Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

22 January 2025

Post No. 388

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Economic Peace Project

• 2025 Donor Cultivation and Donor Stewardship Development Programmes

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 3

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Economic Peace Project

 

Our investigation about the work of African Charities and Their Contribution to Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction in Africa continues.  In this continuation, we have the proposals for Economic Peace Project (EPP) which we would like to share with you.

EPP, which is part of our Season of Light Campaign, is an attempt to take at practical level some the key issues raised in CENFACS‘ newsletter FACS no. 86; issues about African Charities’ Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction.

EPP, if well funded and successfully implemented, will come along with the following features or benefits:

 

σ addressing issues leading to conflicts, inequalities and inequity

σ enhancing social mobility for project beneficiaries

σ leading to income stream generation

σ giving opportunity to trade and find peace via trade

σ eliminating barriers to peace

etc.

 

EPP will help to practise economics and peace in the process of poverty reduction and the enhancement of sustainable development.  In combining economics and peace, EPP will offer hope for those who are looking for poverty reduction to happen to them and or to their future generations.  Poverty reduction and enhanced sustainable development do not happen by luck or chance.  They can be achieved where efforts have been made to create favourable economic conditions and secure peace dividends.

So, the real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of economic peace.  To get insights into it, please read the summary of EPP proposals under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• 2025 Donor Cultivation and Donor Stewardship Development Programmes

 

Our 2025 strategy for fostering the growth of prospective donors as well as for building and maintaining relationships with donors has been reactivated.  As indicated in the title, this strategy or programme is made of two parts: donor solicitation and donor stewardship.

Regarding donor solicitation, we are re-embarking on the process of acquiring new donors or building relationships with prospective donors to solicit a donation from them.  In this process, we are exploring qualifiable prospects.

Concerning donor stewardship, we are focussing on existing donors and retaining them.  To facilitate our donor stewardship journey, we will be running “Keep and Engage Supporters Week” from week beginning 27 January 2025.

Next week’s event support and the 2025 collected processes and strategy for relationship-building with and retaining donors will consist of two areas: donor solicitations and donor products to match these solicitations.

 

• • Donor Solicitations

 

We are continuing our solicitation to some of you as donors and /or stewards of poverty relief as follows.

 

• • • Solicitation relating to CENFACS’ Donor Cultivation Programme

 

Under this programme, donors can build quality donor-relations with CENFACS.

In this Year of Restoration at CENFACS, donor developers can help us in a number of ways, such as:

 

σ Influence the right people engaged to and informed about our work

σ Make our donations to grow over time

σ Help with technology like donor management software/tools to cultivate our prospects into long-term valuable donors

σ Increase the levels of involvement from users

σ Help us to manage donors expectations

σ Assist us in donor-development goals and tasks such as event support.

 

• • • Solicitation relating to CENFACS’ Donor Stewardship Development Programme

 

Under this programme, you can help us in the following:

 

σ Steward donors towards long-term commitment

σ Build and maintain lasting relationships and communications with those who gave to our users or us a gift or any of our noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction

σ Enable access to and use of donor stewardship tools.

 

 

• • Donor Development Products on Offer in 2025

 

We recognise our funders or donors and their acts of giving through different status levels often linked to their continuous contributions or commitments to our work and cause.  As a result, we are giving away the products below to those who would like to engage, develop their interest, to build bond and loyalty to CENFACS and CENFACS’ work.

We are offering to the donor development market a donor status to enable those who want to commit themselves on regular basis to giving or boosting their status as donor to have the opportunity to do so.

We are inviting those who want to commit themselves as funder or donor to do so.    They can do it by supporting CENFACS with a silver donation, a great relief, a product booster and a pearl donation.

 

• • • Free for Supporters: Silver Status

 

Silver status is the legacy of CENFACS’ “Quadranscentennial” Year (2019).  It is about supporting our projects as you can or as you choose if you visit them or if you happen to be within the area of their implementation.  This will boost your support and help you to win a silver status as CENFACS’ Mid-level Donor or Supporter in a CENFACS’ Year of Restoration.

Alternatively, you can fund CENFACS’ Year of Restoration to win the same status and continue CENFACS’ legacy.

 

• • • Want to provide Great Relief as a High-level Donor or Supporter

 

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.

For example, at this challenging time of the high costs of living, we need those who can provide that sort of relief to keep our action going and out of the disruption caused by the costs of living.

Many individuals and organisations stepped in to support their good deserving causes during the storming time of the health crisis (the coronavirus crisis); you can do the same by supporting CENFACS during this time of the costs of living.

For those who are interested in, they can contact CENFACS for details about becoming a Great Reliever.

 

• • • Need to boost your support or stewardship as a Product Booster

 

You can choose a particular sustainable initiative or programme or even CENFACS as your boost product.

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a Project or Programme Funder or a Product Booster.

 

• • • Another Free for Supporters: Pearl Status

 

This title has been created as the legacy of CENFACS’ Tricennial Year (2024).  It acknowledges and appreciates the level of support provided or to be provided by Mid-level Donors supporting our CENFACS as a tricennial creation as in the context of CENFACS’ Tricennium. The title can also be awarded to those who give to our creative/creation projects on regular basis.

For further details about boosting your support or stewardship, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 3 (22 to 28/01/2025)

 

We are continuing our programme and scheme to build Financial Capacity and Capability within the community.  We are available to work in hybrid mode with users via the Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (FCCBP) or Scheme (FCCBS) so that our community members can be stronger this year.  Both FCCBP and FCCBS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

The third activities of  FCCBP and FCCBS, which will be run from 22 to 28 January 2025, have been highlighted below.

 

• • 22 to 28 January 2025: Making Financial Knowledge and Skills Positively Impact on Your Financial Behaviour (Activity 3 of FCCBP)

 

In this activity, we will try to work with participants through a research pilot exercise with a simple questionnaire to understand financial management behaviour and how they can apply it in their real life.  But, what is financial management behaviour?

Financial management behaviour can be understood in many ways.  Its definition here comes from the work of Kholilah and Iramani in 2013, which has been mentioned by Anisah Firli and Nurul Hidayati (1).  This mentioned definition is

“Financial management behaviour is a person’s financial management ability, ranging from planning, managing, and controlling to saving” (p. 43)

On the same page 43, Anisah Firli and Nurul Hidayati also quoted the work of Herlindawati in 2017, who argued that

“Financial management behaviour is identified as the impact of an increase in individual desires to meet the needs and wants by adjusting their income levels”.

These definitions will be used to determine the influence of financial knowledge, financial attitude, skills and personality on financial behaviour of the CENFACS Community.

If any of our users want to participate in this exercise, they can do it by contacting CENFACS.  Those who have some concern about their financial behaviour, they can communicate with CENFACS as well.

 

• • 22 to 28 January 2025: Financial Capacity and Capability to Organise Money Management (Activity 3 of FCCBS)

 

To conduct money management, one may need to understand what it means.  Our understanding of it is given by ‘nerdwallet.com’ (2) which states that

“Money management is a plan for your money so you can make the most of it.  This plan typically involves budgeting and saving money, avoiding or reducing debt and investing your future”.

This definition can be put into practice.  We can work with those who would like to arrange or prepare a plan about how they can or will deal with their money.

Indeed, being able to earn money is one thing.  Being capable of organising the management of the money you earn is life-saving skill.  In the this third activity of the above-mentioned scheme, we will be working with the kind of organisation that those in need would like to put in place in order to better manage their money.  In this activity, we shall work with participants on how they can develop a simple money management plan.

If anyone of our members has a question on how to impact their financial knowledge and skills on their financial behaviour or how to organise their money management plan, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

In addition, if they generally have problems in building their financial capacity and capability, they can communicate with CENFACS so that we can work together on these matters and help them stay stronger this New Year 2025.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• The Season of Giving, Gifting and Lifting Continues with SHOPPING and DONATIONS at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

• 2025 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discuses Poverty Reduction in Africa in 2025 by African Charities

 

 

• The Season of Giving, Gifting and Lifting Continues with SHOPPING and DONATIONS at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

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

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods gifts you received over the festive days to CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store, the 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’ Zero-Waste 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’ Zero-Waste e-Store.

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

 

√ DONATE unwanted Festive GOODS GIFTS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store this January and Winter

√ SHOP at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-Store to support the noble and beautiful causes of poverty relief this January and Winter.

 

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships.

This is what the Season of Giving, Gifting and Lifting is all about.

 

 

• 2025 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives, the All Year-round Projects, are now back for this year.  You can play, run and vote to reduce poverty this year again.

The 2025 Edition of All Year-round Projects starts this 22 January 2025.

You can Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2025. 

You can Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief.

You can Vote your 2025 African Poverty Relief Manager.

Before proceeding with one of the All Year Round Projects, it is recommendable to speak to CENFACS.  We can discuss in details together your plan or the way you want to approach, participate or engage with these initiatives.

 

• • How CENFACS Can Help You to Engage with Triple Value Initiatives

 

The following examples show what we can discuss together before you start.

 

Example 1: Run Themes

 

Run themes can include seasonal themes (e.g., seasonal runs), obstacle courses (e.g., mud and obstacle runs) and fun activities (e.g., colour runs).

Let’s take Run to Reduce Poverty.

There are Run Themes.  You can Run alone or Run as group or even Run for fun.  You can do Seasonal Run or Run to raise money for one of our noble and beautiful causes or even Run to raise awareness.  However, there are health and safety issues that everyone who will be involved in this Run activity must follow.

There are ways of making your Run event simpler.  To do that, you can contact CENFACS before you plan your event.  CENFACS can help you to select your theme.  You need to confirm the date and time with CENFACS.

There are other things to consider as well, such as

location, engagement in activities, prizes (rewards for participants), health and safety issues, child protection policy if children are involved, insurance cover, budget, refreshments, communication (e.g., sharing the information about the event online, especially on social media), etc.

 

Example 2: Play Station Game

 

Let’s take another example, which is Playing CENFACS’ League for Poverty Relief.

You can create your own play station game with CENFACS’ League and run your own tournament and matches.  You can even involve colleagues, friends and families sharing the same passion about how the selected African countries are working to reduce poverty.  You can group or rate these countries according to poverty reduction performance (showing which one comes on top, middle and bottom).

You can as well use game theories if you know them. Alternatively, you use poverty simulator games or create your own fun and easy board game.  Like for Run activity, you must include health and safety measures and guidance. However, any game created has to be themed around poverty relief.

 

Example 3: People to Watch

 

Let’s take the last example, which is Voting Your Poverty Relief Manager.

You can create your own list of Top 25 People to Watch throughout the year.  One or two of them will be potentially the best managers of 2025.  You can collect data and facts about them, follow their annual performance, assess their achievements and vote the best between the two at the end.  You will need to consider their experience, communication and leadership skills.

While you are running or organising a run activity, playing the CENFACS’ League and voting your Manager of the Year 2025; we would like you to share with us and others your progress, news, events, experiences, stories and reports regarding these projects.  We would like as well to hear from you some of the pitfalls or hurdles you may encounter in the process of dealing with your chosen initiative/project.  As Triple Value Initiatives are results-oriented, the end product of your share will be a kind of Action-Results Report 2025.

 

• • What We Would Like to Hear at the End of This Process

 

We would like to hear from you the following three bests or stars of the year:

 

√ The Best African Country or Countries of 2025 which will best reduce poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2025

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2025.

 

The deadline to tell us your bests or stars is 23 December 2025.

As we progress throughout the year, further information and support (in the form of workshops, discussions, questionnaires, questions-answers, focus groups, etc.) will be released for CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives.

Please remember, the early you start the better for you.

For more information about these projects and how they work, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discuses Poverty Reduction in Africa in 2025 by African Charities

How Africa’s Charitable Organisations Can Use the 5 Os (Opportunities, Openings, Operations, Optimisms and Options) They Have to Further Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2025

 

In our last week’s post, we argued that 2025 can be a Year of Opportunities, Openings, Full Operations, Optimisms and Options for Africa.  We specifically stated in our Twitter post of 15 January 2025 that the 5 Os for African charities to further reduce poverty in 2025 were:

 

1) Opportunity: Africa’s population to reach 1.5 billion in 2025 (3)

2) Opening: economic growth reaching nearly 3.2% (4)

3) Optimism: the Lobito Corridor

4) Operation: the post-pandemic activity expansion

5) Option: choices of investors.

 

In this first discussion of our forum, we are debating how Africa’s charitable organisations can fully operate, mindfully take option and optimistically engage with the 2025 array of tremendous opportunities and openings to reduce and end poverty in Africa.  In simple words, how they can turn the challenges faced by Africa into opportunities to achieve BIG numbers in poverty reduction.  The debate is also revolving around what these organisations can do to use the array of opportunities of 2025 so that 2025 could be remembered in living memory as a post-pandemic year of truly great results in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The above are the terms of reference for our first discussion of 2025.  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum would like to hear your views or opinions on the above-mentioned discussion.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.  They can contact us at our usual address on this site.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• 2025 Projets ‘Tout au Long de l’Année’ (ou Initiatives à Triple Valeur) : Jouer, Courir et Voter pour la Lutte contre la Pauvreté et le Développement Durable

Les Initiatives à Triple Valeur du CENFACS, les Projets ‘Tout au Long de l’Année’, sont maintenant de retour pour cette année.  Cette année encore, vous pouvez jouer, courir et voter pour réduire la pauvreté.

L’édition 2025 de Projets ‘Tout au Long de l’Année’ commence ce 22 janvier 2025.

Vous pouvez courir ou organiser une activité de coursepour réduire la pauvreté en 2025.

Vous pouvez jouer à la Ligue CENFACSpour la Lutte contre la Pauvreté.

Vous pouvez voter pour votre Responsable de la Lutte contre la Pauvreté en Afrique 2025.

Avant de procéder à l’un des Projets ‘Tout au Long de l’Année’, il est recommandé de s’adresser au CENFACS.  Nous pouvons discuter ensemble en détail de votre plan ou de la manière dont vous souhaitez participer ou vous engager dans ces initiatives.

• • Comment le CENFACS peut vous aider à vous engager dans des Initiatives à Triple Valeur

Les exemples suivants montrent ce dont nous pouvons discuter ensemble avant de commencer.

Exemple 1 : Exécuter des thèmes de course

Les thèmes de course peuvent inclure des thèmes saisonniers (p. ex., courses saisonnières), des courses d’obstacles (p. ex., courses dans la boue et des courses d’obstacles) et des activités amusantes (p. ex., courses en couleur).

Prenons la course pour réduire la pauvreté.

Il existe des thèmes de course.  Vous pouvez courir seul ou courir en groupe ou même courir pour le plaisir.  Vous pouvez faire une course saisonnière ou une course pour collecter des fonds pour l’une de nos nobles et belles causes ou même courir pour sensibiliser le public.  Cependant, il y a des questions de santé et de sécurité que tous/toutes ceux/celles qui participeront à cette activité de course doivent respecter.

Il existe des moyens de simplifier votre course.  Pour ce faire, vous pouvez contacter le CENFACS avant de planifier votre événement.  Le CENFACS peut vous aider à choisir votre thème.  Vous devez confirmer la date et l’heure auprès du CENFACS.

Il y a aussi d’autres éléments à prendre en compte, tels que :

le lieu, la participation aux activités, les prix (récompenses pour les participant/e/s), les questions de santé et de sécurité, la politique de protection de l’enfance si des enfants sont impliqués, la couverture d’assurance, le budget, les rafraîchissements, la communication (par exemple, le partage d’informations sur l’événement en ligne, en particulier sur les médias sociaux), etc.

Exemple 2 : Jeu de Station de Jeu

Prenons un autre exemple, celui de la Ligue pour la Lutte contre la Pauvreté du CENFACS.

Vous pouvez créer votre propre jeu de station de jeu avec la ligue CENFACS et organiser votre propre tournoi et matchs.  Vous pouvez même impliquer des collègues, des amis et des membres de la famille partageant la même passion pour la façon dont les pays africains sélectionnés s’efforcent de réduire la pauvreté.  Vous pouvez regrouper ou évaluer ces pays en fonction de leurs performances en matière de réduction de la pauvreté (en montrant lequel se situe en haut, au milieu et en bas).

Vous pouvez également utiliser les théories des jeux si vous les connaissez.  Alternativement, vous pouvex utiliser des jeux de simulation de pauvreté ou créer votre propre jeu de société amusant et facile.  Comme pour l’activité Course, vous devez inclure des mesures et des conseils en matière de santé et de sécurité.  Cependant, tout jeu créé doit avoir pour thème la lutte contre la pauvreté.

Exemple 3 : Personnes à suivre

Prenons le dernier exemple, qui est celui du vote de votre responsable ou directeur/rice de lutte contre la pauvreté.

Vous pouvez créer votre propre liste des 25 personnes les plus regardables tout au long de l’année.  Une ou deux d’entre eux seront potentiellement les meilleurs responsables ou directeurs/rices de 2025.  Vous pouvez collecter des données et des faits à leur sujet, suivre leurs performances annuelles, évaluer leurs réalisations et voter pour le meilleur des deux à la fin.  Vous devrez tenir compte de leur expérience, de leurs compétences en communication et en leadership.

Pendant que vous courez ou organisez une activité de course, que vous jouez à la Ligue CENFACS et que vous votez pour votre  de l’année 2025; nous aimerions que vous partagiez avec nous et avec d’autres vos progrès, vos nouvelles, vos événements, vos expériences, vos histoires et vos rapports concernant ces projets.  Nous aimerions également connaître de votre point de vue certains des pièges ou des obstacles que vous pourriez rencontrer dans le processus de traitement de l’initiative ou du projet que vous avez choisi.

Comme les Initiatives à Triple Valeur sont axées sur les résultats, le produit final de votre action sera une sorte de Rapport Action-Résultats 2025.

• • Ce que nous aimerions entendre à la fin de ce processus

Nous aimerions avoir de votre part les trois meilleurs ou stars de l’année suivants:

√ Le ou les meilleurs pays africains de 2025 qui réduiront le mieux la pauvreté

√ Les meilleur(e)s coureurs/ses africain(e)s des jeux mondiaux de 2025

√ Les meilleurs responsables de développement africain de 2025.

La date limite pour nous communiquer vos meilleurs résultats ou étoiles est le 23 décembre 2025.

Au fur et à mesure que nous progressons tout au long de l’année, d’autres informations et soutiens (sous forme d’ateliers, de discussions, de questionnaires, de questions-réponses, de groupes de discussion, etc.) seront publiés pour les Initiatives à Triple Valeur duCENFACS.

N’oubliez pas que plus vous commencez tôt, mieux c’est pour vous.

Pour plus d’informations sur ces projets et sur la manière dont ils fonctionnent, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Economic Peace Project

 

The following items provide the key information about Economic Peace Project (EPP):

 

σ Definition of EPP

σ The Aim of EPP

σ EPP Beneficiaries

σ Outcomes

σ EPP Indicators

σ Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation

σ Project Funding Status.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Definition of EPP

 

EPP is a SMART (that is, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) positive peace project that will help reduce poverty by dealing with attitudes and structures that can lead to peace for communities that African charities (such as CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations) work with.

Through this project, CENFACS will work with Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs), particularly those engaged in different areas of economic peace or peace economics – such as the design of economic infrastructures and structures that the economically poor and those without peaceful life use, the prevention and mitigation of any latent or potential violent conflicts within the communities and between the communities that ASCOs work with.

The project, which will likely be implemented in areas of Africa that have previously been affected by natural disasters or civil insecurity or wars (like in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the African Sahel, etc.), will use a rights-based approach in order to respond to the needs of poverty reduction – in terms of equal rights to economically peaceful life – from poor and vulnerable people in Africa.  Their needs make the aim of this project.

 

• • The Aim of EPP

 

The aim of EPP is to reduce poverty linked to the lack of economic peace in order to create the necessary and even sufficient conditions of sustainable peace for project beneficiaries where the project will be implemented in Africa.  After the implementation of EPP, it is hoped that EPP will address needs, enhance people’s economic mobility, and foster local resilience by supporting project users to grab and use economic opportunities available and accessible by them.

 

• • EPP Beneficiaries

 

Amongst the types of people in need who could benefit from EPP, as defined above, are

 

√ Those who are looking for an economically peaceful life 

√ Those who do not have their rights recognised to economic peace

√ Those with insecure economic peace rights

√ The disproportionally affected by conflicts and climate change, and excluded vulnerable groups such as women and youth

√ Those who need help with counselling services to find economic peace within themselves, and between them and others

√ Conflict-affected and natural-disaster stricken communities

√ Those who want to run income-generating activities as way of getting out of poverty and finding economic peace

√ Those in need of economic peace skills

√ Poor and vulnerable populations without economic peace

√ The impacted of the geo-economic peace threats and destruction

etc.

 

Most of the above-mentioned types of beneficiaries will need some form of support in terms of guidance on how they can find and sustain economic peace.

 

• • Outcomes

 

After the implementation of EPP, it is expected that the following will be achieved:

 

√ Reduction in the number of those without economic peace

√ Improvement in the number of people with economic peace skills

√ Enhancement of the relationships between ASCOs, gifts of economic peace, recipient of these gifts and donors of these gifts

√ Improvement of the relationships between ASCOs, economic peace and the design of societies/communities in which ASCOs operate

√ Progress in women’s status and voice on economic peace matters

√ Decrease in the number of those without sustainable peace

√ Betterment of the perception of economic peace within the community

etc.

 

However, it is better to differentiate outcomes in project beneficiaries from those relating to Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations.

 

• • • Outcomes in project beneficiaries or individual level

 

With the implementation of EPP, there will be

 

~ jobs creation

~ stimulation of the local economy with economic opportunities for local people

~ fostering of entrepreneurship for those who would like to engage in business

~ resilience to economic shocks and crises

~ increase people’s productivity and their contribution to the local economic growth

~ improvement in people’s well-being and happiness as they find economic peace

etc.

 

Briefly, project beneficiaries will improve their economic peace status and well-being.

 

• • • Outcomes in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs)

 

Work undertaken by ASCOs to help reduce poverty linked to the lack of economic peace will lead to:

 

~ Social cohesion

~ Better cooperation between and within communities

~ Increase trust within communities and between communities

~ promotion of sustainable peace

~ reduced risk of violence

~ scaling down economic toll of conflicts

etc.

 

In short, working with ASCOs will cover the above-stated areas.  These areas will depend on the activities or services that ASCOs are specialised in or are prepared to embark on.

 

• • EPP 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 of the reduction of the lack of economic peace.  These measures include input, output, outcome and impact indicators.

 

• • • Input Indicators

 

Among the input indicators, there are the following:

 

~ Making sure that any funding to be received for the delivery of EPP is provided as scheduled

~ Checking if basic resources to deliver EPP will be accessible and utilised

~ Tracking support to be given to volunteers and all the people involved in the project, that it meets their needs and standards set in these project proposals.

etc.

 

• • • Output Indicators

 

They are:

 

~ Counting the number of activities to be conducted

~ Measuring the number of individuals with or acquiring economic peace skills or whose life will be improved because the implementation of EPP

~ Tracking economic peace produce and achievements

etc.

 

• • • Outcome Indicators

 

They include:

 

~ Finding out if there will be shifts or changes in the behaviour and practices of EPP beneficiaries or communities

~ Identification of new mechanisms or platforms or patterns of economic peace

~ Verifying if there will be changes in communities and measure these changes

etc.

 

• • • Impact Indicators

 

We can mention the following:

 

~ Reduction in violence and poverty linked to the lack of economic peace

~ Increase sense of economic security as a result of this project

~ Better intra community and inter-community relations

etc.

 

To sum up, EPP is project that will help to reduce poverty linked to the lack of economic peace in Africa,  Where it will be implemented, the project will contribute to the process of building and sustaining economic peace and good relationships within and between communities.  It will help the locals to access economic opportunities while fighting the lack of peace.

 

• • Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation

 

The Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will ensure that EPP is conflict-sensitive (that is; taking into account the local context and does not exacerbate any existing tensions).

As highlighted above, we have indicators and metrics to measure economic outcomes and peace outcomes resulting from EPP.

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 EPP to assess the overall impact of EPP.  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 economic peace, as far as the reduction of poverty linked to the lack of economic peace is concerned.

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 EPP accordingly, as well as to check the scalability of this project or model of working with ASCOs and their beneficiaries to help reduce poverty due to the lack of economic peace.

 

• • Project Funding Status

 

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.

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 Economic Peace Project; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Firli, A. & Hidayati, N. (2021), The Influence of Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, and Personality Towards Financial Management Behaviour on Productive Age Population in Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, Vol. 10, Supplementary Issue 3, https://sibresearch.org/uploads/3/4/0/9/3407180/riber_10-s3_04_k21-018_43-55.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/money-management# (accessed in January 2024)

(3) https://www.sierraeyemagazine.com/africa-in-2025-a-year-of-challenges-opportunities-and-transformation (accessed in January 2025)

(4) https://ofamerica.org/newresearch/africa-bridge-year-2025# (accessed in January 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!

15 January 2025

Post No. 387

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 86, Winter 2024/2025: African Charities and Their Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction

• The Internally Displaced Persons of Masisi Want Your Support

• Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations in 2025 – a Year of Opportunities, Openings, Operations, Optimisms and Options to Reduce Poverty 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 86, Winter 2024/2025: African Charities and Their Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction

 

African Charities contribute in many areas of life of those in need in Africa.  One area of contribution or their work is peace, particularly but not exclusively economic peace.  Their work on economic peace is what the 86th Issue of FACS is about.

The 86th Issue deals with peace economics, specifically how African Charities use the principles and recipes of peace economics in order to further reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development for their project beneficiaries.

The 86th Issue, which comes at the appropriate time when we are dealing with the Festive Gifts of Peace, draws from economic peace theories and how they can be applied on the charity and voluntary sector settings and context.

The 86th Issue as well refers to the Global Peace Index developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).  According to the IEP (1),

“Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a fall in peacefulness on the 2024 Global Peace Index, with the average score in the region deteriorating by 0.89 per cent over the past year.  Sub-Saharan Africa is the second last peaceful region behind the Middle East and North Africa, with three of the ten least peaceful countries in the world found in the region”.

With reference to what the IEP’s argument, the 86th Issue looks at the ecosystem of peace economics and how African Charities are trying to work with the problems their beneficiaries face during pre-crisis and post-crisis reconstruction periods.  This includes the work of prevention and resilience they are undertaking so that their beneficiaries can build a stronger and sustainable peace.

More details about the 86th Issue of FACS can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• The Internally Displaced Persons of Masisi Want Your Support

 

This is an appeal from the people of the territory of Masisi, North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo regarding the insecurity and humanitarian conditions they are experiencing.  The following sources of information and data explain what they are undergoing.

 

• • Sources of Information and Data Summarising What Is Happening in Masisi

 

According to the ‘un.org.’ (2),

“Between January 1st and 5th, over 100,000 people were forced to flee the fighting between the M23 and the Congolese army and their allies in Masisi territory”.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) (3) also states that

“More than 10,000 people seek refuge in Masisi hospital and MSF base”.

Yet, Masisi hospital does not have the capacity to welcome such as huge number of people seeking refuge.

Additionally, ‘aa.com.tr’ (4) points out that

“More than 2.8 million people are already displaced in North Kivu, more than one-third of the population of the province”.

This displacement is due to the ongoing fighting between the Congolese army and rebel armed groups.  Whatever the reason each side involved in this fighting has, it is not simply possible or acceptable that innocent people of Masisi bear the brunt of their fight.

 

The Internally Displaced Persons of Masisi Want Your Support!

 

• • Donate to Support Them

 

You could donate to support them.  You can give either your influence or money or both to support them.

If you decide to provide influence, you could put your positive influence on those who have the key to this humanitarian crisis or the factors feeding this crisis so that the Congolese victims of this crisis can move out of it.

If you choose instead to donate money, you can give £7 or any amount above.  Your money will be allocated as follows:

£3 from your £7 can be used to meet the sanitation needs of the internally displaced people of Masisi

£4 can assist them in accessing safe drinking water and medical care, while releasing pressure at the Masisi General Hospital.

Please, let us give hope to and strengthen resilience of these displaced people of Masisi.

To support and or enquire about this appeal, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation in 2025 –

A Year of Opportunities, Openings, Operations, Optimisms and Options to Reduce Poverty  

 

Every year brings along with it challenges and opportunities.  2025 does not make any exception as it brings both challenges and opportunities.  2025 could be a year of challenges and opportunities for Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs).

ASCOs can do their own SWOT analysis to identify and determine the internal Strengths and Weaknesses of their organisations as well as the external Opportunities and Threats they may come across throughout 2025.  They can as well conduct PEST analysis or assess the four external factors of this PEST analysis and find how these factors can affect their 2025 performance and activities.  These well known PEST analysis factors are political, economic, social and technical.

By focusing on opportunities and openings from the SWOT analysis rather than on the other three elements of SWOT analysis, they can appraise their external environment and their presence in African markets of poverty reduction as well as formulate a strategy and develop their services to work with those in need in a new or improved direction.

They need to consider the five mentioned attributes of what could be 2025 for Africa, which are 2025 as a Year of Opportunities, Openings, Operations, Optimisms and Options to Reduce Poverty.  To explain these attributes, we have referred to a number of futurist and prospective studies and analyses.  We have summarised or interpreted and included them in our own analysis as indicated by the following points.

