact the overall cost for different transaction sizes.  It is these fees which are subject of our e-discussion.

• • Money Transfer Fees as a Subject of Discussion

Our e-discussion is about the structure of these fees and what can be done to reduce them at an affordable level in order to maximise the impact of remittances for both money senders and receivers.  There are those who think that cutting fees on money transfers could help Africa to overturn the shrinking of foreign aid.

For instance, Michael Sheldrick (11) argues that

“Migrants workers send home more money than foreign aid, but high transfer fees consume their funds.  Lowering fees to 30% could save African families $16 billion annually”.

The above is what our e-discussion is about.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join our poverty reduction pundits and/or contribute by contacting CENFACS be.Africa Forum, which is a forum for discussion on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members by making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To contact CENFACS about this discussion, please use our usual contact address on this website.

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne sur les Frais de Transfert d’Argent et la Réduction de la Pauvreté en Afrique

Il est bien connu que les transferts d’argent internationaux peuvent jouer un rôle important dans la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Ils jouent sur la valeur en pourcentage du produit intérieur brut, l’impact économique, la résilience et la péréquation.   Ceci sans oublier le rôle des transferts de fonds numériques.  Quel est ce rôle ?

• • Rôle du transfert d’argent international

Pour souligner ce rôle, le site internet « daimagister.com » (7) fait valoir que

« Les envois de fonds jouent un rôle central dans de nombreuses économies africaines, contribuant de manière significative à leur produit intérieur brut (PIB).  En 2022, les envois de fonds représentaient en moyenne 7,6 % du PIB en Afrique de l’Ouest, 6,8 % en Afrique de l’Est, 4,4 % en Afrique du Nord, 3,7 % en Afrique Australe et 1,4 % en Afrique Centrale ».

De même, la « remitscope.org » (8) énonce que

« En 2023, selon la Banque Mondiale, plus de 90 milliards de dollars ont été versés en Afrique sous forme de transferts de fonds, soit environ le double du niveau de l’aide publique au développement ».

Mais qu’est-ce que le transfert d’argent international ?

• • Brève compréhension du transfert d’argent international

Selon blog.9ov9.com (9),

« Un transfert d’argent international fait référence au mouvement de fonds à travers les frontières nationales.  Le processus facilite les transactions entre des parties situées dans différents pays, englobant un large éventail d’activités financières ».

Un exemple courant, dit blog.9ov9.com, est le transfert international de fonds par les travailleurs migrants vers leur pays d’origine, comme ceux destinés à soutenir les familles dans les pays à faible revenu d’Afrique.

Les transferts d’argent internationaux pourraient même jouer un rôle supplémentaire à l’heure actuelle, alors que l’Afrique connaît des coupes dans l’aide.  Elle pourrait se substituer à des réductions d’aide dans certains domaines de l’aide humanitaire.  Cependant, pour transférer de l’argent vers l’Afrique, il y a des frais à payer comme dans toute transaction financière.  Ces frais et leur structure peuvent avoir un impact sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.

• • L’impact du coût des envois de fonds sur la réduction de la pauvreté

Le problème du transfert d’argent n’est pas de payer des frais pour envoyer de l’argent.  Le problème se pose lorsque ces frais (ou coûts d’envoi de fonds) sont élevés et ont un impact négatif sur les effets que les transferts d’argent auraient eus sur la réduction de la pauvreté.

À cet égard, le site internet « africa.businessinsider.com » (10) cite le rapport de la Banque Mondiale sur les envois de fonds, qui indique que

« L’Afrique subsaharienne reste la région la plus chère au monde pour les transferts d’argent, avec un coût moyen des transferts de fonds de 8,37 % au deuxième trimestre 2024 ».

En effet, de nombreuses banques et services de transfert de fonds traditionnels facturent des frais, qui peuvent être fixes ou basés sur un pourcentage, ou une combinaison des deux.  La structure de ces frais, qui peut varier, peut avoir un impact sur le coût global pour différentes tailles de transactions.  Ce sont ces frais qui font l’objet de notre discussion en ligne.

• • Les frais de transfert d’argent en tant que sujet de discussion

Notre discussion en ligne porte sur la structure de ces frais et sur ce qui peut être fait pour les réduire à un niveau abordable afin de maximiser l’impact des envois de fonds pour les expéditeurs/rices et les destinataires d’argent.  Il y a ceux ou celles qui pensent que la réduction des frais sur les transferts d’argent pourrait aider l’Afrique à renverser la réduction de l’aide étrangère.

Par exemple, Michael Sheldrick (11) soutient que

« Les travailleurs migrants envoient plus d’argent que l’aide étrangère chez eux, mais les frais de transfert élevés consomment leurs fonds.  Réduire les frais de transfert à 30 % pourrait permettre aux familles africaines d’économiser 16 milliards de dollars par an ».

Ce qui précède est l’objet de notre discussion en ligne.

Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette discussion peuvent se joindre à nos experts en réduction de la pauvreté et/ou contribuer en contactant le ‘me.Afrique’ du CENFACS (ou le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS), qui est un forum de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

Pour contacter le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site Web.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Project Integrating Poverty Reduction and Climate Finance (PIPRCF)

 

The following items provide the key information about PIPRCF:

 

σ Definition of PIPRCF

σ The Aim of PIPRCF

σ PIPRCF Approach

σ PIPRCF Objectives

σ PIPRCF Beneficiaries

σ PIPRCF Outcomes

σ PIPRCF Indicators

σ Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation

σ Accountability and Transparency

σ Project Funding Status.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Definition of PIPRCF

 

PIPRCF is a SMART (that is, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) development project that integrates poverty reduction and climate finance.   Key aspects of PIPRCF include co-benefits, targeted funding, inclusive development, policy integration, accountability and transparency.

For instance, the co-benefits aspect means that PIPRCF will contribute to long-term economic opportunities while supporting adaptation (that is, based on building resilience to the types of shocks that upend lives and livelihoods) and mitigation (i.e., cutting greenhouse gas emissions).  The integration aspect is the link between social protection and climate resilience.

The above-mentioned aspects are also articulated in PIPRCF aim.

 

• • The Aim of PIPRCF

 

PIPRCF aims to address both climate change and poverty reduction simultaneously by leveraging climate finance to support activities and policies that also benefit vulnerable and poor people in Africa.

This aim will be achieved by prioritising activities with co-benefits (i.e., activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance climate resilience and improve livelihoods), ensuring inclusive and equitable outcomes, fostering collaboration and partnerships, tracking and evaluating progress, and consolidating achievements.

To deliver this aim, PIPRCF needs to have a particular approach.

 

• • PIPRCF Approach

 

PIPRCF uses approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of issues where climate change disproportionally impacts the poor and hinders development, and where poverty reduction efforts can also contribute to climate resilience and mitigation.  In other words, climate change disproportionally impacts poor and marginalised communities.  On the rebound, poverty reduction efforts can contribute to climate action.

This can be elucidated by PIPRCF Objectives.

 

• • PIPRCF Objectives

 

Key PIPRCF Objectives include the following:

 

~ reduce poverty and inequality

~ enhance gender and socio-economic inclusion

~ address both climate change and poverty simultaneously

~ mitigate climate change and promote adaptation

~ mobilise and synergise resources

~ strengthen beneficiaries’ socio-economic protection and resilience

~ foster just transitions to navigate to net zero in Africa

~ promote green growth and sustainable development.

 

Although these objectives are put together,  they can be differentiate between those linked to poverty reduction, those relating to climate and those connected to both (that is, connected to both poverty reduction and climate).

 

• • PIPRCF Beneficiaries

 

PIPRCF will cater for the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and those living in poverty in Africa.  Amongst the types of people in need who could benefit from PIPRCF, we can mention the following:

 

~ those facing climate-related risks (like natural disasters, food insecurity, and health issues)

~ those dependent on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and fisheries

~ those lacking access to resources and services

~ those whose livelihoods have been disrupted

~ Africa-based Sister Organisations looking for finances for climate and poverty reduction

etc.

 

Most of the above-mentioned types of beneficiaries will need some form of support in terms of guidance on how they can find climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

 

• • PIPRCF Outcomes

 

PIPRCF will have co-benefits as it is designed to deliver both climate adaptation and mitigation benefits and poverty reduction outcomes.  The changes and effects that may happen as a result of PIPRCF include the following:

 

~ improved adaptation to climate change

~ enhanced access to clean energy and technology

~ strengthened protection

~ synergistic benefits

~ resilience building

~ green and blue opportunities and livelihoods

~ addressed vulnerabilities

~ improved infrastructures for beneficiaries

~ fair distribution of resources

etc.

 

Briefly, these outcomes will happen in the people who will benefit from PIPRCF.  They will also happen in the environment, communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASCOs) that will involve in PIPRCF.

 

• • PIPRCF Indicators

 

The set of measures below will help find out whether or not the project will reach its desired objectives and progress towards meeting its defined aim.  These measures include input, output, outcome and impact indicators.

 

PIPRCF Indicators can be divided into environmental and poverty reduction ones.

 

a) PIPRCF environmental indicators

 

They include

 

~ quantity of the amount CO2 equivalent emissions avoided or reduced by PIPRCF

~ clean energy capacity or shift towards low-carbon energy sources

~ nature-based solutions or PIPRCF’s contribution to biodiversity and climate resilience

~ number of people and communities supported to adapt to the impacts of climate change via this integrative project

~ number of ASOs that will secure climate finance

etc.

 

b) PIPRCF’s poverty reduction and livelihoods indicators 

 

They  are

 

~ number of people lifted out of poverty or the percentage of poverty reduction achieved by PIPRCF

~ number of people with improved access to clean energy or access to clean energy

~ number of people supported to build resilience to shocks

~ social inclusion measures like better gender equality, disability inclusion, participation in decision making and benefit sharing

~ livelihood improvements (e.g., improvements in income, food security, access to clean water and sanitation, and other essential services for poor and vulnerable people)

~ number of ASOs that will succeed in accessing poverty reduction funds

etc.

 

The above-mentioned indicators will help in measuring impact monitoring, evaluation, learning and adaptation.

 

• • Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation

 

The Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will ensure that PIPRCF is climate-sensitive (that is; taking into account the local context and does not exacerbate any greenhouse gas emissions).

As highlighted above, we have indicators and metrics to measure climate and poverty-relieving outcomes to be resulted from PIPRCF.

