Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity – Fragment 3

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 13 March  2024

Post No. 343

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity – Fragment 3 (13 to 19/03/2024): Matching Organisation’s Plan for Building Footprint (or Style) with Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works

• Climate Action 2: Spend on Net Zero Brands and Poverty Reduction (11 to 17/03/2024)

• CENFACS’ Tricennial Year

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity –

Fragment 3 (13 to 19/03/2024): Matching Organisation’s Plan of Building Footprint (or Style) with Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works 

 

Both Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation (ASHCO) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Property Investor scored enough points in the Second Fragment of the Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 ActivityThey would like to continue their talks and move to the third round of negotiations, which is Fragment 3.

This third round of talks consists of agreeing on Plan for Building Footprint (or Style)  to be presented by ASHCO, and on the Proposals to be made by the n-f-p Property Investor to Undertake any Improvement Works that deem necessary for the housing project.  To reach an agreement, each side of this Fragment 3 needs to clarify what they are offering in the negotiation to meet the matching terms and conditions.

If this Fragment 3 is successful, they will move to the next/last fragment.  Where the two (i.e., investee and investor) need support, CENFACS will work with each party to fill the gap.

More about Fragment 3 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Climate Action 2: Spend on Net Zero Brands and Poverty Reduction (11 to 17/03/2024)

 

To achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, it requires spending on net zero brands.  It equally implies investing in poverty reduction.  In other words, it is possible to spend at the same time on net zero products and poverty reduction if one needs to have climate transition action that is inclusive.

For instance, ‘cambridgeassociates.com’ (1) suggests “a more holistic and ambitious approach that integrates a climate lens across all investments [that could] lead to better real world and investment outcomes”.

The holistic and ambitious approach needs to include climate poverty reduction or inequality in climate transitions.  This will as well help to transition to a more inclusive and sustainable future.

However, to spend on net-zero products or brands, one needs to know what they are.

 

• • What Is a Net Zero Brand?

 

Net zero brands are types of products manufactured by a particular organisation having a net zero strategy, under a specific name.  According to ‘megradyclarke.com’ (2),

“Net zero strategy aims at reducing business operational emissions as much as possible, and combined with carbon offsetting balances overall emissions to zero”.

Those who would like to take climate action, they can spend on these brands.  Spending on these brands can have some implications for them.

 

• • Implications for Spending on Net Zero Brands

 

Spending on net zero brands can imply the following:

 

√ Being award of and considering these brands when making purchasing decisions

√ Reviewing net zero brands’ content assets

√ Participating in brand test and learning more about their strategy in terms of branding or brand channels

√ Getting to know their campaigns in relation to poverty reduction

√ Monitoring and analysing these brands as well as how good they are compared to brands that are not net zero

√ Staying in tune with their latest developments and their ability to reduce poverty

√ Being informed on their platform updates and news

etc.

 

Briefly, in keeping informed about the performance of these brands, it helps to make a good decision whether or not to spend on them.  Being informed means also not working alone.  Working with people around you can help to maintain the net zero momentum.

 

• • Working with the Community on Spending on Net Zero Brands

 

As explained in our last post, the all purpose of writing this note is to guide our climate action.  In other words, what is key here is to take action.  The note is only a guided principle.

For instance, taking action together on spending on net zero brands can be on applying initiatives for this spending to happen; initiatives such as opening up  an eco-conscious account with cash back rewards, developing a net zero commitment, taking actionable steps to meet targets on net zero expenses or purchases, transitioning behaviour and practice regarding net zero brands or products, etc.

Those members of our community who would like to work with CENFACS on Spending on Net Zero Brands and Climate Poverty Reduction, they can take climate actions as well as actions on reducing poverty with us.

For any queries or enquiries about Climate Action 2 and Climate Actions Month, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ Tricennial Year

 

2024 has been dedicated as a Transition Year within CENFACS.  2024 is also a Tricennial Year for the idea of CENFACS as 2024 is the year during which we are celebrating the establishment of CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation.  In other words, it is now 30 years since the idea of CENFACS was born.

This Tricennial Celebration or the Tricennium kicks off this March 2024.  It is a celebration of the remarkable journey of CENFACS as an idea for good.  We are remembering 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.

 

Through Project 30, we will be progressively sharing with our supporters, followers and audiences some information about CENFACS milestones so that they can (re)learn a bit more about CENFACS.  We would like as well those who have recently joined us and those who may want to join us, to learn something about CENFACS on the occasion of this Pearl Jubilee.

This coming Summer, we shall come back on CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation, particularly in June which is the Creation Month for CENFACS.

In meantime, those who would like to know more about the Tricennial Creation, they can contact CENFACS.  Likewise, we shall keep informed our supporters, followers and members about any Tricennial events that may take place and the way of supporting and engaging with these events.

Happy Pearl Jubilee to CENFACS!

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Focus for Week Beginning 11/03/2024: Protection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Discussion for Wednesday 13/03/2024: Cash Management

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 4: Appraising Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Focus for Week Beginning 11/03/2024: Protection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders

 

This activity will deal with the full protection of environmental human rights defenders.  As ‘ohchr.org’ (3) puts it

“They need and deserve the protection given to their activities by the Declaration on human rights defenders” (p. 5)

To explain this activity, let us summarise its aim and what it consists of.

 

• • Aim and Constituting Elements of Activity 4

 

a) Aim of Activity 4

 

The aim of this activity is about stopping any perpetrators of violations against human rights defenders, particularly (but not limited to) those working nature issues and nature-based solutions to poverty.

 

b) What Does Activity 4 Consist of?

 

This Activity is a qualitative research which consists of gathering information in-depth insights and opinions from a group of our members about people acting to address any human rights on behalf of individuals or groups, as well as people who promote, protect and realise economic, social, cultural and environmental rights.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 4 and/or any of the activities covered so far in our presentation of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Words about Third Series of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty

 

Activity 4 closes our Third Series of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.  But, it does not end our work on nature.

We hope that those who have been following our work on nature have found this third series contributing to the debate over nature and the wellbeing of nature.  Since work on nature is unfinished business, we shall resume it with the fourth series.  We shall inform our followers, supporters and audiences about the working plan on this fourth series when we are ready.  In meantime, for those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Discussion for Wednesday 13/03/2024: Cash Management

 

The last financial control we planned for this Winter 2024 Financial Controls Project is Cash Management.  Indeed, all households and families manage cash to run their daily lives.  To understand what we are talking about let us look at the aim of this financial control, the meaning of cash management and how CENFACS can work with the community on cash management.

 

• • The Aim of This Financial Control

 

The aim of learning this financial control (or cash management) is to reduce household/family poverty through the building of cash flow statement which will show how much cash is available for households/families, and which will include cash from three types of activities: operating, investing and financing activities.

Households/families can use cash management to get the best result in managing their cash assets.  They can even refer to financial instruments involved in cash management.  Some households/families can undertake this exercise.  Those ones that have some difficulties in doing it, CENFACS can work with them.

 

• • Brief Understanding of Cash Management

 

According to ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (4),

“Cash management, also known as treasury management, is the process that involves collecting and managing cash flows from the operating, investing and financing activities of a company”.

Like a company, households or families manage their cash.  They can use cash management to achieve the most efficient and effective use of their cash to meet their needs.

 

• • Work with Households/Families on Cash Management

 

Working with those households/families making our community could be about the following:

 

√ Improving their understanding of the cash flow cycle

√ Developing cash flow management skills

√ Helping them to make a good capital investment

√ Supporting them to use cash management to settle debt obligations

√ Assisting them on how to handle cash management to deal with their daily or operating expenses

√ Showing them how to allocate their cash assets or cash to invest when opportunities arise

√ Finding solutions to build savings from cash

√ Building cash statements with them to record all their cash inflows and outflows

etc.

 

Working with them could also be about suggesting to them cash management online tools and resources for those who would like to dive into self-study.

The above is the fifth financial control we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries who may be households.  If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and in particular Cash Management within their household, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Note about Winter 2024 Financial Controls 

 

Cash Management as financial control closes what we planned to work with the community during this Winter 2024.  We hope the notes presented including the exercises and suggestions made so far, with respect to the Financial Controls project, have been useful and poverty-relieving.  We are still working on this project.  If there are any updates or events or even news about it, we shall inform you/the community.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – 

Step/Workshop 4: Appraising Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

To carry out this step/workshop 4, we are going to briefly explain what this step/workshop is about and give an example about it.

 

• • Appraising Your Play, Run and Vote Projects 

 

It is about assessing the feasibility, viability and potential impact of a proposed project.  It means that an all-year-round project user will proceed with the following:

identify the project, screen it, scope it, analyse its market, technically study it as feasible, assess its financial viability and its economic impact, analyse risks, examine environmental and social impact and report its appraisal.

Because All-year Round Projects are such small and practical initiatives, there is a need to simply the appraisal relating to it.  To simply the matter, we are going to limit to financial appraisal.

 

• • Example of Financial Appraisal: Your Project about Running for Poverty Reduction 

 

Let say you want to run 4 km.

You have two options.

 

~ Option 1

You could simply get out your home start running without thinking of any financial appraisal.

 

~ Option 2

You can conduct a basic financial appraisal by asking yourself if you need to buy a bottle of water, a pair of trainers, a clock or watch to time yourself, the frequency of your run activity (e.g., once a week or every particular day of the week), decide whether you want run alone or as a group or even join a local group of runners where you live, etc.

You can even work out how much it costs to run in open space like a park compared to a close space such as a gym.

You can as well assess the benefit of running in terms of your health and general wellbeing.

You can even include a fundraising element so that money to be raised through your running hobby goes to good causes such as CENFACS’ noble and beautiful ones.

In this second option, you can carry out more appraisal and come out with a sort of financial plan in terms of basic costs and benefits of running.  In project planning terms, it means you have financially appraised Your Project about Running for Poverty Reduction. 

 

For those who would like to dive deeper into the appraisal of their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Contrôles financiers 2024 – En discussion pour le mercredi 13/03/2024: Gestion de la trésorerie

Le dernier contrôle financier que nous avons prévu pour ce projet de contrôles financiers de l’hiver 2024 est la gestion de la trésorerie.  En effet, tous les ménages et toutes les familles gèrent de l’argent liquide pour gérer leur vie quotidienne.  Pour comprendre de quoi nous parlons, regardons l’objectif de ce contrôle financier, la signification de la gestion de trésorerie et comment le CENFACS peut travailler avec la communauté sur la gestion de trésorerie.

• • L’objectif de ce contrôle financier

L’objectif de l’apprentissage de ce contrôle financier (ou gestion de trésorerie) est de réduire la pauvreté des ménages ou familles grâce à l’établissement d’un tableau des flux de trésorerie qui indiquera combien d’argent est disponible pour les ménages ou familles, et qui comprendra des liquidités provenant de trois types d’activités : les opérations, les investissements et les finances.

Les ménages ou familles peuvent utiliser la gestion de trésorerie de manière optimale dans la gestion de leurs avoirs en espèces.  Ils peuvent même faire référence à des instruments financiers impliqués dans la gestion de trésorerie.  Certains ménages ou familles peuvent entreprendre cet exercice.  Ceux qui ont des difficultés à le faire, le CENFACS peut travailler avec eux.

• • Brève compréhension de la gestion de trésorerie

D’après le « corporatefinanceinstitute.com » (4),

« La gestion de trésorerie, également connue sous le nom de gestion des espèces, est le processus qui consiste à collecter et à gérer les flux de trésorerie provenant des activités d’exploitation, d’investissement et de financement d’une entreprise. »

À l’instar d’une entreprise, les ménages ou les familles gèrent leur trésorerie.  Ils peuvent utiliser la gestion de trésorerie pour obtenir l’utilisation la plus efficiente et la plus efficace de leur argent pour répondre à leurs besoins.

• • Travailler avec les ménages ou familles sur la gestion de la trésorerie

Travailler avec les ménages ou les familles qui forment notre communauté pourrait porter sur les éléments suivants :

√ Améliorer leur compréhension du cycle des flux de trésorerie

√ Développer des compétences en gestion de trésorerie

√ Les aider à faire un bon investissement en capital

√ Les assister à utiliser la gestion de trésorerie pour régler leurs dettes

√ Les conseiller à gérer la gestion de leur trésorerie pour faire face à leurs dépenses quotidiennes ou d’exploitation

√ Leur montrer comment allouer leurs liquidités ou leurs espèces à investir dans le capital de leurs ménages ou familles

√ Trouver des solutions pour épargner à partir de liquidités

√ Établir avec eux des états de trésorerie pour enregistrer toutes leurs entrées et sorties de trésorerie

etc.

Travailler avec eux pourrait également consister à leur suggérer des outils et des ressources en ligne pour la gestion de trésorerie pour ceux qui souhaitent se lancer dans l’auto-apprentissage.

Ce qui précède est le cinquième contrôle financier que nous voulions partager avec nos membres ou bénéficiaires qui peuvent être des ménages.  Si l’un de nos membres a besoin d’aide concernant ses contrôles financiers et en particulier la gestion de trésorerie au sein de son foyer, il ne doit pas hésiter à contacter le CENFACS.

• • Note de conclusion sur les contrôles financiers de l’hiver 2024

La gestion de trésorerie en tant que contrôle financier clôt ce que nous avions prévu de travailler avec la communauté au cours de cet hiver 2024.  Nous espérons que les notes présentées, y compris les exercices et les suggestions faites jusqu’à présent, en ce qui concerne le projet de contrôle financier, ont été utiles et permettront de réduire la pauvreté.  Nous travaillons toujours sur ce projet.  S’il y a des mises à jour ou des événements ou même des nouvelles à ce sujet, nous vous en informerons, vous ou la communauté.

 

Main Development

 

Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity – Fragment 3 (13 to 19/03/2024): Matching Organisation’s Plan for Building Footprint (or Style) with Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works

 

Both parties (i.e., Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation and Not-for-profit Property Investor) have made some steady progress so far as they continue to score points; points which are enough to enable them to enter the third stage of the matching talks.  These matching talks will be about finding ways to reach an agreement between Organisation’s Plan for Building Footprint (or Style) with Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works.

To explain what is going to happen in this Fragment 3, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

 

σ Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation’s Plan for Building Footprint

σ Not-for-profit Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works

σ The Match or Fit Test.

 

Let us look at each of these headings.

 

• • Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation’s Plan for Building Footprint

 

This is the stage for ASHCO to establish two key points: the amount of accommodation required and project beneficiaries’ preferred building style.

To begin this stage, let us explain building footprint.

 

• • • What Is Building Footprint?

 

To explain it, we are going to refer to what ‘cdema.org’ (5) argues about it, which is

“A building footprint provides the outline of a building drawn along the exterior walls, with a description of the exact size, shape and location of its foundation.  Building footprint is the most basic information necessary for evaluating the vulnerabilities of a building for a specific hazard.  It represents the total area of a building and provides a better description of its spatial characteristics compared to a point representation in terms of spatial location, form distribution, floor space ratio, and relationship between buildings and other objects (topological, orientation, proximity, etc.)”.

What is important is not only to have a well designed plan for building footprint, but to present a building footprint that can help to win the argument to attract property investment or investor.  It makes sense as well to consider in this plan net zero elements conducing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that may arise directly from building activities or indirectly from the purchase of energy linked to the property.

This well crafted plan for building footprint will serve a basis for negotiation by Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation (ASHCO) in order to reach an agreement with potential not-for-profit (n-f-p) property investors.

 

• • • What ASHCO Can Do to Reach an Agreement

 

In this Fragment 3, ASHCO needs to show that the different elements of the building footprint stick together.  ASHCO also has to provide both qualitative and quantitative evaluation dealing with any issues that may arise from possible vulnerabilities to the building.  ASHCO owes as well to specify how any hazards or potential threats to the building will be addressed.  In other words, ASHCO is required to demonstrate that it has a well organised plan ready to address any unpredictable and potential events to the building, rather than reacting under the influence of these events when they occur.

Since the n-f-p property investor is looking for a coherent and well structured plan for building footprint, ASHCO must make sure that its plan stand out of the crowd.  ASHCO is therefore required to provide a high-quality crafted plan for building footprint as well as uphold openness and transparency for any questions that n-f-p property investor may raise in relation to the plan.

It is the stage at which ASHCO needs to unhesitatingly speak and without fear about the architecture and structural survey of the building in terms of the building structure and soundness.  ASHCO can as well mention the number of people who will benefit from the project, how many amongst them will be lifted out of poverty because its intervention, the impact of the project on local area and local people, etc.

Additionally, ASHCO can explain the approach or methodology it has used to factorise external variables (such as economic, environmental, engineering, construction and political factors or indicators) in the building footprint.

In this design of the plan for building footprint, ASHCO can speak about the advice and guidance received from house designers, property surveyors, property developers and architects.  This can indicate that it has consulted and listened to experts and professionals in the field of house design.

It can further 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.  This will demonstrate that ASHCO is not working alone.

Briefly, throughout its plan for building footprint ASHCO 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 housing poverty reduction.  The project is worth undertaking and commends a genuine case or value for investment and for poverty relief.