 

• • 2025 as a Year of Opportunities and Openings

 

2025 as a year of opportunities and openings to reduce poverty means that there will be favourable or advantageous conditions for Africa to reduce poverty, and ASCOs can take advantage of those conditions.  It is also a year of chance for them.  What are those conditions and chances?

We have summarised and numbered below these opportunities and openings (OO) and the possible actions (PA) to be taken to grab them.

 

OO1: The website ‘sierraeyemagazine.com’ (5) indicates that

“With Africa’s population to reach 1.5 billion in 2025, the continent’s youth represent a powerful force for innovation, entrepreneurship and societal transformation”.

PA1: ASCOs can engage more young people in their projects and programmes, especially at the level of volunteering.

OO2: Food insecurity will continue to be an issue in Africa in 2025.

PA2: High food insecurity will provide an opportunity for ASCOs to advocate or campaign so that food reaches the poor and vulnerable of their communities.

OO3: According to ‘ofamerica.org’ (6),

“With headline economic growth reaching approximately 3.2%, Africa ranked among the fastest-growing regions globally”.

PA3: ASCOs can campaign and advocate so the share of this economic growth can be distributed fairly to reach the poor or the community they serve.

OO4: 2025 could be a year of prolonged conflicts, poor rule of law, human rights abuses, discrimination, exclusion and unemployment.

PA4: ASCOs can start to plan to deal with all these problems should they happen.

OO5: 2025 could be a year of resurgence of resource nationalism in Africa.  As ‘ofamerica.com’ (op. cit.) explains that “Africa’s vast renewable energy potential, including solar and wind resources, mineral wealth such as lithium and cobalt, and untapped markets in agriculture and technology, make it indispensable to global efforts towards climate resilience and economic growth”.

PA5: Africa’s minerals are at the heart of the global energy transitions and if some African countries decide to renegotiate their contracts on natural resources or the terms of joint-venture agreements with foreign direct investors, ASCOs need to be prepared to advocate for the equal share of the dividends from these contract renegotiations and terms for the poor in terms of direct dividend transfers.

etc.

 

• • 2025 as a Year of Optimisms

 

2025 could be a year that Africa needs to take hopeful view of things that may happen and expect the best possible outcomes from these things.  Among these things, we can mention below some Optimisms (O) together with Possible Actions(PA) to be taken.

O1: The Lobito Corridor, which consists of a 1,300 km railway line traversing Angola, is a project connecting the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Coast to the city of Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The corridor aims to transport materials from the mineral-rich, DRC and Zambia to the markets in the USA and Europe.

PA1: ASCOs working in the area of transportation can assess the impact of this Corridor in terms of poverty reduction on their users, who may use it or be living along side of it; and generate projects. 

O2: 2025 is a year of democratic transitions and consolidations

PA2: Democratic transitions and consolidations are unfinished business and still continue in Africa as national and/or legislative polls will take place in Africa in 2025, and ASCOs need to be optimist in some cases that these polls will lead to substantive democracy, which will result in tangible poverty reduction results. 

O3: 2025 is as well a year of deepening of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

PA3: As the operationalisation of the AfCFTA continues, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) is facilitating cross-border transactions in local currencies. And multinational ASCOs can help or use it to undertake cross-border payments while reducing transaction costs.

O4: African Union is now full member of G20 (Group of 20).

PA4: African Union was granted a permanent seat at G20 implying from the poverty reduction perspective that ASCOs need to realistically and optimistically assess how G20 can be relevant for their work with those in need and how this full membership can help align and coordinate policies and views on the topics of poverty reduction across Africa and within the G20.

 

• • 2025 as a Year of Full Operations

 

2025 is also a year of recovery operations to reduce poverty in the post-pandemic and enduring cost-of-living eras.  Although the economic recovery is slow and economic growth is low for a good recovery, many operations have continued to take ground or expand.  Now that many of the activities and services have been curated across Africa following the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster and the cost-of-living crisis, ASCOs can seize the momentum of the New Year to increase the volume of their operations to a full functioning capacity.

 

• • 2025 as a Year of Options

 

2025 is finally a year of options to reduce poverty via international cooperation and foreign direct investment.  Today, China, USA, Russia, UK and the countries members of European Union are all together competing to get their share of market in Africa.  This competition provides options for Africa.  This also gives options for ASCOs in terms of the choice they have to make regarding their work on poverty reduction.

The above possibilities show that Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations can cautiously grab the opportunities and openings of the 2025 year in order to operate and further up their poverty reduction work and regain the lost hard-won poverty reduction results; lost results because of economic crises, climate change and  armed conflicts in Africa.  Besides that, they need to be optimist, not pessimist about Africa and the people they serve; while choosing from  at the new options brought various investors.

For those optimist Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations wanting to fully operate, grab the above-mentioned opportunities and openings, and take the right options but finding some difficulties to operate; they can discuss the matter with CENFACS so that together we can plan a 2025 market development strategy.

Need a market development strategy or plan in order to fully operate, mindfully take option and optimistically engage with the 2025 array of tremendous opportunities and openings to reduce and end poverty in Africa; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2023-2025, Still Running

• Guidance Service on Mindful Consumption and Spending

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 2

 

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2024-2025, Still Running

 

Our Season of Giving through the Gifts of Peace for Edition 2024-2025 has not yet finished.  The Gifts-of-Peace Campaign will end on 31 January 2025.  We still have almost 2 weeks to go until the end of this month. We are making a plea to those who have not yet managed to support to keep these gifts and our agenda for peace in their mind.

If you have not yet supported, you can still do something great for poverty relief and for healing the lingering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the scars of the cost-of-living crisis.

Although the deadline for the Season of Donation for these gifts is 31 January 2025, we will still accept any donations made after this deadline to enable those who will not be in a position to donate by this deadline to have a chance to donate after.

Please do not wait for the expiration of the deadline as the needs are pressing and urgent.

We know that many supporters of good causes have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis.  We are as well aware of the current economic situation is not an easy one (with inflation of 2.5% last December and low economic growth in the UK), which complicates the way people donate to good causes.

However, for those who can please do not hesitate to support these noble and beautiful causes of peace since the potential beneficiaries of them are trebly impacted by:

 

a) The lingering economic effects of previous crises (like the coronavirus)

b) The already extremely poor conditions in which they are living

c) The scars of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.

 

Every support counts to help reduce and end extreme poverty.

Please keep the Gifts of Peace in your mind as the giving season continues.

For further details about these Gifts of Peace and or to support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

We look forward to your support.  Thank you!

 

 

• Guidance Service on Mindful Consumption and Spending

 

For those of our users who are looking for help and support in terms of consuming and spending mindfully, we can work with them so that they can navigate their way out mindless consumption-based poverty.  We can together explore the following options or tips to deal with mindful consumption and spending:

 

√ Improving their spending intent

√ Creating a budget to deal with emotional triggers

√ Using a pause before purchasing

√ Setting up cost cutting targets on budget items such as takeaways, eating out, clothing, etc.

√ Switching to cheap mindful retailers to save money

√ Trimming budget

√ Prioritising expenses

√ Setting up a policy not to borrow money for mindless expenses

√ Adopting cost-saving behaviour

√ Tracking their spending

√ Briefly, developing a strategy or policy for mindful spending.

 

We can even work with them on a project to write their budget journal for mindful spending.

The above-mentioned options or tools will help them to build confidence throughout 2025 and beyond.

For those users who would like to dive into the reduction of mindless consumption-based poverty, we can provide them with online and print resources relating to this matter.  These resources highlight the mindful spending tips and hints.

There is a lot of online resources and websites they can sign up and receive advice on this matter.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 2

 

We are continuing Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and Scheme, as planned.  We are available to work in hybrid mode with users via the Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (FCCBP) or Scheme (FCCBS) so that you can be stronger in this year.  Both FCCBP and FCCBS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

The second activities of  FCCBP and FCCBS, which will be run from 15 to 21 January 2025, have been highlighted below.

 

• • 15 to 21 January 2025: Financially Managing Events (Activity 2 of FCCBP)

 

This second Structured Finance Activity, which is part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and which is run as guidance sessions, consists of working with users to get the clues on how to financially manage events.  It is about guiding users on a tactical, short-term and reactive process of making sure that their financial resources are used in most effective way possible with regard to events handling.

If any of our users need guidance about how to financially manage their events, they can ask CENFACS for answers.

 

• • 15 to 21 January 2025: Financially Planning Ahead (Activity 2 of FCCBS)

 

This second Structured Finance Activity, which is part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Scheme, is about strategically and proactively creating detailed budgets for a week or month or year (2025) while setting up goals and timelines to achieve them on a long-term basis.

If any of our users need to draw a plan or strategy that explains how they can financially plan ahead, they can contact CENFACS.

Have a question about how to financially manage your events or need to draw a financial plan or strategy about your household matters, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

In additions, if you have financial planning problems, you can communicate with CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you stay stronger this New Year.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Service d’Orientation sur la Consommation et les Dépenses Conscientes

Pour les utilisateurs/rices de nos services qui recherchent de l’aide et du soutien, nous pouvons travailler avec eux/elles afin qu’ils/elles puissent se frayer un chemin endehors de la pauvreté aveugle basée sur la consommation.  Nous pouvons explorer ensemble les options ou les conseils suivants pour faire face aux dépenses conscientes ou irréfléchies:

√ Améliorer leurs intentions de dépenses

√ Créer un budget pour faire face aux déclencheurs émotionnels

√ Faire une pause avant d’acheter

√ Mettre en place des objectifs de réduction des coûts sur les postes budgétaires tels que les plats à emporter, les restaurants, les vêtements, etc.

√ Faire des achats auprès des détaillants bon marché et conscients pour économiser de l’argent

√ Réduire le budget de dépenses

√ Prioriser les dépenses

√ Mettre en place une politique de ne pas emprunter d’argent pour des dépenses inconsidérées

√ Adopter un comportement d’économie de coûts

√ Suivi et contrôle de leurs dépenses

√ En bref, l’élaboration d’une stratégie ou d’une politique de dépenses conscientes.

Nous pouvons même travailler avec eux/elles sur un projet pour rédiger leur journal budgétaire pour des dépenses conscientes.

Les options ou les outils mentionnés ci-dessus les aideront à renforcer leur confiance tout au long de l’année 2025 et au-delà.

Pour les utilisateurs/rices qui souhaitent se plonger dans la réduction de la pauvreté aveugle basée sur la consommation, nous pouvons leur fournir des ressources en ligne et imprimées relatives à ce sujet.  Ces ressources mettent en évidence les conseils et astuces pour dépenser consciencieusement.

Il existe de nombreuses ressources en ligne et de sites Web sur lesquels ils/elles peuvent s’inscrire et recevoir des conseils à ce sujet.

Si vous avez besoin de conseils sur la consommation consciente, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 86, Winter 2024/2025: African Charities and Their Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction

 

The contents and key summaries of the 86th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Terms Relating to the 86th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Key Theories Used in the 86th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

III. African Charities and Their Contribution to Economic Peace  (Page 3)

IV.  African Charities and Their Attempt to Stop the Likelihood of Violent Conflicts (Page 3)

V. The Relationships between African Charities, Economic Peace and the Institutional Design of Societies (Page 4)

VI. The Relationships between African Charities, Gifts of Economic Peace, Recipients and Donors of These Gifts (Page 4)

VII.  Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et leur Application de l’Écosystème de l’Économie de la Paix sur les Questions de Genre (Page 5)

VIII.  Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail sur la Participation Égale des Femmes aux Processus de Paix Économique (Page 5)

IX.  Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail contre la Discrimination et la Violence Sexuelles et Sexistes pour Assurer la Paix Économique (Page 6)

X.  Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail avec les Femmes dans les Processus de Paix Économiques Informels(Page 6)

XII. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion about African Charities’ Work on Economic Peace  (Page 7)

XIII. Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Economic Peace (Page 8)

XIV. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about African Charites’ Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction (Page 9)

XV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 86th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Terms Relating to the 86th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three terms used in the context of this Issue of FACS.  These terms are African charities, economic peace and poverty reduction.  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.

 

• • • • Economic peace

 

There are many definitions of economic peace whether used the expression economic peace or peace economics.  To understand economic peace, let us recall what ‘un.org’ (8) argues about peace, which is

“Peace is more than the absence of conflict; it is a catalyst for economic well-being, laying the foundation for societies to thrive for generation to come”.

The ‘un.org’ sees the intricate connection between economics and peace.  This intricate connection allows to speak about peace economics.  Peace economics can be defined in many ways.  In its behavioural approach to peace economics,  D. Roy (9) argues that

“Peace economics is a field of study that focusses on analysing the economic factors that contribute to peace and conflict resolution.  It explores the connections between economics, politics, and psychosocial dynamics to understand how economic policies and conditions can influence the likelihood of violent conflicts and the prospects for peace”.

Taking the same line of reasoning, ‘usip.org’ (10) states that

“Peace economics is the branch of economics that studies the design of societies’ political, economic, and cultural institutions and their interacting policies and actions to prevent, mitigate, or resolve any type of latent or actual violent conflict within and between societies”.

The 86th Issue will refer to these these definitions of peace economics to explain how African Charities contribute to economic peace and poverty reduction in Africa.

 

• • • • Poverty reduction

 

There are various perspectives on poverty reduction.  Looking at poverty reduction from the monetary perspective, Y. A. Bununu (11) thinks that

“Poverty reduction can be considered as the improvement of an individual’s or group’s monetary expenditure to an amount above the poverty line while improving access to education, healthcare, information, economic opportunities, security of land-tenure, all the other deprivations associated with it”.

From this perspective, reducing poverty is about improving of people’s monetary expenditure to an amount above the poverty line while improving all the other conditions of better quality of their life.

Taking a historical and intertemporal view of poverty reduction, the website ‘borgenproject.org’ (12) argues that poverty reduction is evolving concept.  It evolves from a simple to complex concept throughout the time to mean the following:

 

σ financial contributions to governments of poverty-stricken nations

σ achieving the goal of lifting as many people above the poverty line as possible

σ the extended relief programmes and education programmes focusing on sustainability in target communities.

 

The goalposts of poverty reduction keep moving depending on the types of hardship people face at a particular time of the history.

The above-named definitions shape the contents of the 86th Issue of FACS.

 

• • • Key Theories Used in the 86th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

Amongst the economic peace theories found within the literature on economic peace, there is the capitalist peace theory (CPT) which posits that market openness contributes to more peaceful behaviour amongst states, and that developed market-oriented economics are less likely to engage in conflict with one another.  Since Montesquieu, the proponents of this theory believe that trade would decrease the attractiveness of war.

However, there are strong criticisms about the capitalist peace theory.  Its opponents see in capitalism a source of conflict rather than of peace.  As part these criticisms, ‘oxfordre.com’ (13) argues that

“CPT could establish itself as central theory of peace and war in two respects: First, it could serve as an antidote to critical approaches on the far left or far right that see in capitalism a source of conflict rather than of peace. Second, it could become an important complement to commercial liberalism that stresses the external openness rather than the internal freedoms as an economic cause of peace and that particularly sees trade and foreign direct investment as pacifying forces”.

The 86th Issue cautiously interprets this theory in looking at its positive elements.

There is also the modern economic peace theory (14) which states

“Rich democracies have more open economies, and therefore the fewest wars with each other.  By contrast, poor democracies tend to have lower sensitivity and integration, while non-democracies will be less attentive to any internal costs of coercion, so that both have larger conflicts of interest with other states, including rich democracies.  Thus, the modern economic peace theory predicts a dyadic peace that is strongest among rich democracies”.

The 86th Issue takes into account the premises of the modern economic peace theory and how it can be related to the new democracies of Africa which are integrated within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in particular whether or not the AfCFTA helps them avoid wars between them.

There are other valuable theories that need to be listed, such as peace as social construct, developmental peace which promote sustainable peace through multi-dimensional development, etc.

Additionally, the 86th Issue refers to the theories of institutional design.  On this matter, ‘cambridge.org’ (15) notes in a book titled ‘Theories of Institutional Design’ published with the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University that

“Social and political institutions shape the patterns of individual interactions that produce social phenomena and with the ways in which those institutions emerge from such interactions”.

These theories of institutional design are also relevant in the way African Charities approach economic peace.  As the ‘gov.uk’ (16) puts it,

“Charities and social enterprises – the social sector – are the core of civil society”.

In Africa, African Charities are the centre of their civil societies.  They can combat the threats to democracy, deliver social good.  Their voice matters for poverty reduction and the enhancement of sustainable development.  They can raise a large amount of income to support civil society and poverty reduction in Africa.  Therefore, they need to have a say on the way societies are institutionally designed in Africa.

 

• • • African Charities and Their Contribution to Economic Peace (Page 3)

 

African Charities (AC) contribute in a number of ways or projects or programmes to economic peace in Africa.  Their ways of contributing include the following:

 

~ advocacy for peaceful means of conflict resolution

~ campaign for gender balance and equality for all

~ provision of clean and safe water to the people in need

~ fight for the uphold of human rights

~ building lasting capacity for the youth

~ holding peace negotiation talks and conducting negotiations

~ advocating for the use of diplomatic means of conflict resolution

etc.

 

The above is just a few of the many types of work that African Charities do to contribute to economic peace and poverty reduction in Africa. The African Charities are many of varying sizes and kinds.  Examples of them that are involved in economic peace include Peace African Hope Organisation and the Coalition for Peace in Africa.

 

• • • African Charities and Their Attempt to Stop the Likelihood of Violent Conflicts (Page 3)

 

Stopping the likelihood of violent conflicts is one of the economic peace initiatives that can be taken by AC.  To take this initiative, AC use local potentials for peace with both war and non-war communities to engage them in peacebuilding.

They do it by

 

~ working with local actors in different of peace

~ developing conflict prevention measures

~ helping reduce polarization between communities

~ using nonviolent approaches to protection

~ engaging with armed groups and actors

~ building community resilience

~ minimising violence

~ promoting peace

~ redrawing social contract

~ re-establishing social capital

etc.

 

Although we have mentioned the above initiatives, there are more ones that can be taken.  It all depends on AC’s area of work or expertise.

 

 

• • • The Relationships between African Charities, Economic Peace and the Institutional Design of Societies  (Page 4)

 

Like in any society or region of the world, there is an influence or interaction between African Charities, Economic Peace and the Institutional Design of Societies.

Indeed, like any charity in any place of the world, AC can promote economic peace by addressing inequalities, supporting local communities, and providing education and training that can lead to jobs creation.  In order for AC to better operate, they need to consider the structures, institutions and policies that shape how communities function as well as how AC operate.

In this respect, societal needs that African governments and market mechanisms may overlook, AC can address them.  They can address them to have a stable and prosperous economic environment where resources are equitable distributed, opportunities for economic participation are accessible for all and conflicts are minimised.  For instance, they can contribute to the policy of silencing the guns in Africa.

 

 

• • • The Relationships between African Charities, Gifts of Economic Peace, Recipients and Donors of These Gifts (Page 4)

 

Gifts of Peace are one of the CENFACS favourites gifts to give to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development during the Festive Season.  They have links with AC, those who give the gifts and those who receive them.  There relationships can be broken down as follows:

 

a) AC act as intermediaries to facilitate the process of giving and receiving

b) Donors or funders provide the gifts of economic peace by giving either money or good or service.

c) Recipients are the beneficiaries from the economic peace donations

d) Gifts of economic peace are the acts of giving in order to help recipients reduce poverty, and possibly change the quality of their life.

 

The relationships between AC, donors and recipients are based on need, trust, altruism and the shared goals of poverty reduction and economic peace.

 

 

• • • Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Application de l’Écosystème de l’Économie de la Paix sur les Questions de Genre (Page 5)

 

D’après usip.org (op. cit.),

«L’économie de la paix peut être comprise comme un écosystème, et le fait de fixer son regard sur les principes de conception, plutôt que sur les spécificités du contexte, contribue non seulement à la reconstruction d’après-guerre, mais aussi à la prévention et à l’atténuation de la violence, ainsi qu’à la construction d’une communauté et d’une résilience à la violence».

Avec la compréhension de l’économie de la paix en tant qu’écosystème, la plupart des organisations caritatives africaines essaient de s’assurer que les principes de conception répondent également aux questions de genre.  Elles s’efforcent de prévenir la violence fondée sur le genre tout en bâtissant une communauté égalitaire qui résiste à la violence fondée sur le sexe.  Ce travail concerne également la reconstruction d’après-guerre.

 

• • • Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail sur la Participation Égale des Femmes aux Processus de Paix Économique (Page 5)

 

Le travail des organisations caritatives africaines qui travaillent sur les questions de participation des femmes comprend des efforts visant à augmenter le nombre de femmes dans les efforts de prévention, de médiation et de résolution des conflits.  Il inclut également la probabilité d’un accord de paix durable.

Par exemple, ces organisations s’efforcent d’avoir un pourcentage accru de femmes négociatrices et médiatrices dans les processus de paix actifs pour la plupart des conflits en Afrique.

Cependant, il faut reconnaître que, bien qu’il y ait eu un travail digne d’intérêt pour accroître la participation des femmes dans les processus de paix économique, il reste encore un long chemin à parcourir pour obtenir une participation pleine, égale et significative dans les missions de rétablissement et de consolidation de la paix économique.

 

• • • Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail contre la Discrimination et la Violence Sexuelles et Sexistes pour Assurer la Paix Économique (Page 6)

 

Les organisations caritatives africaines qui luttent contre la violence basée sur le genre (comme la Coalition Contre la Violence à l’Égard des Femmes, Sonke Gender Justice et d’autres) tentent de s’assurer que les dispositions relatives au genre sont visibles dans les accords de paix.   Comme toute organisation sensée, elles appliquent la Convention de l’Union Africaine sur l’élimination de la violence à l’égard des femmes et des filles (17).

Elles se battent également pour que les femmes et les filles reçoivent un soutien médical et non médical pour faire face à la violence basée sur le genre.  Comme en République Démocratique du Congo où 733 cas de violences sexuelles liées aux conflits ont été enregistrés en 2023 (18).

 

• • • Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et Leur Travail avec les Femmes dans les Processus de Paix Économiques Informels (Page 6)

 

Il existe des processus de paix économiques formels et informels.  Dans les deux processus, les organisations caritatives africaines laissent leur marque.  En considérant les processus de paix économiques informels, leur travail de consolidation de la paix au niveau local a tendance à impliquer les femmes dans les efforts de paix informels.

Par exemple, elles le font dans le cadre d’efforts de paix locaux.

Cependant, si elles veulent que leur travail soit largement remarqué, elles peuvent s’ouvrir à des structures formelles de processus de paix économique.  Cette ouverture peut les aider à obtenir et à accroître le soutien à l’égard de leur travail et de leur mission.

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Economic Peace (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on the economic peace role of African Charities

 

The survey is about the role of African Charities in promoting economic peace by addressing the root causes of conflict and fostering sustainable development.

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 African Charities’ economic peace role.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

As part of the survey, we are running a questionnaire which contains some questions.  One of these questions is:

 

Q: Do charities (here African Charities) contribute to creating a more peaceful and economically stable society?

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Testing hypotheses about causal relationships between economic peace and poverty reduction

 

There is this general assumption that economic interdependence and free trade can promote peace between countries.  So, reducing barriers to trade and improving economic conditions can help achieve economic peace.

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into the relations between economic peace and poverty reduction, they can use the above-mentioned general assumption to test the inference of the following hypotheses:

 

a) Null hypothesis (Ho): Economic peace has an effect on poverty reduction in Africa 

b) Alternative hypothesis (H1): Economic peace has no effect on poverty reduction in Africa

 

The above tests are for those of our members who would like to dive deep into economic peace and poverty reduction.  In order to conduct these tests, one needs data.

 

• • • • E-question on your view about economic peace

 

Self-awareness and awareness of others can help build economic peace.  This can raise the following question:

 

Q: Does awareness of poor people can help build economic peace with them or reduce poverty?

 

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 economic peace matter, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • E-discussion on economic self-sufficiency and peace

 

The e-discussion is how fostering economic sufficiency at the individual level can contribute to community resilience and economic peace.

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 Economic Peace (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Guidance regarding the reduction of poverty linked to the lack of economic peace

 

Promoting economic peace values, justice, rights and development can help reduce poverty and possibly end it.  This can 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 poverty linked to the lack of economic peace, CENFACS is prepared to work with them on this matter.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of aligning their mission with the goal of reducing poverty linked to the lack of economic peace.

We can work with them under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  We can as well signpost them to organisations working on economic peace and poverty linked to it.

Need advice, guidance and information; please contact CENFACS for support.

 

• • • • Tools and metrics of the 86th Issue of FACS

 

The 86th Issue of FACS uses four tools or metrics which are: the Global Peace Index, the Positive Peace Index, the Multidimensional Poverty Index and Poverty Gap Ratio.

Let us briefly explain these tools or metrics.

 

• • • • • Economic peace tools and metrics

 

The Issue 86 uses two economic peace metrics, which are the Global Peace Index and Positive Peace Index

 

a) The Global Peace Index (GPI)

 

The website ‘panhuman.us’ (19) provides its explanation by stating this:

“Developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI ranks 163 independent states and territories based on their level of peacefulness.  This comprehensive index assesses peace through three broad domains: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization”.

According to the IEP (op.cit.),

“Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a fall in peacefulness on the 2024 Global Peace Index, with the average score in the region deteriorating by 0.89 per cent over the past year.  Sub-Saharan Africa is the second last peaceful region behind the Middle East and North Africa, with three of the ten least peaceful countries in the world found in the region”.

 

b) Positive Peace Index (PPI)

 

The website ‘resourcewatch.org’ (20) explains that

“PPI is a quantitative approach to measure Positive Peace.  Positive Peace is defined as the attitudes, institutions, and structures that lead to a more peaceful society.  A country with a higher PPI is more capable of building and maintaining peace”.

It is a measure of the relationship between peace and poverty.

For instance, ‘statista.com’ (21) notes that

“In 2022, Mauritius achieved the highest overall score (2.57) in the PPI in Africa”.

 

• • • • • Poverty tool and metrics: The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and Poverty Gap Ratio

 

a) The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

 

According to ‘hdr.undp.org’ (22),

“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)

In this respect, the MPI is important to measure economic peace that the multidimensional poor are not enjoying.

 

b) Poverty Gap Ratio

 

This is an interesting metrics of poverty as it measures the intensity of poverty.

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (23) 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 on economic peace and poverty reduction in Africa.

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 economic peace and poverty reduction

 

Information and Guidance include two types areas of support via CENFACS, which are:

 

a) Information and guidance on economic peace and poverty reduction

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

 

• • • • • Information and guidance on economic peace and poverty reduction

 

Those Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are looking for information and guidance on economic peace 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.

 

• • • • • Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing in economic peace and poverty reduction

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about impact investing in economic peace, 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 economic peace, although the Issue 86 does not list them.  Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations 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 Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction  (Page 9)

 

 

• • • • Mini themed workshop on economic peace skills to reduce poverty 

 

It is possible to learn some skills to help the way African Charities and their human resources approach economic peace.  These economic peace skills could include the following:

 

~ civil skills to build peace

~ skills for peace education

~ multi-skills like entrepreneurial ones

~ negotiations skills

~ peace resolution skills

etc.

 

They can boost their knowledge and skills about economic peace and poverty reduction with CENFACS.

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about economic peace skills and knowledge.  Those who need an in-depth economic peace skills training assessment are also welcome.   The workshop will provide recommendations for actions with options and opportunities for the participants.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Focus group on impact investing in economic peace

 

The focus group will deal with how to invest not only to realise a good return on your investment, but also to create a lasting impact in economic peace.  Impact investing in economic peace will be approached from the perspective of win-win.

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

 

• • • • Winter 2025 activity: Talking to Peace Experts

 

This user involvement activity revolves around the answers to the following questions:

 

Q1: Do you talk to a peace expert to resolve any conflict within you or between you and others? 

Q2: Do you believe in peace negotiations, making, building and keeping? 

 

Those who would like to answer these two questions and participate to our ‘Talking to Peace 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.

 

• • • • Economic Peace Project (EPP)

 

EPP is an initiative that addresses issues leading to conflicts and inequality, enhances social mobility, and provides purchasing power to the economically poor people to buy basic farming and gardening tools to produce crops and create basic economic wealth to reduce poverty.  It also provide them an opportunity to trade among them, while eliminating the barriers to peace.

The real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of economic peace.

To support or contribute to EPP, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including the implementation plan of the EPP, please contact CENFACS.

The full copy of the 86th Issue of FACS is available on request.