We will track progress and identify any issues through the following techniques or tools: surveys, interviews, focus groups and other reliable data collection techniques or methods.

We will conduct periodic evaluation of PIPRCF to assess the overall impact of PIPRCF.  This is to say that evaluation will be conducted regarding the efforts spent on this project to find out whether or not these efforts are value for climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

We will engage all stakeholders in the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation process.

We will use the findings from the monitoring and evaluation to learn and adapt PIPRCF accordingly, as well as to check the scalability of this project or model of working with ASCOs and their beneficiaries to help reduce poverty.

 

• • Accountability and Transparency

 

PIPRCF will prioritize accountability and transparency in how climate finance and poverty reduction finance will be allocated and utilized.  In doing so, it will ensure that funds reach the intended beneficiaries and are used effectively.

 

• • Project Funding Status

 

PIPRCF is about achieving both environmental sustainability and poverty reduction.  This means funding PIPRCF will result in simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the livelihoods of vulnerable and poor people.

So far, this project is unfunded.  This means we are open to any credible funding proposals or proposition from potential funders or donors.  Those who would like to support this project will be more than welcome.

To fully or partly fund this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

To sum up, PIPRCF is project that will help to reduce poverty linked to the lack of climate finance and finance to reduce poverty in Africa,  Where it will be implemented, the project will contribute to the process of building and sustaining nature/the environment and good relationships within and between communities.  It will help the locals to access economic opportunities while fighting the adversity of climate change.

 

The full project proposals including budget are available on request.

To support or contribute to this project, please communicate with CENFACS.

For further details including full project proposals and budget about PIPRCF; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08955ed915d3cfd0001cB/EoD_Topic_Guide_What_is_Resilience_May_2016.pdf (accessed in April 2025)

(2) https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/resilient-home-design (accessed in April 2025),

(3) https://flooding.org.uk/flooding-advice/how-to-protect-your-home-/ (accessed in April 2025)

(4) Allen, A. & May, C. (2007), Setting Up For Success – A practical guide for community organisations, Community Development Foundation, London (Great Britain)

(5) web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/guidance/UNDP_Guidance_on_Outcome-Level%20_Evaluation_2011.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

(6) https://www.evalcommunity.com/career-centre/outcome-evaluation/ (accessed in April 2024)

(7) https://www.daimagister.com/resources/remittances/#:~Remittances%20play%20a%20pivotal%20role,the%20continent’s%20remittances%20in%202022 (accessed in April 2025)

(8) https://remitscope.org/africa/#:~text= (accessed in April 2025)

(9) https://blog.9ov9.com/what-is-an-international-money-transfer-and-how-does-it-work/ (accessed in April 2025)

(10) https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/remittances-to-sub-saharan-africa-remains-overpriced/dnOr47y#~ (accessed in April 2025)

(11) https://www.forbes.com/sites/globalcitizen/2025/02/25/foreign-aid-is-shrinking-what-happens-next/

 

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 April 2025

Post No. 401

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS Issue No. 87 of Spring 2025, Titled as African Charities and Finance for Climate and Poverty Reduction in Africa

• The Double Crisis Impacted Peoples of Kinshasa and Tanganyika Ask for Your Help

• Protection Key Note 4 from Wednesday 23/04/2025: Protection of Households’ Intangible Assets

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS Issue No. 87 of Spring 2025, Titled as African Charities and Finance for Climate and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

The 87th Issue of FACS deals with the strategies and tools that African Charities (ACs) use or can use to undertake climate planning and budgeting as well as frame their investment bid in order to seek and secure or mobilise funds.

The 87th Issue of FACS is a study on how ACs are trying to access funds through capacitated and empowered local institutions where they operate.  This is without ignoring any efforts they may do to work with the private or for-profit sector on climate change issues.  In other words, the 87th Issue of FACS is an investigation on how ACs are trying to collaborate and partner with others to improve their capacity and coordination to manage issues relating to climate finance.

The 87th Issue also treats of finance for poverty reduction.  Indeed, securing climate finance does not necessarily imply obtaining finance for poverty reduction.  That is why the Issue will as well work on the use of financial instruments that enable ACs to access funds and respond to the needs of their users and the locals.  In this respect, the 87th Issue is a check whether or not there is an alignment between ACs strategy for climate finance and poverty reduction finance.  And if there is, where this alignment leads to.

The 87th Issue analyses the relationship between climate finance and finance for poverty reduction.  Specifically, it will highlight the interconnectedness between climate change and poverty. It is known that climate change can exacerbate poverty by causing natural disasters, food insecurity, and displacement, while poverty can make people and communities more vulnerable to climate impacts.

Far from being a catalogue of challenges and barriers, the 87th Issue looks at if there are some improvements in ACs finance strategies regarding both climate and poverty reduction issues.  In particular, the 87th Issue argues about the following:

 

σ the integration between strategy for climate finance and strategy relating to finance for poverty reduction since there are co-benefits and synergies between climate change reduction and poverty reduction initiatives

σ a model of working together between ACs and all other actors in mobilizing climate finance and finance for poverty reduction and sustainable development

σ the alignment between climate finance and finance for poverty reduction

σ the improvement of ACs project planning that does not only reflect the needs of climate, but also that considers the request of those of living in poverty in Africa

σ the tracking of both climate funds and funds for poverty reduction and sustainable development

σ the development of frameworks that include both climate investment and impact investing in poverty reduction

σ the improvement in planning and coordination between climate change projects and poverty reduction projects.

 

To read the key summaries about this new Issue, please go to the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• The Double Crisis Impacted Peoples of Kinshasa and Tanganyika Ask for Your Help

 

This is an appeal to light a blaze of hope for those who have been recently affected by torrential rains in the city of Kinshasa and in Tanganyika province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 4 April 2025, the rainfall that affected Kinshasa caused flooding and landslides that have resulted in casualties and damages.

Indeed, the website ‘reliefweb.int’ (1) reports that

“According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as of 7 April, 33 people have died and 46 were injured due to the overflow of Ndjili River, affecting 13 out of 24 municipalities in Kinshasa city area”.

The same ‘reliefweb.int’ states that

“The IFRC reports, as of 13 April 2025, 165 fatalities, 28 injured persons, more than 7,000 displaced people (a number of these people across four relief sites) and a total of over 60,000 affected people across the Kinshasa capital city area”.

Similarly, the Rugumba River in Tanganyika province burst its banks, inundating larges areas of Kalemie and Nyunzu territories, destroying homes, schools and agricultural land.

According to ‘news.un.org’ (2), this severe flooding caused by torrential rains in Tanganyika has displaced nearly 10,000 people.

From the perspective of ‘reliefweb.int’ (op. cit.), this unfolding emergency reflects the double crisis facing the Democratic Republic of Congo, where extreme weather shocks such as flooding compound the suffering caused by ongoing conflict and mass displacement.

“Tanganyika and South Kivu are among four eastern provinces where some 2.3 million people are affected by ongoing conflict, according to the UNHCR’s spokesperson quoted by ‘news,un.org’ (op. cit.)”.

As a result of this double crisis, there are many threats like the spread of epidemics, hunger, malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of safe drinking water, etc.

Yet, it is possible to help limit the life-threatening and -destroying damages from the double crisis (that is, negative impacts from armed conflicts and weather shocks) on the Congolese.   It is practically feasible to mitigate the adverse impacts of bad weather and natural catastrophes as well as of armed conflicts in the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo; conflicts that affect the supply and distribution of goods including in Kinshasa.

You can support the Double Crisis Impacted Peoples of Kinshasa and Tanganyika who Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope.

You can Light up a Blaze of Hope for them.

You can also donate £5 or more since the needs are urgent and pressing.

With the current international aid cuts, there are critical funding gaps/shortfall in humanitarian response.  Your donation, however small it may be, can help reduce these gaps.

Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach the Double Crisis Impacted Peoples of Kinshasa and Tanganyika.

You support will help

 

√ alleviate the suffering of the flood-affected communities in Kinshasa and Tanganyika

√ reduce the side effects of the chaos brought by torrential rains

√ avoid the risk of disease outbreak from stagnant and contaminated flood waters

√ respond to the flood victims’ need of food, shelter, safe drinking water, clean sanitation, health and education.

 

These flood victims (e.g., those left without shelter or a means to earn a living, those in food insecurity as key crops have been wiped out, etc.) need your life-saving humanitarian response right now.

Please help them!

To donate or light a blaze of hope, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

• Protection Key Note 4 from Wednesday 23/04/2025: Protection of Households’ Intangible Assets

 

The last key note of Asset Protection is on Protection of Households’ Intangible Assets.  To compose this note, let us explain the meaning of households’ intangible assets and how CENFACS can work with its community on this matter.  Since this is the last note, we shall as well deliver our final thought on theme of Asset Protection, theme of the Month of Protection.

 

• • What Are Household Intangible Assets?

 

It emerges from the asset protection literature that household intangible assets are non-physical items of value held by a household.  These items include knowledge, skills, reputation, and consumer relationships.  These assets are not tangible (that is material) like physical property.  Despite their immateriality aspect, they contribute to a household’s wealth and well-being.

These assets not every household possess them Poor households lack sufficient intangible assets; assets which could provide economic security ad opportunities for these households to escape from poverty.

But, what are these assets?

 

• • Types of Poor Households’ Intangible Assets

 

Among intangible assets that poor households may possess include the following ones:

 

≈ Social capital: Strong social networks and relationships can provide support, information, and opportunities

≈ Human capital: Skills, knowledge and education are valuable assets that can lead to better employment and income prospects

≈ Political capital: The ability to influence decisions and policies can protect the rights and interests of marginalised communities

≈ Cultural capital: Access to cultural resources and opportunities can enhance wellbeing and social mobility

≈ Access to credit: Financial inclusion and access to credit can make poor people to invest in and improve their livelihoods.

 

Household intangible assets are valuable as physical ones.  The lack of intangible assets can lead to economic hardships and limit access to education, better housing, and a better standard of living.  In other words, when households – especially the poorest ones – lack or have insufficient intangible assets, they may experience some difficulties in securing employment, accessing financial resources, receiving support in time of crisis, advocating for their needs, etc.

Some households making our community could be aware about the impact of limited intangible assets on them.  Others may not be informed about this impact.  For those households that would like to be aware and get more information about it, they can work with CENFACS on household intangible asset protection.