 

• • Not-for-profit Property Investor’s Undertaking of Improvement Works

 

Depending on the property investment strategy and goals, the n-f-p property investor may decide to undertake works regardless of the type, size and readiness of the property.  These investment works can be of various kinds.  But, what are improvement works from the property investor’s point of view.

 

• • • Basic Understanding of Improvement Works

 

According to ‘property-tax-portal.co.uk’ (6), an improvement is any item that enhances the value of the overall asset.

The same ‘property-tax-portal.co.uk states that for tax relief purpose, improvement works are also considered as capital expenditure (or capital improvement), which is a permanent or long-lasting enhancement to an asset or its outright replacement.

The n-f-p property investor may decide to provide an item that is a capital where it enhances the value of the overall asset.  In such case, the n-f-p property investor needs to ensure that whatever he/she provides as item, he/she will have the chance to find an organisation that will accept his/her model of undertaking of improvement works.  But, what do improvement works include?

 

• • • Types of Improvement Works

 

Improvement works, which should not be confused with repair works, include the following ones:

 

Structural works, brickwork, internal improvements, external fabric work, general builders’ work, flooring works, painting and decoration, alterations and conversions, windows and doors, electrical works, bathroom and kitchen installations,  roof works, guttering, etc.

 

To undertake these improvement works, the n-f-p property investor needs to show that they will be compliant with local legislation and he/she will make a good choice of contractors and is clear about what he/she wants.  He/she will make sure that his/her undertaking of improvement works will have the chance to match the plan for building footprint from the organisation’s perspective.

 

 

• • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p property investor’s undertaking of improvement works needs to match ASHCO’s plan for building footprint.  The match should be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two, the probability or chance of having an agreement at this third round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

 

• • • Impact Advice to ASHCO and Guidance to n-f-p Property Investor

 

CENFACS can impact advise ASHCO to improve its plan for building footprint.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p property investors with impact to ameliorate their undertaking of improvement works to a format that can be acceptable by potential ASHCOs.

CENFACS’ impact advice for ASHCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p property investor will be impartial and help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

 

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

 

The rule of the game is the more property investors are attracted by ASHCOs’ plan for building footprint the better for ASHCOs.  Likewise, the more ASHCOs are willing to accept  property investors’ undertaking of improvement works the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the third fragment of the Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

Those potential organisations seeking investment and n-f-p property investors looking for organisations who are interested in it, 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.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this third fragment of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://www.cambridgeassociates.com/insight/investing-for-a-net-zero-world-a-guide-for-investors/ (accessed in March 2024)

(2) https://www.megradyclarke.com/our-services/net-zero-strategies/?msclkid=6a7e45ebfa4b127fe68f2001e981ba40 (accessed in March 2024)

(3) https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-human-rights-defenders/about-human-rights-defender# (accessed in March 2024)

(4) https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/career-map/sell-side/capital-markets/cash-management/ (accessed in March 2024)

(5) https://www.cdema.org/virtuallibrary/index.php/charim-hbook/data-management-book/5-elements-at-risk-data/5-2-building-footprint-maps# (accessed in March 2024)

(6) https://www.property-tax-portal.co.uk/repairs-vs-improvements-why-its-important_shtml (accessed in March 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Climate Actions 2024

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 06 March  2024

Post No. 342

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Climate Actions 2024

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity – Fragment 2 (06 to 12/03/2024): Matching Organisation’s Analysis of the Site with Property Investor’s Investment Financing 

• Activity/Task 3 of the ‘t’ Project: Help Combat Inequality in Climate Transitions

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Climate Actions 2024 –

Theme: Investing in the Environment and Poverty Reduction

 

Climate Actions 2024 within CENFACS will be about environmental and poverty reduction investing with impact, about acting on the projects that positively contribute to the environment and the reduction of poverty at the same time.   Environmental investing just as investing in poverty reduction have been around quite a while.  Not often, they have been linked together.

This March 2024, we are essentially trying to link them by bringing together climate investors and poverty reduction investors, by trying to advocate to climate investors that their investments can do more than just limiting to dealing with environmental issues.  Their investments can also help reduce or end poverty, especially part of poverty stemming from the adverse impacts of climate change and the impacts of mitigating it..

We are thus working on environmental investments that positively impact the environment as well as the same investments positively impacting those people living in poverty or those who are looking for ways to get out of poverty.  These are the climate actions that we would like to take this month.  To act and explain that, we are going to develop four key notes for our theme (of Environmental and Poverty Reduction Investing) every Monday of March 2024 starting from 04 March 2024.  However, these notes will be released or published every Wednesday of March 2024 through our weekly posts.  The stated notes will be on four climate investment vehicles or actions, which are:

 

a) Investing in Green Bonds

b) Spending on Net Zero Brands

c) Supporting Crowdfunding Campaigns

d) Giving to Environmental Groups/Organisations.

 

Additionally, this year’s Month of Climate Actions will look at one of the outcomes from the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1).  This outcome is the phasing away from fossil fuels.  In particular, we shall discuss how this move away will contribute to our climate ask, which is ‘giving poor children a climate stake‘.

For those who would like to get more informed about this first key message, they can read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity –

Fragment 2 (06 to 12/03/2024): Matching Organisation’s Analysis of the Site with Property Investor’s Investment Financing 

 

The second fragment or episode of our 4-week Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity is about Matching Organisation’s Analysis of the Site with Property Investor’s Investment Financing.

Both Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation (ASHCO) and not-for-profit (n-f-p) property investor have decided to move with the matching talks as they scored points each of them during fragment 1.  They agreed to move to fragment 2 while finalising the little bits remaining from fragment 1 of the matching negotiations.

At this level of talks, ASHCO is dealing with the Analysis of the Site while the n-f-p property investor is preoccupied with the Financing of the Investment.  To reach a deal at this round of negotiations, they may need a match or fit test.

To summarise what is going to happen at this fragment 2, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

 

σ Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation’s Analysis of the Site

σ Not-for-profit Property Investor’s Investment Financing

σ The Match or Fit Test.

 

Let us look at each of these headings.

 

• • Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation’s Analysis of the Site

 

ASHCO will provide its analysis of the site.  What does it mean?  To understand what it means, let us briefly explain the meaning of site analysis.  Our meaning of it comes from ‘archisoup.com’ (2), which argues that

“A site analysis in architecture refers to the process of evaluating a specific location to understand its various characteristics and constraints”.

According to the same ‘archisoup.com’, key aspects of the site analysis include location and context, topography, climate, vegetation, soil type, hydrology, access and circulation, utilities and services, regulatory factors, views and vistas, noise and air quality, sunlight and shad, wind patterns, etc.

The site analysis should address the above-mentioned elements.

As ‘archisoup.com’ puts it, the outcome of a site analysis is typically a comprehensive report that guides the design process, ensuring that the proposed structure harmoniously to regulatory requirements and meets the needs of its intended use.

Depending on the type of ASHCO’s housing project, this report can be simple or complex.  What is important is not only to have a short or complex report, but to have a report that can help to win the argument to attract property investment/investor.  This well crafted report will serve a basis for negotiation that can enable ASHCO to reach an agreement with potential not-for-profit (n-f-p) property investors.

 

• • Not-for-profit Property Investor’s Investment Financing

 

This is about funding for property acquisition.  The n-f-p property investor can use cash (or cash resources) from their earnings or savings and profits, dividends, capital gains, etc.  The n-f-p property investor can appeal to alternative funding sources like the following ones:

~  new financing providers such as friends, families, crowdfunding or any untapped source of financing

~ creative financing (e.g., rent to rent)

etc.

We have expressly excluded loans as we think that loans will be inappropriate in our model of property investing and financing, particularly for those n-f-p property investors who would like to support homeless or those who would like rent or own a property for the first time in their life.  It would inappropriate to take loans to support someone else to buy or rent home, especially in Africa.

Idealistically, our property or real estate investor is a n-f-p person who will donate his/her money or invest in property or real estate in return for a specific rate of housing poverty reduction.  There is no loan, no lending involved.  He/she can also be a crowd funder or a person willing to give small amount of money as being part of large numbers of people.  He/she want to fund organisations that are actively and tirelessly working towards generating long-term solutions to housing poverty.

Additionally, we are going to refer to the model of World Bank(3) relating to investment project financing (IPF).  Because of that, the prospective n-f-p property investor is engaged in providing some level of technical assistance, including technical support and expertise in the areas of environmental and social impacts of the housing project.

In doing so, the matching process will be on impact investment, that is an investment seeking a quantifiable social and environmental impact alongside return in terms of the number of people to be lifted out of housing poverty.  This is only if the investee needs it to make the housing project succeed beyond sheltering aspects.

Just as it is important to match the correct finance product to the right property project, it is also crucial to match your investment financing with the site analysis.  In other words, the cost-effectiveness of the n-f-p property investor’s investment financing model will be tested against site analysis if there is a problem to reach an agreement.

 

 

• • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p property investor’s file for financing the property needs to match ASHCO’s site analysis.  The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two, the probability or chance of having an agreement at this second round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise ASHCO to improve its site analysis.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p property investors with impact to ameliorate their file about investment financing to a format that can be acceptable by potential ASHCOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASHCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p property investor will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more property investors are attracted by ASHCOs’ site analysis report the better for ASHCOs.  Likewise, the more ASHCOs are willing to adopt property investors’ file for investment financing the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the second fragment of the Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

Those potential organisations seeking investment and n-f-p property investors looking for organisations who are interested in it, 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.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this second fragment of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity/Task 3 of the ‘t’ Project: Help Combat Inequality in Climate Transitions

 

The third activity/task of the “t” Project is about helping combat inequality in climate transitions that affect the members of the CENFACS Community and others.  This activity is also about maximising the benefits of climate action while minimising the negative impacts for those in need in the community.

Indeed, ‘lse.ac.uk’ (4) explains that the impacts of climate change on people are unequal, just as the impact of attempts to mitigate carbon emissions are dissymmetrical.  The same ‘lse.ac.uk’ speaks about just transition, which is based on human rights approach and which aims at eliminating existing inequalities, enabling social inclusion and promoting different forms of equity.

So, those suffering from inequality in climate transitions require justice or just transitions.  Helping them to combat inequality in climate transitions could be a way to establish justice in transitions.

The above is what activity/task 3 is about.  For those who need any help before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.

For any other queries and enquiries about the ‘t‘ project and this year’s dedication, please contact CENFACS as well.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Focus for Week Beginning 04/03/2024: Respect of Cultures and Rights

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Discussion for Wednesday 06/03/2024: Reconciliation

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 3: Conducting a Feasibility Study on Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Focus for Week Beginning 04/03/2024: Respect of Cultures and Rights

 

This activity will be about valuing people’s customs and ideas while appreciating people’s powers.  Those who may be interested in it will take part to a survey or art or design work to express their skills on respecting people’s cultures and rights as far as nature and nature-based solutions to poverty are concerned.

To clarify this activity, it is better to explain its aim and what it consists of.

 

a) Aim of Activity 3

 

The aim of this activity is defend cultural diversity and human rights linked to nature matters.  In doing so, one can find ways of valuing different cultures, different powers and differences.

As ‘ohchr.org’ (5) explains it:

“The defence of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity.  It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights of persons belongings to minorities and those of indigenous peoples”.

 

 

b) What Does Activity 3 Consist of?

 

This Activity consists of gathering information through the use of relevant questions from a sample of our community members with the aim of understanding their perception of the respect of cultures and rights. Through this activity, we shall for instance have evidence on the way they strike a balance between curiosity and appreciation.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 3 and/or any of the activities covered so far in our presentation of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Discussion for Wednesday 06/03/2024: Reconciliation

 

This week, the financial control that we have planned to work with the community is Reconciliation. 

Like any other organisation, households or families making the CENFACS Community need to reconcile their financial records against financial statements they receive from whoever they have financial relations or deals.  Before going any further, let us explain reconciliation.

 

• • Basic Meaning of Reconciliation

 

Without going into any technical financial jargon, let us refer to what ‘thebalancemoney.com’ (6) says about reconciliation.  The website ‘thebalancemoney.com’ explains that

“A reconciliation is the process of comparing internal financial records against monthly statements from external sources – such as bank, credit card company or other financial institution – to make sure they match up”.

For example, you received your energy bill statement from your energy provider.  On the statement, the energy provider advised you that there are reversed charges whereby the energy provider recalculated your previous charges.  You can compare the statement you received against the financial records you hold to find out if there is a need of reconciliation.

Some members of our community are familiar with this process.  Those who are not familiar with it, CENFACS is available to work with them.

 

• • Working with Households on Reconciliation

 

For those who would like to work with CENFACS on Reconciliation, they are welcome to speak to CENFACS.

Working with households on Reconciliation could include the following:

 

√ checking with them that the two types of records they have are correct and in agreement

√ catching improper spending

√ checking outgoing and incoming funds

√ spotting financial errors

etc.

 

Working with them could also be about suggesting to them accounting software to reconcile their accounts for those who would to dive into self-study.

The above is the fourth financial control we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries who may be households.

If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and in particular Reconciliation within their household, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) –

Step/Workshop 3: Conducting a Feasibility Study on Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

In this 3rd step or workshop, users will learn (for those users who are new to project planning) or revisit (for those who are familiar with project planning) the evaluation of the practicality of their chosen Play or Run or Vote project.  In project planning terms, it means they need to conduct feasibility study.  But, what is feasibility study?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Feasibility Study

 

Feasibility study is a ‘go/no-go’ decision time for any project planner.  In other words, it is the time when an All-year-round project user will decide whether or not to continue with their proposed project.

As ‘simplilearn.com’ (7) puts it,

“A feasibility study is a comprehensive evaluation of a proposed project that evaluates all factors critical to its success in order to assess its likelihood of success”.

Referring to this definition or any suitable definition, All-year-round project users will look at the practicality of the PlayRun and Vote projects from the perspective of required cost and expected value.  To proceed, they may outweigh different types of feasibility and select the ones that are affordable and suitable to their projects.

 

• • Types of Feasibility

 

Feasibility can cover many aspects of the project to be implemented; aspects like technical, economic, financial, operational, legal, etc.  To simplify the matter, we are going to limit in this workshop to the technical and economic aspects of feasibility study; leaving to those who would like to dive deeper into feasibility study to let us know what other aspects of feasibility study they may be interested in.

The technical feasibility of your PlayRun and Vote projects will include the technical resources and capacities to convert your idea of playing, running and voting into a workable or working project.  The economic feasibility will analyse the cost and benefit of the same projects.

 

• • Example of Feasibility Study: Your 2024 Vote for African Poverty Reduction and Development Manager

 

In order to conduct your feasibility study of your vote, you need to carry out the following tasks:

 

~ Evaluate if your Vote project is technically achievable by determining and steering the technical resources (like time, budget, technical skills, etc.) to be committed to drive you to the process of looking for your Poverty Reduction and Development Manager of the year and of voting him/her

~ Carry out a viability test in terms of the cost associated with your selection process and benefits linked with your Vote project

~ Financially work out the cost and benefit of your Vote project as you will do in the recruitment selection process of any personnel.

 

Feasibility study can be basic (simple) or complex depending on the type of your Vote project.  In the above example, we have simplified the matter.

For those who would like to dive deeper into feasibility study, including the tools, metrics, examples, skills and steps in feasibility study of their Play or Run or Vote project; they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activité/Tâche 3 du projet «t»: Contribuer à la lutte contre les inégalités dans les transitions climatiques

La troisième activité/tâche du projet «t» consiste à contribuer à la lutte contre les inégalités dans les transitions climatiques qui affectent les membres de la communauté CENFACS et d’autres.  Cette activité vise également à maximiser les avantages de l’action climatique et à minimiser les impacts négatifs pour les personnes dans le besoin dans la communauté.

En effet, «lse.ac.uk» (4) explique que les impacts du changement climatique sur les populations sont inégaux, tout comme l’impact des tentatives d’atténuation des émissions de carbone est dissymétrique.  Le même «lse.ac.uk» parle de transition juste, qui est basée sur l’approche des droits de l’homme et qui vise à éliminer les inégalités existantes, à permettre l’inclusion sociale et à promouvoir différentes formes d’équité.

Ainsi, ceux ou celles qui souffrent d’inégalités dans les transitions climatiques ont besoin de justice ou de transitions justes.  Les aider à lutter contre les inégalités dans les transitions climatiques pourrait être un moyen d’instaurer la justice dans les transitions.

Ce qui précède est l’objet de l’activité/tâche 3.  Pour ceux ou celles qui ont besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS.

Pour toute autre question ou demande de renseignements sur le projet «t» et le dévouement de cette année, veuillez également contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

Climate Actions 2024

Theme: Investing in the Environment and Poverty Reduction

 

The following items are the ones shaping the contents of our Climate Action Month and its theme:

 

a) Meaning of the Climate Action

b) Direct and Indirect Climate Actions

c) Key Terms

d) Work plan for Climate Action March 2024

e) Action 1: Investing in Green Bonds and Poverty Reduction.

 

Let us look at the contents of our Climate Action Month.