For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Institute for Economics and Peace. Global Peace Index 2024. Measuring Peace in a Complex World, Sydney, June 2024. Available from: http://visionhumanity.org/resources (accessed in January 2025)

(2) https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/highlight/2025-01-08.html (accessed in January 2025)

(3) https://msf.org.uk/article/drc-more-10000-seek-refuge-masisi-hospital-and-msf-base (accessed in January 2025)

(4) https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/clushes-in-congo-have-displaced-tens-of-thousands-since-start-of-2025-un/3447339 (accessed in January 2025)

(5) https://www.sierraeyemagazine.com/africa-in-2025-a-year-of-challenges-opportunities-and-transformation (accessed in January 2025)

(6) https://ofamerica.org/newresearch/africa-bridge-year-2025# (accessed in January 2025)

(7) https://howcharitieswork.com/about-charities/what-is-a-charity/ (accessed in October 2024)

(8) https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/economics-of-peace-interplay-between-stability-conflict-resolution-global-prosperity# (accessed in January 2025)

(9) Roy, D. D. (2025), “Peace Economics: Behavioural Approach”, Chatterji, M., Chatterji, M. and Sharma, K. (Ed.) Conflict Prevention and Peace Management (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 34), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 83-92 https://doi.org/10.1108/S1572-832320240000034020 (accessed in January 2025)

(10) https://www.usip.org/publications/peace-economics-questions-and-answers# (accessed in January 2025)

(11) Bununu, Y. A. (2020). Poverty Reduction: Concept, Approaches, and Case Studies. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer. Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71058-7_31-1 (accessed in April 2024)

(12) https://borgenproject.org/what-is-poverty-reduction/ (accessed in April 2024)

(13) https: //oxfordre.com/politics/politics/abstract/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-314 (accessed in January 2025)

(14) https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/pegroup/files/coe2017.pdf (accessed in January 2025)

(15) https://www.cambridge.org/core/series/theories-of-institutional-design/c27D7B23B6E6CD42167BB51BB7F7909E (accessed in January 2025)

(16) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-society-strategy-building-a-future-that-works-for-everyone/3-the-social-sector-supporting-charities-and-social-enterprises (accessed in January 2025)

(17) htpps://au.int/en/aucevawg (accessed in January 2025)

(18) https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/peace-and-security/facts-and-figures (accessed in January 2025)

(19) https://panhuman.us/our-mission/global-peace-index-2024/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdzApr7IigMVppJQBh39jCs_EAAYASAAEgLb6PD_BwE (accessed in January 2025)

(20) https://resourcewatch.org/data/explore/soc092-Positive-Peace-Index?section=Discover&SelectedCollection… (accessed in January 2025)

(21) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1311547/countries-with-high-levels-of-positive-peace-in-africa/ (accessed in January 2025)

(22) https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/mpireport2024.pdf (accessed in January 2025)

(23) 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!

08 January 2025

Post No. 386

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• 2025 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

• 2025 as a Year of Restoration 

• Giving Hope to the Humanitarian Needy of Mali in 2025

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• 2025 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

 

Last week, we listed projects and programmes to be carried out in January 2025.   This week, we are unveiling more projects and programmes including resources.  The last week’s listed projects and the ones to be unveiled below will all make our Light Season 2025.

In both last week’s and this week’s listings, there are three types of projects and programmes, which are:

 

a) Specifically Designed projects and programmes (such as humanitarian appeals) to feature CENFACS’ Light Campaign/Advocacy,  to bring and carry the message of hope through a Blaze of Hope 

b) Initiatives Mindfully Planned to express Energy or Light Season, to shift to renewable energy sources

c) Seasonal projects and programmes that Just Fall Within the Season of Light, which is from 21 December in the preceding year (e.g., 2024) to 21 March in the following year (e.g., 2025).

 

All Specifically Designed, Mindfully Planned and Seasonal projects and programmes will be implemented side by side as we move throughout the Season of Light.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details about the 2025 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes.

 

 

• 2025 as a Year of Restoration 

 

This year, we will be interested in the restoration in the CENFACS process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.  Restoration can help to work with those in need in their efforts of finding way to come out poverty and contribute to sustainability, since we are still in the United Nations’ Decade (2021-2030) on Ecosystem Restoration (1).

Indeed, 2025 will be a Year of Restoration within CENFACS, a year of using the notion of restoration as tool to understand paradigmatic change in the lives of those in need, particularly the CENFACS Community members.  It will be a year of working with them as they are restoring things in their lives so that they can reduce poverty. 

In this work with them, one should understand that restoration does not necessarily lead to change.  Yet, what we would like to achieve together with them is restoration that lead to better change, not status quo.  But, what do we mean by restoration?

 

• • Understanding Restoration

 

The concept of restoration can be perceived in many ways.  Let us start with the dictionary definition of it, which is given by ‘dictionary.cambridge.org’ (2).  According to the latter,

“Restoration is the act or process of returning something to its earlier good condition or position, or to its owner”.

Another explanation of restoration comes from ‘safetyculture.com’ (3) which argues that

“Restoration refers to any action or process used to repair, re-establish, or renew tangible assets such as buildings and equipment or intangible assets like stocks.  The process usually occurs after an event that damages an organisation’s property.  This could be a flood or fire that destroys parts of the facility, equipment malfunctions that lead to equipment damage or restoring the environment after mining activities in a certain area”.

Restoration can also be looked at from the green economy perspective.  According to the website ‘ekonomimembumi.co’ (4),

“Restorative economics is essentially a green economy concept centred on nature and people’s well-being, bringing harmony to the nature-human relationship so as to protect and restore natural functions”.

Restoration can as well be approached from historical point of view.  From this view, restoration refers to ‘the period in 17th-Century English history when Charles II was king after a long period of no king or queen on the throne’ (5).

So, there are more perspectives on restoration like economic, social-ecological, green, historic, etc.  We shall come back on any of these perspectives as we move throughout the year.  For instance, historic restoration will be dealt with in the history month of October.  Likewise, ecological restoration will be part of our climate month next March, while restoration as a building process will frame our Season of Rebuilding or Renewal Lives next Spring.

Furthermore, we will be interested in aspects of restoration linked to poverty reduction and sustainable development during the Year of Restoration within CENFACS.  In particular, we shall focus on the restoration economy, that is on activities designed to repair past damage to natural and human communities to benefit those in need.  We shall do it without loosing side with the sustainability aspects of restoration (like ecological or ecosystem restoration) or any work to achieve a good Anthropocene for the planet and its peoples, while taking into account the changing social relationships with the environment.

However, in order to realise the Year of Restoration, we need a project.  This project is Restoration or ‘R‘ project.

 

• • Restoration (R) Project 

 

The dedication of 2025 as a Year of Restoration comes with a project to carry out this dedication or this mission.  The project to execute this dedication is the Restoration or ‘R‘ Project, which is one of the new initiatives for 2025.  The following two elements help to understand this project: its meaning and its activities.

 

• • • What is ‘R’ Project?

 

It is a series or set of interconnected tasks or activities planned  for the execution of CENFACS‘ dedication of year 2025 as of Restoration.  These tasks or activities, which aim at reducing poverty, will be undertaken throughout 2025 within the requirements and limitations of CENFACS‘ existing and acquirable resources and assets.

Through this project, we hope to continue to help reduce poverty by working with project beneficiaries as they move through and out of poverty.  It may be difficult or even impossible to repair the planet.  But, it is possible to conduct restorative activities to help reduce poverty linked to ecosystem degradation.

This year, we shall have restorative activities which are mainly based on the allocation of resources to meet the outcomes of those in need – through repair of the damaged nature and/or past- while reflecting biodiversity outcomes or the provision of ecosystem goods and services  and respecting the subsistence of livelihoods.

 

• • • Activities and tasks relating to the ‘R’ Project

 

There will be twelve activities, one activity or task every month.  Each ‘R’ activity will be announced at the beginning of each month.  Through this project and each task, we will engage with project beneficiaries on the types of restoration need to undertake in order for them to move out of poverty or any hardships they are facing and enhance sustainable development.

The first ‘R’ activity is about working with those in need to restore their basic consumption.

 

 

• • • Activity/Task 1 of the ‘R’ Project: Work with those in need to restore their basic consumption

 

Many crises, shocks as well as poverty have made or damaged the ability of poor people to meet their basic consumption to live and sustain.  Restoring the consumption of the basic necessities of life for these people is the first task/activity of our ‘R‘ project.  To tackle this task/activity, it is better to highlight what it consists of and the ways of restoring basic consumption.

 

• • • • What does this Activity 1 consist of?

 

It consists of taking action or undertaking a process to repair, re-establish, or renew the basic necessities of those in need.

Restoring the basic consumption for those in need can include the forms of restoration such as restoring a customer’s consumption rate if you are a business, restoring project beneficiaries’ consumption rate of your products if you are a charity, repairing and reusing goods, applying restoration economy, etc.

Since CENFACS is a charity, we shall focus on working with those in need so that they can restore their basic life-sustaining consumption needs if they have lost or damaged them.  We shall as well ensure that their consumption rate of the services we provide to them to transition away from poverty is restored.

 

• • • • Ways of Restoring Basic Consumption

 

They include

 

√ promoting domestic basic spending

√ facilitating people’s access to more affordable food, public transport and long-lasting products

√ incentivizing them to opt for reuse, repair and recycle economy

√ connecting them to repair, reuse and recycle initiatives

√ supporting them to make informed decisions on purchase

√ briefly, promoting sustainable consumption by decoupling consumption growth from environmental degradation and reducing mindless consumption while encouraging mindful consumption.

 

For those who need any help before embarking on this 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.

 

 

• Giving Hope to the Humanitarian Needy of Mali in 2025

 

Our Season of Giving and Sustaining Hope for a better future continues as we appeal for the people of who need support to cope humanitarian crisis they are facing.  As we explained in the last week’s post, our priorities or areas of work or need in 2025 include the Central Sahel Countries (i.e., Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger).  This appeal is about Mali.

 

• • What Is This Appeal?

 

This is an emergency appeal to respond to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Mali.  The crisis has been brought by a number of complex factors which include armed groups attacking civilians, the blockage of food supply routes as result of these attacks, flooding which destroyed crops.  The impact of worsening conflict means disruption of livelihoods, markets and high food prices.  Whatever the reason surrounding this worsening conflict and flooding, the innocent victims of this situation needs help and they are demanding for life-saving support.

They need help as the following figures and facts speak for them.  According to ‘rescue.org’ (6),

“Over 2,500 people are already experiencing the highest level of food insecurity (IPC5) and are at risk of starvation.

Mali faced catastrophic floods in 2024 that displaced 350,000 people.

The United Nations monitoring groups have reported a 288% increase in human rights violations and a 66% rise in violence against women and girls in Mali from 2023 to 2024″.

Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (7) argues that

“According to the latest cadre harmonisé (CH) analysis about 1.37 million people were estimated to face severe acute food insecurity during the June to August 2024 lean season, including nearly 121000 people in CH Phase 4 (Emergency) and about 2600 people in CH Phase 5 (catastrophe).

The conflict has resulted in the internal displacement of about 331000 people as of mi-October 2024″.

The Humanitarian Needy of Mali Want Your Assistance.

 

• • Donate to Support Them

 

You could donate to support them.  You can give either your influence or money or both to support them.

If you decide to provide influence, you could put positive influence on those who have the key to their humanitarian crisis or the factors feeding this crisis so that the Malian victims of this crisis can move out of the humanitarian crisis.

If you choose instead to donate money, you can give £7 or any amount above.  Your money will be allocated as follows:

£3 from your £7 can be used to support security for the internally displaced Malians and £4 can assist in buying food or medicine.

Please, let us give hope to these Malian victims of humanitarian crisis.

To support and or enquire about this appeal, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign: Level 9 – Geospatial Technology

• New Year’s and January’s Goal: Reduction of Poverty Caused by Mindless Consumption

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign: Level 9 – Geospatial Technology

 

Under the Digital and Social Media Campaign, our learning on technologies to reduce poverty has moved on.  The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign is about Geospatial Technology.  This Winter, we are considering geospatial technology and its ability to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Indeed, we are continuing to work with our users or Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) on technology matter so that they find the right technology and technology-based solutions to poverty.  In working together, we hope that they will be able to access the technology services and goods they require to reduce or end poverty.

In this model of working together, they are different levels.  In this level, we shall work with users and ASOs so that they can develop the mapping skills linked to geography and space.

Perhaps, a better starting point of this Level 9 of our Digital and Social Media Campaign is to explain Geospatial Technology.

 

• • What Is Geospatial Technology?

 

The website ‘technoserve.org’ (8) explains this about this geospatial technology:

“Geospatial technology, including satellite imagery, GPS (Global Positioning System), and geographic information systems(GIS), has emerged as a game-changer in agricultural development and poverty reduction efforts.  Geospatial technology enables more informed decision-making and targeted interventions by providing accurate, up-to-date information about land use, crop health, and environmental conditions”.

As part of geospatial technology, there is quantum navigation.  Quantum navigation, which is a technology that uses quantum physics to improve the accuracy and security of navigation, could also be used as satellite-based navigation systems.

Geospatial technology needs to be learnt and skills relating to them need to be mastered by those who need them, particularly those who would like to acquire or improve geospatial technology-based skills.

 

•  • Skills Relating to Geospatial Technology to Reduce Poverty

 

This level of working together will be about using mapping skills.  Many of these skills can help users in the process of reducing poverty linked to the lack of understand on geography and space analysis.  For instance, many of us use GPS facility (like Google maps) on our mobile phone to let us know where we are and where we are going.

Learning and using mapping skills can save time and even reduce poverty linked the lack of understanding of directions.  People living in poverty can use GPS to find their poverty-reduction road.  Likewise, smallholder crop mapping can enormously relieve farmers.  And ASOs working on agricultural projects need this type technology and its related skills.

To enquire and or to support the level 9 of our Digital and Social Media Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• New Year’s and January’s Goal: Reduction of Poverty Caused by Mindless Consumption

 

Our monthly poverty reduction project or goal of the month, which is part of  CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme (8), resumes this January 2025 with the goal of Reduction of Poverty Caused by Mindless Consumption.  The project relates to the second goal of this programme; second goal which is Consume sustainably to reduce poverty and climate change.

To explain or understand the Reduction of Poverty Caused by Mindless Consumption, one needs to know mindless consumption.

 

• • What Is Mindless Consumption?

 

Mindless consumption is, according to ‘lastobject.com’ (9),

“The excessive purchasing of products without considering their life cycle”.

This can happen when people do not use awareness of sustainability issues and lack information about purchasing decisions from everyday items to long term investments.

To avoid mindless consumption, they need to become mindful about their spending and consumption.  In other words, they need to aim at mostly satisfying needs rather than wants.

 

• • Reduction of Poverty Caused by Mindless Consumption

 

It is about spending mindfully or on real needs.  It is also about using awareness, intentionality, and discipline when it comes to spending by carefully considering each purchase and aligning spending decisions with your values and long-term goals.

In this respect, creating a mindful spending budget or journal can help to reduce mindless consumption or spending.

To sum up, to reduce poverty caused by mindless consumption, one can use the following options or tips:

 

√ Improving their spending intent

√ Creating a budget to deal with emotional triggers

√ Pausing before purchasing

√ Setting up cost cutting targets on budget items such as takeaways, eating out, clothing, etc.

√ Switching to cheap mindful retailers to save money

√ Trimming budget

√ Prioritising expenses

√ Setting up a policy not to borrow money for mindless expenses

√ Adopting cost-saving behaviour

√ Tracking their spending

√ Briefly, developing a strategy or policy for avoiding mindless spending.

 

The above is our New Year’s and January’s Goal.

For those who are interested in working with the people in need to meet it, they are welcome do so.

For those who want any clarification of any aspects of the activity or task, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

We are resuming Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and Scheme, which we started in December 2024.  We are available to work in hybrid mode with users via the Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (FCCBP) or Scheme (FCCBS) so that they can start or be stronger in this New Year.  Both FCCBP and FCCBS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

To kick off FCCBP and FCCBS, we are running from 08 to 14 January 2025 the first activity of FCCBP and the first activity of FCCBS, as shown in the working plan below.

 

 

• • 08 to 14 January 2025: Investing in Realistic Financial Goals about Financial Capacity and Capability (Activity 1 of FCCBP)

 

This first Structured Finance Activity, which is part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and which is run in the form direct questions/answers, consists of working with users to develop and invest in realistic financial goals that summarise the way in which they would like to build their financial capacity and capability.

If any of our users have questions about how they can develop or invest in realistic financial capacity and capability goals, they can ask CENFACS for answers.

 

 

• • 08 to 14 January 2025: Financial Capacity and Capability to Make Ends Meet (Activity 1 of FCCBS)

 

This first Structured Finance Activity, which is part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Scheme, is about elaborating a systematic plan of future action on financial capacity and capability for a week or month or year (2025).

Together with those in need of financial capacity and capability building, we can help them draw a basic financial plan or strategy for coping with and surviving their financial problems.

If any of our users need to draw a plan or strategy that explains how they will financially cope and/or survive, they can contact CENFACS.

Have a question about your financial goals or need to draw a plan or strategy about the way you are going to make ends meet, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

In additions, if you have financial planning problems, you can communicate with CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you stay stronger this New Year.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Objectif du Nouvel An et de Janvier: Réduire la Pauvreté Causée par la Consommation Irréfléchie

Notre projet mensuel de réduction de la pauvreté ou objectif du mois, qui fait partie de l’Agenda de Développement et du Programme de Réduction de la Pauvretéde CENFACS pour les Années 2020 (8), reprend en janvier 2025 avec l’objectif de réduire la pauvreté causée par la consommation irréfléchie.  Le projet se rapporte au deuxième objectif de ce programme; deuxième objectif qui est Consommer durablement pour réduire la pauvreté et le changement climatique.

Pour expliquer la réduction de la pauvreté causée par la consommation irréfléchie, il faut connaître la consommation irréfléchie ou inconsciente.

• • Qu’est-ce que c’est que la consommation irréfléchie?

La consommation irréfléchie est, selon le lastobject.com (9),

«L’achat excessif de produits sans tenir compte de leur cycle de vie».

Cela peut se produire lorsque les gens ne sont pas sensibilisés aux questions de durabilité et manquent d’informations sur les décisions d’achat, qu’il s’agisse d’articles de tous les jours ou d’investissements à long terme.

Pour éviter une consommation irréfléchie, ils doivent devenir conscients de leur consommation.  En d’autres termes, ils doivent viser principalement à satisfaire les besoins plutôt que les désirs.

• • Réduction de la pauvreté causée par la consommation irréfléchie

Il s’agit de dépenser en pleine conscience ou pour des besoins réels.  Il s’agit d’utiliser la conscience, l’intentionnalité et la discipline lorsqu’il s’agit de dépenser en examinant attentivement chaque achat et en alignant les décisions de dépenses sur vos valeurs et vos objectifs à long terme.

À cet égard, la création d’un budget de dépenses conscient peut aider à réduire la consommation ou les dépenses inconscientes.

En résumé, pour réduire la pauvreté causée par une consommation irréfléchie, on peut utiliser les options ou conseils suivants :

√ Améliorer ses intentions de dépenses

√ Créer un budget pour faire face aux déclencheurs émotionnels

√ Faites une pause avant d’acheter

√ Mettre en place des objectifs de réduction des coûts sur les postes budgétaires tels que les plats à emporter, les restaurants, les vêtements, etc.

√ Passer à des détaillants bon marché et conscients pour économiser de l’argent

√ Réduire le budget

√ Prioriser les dépenses

√ Mettre en place une politique de ne pas emprunter d’argent pour des dépenses inconsidérées

√ Adopter un comportement d’économie de coûts

√ Suivi de leurs dépenses

√ En bref, élaborer une stratégie ou une politique pour éviter les dépenses insensées.

Ce qui précède est notre objectif du Nouvel An et de janvier.

Pour ceux ou celles qui sont intéressé(e)s à travailler avec les personnes dans le besoin pour y répondre, ils/elles sont les bienvenu(e)s.

Pour ceux ou celles qui souhaitent des éclaircissements sur certains aspects de l’activité ou de la tâche, ils peuvent contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• 2025 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

 

The following highlights the 2025 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes:

 

∝ What are Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes?

∝ Types of Light Season’s Initiatives

∝ Basic Implementation Plan for the Light Season’s Initiatives.

 

We can now consider each of the three items.

 

• • What Are Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes?

 

They are a stock of assets (resources) together with a set of interdependent tasks (sustainable projects) and related activities (sustainable programmes) designed to help meet the aim of poverty reduction either within the Lights Season and/or beyond it depending on the types of a given resource, project and programme.  In other words, whether it is about resources or projects or even programmes, the unified aim is to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development by working with local people and Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations.

 

• • Types of Light Season’s Initiatives

 

There are three types, which are:

 

(a) Specifically designed initiatives to bring message of hope or a Blaze of Hope

(b) Initiatives Mindfully planned to express Energy or Light Season

(c) Seasonal initiatives falling within the Season of Light.

 

• • • Specifically designed initiatives to bring message of hope or a Blaze of Hope

 

They include two waves of intervention or Blazes of Hope, which are:

 

(a) Appeals to deal with the unfinished business of previous destruction and disruption brought by crises/shocks (e.g., the coronavirus), wars, natural disasters and the current high costs of living

(b) Appeals linked to seasonally erupted events or effects from health disasters (like the coronavirus), armed conflicts, geo-economic crises, climate change and natural disasters.

 

As table no.1 indicates where there may be need of a Blaze of Hope, we will be launching Humanitarian Relief Appeals for Six Identified Areas of Priority that May Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope (as announced last week) to help address unfinished businesses or potential crises or tension hotspot places

 

• • • Initiatives mindfully planned to express Energy or Light Season

 

They consist of the following:

 

a) Initiatives featuring the season of light like light (or energy), including finance for energy transition projects, particularly these initiatives will be about finding finance to fund energy transition and a new development model to continue to reduce poverty

b) Projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa to echo the messages and outcomes from COP16 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (10); projects such as healthy soils, resilient crops, nutritious food, sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality will be developed

c) Projects of shared prosperity with the poor which will consider two measures: the Global Prosperity Gap and the number of African economies with high inequality.

 

• • • Initiatives falling within the Season of Light

 

They include

 

√ Consume to Reduce Poverty (Edition No. 13) with a Focus on Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

√ Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign 2025

√ Africa Not-for-profit Outlook for Impact Investing in 2025. 

 

The above-mentioned initiatives are amongst the ones we have selected to kick-start 2025.  Apart from them, we shall take a moment to reflect on the poverty reduction landscape of 2024 by taking stock and charge of what happened in 2024, and how we can move forward in 2025.  In particular, we will be working together with beneficiaries on the following:

 

√ 2024 Year-end Financial Controls as Stocktaking and Charge Taking Tools for Poverty Reduction

√ Economic Inclusion Programme for Households’ Resilience (New)

√ Financial Monitoring and Controls 2025 as Tools for Poverty Reduction

√ Climate Actions 2025 to keep pace with net zero path and poverty reduction.

 

The above initiatives are not the only ones for the Season of Light.  During the season, we may cancel or reduce the scope of some initiatives if we realise that the problem they were supposed to resolve are no longer there.  Likewise, we may add new or recurring initiatives depending on the events within the community we serve.  The worksheet below provides some indication in terms of initiatives implementation plan.

 

• • Basic Implementation Plan for 2025 Light Season’s Initiatives

 

As we go along the Light Season, the following implementation plan consisting of twelve initiatives will be effective.

 

The above-mentioned initiatives on the work sheet are 12 ones to implement the Light Season 2025.  They are also 12 Essential Ways to Bring and Sustain Hope for Those in Need This Winter 2025. 

There are three observations to make from the above implementation plan, which are:

 

a) Since at COP29 in Baku (11), developed nations pledged to channel $300 billion a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change, the Installation Sub-phase of Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation has now moved from Initial Implementation sub-phase (phase 3.3) to Full Implementation sub-phase (phase 3.4)

b) We have integrated climate goals, nature goals and development goals as part of African Children, Climate, Nature and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals) project

c) The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 9) is on Geospatial Technology.

 

This initial implementation plan for the Light Season’s initiatives can change depending on the circumstances, events and conditions of the season.  If one notices that some of the initiatives inserted in the plan/worksheet are not listed under Types of Light Season’s Initiatives, this is not a big issue.  What is important is the deliverables of those scheduled within the plan.

For those who would like to discuss any of these planned initiatives or any aspects of the plan; they can contact CENFACS.

To support and or enquire the Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes for 2025, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) United Nations Environment Agency Resolution 73/284: United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) https://undocs.org/A/RES/73/284 (accessed in January 2025) 

(2) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/restoration/ (accessed in January 2025)

(3) https://safetyculture.com/topics/restoration/ (accessed in January 2025)

(4) https://ekonomimembumi.co/en/pustaka/a-new-paradigm-of-economics-fiscal-support-for-restoration-economy (accessed in January 2025)

(5) https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/restoration (accessed in January 2025)

(6) https://www.rescue.org/uk/article/10-crises-world-cant-ignore-2025 (accessed in January 2025)

(7) FAO. 2024. Crop Prospects and Food Situation – Triannual Global Report. No. 3, November 2024. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3168en (accessed in January 2025)

(8) https://technoserve.org/blog/technology-fighting-global-poverty-key-innovations/ (accessed in January 2025)

(9) https://lastobject.com/blogs/sustainability-101/mindless-consumption-what-is-it-how-can-we-reduce-it (accessed in December 2024)

(10) https://unccd.int/cop16 (accessed in December 2024)

(11) https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop29-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-baku/ (accessed in December 2024)

_________

 

• 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.

 

Happy New Year 2025 and

Welcome Back to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

01 January 2025

Post No. 385

 

 

The New Year’s Contents

 

• What Is New at the Start of the New Year and What Is On This January 2025?

• The 13^th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change – In Focus: Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

• Coming up This Winter: The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 86th Issue) to Be Titled as African Charities and Their Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction

 

 … And much more!

 

 

The New Year’s Key Messages

 

• What Is New at the Start of the New Year and What Is on This January 2024?

 

~ New Tool, New Relief and New Hope

 

We have got the following initiatives to look forward to this January 2025 at CENFACS:

 

√ Consume to Reduce Poverty (Edition No. 13) with a Focus on Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

√ 2024 Year-end Financial Monitoring and Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction

√ Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign 2025

√ Projects of Shared Prosperity (New)

√ Economic Inclusion Programmes for Household’s Resilience (New) 

√ Programme of Land Restoration and Drought Resilience in Africa (New).

 

The above mentioned initiatives are amongst the ones we have selected to kick-start 2025.  Apart from them, we shall take a moment to reflect on the poverty reduction landscape of 2024 and how we can move forward in 2025.  In particular, we will be working together with beneficiaries on the following:

 

√ Review of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme and Reflection on New Projects that Will Make This Programme in 2025

√ Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning of the Themes Discussed in 2024 in the Context of CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum and Prospects for Africa in 2025

√ Humanitarian Relief Appeals with Six Identified Areas of Priority that May Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope (as announced last week) to help address unfinished businesses or potential crises or tension hotspot places in Africa

√ Ways of Implementing the Takeaways from Volunteering Winter e-discussion (or Action Plan for 2025) to keep pace with our volunteering action and poverty reduction.

 

To complete the picture about our working plan for the first quarter of 2025, we shall soon unveil the remaining selected initiatives making the Season of Light at CENFACS.

 

 

• The 13^th Issue of CRPCC (Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change) – In Focus: Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

 

January is the month of Responsible Consumption for CENFACS.   The initiative featuring this month is our resource entitled as Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change (CRPCC).  In this first post of 2025, we have highlighted the contents this year’s edition of CRPCC – Edition 2025 or the 13th Issue.

The 13^th Issue of this resource will be on ‘Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty’.  However, before giving the message about the 13^th Issue of CRPCC, let us briefly re-explain what normally happen in January.

 

• • January as a Month of Responsible Consumption within CENFACS

 

Some of you are aware that January is our month of Responsible Consumption following CENFACS development calendar.  It means that the theme for January is Responsible or Sustainable Consumption and the monthly project carrying this theme is Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change.

 

• • • What does happen in January?

 

January is the month we act against poverty due to the lack of consumption and we deal with measures of poverty reduction through consumption.  It is also an opportunity to act to preserve a good relationship between the way in which we consume products on the one hand and the reduction of adverse climate change on the other.

Particularly, January is a climate reminder month as it is the month during which we raise awareness of the relationships between humans and the nature through sustainable consumption; that is consumption that does not destroy the nature or a change in consumption habits that are adjusted to human real needs and to chosen market options of promoting environmental conservation and social equality.

 

• • • What will happen this January?

 

This January, we will take an extra step by exploring the relationship between humans and mindful products and services, between humans and ways of reducing poverty linked to consumption, particularly the consumption of mindful products and services.

 

• • • What is Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change (CRPCC) ?

 

CRPCC is our users’ New Year supporting information and accompanying booster that focuses on Buying and Consumption elements conducive to the reduction of poverty and hardships and of negative effects of climate change.  It is indeed a complimentary support to our Autumn Festive Income Boost (FIB) resource.

The FIB is an income-generating resource while CRPCC brings in a consumption-led look in our fight against poverty and negative climate change.  The current Edition (Edition No. 13) of CRPCC deals with ‘Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty’ as mentioned above.

For further details about CRPCC project, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities/

 

• • The 13^th Issue of CRPCC (Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change) – In Focus: Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

 

Around this time of Festive celebrations or at any time of the year, not everybody cares about the mindfulness when it comes to consume goods and services.  The busyness of some of the returns store/shop departments is one of the many indications about the items consumers and customers purchase without even thinking whether or not they need them.  And if you are a poor consumer or buyer being mindless about what you consume or buy could be even worst.

Another thing is all this consumption which is not essential/mindful or we do not need can only impact land restoration.  Yet, mindful consumption can restore and preserve land. But, what is mindful consumption?

The website ‘sustain.ubc.ca’ (1) explains that

“Mindful consumption is the practice of using awareness of sustainability issues to inform purchasing decisions from everyday items to long term investments”.

On the contrary, mindless consumption is, according to ‘lastobject.com’ (2),

“The excessive purchasing of products without considering their life cycle”.