 

• • Working with the CENFACS Community Members on Intangible Asset Protection

 

It is about focussing on the various elements to make intangible asset protection works for them.  This involves a multi-faceted approach emphasising on education and awareness, legal support and asset-based development initiatives that leverage legal frameworks, seek licensing or franchising opportunities while ensuring that the transfer of creation of any intangible assets is properly done.

Therefore, working with them will be about helping them to

 

√ be informed about their rights in terms of intangible asset protection

√ know or learn areas of intangible asset protection policies, laws and regulations

√ formalise their rights (e.g., intellectual property rights)

√ secure contracts (where households have the right to exploit their assets)

√ maintain secrecy of their knowledge and skills against those who might misuse the information on them

√ license and franchise their intangible assets if necessary

√ understand legal frameworks that govern intangible asset protection

√ prioritise protection according to asset value

√ signpost them for assistance to intangible asset protection organisations

√ monitor their assets

√ adapt their asset protection strategies according to circumstances of life and economic situations

etc.

 

The above are just some of ways CENFACS could support the community regarding intangible asset protection.  These support services or products make up our financial guidance service relating to intangible asset protection.

 

• • Final Thought on Asset Protection

 

All households – rich and poor – need protection of their assets.  They require a set of strategies designed to safeguard their wealth from various risks.  Asset protection is even important for poor households.  This is whether it is about their finances or productive equipment or to enhance the quality of their life or their intangible belongings.

These assets need protection and are important for livelihood and asset-based poverty reduction.  There are strategies to protect them.  As we have shared together our knowledge on them throughout this asset protection, these strategies include social protection programmes, asset-building initiatives, legal and regulatory frameworks, financial inclusion programmes, educational and awareness programmes, asset transfer programmes, and asset protection trusts.  These strategies are helpful in keeping protecting household assets.  Without protection, it is difficult to see how household assets and their associated wealth can be properly passed onto future generations and avoid intergenerational asset-based poverty.

Those who need help and support about financial guidance on asset protection and/or for any of the matters listed above falling within our capacity or relating to the Protection Month, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programmes for Households

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

 

• Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households (CrABP4Hs)

 

We are running a new programme starting from this week,  This programme is part of our aim of continuously empowering households, particularly those making our community.  The new programme, which is included in our Financial Controls Project, takes into account the elements of asset protection and Financial Resilience Programme for Households, which we ran last year at this time of the year.

To better introduce this new programme, let us briefly explain and provide the areas we have selected in order to work with households.

 

• • Basic Understanding of CrABP4Hs

 

CrABP4Hs is set of planned projects that focuses on improving the ability of homes and their occupants to withstand the impact of climate change, like extreme weather events, flooding and rising temperatures.  Through this programme, it is expected that homes will be more durable, energy-efficient, and adaptable to the changing climate, while supporting communities in building their overall resilience.

In the context of Financial Controls Project, CrABP4Hs will focus on ways of supporting households in building their overall resilience.  From this perspective, CrABP4Hs will include the following four elements which frame our work with these households:

 

≈ Capacity building

≈ Resilience into your home

≈ Financial incentives

≈ Supporting communities.

 

These elements will be looked at from the perspective of households since we are trying to work with them so that they could build their assets by adopting climate-resilient approach to these assets.  These elements make up the following working plan with them.

 

 

Let us kick off the first element of our CrABP4Hs, which is Capacity Building.

 

• • Climate-resilient Asset Building Programme for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 23/04/2025: Capacity Building

 

To work with households making our community so that they can build or strengthen the capacity they need in order to build their assets in a climate-resilient way, it is better to explain capacity building and its key aspects.

 

• • • What Is Capacity Building in the Context of CrABP?

 

Capacity building can be approached in many ways and areas of life.  In the context of a climate-resilient asset building programme, capacity building refers to enhancing the skills, knowledge and resources of individuals and organisations to effectively plan, design, construct, and manage assets that are resilient to climate impacts.  It is about strengthening the ability of communities and institutions to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change on their built environment.

Households can participate or even take a lead in the planning, designing, construction and management processes of their assets so that the latter could be resilient to climate impacts.  To participate, they need a certain level of capacity.  And they do not have it, they can build it.

 

• • • Essential of Aspects of Capacity Building for Households in the Context of CrABP

 

They include strengthening of technical skills, improving household capacity, empowering households’ communities, promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration, and access to resources.  Let us briefly explain each of these aspects.

 

Regarding the strengthening of skills, households can take basic training in climate-resilient building design, construction techniques, and the use of appropriate materials and techniques.  This training can help them understand if their home is climate-resilient or not.

Concerning the empowerment of households’ communities, every household has relations with a number of communities that make that household to live their life.  It is useful for households to engage with its communities in the planning and implementing climate-resilient assets if they want their needs and priorities to be properly met.

As to the improvement of household capacity, it is the ability of households to develop and implement climate-resilient policies, procedures, and practices.

As far as the promotion of knowledge sharing, it is possible for households to share their knowledge on climate-resilient building matters.  They can even create a platform for such sharing.

With regard to access to resources, it is desirable for households to have access to technical and financial resources they need to implement their climate-resilient asset projects or plans.

 

The above-mentioned aspects of capacity building show that it is possible for households to manage them.  For instance, being able to manage these aspects of capacity would enable households to easily communicate with maintenance personnel dealing with their properties. 

Those households that are struggling to develop their capacity in order to build climate-resilient assets, they can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about Capacity Building in the context of CrABP as well as Climate-resilient Asset Building Programmes for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025

 

The Month of Protection within CENFACS is also a giving one towards protection.  It is the month of supporting CENFACS’ Networking and Protection Project (NPP).  To support this project, one may need to understand it.

 

• • What Is CENFACS’ Networking and Protection Project?

 

It is a child poverty reduction initiative designed to help and support the vulnerably poor children from HARMS, THREATS and RISKS from any forms of exploitation, neglect and abuse in Africa.  The project helps and supports them through the improvement of the flow of information, knowledge development, self-help activities, the increase and diversification of opportunities and chances together with and on behalf of these children.

The project involves building and strengthening our connections within our community, fostering collaboration, and enhancing safety.

NPP contains three elements as follows.

 

a) Networking and protection for individual needs: It includes identifying protection needs for those in need of particular attention within our community, create networks of protectors, and implement safety measures to protect community members.

b) Networking and protection for community development: It is about connecting our members and sister organisations to poverty reduction spaces for resource sharing, knowledge exchange, and the development of protection and poverty-relieving solutions.

c) Networking and protection for a better world: It is about helping our members to be organised around shared concerns and work together to bring about a better world.

One can back this project by Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025.

 

• • What Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025 Is about

 

It is about the following:

 

√ Improving the flow of information with and amongst the vulnerable people and communities for poverty relief

√ Preventing and responding to any forms of vulnerability threats and risks coming from close and global environments by using protection tools and metrics at our disposal

√ Re-empowering the vulnerable by increasing and diversifying opportunities and strengths amongst them.

 

• • What Your Support Can Achieve

 

It will help

 

√ To raise awareness and improve the circulation and dissemination of information for poverty reduction and vulnerability relief

√ To prevent human exploitation (particularly child exploitation) and respond to child protection and safeguarding issues

√ To re-empower and re-strengthen poor people and communities’ capacities and capabilities to protect young generations

√ To widen and diversify opportunities to the vulnerable to escape from poverty

√ To develop a well-informed base to reduce information gap and other types of vulnerabilities linked to the lack of networking, interconnectedness and protection.

 

• • How to Support Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025

 

You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION of any amount as a way of supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2025.

To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.

You can donate

 

*over phone

*via email

*through text

*by filling the contact form on this site. 

 

On receipt of your intent to donate or donation, CENFACS will contact you.  However, should you wish your support to remain anonymous; we will respect your wish.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

There are various reasons that can lead to project termination.  ‘Taskmanagementguide.com’ (3) states that

“Failure and success are two basic reasons for terminating projects”.

The same ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ explains that success happens when project goals and objectives are accomplished on time and under budget, while failure occurs when project requirements are not met.

The above reasons for project termination can be related to the types of project termination to a certain degree; types which could be termination by addition or by integration or by starvation.  In the end, what is project termination?

 

• • Defining Project Termination

 

There are similarities in the definition of project termination.  To simplify the matter, let us refer to the definition of ‘taskmanagementguide.com’, which is

“Project termination is a situation when a given project is supposed to be closed or finalised because there’s no more need or sense for further continuation”.

Similarly, Project Management Institute (4) argues that

“Projects by definition are time bound, and must terminate”.

However, to effectively finalise a project, one needs to follow project closure procedures.

Let us follow project closure procedures to close out one of our all-year-round projects.

 

• • Example of Terminating Your All-year Round Projects: Case of Play Project

 

Realistically speaking, any of your All-year Round Projects close out just a week before 23/12/2025.  As explained above, there is a procedure for terminating them.  This procedure can be simple or complex depending on project.

Let say, you want to finalise your Play Project.  To do that, we are going to use a 8-step model of terminating a project as provided by ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ (op. cit.)

 

• • • Terminating Your Play All-year Round Project

 

To terminate your Play Project, you need proceed with the following:

 

a) Close any agreements you made with any third parties

(e.g., if you borrow materials from the library to research on poverty reduction performance of African countries, you need to close the given borrowing agreement by returning the materials, which can be a book, video, tape, etc.)

b) Handover responsibilities and accountabilities

(i.e., transfer assignments to your play mates)

c) If you have been playing with friends and family members, you will dismiss them

d) Release the resources used

(e.g., returning books to the lending library)

e) If you open a project book to record your results and accounts, you need to close it

f) Record and report your lessons learnt and experiences

g) Accept or reject your result which in this case should be the best African Country Poverty Reducer of 2025

h) Share your result with the community and CENFACS by 23/12/2025.

 

The above is one of the possible ways of terminating your All-year Round Projects.

For those who would like to dive deeper into Terminating their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Protection des Animaux Menacés en Afrique : Le Cas des Bonobos

Nous continuons à plaider pour la protection des animaux (faune) en Afrique et ailleurs dans le monde en développement, où les animaux sont tués, commercialisés illégalement ou illicitement et disparaissent à un point tel que certaines espèces sont au bord de la disparition. L’un de ces animaux qui a besoin de protection est le bonobo.

• • Que sont les bonobos ?