 

• • Contents of 2024 Climate Action Month

 

Before kicking off our action, let us precise the working definitions to be used for climate action.

 

• • • Meaning of the Climate Action

 

Climate action is an activity of engaging and putting ideas into practice to deal with any natural or induced change in the long term average weather conditions of a place, especially when this change adversely affects people’s and communities’ lives and livelihoods.  In other words, it is any effort to mitigate the adverse effects of this change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening capacities and resilience to climate-induced impacts.

Climate action is also the 13th Goal of the United Nations’ (8) 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda.

In the context of CENFACS’ Climate Action Month for this year, climate action is about acting on environmental investing while investing in poverty reduction with impact.

These climate actions or efforts could be direct or indirect.

 

• • • Direct and Indirect Climate Actions

 

Direct climate actions can directly lead to outcomes such as reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, poor quality air, pollution, etc.  They could also include the increase in the number of poor people benefiting from carbon markets through projects generating greenhouse gas emissions reductions or removals.

As to indirect climate actions, they can help to keep the advocacy and campaign about measures and activities to be carried out to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change going.  Examples of such indirect climate actions will include the prevention of the next pandemic to happen, a campaign to halt human-induced extinction of known threatened species, etc.

Without breaking climate actions into direct and indirect ones, the coming periods and sub-themes of climate action will guide our readers and audiences about the kind of climate actions CENFACS is conducting this month.  This guidance will help those who may be interested to join in.  But, before that let us try to briefly explain the key terms of our Climate Actions 2024, terms which are: environmental investing and investing in poverty reduction.

 

• • • Key Terms: Environmental Investing and Investing in Poverty Reduction

 

What is environmental investing, what is investing in poverty reduction?

 

• • • • Basic Understanding of Environmental Investing

 

There are many definitions of environmental investing.  One of its definitions comes from ‘carboncollective.co’ (9), which explains that

“Environmental investing, also known as green or sustainable investing, is the practice of directing financial resources towards investments that prioritise environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors”.

According to the same ‘carboncollective.co’, these investments support businesses and projects that contribute positively to the environment and society while generating returns for investors.

As far as we are concerned, we are interested in those environmental investments supporting organisations and projects that positively contribute to the environment and society while reducing poverty.  In other words, we are interested in those investors who would like to positively impact the environment and the lives of those living in poverty.  Investing in the environment does not necessary lead to poverty reduction, unless the model/project of investment specifies it and efforts have been deployed to realise this result.

 

• • • • What Is Investing in Poverty Reduction?

 

It is about devoting your time, effort, energy, money, etc. in measures that are intended to economically, socially and environmentally lift people out of poverty on a lasting basis.  These measures can be taken at various levels and by different persons (both moral and physical).  Climate actions are also about investing in those measures to relieve those suffering from climate poverty or poverty induced by climate change and its consequences.

The above-mentioned understanding will help to better execute our working plan for Climate Action March 2024.

 

• • • Work Plan for Climate Action March 2024

 

The following Climate Actions and periods of March 2024 make up our work plan:

 

 Action 1: Invest in Green Bonds (04 to 10/03/2024)

Action 2: Spend on Net Zero Brands (11 to 17/03/2024)

Action 3: Support Crowdfunding Campaigns  (18 to 24/03/2024)

Action 4: Give to Environmental Groups/Organisations (25 to 28/03/2024).

 

Within the above broad actions, there will be specific actions to be taken.  Because our 2024 Climate Actions are on Environmental Investing and Investing in Climate Poverty Reduction, each of these actions will be linked to climate poverty reduction. 

Finally, there will be impact monitoring and evaluation on 29 and 30/03/2024 to end the Climate Action March 2024.

 

 

• • • Climate Action 1: Invest in Green Bonds (04 to 10/03/2024)

 

To enable to take the first action, we have organised the following notes:

 

σ What are green bonds?

σ Investing in green bonds to reduce climate poverty

σ Working with the Community on Green Bonds and Environmental Investing.

 

Let us explain the above-mentioned points.

 

• • • • What Are Green Bonds?

 

Green bonds can defined in many ways.  The definition of green bonds we have selected comes from ‘gsam.com’ (10), which explains that

“Green bonds are standard fixed income securities with a green element.  Their financial characteristics such as structure, risk and return are similar to those of traditional bonds.  The main difference is that the goal for green bonds is to exclusively finance projects or activities with a specific environmental purpose”.

Although their goal is exclusively finance projects or activities with a specific environmental purpose, this does not stop them to positively impact those living in poverty because of the consequences of environmental impacts of climate change.

 

• • • • Investing in Green Bonds to Reduce Climate Poverty

 

Investing in green bonds can help finance green buildings and infrastructures for sustainable development and climate poverty reduction.  It can contribute to maximise the benefits of climate action while minimising the negative impacts on those in need, the climate poor.  It is possible to invest in green bonds to reduce climate poverty or inequality in climate transitions.  This will as well help to transition to a more inclusive and sustainable future.

For example, despite limited financial infrastructure and capacity-building needs, Africa needs to develop and issue green bonds to reduce climate induced poverty.  Africa needs to find innovative approaches to attract diverse climate investors who can both invest in the environment and in climate poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Working with the Community on Green Bonds and Environmental Investing

 

The all purpose of writing this note is to guide our action.  In other words, what is key here is to take action.  The note is only a guided principle.

For instance, taking action together could be on how to make green bonds market or the issuance of green bonds  in Africa support the poor, particularly the climate poor ones.

Those members of our community in the UK and Africa-based Sister Organisations willing to work with CENFACS on Investing in Green Bonds and Investing in Climate Poverty Reduction, they can take climate actions with us.

For any queries or enquiries about Climate Action 1 and Climate Actions Month, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://www.cop28.com/en/ (accessed in March 2024)

(2) https://www.archisoup.com/architecture-site-analysis-introduction# (accessed in March 2024)

(3) https://www.worldbank.org/en/what-we-do/products-and-services/financing-instruments/investment-project-financing (accessed in March 2024)

(4) https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-is-the-just-transition-and-what-does-it-mean-for-climate-action/ (accessed in March 2024)

(5) https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/universal-declaration-cultural-diversity# (accessed in March 2024)

(6) https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-account-reconciliation-1293657 (accessed in March 2024)

(7) https://www.simplilearn.com/feasibility-study-article (Accessed in March 2023)

(8) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in February 2024)

(9) https://www.carboncollective.co/sustainable-investing/environmental-investing# (accessed in March 2024)

(10) https://www.gsam.com/content/gsam/global/en/market-insights/gsam-insights/perspectives/2022/green-bonds-fixed-income-capital.html (accessed in March 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 28 February  2024

Post No. 341

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

• Improving Control over Land to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households (Note 4 of Sustainable Development Month on 28/02/2024)

• The New Internally Displaced Persons of Insecurity in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

 

Our Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, which is part of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme to not-for-profit impact investors, carries on as we have assembled a new activity to be undertaken from 28 February 2024 to 27 March 2024.  Let us briefly introduce this new activity by saying what is about, its aim, uniqueness and the difference it will make.

 

• • What Is Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity?

 

It is a set of four fragments designed to arrange the match/fit test between an Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation working in the field of housing and prospective not-for-profit impact property investor.  This activity of CENFACS’ Matching Programme will enable the former to find a suitable property investor, and the latter to gain an investee in which they can impact invest in.

 

• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

 

The main aim of this activity is to reduce poverty linked to homelessness or lack of homes or properties for the potential beneficiaries working with the Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation (ASHCO).

Through this activity, it is hoped that the ASHCO will meet their dream not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact property investor.  It is as well expected that the n-f-p impact property investor will find the right ASHCO to invest in for impact.  Where the two parties experiencing difficulties  in matching their project proposals, CENFACS will organise the match test for them.

 

• • How Unique Is Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity?

 

This new activity is a new way of working with those who would like to invest their money or assets in properties, but not to make profit.  Generally, a for-profit property investor would invest their money or assets with the motive of making profit, even a lot of profit.

On the contrary, there are other investors with selfless motivations and who would like to donate their money to support those who would like to get out of poverty.  Among those n-f-p investors, there are those ones who would like to impact or reduce poverty linked to homelessness or the lack of homes for those who badly need them in Africa.

 

• • The Difference that This Winter/Spring 2024 Activity Will Make

 

Through this 4-week Winter/Spring 2024 activity, each side of the activity will have the opportunity to match their strategy and goals with of the other.  In technical parlance, it means that ASHCO will have the opportunity to match the dream house design of their beneficiaries with the n-f-p impact property investor’s investment property lifecycle, and vice versa.

At the end of this matching process, if successful, the activity will result in making a difference in the lives of ASHCO’s beneficiaries or a world of difference for the housing poor in Africa who are simply beneficiaries of ASHCO.

More about this Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Improving Control over Land to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households (Note 4 of Sustainable Development Month on 28/02/2024)

 

The last Note of our work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 1 of Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere and Target 4 of this Goal is Improving Control over Land.  This control improvement can assist in empowering the poor and vulnerable households.  The control over land can confer power and influence to those who exercise this function.  Those who do not have this control (like some of the poor and vulnerable households) may not have such power or influence.  This is why there is a need to improve this control over land for them.  However, before looking at ways of improving this control, let us try to explain the term/expression ‘control over land’.

 

• • Brief Explanation of Control over Land

 

There are many ways of explaining control over land.  One of the explanations comes from ‘lawinsider.com’ (1) which states that

“Land control means applicant’s evidence of ownership or control over the land required for the project in the form of: (i) a binding commitment letter from a government entity to transfer land to applicant; (ii) a recorded deed with applicant as grantee, (iii) a long term lease with applicant as grantee or (iv) a lease option or fully executed  purchase option agreement between applicant and owner of property as recorded in jurisdiction of property”.

Another explanation is given by one of the studies conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).  From the respondents to its study, FAO (2) reports that

“Control over land is one’s ability to take decisions with regard to the land (e.g., to determine the size of land used for farming activities and whether – the land will be used for food or cash crop production) and the ability to transfer land titles, whether by sale or inheritance (land ownership).

However, poor and vulnerable households may not always possess the means to have their control over land being recognised and applied, unless they get legal aid.  Because of that, control over land needs to be improved as well as the means to exercise it.

 

• • Ways of Improving Control over Land

 

They include the following:

 

√ Reduction and/end of competition over scarce fertile land and of poor land governance

√ Avoidance of disputes over access to land and valuable mineral resources

√ Development of strategies to ease tensions over land by rival groups

√ Resolving land injustices

√ Reduction of gender land inequality

Etc.

 

For instance, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (3) is Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  Target 5.a relating to this Goal 5 is Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources in accordance with national laws.

In this respect, increasing the proportion of women’s equal rights to land control can be an improvement.

Another example is from the World Resources Institute (4) which suggests the need to take three actions, which are:

 

a) establish strong community land rights

b) make it easier for communities to register and document their territory

c) level the playing field between communities and companies in the competition for land ownership and exploitation.

 

Putting these actions into practice can help alleviate some form of poverty linked to poor or lack of control over land experienced by a certain number of poor and vulnerable households.

 

• • Working with the Community Members on Improving Control over Land to Empower Them

 

CENFACS can engage the community members or households interested in Improving Control over Land to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, during this month of February 2024 and beyond.  Our engagement with them will include some of the ways of improving control over land as mentioned above.

For those members of our community who may be interested in the matter relating to Improving Control over Land to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, they are free to contact CENFACS.

So, Note 4 is the last one for this year’s Sustainable Development Month.  For any queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, please also contact CENFACS.

 

 

• The New Internally Displaced Persons of Insecurity in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope

 

This is an appeal to light a blaze of hope for those who have been internally displaced in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), further to life-threatening insecurity and conflict there.

According to the United Nations News (5),

“An estimated 135,000 people have been displaced from the town of Sake – on the northern banks of Lake Kivu… There are estimated 65,000 internally displaced persons… Some 100,000 houses, 1,325 schools, 267 health facilities and large swathes of agricultural land have been damaged or destroyed as of last week, leaving an estimated two million people – nearly 60 per cent of them childrenin need of assistance“.

Similarly, the International Organisation for Migration (6) posted its crisis analysis on 23 February 2024, which says that

“The number of internally displaced persons increased from 1,548,732 to 1,600,047 (as of 21 February 2024) and increase of three per cent, caused by multiple clashes between the FARDC and its allies and the M23 in the territory of Masisi”.

Additionally, ‘reliefweb.int’ (7) posted on the same day that

144,000 individuals have been forced to flee the outskirts of Goma”.

The above-mentioned figures just highlight the fact that there is life-threatening insecurity which push these ordinary Congolese to flee from their homes and places of life and livelihoods.

These internally displaced persons need basic services such as security, drinking water, food and sanitation.

It is possible to end insecurity in Eastern DRC.  It is feasible to stop this unwanted displacement and organise the return of the displaced to their lands and homes.

You can support the New Internally Displaced Persons of Insecurity in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo who Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope.

You can Light up a Blaze of Hope for them.

You can also donate £5 or more since the needs are urgent and pressing.  Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach the New Internally Displaced Persons of Life-threatening Insecurity in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

These displaced need your life-saving humanitarian response right now.

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

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• • Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Discussion for Week Beginning 26/02/2024: Access to Justice and Information

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Focus for Wednesday 28/02/2024: Budgeting and Forecasting

 

 

• • Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Discussion for Week Beginning 26/02/2024: Access to Justice and Information

 

This activity will be about ensuring access to justice and information related to biodiversity by indigenous people and communities.  To clarify this activity, it is better to explain its aim and what it consists of.

 

a) Aim of Activity 2

 

This is a campaign or advocacy aiming at speaking with and on behalf of indigenous people and communities so that their access to justice and information is respected.  But what is access to justice and information?

Concerning access to justice, this is what the United Nations Development Programme – quoted by Alan S. Gutterman (8) – argues about it:

“Access to justice is the ability of people to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal institutions of justice, and in conformity with human rights standards…  It is the ability of people from disadvantaged groups to prevent and overcome human poverty by seeking and obtaining a remedy, through formal and informal justice systems, for grievances in accordance with human rights principles and standards”.

However, poor people cannot afford the cost of justice and legal representation to defend their rights unless they get legal aid.

As to access to information, ‘unesco.org’ (9) defines it as

“The right to seek, receive and impart information held by public bodies.  It is an integral part of the fundamental right of freedom of expression, as recognised by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

From this perspective, it makes sense that everybody, including indigenous people and communities, should have access to information in matters relating to nature and nature-based solutions to poverty that touch their lives.

 

 

b) What Does Activity 2 Consist of?

 

The campaign/advocacy relating to access to justice will be on the right to legal representation assistance as far as nature and nature-based solutions to poverty are concerned, mediation and arbitration about nature matters, disputes about natural resources, etc.

The campaign/advocacy relating to access to information will be on access to documents, the use of the principle of accountability and transparency, participation for all in decision-making process, etc.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 2 and/or any of the above-mentioned activities, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) –

Step/Workshop 2: Preparing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

Once you have identified your idea of your PlayRun and Vote Projects; you can start the preparation step.  What is this preparation about?

 

• • Preparing Your Play or Run or Vote Project

 

It is about ensuring that they are feasible and appropriate, and can be successfully implemented.  It is also the step you try to de-risk and conceptualise them.

 

• • Example of Preparation of Your All-year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives)

 

Let say, you choose to play the CENFACS League for Poverty Reduction.  Because of the choice you made, you need to be aware of three basic principles:

 

a) Your Play project is feasible, appropriate and can be successfully implemented; in other words it is SMART (that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound)

b) You need as well to de-risk your Play project from the risk of not researching enough information or not having enough data about poverty reduction efforts or achievements of the selected African countries in your league model are making

c) You finally have to reduce any information gaps when comparing and contrasting African countries in order to get reliable results in your sample.

 

For those who are not familiar with project preparation and would like some support, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

They can contact CENFACS by phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.  We can together discuss in detail the proposals about either their Run or Play or Vote project.

 

 

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Focus for Wednesday 28/02/2024: Budgeting and Forecasting

 

This week, the financial control that we have planned to work with the community is Budgeting and Forecasting. 

Like any other organisation, households or families making the CENFACS Community need to plan, budget and forecast their lives.  What do we mean by budgeting and forecasting?

 

• • Basic Explanation of Budgeting and Forecasting

 

There are countless ways of explaining planning, budgeting and forecasting for households and families.  To make things easy, let us refer to the definitions of planning, budgeting and forecasting from ‘ibm.com’ (10).

According to ‘ibm.com’,

“Planning provides a framework for a business’ financial objectives – typically for the next three to five years… Budgeting details how the plan will be carried out month to month and covers items such as revenue, expenses, potential cash flow and debt reduction… Forecasting takes historical data and current market conditions and then makes predictions as to how much revenue an organisation can expect to bring in over the next few months or years”.

So, households or families need to plan their daily lives, to budget their expenses and incomes, and to forecast aspects of their lives.  Their forecasts can be adjusted in the light of new information (like changes in interest rate, inflation rate, energy price, food price, exchange rate, tax rate,  the cost of living, etc.).  In doing so, they can financially control the running and future of their lives.