The 2025 Edition of CRPCC is about Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty.  Indeed, Mindful Consumption can support sustainable products, encourage regenerative agriculture, reduce other forms of consumption (like of meat), promote sustainable fashion, enhance reforestation and conservation, save renewable energy, etc.  It can as well help reduce poverty as poor consumers can use awareness of sustainability to make informed decisions on their consumption.

The 2025 Edition of CRPCC is about working with users to support them on their consumption decisions they make and how their decisions can help restore land and reduce poverty.  It is also about working with them so that they can reduce the stress associated with overconsumption and waste, foster a more peaceful and fulfilling lifestyles conducive to poverty reduction.  It as well about how they can reflect these consumption decisions on their budget while respecting the 50/30/20 budgeting rule.

The 2025 Edition of CRPCC does not stop there.  It provides tips and hints for those who would like to improve their mindfulness as far as mindless consumption-based poverty is concerned.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have further explained the theme of ‘Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty’.

 

 

• Coming up This Winter: The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 86th Issue) to Be Titled as African Charities and Their Work on Economic Peace and Poverty Reduction

 

African Charities contribute in many areas of life of those in need in Africa.  One area of contribution or their work is peace, particularly economic peace.  Their work on economic peace is what the 86th Issue of FACS is about.  Before going any further, let us briefly explain economic peace.

 

• • What Is Economic Peace?

 

To understand economic peace, let us recall what ‘un.org’ (3) argues about peace, which is

“Peace is more than the absence of conflict; it is a catalyst for economic well-being, laying the foundation for societies to thrive for generation to come”.

The ‘un.org’ sees the intricate connection between economics and peace.  This intricate connection allows to speak about peace economics.  Peace economics can be defined in many ways.  In its behavioural approach to peace economics,  D. Roy (4) argues that

“Peace economics is a field of study that focusses on analysing the economic factors that contribute to peace and conflict resolution.  It explores the connections between economics, politics, and psychosocial dynamics to understand how economic policies and conditions can influence the likelihood of violent conflicts and the prospects for peace”.

Taking the same line of reasoning, ‘usip.org’ (5) states that

“Peace economics is the branch of economics that studies the design of societies’ political, economic, and cultural institutions and their interacting policies and actions to prevent, mitigate, or resolve any type of latent or actual violent conflict within and between societies”.

The 86th Issue will refer to these two definitions of peace economics to explain how African Charities contribute to economic peace and poverty reduction in Africa.

 

• • What Topics Will be Covered in the 86th Issue of FACS

 

The 86th Issue will deal with peace economics, particularly how African Charities uses the principles and recipes of peace economics in order to further reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development for the project beneficiaries.

The 86th Issue, which comes at the appropriate time when we are dealing with the Festive Gifts of Peace, will draw from economic peace theories and how they can be applied the charity and voluntary sector settings and context.

The 86th Issue will as well refer to the Global Peace Index developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).  According to the IEP (6),

“Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a fall in peacefulness on the 2024 Global Peace Index, with the average score in the region deteriorating by 0.89 per cent over the past year.  Sub-Saharan Africa is the second last peaceful region behind the Middle East and North Africa, with three of the ten least peaceful countries in the world found in the region”.

With reference to what the IEP’s argument, the 86th Issue will look at the ecosystem of peace economics and how African Charities are trying to work with the problems their beneficiaries face during pre-crisis and post-crisis reconstruction periods.  This will include the work of prevention and resilience they are undertaking so that their beneficiaries can build a stronger and sustainable peace.

More details about what the 86th Issue of FACS will be given this Winter.  However, for those who would like to enquire about it before it appears, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

The New Year’s Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2024-2025

• 2024 Year-end Financial Monitoring and Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2024-2025

 

Gifts of Peace for Edition 2024-2025 will end on 31 January 2025.  If you have not yet supported, you can still do something for poverty relief.

Although the deadline for the Season of Donation for these gifts is 31 January 2025, we will still accept any donations made after this deadline to enable those who will not be in a position to donate by this deadline to have a chance to donate after.

Please do not wait for the expiration of the deadline as the needs are pressing and urgent.

We know that many supporters of good causes have been affected by the polycrises of recent years.  We are as well aware of the current economic situation of the UK economy, which was flatlined between July and September 2024 and which could complicate the way people donate to good causes.

However, for those who can please do not hesitate to support these noble causes of peace since the potential beneficiaries of them are trebly impacted by:

 

a) The lingering economic effects of previous crises (like the coronavirus)

b) The already extremely poor conditions in which they are living

c) The scars of the enduring high costs of living.

 

Every support counts to help reduce and end extreme poverty.

 

Please keep the Gifts of Peace in your mind as the giving season continues.

For further details about these Gifts of Peace and or to support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

We look forward to your support.  Thank you!

 

 

• 2024 Year-end Financial Monitoring and Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction

 

Year-in-review accounts are one of the financial tools we would like to work and share with our users as we explained in our last post of 2024.  They are part of year-end financial monitoring and control project or exercise which includes income boost and other financial tools making our year-end campaign to reduce and end poverty, particularly income poverty.

To understand year-end financial controls, it is better to know what financial controls are about.  According to ‘corporatefinanceinstittute.com’ (7),

“Financial controls are the procedures, policies and means by which an organisation monitors, and controls the direction, allocation, and usage of its financial resources.  Financial controls are at the very core of resource management and operational efficiency in any organisation”.

This definition of financial controls can be applied to households.  Like any organisation, households need to have and implement financial controls framework to manage, document, analyse, and report household transactions.  These financial controls can be directional or selective or on particular household financial statements like balance sheet, cash flows, income statement, etc.

For those (individuals, families or households) who need help to manage or close their 2024 year-in-review accounts, they can contact CENFACS prior to the end of 2024-2025 tax year or by the 5^th of April 2025.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

We will be resuming Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and Scheme, which we started in December 2024.  We will available to work in hybrid mode with users via a Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (FCCBP) or Scheme (FCCBS) so that they can start stronger in this New Year.  Both FCCBP and FCCBS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

These are exclusive New Year activities to maximise programme and scheme beneficiaries’ financial management and decision-making for a successful financial year.  To practise FCCBP and FCCBS , we are carrying out structured New Year finance activities this January 2025.

 

• • New Year’s Structured Finance Activities as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme  

 

FCCBP is a set of structured planned actions or events designed to help users to better manage financial aspects of New Year celebrations, to develop financial knowledge and skills, to make life-saving financial decisions and to invest in financial capacity and capability goals

As a result, we will be working on how people and families can be involved a series of the following structured New Year activities or small projects:

 

Activity 1: Investing in realistic goals about financial capacity and capability

Activity 2: Managing financial aspects of New Year events

Activity 3: Making financial knowledge and skills that positively impact on your financial behaviour

Activity 4: Taking sensible life-saving financial decisions

Activity 5: How to generate little extra income in order to reduce poverty.

 

These activities are run in the forms of advice, advocacy, e-discussion, workshop, focus group, survey, direct questions/answers, etc.  More details about them can be obtained from CENFACS.

 

• • New Year’s Structured Finance Activities as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Scheme

 

FCCBS is a plan or system for achieving the goals of financial capacity and capability.  It helps to work with users so that they can elaborate a systematic plan of future action about their financial capacity and capability for a week or month or year (2025).  Through this exercise, we shall use some financial capacity and capability tools to work with users to design basic financial plans, policies, systems, strategies, etc. to deal with their problems.  Under this scheme, we can organise together the following New Year activities:

 

Activity 1: Financial Capacity and Capability to make ends meet (e.g., coping and survival strategies)

Activity 2: Financial Capacity and Capability to plan head (plan and save for the future) 

Activity 3: Financial Capacity and Capability to organise money management (e.g., money management plan)

Activity 4: Financial Capacity and Capability to make financial decisions and act through budgeting

Activity 5: Financial Capacity and Capability to control spending through spending plan.

 

Briefly, we will be working on how people and families having the issues of financial capacity and capability can work out systematic plans for future action to improve their financial capacity and capability, and where possible generate income in order to reduce continuing poverty and hardships.  In particular, we will make sure about what scheme is workable or unworkable for them.

In the end, we hope that the financially incapacitated or incapable people and families can develop their own individual working FCCBP and FCCBS plans or policies to establish financial capacity and capability as well as generate little extra incomes through income generation plan.  In doing so, they can improve their intergenerational economy and transfer accounts.

Need New Year’s advice or support to deal with the problems of financial capacity and capability you are experiencing, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

If you have financial planning problems, you can contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you to start this New Year stronger and confident with a financial plan or a system or a policy.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• À paraître cet hiver: Le numéro du Nouvel An ou le prochain numéro de FACS (le 86e numéro) qui s’intitulera «Les Organisations Caritatives Africaines et leur Travail sur la Paix Economique et la Réduction de la Pauvreté»

Les organisations caritatives africaines (OCA) contribuent dans de nombreux domaines de la vie des personnes dans le besoin en Afrique.  L’un de leurs domaines de contribution est la paix, en particulier la paix économique.  Leur travail sur la paix économique est ce que le 86e numéro de FACS traite.  Avant d’aller plus loin, expliquons brièvement la paix économique.

• Qu’est-ce que la paix économique?

Pour comprendre la paix économique, rappelons-nous ce que le site web «un.org» (3) soutient à propos de la paix, qui est

«La paix est plus que l’absence de conflit; c’est un catalyseur du bien-être économique, jetant les bases pour que les sociétés prospèrent pour les générations à venir».

Le site web «un.org» voit le lien complexe entre l’économie et la paix.  Cette connexion complexe permet de parler d’économie de la paix.  L’économie de la paix peut être définie de plusieurs façons.  Dans son approche comportementale de l’économie de la paix, D. Roy (4) soutient que

«L’économie de la paix est un domain d’étude qui se concentre sur l’analyse des facteurs économiques qui contribuent à la paix et à la résolution des conflits.  Il explore les liens entre l’économie, la politique et les dynamiques psychosociales afin de comprendre comment les politiques et les conditions économiques peuvent influencer la probabilité de conflits violents et les perspectives de paix».

Dans le même ordre d’idées, le site web «usip.org » (5) énonce que

«L’économie de la paix est la branche de l’économie qui étudie la conception des institutions politiques, économiques et culturelles des sociétés et leurs politiques et actions en interaction pour prévenir, atténuer ou résoudre tout type de conflit violent latent ou réel au sein et entre les sociétés».

Le numéro 86 se référera à ces deux définitions de l’économie de la paix pour expliquer comment les organisations caritatives africaines contribuent à la paix économique et à la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.

• • Quels sujets seront abordés dans le 86e numéro de la FACS

Le 86e numéro traitera de l’économie de la paix, en particulier de la manière dont les OCA utilise les principes et les recettes de l’économie de la paix afin de réduire davantage la pauvreté et d’améliorer le développement durable pour les bénéficiaires de leurs projets.

Le 86e numéro, qui arrive au moment opportun lorsque nous traitons des cadeaux festifs de la paix, s’inspirera des théories de la paix économique et de la façon dont elles peuvent être appliquées dans les milieux et le contexte des secteurs caritatif et bénévole.

Le numéro 86 fera également référence à l’Indice Mondial de la Paix développé par l’Institut pour l’Economie et la Paix (IEP).  Selon l’IEP (6),

«L’Afrique Subsaharienne a enregistré une baisse de la tranquillité dans l’Indice Mondial de la Paix 2024, le score moyen dans la région s’étant détérioré de 0,89 % au cours de l’année écoulée.  L’Afrique Subsaharienne est l’avant-dernière région pacifique derrière le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord, avec trois des dix pays les moins pacifiques du monde».

Le 86e numéro se penchera sur l’écosystème de l’économie de la paix et sur la manière dont les organisations caritatives africaines tentent de résoudre les problèmes auxquels leurs bénéficiaires sont confrontés pendant les périodes de reconstruction avant et après la crise.  Cela inclura le travail de prévention et de résilience qu’elles entreprennent afin que leurs bénéficiaires puissent construire une paix plus forte et durable.

Plus de détails sur ce que couvrira le 86e numéro de FACS seront donnés cet hiver.  Cependant, pour ceux ou celles qui voudraient s’informer avant qu’il n’apparaisse, ils/elles ne doivent pas hésiter à contacter le CENFACS.

 

The New Year’s Main Development

 

• The 13^th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change (CRPCC)

In Focus: Mindful Consumption to Restore Land and Reduce Poverty

 

• • Key Highlights, Tips and Hints about the 13th Issue of CRPCC

 

The key highlights, Tips and Hints include the following:

 

∝ Key Terms

∝ Relationships between Mindful Consumption and Land Restoration, between Mindful Consumption and Poverty Reduction

∝ Approach to Mindfulness and Mindful Consumption Model

∝ Mindful Consumption Shopping Basket

∝ Mindful Consumption as Part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 15.2

∝ Mindful Consumption and the Growing Climate Economy

∝ Mindful Consumption in the Context of Changing Climate and Life-threatening Impacts of Climate Change

∝ Mindful Consumption and Crises

∝ Mindful Consumers and Their Affordability of Mindful Products

∝ Mindful Consumption Good Practices within the Community

∝ Demonstrative Projects of Mindful Consumption

∝ Tackling Barriers to Achieve Mindful Consumption Goals

∝ Budgeting for Mindful Consumption

∝ Mindful Consumption Indication on Products for Verification, Identity and Authenticity

∝ Mindful Security and Guarantee 

∝ Looking for Help and Support on Mindfulness.

 

Let us consider these key highlights, tips and hints.

 

• • • Key Terms

 

There are five terms that facilitate the understanding of the 2025 Edition of CRPCC.  These terms are: consumption-based poverty, mindful consumption, mindful spending, land restoration and the 50/30/20 budgeting rule.  Let us briefly explain them.

 

• • • • What is Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty?

 

The reduction of consumption-based poverty is part of CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme (8).  It relates to the second goal of this programme; goal which is Consume sustainably to reduce poverty and climate change.

To explain the reduction of consumption-based poverty, one needs to know consumption-based poverty.

Tara O’ Neil describes it on the website of ‘americanactionforum.org’ (9) in terms of measure by arguing that

“A consumption-based poverty measure assesses what people consume or purchase, regardless of how it was paid for (whether through income, tax credits, or non-cash benefits) to determine whether their needs are being met or not.  In other words, this metric accounts for all types of benefits and aid that might be provided, as well as expenses”.

This measure can be to determine if, for example, the members of the CENFACS Community are experiencing poverty linked to consumption (including mindless consumption).  From this information, we can support them to find their way to reduce mindless consumption-based poverty.

 

• • • • What is Mindful Consumption?

 

To understand mindful consumption, we are going to start by explaining consumption.  Consumption is understood here from the definition given by Chris Park (10) as

“The process of using resources to satisfy human wants or needs” (p. 96)

From this definition, consumption is being perceived from the micro-economic perspective (from the point of view of individuals, households and firms), not at national or aggregate demand level.  Consumption is here the use of goods and services by individuals or households.  That consumption can be mindful or mindless.

The website ‘sustain.ubc.ca’ (op. cit.) explains that

“Mindful consumption is the practice of using awareness of sustainability issues to inform purchasing decisions from everyday items to long term investments”.

On the contrary, mindless consumption is, according to ‘lastobject.com’ (op. cit.),

“The excessive purchasing of products without considering their life cycle”.

In other words, mindful consumption is about satisfying human needs, whereas mindless consumption is about meeting human wants.

In this 13th Edition of CRPCC, we are interested in that part of consumption that is mindful  or relating to essentials or real needs.

Mindful consumption is related to mindful spending or essential expenses.  Like any spending or expenses, they are part of budgeting rule.

 

• • • • What is the 50/30/20 Budgeting Rule?

 

The website ‘thebalancemoney.com’ (11) argues that the 50/30/20 rule of thumb, which originates from the 2005 book written by US Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter Amelia Warren Tyafi, is

“A way to allocate your budget according to three categories: needs, wants and financial goals”.

According to this rule, you should spend 50% of your income on needs (essentials like food and rent).  If one follows this rule, mindful spending is the one we are dealing with here.

 

• • • • What is Mindful Spending?

 

Mindful Spending relates to spending on real needs.  There are various explanations of it.  One of them comes from the website ‘bestegg.com’ (12) which argues that

“Mindful spending is a proactive to personal finance that emphasizes awareness, intentionality, and discipline.  It is about being present in the moment, carefully considering each purchase, and aligning spending decisions with your values and long-term goals”.

To put mindful spending in practice, one can create a budget journal for it.

In the context of the 13th Edition of CRPCC, we are interested in the 50% of our users’ budget or needs or essentials or mindful spending.   We are looking at if there is any relationship between mindful consumption/spending and poverty reduction and how we can work with the users of CRPCC to reduce consumption-based poverty, which could be linked with mindless consumption.  Similarly, we are trying to identify if there is any connection link between mindful consumption and land restoration.  But, before looking these two relationships, let us explain land restoration.

 

• • • • Brief explanation of land restoration

 

Our brief explanation of land restoration comes from ‘unu.edu’ (13) which opines that

“Land restoration refers to the process of halting degradation or rehabilitating degraded land, typically through activities like deforestation, soil conservation, and the protection of natural processes.  It aims to enhance biodiversity, restore ecosystem services, and mitigate climate change impacts”.

The same ‘unu.edu’ adds that restoring land requires diverse approaches.  It can involve measures such as planting native vegetation, implementing sustainable land management practices, establishing protected areas and adopting agroforestry systems to restore soil health and productivity.  Restoring land can also be done by mindful consumption.  This last restoration requires to investigate or establish the links between mindful consumption and land restoration.

 

• • • Relationships between Mindful Consumption and Land Restoration, between Mindful Consumption and Poverty Reduction

 

a) Relationships between Mindful Consumption and Land Restoration

 

There could be relationships between mindful consumption and land restoration.

Indeed, the way we consume can hugely impact land restoration.  Mindful consumption can restore and preserve land.  Because of that, one needs to support support sustainable products (for instance, choosing products that are sustainably sourced and produced, reducing demand for products and practices that harm the environment).  One can take more initiatives to verify these relationships, initiatives such as encouraging generative agriculture, reducing waste (e.g., food waste to reduce pressures on agricultural land to produce more food than what is needed), supporting reforestation and conservation, promoting sustainable fashion, backing renewable energy, etc.

By taking the above mentioned-initiatives, one can discover that there is a link between mindful consumption and land restoration.

 

b) Relationships between Mindful Consumption and Poverty Reduction

 

There may be connections between mindful consumption and poverty reduction.

For instance, ‘borgenproject.org’ (14) argues that

“Mindful consumption is a cornerstone of zero-waste living that involves purchasing products that manufacturers produce ethically, sustainably and with the least amount of waste possible”.

The same ‘borgenproject.org’ points out that

“Zero-waste living alleviates poverty by uplifting small businesses that prioritize ethical, sustainable products and packaging… Zero-waste living can help alleviate poverty by rejecting fast fashion, which exploits workers in impoverished communities”.

The above arguments of ‘borjenproject.org’ suggest that those who would like to opt zero-waste, to shop or consume mindfully can pave their way to poverty reduction.  To embrace and stay in this way, they may have to choose an approach and model to get them there.

 

• • • Approach to Mindfulness and Mindful Consumption Model

 

The 2025 Edition of CRPCC refers to the minimalist approach which considers quality possessions rather than a large quantity of stuff.  The approach takes into account the interplay between the awareness of needs and wants, as well as how to focus on real needs rather than wants.  By taking this approach, one will agree to consume less and care for repair, reuse and recycle.

Those using this approach will obviously adopt its underlying model and premises.  The definition of this model is contained in the definition of mindful consumption itself.  Sheth at al. (15) provides the definition that implies the model, theory and premises of mindful consumption.  According Sheth at al.,

“Mindful consumption is premised on a consumer mindset of caring for self, for community, and for nature, that translate behaviourally into tempering the self-defeating excesses associated with acquisitive, repetitive and aspirational consumption”.

For them, mindful consumption is about moving from a centric approach or position to sustainability.  This view of mindful consumption provides the model and theory that underpins it.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption Shopping Basket

 

Using the internet, e-mail, social networks and other communication technologies; it is possible to get enough information on how to go mindful and which products and services that meet mindful consumption while reducing poverty linked to mindlessness at the same time.  It is as well possible to find resources and websites that compare these kinds of products, services and prices.  People can then choose products and services that are good value for mindful consumption and add them to their online shopping basket or to make their shopping basket.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption as Part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 15.2

 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 15.2 (16) is:

“By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally”.

As this goal target is written, mindful consumption echoes it.  Mindful consumption reduces the stress associated with overconsumption and waste, foster a more peaceful and fulfilling lifestyles.  In doing so, it helps demand for products and practices that do not harm forests and contribute to deforestation and overgrazing.  Briefly, it reduces environmental foot print.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption and the Growing Climate Economy

 

The process of using resources in a frugal way to satisfy human wants and needs can goes hand in hand with an organised system for the production, distribution and use of goods and services that takes into account the changing weather conditions.  In other words, consuming anti-wasteful and essential products and resources can help reduce adverse climate change.

As climate economy (that is, a system which attempts to solve the basic economic problem of climate) continues to grow, it can bring new climate educational opportunities, economic savings and improved well-being for the poor.  These attributes of the Growing Climate Economy (GCE) can help them consume goods and services that are mindful/essential and have less or no harmful wasteful materials.

Research can continue to enlarge the scope of mindful goods and services that do not cause harms and wastes to the environment.  Findings from this research can help boost the GCE.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption in the Context of Changing Climate and Life-threatening Impacts of Climate Change

 

Maybe enough has been said about the impacts of changing climate.  If not, then one area of work could be for humans to rethink about the positive results that their mindful consumption can create and properly market or raise awareness of these outcomes or results.  There are positive outcomes or results deriving for mindful consumption that need to be known by the members of the public and be part of their daily life.

At CENFACS, the Guidance Service on Mindfulness, which we will be running this January, is part of the efforts to support the members of our community who would like to stay mindful with their consumption and spending.  By taking this mindful drive, this can help to reduce or mitigate the threats and impacts of the changing climate on them.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption and Crises

 

In times of crises, people are sometimes advised or decide by themselves to cut down on non-essentials.  For example, in March 2023 ‘theguardian.com’ (17) reported that according to research from KPMG more than half of UK consumers cut back on discretional spending and nearly two-thirds chose to reduce amount they spend on eating out.  Many of them did so because of fear about their financial security which they thought was under threat due to hikes in food and energy prices.  However, before cut mindless consumption, people need first to assess the impact on both mindful and mindless items and decide which ones they want to keep or cut down in their budget.

Briefly speaking, crises and shocks (like the economic ones) could be a reminder of the benefits of mindfulness in our life.

 

• • • Mindful Consumers and Their Affordability of Mindful Products

 

Mindful consumption is not always the cheapest one.  Not everybody can afford to buy mindful or essential goods as many of the people living in poverty have a low real disposable income.  Not all the low-income families or households can afford to finance the basic necessities of life or to consume mindfully.  Many of them need some support to supplement their real disposable income since many of have income below the international poverty line.

Giving them advisory support in terms how to increase your income, to make some changes in their expenses budget and find affordable mindful consumption goods and services should be a priority amongst other ones.  In this respect, a list of where to find affordable mindful consumption goods and services in this CRPCC resource can be life-saving.

 

• • • Mindful Consumption Good Practices within the Community

 

Despite the problem of affordability of mindful consumption goods for low income poor people and families, there could be nonetheless mindful consumption good practices within our community.  To back up these practices, the 13^th Issue of CRPCC highlights some cases of mindful consumption good initiatives undertaken by the CENFACS Community that underpins mindful consumption accounts as part of every day’s human life.

In this respect, those who have cases of mindful consumption practices and who may find them worthwhile to share and be added to this issue of CRPCC, they can let CENFACS know.

 

• • • Demonstrative Projects of Mindful Consumption

 

In mindful consumption economy, every shopper demonstrates the ability to follow the rules of  consuming mindfully.  There could be those consumers who do more by taking a proactive action to consume mindfully.

Likewise, there could be local projects (for example, local mindful charitable shops, mindful budget stores and community organisations) that could display demonstrative talents and skills in promoting mindful consumption goods, services and habits which are zero-waste or net zero.

For those members of our community who have developed this kind of demonstrative projects of mindful consumption, it could be a good idea to let us know so that we can add them to this CRPCC resource.

 

• • • Tackling Barriers to Achieve Essential Consumption Goals

 

There could be some handicaps for people and families to achieve mindful consumption goals.  One of the barriers is the lack of income or awareness or education that extremely poor people experience that could push them out of reach of mindful consumption products.  Despite that in charitable world and economy in which no one is left behind, there could be still access for everybody to mindful consumption goods and services.

However, people and families do not like mindful consumption to happen to them in this way since they would like to work and pay for their mindful consumption.  Because of the barriers they face in finding opportunity to work and earn decent income, their prospect for meeting their mindful consumption goals can become remote.  This is without forgetting hikes in price of consumption goods and services, including the mindful ones.

As part of tackling these barriers, the current resource provides some leads in terms of print and online resources that users can further explore in order to respond to some their mindful consumption problems.

 

 

• • • Budgeting for Mindful Consumption

 

It is a good idea for users to budget for mindful consumption goods and services as part of the overall of household budgeting process.  This kind of preparation in terms of financial statement for any planned incomes and expenses for a particular period can help to maximise the use of resources and reduce wasteful spending in terms of what is mindful and mindless consumption.  It can as well provide alternative to mindless consumption to reduce poverty and hardships due to waste.

 

 

• • • Mindful Consumption Indication on Products for Verification, Identity and Authenticity

 

It is a good idea for any consumer, rich or poor, to check mindful features on their buys and other specifications and read other people’s testimonies, reviews or comments about it.  In this respect, selling the positive idea of mindful consumption could be helpful for mindful consumers.

 

• • • Mindful Security and Guarantee 

 

When buying mindful consumption products and services (whether using online or a physical store), one needs to check, compare and contrast products, terms and conditions of business, buying terms, prices, etc.  There is a need to check as well guarantees and safety policies for mindful features.

If you are buying online, before you sign up, add to your mindful consumption shopping basket and purchase an item; you need to read, discuss and check what you are agreeing on.  You may even take more precautions when selecting items, filling up buying forms to enter your personal, financial information and sensitive details.

In today’s world of digital and artificial intelligence technologies (e.g., AI Chatbots), you can even ask these technologies your mindfulness questions to find answers for you.  

You should also be aware of scams and illegal and malicious practices.  For own online security, use the e-safety tools and advice.

 

 

• • • Looking for Help and Support on Mindful Consumption

 

For those users who are looking for help and support, we can work with them so that they can navigate their way out mindless consumption-based poverty.  We can together explore the following options or tips to deal with mindful or mindless spending:

 

√ Improving their spending intent

√ Creating a budget to deal with emotional triggers

√ Pause before purchasing

√ Setting up cost cutting targets on budget items such as takeaways, eating out, clothing, etc.

√ Switching to cheap mindful retailers to save money

√ Trimming budget

√ Prioritising expenses

√ Setting up a policy not to borrow money for mindless expenses

√ Adopting cost-saving behaviour

√ Tracking their spending

√ Briefly, developing a strategy or policy for mindful spending.

 

We can even work with them on a project to write their budget journal for mindful spending.

The above-mentioned options or tools will help them to build confidence throughout 2025 and beyond.

For those users who would like to dive into the reduction of mindless consumption-based poverty, we can provide them with online and print resources relating to this matter.  These resources highlight the mindful spending tips and hints.

There is a lot of online resources and websites they can sign up and receive advice on this matter.

The above are the key highlights, tips and hints about the 13th Issue of CRPCC, which we wanted to share with you.

For further details about  Mindful and Responsible Consumption and to get the full 2025 Edition of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://sustain.ubc.ca/resources/mindful-consumption-guide# (accessed in December 2024)

(2) https://lastobject.com/blogs/sustainability-101/mindless-consumption-what-is-it-how-can-we-reduce-it (accessed in December 2024)

(3) https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/economics-of-peace-interplay-between-stability-conflict-resolution-global-prosperity# (accessed in December 2024)

(4) Roy, D. D (2025), “Peace Economics: Behavioural Approach”, Chatterji, M., Chatterji, M. and Sharma, K. (Ed.) Conflict Prevention and Peace Management (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 34), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 83-92 https://doi.org/10.1108/S1572832320240000034020

(5) https://www.usip.org/publications/peace-economics-questions-and-answers# (accessed in December 2024)

(6) Institute for Economics and Peace. Global Peace Index 2024. Measuring Peace in a Complex World, Sydney, June 2024. Available from: http://visionhumanity.org/resources (accessed in December 2024)

(7) https://corporatefinancialinstitute.com/resource/career-map/sell-side/risk-management/financial-controls/ (accessed in January 2024)

(8) cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/ (accessed in January 2025)

(9) Hayes, T. O. (2021), Measuring Poverty in United States: Comparing Measurement Methods, American Action Forum at https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/measuring-poverty-in-the-united-states-comparing-measurement-methods/ (accessed in January 2024)

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

(11) https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-50-30-20-rule-of-thumb-453922 (accessed in January 2024)

(12) https://www.bestegg.com/blog/mindful-spending/# (accessed in December 2024)

(13) https://unu.edu/ehs/series/land-restoration-is-key-elements-reviving-our-earth# (accessed in December 2024)

(14) https://borgenproject.org/zero-waste-living (accessed in December 2024)

(15) Sheth, J. N., Sethia, N. K. & Srinivas, S. Mindful Consumption: a customer-centric approach to sustainability. Journal of Acad. Mark. Sci. 39, 21-39 (2011).  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0216-3 (accessed in December 2024)

(16) https://sdgs.org/goals (accessed in December 2024)

(17) https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/03/half-of-all-uk-consumers-have-cut-non-essential-spending (accessed in January 2024)

 

_________

 

• 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!