En bref, les bonobos sont des grands singes en danger critique d’extinction que l’on ne trouve qu’en République Démocratique du Congo. Comme les chimpanzés, les bonobos partagent plus de 98 % de l’ADN avec les humains. Ils ne vivent qu’à un seul endroit et c’est un endroit isolé – au cœur de la forêt tropicale de la République Démocratique du Congo, selon l’African Wildlife Foundation (5).

• • État de conservation des bonobos

Selon l’African Wildlife Foundation, les bonobos sont de plus en plus menacés par les êtres humains, qui les ont tués au point de les mettre en danger. On estime qu’il reste entre 15 000 et 20 000 bonobos sauvages. Ils sont en danger critique d’extinction.

Leur nombre diminue pour trois raisons principales : le braconnage, les obstacles à l’application des lois sur la faune et la gestion de la conservation, et les maladies. Ces raisons et d’autres sont avancées par la plupart des défenseurs (ses) de l’environnement et des organisations environnementales – comme Treehugger (6) – qui travaillent sur la question.

• • Moyens d’aider à sauver les bonobos

Pour sauver la population de bonobos, les actions de protection suivantes peuvent être prises :

# Réduire et mettre fin au commerce illégal de viande de brousse

# Faire respecter les lois sur la faune sauvage et la gestion de la conservation en République Démocratique du Congo, en particulier autour de l’habitat des bonobos

# Lutter contre la destruction et la dégradation de l’habitat des bonobos

# Améliorer la conservation de l’agriculture et le développement urbain à proximité de l’habitat des bonobos

# Effectuer des reboisements près des sites de bonobos pour maintenir le bonobo habitats

# Traiter les maladies infectieuses liées aux agents pathogènes d’origine humaine et naturelle trouvés chez les bonobos

# Soutenir l’action du CENFACS sur la protection des animaux menacés en Afrique, en particulier le plaidoyer sur les “Grandes Bêtes“

# Faire un don à des organisations caritatives et autres organisations bénévoles travaillant sur la question des bonobos ou à des campagnes similaires

# Faire un don pour protéger les espèces vulnérables comme les bonobos.

Les membres de notre communauté qui souhaitent plaider avec nous pour la protection des bonobos sont invités à s’impliquer dans cette campagne de plaidoyer. D’autres personnes peuvent également se joindre à nous.

Les organisations africaines qui travaillent sur les bonobos et qui ont la même préoccupation que la nôtre, elles peuvent partager avec nous leur expérience et travailler sur cette question de la protection des bonobos.

Pour vous impliquer ou partager votre travail sur la protection des bonobos, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 87 of Spring 2025, Titled as African Charities and Finance for Climate and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

The contents and key summaries of the 87th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Terms Relating to the 87th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Interconnectedness between African Charities, Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 2)

III. Climate Finance Needs of African Charities (Page 3)

IV.  Climate Finance Challenges and Barriers Faced by African Charities (Page 3)

V. Climate Finance Opportunities for African Charities(Page 4)

VI. Climate and Poverty Reduction Finance Strategies and Tools for African Charities (Page 4)

VII.  Instruments Financiers Permettant aux Organisations Caritatives Africaines d’Accéder à des Fonds (Page 5)

VIII.  Améliorer la Planification des Projets des Organisations Caritatives Africaines en Tenant Compte du Climat et des Besoins des Pauvres(Page 5)

IX.  Alignement du Financement de l’Action Climatique et du Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté(Page 6)

X.  Intégration des Stratégies Relatives au Financement de l’Action Climatique et au Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté (Page 6)

XI. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance   (Page 7)

XII. Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 8)

XIII. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about African Charites’ Work on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 9)

XIV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 87th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Terms Relating to the 87th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three terms used in the context of this Issue of FACS.  These terms are African charities, climate finance and poverty reduction finance.  Let us briefly explain these key terms.

 

• • • • African charities

 

To explain African charities, let us first clarify the word ‘charity’.  Our explanation of this word comes from ‘howcharitieswork.com’ (7) which provides three statements, which are:

 

“a) A charity’s aims have to fall into categories that the law says are charitable 

b) It has to be established exclusively for what is known as public benefit 

c) Charities can’t make profits (that is; all the money they raise has to go towards achieving their aims; a charity can’t have owners or shareholders who benefit from it)”.

The term African charities relate to charities from Africa.  We presume that our African counterpart charities would share the above-mentioned rules for charity.  We also assume that the law in African countries would classify the African charities we are talking about as charitable as it is in the UK.

 

• • • • Climate Finance

 

Climate Finance (CF) refers to financial resources mobilized to support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries.  It aims to help countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.  It is critical element of the Paris Agreement with the Green Climate Fund being a key player.

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (8), climate finance is described as

“Local, national or transnational financing – drawn from public, private and alternative sources of finance – that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change” (p. 19)

Examples of CF initiatives include renewable energy projects, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, supporting adaptation measures in vulnerable communities, etc.

To effectively combat climate change, African Charities need access to CF, but funding gaps persist in Africa.  African Charities also require finance to reduce poverty.

 

• • • • Poverty Reduction Finance (PRF)

 

PRF, which aims to improve lives like CF, refers to financial resources required to address the root causes and consequences of poverty.  PRF’s goal is to improve the living standards of people living in poverty, increase their income, and empower them to participate in economic and social life.

Examples of PRF projects include microfinance, investment in education and healthcare, social safety nets, and programmes to promote economic development.

The above-named three key terms shape the contents of the 87th Issue of FACS.

 

 

• • • Interconnectedness between African Charities, Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 2)

 

Charities (here African charities), climate finance and poverty reduction finance are interconnected because climate change disproportionally impacts the poor, exacerbating poverty and hindering development.

Climate finance, which supports both mitigation and adaptation efforts, can help reduce poverty by mitigating climate change impacts and building resilience in vulnerable communities.  Charities play an important role in both providing direct aid, advocating for policy changes and collaborating with governments and international organisations to ensure that climate finance is accessible and effective for the most vulnerable populations.

If one focuses on charities to explain this interconnectedness, one can argue that charities provides direct assistance to climate change-affected communities, advocate so that climate finance is effectively used to support poverty reduction efforts, collaborate with stakeholders on climate finance issues, and build capacity to manage climate risks and access climate funds.

For instance, during COP29 in Baku (9) charities advocated for the delivery of pledges made on climate finance and poverty reduction finance.  At this COP29, developed nations pledged to channel $300 billion a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change.

 

• • • Climate Finance Needs of African Charities   (Page 3)

 

African Charities need funding to address climate change and work with communities on climate change matter.  According to the website ‘climatepolicyinitiative,org’ (10),

“Due to a lack of capacity and guidance to make accurate assessments and a lack of data, it is sometimes difficult to estimate their needs”.

They need both mitigation and adaptation resources, but mostly they require to meet investment adaptation needs which are underfunded.  Their needs are not properly represented since climate finance flows are unevenly distributed between regions and sectors across Africa.  Raising funds from their project beneficiaries and members for climate purposes is limited and the private sector can only provide a tiny portion of the climate finance they need.  Briefly, there is a genuine need from African Charities to raise climate finance.  However, many of these African Charities face barriers or challenges regarding climate finance.

 

• • • Climate Finance Challenges and Barriers Faced by African Charities (Page 3)

 

There are challenges and barriers that African countries face in accessing public and private climate finance. The African Climate Conversation (11) explains that these barriers are commonly similar to challenges in mobilising other types of developmental finance including an instable political context, a volatile macroeconomic situation, and weak institutional and regulatory frameworks.

African charities too face these challenges and barriers for accessing and mobilising climate finance in Africa.  These challenges are both internal and external in the countries they operate. 

Internally, they face weak institutions or institutional capacity relating to weak or lack of internal capacity and weak systems, lack of locally relevant data, etc.  Externally, they are confronted with funding levels, international public finance terms (like debt, risk and liquidity).

Despite these challenges and barriers, there are opportunities or African charities can create their own windows of opportunities.

 

• • • Climate Finance Opportunities for African Charities (Page 4)

 

Climate finance opportunities can be scaled up or African charities can create their own ones.  African charities can create their favourable conditions by proceeding with the following:

 

~ Improving their climate project planning and budgeting

~ Involving in locally-led climate finance initiatives

~ Enhancing collaboration and partnership over climate finance

~ Increasing diverse use of climate finance instruments (for instance, the use of concessional finance which can act as flexible and accessible finance tool)

etc.

 

By proceeding with the above practices, African charities will be in a better position to grab climate finance opportunities offered to them.

 

• • • Climate and Poverty Reduction Finance Strategies and Tools for African Charities (Page 4)

 

There are strategies and tools that African charities can use to undertake climate planning and frame their investment bid.  In practical terms, they can use finance tools below.

 

a) Climate finance tools

 

They are as follows.

~ Climate budget tagging: It helps identify and track climate-related expenditures with a budget.

~ Green budgeting: It involves embedding climate targets and measures into the budget process.

~ Tools like Excel-based system can assist decision-makers in prioritizing climate action plans and evaluating initiatives.

 

b) Poverty reduction finance strategies and tools

 

They include loans, grants and other financial interventions aimed at lifting individuals and communities out of poverty. They imply strategies that improve economic opportunities, access to resources, and overall well-being, ultimately seeking to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.  African charities use these strategies (like micro-finance, poverty alleviation funds, micro-finance for livelihoods, etc.) to lift their beneficiaries out of poverty.

 

• • • Instruments Financiers Permettant aux Organisations Caritatives Africaines d’Accéder à des Fonds (Page 5)

 

Il existe différents instruments que les organisations caritatives africaines peuvent utiliser pour accéder aux fonds.  Parmi ces instruments, on peut citer le financement par fonds propres (comme les actions et les obligations) et diverses formes de garanties et d’investissements en quasi-fonds propres.  D’autres options comprennent des partenariats avec le secteur privé, des outils d’atténuation des risques et des instruments tels que le paiement des services écosystémiques.

Par exemple, le financement individuel et communautaire sous forme de microfinancement, de financement participatif et de programmes de prêts communautaires peut permettre aux organisations caritatives africaines d’accéder à des fonds.

De plus, les organisations caritatives africaines peuvent accéder à des fonds par l’intermédiaire d’institutions locales dotées de capacités et d’habilitations en tirant parti des connaissances locales, des relations et de la capacité de ces institutions à attirer et à gérer des fonds.  Il s’agit notamment d’utiliser les entreprises communautaires locales, d’attirer des investissements par le biais de partenaires locaux et de s’engager avec les locaux pour des initiatives de financement et de politique. 