 

• • Working with Households on Budgeting and Forecasting

 

Some of the households or families undertake these kinds of exercise without sometimes realising they do planning, budgeting and forecasting everyday.  For those of them that would like to dive deep into planning, budgeting and forecasting to better understand some aspects of their lives, they can take a drive.  For those that would like to work with CENFACS on this matter, they are welcome to speak to CENFACS.

Working with households on budgeting and forecasting could include the following:

 

√ Writing with them budgets for households

√ Suggesting to them online budgeting tools and resources

√ Using financial tools, metrics and techniques to conduct financial forecasting with them

√ Empowering them with online financial forecasting resources for households

√ Checking their financial budgets and forecasts if they want us to check them

Etc.

 

The above is the third financial control we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries who may be households.

If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and in particular Budgeting and Forecasting within their household, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Contrôles financiers 2024 – Gros plan du mercredi 28/02/2024: Budgétisation et prévisions

Le contrôle financier que nous avons prévu de travailler avec la communauté est la budgétisation et les prévisions.  Comme toute autre organisation, les ménages ou les familles qui font partie de la Communauté CENFACS ont besoin de planifier, de budgétiser et de prévoir leur vie.  Qu’entendons-nous par budgétisation et prévision?

• • Explication de base de la budgétisation et des prévisions

Il existe d’innombrables façons d’expliquer la planification, la budgétisation et les prévisions pour les ménages et les familles.  Pour vous faciliter la tâche, référons-nous aux définitions de la planification, de la budgétisation et de la prévision de l’« ibm.com » (10).

D’après l”ibm.com’,

« La planification fournit un cadre pour les objectifs financiers d’une entreprise – généralement pour les trois à cinq prochaines années… La budgétisation détaille la façon dont le plan sera exécuté mois après mois et couvre des éléments tels que les revenus, les dépenses, les flux de trésorerie potentiels et la réduction de la dette… Les prévisions prennent en compte les données historiques et les conditions actuelles du marché, puis font des prédictions quant au chiffre d’affaires qu’une organisation peut s’attendre à générer au cours des prochains mois ou des prochaines années.

Ainsi, les ménages ou les familles doivent planifier leur vie quotidienne, budgétiser leurs dépenses et leurs revenus, et prévoir certains aspects de leur vie.  Leurs prévisions peuvent être ajustées à la lumière de nouvelles informations (telles que les variations du taux d’intérêt, du taux d’inflation, du prix de l’énergie, du prix des denrées alimentaires, du taux de change, du taux d’imposition, du coût de la vie, etc.).  Ce faisant, ils peuvent contrôler financièrement le fonctionnement et l’avenir de leur vie.

• • Travailler avec les ménages sur la budgétisation et les prévisions

Certains ménages ou familles entreprennent ce genre d’exercice sans parfois se rendre compte qu’ils font de la planification, de la budgétisation et des prévisions tous les jours.  Pour ceux d’entre eux qui souhaitent se plonger dans la planification, la budgétisation et les prévisions pour mieux comprendre certains aspects de leur vie, ils peuvent prendre cette initiative.  Pour ceux qui souhaitent travailler avec le CENFACS sur cette question, ils sont invités à s’adresser au CENFACS.

Travailler avec les ménages sur la budgétisation et les prévisions pourrait inclure les éléments suivants:

√ Rédiger avec eux des budgets pour les ménages

√ Leur suggérer des outils et des ressources de budgétisation en ligne

√ Utiliser des outils, des mesures et des techniques financiers pour effectuer des prévisions financières avec eux

√ Leur donner les moyens d’agir grâce à des ressources en ligne de prévision financière pour les ménages

√ Vérifier leurs budgets financiers et leurs prévisions s’ils veulent que nous les vérifions

Etc.

Ce qui précède est le troisième contrôle financier que nous voulions partager avec nos utilisateurs ou bénéficiaires qui peuvent être des ménages.

Si l’un de nos membres a besoin d’aide concernant ses contrôles financiers et en particulier la budgétisation et les prévisions au sein de son foyer, il ne doit pas hésiter à contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

 

The following items explain this activity:

 

σ What Is a Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity?

σ The Aim of This Activity

σ What Is a Not-for-profit Property Investor?

σ The Benefits of Being n-f-p Property or Real Estate Investors

σ How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Property Investors be Matched through This Activity?

σ Matching Guidelines

σ Benefits of Matching Organisation and Property Investors under This Activity

σ Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

σ Plan for 4-week Matching Fragments

σ 28/02/2024 to 05/03/2024: Matching Organisation-Property Investor Fragment 1

 

Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.

 

• • What Is a Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity?

 

Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity is part of CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme.  The latter is the process by which organisations (here Africa-based Sister Organisations) are matched against not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors (here property investors).  The programme uses n-f-p investors’ description of their requirements to fit organisations’ needs via a fit test.

Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity is indeed an exercise to keep active and engaged Africa-based sister Housing Charitable Organisations (ASHCOs) and n-f-p property investors for the last three weeks of Winter Season and the first week Spring Season 2024.  The exercise is meant to keep their respective dreams alive and to awake their potentials to grab any existing opportunities within the n-f-p market.

For those ASHCOs and n-f-p property investors willing to realise their Easter dream of winning an investment for the former and a share for the latter, this end of Winter Season and beginning of Spring Season activity is a golden opportunity for each of them.

 

• • The Aim of This Spring 2024 Activity

 

The aim of this Spring 2024 Activity is to reduce housing poverty amongst the people in need in Africa; housing poverty that could be due to the lack of best match or fit between ASHCOs’ needs and not-for-profit property investors’ interests.  Where the needs of the ASHCOs best meet or match the vested interests of not-for-profit property investors, there could be high probability to reduce housing poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASHCOs.  The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASHCOs’ needs meet investors’ interests.  However, investors’ interest is not always profit.  This is why we speak about not-for-profit property investors.  How are they?

 

• • What Is a Not-for-profit Property Investor?

 

Within the property investment literature, they speak about property investor or a real estate investor.

For instance, ‘ericestate.com’ (11) explains that

“A property investor is someone who buys a house to be used as a rental.  They may already have a house and get another or just buy a place and never take occupancy”.

Another example comes from ‘propstream.com’ (12) which argues that

“A real estate investor is someone who buys a property as a long-term investment.  They rent the property out, let it appreciate, or both”.

These two types of investors differ from not-for-profit investors.  A not-for-profit property investor is a kind of an investor who is trying to invest in either apartment buildings or single-family rentals or inherited property or dissolved trust, house, etc. not to make money with residential real estate.  Our n-f-p property investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce housing poverty or property poverty.

As Muhammad Yunus and Karl Weber (13) put it

“In a social business an investor aims to help others without making any financial gain himself” (p. xvii).

Like any investor, our n-f-p property investor will consider the following three points:

 

~ understanding the n-f-p investment market

~ ability to find n-f-p investment deals

~ finding resources to make n-f-p investments.

 

They will consider them by matching their housing poverty reduction goals with the goals of the organisation that will accept their investment.

 

• • The Benefits of Being n-f-p Property or Real Estate Investors

 

Apart from the reduction of housing or property poverty in Africa, there are other benefits for n-f-p property or real estate investors; benefits which are:

 

Scaling down the risk about having too much wealth or money to keep by themselves

√ Earning or increasing their creditworthiness as funders or donors to the beautiful and noble causes of housing poverty reduction

Happiness or joy of giving by helping a poor family in Africa to have a home to live

Absence of risk of loosing money since the n-f-p property investor’s motive is not profit

Sharing the joy of making a positive difference in other people’s lives

Etc.

 

So, donating your money in the form of investment to reduce housing poverty in Africa can be what  you as n-f-p property investor could be aiming at.  The return of such investment is the GREAT and BIG numbers or percentages of people who will be lifted out of housing poverty.  However, to get your investment to your dream organisation, there could be a need to have a match or fit test.

 

• • How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Property Investors Be Matched through This Activity?

 

The matching happens through the two main components of this activity, which are Impact Advice to ASHCOs and Guidance to Not-for-profit Property Investors for Impact.

 

• • • What Is Impact Advice to ASHCOs?

 

It is an approach to or methodology of working with ASHCOs that uses a theory of change to measure impact following advice given on project planning.

Impact Advice to ASHCOs is about

 

√ Working with ASHCOs to overcome their project planning problems

√ Helping them to improve their project planning processes, knowledge, skills and capabilities

√ Making sure that project planning benefits the users and communities they serve, particularly those living in housing poverty

√ Ensuring that project planning tackles the root causes of housing poverty and hardships

Etc.

 

Impact Advice uses impact measuring tools and frontline metrics to track results and outcomes.

 

• • • Guidance to Not-for-profit Property Investors for Impact

 

This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.   To understand this service, one needs to know “What is a Not-for-profit Investment?” (14)

A Not-for-profit Investment is a sum of money puts into a not-for-profit organisation in order to help this organisation achieve its not-for-profit mission.  Not-for-profit means that the organisation is not engaged in the activity of realising a greater difference between its sales revenue and total costs.  Instead, the organisation aims at providing services without making profit, services that benefit its members or the community as specified in its governing document.

This not-for-profit investment can be in the physical or financial form.  Therefore, there are two types of investment that not-for-profit investors can choose in order to engage in, which are: physical or real investment and financial investment.

This guidance is based on not-for-profit investment and impact investing.  What is impact investing?

According to ‘evpa.ngo’ (15),

“Investing for impact is an impact strategy followed by investors that adopt the venture philanthropy approach to support social purpose organisations maximising their social impact.  Investors for impact support innovative solutions to pressing societal issues, providing in-depth non-financial support and taking on risks that most of other actors in the market cannot – or are not willing to take”.

Briefly, Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisations and Not-for-profit Property Investors can be matched via Impact Advice on project planning for the former and Guidance on Impact Investing for the latter.  They can as well be advised on project appraisal.  To realise a successful match, some guidelines need to be followed.

 

• • Matching Guidelines

 

To carry out matching, one needs to know the profile of the organisation that is looking for not-for-profit property investment, the specification or description of the property investor, and identification of possible ways of matching organisation’s profile and investor’s specification.

 

• • Benefits of Matching Organisation and Property Investors under This Activity

 

There are benefits when organisations’ needs match not-for-profit investors’ interest.  These benefits include:

 

√ Cost-effectiveness as the activity reduces the costs for both organisations (for instance, the costs of looking for investment) and property investors (e.g., the costs of finding the right organisation in which to invest)

√ Reduction of opportunity costs between the two parties (i.e., investee and investor) engaged in the activity

√ Creation and sustenance of relationships between organisations and investors

√ Problems-solving mechanisms or solutions for organisations’ problems and needs, and solutions to investors’ requests

√ Opportunity for a fit test (i.e., testing organisation-property investor fit on mutual interests and contribution to the right decision)

√ Qualitative feedback about Organisation-Property Investor and background knowledge

√ Better decision-making processes for the two parties (e.g., organisations and investors)

Etc.

 

• • Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

 

It is better to differentiate outcomes for not-for-profit investors from those relating to Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisations and Causes.

 

• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Investors

 

The activity will provide peace of mind for n-f-p property investors and a good return in terms of the rate or size of housing poverty reduction they will expect from the organisations or causes in which they will invest or support.

 

• • • Outcomes for Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisations and Causes

 

The activity will enable them to access the type of investment they need and build the capacity they are lacking.  In doing so, this helps them to achieve their project aims, objectives and key deliverables with peace of mind.

 

• • Plan for 4-week Matching Fragments

 

As part of CENFACSMatching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activitywe are running a 4-week matching fragments to support both housing charitable organisations and not-for-profit property investors.  It is a 4-week work about Impact Advice Service for housing charitable organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit property investors.

The activity is based on 4-step house design model and 4-stage style of investment property lifecycle.   The 4-step house design model uses in our activity comes from ‘self-build.co.uk’ (16) which lists these steps as follows:

 

Step 1: Develop a house design brief

Step 2: Analyse the site

Step 3: Plan your building footprint (or style)

Step 4: Consider planning restrictions and budget.

 

As to the 4-stage style of investment property lifecycle used in our activity, we have referred to the four phases of property investment lifecycle from ‘thepropertyvoice.net’ (17), phases which are

 

Phase 1: Acquiring the property

Phase 2: Financing the investment

Phase 3: Undertaking any necessary or improvement works

Phase 4: Exit by sale or letting the property out.

 

We have adapted these phases to our activity.

However, let us recognise that there could be more than four stages in any house designing process and any property investment lifecycle.  Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this activity in four weeks, we choose a four-stage model for both house design  and property investment lifecycle.

The activity is designed to work with both those seeking not-for-profit property investors and those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit housing charitable organisations and causes.  The following is our action plan.

Notes to table no. 1:

(*) Match periods are portions of time intended to help discover whether or not investors’ interests match organisations’ needs

(**) Impact Advice uses a 4-step house design model

(***) Guidance for Impact Investing follows a 4-stage style of investment property lifecycle.

 

If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit property investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity, starting from 28 February 2024.

If you need guidance to outsource housing charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity, starting from 28 February 2024.

These matching fragments are a great opportunity for a housing charitable organisation to realise their Easter dream  of getting an investment they badly need.  They are also a grand aspiration for a not-for-profit property investor to find Easter peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to invest in Africa.

Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • 28/02/2024 to 05/03/2024: Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity –

Fragment 1: Matching Organisation’s House Design Brief with Property Investor’s Property Acquisition File

 

There are many scenarios in which a investor can invest in an organisation.  In our scenario or model of matching organisation-investor programme, we are trying to bring a property investor in an Africa-based Sister Housing Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through house design brief of this ASHCO.  We are trying to match ASHCOs’ house design brief with a property investor’s file for acquisition of the property.

In order to match organisation’s house design brief with investor’s file for acquisition of the property, one needs to understand the meaning of house design brief as well as acquisition of the property.

 

• • • The meaning of house design brief and of acquisition of the property

 

According to ‘mymodernhome.com’ (18),

“A design brief is simply a document that describes your background information, space needs, any specific requirements you may have for your home, and aspects that are important to you when you picture living in your new home”.

The brief of your dream house covers key aspects of the project such as the number of bedrooms, maximising natural light, high levels of insulation or other sustainable standards that are important to you.  This is the brief that ASHCOs is trying to match with n-f-p property investor’s property acquisition file.

As to the property acquisition, the website ‘vickeryholman.com’ (19) defines it as

“The process of gaining ownership or rights over a real estate property”.

A n-f-p property investor would buy and/or own property to form a part of their investment portfolio or property business and/or acquire control over a property without actually buying it.  However, our n-f-p property investor is not interested in profit.  Instead, he/she is looking forward to reducing or ending housing poverty and/or other benefits.

 

• • • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p property investor’s file for acquisition of the property needs to match ASHCOs’ house design brief.  The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two, the probability or chance of having an agreement at this first round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise ASHCOs to improve its house design brief.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p property investors with impact to ameliorate their file about acquisition of the property to a format that can be acceptable by potential ASHCOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASHCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p property investor will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more property investors are attracted by ASHCOs’ house design brief the better for ASHCOs.  Likewise, the more ASHCOs are willing to adopt property investors’ file for acquisition of the property the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the first fragment of the Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity

Those potential organisations seeking investment and n-f-p property investors looking for organisations who are interested in it, 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.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this first fragment of Matching Organisation-Property Investor Winter/Spring 2024 Activity and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/land-control (accessed in February 2024)

(2) https://www.fao.org/3/ae50/e.pdf (accessed in February 2024)

(3) https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressrelease/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html (accessed in February 2024)

(4) https://www.wri.org/insights/land-matters-how-securing-community-land-rights-can-slow-climate-change-and-accelerate# (accessed in February 2024)

(5) https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/02/1146552 (accessed in February 2024)

(6) International Organisation for Migration (10M) – DTM DRC.2024.M23 Crisis Analysis – 23 Feb. 2024 10M. Goma

(7) https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/un-refugee-agency-expresses-alarm-over-escalating-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-dr-congo (accessed in February 2024)

(8) Gutterman, A. S. (2022), Older Persons’ Access to Justice, (Oakland CA: Older Persons’ Rights Project, 2022), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3889752 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3889752 (accessed in February 2024)

(9) https://www.unesco.org/en/access-information-laws (accessed in February 2024)

(10) https://www.ibm.com/topics/planning-budgeting-and-forecasting (accessed in February 2024)

(11) https://www.ericestate.com/what-is-a-property-investor-and-how-do-i-become-one/ (accessed in February 2024)

(12) https://www.propstream.com/real-estate-investor-blog/what-is-the-difference-between-a-real-estate-investor-and-a-property-dealer (accessed in February 2024)

(13) Yunus, M. & Weber, K. (2010), Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs, Public Affairs, New York

(14) cenfacs.org.uk/2023/02/08/africa-not-for-profit-investment-outlook-2023/ (accessed in February 2024)

(15) https://www.evpa.ngo/impact-glossary (accessed in February 2024)

(16) https://www.self-build.co.uk/house-design-step-by-step-guide/# (accessed in February 2024)

(17) https://www.thepropertyvoice.net/property-cycles-the-investment-property-lifecycle-overview-pvp-s2e09/ (accessed in February 2024)

(18) https://www.mymodernhome.com/blog/questions-ask-when-designing-house (accessed in February 2024)

(19) https://www.vickeryholman.com/news/what-is-property-acquisition/# (accessed in February 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Improving Ownership of Land to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 21 February  2024

Post No. 340

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Improving Ownership of Land (Reduction of Landlessness) to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households

• Ecological and Biological (EcoBio) Days to Be  Held from 26 to 29 February 2024 

• Upgrades of Energy Transitions Support Services

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Improving Ownership of Land (Reduction of Landlessness) to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households (Note 3 of Sustainable Development Month on 21/02/2024)

 

Our work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 1 of Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere continues, particularly with Target 4 of this Goal.  In this target, we are currently dealing with ownership of land and other forms  of property.