25 December 2024

Post No. 384

 

 

The Week’s Contents of the Last Post of 2024

 

This year-end post, which is the 52^nd one, is about covering the events of the year 2024 from the perspective of recapping the year for CENFACS’ audiences, followers, users, beneficiaries and supporters; as well as from the point of view of CENFACS’ contribution to poverty reduction and sustainable development.  It highlights the outstanding points of our year-in-review campaign and uses retrospective data.  The main contents of this post are as follows.

 

• 2024 Year-in-review Impact Report

• Year-end Triple Action Giving: Peace, Hope and Difference

• Year-end Advice- and Guidance-giving Services

 

… And much more!

 

 

Festive Season’s Key Messages

 

• 2024 Year-in-review Impact Report

 

The above mentioned report is an evaluation of what happened in this ending year (2024).  It is not an annual report or an annual return.  It is CENFACS‘ performance highlights and lowlights as well as insights, outsights, challenges, wins/successes, learnings and areas of development throughout 2024.

The report, which is a brief summary of 2024, will help to learn what went well and what did not go well within and around CENFACS.

The report helps to communicate connections with all of you who worked with us and/or helped us in our beautiful and noble cause of poverty reduction.  It is as well a summary of ongoing dialogue within CENFACS, and between CENFACS and its stakeholders.

The report is an impact report as it explains the effect or impression made by work we undertook – through a number of projects and programmes – with users and beneficiaries with the help of our supporters; effect or impression on those who needed support and help on their way towards relief or poverty reduction.

It is finally a forward-looking exercise to set goals for 2025 and explain how we can engage our charitable objects in 2025 and beyond.

Under the Main Development section of this post you will find key highlights of this 2024 Year-in-review Impact Report.

 

 

• Year-end Triple Action Giving: Peace, Hope and Difference

 

• • What is the Season’s Relief Triple Action Giving?

 

It is about fighting poverty and hardships in a number of fronts over the Festive Season, particularly by helping…

 

(a) to bring peace,

(b) to create hope

(c) and to make a meaningful difference.

 

Let us briefly explain each of the three givings (that is, peace, hope and difference).

 

• • • Peace via the Gifts of Peace

 

Our celebratory theme for the Season’s Reliefs is Peace and continues to be alive to the end of this season.  The Gifts of Peace, which are one of CENFACS‘ festive favourites, are the set piece of the Season’s Reliefs that provides the absence of conflicts within ourselves as well as between us and others.

In terms of projects and programmes in Africa, the Gifts of Peace try to support poor people and communities so that they can navigate their ways towards freedoms from wars, armed conflicts, disease disturbance and disorder from natural events.

For those who are looking for fundraising appeals or projects to fund as festive gifts over this festive time, Gifts of Peace as an appeal is a valuable proposal they could consider.  They can try any of the 12 Gift Ideas to reduce poverty and sustain development, mentioned in the Gifts of Peace making our year-end campaign.  They can unwrap their Gifts of Peace for those in need this festive Season.

To enquire about and or fund the Gifts of Peace, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Hope through the Gift of Light

 

Our theme for the Season of Light is Hope and is still featuring what we have planned to achieve over this season.   The Gift of Light helps to bring hope to those who are in the darkness and need some lights to see life through other ways.

Regarding the projects and programmes in our sphere of operation in Africa, we try to work – through the Gift of Light – with hopeless, desperate and destitute people and communities so that they can rebuild confidence and faith in themselves and continue to believe that they can find light and move away from darkness in the future.

 

• • • Difference by means of CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store

 

Shopping and donating goods at our CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store is the third giving.  It is the festive difference that can be made through a CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store.  It can be made via

 

σ Purchases to directly support CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction

σ Goods donations to promote sustainability and reduce waste, including donors’ household circularity

σ Affordable gifts your can find for the festive occasion

σ Volunteering opportunities you can provide to volunteers through your good purchases and donations.

 

We are asking goods donors and buyers to DO SOMETHING MEANINGFULLY DIFFERENT THIS SEASON.  To smooth the process of donating and buying goods, we are offering the following options:

 

∝ Safe collection of goods for recycling; that is we can arrange for goods to be safely collected at an agreed location, day and time under our Recycle and Give policy

∝ ‘Click and Collect’ facility for goods e-buyers.

 

Every time you shop at CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store, you make a helpful difference to people in need over this festive time.  Amongst these people are those who are trying to fight poverty induced by the high costs of living.

The above are the Season’s Relief Triple Action Giving.  Each of these action givings will help to reduce poverty over the festive period and beyond.

We can only help reduce and possibly end multi-dimensional poverty as well as poverty induced by the high costs of living if you help us to do so.   This time of the year is a unique opportunity for you, once a year, to change lives through your invaluable action giving, however small it may be.

Please, don’t miss this marvellous opportunity of the year and the end of the year.  There is a high demand for poverty reduction.

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

The above-mentioned Year-end Triple Action Giving or Year-end Fundraising Campaign continues until the last day, hour, minute and second of 2024.

For those who would like to donate to our End-of-year Asks and any other festive projects or campaigns or even causes before 2024 ends, please do not hesitate to donate.   You can still make a helpful difference before the last second of 31/12/2024.

To donate, just contact CENFACS with your donation by any of these means of communications: text, phone, e-mail and contact form on this website.

 

 

• Year-end Advice- and Guidance-giving Services

 

The Festive Season’s Arrangements below explain that we are in holiday break until the 5^th of January 2025.   However, some of our projects and campaigns are either self-running or designed to run throughout the holiday season like the festive holiday.  Two of these holiday projects are the Advice- and Guidance-giving ones.  We are providing advice for project beneficiaries or users as well as guidance to donors/funders.

 

• • Year-end Advice-giving Service to Project Beneficiaries and Users

 

During the festive period not everybody or member of our community can afford to celebrate on the New Year’s Eve.  There are people who still need accommodation, food, income, guidance, support, help against loneliness, etc.  They may also need life-saving support of various kinds to cope and survive while other people, the lucky ones, are busy preparing themselves for the New Year’s Eve festivities.

Because of this on-going need and demand within the community, we have maintained a minimum level of advice-giving service to e-work with those who desperately need advice to reduce poverty or any type of hardships they are facing and do not have anywhere else to ask for help and advice, especially at this challenging time of the high costs of the living.

The service, which will help them navigate the above-mentioned challenges and hardships of the end of the year, includes all the elements of CENFACS’ Advice, Guidance and Information Service to users.  We can as well provide advice on the following:

 

σ capacity building and development

σ financial planning for the coming year

etc.

 

If you are one of our members and facing serious hardship during the festive period, you can e-contact CENFACS for advice, guidance, information and support.  We can work with you to smoothly transition into the New Year.

If you are not one of our members and would like to discuss this year-in-review advice project, please still e-contact CENFACS.

 

• • Year-end Advice-giving Service to Donors and Funders

 

In order to make the year-end giving process effective and meaningful for donors and funders, we are offering them guidance and support.  The guidance service is on the way they can effectively support CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction during this festive time.

This support to them is on the following

 

σ how to strategically plan so that donors’ and funders’ contributions align with their philanthropic goals and values

σ how to assess the impact of donors’ and funders’ donations

σ how to understand tax benefits through their donations (for instance, when they make Gift Aid Declaration).

 

If you are donor or funder and would like to give to CENFACS’ causes during the festive period, but need guidance to do it, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Festive Season’s Extra Messages

 

• Festive Season’s Arrangements: from 23 December 2024 to 5 January 2025

• Help for Your Year-in-review Accounts

• E-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model,  and Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme

 

 

• Festive Season’s Arrangements: from 23 December 2024 to 5 January 2025

 

The following are the arrangements we have made for the above stated period.

 

• • Queries and Enquiries

 

During the festive holidays, we will only handle online queries and enquiries until the 5th of January 2025.  However, our All-in-Development Winter e-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model is still on until the 5th of January 2025 as planned.

 

• • Opening Hours and Days: 24/7

 

We are open online 24 hours and 7 days of week.

 

• • Visits

 

You can only visit us online.

 

• • Festive Donations

 

Our festive campaigns highlight not only the projects and activities that are related to CENFACS’ demand, but also and mostly to the needs and asks of those living in poverty around this time of the year and of the continuing disruption of the lingering effects of the high costs of living.

Those who want to donate to our fundraising campaigns and projects (such as Gifts of Peace, Light and Transition) are welcome to do so.

Their festive support or donations will help bring a Blaze of Hope and Peace to those in need, particularly at this challenging time of the high costs of living.

As well as donating, there are other ways one can support.  These other ways range from spreading the message about CENFACS’ work and campaigns to visiting our online store for shopping.

All the above initiatives can create magical reliefs during this Festive Season and disturbing moment of the lingering effects of the high costs of living.

 

• • Season of Light

 

Although our Season of Light has just kicked off, some of our services and activities (such as advocacy, in-person fundraising events, etc.) as well as development campaigns are scaled down until the 5^th of January 2025.

 

• • What’s On from 23 December 2024 to 5 January 2025!

 

Since 23 December 2024 we broke for the festive holidays.  However, there are projects that are essential including in festive times.  Two of them are advice- and guidance-giving ones, which will still be run online.

This is because evidence shows that in any difficult moments of human history or crisis, the poorest always suffer.  They also suffer during the happiest times of the festive celebrations.  They do not have festive celebration as such, just as they could be the ones bearing the brunt of the most negative socio-economic effects of the festive celebrations.  Many of them need support which includes advice at any time.

Additionally, it is important that those who want to help them or donate to CENFACS’ noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction find ways of giving easy, not complicate.  For this reason, we are also available for funders and donors to guide them to fund and donate easily.

 

• • Delays Regarding Call and E-mail Responses

 

People should expect delay from us in responding to their calls and e-mails.  We heavily rely on volunteers for most of our services, who are sharing the Winter e-discussion with us during this Festive Time.  Some of them are already on holiday.

 

• • Emergency and Exceptions

 

In case of emergency or exceptional circumstances, please do not hesitate to text, phone, e-mail and complete the contact form on CENFACS’ website.  We will respond to your message as soon as we can.

We apologize for any inconvenience or upset this may cause.

We thank you all for your invaluable and sustained support during 2024 and look forward to your continued and further support in the New Year.

We wish you a Very Healthy, Safe and Peaceful Festive Season!

 

 

• Help for Your Year-in-review Accounts

How to successfully close your end-of-year personal or family accounts and get prepared for the New Year accounts before the end of financial year

 

We do not only carry out our own accounts review.  We also work with users to review their accounts at the end of each year.  The review will help them gain insights into their financial matters, spot the areas of improvement and make informed decisions for 2025.

Year-in-review accounts for users or project beneficiaries involve a summary of their financial activities over 2024.  These accounts help them assess their financial health and plan for the future.  They include income summary, expense report, savings, investments, debt overview, financial goals, budget analysis and tax information.

It is theoretically known that the financial year closes in April and the State budget starts in April of each year.   For example, the current tax year ends on 5 April 2025 in the UK.

It is a good practice to use the opportunity of the end of the civil year to start to work out the balances of one’s personal or family accounts.

To help those who are struggling to close their year-end accounts of 2024, we will be looking at, from the start of January 2025 when we return, how to successfully close your personal or family financial accounts and prepare your new accounts in the New Year.

It is always a good practice to start early before the deadlines of the financial year!

It is wise to work out your year-end accounts early so that you could enter the New Year with a good understanding of your financial position while keeping financial monitoring and control on accounts.  In doing so, one can know areas of financial improvement to sort out their financial situation in the New Year.

This year-end financial control project or exercise includes income boost and other elements making our campaign to reduce and end income poverty.  This is without forgetting the elements of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme, Financial Stability Programme/Scheme and Zero Income Deficit Campaign we conducted.

For those who may be interested in this year-end financial monitoring and control project, they can contact CENFACS in the New Year.

 

 

• E-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model, and Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme 

 

• • E-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model

 

Our Winter e-discussion about Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model has so far dealt with the following:

 

σ Volunteering to increase financial support for projects and programmes of CO2 emission reduction

σ Volunteering to mobilise climate funds and engage climate finance stakeholders and investors

σ Volunteering to find a new development model

σ Volunteering for climate finance transparency and accountability.

 

We have paused this e-discussion to give ourselves time to reflect on the planned areas e-discussed so far and to have a festive break as many activities are scaled down or close because of festive holidays.

After the reflection period and festive break, we shall resume our e-discussion on 04 and 05 January 2025, dates on which we will focus on Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning as well as Action Plan for 2025.

While our pause is going on, we are asking for support to CENFACS’ All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS).

 

• • Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme 

 

For those who would like to support CENFACS’ All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS).  There are many simple helpful and useful ways of adding great value to our voluntary work.  Among them, are the 12-themed enhancers or ways of adding great value to CENFACS’ AiDVS, as highlighted in our post of 11 December 2024 (1).

These 12-themed enhancers or ways of adding great value to CENFACS’ AiDVS are:

 

1)  Gift ideas for the best ways of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing projects and programmes in the New Year

They could include project management software, books and guides, evaluation tools, digital gadgets, free subscriptions to journals and publications, etc.

 

2) Money-saving and scrimping tips from scrimpers for AiDVS

Tips from seasonal scrimpers could be on budgeting wisely (to track expenses and set limits), grocery savings (e.g., donate coupons), reduction of utility bills, financial tools (like cashback apps), smart shopping, etc.

 

3) Festive deals and packages for AiDVS

For instance, one can offer New Year’s Eve Packages, discount codes and offers (seasonal discounts, package deals, early booking deals, etc.)

 

4) Festive free coupons, promo codes and vouchers for AiDVS

They include free vouchers from popular retailers or brands, percentage price off orders and saving on selected items, which can help AiDVS save on their holiday shopping.

 

5) Net-zero or low carbon economic products to protect the environment and nature

To name the few, we can mention energy-efficient appliances, renewable energy products, eco-friendly products, water-saving devices, sustainable food choices, waste reduction solutions, etc.

 

6) Digital and media support to better volunteer for a climate neutral and sustainable world

Options include online platforms and courses, digital tools for activism, volunteer matching platforms, youth engagement, etc. 

 

7) Health and safety gifts for healthy and safe volunteering in the New Year

These gifts can include aid kits, personal protective equipment, hydration and nutrition, comfort and ergonomics, health and wellness, safety training and resources, emergency preparedness, etc.  These gifts will help volunteers stay healthy and safe for their well-being and the success of their efforts.

 

8) Wintry and festive giveaways to volunteer for a net zero greenhouse gas emissions world

To illustrate, we can mention free products, gift cards, free tickets, etc.

 

9) Generative Artificial Intelligence volunteering tools to improve the efficiency of volunteering

Tools include personalised volunteer matching programme, automated consumption, content generation, data analysis and insights, training and onboarding, resource allocation, feedback and evaluation. 

 

10) Festive price bundling for flexible volunteering

Ideas for bundling offers can include volunteer packages, discounted event tickets, gift cards and vouchers, free products and services, recognition and rewards, and flexible volunteering options.

 

11) Distance working and gift technologies

Amongst the examples, we can name cloud technology, volunteer management software, apps, virtual volunteering tools, apps for remote volunteering, virtual volunteer tools, gift technology for volunteers (e-gift cards, virtual recognition, tech gadgets, tablets, laptops, etc.)

 

12) Net-zero energy saving products to volunteer

We can mention home energy efficiency since many of our AiDVS work from home, renewable solutions, transportation (e.g., e-bikes), sustainable products, energy monitoring tools, etc.

 

The above-mentioned enhancers will contribute to streamline volunteer management processes, enhance volunteer satisfaction, and support a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions world.

The enhancers – which could be wintry and festive news, information and products – will assist volunteers (that is, short-term, episodic, regular, ongoing and virtual volunteers) to better help out CENFACS’ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.

They will also assist in recruiting and easily managing volunteers while improving volunteer experience and the effectiveness of our work on poverty reduction.

Additionally, they will contribute in tracking volunteers and their work.

For instance, gift technologies could enable to automate volunteers’ tasks to free up resources and time as well as increase volunteer engagement in our poverty reduction work.

To support AiDVS with your wintry or festive gift, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

To e-discuss Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model, please communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Rapport Rétrospectif et d’Impact de l’Année 2024

Le rapport mentionné ci-dessus est une évaluation de ce qui s’est passé au cours de cette année (2024) qui se termine.  Il ne s’agit pas d’un rapport annuel ou d’un bilan social.  Il s’agit des points forts et des points faibles de la performance du CENFACS, ainsi que des idées, des défis, des victoires/réussites, des apprentissages et des domaines de développement tout au long de 2024.

Le rapport, qui est un bref résumé de 2024, aidera à savoir ce qui s’est bien passé et ce qui n’a pas bien fonctionné au sein et autour du CENFACS.

Le rapport aide à communiquer les liens avec tous (toutes) ceux (celles) d’entre vous qui ont travaillé avec nous et/ou qui nous ont aidés dans notre belle cause de réduction de la pauvreté.  Il s’agit également d’une synthèse du dialogue en cours au sein du CENFACS, et entre le CENFACS et l’ensemble de ses parties prenantes.

Il s’agit d’un rapport d’impact car il explique l’effet ou l’impression produite par le travail que nous avons entrepris – à travers un certain nombre de projets et de programmes – avec les utilisateurs (rices) et les bénéficiaires avec l’aide de nos sympathisant(e)s; sur ceux ou celles qui avaient besoin de soutien et d’aide sur le chemin de l’aide ou de la réduction de la pauvreté.

C’est enfin un exercice prospectif que de se fixer des objectifs pour 2025 et expliquer comment nous pouvons nous engager dans nos objectifs de bienfaisance en 2025 et au-delà.

Pour plus de détails sur le RapportRétrospectif  et d’Impact de l’Année 2024 du CENFACS, veuillez contacter CENFACS.

 

 

Festive Season’s Main Development

 

• 2024 Year-in-review Impact Report

How the year 2024 has gone within and around CENFACS

 

The following contents make this report:

 

a)A brief Summary of the Year

b)The Theme of 2024 Year-in-review Campaign

c)How Did the Year 2024 Go through from within and around CENFACS?

d) 2024 Key Produce or Achievements

e)Looking Forward to 2025 (or Commitments for the Year 2025)

f) 2024 Gratitude.

 

Let’s look at each of these contents.

 

• • The Year’s Brief Summary

 

2024 has been a great year as volunteers continue to show their commitment to our noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.  We have recorded some good performance regarding the work carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations for the projects they solely ran and for the humanitarian appeals (e.g., Burundi’s Flood Victims Ask for Your Aid) we made together with them.

However, we could have done more if we had enough funding.  We could have engaged more not-for-profit investors to invest in more Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs). In this respect, the majority of Africa-based Sister Organisations suggested to scale up our Matching Organisation-Investor Programme so that it could bring in more investors to invest in poverty reduction in Africa.

Besides that, we worked with ASOs on private homeownership and secure land tenure as way of reducing poverty.  This work showed that a good allocation of power on home and land to everybody could help further reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  We also worked with them on investment management.  We learnt how African charities developed and applied their strategy to manage investment risks by spreading investments across asset classes and industries.  Pension fund management was another area of work we carried out together.  Many of them have pension schemes and defined contribution schemes that need improvement when considering pension funding risks.

For 2025, among other goals (like developing projects of land restoration, boosting drought resilience, and sharing prosperity with the poor in Africa), the goal will be to get more support for the Matching Organisation-Investor Programme.

 

• • Theme of CENFACS’ 2024 Year-in-Review Campaign

 

The theme for this review is celebrating the wins with a focus on highlighting the accomplishments made in 2024 by building forward better together – with beneficiaries and supporters – greener, cleaner, safer, inclusive and climate-resilient future within the context of squeezed household spending.

 

• • How Did the Year 2024 Go through from within and around CENFACS?

 

To underline the way in which the year 2024 went from within and around CENFACS, we are going to highlight the key takeaways of 2024 and the contributions we made.

 

 

• • • Key takeaways of the year

 

The points or facts to remember about 2024 from within and around CENFACS are as follows.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of transitions out of or away from poverty

 

2024 has proven to be a year of transitions, of using the notion of transition as tool to understand paradigmatic changes in the lives of those in need.  We worked with our users through a series or set of interconnected transition tasks or activities (in total, we had 12 Transition Project episodes) with the aim of helping them to transition out of poverty.  These tasks or activities were undertaken each month of 2024 within the requirements and limitations of CENFACS‘ existing and acquirable resources, capacities and assets.

 

∝) 2024 as a tricennial year with the Tricennial Celebration or the Tricennium or a celebration of the remarkable journey of CENFACS as an idea for good

 

It has been a remembrance of CENFACS for its four existential features, which are: a) CENFACS as a Sustainable Creation b) CENFACS as a Unique Creation c) CENFACS as an Inspiring and Transformative Creation d) CENFACS as a Creation for Hope and Future.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of raising awareness about private homeownership and secure land tenure to reduce poverty in Africa

 

Many of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) noticed that the level of poverty due to homeless and landless was high in their areas of operations in Africa.  ASOs worked with these homeless and landless people by helping them to find inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable settlements so that they could transition out of poverty linked to the lack of homeownership and secure land tenure.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of charity trade and investment

 

2024 has also been the year of working with poor and vulnerable beneficiaries in trying to create usable means to live off and push poverty away via trade and investment.  It has been the financial year of working with ASOs that wanted to invest and make the most of their long-term funds and protect their charities’ income against economic events (such as the impact of inflation, geo-economic crisis).  It has been about working with them so that they could find investment channels to generate better returns than simply holding cash with them.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of data and insight skills to manage your households

 

Using free frontline tools of poverty reduction from CENFACS‘ poverty reduction box, we conducted basic data analytics and empowered user households with data and insight skills.  Through Data and Insights Advocacy and Skills project, we particularly worked with households making the CENFACS Community on the following: data storytelling and communication skills, financial plan updates, data and insight skills, financial resilience programme, and systemic resilience capacity rebuilding projects.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of system reset and change stories 

 

Amongst the stories received, we had 2 great stories of changing our mindsets, 4 remarkable stories of seeing wholes, 3 amazing stories of understanding connections, 2 moving stories of building a genuine connection and one memorable story of creating a new system of poverty reduction

 

∝) 2024 as a year of following the direction of poverty reduction via aquatic foods and systems

 

We followed the direction of poverty reduction via aquatic foods by focussing on four variables as follows: 1) price (affordability of aquatic foods) 2) environment (low-climate impact of aquatic foods) 3) consumption (aquatic food and consumption poverty reduction) and 4) technology/production (low-cost technology to produce aquatic foods).

This follow-up enabled our users to understand how aquatic foods and systems can help reduce poverty.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of spatial analysis of poverty with the redevelopment of brown spaces

 

2024 has as well been a year of engaging space to deal with poverty induced or linked to brown space.  It has been a year of addressing spatialisation of poverty.  We explored with poor living in or around brown spaces ways of reducing or ending this type of poverty.  Besides that, we made efforts with them to reduce health hazards from brown spaces.

 

∝) 2024 as a year of advocacy to save critically endangered fish species via Mbisi project

 

Through the ‘Mbisi‘ project and ‘A la une‘ (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) campaign, we tirelessly worked with the community and others outside our community to raise awareness of the upkeep of endangered fish species like

Bagrus meridionalis, Treur River barb, Sandfish, Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri, Haplochromis granti, Basking Shark, African Wedgefish (Rynchobatus Luebbert) and Barbel spp.

 

∝) 2024 as a second year of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

We quarterly ran four matching 0rganisation-investor projects which were on the following four areas: property, charity shop, farming charitable loan and African art investment.  These projects, which were the matching opportunities of the year 2024, offered to both ASOs and not-for-profit investors a chance to make their dream come true. In other words, there were occasions for ASOs to find the investment they were looking for and not-for-profit investors the organisation to invest in, and both of them could start the New Year with certainty.

 

 

• • 2024 Key Produce or Achievements

 

2024 has been a notable year of poverty reduction produce or accomplishments.  It will be known as a tricennial year,  a year of celebration of the thirty years of remarkable journey of CENFACS as an idea for good.

2024 has also been a memorable year as we reset and change our system of poverty reduction.  It is a year of system reset and change to respond to the post-pandemic needs and aspirations of our users and ASOs.

2024 has finally been a year of wellness as we added wellness to our Summer Projects of Happiness and Healthiness.  Wellness – that is, the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health, according to the Global Wellness Institute (2) – was the missing piece which many of our users needed and highly demanded in order for them to continue improve the quality of their lives.

The above are just the few selected accomplishments or produce we wanted to share with audiences and supporters in this year-in-review campaign.  However, for those who would like get more insights into them and other achievements of the year 2024, they can let us know.

 

 

• • Looking Forward to 2025 (or Commitments for the Year 2025)

 

In 2025, we shall undertake the following:

 

a) Initiatives featuring the season of light like light (or energy) and energy transition projects, particularly these initiatives will be about finding finance to fund energy transition and a new development model to continue to reduce poverty

b) Projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa to echo the messages and outcomes from COP16 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (3); projects such as healthy soils, resilient crops, nutritious food, sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality will be developed

c) Projects of shared prosperity with the poor which will include two measures: the Global Prosperity Gap and the number of African economies with high inequality.

 

Besides that, we shall carry on with the financial empowerment programme of our users to reduce financial poverty and mitigate the lingering effects of previous and current crises with some of the initiatives (like Financial Monitoring and Controls in 2025).

We shall as well continue to develop household-focused and area-focused programmes to support poor and vulnerable households so that they can build their assets to overcome intergenerational poverty.

We shall finally carry on to light a Blaze of Hope for every place and everyone who will need it in our identified area of operation.

 

• • 2024 Gratitude

 

To end this year-in-review impact report, we would like to continue to thank our poverty reduction producers, enablers and supporters as we did in our last week’s post (4).

Looking back at 2024, we are filled with gratitude for them.  2024 has been a memorable year for CENFACS for those who inspired us in responding to local and African needs at the challenging time of the lingering effects of the high costs of living.  We could not have made it through this year without their support.

We thank them for making possible 2024 as another meritorious year of poverty reduction and sustainable development, as well as for what we accomplished together.  Let us make next year even better for those in need.

For further information or a full story of 2024 and to discuss any issues regarding this 2024 Year-in-Review Impact Report, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) cenfacs.org.uk/2024/12/11 (accessed in December 2024)

(2) https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/ (accessed in July 2024)

(3) https://unccd.int/cop16 (accessed in December 2024)

(4) cenfacs.org.uk/bog/2024/12/18 (accessed in December 2024)

 

_________

 

• 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 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

18 December 2024

Post No. 383

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Season of Light 2024-2025

• Festive Giving, Gifting and Lifting

• Community Value Chains, the CENFACS Community

 

… And much more!

 

• 2024 Year-end and 2025 Year-start Calendar

Projects/Campaigns/Festive Resources: State of Running

a) Year-round/Triple Value Initiatives: closed as of 23/12/2024

b) Community Value Chains: active and continuous

c) End-of-year Donation Campaign and Support: active until 31/12/2024

d) Festive Income Boost: active until 31/12/2024

e) Gifts of Peace: active until 31/01/2025

f) Season of Lights: active until 21/03/2025

g) Online Discussion on Volunteering in Winter: active until 05/01/2025

 

• Year-end 2024 Thank You Message

As 2024 draws to a close, CENFACS would like to take a moment to express its gratitude to all of its supporters and each and every one of you for your dedication and commitment to its noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.

Thank you to all of you who produced poverty reduction with us and made poverty reduction possible for those in need and for us in 2024.

 

Key Messages

 

• Season of Light 2024-2025

 

On 22 December 2024, we shall move from Autumn Fresh Start to the Season of Light.  As a result, Autumn Fresh Start projects and programmes including campaign will end to signal the start of the Season of Light within CENFACS. 

 

• • End of the Autumn Fresh Start Season and Campaign

 

The Autumn Season will officially end on 22 December 2024.  The momentum we have built from the beginning and throughout Autumn Fresh Start Season continues to galvanise our poverty relief action and is taking our relief journey into the Season of Light, which starts the 21^st of December 2024.

 

• • Start of the Season of Light within CENFACS

 

The Season of Light, which usually starts the 21^st of December of each year and ends around 21 March in the New Year, runs through the Festive Season, which is between 01 December of the ending year (here 2024) and 31 January in the New Year (2025).  The Gifts of Peace, which keep on giving, normally feature the Festive Season.

During the Season of Light, we light up a Blaze of Hope for people and communities suffering from the effects and impacts of destructive wars and natural disasters in Africa.

In the coming weeks and months of the Season of Light, our Blaze of Hope will be extended to those who are continuing to suffer from the lingering effects of other crises (such as the cost-of-living, hunger and security crises).

The Season of Light will come with the Lights Appeal or Campaign, which is a set of poverty reduction projects that features the Season of Light.  