 

• • • Améliorer la Planification des Projets des Organisations Caritatives Africaines en Tenant Compte du Climat et des Besoins des Pauvres (Page 5)

 

Pour améliorer la planification des projets qui reflète les besoins du climat et des pauvres en Afrique, les projets des organisations caritatives africaines doivent être conçus en tenant compte de l’action climatique communautaire, en se concentrant sur le renforcement de la résilience et l’adaptation aux conditions changeantes.

Il s’agit de favoriser les partenariats, de s’engager dans une planification urbaine intégrée et de mettre en œuvre des projets pilotes pour relever des défis spécifiques.  Dans ce processus de planification, il est également important de sensibiliser les gens aux impacts des changements climatiques et à l’importance des solutions locales.

 

• • • Alignement du Financement de l’Action Climatique et du Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté (Page 6)

 

Il est possible d’aligner le financement de l’action climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté.  Selon le Fonds Monétaire International (12)

« Pour aligner le financement de l’action climatique sur le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté, il faut veiller à ce que les efforts d’action climatique contribuent également aux buts et objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté.  Cet objectif est atteint grâce à la combinaison de stratégies, notamment l’intégration des considérations climatiques dans les plans de réduction de la pauvreté ou de développement, la priorité accordée aux populations vulnérables dans le financement de la lutte contre le changement climatique et la garantie que les politiques climatiques n’ont pas d’impact négatif sur les pauvres.

Le financement de l’action climatique et le financement de la réduction de la pauvreté peuvent être alignés car ils sont étroitement liés.  Le premier joue un rôle essentiel dans le soutien du second.  En mettant l’accent sur l’adaptation et l’atténuation, la création d’emplois verts et l’assurance d’un accès équitable aux ressources ; le financement de l’action climatique peut contribuer à la réduction de la pauvreté et à l’édification de communautés plus résilientes et durables.

 

• • • Intégration des Stratégies Relatives au Financement de l’Action Climatique et au Financement de la Réduction de la Pauvreté  (Page 6)

 

Il s’agit d’aligner le financement de l’action climatique sur les plans et les priorités de développement, de maximiser les co–bénéfices entre l’action climatique et la réduction de la pauvreté, et de veiller à ce que les populations les plus vulnérables bénéficient des investissements climatiques.  L’intégration garantira que les investissements climatiques répondent également aux besoins sociaux et économiques, en favorisant une croissance inclusive et en réduisant les vulnérabilités au changement climatique. 

Par exemple, l’action climatique des organisations caritatives africaines, en particulier l’atténuation et l’adaptation, peut s’attaquer directement à la pauvreté en réduisant la pauvreté énergétique et en aidant leurs utilisateurs à accéder à des actifs résilients au climat.  De même, les efforts de réduction de la pauvreté peuvent contribuer à la résilience climatique en renforçant la protection des pauvres, en améliorant leur accès aux services essentiels et en leur donnant les moyens de faire face aux impacts climatiques.

 

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on the effectiveness of climate finance and poverty reduction finance in achieving climate and poverty reduction goals via African Charities

 

The survey is on how climate finance and poverty reduction finance intersect and whether they effectively address both environmental challenges and social inequality, particularly for African Charities that use both types of funds.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our Africa-based Sister Organisations and community members regarding their perception on this effectiveness.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

As part of the survey, we are running a questionnaire which contains some questions.  Two of these questions are:

 

Q: What is the role of climate finance in reducing carbon emissions, building resilience to climate change impacts and alleviating poverty induced by climate change?

Q: Will cuts in international aid reduce efforts to poverty reduction or provide a new window of opportunities for poverty reduction finance?

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Testing hypotheses about causal relationships or intersection between climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

Testing the hypotheses about the relationship between climate finance and poverty reduction finance examines how financial resources for climate action (mitigation and adaptation) impact poverty reduction efforts and vice versa.  It explores if and how investments in climate initiatives can simultaneously alleviate poverty, and if poverty reduction strategies can be effective in achieving climate goals.  This also involves understanding the potential for both to be mutually supportive, as well as identifying potential trade-offs.

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into the relationship between climate finance and poverty reduction finance, they can test the inference of the following hypotheses:

 

a.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): Climate finance can boost poverty reduction

a.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): Climate finance cannot boost poverty reduction

b.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): Poverty reduction can support climate action

b.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): Poverty reduction can support climate action.

 

The above tests are for those of our members who would like to dive deep into the relationship between climate finance and poverty reduction finance.  In order to conduct these tests, one needs data.

 

• • • • E-question on your view about climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

Both climate finance and poverty reduction finance aim to improve lives in Africa.  This can raise the following question:

 

Q: Does Africa require the same amount of finance for climate and poverty reduction?  In other words, should climate finance be aligned with poverty reduction finance in Africa?

 

Any of our readers and users can answer the above-mentioned question.  You can provide your answer directly to CENFACS.

For those answering any of this question and needing first to discuss the matter, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • E-discussion on integrating climate action and poverty reduction via finance

 

The e-discussion is on how investing in climate-resilient initiatives in Africa can help protect communities from climate shocks while reducing poverty.

For those of our members who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard to this matter, they can join our e-discussion to exchange their views or thoughts or experience with others.

To e-discuss with us and others, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Guidance regarding Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance

 

Need some guidance regarding climate finance and poverty reduction finance, CENFACS can guide you on the following:

 

~ finding climate finance instruments

~ identifying potential funding sources

~ assessing financial viability of your projects

~ ensuring that projects align with sustainability goals.

 

The above-mentioned areas of guidance can also be done through capacity building, advocacy, advice, networking, signposting, etc.

For those African Charities, especially CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations, that are looking for guidance or direction for dealing with Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance issues, CENFACS is prepared to work with them on this matter.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of aligning their mission with the goals of reducing poverty and adverse impacts of climate change.

We can work with them under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  We can as well signpost them to organisations working on Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance.

Need advice, guidance and information; please contact CENFACS for support.

 

• • • • Tools and metrics of the 87th Issue of FACS

 

The 87th Issue of FACS uses four tools or metrics which are: the Index of Alignment, Metrics that track climate funds and poverty reduction funds, the Multidimensional Poverty Index and Poverty Gap Ratio.

 

Let us briefly explain these tools or metrics.

 

• • • • • Index of Alignment

 

There is not one single universally recognised index that directly measures the alignment of climate finance with poverty reduction.  The UK uses International Climate Finance (ICF) framework and its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to align climate finance with poverty.  The UK uses KPIs to measure the effectiveness of ICF, in particular the ones below.

 

KPI 2.1: It measures the number of people with improved access to clean energy.

KPI 6: It quantifies tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduced or avoided.

KPI 4: It informs about the number of people whose resilience has been improved.

 

These KPIs are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG1 (No Poverty).

 

• • • • • Metrics that track climate funds and poverty reduction funds

 

The 87th Issue of FACS considers metrics like total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Scope 1 and 2), portfolio alignment with climate targets, and climate value-at-risk to assess potential financial impacts of climate change.  It also focuses on both financial and social impact metrics, including budget adherence, cost per outcome, and measure of poverty reduction like headcount poverty gap, and multidimensional poverty indices, as well as access to education, healthcare, and basic infrastructure.

Two of these metrics (that is, Multidimensional Poverty Index and Poverty Gap) are explained below.

 

• • • • • Poverty tool and metrics: The Multidimensional Poverty Index and Poverty Gap Ratio

 

a) The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

 

According to ‘hdr.undp.org’ (13),

“MPI is the proportion of the population that is multidimensionally poor adjusted by the intensity of the deprivations” (p. 26).

It is also a measure of the relationship between poverty and peace.

The same ‘hdr.undp.org’ states that

“83.2 percent of the world’s 1.1 billion multidimensionally poor people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.  Sub-Saharan Africa has 553 million people living in poverty and South Asia 402 million” (p. 1)

 

b) Poverty Gap Ratio

 

This is an interesting metrics of poverty as it measures the intensity of poverty.

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (14) explains that

“The poverty gap ratio or poverty gap index is the average of the ratio of the poverty gap to the poverty line.  Economists and statisticians express it as a percentage of the poverty line for a region or whole country…The poverty gap ratio considers how far, on the average, poor people are from poverty line”.

African Charities can use it to compare how far the poor are from the poverty line.

The above tools and metrics can be used in dealing with the work of African Charities, climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

For example, one can use the poverty gap ratio to measure the average shortfall of the income poor women in Africa from the poverty line.

 

 

 

• • • • Information and guidance on climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

Information and Guidance include two types areas of support via CENFACS, which are:

 

a) Information and guidance on climate finance and poverty reduction finance

b) Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing in climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

 

• • • • • Information and guidance on climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

Those Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are looking for information and guidance on climate finance and that do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment conducted under CENFACS’ International Advice Service) or provide them with leads about other organisations, institutions and services that can help them.

We can provide information and guidance to address climate finance issues and support to ASOs to reduce poverty and address the impacts of climate change.  The support aims to help ASOs adapt to climate change, pursuit low-carbon development, manage resources sustainably, etc.

 

• • • • • Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing in climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about impact investing in climate finance and poverty reduction finance, we can direct them to the relevant services and organisations.

More tips and hints relating to the matter can be obtained from CENFACS‘ Advice-giving Service and Sessions.

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of climate finance, although the Issue 87 does not list them.  Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations and information they are looking for.

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

 

 

• • • Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about African Charities and Their Links with Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance   (Page 9)

 

 

• • • • Mini themed workshop on climate finance and poverty reduction finance 

 

It is a training or learning event that focuses on how to mobilise, manage, and utilise funding to address both climate change and poverty.  It aims to educate participants about climate finance mechanisms, sustainable finance principles, and how to integrate poverty reduction considerations into climate-resilient projects and investments.

Key aspects of the workshop will include understanding climate finance, sustainable finance principles, integrating poverty reduction, capacity building, networking and collaboration.

The workshop will cover climate finance development, addressing climate finance and poverty, climate-resilient development, sustainable finance, green economy, and disaster risk financing.

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about climate finance and poverty reduction finance .  Those who need an in-depth climate finance skills training assessment are also welcome.   The workshop will provide recommendations for actions with options and opportunities for the participants.