We are indeed working on ways of improving ownership of land or of reducing landlessness to empower the poor and vulnerable households.  We are looking at any efforts deployed to reduce or end the lack of power over land and secure tenure to land by the poor and vulnerable households, particularly those households working with our Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations.

As ‘landesa.org’ (1) argues,

“Land is a source of power, wealth, and livelihood”.

The same ‘landesa.org explains that

“When people do not possess rights to land, they are less likely to take action to protect the land and the natural resources it helps to cultivate.  They also lack a basic asset that can empower them with opportunities for a home, loans, savings, and investment in their future”.

So, improving ownership of land or reducing landlessness can help empower the poor and vulnerable households.  This improvement or reduction can result in the reduction of poverty and the enhancement of sustainable development.

The above is the first key message from this post.

More details about Improving Ownership of Land (Reduction of Landlessness) to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Ecological and Biological (EcoBio) Days to Be Held from 26 to 29 February 2024 

 

EcoBio Days are the period of time consecrated  to the interrelationships between organisms and their environment as well as to the living organisms or natural processes of living things.  This year’s EcoBio Days will focus on the Contribution of Ecological and Biological Systems to Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.

In order to extirpate the contribution of these systems, one may need to explain what these systems are.

 

• • Brief Explanations of Ecological and Biological Systems

 

To elucidate ecological system (or ecosystem), let us refer to the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (2).  In this dictionary, it is said that

“Ecosystem is the natural interacting biotic and abiotic system in a given area, which includes all of the organisms (plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms) that live in particular habitat, along with their immediate physical environment” (p. 139)

As to biological system, we have selected its definition from the one provided by Carlos Alcocer-Luaron et al. (3) who argue that

“A biological system is a set of self-organised differentiated components (elements) that interact pair-wise amongst themselves through various networks and media, isolated from other sets by boundaries called teguments and whose relation to other systems can be described as a closed loop in a steady-state… In argument with this definition, a living organism can obviously be regarded as a biological system, including any individual organism (i.e., a parasite) and the organs that constitute it, as well as their organisation”.

Since these two systems coexist with human systems, it is possible to draw that the two systems are naturally contributing to the lives of humans.  However, beyond the environmental and conservationist arguments, there could be other contributions.

 

• • Beyond the Environmental and Conservationist Explanations of Ecological and Biological Systems

 

Ecological and Biological Systems could also contribute to the kinds of development humans would like to achieve like sustainable development.  They could further help reduce some of the problems humans face, problems such as poverty of all kinds since humans depend on these systems to live and maintain their own systems.

So, 2024 EcoBio Days are not only about what the two systems (eco- and bio-systems) can do for themselves or to fix climate and nature crises.  The days are also about what the two systems do or are doing to reduce or end poverty and enhance sustainable development.  In other words, the days are about valuing ecosystem and biosystem functions and services for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

For further details or to engage with these EcoBio Days, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Upgrades of Energy Transitions Support Services

 

In December 2023, we announced that CENFACS would move into 2024 with nature-positive projects and programmes, as well as nature-based solutions to poverty.  We also said that we would add to them projects of just, orderly and equitable energy transitions as well as fossil-free projects.  Hope would be provided by other initiatives with Nature-positive Goals and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.  In addition to what we argued in December 2023, let us remind our audiences that Energy Transitions Initiatives within CENFACS started long time ago as the following status indicates.

 

• • Status of Energy Transitions Initiatives within CENFACS

 

In March 2022, we amalgamated the different types of energy support we provided to our members and the community.  We put them under one roof which then we called Energy Transitions Support Services.  The latter are the two Light Season’s Energy Projects, which included: a) Programme for Gradually Phasing Down Coal and b) Advocacy and E-workshops about Energy Transitions.

Since we are in the Year of Transitions (Year 2024) within CENFACS and the Month of Sustainable Development, we are recalling all our energy initiatives to forming an Energy Transitions Support Services (ETSS) Upgraded or 2024 Version.

 

• • What Does ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version Consist of?

 

ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version is made of the following:

 

√ ETSS 2022 Version

√ Nature-positive Energy Transitions

√ Projects of Just, Orderly and Equitable Energy Transitions

√ Fossil-free Energy Transitions.

 

ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version is a programme of progressive work on energy matters that supports the CENFACS Community so that this community can continue its journey of energy transitions smoothly and surely.  ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version, which retains most of the components of ETSS 2022 Version, aims at the community’s energy consumption, production and behaviour towards a net-zero or fossil-free world.  The support is part of CENFACS‘ dedication of the year 2024 as a Year of Transitions; energy transitions being one of them.

 

• • How to Access ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version

 

Access to ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version can be achieved by

 

√ Booking an appointment for support on energy transitions

 Contacting CENFACS via phonee-mailtext and completing the contact form on the page ‘contact-us’ of this website.

 

Services are free, confidential, open to everyone and held on a one-to-one basis or as a group and run by qualified, expert and committed volunteers.  Although services are free, we do not mind voluntary donations of any amount from any service users.

Health protection and safety are included in the delivery of these services.

For any queries and/or enquiries about ETSS Upgraded or 2024 Version, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Working Plan for the Third Series of Nature Activities

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Focus for Wednesday 21/02/2024: Internal Auditing

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 1: Project Identification

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Working Plan for the Third Series of Nature Activities

 

This week, we are announcing the third series of activities that will continue to feature the new generation of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.

The third series of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty will focus on four areas as follows:

 

a) representation and participation

b) access to justice and information

c) respect of cultures and rights

d) protection.

 

The contents of this third series of activities, which will be covered in 4 weeks, stem from nature goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (4), specifically some aspects of Target 22 of this Framework.  They include those incorporated in Table 1.

 

 

• • Third Series of Activities

 

The four activities of this series are given below.

 

Activity 1: Representation and Participation

 

This activity will cover full, equitable, inclusive and gender-responsive representation and participation in decision-making process relating to nature and nature-based solutions to poverty.

 

Activity 2: Access to Justice and Information

 

This activity will be about ensuring access to justice and information related to biodiversity by indigenous people and communities.

 

Activity 3: Respect of Cultures and Rights

 

This activity will focus on the respect of indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ cultures and their rights over lands, territories, resources and traditional technology.

 

Activity 4: Protection

 

This activity will deal with the full protection of environmental human rights defenders.

 

The table No. 1 specifies the type of activities each of them is.  The first activity – which is Representation and Participation – has already kicked off.  Let us further explain Activity 1.

 

• • Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – In Discussion for Week Beginning 19/02/2024: Representation and Participation

 

a) Aim of Activity 1

 

The Activity 1 is a discussion that aims at developing a relationship in which a person is acting on behalf of another, while getting people (mostly the excluded) involved in decisions that affect their lives.

This activity will cover full, equitable, inclusive and gender-responsive representation and participation in decision-making process relating to nature and nature-based solutions to poverty.

For example, the activity will include active participation of women to tackle nature issues (like environmental degradations) in decision-making processes and positions.

 

 

b) What does Activity 1 Consist of?

 

The discussion related to this Activity 1 will be on:

 

~ Creating a gender action plan relating to nature and nature-based solutions to poverty

~ Mapping out techniques to include and invest in women in nature-based solutions to poverty

~ Making safe and support women working on nature issues

~ Closing gender gaps in education, information and skills for women in matters relating to nature.

 

For those who would like to engage with Activity 1 and/or any of the above-mentioned activities, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Financial Controls 2024 – In Focus for Wednesday 21/02/2024: Internal Auditing

 

Financial Controls project or exercise carries on this week as we are dealing with internal auditing in the context of households and families.  What do we mean by internal auditing?

 

• • Basic Meaning of Internal Auditing

 

The meaning of internal auditing used here comes from the Institute of Internal Auditors (5) which explains that

“Internal auditing is an independent objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organisation’s operations.  It helps an organisation accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes”.

Households that would like to add value and improve their operations would conduct internal auditing.    This sort of exercise will help households in the way they govern their processes.  Those households that need support to conduct their internal auditing, they can ask CENFACS to work with them.

 

• • Working with Households on Internal Auditing

 

Working with households on this matter could include the following:

 

√ Helping them to understand their households’ cultures, systems and processes

√ Assuring that internal controls are in place for them to effectively run their households

√ Mitigating risks

√ Maintaining effective and efficient governance

√ Meeting households’ goals and objectives

etc.

 

The above is the second financial control we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries who may be households.

If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and in particular Internal Auditing within their household, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) –

Step/Workshop 1: Project Identification

 

The planning process for Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects), which is under way, includes the different steps of project cycle, which are: Identification, preparation, feasibility study, appraisal, negotiations and agreement, start, implementation, monitoring, reviews, termination, outcome evaluation and impact evaluation.

These steps of All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) will be completed in 12 weeks under a 12-week workshop programme.

This week, we are starting with Project Identification as the first step or workshop for our project cycle.  Let us see what the potential user of All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives can undertake in this first workshop.

 

• • Workshop 1: Identifying Your Run or Play or Vote Project

 

In this first step of the cycle, those who would like to undertake a Run or Play or Vote activity need to identify their Run or Play or Vote project.  What do we mean by that?

They need to develop a preliminary proposal for the most appropriate course of actions, within specific time and budget frames, to say how they are going to achieve the goal of Running or Playing or Voting.

For example, let us take Running.  You could say you want to run 4 miles every Friday of the week in the morning in the local park and you plan to spend some few pounds on water bottle to refresh yourself, etc.  You could also specific whether you want to run alone or as a group of people.

This identification will involve the following:

 

√ Reviewing alternatives approaches or options for addressing any problems with your Running or Playing or Voting activity

√ Defining the objectives of your Run or Play or Vote project/initiative to justify the resources to be committed

√ Identification of any major issues before implementing the Run or Play or Vote project.

 

The above is a basic starting point for project identification.  For those who are not familiar with project identification and would like some support, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

They can contact CENFACS by phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.  We can together discuss in detail your/their proposals about either your/their Run or Play or Vote projects.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Cycle de projets ‘tout au long de l’année’ (Cycle d’initiatives à triple valeur) –Étape/atelier 1: Identification du projet

Le processus de planification des initiatives à triple valeur ajoutée (ou projets à durée d’année), qui est en cours, comprend les différentes étapes du cycle du projet, à savoir: l’identification, la préparation, l’étude de faisabilité technique, l’évaluation financière, les négociations et l’accord, le démarrage, la mise en œuvre, le suivi, les examens, la clôture, l’évaluation des résultats et l’évaluation d’impact.

Ces étapes du cycle de projets ‘tout au long de l’année (cycle d’initiatives à triple valeur) seront réalisées en 12 semaines dans le cadre d’un programme d’ateliers de 12 semaines.

Cette semaine, nous commençons par l’identification du projet comme première étape ou premier atelier de notre cycle de projet.  Voyons ce que l’utilisateur potentiel de projets tout au long de l’année ou d’initiatives à triple valeur peut entreprendre dans ce premier atelier.

• • Atelier 1: Identifier votre projet ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’

Au cours de cette première étape du cycle, les personnes qui souhaitent entreprendre une activité ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’ doivent identifier leur projet ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’.  Qu’entendons-nous par là?

Elles doivent élaborer une proposition préliminaire sur le plan d’action le plus approprié, dans des délais et des budgets précis, pour dire comment elles vont atteindre l’objectif de courir, de jouer ou de voter.

Prenons l’exemple de la course à pied.  Vous pourriez dire que vous voulez courir 6 km tous les vendredis de la semaine le matin dans le parc local et que vous prévoyez de dépenser quelques litres en bouteille d’eau pour vous rafraîchir, etc.  Vous pouvez également préciser si vous souhaitez courir seul ou en groupe.

Cette identification impliquera les éléments suivants:

√ l’examen d’autres approches ou options pour résoudre tout problème lié à votre activité de course, de jeu ou de vote.

√ la définition des objectifs de votre projet/initiative ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’ afin de justifier les ressources à engager

√ l’identification de tout problème majeur avant la mise en œuvre du projet ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’.

Ce qui précède est un point de départ de base pour l’identification du projet.  Pour ceux ou celles qui ne sont pas familiers(ères) avec l’identification des projets et qui souhaiteraient un accompagnement, ils/elles ne doivent pas hésiter à contacter le CENFACS.

Ils/elles peuvent contacter le CENFACS par téléphone, SMS, messagerie électronique et en remplissant le formulaire de contact sur ce site web.  Ensemble, nous pouvons discuter en détail de leurs propositions concernant leurs projets ‘Courir ou Jouer ou Voter’.

 

 

Main Development

 

Improving Ownership of Land (Reduction of Landlessness) to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households (Note 3 of Sustainable Development Month on 21/02/2024)

 

To compose this Note 3, we have appealed to the following items:

 

σ Definition of Key Terms

σ Link between the Reduction of Landlessness and Poverty Reduction

σ Advocacy for Lands to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households

σ Ways of Improving Ownership of Land 

σ Working with the Community Members on Improving Ownership of Land or the Reduction of Landlessness to Empower Them.

 

Let us briefly explain the above-mentioned items.

 

• • Definition of Key Terms

 

In the Note 3 of our Sustainable Development Month, we are using four key terms which are: ownership, landlessness, empowerment, and secure tenure.

Let us try to understand the meaning of these key terms of Note 3.

 

1) Ownership

 

There are many ways of defining ownership.  In the context of this Note 3, we have selected the definition of ownership from ‘britannica.com’ (6), which explains it as

“The legal relation between a person (individual, group, corporation or government) and object.  The object may be corporeal, such as furniture, or completely the creature of law, such as patent, copyright, or annuity; it may be movable, such as an animal, or immovable, such as land”.

From this definition, ownership of land is the legal relation between a person and immovable object which is land.  Ownership of land also means that that land is subject to tenure not to absolute ownership, according to the common law.

So, the purpose of this Note 3 is to improve the relation between households (the poor and vulnerable ones) and lands.

 

2) Secure Tenure

 

Tenure can be secure or insecure.  In the context of this Note 3, we are interested in secure tenure.  What is secure tenure?

The website ‘habitatforhumanity.org’ (7) explains that

“Secure tenure refers to the ability to use and control the use of land without the fear of eviction or penalty.  It is the peace of mind of knowing that your home won’t be taken away without warning”.

This ability is important for the poor and vulnerable households as it is an indication whether or not they have the power on the land they possess.

 

3) Empowerment

 

To approach empowerment, we have referred to the explanation of Douglas D. Perkins (8) who argues that

“Empowerment is an intentional ongoing process centred in the local community, involving mutual respect, critical reflection, caring, and group participation, through which people lacking an equal share of valued resources gain greater access to and control over those resources; or a process by which people gain control over their lives, democratic participation in the life of their community, and a critical understanding of their environment (Perkins & Zimmeran, 1995)” (p. 207)

Perkins also contends that he prefers the definition of empowerment as a way of using strategies to gain and apply the actual power needed to make important, material improvements in community conditions and people’s lives.

It is this power we are dealing with in this Note 3 in order to improve the conditions of poor and vulnerable households.

 

4) Landlessness

 

The definition of landlessness is taken from the ‘dictionary.cambridge.org’ (9) which states that

“Landless is an adjective that refers to people who do not own any land for farming or who are prevented from owning the land they farm by the economic system or by rich people who own a lot of land”.

This term and definition will be used during this month to approach poverty linked to landlessness and how to reduce this type of poverty if one wants the Goal 1 of No Poverty to come true reality for the landless people.  Additionally, we will be working on both land ownership and control in relation to poverty reduction.

 

• • Link between the Reduction of Landlessness and Poverty Reduction

 

There could be association between the reduction of landlessness and poverty reduction.

For example, Barbier and Hochard (10) studied the interaction between land degradation and poverty.  They found that

“Over 2000-2010, the rural poor on degrading agricultural land increased in low-income countries and in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.  This degradation threatens the livelihoods of the poor”.

One thing is to argue about the above-mentioned links.  Another is about advocating to reduce or end the types of poverty expressed through these links.

 

• • Advocacy for Lands to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable

 

The Month of Sustainable Development within CENFACS is also of advocacy for and on behalf of the poor (amongst them are poor  and vulnerable households) and those in need of sustainable development so that the Reduction of Landlessness can materialise to Empower Them.