 

• • Two Themes, Two Seasons and Two Gifts

 

The theme for the Season of Light is Hope which we try to bring through a Blaze, while the theme for the Festive Season’s Reliefs is Peace.  During the Festive Season, we try to reduce poverty as a lack of peace via the Gifts of Peace; whereas in the context of the Season of Light we work through Lights Appeals/Gifts to relieve poverty as a lack of hope.  Those who feel themselves hopeless need some hope/lights.  They need some belief to attain the wish or desire of poverty reduction, to persist, to build trust in resources and to share hopes.

Under the Main Development section of this post, there is more information about the Season of Light 2024/2025.

 

 

• Festive Giving, Gifting and Lifting

 

As part of the season of giving and gifting as well as of lifting poor and vulnerable people out of poverty, we are asking supporters to go extra miles in replying to these two fundraising appeals which are: Festive Gift Set and End-of-year Support.  To ease the understanding of these appeals, let us briefly explain Festive Giving, Gifting and Lifting.

 

• • What Is Festive Giving?  What Is Festive Gifting? What Is Festive Lifting?

 

Festive Giving is the act of sharing joy, love and generosity with those in need during the Festive Season.

Festive Gifting is the practice of giving presents or donations to those in need during the Festive Season.

Festive Lifting is the act of lifting the spirits of people in need through gestures of kindness and generosity during the Festive Season.

So, with Festive Giving, Gifting and Lifting; we can express love, appreciation, kindness and generosity towards those in need who are looking for brightness.  We can do it through Festive Gift Set and End-of-year Support.

 

 

• • Festive Gift Set

 

Festive Gift Set is a collection of items curated and packaged together to celebrate festive occasion.  These sets are thoroughly designed to bring joy and festivity to the recipients.  They are made of carefully selected items that compliment each other and create a memorable difference and experience for the recipients.

This Festive Gift Set can be given for the remaining thirteen days of this year starting from today as those of the last legacy of the Year 2024 as the ‘Transitions’ Year at CENFACS.

To mark the end of our ‘Transitions’ Year and Campaign, we are appealing to you to support CENFACS’ year 2024 through a ‘Transitions’ (‘t’) Gift or Year 2024 Gift.

Such a gift will help to undertake five changes as follows:

 

a) Change in terms of skills as the beneficiaries of this gift will develop new skills and gain new perspectives, and grow to further reduce poverty (a gift of growth)

b) Change as those in need will become more adaptable, resilient and better equipped to handle future changes and uncertainties (a gift of adaptability)

c) Change as beneficiaries will generate new ideas and approaches to better address poverty and enhance sustainable development (a skill of creativity)

d) Change as members of the CENFACS Community will come together to support each other via change and build stronger bonds (a gift of building community)

e) Change through togetherness as CENFACS users will work together to navigate new challenges, foster a sense of unity (a sense of belonging) and collaboration against poverty and hardships (a gift of togetherness).

 

 

With the ‘T’ Gift plus the Gift of Light plus the Gift of Peace; the three of them give you a Gift Set of £5 or more.  What do these gifts express?

 

 

• • • Expressions from the three gifts (of Transition, Light and Peace)

 

• • • • The Transition Gift represents the 12 Transition Project Episodes of the Year of Transitions Out of Poverty within CENFACS.  It is a gift of transitioning out of poverty with the aim of providing meaningful support and resources that will empower those in need to improve their economic status and achieve long-term self-sufficiency.  The gift will give both immediate relief and creative opportunities for long-term growth and self-reliance.

 

• • • • The Gift of Light is a form of lighting to peoples and communities without access to light.  It symbolises hope, warmth and joy for the victims of multiple crises (i.e., the cost-of-living crisis, wars and natural disasters).  It is also a donation programme that uses practical and meaningful means to meet the unique needs of transitioning from darkness to brightness, to guide or show way of reducing poverty.

 

• • • • The Gifts of Peace are initiatives to promote peace and conflict resolution in war-torn or conflict affected or disaster-stricken places, while providing aid and resources to those affected by changing climate, wars and conflicts while promoting stability in their communities.  These gifts create long lasting relationships in a world without conflicts between humans as well as between humans and the nature (other living beings and things).  At this time of the lingering effects of polycrises, the Gifts of Peace will enable to re-conquer the lost peace and get new form of peace from poverty induced by these effects.  This is without forgetting the lack of peace brought by climate change events.

All these initiatives represent some great ways of helping to reduce poverty at this special time of the year.  They give more opportunities to supporters to do something different for those in need.

By donating £5 or more for this Gift Set, you will help people in need to leave poverty and hardships behind them and may be for ever.

To donate and or enquire about this Gift Set, just contact CENFACS with or without your donation.

 

 

• • End-of-year Support and Appeal

 

End-of-year Support and Appeal are a great way to show appreciation and spread holiday sheer as 2024 is coming to an end.  We would like to ask you to donate as a legacy towards CENFACS’ efforts to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can donate to support CENFACS’ anti-poverty mission and to help reduce poverty and hardships this festive season and in the New Year.

Your support can make helpful differences to CENFACS and to those in need, the people and communities that CENFACS serves.

 

• • • Two ways of responding to this appeal

 

1) Make a One-off Festive Donation of £5 or more this festive time…

as a way of helping poor people via CENFACS and / or support CENFACS’ work on poverty relief and sustainable development.

You can also support one of the CENFACS projects and programmes if you wish.

 

2) Make a Monthly Donation of £5 or £10 or £15 or more per month…

as a legacy for CENFACS’ work.

Please make a year-end contribution today to help us continue to deliver the work of CENFACS in the remaining days 2024 and beyond.

This Year-end Support is an inclusive relief sending a never-ending message from the giver that they are part of what we have achieved in 2024 and will do in the coming years.

To make a donation and or enquire about this End-of-year Ask or Support, just contact CENFACS with or without your donation.

 

 

• Community Value Chains, the CENFACS Community

 

CENFACS as a Community that Supports Its Members to Transition out of Poverty, which is the Closing Act of the 2024 Year, is being prepared and trended.

 

• • What Is CENFACS’ Community Value Chains (CVC)?

 

1) It is a community value control, inspirational and motivational project of year-end celebration introduced by CENFACS in 2009.  The project is based on a basic idea of development which is as follows:

“What a member of our community best does which well works for them can have an underlying good value.  If there is a good value, it is desirable to share such value so that other members of our community could be aware of it and build a sort of chains of beliefs and community spirit/principles within our support network”.

 

2) It is all about improving lives and outcomes of community members as well as enlivening capacities by sharing good practices, values, achievements and hopes about shared goals for the future; while learning from past mistakes.

In doing so, we can pull together as one community, strengthen our links and bonds, learn our differences and harness transformative changes we all want amongst us and beyond our self-interests.

 

3) It is finally about sharing and celebrating our wins or impact as a community.

 

To sum up, CENFACS’ CVC or the CENFACS Community is our voluntary local and non-profit making arm inside which all our projects and activities carried out in the UK are grouped and delivered; the other two domains being CENFACS International and CENFACS Fund for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.

 

• • What Are Those Shared Values?

 

Good practices and good values do not need to be big or exceptional or even spectacular.  They are the simple good little things we do every day, which may have worked for us and could work for others as well.  These good little things could have a bigger impact on us as a community.

They could be life and work learning experiences, lifestyles, helpful differences, social responsibilities and principles that underpin them.  At this time of the high costs of living, they could be all the little initiatives one has taken to care for each other in order to have access to economic means of copying and survival.

 

• • Sharing and Celebrating Our Wins or Impact via CVC 2024

 

CENFACS as a Community that Supports Its Members to Transition out of Poverty (or the Closing Act of the Transitions Year) will feature our Year-end Giving Campaign.

This celebratory theme for CVC’s 15^th Celebration of CENFACS as a Community is and will be the Closing Act of the Transitions Year and Project.  This celebration or end-of-year sharing will be open to those who would like to share hopes about shared goals for a better future.

 

• • The 15^th Celebration of CENFACS Community as Way of Looking both Back and Forward

 

• • • Looking back on 2024

 

It will be about

 

~ how we mobilised support and resources to meet the community’s transition needs.

~ the work we carried out with the members of our community and Africa-based Sister Organisations via transitionary skills, styles and models to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development

~ how we approached crises and challenging situations to get the best outcomes for poverty reduction via transition skills, styles and models

~ how we used the fundamental principles of transition to work with users and project beneficiaries so that they could transition out of poverty

~ reflecting on beneficiaries’ journey out of poverty and how far they come to get valuable insights in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

• • • Looking forward to 2025

 

It revolves around

 

~ making use of the findings from what we did not know and we now know about the needs and aspirations of the people in need making our community to build a better community

~ planning appropriate responses or new ways of working together with project beneficiaries in 2025 to meet unmet needs and demands

~ setting new realistic goals for 2025 and an action plan to achieve those goals.

 

For instance, we shall undertake planning for projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa as well as poverty reduction projects linked to other aspects of desertification and drought.   We shall as well develop projects of shared prosperity.

Regarding shared prosperity, the World Bank Group (1) argues that

“The pace of improvement in shared prosperity has slowed and (…) inequality remains high in Latin America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 105)

In this respect, looking forward will be about thinking of the direction and shape that the evolution of the community needs and aspirations may take in 2025 and how we can effectively and efficiently work with our members in 2025 in terms of improved course of action in the New Year.

Briefly, the 15^th Celebration of CENFACS Community will be a hybrid sharing of our transition work and knowledge on how the 2024 went on in everybody’s life in terms of the positive takeaways from it in order to build forward in 2025.  In this hybrid sharing, the positive experience from the crises and shocks of 2024 will be welcome.

We want our community ends 2024 on a positive note or sharing despite the ups and downs of this year, especially with the disturbance that the high costs of living has caused and is continuing to cause on many of us.  We would like as well our community to start 2025 with hope and positive belief.

 

• • Share, Spread & Tweet the Message

 

To enable us to build value chains with you and others and to keep our support network alive and networked CENFACS, please spread the message to/pass it on around you.

If you feel that you need first to talk to us before responding to this invitation of end-of-year celebration/sharing, please let us know.

If you prefer to respond via e-mail, you are free to do so at facs@cenfacs.org.uk.

Whichever way or means you choose to enter this year-end sharing project, please reply by the 23rd of December 2024 so as to ease the end-of-year 2024 celebration/sharing and the start-of-year 2025 preparatory activities, projects and programmes.

For further details about this Closing Act of the Transition Year and Project as a ‘t’ Year, please contact CENFACS.

For the timeline of the themes that made the Community Value Chains so far, please also contact CENFACS. 

As part of the closure of 2024 and preparation for 2025, we are as well doing an inventory of skills and are registering the talents and skills of the CENFACS Community.

If you have not yet registered your skills to CENFACS’ Skills Data Bank, this is the opportunity to do it over this festive period.  Your skills registration will be essential to ensure that all the skills and skilled people making our community are included in any future plans to improve our community support.

To register or add your skills to the CENFACS Community’s Skills Register or Database, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Income Generation Leads/Advice: Income Generators, Creators and Curators of the Month

• All Year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives): 2024 Verdict

• Festive Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme, and Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

 

• Income Generation Leads/Advice: Income Generators, Creators and Curators of the Month

 

Our advisory service on leads to income generation is still on.  Through this festive advice service, we are looking at and reviewing income generation plans or strategies for those who need a review.  We are also trying to explore the different leads or avenues that those in need can use, depending on their personal circumstances; to find the appropriate means to generate little extra income.

In this income generation to reduce poverty, we are as well trying to enlist those who could be named as Income Generation Models or Income Generators, Creators  and Curators of the Season.  We are looking at their models or ways of generating little extra income.  We are assessing whether or not their models of generating income are generalizable or duplicatable or just are exceptions to the general rule and to the CENFACS Community.

If anyone has managed to generate little extra income and finds that their way of doing it has an underlying good value that can be shared with the CENFACS CVC members, please do not hesitate to talk to CENFACS.

 

 

• All Year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives): 2024 Verdict

 

The week is finally an occasion to remind the need to report on All-year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives) which are:  Play, Run and Vote projects for poverty relief and sustainable development.

As we are nearing the end of year 2024, it is now the time to report on our three All-year Round Projects – which are Play, Run and Vote.

We know that this year has been economically challenging for some of you to run some types of activities.  However, for those who have managed to undertake and complete the above named projects, we would like them to share with us and others their experiences, stories and reports regarding these projects.

 

• • The Action-Results of 2024: Tell it!

 

You can feedback the outcomes or Action-Results of your…

 

… Run if you ran for poverty relief over the year 2024 (or organised a Run activity)

… Play if you played the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief

… Vote if you have already voted your 2024 African Poverty Relief and Development Manager.

 

We would be more than happier to hear your Action and Results to feature the State of Play, Run and Vote 2024, and conclude CENFACS 2024 Year as Year of Transition.  Tell it!

 

• • What or Who We Want to Hear

 

We would like to hear from you about the Winner of CENFACS Virtual Trophy of the Year, that is one of the following Three Stars or Bests of the Year:

 

√ The Best African Country of 2024 which best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runner of 2024

√ The Best African Poverty Relief and International Development Manager of 2024.

 

If you have not yet told us, have your say by 23 December 2024.  The Verdict is yours.

 

 

• Festive Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme, and Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

During this month, we have been run the above-mentioned programmes.

Regarding Festive Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects as part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme, they are closed and will be re-run in the New Year.

Concerning Matching Organisation-Investment Programme, we are now conducting Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (IMEL) after the last episode.  This IMEL is on matching maths and statistics for both Africa-based Sister Organisation and Not-for-profit Investor.  Those who may be interested in this IMEL, they can let CENFACS know.

For those potential not-for-profit investors who still need some guidance for impact to find investee organisation and Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation looking for an investor, they can contact CENFACS to book an appointment for a match/fit test in the New Year.

Equally, for those households who still need support regarding their financial capacity and capability building problems, they can also communicate CENFACS with their queries or enquiries to book an appointment in/for the New Year.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Calendrier de Fin d’Année 2024 et de Début d’Année 2025

Projets/Campagnes/Ressources Festifs: État des Lieux

a) Toute l’année/Initiatives à triple valeur: fermé à partir du 23/12/2024

b) Chaînes de valeur communautaires: actives et continues

c) Campagne de dons de fin d’année et soutien: active jusqu’au 31/12/2024

d) Augmentation des revenus festifs: active jusqu’au 31/12/2024

e) Dons de la Paix: active jusqu’au 31/01/2025

f) Saison des Lumières: active jusqu’au 21/03/2025

g) Discussion en ligne sur le bénévolat en hiver: active jusqu’au 05/01/2025

• Remerciement de fin d’année 2024

Alors que l’année 2024 touche à sa fin, le CENFACS souhaite prendre un moment pour exprimer sa gratitude à tous/toutes ses sympathisant(e)s et à chacun(e) d’entre vous pour votre dévouement et votre engagement envers notre noble et belle cause de réduction de la pauvreté.

Merci à tous (toutes) ceux (celles) d’entre vous qui ont produit la réduction de la pauvreté avec nous et qui ont rendu la réduction de la pauvreté possible pour ceux ou celles qui en avaient besoin et pour nous en 2024.

 

Main Development

 

• Season of Light 2024-2025

 

The Lights Season at CENFACS kicks off with the theme of Hope as said above.  We are going to deliver this Hope with projects and programmes adapted to the context of crises like the cost-of-living crisis.  We are going to add to them projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa as well as poverty reduction projects linked to other aspects of desertification and drought.  Hope will also be provided by other initiatives like projects of shared prosperity, as mentioned above.

The following items make the contents of our Season of Light 2024-2025:

 

∝ What will shape the Season of Light?

∝ Two themes to bear in mind this Festive and Lights Time: Peace and Hope

∝ The Gift of Light that Keeps on Giving this Winter

 

Let us look at these contents.

 

• • What Will Shape the Season of Light?

 

The 2024-2025 Season of Light will be about working on the matters listed below:

 

a) Initiatives featuring the season of light like light (or energy) and energy transition projects, particularly these initiatives will be about finding finance to fund energy transition and a new development model to continue to reduce poverty

b) Projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa to echo the messages and outcomes from COP16 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2); projects such as healthy soils, resilient crops, nutritious food, sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality will be developed

c) Projects of shared prosperity with the poor which will consider two measures: the Global Prosperity Gap and the number of African economies with high inequality.

 

The 2024-2025 Season of Light will be the case of harnessing transformational and structural changes in the context of increasing uncertainty and climate change so that those who are living in poverty can find the means, paces and spaces they need to navigate out of it.

Besides that, we shall carry on with the financial empowerment programme of our users to reduce financial poverty and mitigate the lingering effects of previous and current crises with some of the initiatives (like Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign).

Finally, we shall continue to develop household-focused and area-focused programmes to support poor and vulnerable households so that they can build their assets to overcome intergenerational poverty.

To realise the above mentioned projects, it requires Hope and Support.

 

 

• • Two Themes to Bear in Mind This Festive and Lights Time: Peace and Hope

 

The theme of Hope is the overall theme of the Season of Lights, while the theme of Peace will be dominant over the festive celebrations period.

 

• • • The theme of Hope

 

The theme of Hope is made of notes or pieces of land restoration, drought resilience and readiness, energy transition and shared prosperity.  This Wintry season, we shall bring a glimmer of hope through these notes or pieces, while making sure that the poor people own the process and have equity in poverty reduction.  Hope will help beneficiaries as follows:

 

~ to actively cope with everyday challenges and find the appropriate relief and comfort they need

~ to reframe negative situations or events in a positive portrait or mood

~ to cultivate positive engagements, experiences and emotions in life

~ to keep momentum towards a better future

~ to enhance early warning systems

~ to develop resilience initiatives and strategies

~ to engage in a proactive behaviour.

 

• • • The theme of Peace

 

The Gifts of Peace are included in the Season of Light.  Peace is the festive theme we choose to spread the joy of Season’s Reliefs to those in need.   We try to help their wishes and dreams of poverty relief become true through the Gifts of Peace that put a smile on poor people’s faces and lips with relief notes while hoping they will rediscover freedom from disturbance and disorder caused by crises and other painful events of 2024.

 

 

• • The Gift of Light That Keeps on Giving This Winter

 

What is the Gift of Light?  It is as explained below.

 

• • • A gift of light for every person in need everywhere!

 

The Lights Season is the season during which we try to bring light or shine light to impoverished lives in the darkness.  We try to bring clarity, brightness to people who need to see clearly and accurately about their life.  It is about helping them see the light of relief so that they can see the world in a new relieved light or version.

 

• • • A gift of light that ignites and sparks the life of those in need!

 

This is why we have the Lights project at CENFACS; projects which enable us to bring lights to those in need and which identify the poverty reduction gaps in human systems and support those areas of these systems which do not receive support.  Like the last Winter, this Winter 2024-2025, our Lights projects will focus on two parts or two waves of action:

 

1) post-coronavirus, post-war, post-economic crisis and post-natural disaster developments

2) current and emerging armed conflicts and environmental catastrophes as well as new waves of threats.

 

However, in these developments and waves, we shall take into account the changing contexts in Africa where there could be scaling down or changing types of crises (for example, the imperialist rivalries between the French and Russians in Africa with their impacts on poverty reduction, threat to international trade due to the current conflict in the Middle East and its implications for poverty reduction in Africa).  To mention other crises where the work of poverty reduction could be needed, we can speak about hunger crisis and debt crisis which are still stubborn issues for many low income countries in Africa.

 

• • • A gift of light that helps people to navigate their own way out poverty with pride!

 

The Gift of Light is about helping people to help themselves.  By using the light, they can find their own way out poverty and hardships, out of darkness instead of CENFACS telling them what do.  They can act with self-esteem and self-respect.  In this respect, the Gift of Light is a blessing of empowerment.

 

• • • A Blaze of Hope for post-life following crises (e.g., the cost-of-living crisis), armed conflicts and natural disasters

 

When there are environmental disasters and armed conflicts, there are pledges and commitments to end the effects of wars and disasters.  For various reasons, some of these pledges do not always materialise.  The post-war and post-disaster developments are sometimes left without support even until the conflicts and disasters return and or strike again.

The same situation can happen if the pledges – made at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (3), which took place in Baku (Azerbaijan) to help channel “at least” $300 billion a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change – do not materialise in concrete actions.

As we cannot wait the return or repeat of the same wars and disasters; our first Blaze of Hope will go this Winter to the unfinished business of previous destructions and disruptions brought by crises (e.g., the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis), wars and natural disasters.

 

• • • • Examples of areas where a Blaze of Hope may be needed

 

Our Blaze of Hope will go to the following areas of African countries

 

~ that experienced overlapping crises that have slowed or stalled poverty reduction

~ not recovered from the poverty increase caused by the coronavirus pandemic

~ with slow, weak or lack of economic growth to enable poverty reduction to happen

~ with high inequalities that prevent poverty reduction to materialise.

 

• • • A Blaze of Hope for the eruption of any crises, armed conflicts and natural disasters

 

We always advocate for preventive development and we do not seek for destructive events to happen.  However, our preparedness and readiness should make us to assemble as quickly as possible advocacy tools should any effects and impacts erupt from new waves of crisis, wars and natural disasters in Africa.

So, our second wave of intervention or Blaze of Hope will go this Wintry season to erupted effects of unexpected crises, armed conflicts and natural disasters in the areas of our interest in Africa.

With these two waves of action over this Wintry Season, we hope to enlighten the lives of those in pressing and emergent need.

 

• • • • Examples of areas where a Blaze of Hope may be needed

 

For this December 2024, we have initially selected or identified six areas of priority that may need lighting a Blaze of Hope, which are as follows:

 

a) Areas of countries severely affected by food insecurity or the socio-economic impacts of high food prices like in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinee, Congo, Madagascar, Mali and Senegal

b) Areas of vulnerable countries hit by or prone to torrential rains and cyclones that could cause enormous food insecurity such as in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

c) Areas of countries devastated by other types of weather extremes (such as prolonged and severe drought, extreme temperature, etc.) like Burundi, Madagascar, Congo and countries of the Horn of Africa

d) Areas of countries that are the victims of a high level of persisting civil insecurity such as in in Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Mali

e) Areas of countries where innocent people are the victims of unfamiliar forms of civil insecurity (e.g. interpersonal violence, gang violence and insecurity due to the presence of private military company personnel) and forced displacement/refugee influx like in Congo, Mali and Burkina Faso

f) Areas of countries with neo-sovereignist or putschist States (in countries where there were putsch like in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger and Mali).

 

The above selection is an initial one, which may change depending how and where humanitarian events will unfold in Africa.  The selection will help to start our Light advocacy and campaign.

The countries listed in this selection are also mentioned in the Crop Prospects and Food Situation of the Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United Nations (4).  None of the above-mentioned countries is experiencing a single issue.  Many of them can be subject to multiple issues.  For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing conflict in its north-eastern provinces, torrential rains in other parts the country and high food prices.

Also, our priority areas can change depending on the events in Africa.  For example, if there is eruption of unpredicted or unplanned events (such as natural disasters, natural resource crises, environmental incidents, large scale involuntary migration, health crisis, international trade crisis, etc.), our Blaze of Hope will go to the victims of these erupted events.

For those who can support Light project, we can count on them to move forward this advocacy or campaign.  And we would like to thank them in advance.

For any queries or enquiries regarding the Season of Light, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) World Bank Group. 2024. Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024: Pathways Out of the Polycrisis. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi. 1596/978-1-4648-2123-3 (accessed in December 2024)

(2) https://unccd.int/cop16 (accessed in December 2024)

(3) https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop29-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-baku/ (accessed in December 2024)

(4) FAO. 2024. Perspectivas de cosechas y situatión alimentaria. Informe mundial trianual, no. 3, noviembre de 2024. Roma. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd3168es  (accessed in December 2024)

_________

 

• 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 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

11 December 2024

Post No. 382

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via African Art Investment Project – Stage/Activity 4 (from 11 to 17/12/2024): Matching Organisation’s Project Documentation with Investor’s View on Project Documentation

• Turning Things Into Festive Gifts (‘Festive Turns’)

• E-discussing Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model While Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS) 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via African Art Investment Project – Stage/Activity 4 (from 11 to 17/12/2024): Matching Organisation’s Project Documentation (PD) with Investor’s View on PD

 

The last episode of our 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via African Art Investment Project is on Matching Organisation’s Project Documentation with Investor’s Approach to PD

Indeed, both parties [i.e., Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation (ASACO) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Investor] have made progress so far as they continue to score points; points which are enough to enable them to enter the final stage of the matching talks.  They are excited and have started to dream to begin 2025 with a new investment for Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation (ASACO) and a new asset in portfolio for not-for-profit (n-f-p) investor.  However, each of them still has some work to do to complete the matching process.

For ASACO, this Activity 4 is about having its application for investment in the form of project documentation.  This application needs to be completed and to show coordination and collaboration in terms of its contents.

This last stage is an opportunity for ASACO to elevate its application in line with project planning theories, processes and practices.  It is the stage at which ASACO has to sell its project unique point to stand out amongst competing projects and organisations, while highlighting impactful aspects of its project in terms of poverty reduction.

As to the n-f-p investor, it is about elevating its pitch in order to win an organisation in which to invest.  In its approach to project documentation, n-f-p investor will look at qualitative (facts) and quantitative (numbers) data, metrics and indicators to help him/her in its investment decision or case.  This insight will indicate to him/her whether or not to back the project and the ASACO that initiates this project.

Where the two (i.e., investee and investor) need support, CENFACS will work with each party to fill the gap.

More on Activity 4 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Turning Things Into Festive Gifts (‘Festive Turns’)

 

This Festive Season, we are going to turn our time, effort, waste, shopping, etc. into donations and gifts.  It is a Festive Season of turning things into something purposeful to reduce or end poverty and/or enhance sustainable development.  It is about transforming items into festive gifts.  You name them ‘Festive Turns‘.  ‘Festive Turns‘ involve personalisation with personalised messages, seasonal add-ons, thematic and experience-based gifts, and eco-friendly options.

Examples of turning things into festive gifts include the following:

 

σ Turning your time and effort into helpful support for those in need this Festive Season

σ Turning waste into valuable resources that support those in need

σ Turning your festive shopping into life-changing gifts for others.

 

The above examples are just a few of ways of turning things into festive gifts or donations for those in need.

Those who would like to turn things or items into Festive Gifts, but are not sure or struggling to do it, they can work with CENFACS to make turning things possible.  Equally, those who would like to donate to make this turning possible, they should not hesitate to donate.

To turn things into festive gifts and/or to donate to make this turning happen, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• E-discussing Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model While Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS) 

 

Our Winter e-discussion about Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model will enter its third planned area.  In this area, the e-discussion will be on Volunteering to find a new development model; e-discussion which will be held on 13 and 14 December 2024.

While our Winter e-discussion is going on, we are asking for support to CENFACS’ All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS).

 

• • Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS)

 

It is possible to support CENFACS and its AiDVS from wherever you are (at home, work, away, online, abroad, on the go and move, etc.).   Supporting us does not need to be magical and majestic.  It can be in any thing or means that can advance the work of AiDVS.

Your support will help us to support others who need support during this festive time.

One can still enjoy a great festive season while supporting us to support others. 

There are many simple helpful and useful ways of adding great value to our voluntary work.

Here are 12-themed enhancers or ways of adding great value to CENFACS’ AiDVS:

 

1)  Gift ideas for the best ways of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing projects and programmes in the New Year

They could include project management software, books and guides, evaluation tools, digital gadgets, free subscriptions to journals and publications, etc.

 

2) Money-saving and scrimping tips from scrimpers for AiDVS

Tips from seasonal scrimpers could be on budgeting wisely (to track expenses and set limits), grocery savings (e.g., donate coupons), reduction of utility bills, financial tools (like cashback apps), smart shopping, etc.

 

3) Festive deals and packages for AiDVS

For instance, one can offer New Year’s Eve Packages, discount codes and offers (seasonal discounts, package deals, early booking deals, etc.)

 

4) Festive free coupons, promo codes and vouchers for AiDVS

They include free vouchers from popular retailers or brands, percentage price off orders and saving on selected items, which can help AiDVS save on their holiday shopping.

 

5) Net-zero or low carbon economic products to protect the environment and nature

To name the few, we can mention energy-efficient appliances, renewable energy products, eco-friendly products, water-saving devices, sustainable food choices, waste reduction solutions, etc.

 

6) Digital and media support to better volunteer for a climate neutral and sustainable world

Options include online platforms and courses, digital tools for activism, volunteer matching platforms, youth engagement, etc. 

 

7) Health and safety gifts for healthy and safe volunteering in the New Year

These gifts can include aid kits, personal protective equipment, hydration and nutrition, comfort and ergonomics, health and wellness, safety training and resources, emergency preparedness, etc.  These gifts will help volunteers stay healthy and safe for their well-being and the success of their efforts.

 

8) Wintry and festive giveaways to volunteer for a net zero greenhouse gas emissions world

To illustrate, we can mention free products, gift cards, free tickets, etc.

 

9) Generative Artificial Intelligence volunteering tools to improve the efficiency of volunteering

Tools include personalised volunteer matching programme, automated consumption, content generation, data analysis and insights, training and onboarding, resource allocation, feedback and evaluation. 

 

10) Festive price bundling for flexible volunteering

Ideas for bundling offers can include volunteer packages, discounted event tickets, gift cards and vouchers, free products and services, recognition and rewards, and flexible volunteering options.