To enquire about the workshop, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Focus group on climate finance and poverty reduction finance

 

This is a qualitative research method to be used to explore how people perceive the relationship between the two topics (that is, climate finance and poverty reduction finance).  The focus group will bring together a small group of individuals (between 6 and 10) making the CENFACS Community to discuss their ideas, experiences, and perspectives on how climate finance can be used to reduce poverty.

The focus group will help understand needs, inform policy, promote ownership, identify barriers, and test new ideas about climate finance and poverty reduction finance.

To take part in the focus group, group that will use deliberative practice strategies, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Booster activity: ‘Talking to Climate and Poverty Reduction Experts’

 

This user involvement activity revolves around the answers to the following question:

 

Q: Do you talk to a sustainable development advisor or a climate and development specialist or climate finance and poverty reduction consultant about issues relating to climate finance and poverty reduction finance? 

 

Those who would like to answer this question and participate to our ‘Talking to Climate and Poverty Reduction Experts’ Activity, they are welcome.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • • • Readers’ giving

 

You can support FACS, CENFACS bilingual newsletter, which explains what is happening within and around CENFACS.

FACS also provides a wealth of information, tips, tricks and hacks on how to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can help to continue its publication and to reward efforts made in producing it.

To support, just contact CENFACS on this site.

 

• • • • Project Integrating Climate Finance and Poverty Reduction Finance (PICFPRF)

 

PICFPRF is an integrative initiative that strategically directs financial resources to benefit both climate action and poverty reduction efforts.  It is a project that help ensure that climate action benefits the most vulnerable populations and contributes to sustainable development goals.

PICFPRF involves channelling funds towards activities that simultaneously tackle climate change and reduce poverty.  It will ensure that climate action funds are aligned with poverty reduction funds in Africa.

The real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of climate action funds and poverty reduction funds.

To support or contribute to PICFPRF, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including the implementation plan of the PICFPRF, please contact CENFACS.

The full copy of the 87th Issue of FACS is available on request.

For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2025-000045-cod (accessed in April 2025)

(2) https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162261 (accessed in April 2025),

(3) www.taskmanagementguide.com/glossary/what-is-project-termination-.php (Accessed in April 2023)

(4) https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-termination-delay-1931 (Accessed in April 2023 )

(5) https://www.awf.org/blog/endangered-bonobo-africas-forgotten-ape (accessed in April 2025)

(6) https://www.treehugger.com/bonobos-endangered-5217207 (accessed in April 2025)

(7) https://howcharitieswork.com/about-charities/what-is-a-charity/ (accessed in October 2024)

(8) Frettas, A. S. & Mwanki, G., (2024), Climate Finance in Africa: An Overview of climate finance flows, challenges and opportunities, Ed. UNDP

(9) https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop29-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-baku/ (accessed in December 2024)

(10) https://www.climatepolicyinitiative,org/publication/climate-finance-needs-of-african-countries/ (accessed in April 2025)

(11) https://www.bii.co.uk/en/african-climate-conversation/improving-access-to-climate-finance-for-enhanced-climate-action-in-africa/ (accessed in April 2025)

(12) https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2021/09/climate-change-and-inequality-guivarch-mejean-taconet (accessed in April 2025)

(13) https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/mpireport2024.pdf (accessed in January 2025)

(14) https://marketbusinessnews.com/information-on-credit/gap-ratio–definition-meaning (accessed in August 2023)

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 April 2025

Post No. 400

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Coming Next Week’s Sunday 27/04/2025: The 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security of Women and Children against Extreme Weather Events

• Protection Key Note 3 from Wednesday 16/04/2025: Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets

• Activity 4 of the Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Opportunity: A Survey on Adaptive Safety Net Schemes

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Coming Next Week’s Sunday 27/04/2025: The 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security of Women and Children against Extreme Weather Events

 

On our Reflection Day, we will reflect on ways of tackling extreme weather events.

Regarding these events, the World Economic Forum (1) notes that

“Over the last year, we have witnessed a multitude of extreme weather events amplified by climate change… The risk associated with extreme weather events is a key concern for the year ahead, with 14% of respondents selecting it”.

Extreme weather events and their associated risk are also a concern for CENFACS Community members, who would like to reflect on them during the 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day.

To introduce the 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day, let us first define extreme weather events, then summarily highlight their impacts and indicate the contents of the Reflection Day.

 

• • What Are Extreme Weather Events?

 

Extreme Weather Events can be approached in various ways.  In the context of the 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day, we would like to refer to what Professor David Karoly (2) of the University of Melbourne argues that them.  Professor Karoly speaks about an extreme (weather or climate) event and refers to Oxford Dictionary definitions about extreme and event.  The definitions he gives are:

# extreme is about reaching a high or the highest degree, very great

# event is a thing that happens or takes place, especially one of importance.

From his perspective, extreme event is the occurrence of a value (or below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends of the range of its observed values in a specific region.

This nearing of a threshold value the upper (or lower) ends of observed values can have a serious impact on human and material lives.  In our Reflection Day, we shall think of these impacts on women and children.

 

• • Impacts of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs)

 

There are evidences and examples explaining how EWEs are impacting women and children, particularly but not limited to Africa.

For instance, the website ‘unfccc.int’ (3) explains that

“In some African countries, many men are migrating from rural to urban areas to find employment, a trend driven by extreme weather events, leaving women behind in charge of land and the household but not necessarily with the respective legal rights or social authority to do so”.

The same ‘unfccc.int’ mentions other impacts relating to EWEs (like storms, floods and heatwaves) such as increase in gender-based violence.

Similarly, Save the Children (4) argues that

“About one in 8 children globally have been significantly impacted by the 10 biggest extreme weather events so far this year [2024] having to flee their homes, become reliant on aid or missing out on school”.

Save the Children gives the following examples:

# Flooding across West and Central Africa that forced 10 million children out of school

# Drought in Southern Africa which the United Nations says it is the worst in over 100 years, putting 12.2 million children in need of humanitarian assistance

# Children were impacted by other instances of floods, cyclones and monsoons across Bangladesh, the Horn of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Brazil.

The above-mentioned data, facts and quotes indicate that EWEs are negatively impacting women and children.  It is this impact that we would like to reflect upon in terms of protection of women and children on our Reflection Day.

 

• • What Our Reflection Will Be about

 

Our Reflection Day will try to look at ways of protecting and give sense of security to women and children from EWEs, which are the second risk in change in short-term (2 years) global risks perception in terms of the state of level of concern, according to the World Economic Forum (op. cit.).  In particular, we shall reflect on ways of Protecting and Providing a Sense of Security to Women and Children against Floods, Drought, Heatwaves, etc.

More on the Reflection Day can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Protection Key Note 3 from Wednesday 16/04/2025: Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets

 

Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets are another type of assets that poor households may possess.  These assets need protection.  Before looking at ways of protecting these assets, let us explain them, give some examples of them and our guidance to these households on them.

 

• • What Are Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets?

 

Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets (HQoleAs) are possessions or resources that directly improve the well-being and comfort of households, including possessions or resources that do not directly generate income.  HQoleAs help households improve their living standards/conditions and provide amenities.  In doing so, they enhance the overall quality of life for household members.

Quality of life can be subjectively understood in the terms of the World Heath Organisation’s definition, definition quoted by ‘berkeleywellbeing.com’ (5), as

“An individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns”.

The standard of living can be objectively defined as an indicator that provides some of the basic factors needed to afford one the choices in life that define quality of life, argued by the same ‘berkeleywellbeing.com’.

Examples of these assets are giving below.

 

• • Examples of HQoleAs

 

We can mention the following:

 

# housing as a basic need (the quality of house that households may have)

# infrastructure (e.g., electricity, clean water, sanitation, internet, etc.)

# amenities or home appliances (e.g., refrigerators, washing machines, TV, and stoves)

# vehicles as necessity for transportation and work

# green spaces (for instance, access to parks, gardens and other spaces can improve mental and physical health of household members)

# social interactions (can enhance household members’ overall quality of life)

# education, skills development and healthcare (can improve the wellbeing of household members)

etc.

 

These assets can contribute to households’ comfort, convenience, and overall satisfaction with their living conditions and daily experiences.  However, they need protection.

 

• • Protection of HQoleAs

 

Protecting HQoleAs is about safeguarding possessions, resources and conditions that contribute to households’ quality of life.  It is the protection of physical assets like property and infrastructure, as well as intangible assets such as social connections and access to opportunities.  To protect them, one needs to use some strategies.

Protection strategies for HQoleAs will include regular maintenance of HQoleAs, safety measures, guaranteed access to services like education and healthcare, etc.  Let us explain further these strategies.

 

• • • Protection strategies for HQoleAs

 

Protection strategies will cover both physical and intangible assets.

 

• • • • Protection of households’ quality-of-life-enhancing physical assets

 

It involves regularly maintaining property and infrastructure, implementing safety systems and insurance, and investing in secure storage for valuable possessions.

 

• • • • Protection of households’ quality-of-life-enhancing intangible assets

 

It includes ensuring access to affordable and quality healthcare services for all, investing in education and training programme, providing affordable housing options and fostering a sense of community, protecting natural environment, encouraging healthy relationships or social connections, building supportive networks, ensuring safe and secure environment, etc.

 

Those households that will enjoy the above-mentioned elements of protection strategies will feel safe and secure.  Some of them may know or learn by themselves how to protect their quality-of-life-enhancing physical and intangible assets.  Others may not know or simply have some gap in information and knowledge on the way of protecting their quality-of-life-enhancing physical and intangible assets.  For the latter ones, CENFACS can work with them or guide them to the kind of protection they will be looking for their quality-of-life-enhancing physical and intangible assets.

 

• • CENFACS’ Guidance on Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets

 

There is a number of ways that CENFACS can work with the members of its community to enhance Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets.  We can work together to access or improve the way they are trying to access or approach protection relating to Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets.  Amongst these ways of working with the members of our community to enhance their asset protection include the ones given below.

Under this provision of Guidance on Protection, we can support our members in the following ways:

 

σ Inform them about the various options available to them regarding Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets

σ Signpost them for support to organisations dealing with Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets

σ Refer them to voluntary organisations dealing with Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets.

 

The above are just some of ways CENFACS could support the community regarding Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets.  These support services or products make up our asset guidance service relating to Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets.