Our Advocacy for the Month of Sustainable Development covers Lands and/or Properties to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households.  It is about speaking with and on behalf of landless families and households so that they can have safe and decent lands/homes to live; in doing so working with them to access affordable housing, defending their equal land and property rights, which should be for everyone.

For example, Martina Schwikowski (11), who explains why fewer Africans are able to own land, notes that

“[In Kenya], the richest 10% of the rural population control over 60% of land assets, while the poorest 50%own just over 3%, according to the researchers”.

Because of this situation in Africa, advocacy is strongly needed to empower poor and vulnerable landless households to become land owners in Africa.

More details about this advocacy work can be requested from CENFACS.

 

• • Ways of Improving Ownership of Land 

 

There are ways of improving ownership of land (for instance, in Africa), which include the following:

 

√ good land governance

√ land registry that provides ownership of land

√ scaling up land reforms

√ formal documentation of land ownership

√ securing tenure rights for community and individual plots

√ rebalance between freehold system and customary systems

√ curbing corruption in land and property ownership

√ reducing the widening gap in land ownership and access

√ establishing a clear ownership of properties

√ reducing land inequality

√ setting up transparency on land

√ oversight on land sales and use

√ developing digital land administrative services

√ having data collection, aggregation and transparency about land ownership in Africa

etc.

 

For example, the ‘worldbank.org’ (12) suggests the following for Africa:

~ Increasing efficiency and transparency in land administration services by empowering local communities and traditional authorities

~ Developing capacity in land administration by encouraging policy reforms and providing training.

 

All these initiatives can only be possible to achieve by working with those who are the most in need.

 

• • Working with the Community Members on Improving Ownership of Land or the Reduction of  Landlessness to Empower Them

 

Beyond the above-mentioned advocacy work, CENFACS is going to engage the community members or households interested in Improving Ownership of Land or the Reduction of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, during this month of February 2024 and beyond.  Our engagement with them will include some of the ways of improving ownership of land as mentioned above.

For those members of our community who may be interested in matter relating to Improving Ownership of Land or the Reduction of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, they are free to contact CENFACS.

For any other queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://www.landesa.org/working-together-to-advance-respect-for-land-rights/ (accessed in February 2024)

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

(3) Alcocer-Luaron, C., Rivera, A. & Castaño, V. M. (2014), Hierarchical structure of biological systems – A bioengineering approach, Bioengineered, 5:2, 73-79, doi:10.4161/bioe.26570 (accessed in February 2024)

(4) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022 (Accessed in February 2023)

(5) https://www.theiia.org/en/about-us/about-internal-audit/ (accessed in February 2024)

(6) https://www.britannica.com/money/ownership (accessed in February 2024)

(7) https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/what-we-do/advocacy- (accessed in February 2024))

(8) Perkins, D. D. (2010), Empowerment, In R. A., Couto (Ed.), Political and Civic Leadership: A Reference Handbook Douglas D. Perkins (pp. 207-218), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, https: //doi.org/10.4135/9781412979337 (accessed in February 2024) 

(9) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/landless (accessed in February 2024)

(10) Barbier, E.B., and Hochard, J.P. (2018), Land degradation and poverty. Nat Sustain 1, 623-631, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0155-4 (accessed in February 2024)

(11) Schwikowski, M. (2021), Why fewer Africans are able to own land, https://www.dw.com/en/dwindling-number-of-africans-own-land/a-56273543 (accessed in February 2024)

(12) httpss://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/securing-africas-land-for-shared-prosperity (accessed in February 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Specialised in Home and Land Ownerships  

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 14 February  2024

Post No. 339

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 – In Focus: Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Specialised in Home and Land Ownerships  

• Reduction of Unequal or Lack of Access to Basic Services to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households

• Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Rain-Hit and Food Insecure in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 – In Focus: Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Specialised in Home and Land Ownerships  

 

Africa is  currently the world’s fastest growing region in terms of population.  Yet, Africa is also a place with low level of homeownership and high level of insecure land tenure.  The low level of homeownership can be partly justified by the affordability of homes.

For example, ‘statista.com’ (1) notes that

“At least 95 percent of urban households in over 17 of the countries in Africa were unable to buy the cheapest newly built house in 2021”.

Another example is from ‘housingfinance.org’ (2), which provides housing data for many cities in Africa.  The ‘housingfinance.org’ explains that

“In Kinshasa, a modern house built in a serviced residential area costs up to FC 588.5 million (US $250 000).  These prices are beyond the reach of most of the population: up to 80% cannot afford the costs, with unemployment at 23%.  The housing backlog stands at 4 million units a year while approximately 265 000 housing units are built each year”.

This situation provides a window of opportunities to invest in Africa, particularly to those who would like to impact investing in home and land ownerships to reduce poverty.

Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 (AN4PI2024) deals with these home and land matters.  Particularly, it focusses on Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes (ASCOCs) that work with their locals, mostly those who would like to become home and/or land owners, to find suitable, affordable and accessible home or land, while reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development amongst them.

These ASCOCs need support of all kinds, including foreign direct investment.  In this respect, AN4PI2024 aims at those impact investors who would like or are looking to impact invest in Africa’s charitable organisations and causes that deal with homes, lands, homeownership and land ownership matters.

AN4PI2024 is also about ASCOCs that work or help to reduce or end poverty through the allocation of power on home and land to those in need in their communities or sister communities so that these needy people can improve their health, hygiene, education opportunities, etc.  They can as well have access to clean water, safe toilet, electricity and respite via sustainable homeownership and secure land tenure.  Given that  AN4PI2024 is about ASCOCs working to reduce poverty, it focusses on the lower end of housing market in Africa.

Like for the previous issues of  Africa Not-for-Profit Investment, AN4PI2024  has to be understood as an extension of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme for those who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa.  The AN4PI2024 does not, however, replace the Guidance for Investing in Africa.  It just adds value to it.  Because of its unique contribution to the not-for-profit investment sector, AN4PI2024 presents the information that not-for-profit investors may want in simple yet concise format.  In particular, it provides the mission/objects/speciality and types of services ASCOCs offer in the areas of home and land ownerships.

More on Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Reduction of Unequal or Lack of Access to Basic Services to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households (Note 2 of Sustainable Development Month on 14/02/2024)

 

To deliver this note, let us try to understand basic services and their access.

 

• • Understanding Basic Services

 

Our understanding of basic services comes from Manisha Shrestha (3) who argues that

“Basic services are the provision of fundamental needs such as water, food, electricity, and energy, shelter, sanitation and health, and education to improve people’s live”.

The poor and vulnerable households need to access these services to empower and free themselves.

 

• • Explaining Access to Basic Services

 

The website ‘onsecrethunt.com’ (4) explains that

“Access to basic services includes basic access to drinking water, basic sanitation facilities, essential health services (including mental health care, reproductive health and vaccination) and education (as a minimum primary school education)”.

Manisha Shrestha (op. cit.) adds that access to basic services becomes limited when there is high unemployment, poverty, and less awareness among people.  Things become even worse when there is a lack of access or inequality in access.   In which case, there is a need to reduce or end unequal or lack of access to basic services.

 

• • Reducing or Ending Unequal or Lack of Access to Basic Services

 

Reducing or ending unequal or the lack of access to basic services is about improving access for all, and reducing or ending inequalities in access.  It involves many players including governments, businesses, charities, etc.  It also requires partnerships between different players and a multi-stakeholder approach.

However, what we are interested in is not only what others can do or are doing to reduce or end unequal or the lack of access to basic services.  What we are interested in is what CENFACS can do in order to empower user households members of its community experiencing inequalities in access to basic services.

 

• • Empowering or Working with CENFACS’ Households Members Facing Inequalities in Access to Basic Services

 

CENFACS can work with its members in a number of ways to help reduce or end unequal or the lack of access to basic services.  These ways of working together with them include the following:

 

√ Promoting equality to improve access

√ Mobilising resources to reduce the lack of resources

√ Identifying access problem with beneficiaries

√ Working with agencies responsible for access to basic services

√ Help beneficiaries to access basic services

√ Providing useful tips and resources on access to basic services

√ Discussing with beneficiaries’ journey in accessing basic services

√ Inviting users to share their experience (e.g., discrimination, social exclusion, lack of diversity, etc.) in accessing basic services

√ Working with beneficiaries to find equality support services when accessing basic services

√ Helping them to find information about access to basic services

√ Working on factors (like communication and language barriers or enablers) that influence beneficiaries’ ability to access basic services

√ Providing inclusion and integration skills (like literacy, numeracy and digital skills) to access basic services

√ Translating and interpreting documents and other materials from beneficiaries to facilitate access to basic services

√ Signposting beneficiaries to access hubs, clubs and event organisers

√ Working with beneficiaries’ networks (family, community and social) to sustain access to basic services, etc.

 

For those members of our community who may be interested in matter relating to Access to Basic Services, they are free to contact CENFACS.

For any other queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Service and of Landlessness; please also contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Rain-Hit and Food Insecure in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

 

This is an appeal to light a blaze of hope for those who have been hit by torrential rains and cyclones that led food insecurity in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The appeal is also for the victims of these natural disasters who continue to suffer from their legacies.

The data and news about this appeal speak for these torrential rain-hit and food insecure people in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  For example, the website ‘crisisresponse.iom.int’ (5) states that

“In 2023, flooding in the rainy season hit 19 out of 23 provinces [of Chad], affecting 1.3 million people, damaging over 350,000 hectares of agricultural land, killing 20,000 head of livestock, and destroying 80,000 homes, as well as a large number of schools, health centres, and public infrastructure, according to OCHA”.

Likewise, the ‘reliefweb.int’ (6) highlights heavy rainfall affected the eastern and southern areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These floods caused fatalities in Kasai-Central province, Bukavu City and Burhinyi village and damaged 1,400 houses.  There is also rising of the Congo River water level which affected both Congo and the DRC.

Additionally, the ‘globalhungerindex.org’ (7) points out that

“In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Chad ranks 119th out of the 125 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2023 GHI scores.  With a score of 34.6 in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Chad has a level of hunger that is serious…The Republic of Congo ranks 107th out of the 125 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2023 GHI series.  With a score of 28.0 in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, the Republic of Congo has a level of hunger that is serious… The DRC ranks 122nd out of 125 with sufficient data to calculate 2023 GHI scores.  With a score of 35.7 in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, the DRC has a level of hunger that is alarming“.

The above-mentioned data tells a bit of story about the flood-hit and food insecure in these three countries and why they need your help.

You can support the victims of floods and food insecure in Chad, Congo and the DRC.

You can Light up a Blaze of Hope for the Rain-Hit and Food Insecure in Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

You can now donate £5 or more since the needs are urgent and pressing.  Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach the victims of floods and food insecure in Chad, Congo and the DRC.

These victims need your life-saving humanitarian response right now.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Project Planning/Start Up Service for the Users of Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-round Projects)

• Financial Controls 2024 for Households 

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan about Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme

 

 

• Project Planning/Start Up Service for the Users of Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-round Projects)

 

In order to support those who have decided or may decide to engage with All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives, we are running start up sessions for each of them (i.e. RunPlay and Vote projects).  What do we mean by running start up sessions for RunPlay and Vote projects?

 

• • Start up for Run, Play and Vote Projects

 

Start up for these projects is about working with whoever decides to execute the above mentioned projects to set the tone of their projects and expectations for themselves.  It is also about setting realistic goals and working out the right methodology from the beginning to the end in their project journey.  It includes better planning and management.

 

• • Phases of Project Planning and Management

 

We are going to deal with different phases of project planning or start up from the idea (of running or playing or voting) to the initiative implementation, impact monitoring and evaluation.

Whether you want to run or play or vote; you need to undertake a basic project planning in terms of the way you want to do it.  This basic project planning/start-up will include things like the following:

 

σ Aims (changes you plan to achieve)

σ Impact (a longer-term effects of your project)

σ Inputs (resources you will put into your initiative)

σ Monitoring (regularly and systematically collecting and recording information)

σ Outcomes (changes and effects that may happen from your initiative)

σ Indicators (measures or metrics that show you have achieved your planned outcomes)

σ Budget (income and expenses for your initiative)

σ Reporting (sharing your actions and results)

Etc.

 

 

• • All-year Round Projects Cycle

 

Project planning will include the different steps of project cycle (as shown by the All-year Round Projects Cycle above), which are: Identification, preparation, feasibility study, appraisal, negotiations and agreement, start, implementation, monitoring, reviews, termination, evaluation and impact evaluation.

These steps will be approached in a simple and practical way to make everybody (especially those members of our community who are not familiar with them) to understand what they mean and how to use them in the context of Triple Value Initiatives.

As we all know, not everybody can understand these different steps they need to navigate in order to make their initiative or project a success story.  That is why we are offering this opportunity to those who would like to engage with the Triple Value Initiatives (RunPlay and Vote projects) to first talk to CENFACS so that we can together soften some of the hurdles they may encounter in their preparation and delivery.

For those who are interested in this service, they can contact CENFACS by phoning, texting, e-mailing and completing the contact form on this website.  We can together discuss in detail your/their proposals about either your/their Run or Play or Vote projects.

For those who would like to discuss with CENFACS their Triple-value-initiative plans or proposals, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Financial Controls 2024 for Households 

 

As explained in our previous posts, Financial Controls are conducted with Financial Stability Campaign.  During our previous work on Financial Controls with households, we focussed on Year-in-review Accounts as they are part of Financial Controls project or exercise, which also includes income boost and other financial tools making our Campaign to reduce and end poverty, particularly income poverty.

Before we start Financial Controls 2024, we would like to inform our beneficiaries that we are still working on 2023 Year-end Financial Controls as stocking and charge taking tools for poverty reduction.  We are doing it until the 31st of March 2024 or until the end of the financial year, the 6th of April 2024. For those who need support for the Year-end 2023 Accounts, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Financial Controls 2024

 

To conduct Financial Controls 2024, we have planned five weekly sessions starting from this week.  The five sessions match the five essential financial controls given by ‘eftsure.com’ (8), which are:

 

a) Segregation of duties

b) Internal auditing

c) Budgeting and forecasting

d) Reconciliation

e) Cash management.

 

Let us start with the first control, which is segregation of duties.

 

• In Focus from 14/02/2024: Segregation of Duties

 

Before releasing the note for Segregation of Duties, let us remind our audiences the meaning of financial controls.  The definition used here of financial controls comes from ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (9) which explains that

“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”.

Financial controls has components which include monitoring cash flow projections, analysis of balance sheets and income statements, reconciliation of accounts payable and receivable records, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

 

• • • Segregation of Duties as Financial Control by Households

 

Like any organisation, households can segregate their duties.  Separating their household responsibilities from each other means assigning different tasks to those making their household and sharing control while catching errors in the running of their households.

To implement their segregated duties, they need to proceed with the following:

 

σ Identifying key financial processes and associated tasks forming their households

σ Assigning duties to different members of their households

(Even children when they learn since they are little what duties they can have in their family; there assigned duties can contribute to the effectiveness of financial controls in their family.  For instance, children whose duty is to save resources not to waste them can contribute to the financial well-being and wealth of their family) 

σ Ensuring that financial control is shared within the household, not only a matter of one person only

σ Regularly reviewing and updating your segregation of duties.

 

The above is the first financial control we wanted to share with our users or beneficiaries.

If anyone of our members need support regarding their financial controls and in particular Segregation of Duties within their household, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan about Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme

 

From 10/01/2024 to 13/02/2024, we have focused on Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Schemein particular we carried out the following working plan:

 

In order to know the progress and achievements made as well as the to examine our performance against objectives, we are carrying out two exercises:

 

a) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

b) Learning Development and Action Plan.

 

Let us explain what these two exercises are about.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme

 

We are now carrying on with the systematic process of observation, recording, collection and analysis of information regarding the five Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects conducted under  on Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme in order to get its impact or at least its output.  This routine process will help to examine the activities developed and identify bottlenecks during the process to see if they are in line with objectives we defined.

Also, we are undertaking the sporadic activity to draw conclusion regarding the relevance and effectiveness of the activities or microprojects presented.  This activity will contribute to the determination of the value judgement regarding the performance level and attainment of defined objectives for Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme within the community.

The findings from this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will help to figure out what has been achieved through this work and give us some flavour about the future direction of Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme.

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 five weeks to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these three areas:

 

(a) The overall “Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects conducted under  on Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme”

(b) Any of the activities or microprojects they have been interested in or used in the context of running their household

(c) The relevancy or suitability of these activities or microprojects in terms of dealing with their financial matters.

 

You can share your feelings, thoughts, takeaways and insights with us by:

 

∝ Phoning

∝ Texting

∝ E-mailing

∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.

 

• • Learning Development and Action Plan for Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects conducted under  on Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme

 

As part of keeping the culture of continuous learning and professional development within CENFACS, we are examining what the running of Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects conducted under  on Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme have brought and indicated to us.  We are particularly looking at the learning and development priorities and initiatives.  In this exercise, we are considering the action points and plan we may need to make in order to improve or better change the way in which we deliver our services and work with users.