 

11) Distance working and gift technologies

Amongst the examples, we can name cloud technology, volunteer management software, apps, virtual volunteering tools, apps for remote volunteering, virtual volunteer tools, gift technology for volunteers (e-gift cards, virtual recognition, tech gadgets, tablets, laptops, etc.)

 

12) Net-zero energy saving products to volunteer

We can mention home energy efficiency since many of our AiDVS work from home, renewable solutions, transportation (e.g., e-bikes), sustainable products, energy monitoring tools, etc.

 

The above-mentioned enhancers will contribute to streamline volunteer management processes, enhance volunteer satisfaction, and support a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions world.

The enhancers – which could be wintry and festive news, information and products – will assist volunteers (that is, short-term, episodic, regular, ongoing and virtual volunteers) to better help out CENFACS’ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.

They will also assist in recruiting and easily managing volunteers while improving volunteer experience and the effectiveness of our work on poverty reduction.

Additionally, they will contribute in tracking volunteers and their work.

For instance, gift technologies could enable to automate volunteers’ tasks to free up resources and time as well as increase volunteer engagement in our poverty reduction work.

To support AiDVS with your wintry or festive gift, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

To e-discuss Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model, please communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal: Only 11 Days Remaining!

• Transitions Year and Project: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

• CENFACS’ Poverty-Environment and the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 

 

 

• Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal: Only 11 Days Remaining!

Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Funga, Communities and Organisations in Africa are Asking for Your Support!

 

We have only eleven days remaining for our Autumn 2024 humanitarian appeal.  This appeal is about supporting needy people, flora, fauna, funga, communities and organisations in Africa.  It includes the following five selected projects:

 

1) Informal Cross-border Poor Traders’ Skills

2) Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects

3)  More Poverty Reduction for Women and Youth in Africa

4) Rescuing Children’s Education

5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga Projects.

 

• • Supporting the Autumn 2024 Campaign

 

Donors and funders can seize the opportunity provided by these projects and the giving season to directly and respectively donate or fund these projects.

A message about this appeal can also be passed on to a person who is in a position and willing to support.  Many thanks to those who will be passing this message!

We understand that the world is still trying to find ways of coming out of multiple crises (food, energy, climate change, geo-economic crises, etc.).  This struggle affects the ability of people to support good and deserving causes.

However, the effects of these crises are even stronger in places where there is a high level of poverty like in Africa.  This is why we have launched this seasonal appeal to help not only to reduce poverty but also to save lives from these crises.

 

• • Where Donors’ and Funders’ Money Will Go

 

We are inviting those who can, to donate £4 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans, 1 benefit for other natural livings and 1 shared benefit between humans and nature) or any amount starting from £4 or more as you wish or can.

 

• • Gift-Aiding Your Donation

 

You can gift aid your donation as well as support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, status, circumstance, budget, capacity and willingness.

To donate, gift aid and support otherwise; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Transitions Year and Project: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

At the start of 2024, we dedicated 2024 as a Year of Transitions within CENFACS (1) and of poor people’s needs and demands; transitions that would better help by working with them so that they can transition away or out of poverty reduction.

We thought that to reduce or end poverty, it would require transition or people in need transitioning from one situation to another one.  Transitions can be of varying kinds.  Transition can be psychological, economic, financial, democratic, social, environmental, political, demographic, etc.

To deliver this dedication, we set up a Transitions Project.

 

• • What is Transitions Project or ‘t‘ Project?

 

It is a series or set of interconnected tasks or activities planned  for the execution of CENFACS‘ dedication of year 2024 as of Transitions.  These tasks or activities, which aim at reducing poverty, have been undertaken throughout 2024 within the requirements and limitations of CENFACS‘ existing and acquirable resources and assets.

Through this project, it was hoped to continue to help reduce poverty by working with project beneficiaries as they move through and out of poverty.  The project would support them to smooth transitions processes they were undergoing in order to meet their poverty reduction goals.  The support could be about tackling factors that could cause problems to their transitions.

In this respect, the ‘t‘ Project was designed to accompany project beneficiaries in their transition away or out of poverty and hardships.  The ‘t‘ Project has activities and tasks (or 12 Transition Project episodes).

 

• • Activities and Tasks Relating to the ‘t’ Project

 

A number of activities and processes has been conducted each month to enable smooth implementation of the project.  We planned twelve specific activities/tasks (or 12 Transition Project episodes), one activity or task every month.  Through this project and each task, we have tried as much as we could to identify the transition paths to poverty reduction generally and on a particular area of poverty reduction (e.g., humanitarian or overseas development matters).

We have been working to find things or factors that can help transitions so that they could positively contribute to the same goal of relieving need hardship and distress amongst our community members throughout our dedicated year.  Last week, we announced the last activity or episode of the Transitions Project, while carrying out impact monitoring and evaluation of the same project.

 

• • Continuing Impact Monitoring and Evaluating the ‘t’ Project

 

This week, we are continuing the process of looking back what happened in the last 11 months until now.  This is our impact monitoring task.  Equally, it is worth to start the task of evaluating the Transitions Year and Project.  We may not finish this evaluation by the end 2024, but it is better to start now and continue it in January 2025 if we do not finish.

The two exercises (i.e., monitoring and evaluation) will enable to inform any interested parties (e.g., project beneficiaries, supporters, our  audiences, etc.) the findings about what we did not know and we now know about the needs and aspirations of the people in need making our community.  These monitoring and evaluative exercises would also lay ground to seize the early impacts or outputs from the delivery of the Transitions Year/Project.

From these exercises – monitoring, evaluative information and knowledge – and other discoveries within the project, we can plan the kinds of appropriate responses we may develop or ways of working together with project beneficiaries in 2025 to meet those unmet needs and demands.

In order to impact monitor and evaluate the Transitions (t) Project, it is essential to have a theory of change for accountability and reporting to stakeholders.  We had this theory before starting this Transitions project.  The theory of change developed here is the causal chain or a description of a succession or chain of elements and causal connections between them.

For example, one could look at any of the 12 activities/tasks (or 12 Transition Project episodes) and check how they were connected to find out if there were inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts which each element led to the next.

The Impact Monitoring and Evaluation (IME) will provide the two results below.

On the one hand, the IME will tell if there has been transition in terms of:

 

~ attitudinal change, that is whether or not the ‘t‘ project has allowed to draw attention, affect awareness, attitudes and perceptions of the poor

~ procedural change, that is changes in way poor people decide their matters

~ behaviour change, that is changes in behaviour in poor people.

 

On the other hand, we can evaluate if the activities (e.g., negotiation, advocacy, skills development, etc.) conducted to make transitions out of poverty to happen.

To conduct impact monitoring and evaluation, it requires the contribution of every body who took part or came across these activities.

 

• • How Can You Help or Get Involved in the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation Processes of the ‘t’ Project?

 

As part of this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, we would like to ask to those who have been working with us throughout the last 11 months and two weeks to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these two areas:

 

(a) The overall “Transition Year/Project”

(b) Any of the activities/tasks they have been interested in or used to work with those in need to transition out of poverty.

 

You can share your feelings and thoughts with us by:

 

∝ Phoning

∝ Texting

∝ E-mailing

∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.

 

• • Supporting the Findings from the ‘t’ Project

 

Impact monitoring and evaluation are not an end for themselves.  After concluding them, there will be some findings in terms of knowledge of poor people’s needs.   There will be some suggestions or proposals in terms of project planning and development.  In other words, these findings could mean that we may have to take some steps forward in terms project planning and development in the New Year.

If there are new projects to meet those unmet needs within the community, how can one support those findings or emerging new project proposals?

For those who are willing to support those findings and projects stemming from those findings, they can be reassured that we are willing to share the findings with them.

To request the findings from the 12 Transition Project episodes, please contact CENFACS.

To support projects that may result from these findings, please let CENFACS know.

 

 

• CENFACS’ Poverty-Environment Programme and the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 

 

Between 2 and 13 December 2024, we are following the work of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which has been held under the theme “Our Land. Our Future” (2), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Our follow up of COP16 is part of the work we do on the development of sustainable initiatives.  Particularly, this follow up falls under CENFACS’ Poverty-Environment Programme.  More on our Poverty-Environment Programme can be found under the page ‘Development Programmes‘ of CENFACS website (3).

There are many areas which have been discussed so far at COP16 that are linked with the content of our Poverty-Environment Programme.

For example, the discussion on the current agri-food systems that contributes to the deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss is in tune with some areas of our programme.

Additionally, CENFACS “A la une” ((Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities are linked with many aspects of the work of COP16.

Furthermore, COP16 brings an additional opportunity to work as we shall develop projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa as well as poverty reduction projects linked to other aspects of desertification and drought.  Specifically, we are looking into developing projects on healthy soils, resilient crops, sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality; projects we believe can help reduce poverty linked to the lacks of land restoration and drought resilience.

For those who would like to know more about the relationship between COP16 and CENFACS‘ Poverty-Environment Programme, they can contact CENFACS.

For those who are interested in working with CENFACS on this relationship, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Dons sans donner directement de l’argent liquide et sans faire d’achats

Il existe 12 façons/outils thématiques de faire un don sans donner directement de l’argent liquide et sans faire d’achats pendant cette saison et ce mois de fêtes.  Il s’agit notamment de:

1) S’inscrire à une déclaration d’aide à don à partir de laquelle CENFACS peut gagner 25 pence supplémentaires pour chaque 1 £ que vous donnez

Votre déclaration d’aide à don peut contribuer à amplifier notre impact sur la réduction de la pauvreté.

2) Nomination du CENFACS pour un don lors d’événements festifs de collecte de fonds et de dons de charité

Il peut s’agir de foires et de marchés festifs, de courses et de marches, de concerts et de spectacles, de campagnes de collecte de fonds en ligne, etc.

3) Sélection du CENFACS comme organisme de bienfaisance préféré pour les dons provenant des revenus publicitaires

Par exemple, si vous êtes une entreprise dotée de programmes de responsabilité sociale d’entreprise, nous pouvons nous associer à vous pour parrainer nos événements, projets et campagnes.  Nous pouvons aligner notre travail sur le vôtre; tout comme si vous meniez un programme de dons jumelés, nous pouvons travailler avec vous.

4) Don planifié ou legs si vous décidez de faire un don majeur au CENFACS au-delà de votre vie

Par exemple, vous pouvez aider pour les dons purs et simples, les dons différés, les dons qui fournissent un revenu; cadeaux qui protègent les biens.

5) Campagnes de diffusion en direct

Si vous collectez des fonds en direct, vous pouvez convenir avec CENFACS de choisir une plateforme (par exemple, Twitch), de configurer un flux pour CENFACS, de créer une page de collecte de fonds festive, d’utiliser une plateforme (comme Tiltify), de promouvoir l’événement, d’inciter les spectateurs (rices) à faire un don et à partager le flux avec leurs ami(e)s et de collaborer.

6) Actifs de jeu

Vous pouvez également soutenir le CENFACS via des actifs de jeu lorsque vous, en tant que collecteur (rice) de fonds pour les jeux, pouvez prendre l’initiative de collecter des fonds pour CENFACS via des jeux vidéo ou des événements de jeux vidéo diffusés en direct auxquels les téléspectateurs (rices) peuvent se connecter. Vous pouvez utiliser, par exemple, le jeu vidéo sur des plates-formes centrées sur le jeu en tirant parti de la communauté des joueurs (ses) et en collectant des fonds.

7) Outils d’IA (Intelligence Artificielle) pour générer des revenus ou automatiser la génération de revenus

En fait, vous pouvez nous aider à renforcer notre capacité de collecte de fonds, à impliquer plus efficacement les donateurs (rices) et à rationaliser nos processus et opérations grâce à des outils d’IA tels que l’IA d’appel, l’intelligence de collecte de fonds, les chatbots et les assistants virtuels (par exemple, ChatGPT) et les outils d’intégration CRM.

8) Dons immobiliers virtuels

Une autre façon festive, créative et innovante de soutenir le CENFACS est de faire un don sur les bénéfices des biens immobiliers virtuels (terrains et propriétés) vendus.

9) Billets numériques

Par exemple, les billets d’événements peuvent être vendus aux enchères ou tirés au sort pour collecter des fonds. Les billets pour les événements virtuels (par exemple, pour les webinaires, les ateliers en ligne) peuvent également être donnés.

10) L’art numérique

Vous pouvez faire don d’art numérique ou créer des Jetons non fongibles (JNF) de l’art à vendre, les bénéfices étant reversés au CENFACS.

11) Faire des dons en crypto-monnaie (ou dons d’actifs non monétaires)

Si vous êtes un(e) partisan(e), un(e) enthousiaste ou un(e) donateur(rice) adepte des cryptomonnaies, vous pouvez faire des dons en cryptomonnaies en tant qu’actifs en choisissant une cryptomonnaie (par exemple, Bitcoin), en vérifiant auprès de CENFACS si nous pouvons accepter vos dons en cryptomonnaies, en utilisant un portefeuille numérique, en transférant le don à CENFACS et en obtenant un reçu. Vous pouvez aider CENFACS à collecter des fonds pour ses nobles et belles causes ainsi qu’à développer un programme de philanthropie crypto.

12) Jetons non fongibles (JNF)

Vous pouvez créer et mettre aux enchères des JNF dont les bénéfices sont reversés à CENFACS, faire don de JNF existants en les vendant ou en les vendant aux enchères avec des recettes allant à CENFACS, configurer un portefeuille numérique avec des JNF pour accepter les dons en crypto-monnaie pour CENFACS.

Ainsi, on pourrait faire don d’actifs numériques comme les crypto-monnaies, les JNF et les cartes-cadeaux numériques.

Il pourrait y avoir d’autres façons de faire un don sans magasiner, car les dons de ressources à des causes caritatives sont une industrie en pleine croissance. Si vous en connaissez d’autres, utilisez-les pour aider le CENFACS à accéder à des fonds pour ses nobles et belles causes.

Ainsi, ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas pu faire de dons sans donner directement de l’argent liquide et sans faire d’achats, ils/elles  peuvent toujours faire un don via les dons en espèces sans achats mentionnés ci-dessus.  Ils/elles pouvaient faire des dons en espèces sans acheter un souvenir pour les nobles et belles causes du CENFACS.

En demandant des dons en espèces sans achat direct, nous ne voulons pas dire que l’on ne peut pas donner de l’argent. Ils/elles le peuvent et s’ils/elles choisissent de donner directement en espèces, CENFACS acceptera volontiers leurs dons directs en espèces.

Pour soutenir le CENFACS sans donner directement de l’argent liquide (avec ou sans courses d’achats) et/ou en faisant un don direct en espèces, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Merci d’avoir pris en compte notre demande de dons en espèces sans dons directs sans activités de magasinage festives.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via African Art Investment Project – Stage/Activity 4 (from 11 to 17/12/2024): Matching Organisation’s Project Documentation with Investor’s View on Project Documentation

 

As introduced in the Key Messages, both parties [i.e., Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation (ASACO) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Investor] have made progress so far as they continue to score points; points which are enough to enable them to enter the last stage of the matching talks.  These matching talks will be about finding ways to reach an agreement between Organisation’s Project Documentation (PD) with Investor’s View on PD.

To explain what is going to happen at this last stage or Activity 4, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

 

σ Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation’s Project Documentation

σ Not-for-profit Investor’s View on and Review of Project Documentation

σ The Match or Fit Test.

 

Let us look at each of these headings.

 

• • Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation’s Project Documentation

 

To start off, it is better to understand project documentation.

 

• • • What is a project documentation?

 

The definition used in these notes of project documentation comes from ‘projectmanager.com’ (4) which states that

“Project documentation refers to the project management documents that are created throughout the project life cycle.  These documents, such as the project plan, project schedule or project budget, define activities procedures and guidelines that the team should follows”.

The website ‘projectmanager.com’ provides top 15 project documents to include in a project documentation, which include:

project plan, project charter, business case, project schedule, risk register, scope statement, project budget, project communication plan, project statement report, project closure, project proposal template, project brief template, requirements gathering template, project overview template, and team charter template.

Depending on the type of Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation’s project, this documentation can be simple or complex.  What is important is not only to have a well documented project, but to have a project documentation that can help to win the argument to attract investment/investor.  This well crafted project documentation will serve a basis for Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation (ASACO) to reach an agreement with potential not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors.

 

• • • What ASCO can do to reach an agreement

 

In this Activity 4, ASACO needs to champion its project/cause by demonstrating that there is consistency and links between its planned documents.  That the project documentation provides a blended roadmap in the way the project will be implemented.  ASACO is also required to show that the processes and protocols of project planning, tracking and monitoring are canonical and clear without any confusion.

Since the n-f-p investor is looking for ASACO’s ability to record and document all aspects of its project, ASACO must AVOID to have its project into pieces all over the place without any links or relationships.  ASACO is therefore required to provide a high-quality crafted project documentation as well as uphold openness and transparency.  To achieve that it needs to refer to metrics for project documentation quality.

 

• • • Metrics for project documentation quality

 

The blog ‘daily.dev’ (5) provides 5 metrics for project documentation quality, which are:

 

1) Readability (how easily users can understand and engage with the content) 

2) Navigation and accessibility (how users can find and consume content)

3) Quality of content (how well the documentation meets the needs of its users)

4) Usability (how easily users can find and use the information they need in your documentation)

5) Customer satisfaction (helps to know if users are happy with the information you are providing and if it meets their needs).

 

The same ‘daily.dev’ argues that

“By tracking these metrics and implementing best practices, you can create high-quality documentation that improve user experience, reduces support costs, and drives business growth”.

ASACO can follow the advice from ‘daily.dev’ and ensure that its documentation meet the criteria contained in the above-mentioned five metrics and maximise impacts on the beneficiaries that the project intends to serve.

 

• • • Impact of the art project on local area and local people

 

Stage 4 is the stage at which ASACO needs to boldly speak about measures and numbers like the following:

 

σ how many people will benefit from the art project

σ how many amongst them will be lifted out of poverty because its intervention

σ the impact of the art project on local area and local people

etc.

 

ASACO can use impact measurement tools.

 

• • • Project methodology

 

ASACO can as well explain the approach or methodology it has used to factorise both internal and external variables (such as economic, environmental and political factors or indicators) in the project documentation.  This would be the system of methods and principles it has used or will be using in order to set up the art investment project.  In doing so, it will show that the art investment project sits on solid foundations or principles.  Equally, ASACO needs to demonstrate it has evidence not only principles.

 

• • • The evidence of need

 

In this design of project documentation, ASACO can add testimonies, evidence of need and any research findings from and about the people where the project will be implemented to demonstrate that the project has baseline documents and is based on genuine local needs and demand.

Briefly, throughout its project documentation ASACO must show that is leading the way and the project has something noble to offer and can generate tangible and palpable results in terms of poverty reduction.  The project is worth undertaking and commends a genuine case or value for investment.

 

• • Not-for-profit Investor’s View on and Review of Project Documentation

 

This is about the not-for-profit investor’s opinion and critical report on ASACO’s project documentation. 

To understand the n-f-p investor’s position at this stage, one needs to be aware of what ‘getty.edu’ (6) argues, which is:

“To document an art project, one can sketch out a scope and goals for the project, communicate roles, expectations, and objectives, monitor progress and identify roadblocks, verify that all the deliverables have been met, and finalise the project”.

The n-f-p art investor would take the above argument as far as ASACO’s PD is concerned.  Referring the above-mentioned argument, n-f-p art investor may want to know if

 

~ ASACO’ s project documentation meets user needs and expectations

~ there are any areas of improvement

~ documentation can be optimized

~ documentation improves the overall quality of the art project

etc.

 

For instance, the n-f-p art investor will conduct usability testing and check if ASACO’s documents have visuals.  He/she can as well check if content aligns with user needs and expectations, and if ASACO will collect feedback through surveys, forms and rating systems.

Briefly, he/she would like to be ensured that ASACO’s project documentation is clear, concise, and user-friendly and will increase customer loyalty, positive reviews of art investment project and business growth.  If this is the case, there will be a possibility to reach an agreement.

 

• • Reaching an Agreement on the the Key Areas of the Project Documentation

 

The two sides (ASACO and the n-f-p art investor) need to reach an agreement on the contents of project documentation.  If there is a disagreement between ASACO and n-f-p art investor, this could open up the possibility for a match/fit test.  The match/fit test can be carried out to try to help the two sides of the matching process.  The match/fit test can also be undertaken if there is a disagreement on any of aspects of the African art investment project.

 

 

• • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p FI’s view on and review of ASACO’s project documentation must be matched with the information coming out of ASACO’s documents.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASACO is saying about its project documentation, between what the investor would like the project documentation to indicate and what ASACO’s project documentation is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this fourth round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

 

• • • Impact Advice to APRC and Guidance to n-f-p Art Investor

 

CENFACS can impact advise ASACO to improve the contents of its project documentation.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p art investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of project documentation to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASACOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASACOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p art investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce or avoid the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

 

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

 

The rule of the game is the more art investors are attracted by ASACOs’ project documentation the better for ASACOs.  It means that ASACO’s PD process must pass the attractiveness test.  Likewise, the more ASACOs can successfully respond to art investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the African art project documentation the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., investee and investor).

The above is the fourth and last stage of the Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up art project and n-f-p art investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them.  They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

 

• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses 

 

The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy.  The Hub can assist to

 

√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis

√ conduct data management and administration

√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses

√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends or insights in data or results.

 

For any queries and/or enquiries about this fourth stage/activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Note on Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

 

African charities like other for-profit organisations can set up an art project to enable them to back up their charitable mission and vision, provided this project is within the regulatory frameworks of the countries in which they operate and within their constitutional rules.  In other words, they can do it within the powers they have been given by their legislators and their governing rules (e.g., articles of association).

However, they need to make sure that the newly formed art project can leverage trends, insights and interactions to make their poverty reduction brand part of the conversation, driving engagement and growth from their supporters. 

They also need to check that the same art project will generate enough income so that the more the difference between the sales revenue and the costs of those sales is, the better they can find the financial resources they need to allocate to their worthy causes. 

They are as well required to guarantee that the average artwork sale price will be enough to  generate both financial benefit and charitable benefit for them while charitable benefit superseding financial benefit.

There are not-for-profit impact investors who can help them to either to start or develop their idea of having an African art project or subsidiary to reduce poverty.  Where African charities, we mean CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisations (ASACOs) or African Poverty Relief Organisations (APRCs) like in this matching exercise, experience some difficulties in finding these types of investors, CENFACS can work with ASACOs/APRCs to source them.

Equally, for n-f-p impact investors who are looking for Africa-based organisations to invest in but they are not sure which organisation that can be their investee, CENFACS can as well work with these investors so that their investment is channelled to the right organisation, at the right moment and to the right cause.  In this respect, CENFACS can match ASACOs’/APRCs’ need to find an investor and n-f-p impact investor’s desire to get an investee.

The match probability can be high or average or low depending on how much ASACOs’/APRCs’ needs meet investors’ interests.  CENFACS will make sure that this match is the strongest possible one.

CENFACS is available to work with ASACOs/APRCs that are looking for Impact Advice  and  Not-for-profit Investors who need Guidance with Impact so that the former can find the investment they are looking for and the latter the organisation to invest in, and both of them can realise their respective dreams in the New Year.

To work together to make your matching dream come true in 2025 by finding your ideal investee or investor, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) cenfacs.org.uk/2024/01/10/2024-light-seasons-resources-projects-and-programmes/ (accessed in December 2024)

(2) https://www.unccd.int/cop16 (accessed in December 2024)

(3) cenfacs.org.uk/development-programmes/ (accessed in December 2024)

(4) https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/great-project-documentation (accessed in December 2023)

(5) https://daily.dev/blog/5-metrics-to-measure-documentation-quality (accessed in December 2024)

(6) https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/managing_protect.pdf (accessed in December 2024)

_________

 

• 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 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

04 December 2024

Post No. 381

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• 2024 Festive Guide and Income Generation Month

• Festive Donations Without Shopping

• Activity/Task No. 12 of the Transitions (“t”) Year and Project: Support Income Poor to Transition in Income Generation

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• 2024 Festive Guide and Income Generation Month

 

We have seamlessly crafted exciting and engaging initiatives to form our 2024 Festive Guide and Income Generation Month as well as deliver unparalleled experiences for both our supporters and project beneficiaries.

 

• • Festive Guide

 

2024 Festive Guide as a resource will help supporters engage with CENFACS during the Festive season and maximise their impact on CENFACS‘ poverty reduction work and mission.  This 2024 Festive Guide contains three items, which are:

 

a) The Season’s Relief 

b) Festive Services

c) Gifts of Peace.

 

The above-mentioned three items will help all our supporters to get involved, whether by donating or volunteering or participating in any festive preparation activities, while celebrating the season.

 

• • Income Generation Month

 

December is Income Generation Month, according to CENFACS development calendar/planner.  It is an Income Generation Month not only for most charities, but also for CENFACS users.  It is a month during which CENFACS‘ members will be focusing on generating additional income, through their own projects, fundraising efforts and seasonal activities.

During this month, we would be working with them and income poor to find way of generating some income to meet additional costs brought to their life by the high costs of living and spending pressure from festive demand.

This is why we published our Festive Income Boost on 13 November 2024 so that this festive income resource could be used as early as possible.  It contains income generation tools and strategies that streamline the process of meeting these costs.  This will quintessentially orchestrate poverty relief outcomes for project beneficiaries since we can work together so as to make the Season’s celebration come on its own to them and be affordable for all of them.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find more information about both the 2024 Festive Guide and our programme of work for the Income Generation Month.

 

 

• Festive Donations Without Shopping

 

Last week, we provided – under CENFACS’ Festive-Shopping-and-Donations Project or Festive-Donations-With-Shopping Project – a number of no-direct cash donations that those who would like to support CENFACS through their festive shopping can give.

This week, we are expanding on no-direct donations by focussing on those without shopping under CENFACS’ Festive-Donations-Without-Shopping Project.  In other words, we are highlighting other ways of backing CENFACS without directly giving cash and without shopping at CENFACS e-shop and other stores or shops.

What are those ways that one can think of or come across with to support CENFACS without having to directly give cash and without doing any shopping at CENFACS e-shop and other stores or shops?

 

• • Festive No-direct Cash Donations Without Shopping

 

There are 12-themed ways/tools of donating without shopping during this Festive Season and month.  They include:

 

1) Signing up for a Gift Aid Declaration from which CENFACS can earn an extra 25p for every £1 you give

Your Gift Aid Declaration can help amplify our poverty reduction impact.

 

2) Nomination of CENFACS for a donation at festive charity fundraising and donation events

These events could include Festive fairs and markets, runs and walks, concerts and performances, online fundraising campaigns, etc.

 

3) Selection of CENFACS as your preferred charity for donation from advertising revenue

For instance, if you are a company with corporate social responsibility programmes, we can partner with you to sponsor our events, projects and campaigns.  We can align our work with yours; just as if you run a matching gift programme, we can work with you.

 

4) Planned gifting or legacy giving if you decide to contribute a major gift to CENFACS beyond your lifetime

For example, you can help with outright gifts, deferred gifts, gifts that provide income; gifts that protect assets.

 

5) Livestreaming campaigns

If you are fundraising livestream donor, you can agree with CENFACS to choose a platform (e.g., Twitch), set up a stream for CENFACS, create a festive fundraising page, use a platform (like Tiltify), promote the event, engage viewers to donate and share the stream with their friends and collaborate.  

 

6) Gaming assets

You can also support CENFACS via Gaming assets when you as a gaming fundraiser can take the initiative to raise money for CENFACS via video games or livestreamed video game events whereby viewers can tune into.  You can use,  for instance, video play at gaming-centric platforms by leveraging the gaming community, and raise funds.

 

7) AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to generate income or automate income generation

In fact, one can help us boost our fundraising capability, more effectively engage donors, and streamline our processes and operations via AI tools like Appeal AI, Fundraising Intelligence, chatbots and virtual assistants (e.g., ChatGPT) and CRM Integration tools.

 

8) Virtual real estate donations

Another festive creative and innovative way of supporting CENFACS is with donation from the profits of virtual real estate (land and property) sold.

 

9) Digital tickets

For example, event tickets can be auctioned off or raffled to raise funds.  Virtual event tickets (e.g., for webinars, online workshops) can be donated as well. 

 

10) Digital art

You can donate digital art or create NFTs of the art to be sold with the proceeds benefiting to CENFACS.

 

11) Giving cryptocurrency donations (or non-cash asset giving)

If you are a crypto-minded supporter or enthusiast or donor, you can give crypto donations as assets by choosing a cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin), checking with CENFACS if we can accept your cryptocurrency donations, using a digital wallet, transferring the donation to CENFACS and getting a receipt.  You can aid CENFACS raise money for its noble causes as well as develop a crypto philanthropy programme.

 

12) Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)

You can create and auction NFTs with proceeds going to CENFACS, donate existing NFTs by selling or auctioned them with proceeds going to CENFACS, set up a digital wallet with NFTs to accept cryptocurrency donations for CENFACS.

So, one could donate digital assets like cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and digital gift cards.

There could be more ways of donating without shopping, since resource giving to charitable causes is a fast-growing industry.  If you know any more of them, please use them to help CENFACS access funds for its noble and beautiful causes.