Those who need help and support about Protection of Households’ Quality-of-life-enhancing Assets and/or for any of the matters listed above falling within our capacity, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity 4 of the Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Opportunity: A Survey on Adaptive Safety Net Schemes (From 30/04/2025)

 

Activity 4 is about a list of questions aimed for extracting specific data from the members of the CENFACS Community on Opportunity for Adaptive Safety Net Schemes.  To introduce this Activity 4, which will be held from 30/04/2025, let us explain Adaptive Safety Net Schemes, provide their contents and the selected question from this survey.

 

• • Explaining Adaptive Safety Net Schemes (ASNSs)

 

It emerges from the protection literature that Adaptive Safety Net Schemes – also known as Adaptive Social Protection – are social protection programmes designed to build resilience in vulnerable populations by anticipating and responding to shocks like climate change and economic downturns.  Perhaps, the best way to dive into their explanation is to unveil their contents.

 

• • Examples of ASNSs

 

The survey of protection literature on ASNSs provides the following components:

 

# Financial transfers (i.e., cash or in-kind transfers)

# Productive inclusion (e.g., access to income-earning opportunities)

# Infrastructure development (for instance, access to essential services like water and sanitation)

# Disaster risk reduction (such as building resilient infrastructure)

# Climate change adaptation (like promotion of drought-resistant crops and improving water management practices)

Etc.

 

If we take, for instance, cash transfer programmes, they can help poor households overcome liquidity constraints and invest in productive activities. It is not a surprise if ‘capacity4dev.europa.eu’ (6) argues that

“Adaptive social protection instruments are important for people, irrespective of where they are in the life cycle”.

Similarly, the World Bank (7) recognises that safety nets build resilience and protect vulnerable households from impacts of economic shocks, natural disasters, and other crises.

There are different schemes about safety nets depending on needs, countries and those who put them in place.

For instance, social safety nets (or social assistance) are non-contributory transfer programmes generally targeted to the poor or those vulnerable to shocks.  They include cash transfers, food or other in-kind distribution, fee waivers to enable essential consumption, etc.

If one considers the benefits cash transfers, they will know that cash transfers can allow households to smooth consumption, access credit, and invest.  However, there could a problem in the design of cash transfer programmes.

The survey is a bout this design problem.  As part of this survey, we are asking the question below.

 

• • Question Relating to the Survey

 

One of the questions making this survey is:

 

Is the design of cash transfer programmes you know tailored to your local contexts that consider factors like market functionality, seasonality, and gender considerations, or simply done to enable recipients to have some cash for basic consumption?

 

Those who may be interested in the survey can directly answer the question to CENFACS by 30/04/2025.

Those members of the CENFACS Community who would like to get involved in the survey can contact CENFACS.

For any other queries and or enquiries about this survey on Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Opportunity, please communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Protection of Endangered Animals in Africa: The Case of Bonobos

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 9: Reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Journaling Activity: Write a Journal of Your TVI/AYRP Cycle

 

 

• Protection of Endangered Animals in Africa: The Case of Bonobos

 

We continue to advocate for the protection of animals (fauna) in Africa and elsewhere in developing world whereby animals get killed, illegally or illicitly traded and extinct to such extent that some species are at the brink of disappearing.  One of these animals that need protection is bonobo.

 

• • What Are Bonobos?

 

Briefly speaking, bonobos are critically endangered great ape only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Like chimpanzees, bonobos share more than 98 percent of DNA with humans.  They live only in one a place and it is remote place – deep in the rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to African Wildlife Foundation (8).

 

• • Conservation Status of Bonobos

 

According to African Wildlife Foundation, bonobos are increasingly at risk from human beings, who have killed them off to the point of endangerment.  There are an estimated 15,000-20,000 wild bonobos remaining.  They are critically endangered.

Their numbers are decreasing due to three main reasons: poaching, barriers to enforce wildlife laws and conservation management, and disease.  These reasons and other ones are put forward by most of the conservationists and environmental organisations – like Treehugger (9) – working on the issue.

 

• • Ways of Helping to Save Bonobos

 

To save the bonobo population, the following protection actions can be taken:

 

#Reduce and end the illegal trade of bushmeat

# Enforce wildlife laws and conservation management in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially around the bonobo habitat

# Tackle bonobo habitat destruction and degradation

# Improve agriculture conservation and urban development in the vicinity of the bonobo habitat

# Carry out afforestation near bonobo sites to maintain the bonobo habitats

# Treat infectious diseases linked to human borne and natural pathogens found in bonobos

# Support CENFACS‘ action on the Protection of Endangered Animals in Africa, particularly the Big Beasts advocacy

# Donate to charities and other voluntary organisations working on the bonobo issue or similar campaigns

# Make a gift to protect vulnerable species like bonobos.

 

Those members of our community who are interested in advocating with us for the protection of Bonobos, they are welcome to get involved in this advocacy drive. Other individuals can also join in.

Those African organisations working on bonobo matter and have the same concern like ours, they can share with us their experience and work on this matter of protecting the Bonobos.

To get involved or share your work about the protection of Bonobos, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 9: Reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

You can start reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects, while the monitoring and observability of the same projects are still going on.  But, what are project reviews?

 

•  •  Basic Understanding of Project Reviews

 

Project reviews can be explained in many ways depending on any approaches taken.  Referring to the explanation of ‘fox-plan.com’ (10),

“A project review is an evaluation of the current progress of a project at a specific point of the project (milestone)… A project review will provide you with a thorough knowledge of the current status of your project and if it is on track to meet your success criteria”.

There can be many or staggered reviews in a project depending on a project size, scope, scale, progress, complexity and resource availability.  These different reviews can include initial review, completion review, special review and follow-up review.  Also, to better review a project it is preferable to design a review process with guidelines, evidence and tools.

 

 

• • Example of Reviewing Your All-year Round Projects

 

Let us consider Voting Your 2025 International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager.

In order to review your Vote Project, you will proceed with the following three review tasks:

 

a) Examine and audit your planned tasks, activities, procedures, events and other work about the project

b) Identify if the amount of work you put in your project responded to your Vote Project requirements

c) Work out additional resources to help you complete the project.

 

The above is a simple version of project reviews.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Reviewing their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Journaling Activity: Write a Journal of Your TVI/AYRP Cycle

 

You can write and reflect on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary.  Journaling a TVI/AYRP (that is Play, Run and Vote) can have benefits.  To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.

 

• • Benefits of Journaling Your TVI/AYRP

 

The journal will help you to capture the moments of your TVI/AYRP via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as the following ones:

 

σ setting up goals

σ tracking or measuring your progress on TVI/AYRP

σ recording results and celebrating achievements

σ gaining both general and specific perspectives from your TVI/AYRP.

 

You can even show your style and express your feeling or character through your writing.  Another good thing of journaling your TVI/AYRP is that it makes things easy when it comes to report to CENFACS and others before the deadline of 23 December 2025.

 

• • Journaling Goal of TVI/AYRP

 

The goal is basically to explore and enrich one’s TVI/AYRP activity through creative writing.  This goal does not stop users of TVI/AYRP to have their own journaling goal.  Besides their journaling goal, they need to add what their journal can help achieve.

 

• • What One’s TVI/AYRP Journal Can Achieve

 

It can achieve many things including the following:

 

∝ Solve problems encountered in the cycle of your TVI/AYRP 

∝ Enhance one’s health and wellness via TVI/AYRP 

∝ Improve TVI/AYRP impact and outcomes.

 

For those who are undertaking any of the TVIs/AYRPs and would like to write a journal about their activity, they can do it.  There are many online and print resources available on the matter.  Please select resources that are concise and have some links with your TVIs/AYRPs.

For those who would like to approach CENFACS for help and support to write a Journal of TVI/AYRP or to select appropriate resources, they are welcome to do so.

 

 

Message in English-French (Message en Anglais-Français)

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses the Following Question:

What Can Be Done for African States to Better Protect Their Citizens from Natural Disasters?

We have seen and witnessed life-threatening and -destroying natural disasters (like cyclones, torrential rains, drought, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.) which have affected both human and natural lives in Africa.  In some cases, African States have been up to the task of dealing with these natural shocks and risks.  But, there is still a good number of cases where African States have been overwhelmed by the impacts of these disasters or simply rely on international rescue mission to deal with these disasters.  Yet, these African States have the protection responsibility vis-à-vis their citizens.

As part of April Month of Protection and the Season of Rebuilding and Renewing Lives within CENFACS, we are e-discussing this:

What Can Be Done for African States to Better Protect Their Citizens from Natural Disasters?

The e-discussion will look at as well the channels or means that the natural disaster victims and their representatives can use to gain both re-protection and compensation from their States.

The above-mentioned question is part of this week’s debate within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum.

Those who may be interested in these discussions can join our poverty reduction pundits and/or contribute by contacting CENFACS be.Africa Forum, which is a forum for discussion on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members by making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To contact CENFACS about this discussion, please use our usual contact information on this website.

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne de la question suivante:

Que peut-on faire pour que les États africains protègent mieux leurs citoyens contre les catastrophes naturelles ?

Nous avons vu et été témoins de catastrophes naturelles potentiellement mortelles et destructrices (comme les cyclones, les pluies torrentielles, la sécheresse, les volcans, les tremblements de terre, etc.) qui ont affecté à la fois des vies humaines et naturelles en Afrique.  Dans certains cas, les États africains ont été à la hauteur de la tâche de faire face à ces chocs et risques naturels.  Mais, il y a encore un bon nombre de cas où les États africains ont été submergés par les impacts de ces catastrophes ou s’appuient simplement sur des missions de sauvetage internationales pour faire face à ces catastrophes.  Pourtant, ces États africains ont une responsabilité de protection vis-à-vis de leurs citoyens.

Dans le cadre du Mois de la Protection d’avril et de la Saison de Reconstruction et de Renouvellement des Vies au sein du CENFACS, nous discutons en ligne de ceci :

Que peut-on faire pour que les États africains protègent mieux leurs citoyens contre les catastrophes naturelles ?

La discussion en ligne portera également sur les canaux ou les moyens que les victimes de catastrophes naturelles et leurs représentant(e)s peuvent utiliser pour obtenir à la fois une reprotection et une indemnisation de la part de leurs États.

La questions susmentionnée fait partie du débat de cette semaine au sein du Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS.

Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette discussion peuvent se joindre à nos experts en réduction de la pauvreté et/ou contribuer en contactant le ‘me.Afrique’ du CENFACS (ou le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS), qui est un forum de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

Pour contacter le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site Web.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Coming Next Week’s Sunday 27/04/2025: The 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security of Women and Children against Extreme Weather Events

 

To help prepare for the 15th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day, we have assembled protection materials and resources that have been grouped into the following two headlines:

 

∝ What is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

∝  The 15^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day.

 

Let us briefly explain each of these headlines.

 

• • What Is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to acknowledge the conditions of women and children in need, to reflect on attitudes and what can be done to improve the living conditions of these women and children in need.

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is also a special eventful day to re-engage our mind set and spirit to deeply think about the fate of poor women and children, and engineer possible new solutions that can lift them out of poverty and hardships they are facing. 

At this time of the world in multiple crises (or polycrises) and risks, they may be facing poverty induced by these crises and risks.  One of these crises and risks is Extreme Weather Event.

According to ‘weforum.org’ (op. cit.), Extreme Weather Events are the second-most severe risk over the short term and consistent concern amongst surveyed groups making the World Economic Forum’s The Global Risks Report 2025.  It features among the top three risks over both the current and two-year time horizons. It is this crisis that our 15^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day would like to deal with.

 

• • The 15^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day

 

The following points will assist in explaining the 15^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day:

 

∝ What is the 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day? 

∝ What will happen during the 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

∝ How the 15^th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run

∝ What issues our Reflection Day will try to address

∝ What areas of thoughts our Reflection Day will touch upon.

 

The above-mentioned points are explained below.

 

• • • What is the 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day? 

 

The 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a continuity of the theme about self-protection by women and children and/or protection of women and children by others against future risks or crises or polycrises.  In this case, the risks or crises are Extreme Weather Events  (EWEs) and poverty they can create or exacerbate.

The 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to think of the struggle these women and children have in face of extreme weather events.  It also a day of meditating on solutions to reduce poverty generated by extreme weather events.  Before going any further, let us try to recall the definition of extreme weather events.

 

• • • • Re-understanding EWEs

 

Let us refer to what Professor David Karoly (op. cit.) of the University of Melbourne argues about them.  Professor Karoly speaks about an extreme (weather or climate) event and refers to Oxford Dictionary definitions to explain the words ‘extreme’ and ‘event’.  The definitions he gives are:

# extreme is about reaching a high or the highest degree, very great

# event is a thing that happens or takes place, especially one of importance.

From his perspective, extreme event is the occurrence of a value (or below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends of the range of its observed values in a specific region.

Another explanation comes the World Economic Forum (op. cit.) which states that

“Extreme weather events (floods, heatwaves, etc.) are loss of human life, damage to ecosystems, destruction of property and/or financial loss due to extreme weather events include, but is not limited to land-based (e.g., wildfires), water-based (e.g., floods) and atmospheric and temperature-based (e.g., heatwaves) events, including those exacerbated by climate change” (p. 77)

This nearing of a threshold value the upper (or lower) ends of observed values can have a serious impact on human and material lives.  In our Reflection Day, we shall think of these impacts on women and children.

Crisis stemming from extreme weather events can also affect the security of women and children in need.

One can think of the torrential rains that happened in Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of Congo) on the night of 5 to 6 April 2025 which affected 13 out of 24 municipalities.  These rains caused not only the loss of human and material lives, but also security issues, especially but not exclusively to women and children.  In this respect, our Reflection Day is also a day of security, particularly economic security.

 

• • • •  What is economic security?

 

Economic security here has to be interpreted like what the International Committee of the Red Cross (11) argues about it as

“The ability of individuals, households or communities to cover their essential needs sustainably and with dignity.  This can vary according to an individual’s physical needs, the environment and prevailing cultural standards.  Food, basic shelter, clothing and hygiene qualify as essential need, as does the related expenditure; the essential assets needed to earn a living and the costs associated with health care and education also qualify”.

In our Reflection Day, we shall think of how extreme weather events can affect economic security of those in need, particularly but not exclusively women and children in need.

 

• • • What will happen during the 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

During the 15th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day, we will reflect on what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children in terms of protection against extreme weather events.

 

• • • • Protection of women from EWEs

 

This type of protection can include many aspects.  Amongst these aspects, we can mention addressing gender-specific vulnerabilities, ensuring access to safe shelter and resources, and implementing gender-inclusive disaster risk reduction plans that empower women and prevent gender-based violence.  This is without forgetting protection measures against economic vulnerability.

 

• • • • Protection of children from EWEs

 

This type of protection can have various dimensions.   It can involve prioritisation of health and safety, appropriate food and dress for the weather event, and limit strenuous activity during extreme weather conditions.

 

The day is also about finding solutions to economic insecurity through inspirations, new thoughts and ideas to mitigate harmful consequences (like the disruption and supply of goods and services) from extreme weather events.

 

• • • How the 15^th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run

 

Like in the last three years, the 15th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run in hybrid fashion (that; it will be organised  in-person and virtual).

There will be a physical gathering for those who want it.  There will also be a virtual reflection.  In the case of virtual reflection, every participant will be reflecting from the location which is suitable for them (that is, like a virtual reality or remotely).

 

• • • What issues our Reflection Day will try to address

 

Our Reflection Day will try to address the following issues:

 

√ Empowering women to participate in disaster risk reduction planning and decision-making processes 

√ Promoting community-based approaches to disaster preparedness, response and delivery

√ Provision of capacity building for women and children in disaster preparedness, response and delivery  

√ Safety plans, practice of evacuation routes/drills and emergency kits for children

√ Implementation of early warning systems

√ Investment in drought-resistant crops and water management to deal with drought

√ Access to clean water and sanitation, education and training on disaster risk reduction

√ Access to essential supplies during and after EWEs

√ Ways of offering reassurance to children during events and monitoring behavioural changes after events.

 

The above-mentioned issues are the ones we would like to deal with in our thoughts.  One Day of Reflection may be not enough to address all these questions.  But, one can try to deal with one or two of them as they are preparing to make the Reflection Day.

 

 

• • • What areas of thoughts our Reflection Day will touch upon

The above-mentioned issues will help to frame areas of thoughts that one may want to engage in.  During our reflection, we will try to think of the following seven matters as frames for thought:

 

1) Economic effects of EWEs on women and children (economic framework)

2) Health impacts of EWEs on women and children (healthiness and wellness framework)

3) Security vulnerabilities posed to poor women and children when EWEs happen (security framework)

4) Gender issues induced by EWEs on women and children (equality framework)

5) Ways of developing defensive capabilities to protect women and children from EWEs (defensive capability framework)

6) Consequences of EWEs on educational and training opportunities for women and children (framework for skills development)

7) Learning, adaptation and development experiences about EWEs in terms of their results on women and children in need (framework for future development)

Etc.

 

The above is the main menu of our Reflection Day.  Besides this main menu, we shall have a side menu which is Reflection on the Effects of EWEs on our Network for Protection and Community Security.

To support or join the Reflection Day on the Protection and Security of Women and Children, please contact CENFACS.

After the References section of this post, we have appended a timeline about CENFACS’ Reflection Day for your information.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2025/ (accessed in March 2025)

(2) https://www.wcrp-climate.org/images/summer_school/ICTP_2014/documents/presentations/day1/Karoly_Extremes.pdf (accessed in April 2025)

(3) https://unfccc.int/news/new-report-why-climate-change-impacts-women-differently-than-men (accessed in April 2025)

(4) https://www.savethechildren.net/news/one-8-children-significantly-impacted-10-biggest-extreme-weather-events-year (accessed in April 2025)

(5) https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/quality-of-life.html (accessed in April 2025)

(6) https://capacity4dev.europa.eu/library/world-band-2018-emergence-adaptive-social-protection_en (accessed in April 2025)

(7) https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2018/04/social-safety-nets-help-reduce-poverty-and-income-inequality (accessed in April 2025)

(8) https://www.awf.org/blog/endangered-bonobo-africas-forgotten-ape (accessed in April 2025)

(9) https://www.treehugger.com/bonobos-endangered-5217207 (accessed in April 2025)

(10) https://fox-plan.com/docs/project-review/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(11) https://www.icrc.org/en/document/introduction-economic-security (Accessed in April 2023)

_________

 

• Appendix

 

• • Reflection Day Timeline

 

The Reflection Day is a day of thoughts by bringing together the two pillars of our network and protection programme, which are 3W and PPS.  Although they started in 2003, we only introduced a Reflection Day (RD) in them in 2011.

In 2016, we amalgamated 3W and PPS to become Women and Children projects as we noticed in some situations it was difficult to separate women’s and children’s needs.  Where their needs are separable or differentiated one to the other, we run either of the two brands (that is 3W and PPS) individually.  This is why these two brands of our network and protection are still alive despite their amalgamation.

The Reflection Day is a day of introspection to think in depth the ways forward for our systems of support network and protection for poverty relief and sustainable development in face of the current, new and emerging challenges ahead as well as the ever changing development landscape.

Since its inception, the following is the timeline of 3W and PPS

 

2011: Making Networking and Protection Even Better in 2011

2012: Raising Standards in Poverty Reduction for Improving Lives

2013: Place of Women and Children in the Post-2015 Development World (Part I)

2014: Women and Children in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda (Part II) – A Stock Taking Reflection Event

2015: Doing Business to Lift Women and Children out of Poverty

2016: Improving Digital Protection for the Extremely Digitally Poor Women and Children

2017: Reducing Information and Communication Poverty for Multi-dimensionally Poor Women and Children

2018: Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families

2019: Protection of Women and Children in War-torn Zones and Natural Disaster-stricken Areas

2020: Protection of Women and Children in Times of Health or Sanitary Crisis like Covid-19

2021: Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant in face of Future Risks and Crises

2022: Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis

2023: Protection and Security for Women and Children against Geo-economic Risks and Crises

2024: Protection and Security of Women and Children against Societal Polarization

 

For your information,

3W & PPS = Support Network and Protection for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

Women and Children projects = amalgamation of 3W and PPS in 2016

3W (What Women Want) = a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance quality of life and living standards of multi-dimensional deprived women and families

PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) = a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensional vulnerable children, young people and families

KNA (Keep the Net Alive) = a motto that helps to keep our networking for protection running.

For more information on 3W and PPS or Women and Children projects, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• 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 AND BEAUTIFUL 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 2025 and beyond.

With many thanks.