For those who have been following the running of these activities or microprojects with us, this is the time or opportunity they can add their inputs to our learning and development experience so that we can know the financial skills gap that need to be filled up in the future.  They can as well have their own action plans on how they would like to take forward the contents of these activities or microprojects month.  And if they have a plan and want us to look at it, we are willing to do so.

The plan could be on the above-mentioned activities or microprojects presented throughout this month.  In particular, we can look at how any household making our community wants to make a plan for them or would like CENFACS to work with them on their chosen area of finances.

Those who have some difficulties in drawing such a plan, they can speak to CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Suivi, évaluation, apprentissage, développement et plan d’action sur les activités et les microprojets de financement structuré dans le cadre du programme/processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières 

Afin de connaître les progrès et les réalisations faites ainsi que d’examiner nos performances par rapport aux objectifs, nous effectuons deux exercices :

a) Suivi et évaluation de l’impact

b) Développement de l’apprentissage et plan d’action.

Laissez-nous vous expliquer en quoi consistent ces deux exercices. Avant de les expliquer, il est mieux de rappeler les activités dont on parle. 

Les cinq activités liées au programme sont les suivantes: investir dans des objectifs financiers, la gestion financière des investissements, impacter vos connaissances et compétences sur votre comportement, prendre des décisions financières qui sauvent, et élaborer un plan pour générer de revenus supplémentaires.

Les cinq activités relatives au processus sont ci-après: joindre les deux bouts du mois, planifier financièrement à l’avance, gérer de l’argent, agir à travers le budget, et établir le budget de dépenses.

• • Suivi et évaluation de l’impact des activités de financement structuré ou des microprojets dans le cadre d’un programme ou d’un processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières 

Nous poursuivons actuellement le processus systématique d’observation, d’enregistrement, de collecte et d’analyse des informations concernant les cinq activités de financement structuré ou microprojets menés dans le cadre du programme ou du processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières afin d’en obtenir l’impact ou au moins les résultats.  Cette procedure d’usage permettra d’examiner les activités développées et d’identifier les goulots d’étranglement au cours du processus pour voir s’ils sont conformes aux objectifs que nous avons définis.

De plus, nous entreprenons des activités sporadiques pour tirer des conclusions quant à la pertinence et à l’efficacité des activités ou des microprojets présentés.  Cette activité contribuera à la détermination du jugement de valeur concernant le niveau de performance et la réalisation des objectifs définis pour le programme ou le processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières au sein de la communauté.

Les résultats de ce suivi et de cette évaluation de l’impact aideront à déterminer ce qui a été accompli grâce à ce travail et nous donneront une idée de l’orientation future du programme ou du processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières.

Dans le cadre de cet exercice de suivi et d’évaluation de l’impact, nous aimerions demander à ceux ou celles qui ont travaillé avec nous au cours des cinq dernières semaines de nous faire part de leurs sentiments et de leurs réflexions sur ces trois domaines:

a) L’ensemble des « activités de financement structuré ou microprojets menés dans le cadre du programme ou du processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières »

b) Toutes les activités ou microprojets qui l’intéressent ou qui l’utilisent dans le cadre de la gestion de leur ménage

c) La pertinence ou l’adéquation de ces activités ou microprojets en ce qui concerne le traitement de leurs questions financières.

Vous pouvez nous faire part de vos sentiments, de vos pensées, de vos points à retenir et de vos idées en :

∝ téléphonant

∝ envoyant des textos

∝ utilisant une messagerie électronique

∝ remplissant le formulaire de contact avec vos impressions et vos pensées.

• • Plan d’action et de développement de l’apprentissage pour les activités de financement structuré ou les microprojets menés dans le cadre du programme ou du process de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières 

Dans le cadre du maintien de la culture de l’apprentissage continu et du développement professionnel au sein du CENFACS, nous examinons ce que la gestion d’activités de financement structuré ou de micro-projets menés dans le cadre du programme ou du processus de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières nous a apporté et nous a indiqué.  Nous nous penchons particulièrement sur les priorités et les initiatives en matière d’apprentissage et de perfectionnement.  Dans le cadre de cet exercice, nous examinons les points d’action et le plan que nous pourrions avoir besoin de mettre en place afin d’améliorer ou de mieux changer la façon dont nous fournissons nos services et travaillons avec les bénéficiaires.

Pour ceux ou celles qui ont suivi la mise en œuvre de ces activités ou microprojets avec nous, c’est le moment ou l’occasion d’ajouter vos contributions à notre expérience d’apprentissage et de développement afin que nous puissions connaître le déficit de compétences financières qui doit être comblé à l’avenir.  Vous peuvez également avoir vos propres plans d’action sur la façon dont vous souhaitez faire avancer le contenu de ces activités ou de ces semaines de microprojets.  Et si vous avez un plan et veulez que nous l’examinions, nous sommes prêts à le faire.

Le plan pourrait porter sur les activités ou les microprojets mentionnés ci-dessus présentés tout au long de cinq dernières semaines.  En particulier, nous pouvons examiner comment les ménages de notre communauté veulent faire un plan pour eux ou aimeraient que le CENFACS travaille avec eux sur le domaine financier qu’ils ont choisi.

Ceux ou celles qui ont des difficultés à élaborer un tel plan, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 –

In Focus: Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Specialised in Home and Land Ownerships 

 

Our coverage of Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 includes four items:

 

σ What Your Need to Know about Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024

σ Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes

σ Mission/Objects/Speciality and Services of Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations to Not-for-profit Invest with Impact

σ Guidance for Not-for-profit Investors about Organisations to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa.

 

Let us highlight each of these items.

 

• • What Your Need to Know about Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024

 

As its focus says, Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 deals with Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes Specialised in Home and Land Ownerships, and Impact Investors who would like to put their money or other assets into these organisations.

Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 highlights essential information about the mission/objects/speciality and services of these organisations.  What they provide could be interesting for potential not-for-profit investors.

Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 is a mini-guide for those who would like to not-for-profit invest with impact in Africa and in these organisations.  This mini-guide is therefore for those investors who are new to impact investing and those who want to know where and into what organisation to not-for-profit invest in Africa.

 

• • Impact Investing in Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes

 

African Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes (ASCOCs) can be an alternative route for investing in Africa for those investors having other motives than only making profit.  Investing in this sort of organisations and causes is a way of thinking differently and approaching poverty from a different and new perspective.

Indeed, there is a difference between investing in organisations that consider poverty reduction as a residual or appended or negligible aspect of their main trading activity compared to those organisations or causes that take poverty reduction as their main or core mission or activity.  So, if one wants to see real improvements in reduction of poverty in quality and quantity; then putting their money and assets into ASCOCs that take poverty reduction as their core mission could be a viable option.  However, one needs also to know these organisations in which they want to invest.

In the context of Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024, the knowledge of these organisations is on their mission/objects/speciality and matching services they offer.  They are those working in the fields of home and land ownerships.

 

• • Mission/Objects/Speciality and Services of Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest with Impact

 

Although Africa Not-for-profit Investment 2024 is not a sort of classified entries that list organisations with their names and contact details, it nevertheless provides the brief mission or objects or speciality and matching services of the Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and Causes working in the areas of home and land ownerships, and needing investment to continue to their work of poverty reduction in Africa.

The following are the possible mission/objects/speciality and matching services of these organisations, which potential not-for-profit investors can look into and decide whether or not there is an opportunity to invest in them.  Organisation’s mission/objects are abbreviated as OMO and Related Organisation’s Service are shortened as ROS.

 

——————

OMO1: help potential homeowners to access affordable housing financing solutions

ROS1: homeownership counselling on suitable financial products to find their homeownership project

——————

OMO2: homeownership and land tenure

ROS2: development of housing supply for poor households and assistance to access low-cost housing opportunities

——————

OMO3: women and land matters

ROS3: dealing with change customs and traditional practices that prevent women from inheriting or acquiring ownership of land and other properties, micro-finance for women

——————

OMO4: gender equity and land equality

ROS4: work on the removal of cultural restrictions linked to land inheritance and improving women’s ability in other areas (e.g., documenting land rights for women), indigenous and rural communities

——————

OMO5: secure tenure rights to land

ROS5: protection of land against risks and crises such as armed conflicts and natural disasters that lead people to becoming landless and homeless

——————

OMO6: land and home/property rights against land grabbing (e.g., mining/forestry exploitation projects)

ROS6: advocacy and campaign for restoration of land rights to the dispossessed land/homeowners, for direct financial compensation and adequate wage for labour

——————

OMO7: general access and affordability of homes

ROS7: intergenerational wealth transfers through home access for the poor

——————

OMO8: residential and social mobility

ROS8: advice, information and guidance to support people to match job opportunities and residential mobility

——————

OMO9: sustainable homeownership for all and sustainable solutions to shelter poverty

ROS9: home finding service for all and access to housing ladder

——————

OMO10: skills development, learning and wellbeing in homeownership

ROS10: information and knowledge about housing poverty, development of homeownership, improvement of the quality of life through better housing and perception of land tenure

——————

OMO11: traditional purchase or sale of a residential building/dwelling

ROS11: residential property buying and selling service

——————

OMO12: newly constructed building with the builders’ intent to occupy the dwelling

ROS12: property development and finance

——————

OMO13: inherited residential dwelling to stem homeownership from one generation to the next

ROS13: inheritance and micro-finance

——————

 

The above is the essential mission/objects/speciality and main services of Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations working in home and land ownerships.  It is the highlight of the prospect for not-for-profit investing in Africa’s housing sector.  It is part of a series of contents for advice and tips planned for 2024 to work with potential not-for-profit investors.

For those not-for-profit investors who are interested in a particular mission/object/speciality and matching service, and who would like to dive deeper into this matter, they are free to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Guidance for Not-for-profit Investors about Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

 

Those potential not-for-profit investors who need customised guidance about how to not-for-profit invest in Africa, they can contact us so that we can conduct needs assessment with them and search their ideal Africa-based organisation to invest in.  We run a Matching Organisation-Investor Programme to that effect.

 

• • • What Is a Matching Organisation-Investor Programme?

 

Matching programme is a term used in various settings.  In the context of CENFACSMatching Organisation-Investor Programme is the process by which organisations (here Africa-based Sister Organisations) are matched against not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors.  The programme uses n-f-p investors’ description of their requirements to fit organisations’ needs via a fit test.

 

• • • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme

 

The aim of this programme is to reduce poverty amongst the people in need in Africa; poverty due to the lack of best match or fit between ASOs’ needs and not-for-profit investors’ interests.  Where the needs of the ASOs best meet or match the vested interests of not-for-profit investors, there could be high probability to reduce poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASOs.  The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASOs’ needs meet investors’ interests.

 

• • • How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors Be Matched?

 

The matching happens through the two main components of this programme, which are Impact Advice to ASOs and Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact.

 

• • • • What Is Impact Advice to ASOs?

 

It is an approach to or methodology of working with ASOs that uses a theory of change to measure impact following advice given on project planning.

 

Impact Advice to ASOs is about

 

√ Working with ASOs to overcome their project planning problems

√ Helping them to improve their project planning processes, knowledge, skills and capabilities

√ Making sure that project planning benefits the users and communities they serve, particularly those living in poverty

√ Ensuring that project planning tackles the root causes of poverty and hardships

Etc.

 

Impact Advice uses impact measuring tools and frontline metrics to track results and outcomes.

 

• • • • Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors for Impact

 

This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.   To understand this service, one needs to know “What is a Not-for-profit Investment?” (10)

A Not-for-profit Investment is a sum of money puts into a not-for-profit organisation in order to help this organisation achieve its not-for-profit mission.  Not-for-profit means that the organisation is not engaged in the activity of realising a greater difference between its sales revenue and total costs.  Instead, the organisation aims at providing services without making profit, services that benefit its members or the community as specified in its governing document.

This not-for-profit investment can be in the physical or financial form.  Therefore, there are two types of investment that not-for-profit investors can choose in order to engage in, which are: physical or real investment and financial investment.

This guidance is based on not-for-profit investment and impact investing.  What is impact investing?

According to ‘evpa.ngo’ (11),

“Investing for impact is an impact strategy followed by investors that adopt the venture philanthropy approach to support social purpose organisations maximising their social impact.  Investors for impact support innovative solutions to pressing societal issues, providing in-depth non-financial support and taking on risks that most of other actors in the market cannot – or are not willing to take”.

Briefly, Africa-based Sister Organisations and Not-for-profit Investors can be matched via Impact Advice on project planning for the former and Guidance on Impact Investing for the latter.  To realise a successful match, some guidelines need to be followed.

Those who have any queries and/or enquiries about this guidance, they can communicate with CENFACS.

If a potential investor cannot find the above-mentioned types of mission/objects/speciality and matching services they want, they can contact CENFACS.  They can join CENFACS’ Guidance Programme for those who would like to not-for-profit invest in Africa.

_________

 

References

 

(1)  https://www.statista.com/statistics/613846/urban-households-who-can-afford-the-cheapest-new-houses-africa-by-country/ (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://housingfinance.org/app/uploads/2023/10/2023-CAHF-Yb_Compressed-14.11.2023.pdf (accessed in February 2024)

(3) Shrestha, M. (2021), Access to Basic Services and Its Linkage with Ending Poverty. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A. M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Ozuyar, P. G., Wall, T. (eds) No Poverty. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Springer, Chana. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69625-6_1-1 (accessed in February 2024)

(4) https://www.onsecrethunt.com/what-is-the-definition-of-lack-basic-services/ (accessed in February 2024)

(5) https://crisisresponse.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1481/files/appeal/pdf/2024_Chad_Crisis_Response_Plan_2024.pdf (accessed in February 2024)

(6) https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2024-000009-cod (accessed in February 2024)

(7) https://www.globalhungerindex.org (accessed in February 2024)

(8) https://eftsure.com/blog/processes/five-essential-financial-financial-controls-every-financial-leader-must-implement/# (accessed in February 2024)

(9) https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/career-map/sell-side/risk-management/financial-controls/ (accessed in February 2024)

(10) cenfacs.org.uk/2023/02/08/africa-not-for-profit-investment-outlook-2023/ (accessed in November 2023)

(11) https://www.evpa.ngo/impact-glossary (Accessed in March 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 07 February  2024

Post No. 338

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Sustainable Development Month with the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

• Triple Goal for the Month: Reduction of Poverty Linked to Inequality, Inaccessibility and Landlessness 

• African Children’s Climate, Nature and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project), In Focus: Coming out Crises with Children

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• 2024 Sustainable Development Month with the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

 

February is the month of Sustainable Development, according to CENFACS development calendar or planner.  It is the month during which we revisit our works relating to sustainable development.  In particular, we try to look at again the United Nations (1) Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their related 169 targets.  We normally select one of the topics within the set of SGDs and targets; and try to work on it.  For this February 2024, we have selected Goal 1 and Target 4 of this goal.  What are Goal 1 and Target 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

 

• • Goal 1 and Target 4 as Working Theme for the Month of Sustainability

 

Goal 1 is to End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Target 4 of  Goal 1 is By 2030, ensure that all men and women in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms  of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.

Our work on the above-named Goal 1 and Target 4 is to help end or reduce poverty linked to the Target 4 of this Goal 1.  In particular, we would like to work with our project beneficiaries to Reduce Unequal Rights to Economic Resources, Lack of Access to Basic Services and Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households.  

To make our Month of Sustainability, we are going to engage our community members through the chosen aspects of the Target 4 while keeping the spirit of Goal 1 as it was set up by the United Nations.  Additionally, we are looking at how the same selected aspects  can be related to poor people, particularly poor and vulnerable households that make up CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.

 

• • Engaging our Members via the Reduction of Unequal Rights to Economic Resources, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

    

We are engaging the members of our community to be aware of and act on the messages contained in the Goal 1 and Target 4, while being mindful about the elements of this target that apply to them.  In particular, we are and will be working with the community to ensure that their rights to economic resources are preserved and equal, they are able to access the basic services they need to reduce poverty, they have a chance to own and control land and/or the property they live in.  They have opportunities to friendly and sustainably use natural resources, new technology and financial services to meet their needs of poverty reduction.

To enable us to approach the theme of the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable; we have organised an action plan (please refer to the above given Schedule of Notes).

For further information about this theme, please read under the Main Development section of this post.  

 

 

• Triple Goal for the Month: Reduction of Poverty Linked to Inequality, Inaccessibility and Landlessness 

 

Our goal for February 2024 is triple.  It is about reducing poverty linked to inequality, poverty induced by inaccessibility to poverty-reducing services that suppose to help the poor, and poverty as a result of lack of land for those in need.  These are the three forms of poverty we are trying to help reduce this February 2024.

 

• • Understanding Inequality, Inaccessibility and Landlessness

 

Let us to understand these three concepts.

 

a) Inequality

 

Inequality can be understood in many ways.  From the perspective of ‘legaldictionary.net’ (2),

“Inequality refers to a condition of being unequal, or of being given an unequal share of treatment, status, or opportunity.  People are often aware of inequalities in social status, human rights, education, job availability and income opportunities”.

Inequality can be in social, gender, income, wealth, employment, race, etc. matters.