So, those who could not give no-direct cash donations through their shopping, they can still donate via the above-named no-direct cash donations without shopping.  They could make no-direct cash donations without shopping a souvenir for CENFACS’ noble and beautiful causes.

By asking for no-direct cash donations with and without shopping, we do not mean that one cannot donate cash.  They can and if they choose to directly donate cash, CENFACS will happily accept their direct cash donations.

To support CENFACS without directly giving cash (with or without shopping) and or by directly donating cash, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you for considering our ask for no-direct cash donations without festive shopping activities.

For any queries and/or enquiries about CENFACS’ Festive-Donations-Without-Shopping Project, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity/Task No. 12 of the Transitions (“t”) Year and Project: Support Income Poor to Transition in Income Generation

 

Our Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project have finally got to Activity/Task 12, which is ‘Support Income Poor to Transition in Income Generation’.  

Indeed, it is possible to study the relationships between transitions and income generation, how transitions in income generating activities can help reduce vulnerabilities to poverty.  It is even feasible to work with income poor so that they can transition in the way they generate income.  This can be done by using a number of means such as support, resources and guidance to improve their financial and economic status.

This number of means can be provided at any time of the year.  However, at this particular time of festive preparations it will be very useful to help them to make the move they may need to an improved income generation.  Help can include education and training, skills to make money during the festive period, access to resources and equipment, etc.

Some of the areas of help (like skills to generate income during this festive season) can quickly produce results.  On the contrary, others can take medium to long term period to show outcomes.  For as long as the transition respond to the need of generating income, one can argue that Activity/Task 12 has been or is in the process of being carried out.

Those who would like to proceed with this activity/task by themselves can go ahead.

Those who would to be part of a working group helping in the realisation of this activity/task can let CENFACS know.

For those who need some help themselves before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.  To speak to CENFACS, they are required to plan in advance or prepare themselves regarding the issues they would like to raise.

For any other queries and enquiries about the ‘t‘ project and this year’s dedication, please contact CENFACS as well.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment – Activity/Stage 3 (from 04/12/2024 to 10/12/2024): Matching Organisation’s Project Roles and Teams (PRT) with Investor’s View on PRT

• E-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model (05/12/2024 to 05/01/2025)

• Festive Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment – Activity/Stage 3 (from 04/12/2024 to 10/12/2024): Matching Organisation’s Project Roles and Teams (PRT) with Investor’s View on PRT

 

Both Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation (ASACO ) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Investor earned more points in their individual second stage of this programme.

At this level of challenge, one needs to think like in The Apprentice (the British TV Series) or Dragons’ Den (another British entertainment show) whereby one can try to secure funding for its project from multimillionaire investors.  One can think like this, although in our scenario it is about ASACO trying to secure a deal from n-f-p investor.

As the negotiation continues, they have decided to move to the third round of talks, which is Activity 3 of the Matching Organisation-Investor Programme.

This third level of talks consists of agreeing on project roles and teams.  To approach this third level, we are going to deal with ASACO’s Project Roles and Teams, and Not-for-profit Art Investor’s Demand for Clarification about ASACO’s Roles and Teams.  Before that, it is better to highlight some key performance metrics making this art investment project.

As a result, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

 

σ Key Performance Indicators

σ ASACO’s Project Roles and Teams 

σ Not-for-profit Art Investor’s Demand for Clarification about Project Roles and Teams

σ The Match or Fit Test. 

 

Let us look at each of these headings.

 

• • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

 

Let us define them.

 

• • • What are KPIs?

 

According to ‘kpi.org’ (1),

“KPIs are the critical (key) quantifiable indicators of progress toward an intended result”.

They are quantifiable metrics that can be used to measure the progress towards the art investment project.  Essentially, we are going to highlight three types KPIs: those relating to portfolio, those attached to the art industry and those linked to team performance since this stage of matching talks is about project roles and teams.

 

• • • Diversification Performance Metrics

 

At this point, ASACO can start to use investor/project growth or diversification metrics to check that it is acquiring new investors or retaining existing investors or re-engaging lapsed investors.  Diversification performance metrics are quantitative measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of portfolio diversification strategies.  These measures help to optimise investment strategies and achieve high risk-adjusted returns.

An example of these metrics is diversification ratio which ASACO can use.  ASACO can calculate the Diversification Ratio by using the formula below.

Formula for Portfolio Diversification Score:

the sum of (the asset weights multiplied by their respective standard deviations) 

 

• • • KPIs Relating to the Art Investment Project

 

ASACO can as well use a suite of metrics stemming from its business plan like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) proposed by ‘simplekpi.com’ (2) to back its art investment project.

Amongst these KPIs, we can mention the ones listed below.

 

a) Artwork Sales Volume (ASV)

ASV tracks the number of artworks sold.

 

b) Revenue from Art Sales (RAS)

RAS measures the total revenue generated from selling artworks.

 

c) Average Artwork Sale Price (AASP)

AASP calculates the average price at which artworks are sold.

 

d) Customer Satisfaction Score (CSS)

CSS evaluates the satisfaction level of visitors through surveys or feedback forms.

 

e) Marketing Return On Investment (ROI)

Marketing ROI measures the return on investment for marketing campaigns.

 

f) Donations Received (DR)

DR measures the total amount of donations received.

etc.

 

The above-mentioned quantifiable metrics will help to measure progress towards specific art investment project and goals.

 

• • • KPIs to Measure and Track Team Performance

 

Because we are dealing with project roles and teams, ASACO needs to show that it has metrics to measure team performance.  In other words, it is required to demonstrate that its has the KPIs to measure the optimal functioning, development, and success of its teams.

Amongst these KPIs are the ones provided by Forecast App (3), which are Track Project Progress, Resource Performance Metrics, Process Performance Metrics, etc.

This third category of KPIs will help ASACO to measure and track the performance of its teams once the art investment project becomes operational.  Having these metrics in mind, it makes easy for ASACO when explaining its project roles and teams.

 

• • ASACO’s Project Roles and Teams 

 

Generally speaking, most projects involve people with roles and teams working together to make the projects work.  Projects require communications between project members about different aspects of a project as well.  Therefore, ASACO needs to explain its project roles and teams.

Amongst the 5 major project roles (that is, project sponsor, project manager, business analyst, resource manager and project team member), we would like to focus on two of them: Project Manager and Project Sponsor.

Let us look at them

 

• • • Art Investment Project Manager

 

ASACO’s Art Investment Project Manager will be responsible for overall project planning, execution and completion.  Like any project managers, ASACO’s Art Investment Project Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project.  The Manager will manage the project timelines, budget, resources, as well as ensure effective communication amongst all project team members and stakeholders.

As part of clarification of roles and responsibilities, ASACO will provide to n-f-p art investor role descriptions, which will detail and describe each role, including responsibilities of reporting lines and authority levels.  ASACO needs as well to indicate project team members, who are individuals with specific art project skills and expertise to contribute to project task and deliverables.

 

• • • Art Investment Project Sponsor

 

Art Investment Project Sponsor will provide support, resources and funding that ASACO is looking for.  He/she has the responsibility that the project aligns with art project goals.  He/she will be responsible for approving projects and determining scope and budget.  It could be a person who has promised a sum of money or support (e.g., advertising) to ASACO to make up what the art investment requires.  In practical terms, it will be a guarantor or promoter or benefactor or donor or funder or financier or investor or patron.

 

• • Not-for-profit Art Investor’s Demand for Clarification about Project Roles and Teams

 

At this stage of negotiation, a sensible n-f-p investor, who is a donor or funder, would like to know who will make ASACO’s project teams and what roles each team members will play and who is responsible for what.  It means project team members have the competencies and experience to complete their assigned tasks.

In order to provide the funding that ASACO is asking for, he/she would like clarification on project sponsorship.  If the project is or will be sponsored, he/she needs to be informed about the level and type of sponsorship to be received.  This information will help to know if the art investment project will undergo through fundraising mix.

This is because n-f-p art investor is also a potential project sponsor or donor or funder.  As a donor or funder, he/she would like to know who else is sponsoring the art investment project and how much money ASACO is putting in this project.  This information will help to determine the financial gap that needs to be filled and the funding structure or capital structure of the art investment project.

Besides the project sponsorship, n-f-p art investor requires further explanations about project roles and responsibilities on matters such as who is responsible for completing assigned tasks on time and within scope, and who are subject matter experts and other stakeholders.  He/she also wants to be reassured that ASACO will promote a collaborative and efficient working environment.

In addition, n-f-p art investor is enquiring if ASACO has communication matrix (that is a document detailing communication methods, frequency and stakeholders involved).

ASACO needs to respond to n-f-p art investor’s queries and enquiries by well defining tasks and deliverables, setting expectations, establishing deadlines and milestone, communicating plan, allocating resource, managing risk, establishing criteria for measuring progress and success and defining key performance indicators and tracking them, getting feedback and conducting reviews, while encouraging open communication and continuous improvement.

Failure to provide these answers may not help the matching talks to go to the next stage or to progress.  In other words, there should be an agreement between ASACO’s PRT and N-f-p Art Investor’s Approach to ASACO’s PRT.  If there is a disagreement, then the talks/negotiations could be subject to match or fit test.

 

 

• • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p Art Investor’s view on ASACO’s PRT Stage must be matched with the information coming out of ASACO’s PRT process.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASACO is saying about its PRT process, between what the investor would like the PRT phase to indicate and what ASACO’s PRT process is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this third round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, if this happens there is still a chance as CENFACS can advice ASACO and guide n-f-p investor on their approaches to African art investment.

 

• • • Impact Advice to ASACO and Guidance to n-f-p Art Investor

 

CENFACS can impact advise ASACOs to improve the presentation of the PRT process they are bringing forward.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p art investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of the PRT process to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASACOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASACOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p art investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce or avoid the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

However, to reduce or avoid this likelihood both parties need to follow the rule of the matching game.

 

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

 

The rule of the game is the more art investors are attracted by ASACOs’ PRT process the better for ASACOs.  It means that ASACO’s PRT process must pass the attractiveness test.  Likewise, the more ASACOs can successfully respond to art investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the PRT  process the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., investee and investor).

The above is the third stage or activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up an art project in Africa and n-f-p art investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them.  They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

 

• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses 

 

The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy.  The Hub can assist to

 

√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis

√ conduct data management and administration

√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses

√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data or results.

 

For any queries and/or enquiries about this third stage/activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• E-discussion on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model (05/12/2024 to 05/01/2025)

 

As the year wraps up, our e-discussion, which is on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model , has already started. The e-discussion is about volunteering to explore where money will come to fund climate change programmes and projects.  It is also about volunteering to find new models of development that respond to changing climate since humans may have to change or improve habits and behaviour to deal with changing climate.

Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model echo what was decided at COP29 in Baku (3) where developed nations pledged to channel $300 billion a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change.  This pledged money is not yet available.

Charities and voluntary organisations whether they operate in developed or developing countries have still to find funding for their climate projects and programmes.  Also, climate change is not only about money.  It is as well about the new development model or new way of living that one may need to create and embrace in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change.

Our e-discussion, which takes stock of COP29, will explore ways of finding the financial resources we need to continue our work on climate change.  It will also be about searching a new model of development that will pave and strengthen our way to net zero greenhouse gases emission.

To e-discuss Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model, we have organised a plan of work.

We shall look at the following points during our e-discussion:

 

√ Volunteering to increase financial support for projects and programmes of emission reduction

√ Volunteering to mobilise climate funds and engage climate finance stakeholders and investors

√ Volunteering to find a new development model

√ Volunteering for climate finance transparency and accountability.

 

As we are nearing 2025, volunteering to find climate finance and a new development will provide us with some ideas where the money to tackle greenhouse gases emission will come from and prepare our mindset to change or improve our behaviour in terms of our relationships with nature and the planet.  It will as well contribute to reduce poverty induced by the lack of climate finance and the lack of alternative model of development than just continuing to do the things that harm the planet.

To e-discuss about Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Festive Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme

 

As part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme and Scheme Periods (02 to 07/12/2024 and 09 to 14/12/2024), we are available to work in hybrid mode with users via a Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (FCCBP) or Scheme (FCCBS) so that they can start stronger in the New Year.

Both FCCBP and FCCBS will help beneficiaries to reduce risks linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

These are exclusive festive activities to maximise programme and scheme beneficiaries’ financial management and decision-making for a successful year-end.  To practise FCCBP and FCCBS , we are carrying out structured festive finance activities for the two periods as indicated below.

 

• • Structured Festive Finance Activities as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme (02 to 07/12/2024) 

 

FCCBP is a set of structured planned actions or events designed to help users to better manage financial aspects of festive celebrations, to develop financial knowledge and skills, to make life-saving financial decisions and to invest in financial capacity and capability goals

As a result, we will be working on how people and families can be involved a series of the following structured festive activities or small projects:

 

Activity 1: Investing in realistic goals about financial capacity and capability

Activity 2: Managing financial aspects of festive events

Activity 3: Making financial knowledge and skills positively impact on their financial behaviour

Activity 4: Taking sensible life-saving financial decisions

Activity 5: How to generate little extra income in order to reduce poverty.

 

These activities are run in the forms of advice, advocacy, e-discussion, workshop, focus group, survey, direct questions/answers, etc.  More details about them can be obtained from CENFACS.

 

• • • • Structured Festive Finance Activities as Part of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Scheme (09 to 14/12/2024)

 

FCCBS is a plan or system for achieving the goals of financial capacity and capability.  It helps to work with users so that they can elaborate a systematic plan of future action about their financial capacity and capability for a week or month or year (2025).  Through this exercise, we shall use some financial capacity and capability tools to work with users to design basic financial plans, policies, systems, strategies, etc. to deal with their problems.  Under this scheme, we can organise together the following festive activities.

 

Activity 1: Financial Capacity and Capability to make ends meet (e.g., coping and survival strategies)

Activity 2: Financial Capacity and Capability to plan head (plan and save for the future) 

Activity 3: Financial Capacity and Capability to organise money management (e.g., money management plan)

Activity 4: Financial Capacity and Capability to make financial decisions and act through budgeting

Activity 5: Financial Capacity and Capability to control spending through cash flow statements.

 

Briefly, we will be working on how people and families having the issues of financial capacity and capability can work out systematic plans for future action to improve their financial capacity and capability, and where possible generate income in order to reduce continuing poverty and hardships.  In particular, we will make sure about what scheme is workable or unworkable for them.

In the end, we hope that the financially incapacitated or incapable people and families can develop their own individual working FCCBP and FCCBS plans or policies to establish financial capacity and capability as well as generate little extra incomes not only for the festive period, but also beyond the festive time.  In doing so, they can improve their intergenerational economy and transfer accounts.

Need festive advice or support to deal with the problems of financial capacity and capability you are experiencing, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

If you have financial planning problems, you can contact CENFACS so that we can work together on your financial planning needs and help you to start the New Year stronger and confident with a financial plan or a system or a policy.

 

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

 

• CENFACS be.Africa Forum E-discusses the Impact of Economic Warfare on Poor People

Any wars of any kinds may not be a good prospect for humans.  Similarly, economic wars can be counter-productive for the well-being the world’s poorest people.  These people are already suffering from poverty.  Yet, there suffering could deepen if the prospects of economic war become a reality in 2025 as geo-economic rivalries and rifts continue between different powers (like the USA and China), not mentioning some counter-productive policy announcements any incoming administrations of these countries may make for 2025.

Although geo-economic confrontation has the biggest fall in ranking as it is being classified 14th in short term (2 years horizon) and 16th in long term (10 years horizon) as global risks ranked by severity by the World Economic Forum (5), it can resurface in 2025.  This resurgence can increase the costs of food and energy as well as of other commodities.

If the world in 2025 faces the prospects of economic war or its increase, there will be an impact on Africa, particularly on Africans who are already living in poverty.  It is this possible economic condition of the economic world of 2025, which none within CENFACS wishes to happen, that CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is trying to e-discuss the probable impact of such economic warfare on those living in poverty in Africa.

Perhaps, to better e-discuss this topic one may need to explain economic warfare.  According to ‘britannica.com’ (6),

“Economic warfare is the use of, or the threat to use, economic means against a country in order to weaken its economy and thereby, reduce its political and military power.  Economic warfare also includes the use of economic means to compel an adversary to change its policies or behaviour or to undermine its ability to conduct normal relations with other countries.  Some common means of economic warfare are trade embargoes, boycotts, sanctions, tariff discrimination, the freezing of capital assets, the suspension of aid, the prohibition of investment and other capital flows, and expropriation”.

Knowing what economic warfare is, one can debate what could be its impact on Africa, especially on those living in poverty in Africa.

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 information on this website.

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS e-discute de l’Impact de la Guerre Économique sur les Pauvres

Toute guerre, quelle qu’elle soit, n’est peut-être pas une bonne perspective pour les humains.  De même, les guerres économiques peuvent être anti-productives pour le bien-être des personnes les plus pauvres du monde.  Ces personnes souffrent déjà de la pauvreté.  Pourtant, les souffrances pourraient s’aggraver si les perspectives de guerre économique deviennent réalité en 2025, alors que les rivalités géoéconomiques et les divisions se poursuivent entre différentes puissances (comme les États-Unis et la Chine), sans parler de certaines annonces politiques qui peuvent alimenter une guerre économique que les nouvelles administrations de ces pays pourraient faire pour 2025.

Bien que la confrontation géoéconomique ait connu la plus forte chute dans le classement puisqu’elle est classée 14e à court terme (horizon de 2 ans) et 16e à long terme (horizon de 10 ans) en tant que risques mondiaux classés par gravité par le Forum Économique Mondial (5), elle peut refaire surface en 2025.  Cette résurgence peut augmenter les coûts des denrées alimentaires et de l’énergie ainsi que d’autres produits de base.

Si le monde en 2025 est confronté à la perspective d’une guerre économique ou de son augmentation, il y aura un impact sur l’Afrique, en particulier sur les Africains qui vivent déjà dans la pauvreté.  C’est cette condition économique possible du monde économique de 2025, que personne au sein du CENFACS ne souhaite, que le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS tente de discuter en ligne.   La discussion porte sur l’impact probable d’une telle guerre économique sur ceux ou celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté en Afrique.

Peut-être, pour mieux discuter de ce sujet, pourrait-il être nécessaire d’expliquer la guerre économique.  Selon le site Web ‘britannica.com’ (6),

“La guerre économique est l’utilisation ou la menace d’utiliser des moyens économiques contre un pays afin d’affaiblir son économie et, par conséquent, de réduire sa puissance politique et militaire.  La guerre économique comprend également l’utilisation de moyens économiques pour contraindre un adversaire à modifier ses politiques ou son comportement ou pour saper sa capacité d’entretenir des relations normales avec d’autres pays.  Certains moyens courants de guerre économique sont les embargos commerciaux, les boycottes, les sanctions, la discrimination tarifaire, le gel des avoirs en capital, la suspension de l’aide, l’interdiction des investissements et autres flux de capitaux, et l’expropriation”.

Sachant ce qu’est la guerre économique, on peut discuter de son impact sur l’Afrique, en particulier sur ceux ou celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté en Afrique.

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

 

• 2024 Festive Guide and Income Generation Month

 

We have two major items making the 2024 Festive Guide and Income Generation Month, which are:

 

∝ Festive Guide

∝ December as an Income Generation Month.

 

Let us briefly explain each of them.

 

• • Festive Guide

 

Inside this guide, there are three main listings: Season’s Relief, Festive Services and Gifts of Peace.

 

• • • Season’s Relief 

 

At CENFACS, the Season’s Relief comes with a theme and bundle of initiatives.

 

• • • • Season’s Relief Theme

 

The theme for Season’s Relief which would carry us throughout the entire festive period is Sustainable Peace.  The Festive Season, which is part of the worldwide celebration, kicks off in December for CENFACS and ends by the 31^st of January in the New Year.

During the Festive Season, we normally start the Season of Light.  The Season of Light is one of the four seasons of CENFACS Development Calendar.  It is the Winter season which goes on until the third week of March in the New Year and is featured by Winter Lights and Light Projects or Light Appeals. 

During this Season of Light, we shall carry out work about light (or energy) and poverty reduction.  We will be looking at how to fund energy transition for the energy poor who are still dependent on fossil fuels.

 

 

• • • • Season’s Relief Initiatives

 

The following are the selected December 2024 initiatives or Season’s Initiatives for Relief:

 

∗ Festive Income Builder, Booster & Calculator, In Focus for 2024: Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season

∗ Community Value Chains: CENFACS as a Community that Supports Its Members  Transition out Poverty 

∗ Volunteering in 2025: Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model

∗ Thanking 2024 Year Makers & Enablers

∗ Gifts of Peace (Edition 2024/2025)

∗ Run, Vote & Play for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development (Action-Results 2024).

 

The above-mentioned projects would make the first part of Season’s Relief as being announced above.  Some of them intertwine between our monthly and seasonal development calendars.  All will depend whether one is reading our development calendar on a monthly or seasonal basis.

To support and or enquire about the Season’s Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Festive Services

 

These services are made of two types of projects: regular and festive projects.

 

• • • • Regular or on-going projects

 

They are continuous including during the festive period.  The project known as All-year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives) is one of them.

 

• • • • Projects for the festive occasion only

 

They are projects which are specially designed for that occasion.   The project Community Value Chains is one of them.

Both types of projects are included in our December 2024 programme and planned to be delivered during the month of December 2024.

 

• • • Gifts of Peace

 

These are CENFACS Wintry Gift Appeal initiative to support people living in poverty in Africa.

CENFACS’ Winter Gift of Peace to Africa is indeed …

 

√ A festive life-sustaining support that helps to reduce poverty and bring sustainable peace  

√ A festive giving to acknowledge and do something about poverty over the festive period, which is also an occasion to trans-give and think of those who are not as fortunate as others

√ A festive means to support those who don’t have peace because of poverty, particularly in the developing regions of the world like Africa.

 

Since Africa is still looking for ways to produce economic growth that will be sufficient to further reduce poverty, there are many people, who are recipient of projects and programmes run by our Africa-based Sister Organisations, who desperately need support.

However, we must acknowledge that this is a challenging time for both those who support and those who receive that support.  Many factors have impacted people’s donation behaviours.  The same or similar factors have increased demand of support for those in need.

To respond to the demand of help from those who receive support, we will be launching CENFACS’ Winter Gift of Peace to Africa, a Winter Appeal, by the end of Autumn 2024.

In meantime, those who would like to have for more information about this seasonal appeal, they need to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • December as an Income Generation Month for CENFACS

 

December is a month of Income Generation, Record Tracking and Winter Lights at CENFACS.

 

• • • December as Income Generation Month

 

December is the Income Generation month according to CENFACS monthly development calendar and planner.  It is the month during which we advocate and provide tips, hints and other types of advisory support on how to generate additional income to cover shortage in regular income, by using other avenues within the boundaries of the law and order.

This additional income can enable multi-dimensional income poor children, young people and families (C, YP & Fs) to exercise their basic human right to celebrate the end of the year in their own way and right.

However, this December 2024 of Income Generation will be mostly about Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season as we highlighted in this year Edition of Festive Income Boost.  This is to help C, YP & Fs to set and apply a clear goal that can help them find enough income to better manage financial aspects of festive events, develop financial knowledge and skills, make life-saving financial decisions and invest in financial capacity and capability goals.

We will be working with them during the festive season to find ways of setting clear income boost goals while building and developing their financial capacity and capability.  So, supporting multi-dimensional poor C, YP & Fs in this way is the right cause to undertake.

Equally, where possible generating, building and boosting their incomes to exercise their human right to a decent end-of-year celebration is not only a one-off or seasonal business to make ends meet; but can also become an additional way of building and developing the capacity and capability to reduce and end income poverty.

They are poor not only because of lack of income but also due to their lack of support to build and develop financial capacity and capability as well as to generate enough income to cover their needs and nurture these capacity and capability.

As part of festive support, our Edition 2024 Festive Extra Income Builder, Booster and Calculator would be available for those who need it.  We launched this resource earlier in Autumn in order to enable those in need of the resource to get the tips, hints and strategies they need to early start exploring ways of better managing their financial affairs and making life-saving financial decisions while finding ways of boosting their income and generational economy.

Besides this resource, we planned two periods of work on financial capacity and capability programmes and schemes starting from the second of this month as follows.

 

• • • 02 to 07/12/2024: Financial Capacity and Capability Programmes (FCCP) 

 

FCCP is a set of structured activities designed to help users to better manage financial aspects of festive events, to develop financial knowledge and skills, to make life-saving financial decisions and to invest in financial capacity and capability goals

As a result, we will be working on how people and families can be involved a series of structured activities or small projects to

 

σ invest in realistic goals about financial capacity and capability

σ manage financial aspects of festive events

σ make financial knowledge and skills positively impact on their financial behaviour

σ take sensible life-saving financial decisions

σ where possible generate little extra income in order to reduce poverty.

 

Through these activities, we hope beneficiaries will become

 

√ better empowered in their financial behaviour

√ good financial decision makers

√ better financial managers

√ extra income earners

√ financially confident

etc.

 

• • • 09 to 14/12/2024: Financial Capacity and Capability Schemes (FCCS)

 

FCCS helps to work with users so that they can elaborate a systematic plan of future action about their financial capacity and capability for a week or month or year (2025).  Through this exercise, we shall use some financial capacity and capability tools to work with users (e.g., Debt to income ratio formula).

Briefly, we will be working on how people and families having the issues of financial capacity and capability can work out systematic plans for future action to improve their financial capacity and capability, and where possible generate income in order to reduce continuing poverty and hardships.  In particular, we will make sure about what scheme is workable or unworkable for them.

In the end, we hope that the financially incapacitated or incapable people and families can develop their own individual working FCCP and FCCS plans or policies to establish financial capacity and capability and generate little extra incomes not only for the festive period, but also beyond the festive time. In doing so, they can improve their intergenerational economy and transfer accounts.

 

 

• • • December as Record Tracking Month

 

December is also the time of record tracking on our All-year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives), particularly

 

√ CENFACS Poverty Relief League (The African Nations Poverty Relief League)

√ Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024

√ Vote Your African Poverty Relief and Development Manager of the Year 2024

 

We expect those who took part and or organised activities on our behalf about these projects to come forward, report and share with us their actions, results and experiences about the three stars or bests of 2024 (Best Country, Best Runner and Best Manager).  We can count on them to tell us their Winner of CENFACS Trophy of the Year.

 

• • • December as the start of Winter Lights Season

 

As said above in our Festive Guide, December is finally the month we start CENFACS Winter Lights Season, the first season of our development seasonal calendar.  The Season of Light, which kicks off around Mid-December, includes the Gifts of Peace.

Each year, we produce an edition of the Gifts of Peace that makes up our final fundraising campaign and last humanitarian appeal of the year.  This year, we are doing the same for our last humanitarian appeal or fundraising campaign of 2024.

Peace is the festive theme we choose at CENFACS to spread the joy of Season’s Relief to those in need, especially at this time of the lingering effects of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  We try to help their wishes of relief become true with the Gifts of Peace, by putting a smile on their face with relief notes.

With the enduring effects of high costs of living, many of them cannot find the smiles they need for relief.  One can hope that the Gifts of Peace will bring back the lost smiles.

To support the Edition 2024/2025 of Gifts of Peace, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • CENFACS Community Value Chains Celebration

 

As part of the Season of Light is the CENFACS Community Value Chains celebration.  This celebration generally closes our seasons at the end of the year and concludes our yearly development calendar and planner, while marking the end of civil year at CENFACS.

It is an end-of-year eventful project enabling us to look upon us again as a community of shared vision, values and beliefs which connect us as human chains with a purpose of reducing and ending poverty amongst us, and of enhancing sustainable development as well.

This year, we shall again focus on ourselves as a Community that Supports Its Members to Transition out of Poverty.  It will be about the capacity we have to support others to transition out of poverty and improve the quality of their life.

 

• • • Sustainable Volunteering: 05/12/2024 to 05/01/2025

 

To carry the CENFACS Community into the New Year, our discussion on Sustainable Volunteering, which has already started, is scheduled to take place from 05 December 2024 to 05 January 2025.  The discussion theme for this year is on Volunteering to Find Climate Finance and a New Development Model.

 

• • • CENFACS into 2025

 

To take the other two domains (International and Fund) of CENFACS into 2025 and engage with stakeholders, we shall develop projects relating to land restoration and boosting drought resilience in Africa as well as poverty reduction projects linked to other aspects of desertification and drought.

For any enquiries or to support CENFACS in the month of December 2024 and in the New Year, please contact CENFACS.

 

Before closing this week’s post, we would like to inform all our audiences and stakeholders that the above planned programmes, projects and activities can be reviewed.  If there are any significant changes in terms of the eruption of a major event or crisis or shock, we shall revise our initial festive plan and activate our contingency plan.

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• References

(1) https://www.kpi.org/kpi-basics (accessed in December 2024)

(2) https://www.simplekpi.com/blog/12-essential-art-gallery-kpis-to-track (accessed in December 2024)

(3) https://www.forecast.app/blog/how-to-track-and-calculate-metrics-to-improve-your-team-performance (accessed in December 2024)

(4) https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop29-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-baku/ (accessed in December 2024)

(5) https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WE_The_Global_Risks_Report_2024.pdf (accessed in December 2024)

(6) https://www.britannica.com/topic/economic-warfare (accessed in December 2024)

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• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.  Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.