The website ‘openglobalrights.org’ (3) suggests to distinguish horizontal from vertical inequality.  According ‘openglobalrights.org’,

“Horizontal inequality occurs between culturally defined or socially construct groups, such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, caste and sexuality.  Vertical inequality occurs between individuals or between households, such as the overall income or wealth distribution of an economy”.

 

b) Inaccessibility

 

The website ‘accesseoservices.info’ (4) explains that

“Accessibility is the ability of people to reach places and services and the ability of places to be reached by people and goods”.

Accessibility enables to address inequality in access to services that suppose to help the poor to reduce poverty.

 

c) Landlessness 

 

The Union of International Associations (5) defines it as

“The quality or state of being without land, without access to land, or without having private ownership of land”.

Landlessness can be an indication of poverty.

This month, we are trying to deal with these three concepts as part of our goal.  We are endeavouring to work with the members of our community on how they can reduce poverty relating to Inequality, Inaccessibility and Landlessness.  In other words, how they can be treated as equal, access services they need and become landowners or homeowners.

 

• • Implications for Selecting the Goal for the Month

 

After selecting the goal for the month, we focus our efforts and mind set on the selected goal by making sure that in our real life we apply it.  We also expect our supporters to work on the same goal by supporting those who may be suffering from the type of poverty linked to the goal for the month we are talking about during the given month (e.g., February 2024).

For further details on the goal of the month and its selection procedure including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• African Children’s Climate, Nature and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project), In Focus: Coming out Crises with Children

 

Normally, the project that carries this month of Sustainable Development is African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACSDGs).  It is also known as Generation Global Goals (3G) project.

3G project is the impact level in CENFACS’ process of advocating that global goals (like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) work for children and not way around.  It is indeed the testing of the gains that global goals claim to achieve and of their impact on the welfare and well-being of children.  This is regardless whether these children are in spaces and times of peace or lack of peace (like conditions of wars, areas stricken by viruses or epidemics and time of natural disasters).   Unsurprisingly, these gains should be materialised even in time of health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic or any other crisis such as the cost-of-living crisis.  Since December 2022, we inserted in the 3G project the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (6).

 

• • Children Generation of Global Goals

 

The children generation of global goals are those two generations of children relating to two sets of global goals: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The generation of Millennium Development Goals will be those children or persons born and live between 2000 and 2015, whereas the generation of Sustainable Development Goals will be referred to those born and live from 2015 until now (ideally between 2015 and 2030).  The two generations are relating to the lifespan of these two sets of goals.

These generations relating to global goals have to be differentiated from the conventional definition of generations which classified them as follows: Gen Alpha (2013 – 2025), iGen/Generation Z (1995 -2012), Millennials/Generation Y (1980 – 1994), Xennials (1975 – 1985), Generation X/Baby Bust (1965 – 1979) and Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964).  This is without forgetting the generation who has been impacted by the scars or legacies of the coronavirus pandemic disaster.

Most of these generations born during or live in the period of crises.  Crises are part of the world in which they/we live.  This is not an issue.  The issue is how to come out of crises with children or without leaving them behind.

 

• • Coming out Crises with Children

 

One thing is to come out of a crisis,  another thing is to come out of it without leaving children behind.  How can we come out crises with children? 

There are many ways of coming out of crises.   The website ‘mentalhelp.net’ (7) gives three recipes, which are:

 

a) Don’t catastrophize

b) Get to the truth and deal with it

c) Have a vision and get strong.

 

If we take the third recipe of having a vision and getting strong, coming out of crises (e.g., the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, nature crisis, etc.) with children is about the following:

 

~ having a vision for the future with children for what they can do tomorrow so that they are not trapped or caught in the same problems they had in the past or we had

~ ensuring that in whatever they do, they get strong as we navigate our way out crises with them and as they grow

~ navigating our way out crises with them while pursuing Climate, Nature and Sustainable Development Goals with them.

 

For those who would like to find out more how we can come out of crises with children while pursuing Climate, Nature and Sustainable Development Goals with them; they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Activity/Task 2 of the ‘t’ Project: Work with People to Transition to Sustainable Production

• 2024 Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme: Activity 5 (07/02/2024 to 13/02/2024)

• Triple Value Initiatives, All Year Round Projects: Extra Support about Start-up, Fundamentals, Maths and Goals

 

 

• Activity/Task 2 of the ‘t’ Project: Work with People to Transition to Sustainable Production

 

The second activity/task of the “tProject is about transitioning to sustainable production. 

Indeed, we do not only tell our members to consume sustainably, like we did it in January – the Month of Sustainable Consumption.  We also talk to them to produce sustainably.  This is what we will be doing this February Month of Sustainable Development.

In order to perform this activity/task, one may need to understand the meaning of sustainable production.

 

• • What is Sustainable Production?

 

The definition selected of sustainable production comes from ‘uml.edu’ (8), which argues that

“Sustainable production is the creation of goods and services using processes and systems that are:

• non-polluting

• conserving of energy and natural resources

• economically viable

• safe and healthful for workers, communities, and consumers

• socially and creatively rewarding for all working people”.

The same ‘uml.edu’ adds that if production is sustainable, then the environment, employees, communities, and organisations – all benefit.

This definition of sustainable production can be extended to take into account individuals and households.

 

• • Application of Sustainable Production by Households Making CENFACS Community

 

If we apply the above defined notion of sustainable development to households making our community, the task here could be how these households can reduce losses or waste along the production of anything to maintain their households’ life.

For example, households that cook from raw food ingredients to produce a meal.  They can produce or cook their meal by using processes and systems benefiting the environment.  If it is something that households have been already doing for years, then they can still find ways of improving it to keep the momentum or pace with the net zero goals.

The above is what activity/task 2 is about.  For those who need any help before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.

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

 

 

• 2024 Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme: Activity 5 (07/02/2024 to 13/02/2024)

 

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 or poverty linked to financial incapacity and incapability while improving their intergenerational income and transfers.

The fifth activities of  FCCBP and FCCBS, which will be run from 07 February to 13 February 2024have been highlighted below.

 

• • 07 February to 13 February 2024: Developing a Strategy for Little Extra Income Generation (Activity 5 of FCCBP)

 

Activity 5 of FCCBP is an advice session to applicants on how to generate little extra income in order to reduce income poverty.  This activity is performed via the learning on establishing an action plan or strategy for little extra income generation.

We shall work with applicants through their income generation strategy.  Income generation strategy is defined here by ‘images.template.net’ (9) as

“A plan that sets out the funding need for an organisation, project or event over a period of time (typically 3 to 5 years).  It also identifies actions, timescales and possible funding resources to enable the successful delivery of a project or event”.

Like any organisation, households making the CENFACS Community can develop their funding strategy or plan.

If any of the households making our community would like to develop their income generation strategy but they do not know how to go about it, they can contact CENFACS.  For those who have already got their plan/strategy and they want us to look at it, they can also communicate with us.

To apply for an advice session regarding the Activity 5 of FCCBP, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • 07 February to 13 February 2024: Establishing a Spending Plan (Activity 5 of FCCBS)

 

In this Activity 5 of FCCBS, participants will be supported in building and dressing their spending plan.  Spending plan or budget is defined by ‘wisc.edu’ (10) as

“A plan you create to help you meet expenses and spend money the way you want to spend it”.

It includes money coming in, money going out and goals.

Those who will be interested in developing their spending plan, they are free to contact CENFACS.  Do get in touch if you have any comments or queries.

Activity 5 of FCCBP and of FCCBS conclude our 2024 Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme.  Our last words following the notes relating to these activities are as follows.

We all need a certain form or level of financial capacity and capability in order to run the financial aspects of our life with success.  These capacity and capability are basic and life-saving skills or competences to deal with financial services that are on offer for our needs. It is possible to employ others to handle financial matters for us.  But, we still need to financially understand what they have done for us to protect ourselves, our interest and our future.

For those who would like to dive deep in financial capacity and capability building, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives, All Year Round Projects: Extra Support about Start-up, Fundamentals, Maths and Goals

 

Last week, we announced the kick off for our Triple Value Initiatives, initially known as All Year-round Projects.  For those who are interested in engaging with these initiatives, we would like to highlight the following three points: start-up, fundamentals, maths and goals.

 

•  Triple-Value-Initiatives Start up

 

It is better to start up early, although people can always join at any time.  The earlier you start the better.  This is because everybody is busy with their own lives and has other things to do.  Also, the sooner you start, the earlier CENFACS can help if one encounters any problems.  Briefly, the message is start up early.

 

•  Triple-Value-Initiatives Fundamentals

 

You need to get the fundamentals about All Year-round Projects right from the beginning.  You need to clearly sort out the basic principles and bases of these projects so that you move to the right direction early without being forced to change course as you progress or repeat from scratch.  Briefly, the message is get the fundamentals right.

 

•  Triple-Value-Initiatives Maths

 

It is a good idea to guess estimate the costs of undertaking you play or run or vote for poverty reduction and sustainable development.  It is also wise to find out how you will cover these costs even if they are small (e.g., getting a bottle of water to run).  Briefly, the message is do the maths or add up your numbers.

 

•  Triple-Value-Initiatives Goals

 

Whether you play or run or vote for poverty reduction and sustainable development, the all exercise is for you to reach your goal of delivering the objectives you set up from the onset.  It means you need to be clear in your mind set about what you want to achieve.  Again, if you have any problems in setting up clear goals (aim or purpose) and objectives, CENFACS can be of help.  Briefly, the message is be clear about what you want to achieve.

You can select a theme to run, create your play station game and watch people to vote.  This is what Triple Value Initiatives or All Year Round Projects are all about.  Good luck!

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activité/Tâche 2 du projet « T »: Travailler avec les gens pour assurer la transition vers une production durable

La deuxième activité/tâche du projet « t » concerne la transition vers une production durable.  Pour effectuer cette activité/tâche, il peut être nécessaire de comprendre la signification de la production durable.

• • Qu’est-ce que la production durable?

La définition retenue de la production durable provient de l’arrêt « uml.edu » (8) qui soutient que

« La production durable est la création de biens et de services à l’aide de processus et de systèmes qui sont :

• non polluant

• la conservation de l’énergie et des ressources naturelles

• économiquement viable

• sûr et sain pour les travailleurs, les communautés et les consommateurs

• socialement et créativement gratifiant pour tous les travailleurs ».

Le même « uml.edu » ajoute que si la production est durable, l’environnement, les employés, les communautés et les organisations en bénéficient tous.

Cette définition de la production durable peut être élargie pour prendre en compte les individus et les ménages.

• • Application de la production durable par les ménages faisant partie de la communauté CENFACS

Si nous appliquons la notion de développement durable définie ci-dessus aux ménages qui font notre communauté, la tâche ici pourrait être de savoir comment on peut réduire les pertes ou le gaspillage tout au long de la production de tout ce qui permet de maintenir la vie du ménage.

Par exemple, les ménages qui cuisinent à partir d’ingrédients alimentaires crus pour produire un repas.  Ils peuvent produire ou cuisiner leur repas en utilisant des procédés et des systèmes bénéfiques pour l’environnement.  S’il s’agit d’une activité que les ménages font déjà depuis des années, ils peuvent toujours trouver des moyens de l’améliorer pour maintenir l’élan ou le rythme des objectifs de carboneutralité.

Ce qui précède résume l’activité/tâche 2.  Pour ceux ou celles qui ont besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS.

Pour toute autre question ou demande de renseignements sur le projet ‘t‘ et la dédicace de cette année, veuillez également contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

Sustainable Development Month with the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

 

The following contents make up the Main Development of this post:

 

σ Key Terms

σ The Links between the Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty Reduction, between the Lack of Access to Basic Services and Poverty Reduction, between Landlessness and Poverty Reduction

σ Advocacy for Equal Rights, Access to Services and Lands to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable

σ Working with the Community Members on the Reduction of Unequal Rights, the Lack of Access to Services and Landlessness to Empower Them

σ February 2024 Working Plan on the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable 

σ First Wednesday (07/02/2024), In Focus: Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty Reduction.

 

Let us gives some highlights about each of these contents.

 

• • Key Terms

 

There are five terms that we would like to highlight, which are unequal rights, economic resources, accessibility, landlessness, and poverty reduction.

Let us briefly explain each of them.

 

• • • Unequal rights

 

Let us first explain rights, then unequal rights. 

To explain rights, we are going to refer to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (11).  On the page 463 of this dictionary, it is said that

“Rights are legal or moral recognition of choices or interests to which particular weight is attached”.

On the pages 463 and 464, it is also stated that

“There are two principal theories seeking to explain what it is to have rights and the purpose of ascribing them to individuals.  On the first view, a person who possesses a right has a privileged choice…On the alternative view, rights give expression to important interests, and it is the purpose of rights to protect a person’s significant interests by imposing duties on others”.

Furthermore, the rights we are talking about are human ones.  According to the ‘un.org’ (12),

“Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status”.

However, rights can be unequal or not equal in quantity, value, or rank.  When rights are unequal, this can be a matter of discussion in terms of how different people or communities are impacted by these unequal rights.  This concerns as well the impacts of crises. 

For example, the coronavirus had asymmetrical distributional impacts between different groups or sections of the population.  These impacts could have been reinforced by unequal rights.

 

• • • Economic resources

 

To explain economic resources, one may need to know what is resource.  In the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (13), resource is defined as

“Any available supply of something that is valued because it can be used for a particular purpose, usually to satisfy particular human wants or desires”. (pp. 380 & 381)

Resources can be economic, environmental, financial, social, etc.  When they are economic, they are also called factors of production.   Factors of production are defined by Christopher Pass et al. (14) as

“The resources that are used by firms as factor inputs in producing a good or service.  There are three main groups of factor inputs: natural resources, labour and capital” (p. 186)

Although this definition speaks about firms, it can be extended to other organisations like households. 

There are other classifications which range economic resources in four categories: land, labour, capital and technology.

What is at stake here is to have equal rights to economic resources.  In order for poor and vulnerable households to reduce or end poverty, they need to have equal rights to these economic resources.  Yet, in reality it seems no always the case.

 

• • • Accessibility

 

The website ‘accesstoservices.info’ (op. cit.) explains that

“A combined approach is needed to ensure that all of the barriers to access are overcome.  Good planning of accessibility checks that everyone has the ability to reach the services and closes all identified gaps”.

From this perspective, accessibility can be measured by travel time to the nearest location of a service.  Auditing accessibility can enable to know if poverty is caused by inaccessibility to basic services or not.  If it is caused by inaccessibility, efforts can be deployed to reduce or end this inaccessibility.

 

• • • Landlessness

 

We can add from the definition we have already provided above the following one given in the ‘dictionary.cambridge.org’ (15)

“Landless is an adjective that refers to people who do not own any land for farming or who are prevented from owning the land they farm by the economic system or by rich people who own a lot of land”.

This term and definition will be used during this month to approach poverty linked to landlessness and how to reduce this type of poverty if one wants the Goal 1 of No Poverty to come true reality for the landless people.  Additionally, we will be working on both land ownership and control in relation to poverty reduction.

 

• • •  Poverty reduction

 

To understand poverty reduction, one needs to know what is poverty.  Referring to the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (op. cit.), poverty is defined there as

“The state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions” (p. 353)

Knowing what poverty is about, it is possible to explain poverty reduction.  Poverty reduction is therefore any measures intended to permanently lift people out of poverty.  To emphasise this, the online site ‘definitions.net’ (16) states that

“Poverty reduction measures are intended to raise, enabling the poor to create wealth for themselves as a means for ending poverty forever”.

The online site ‘definitions.net’ also states that these measures do not apply to voluntary poverty.

To cut the matter short on poverty reduction, let us recall the view of Owen Barder (17), who concluded his paper on this issue in those terms:

“There is a compelling ethical case for a global system of social justice and protection of minimum standards of human welfare that provides long-term redistributional transfers of resources to the world’s poor, even if there is no expectation that these transfers will accelerate economic development, to enable the citizens of a country to live better lives while the process of development takes its course” (p. 18)

So, the above five key terms will help to shape and deal with the theme of our Sustainable Development Month; theme which is the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households. 

 

• • The Links between the Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty Reduction, between the Reduction of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and Poverty Reduction, between the Reduction of Landlessness and Poverty Reduction

 

There is a number of links we are dealing with during this month of sustainable development, in particular the three links below.

 

• • • Link between the Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty Reduction

 

There could be connections between the reduction of unequal rights and poverty reduction.   In other words, people can use human rights (both fundamental values and specific rights) to combat poverty.

For example, people can hold accountable for poverty their authorities or leaders, organise into groups or alliances to fight poverty, and challenge the myth or stereotypes of the poor using human rights approach.

If they manage to overturn unequal rights, this could help reduce the type of poverty they are experiencing.  If unequal rights are changed into equal ones and their reinforcement is effective, then poverty reduction can take place.

More on this link can be found in the report written by Alice Donald and Elizabeth Mottershaw (18); report in which the two authors argue that people can use human rights to reframe poverty, to mobilise communities and build alliances, hold governments to account, participate in decision-making processes and systems, etc.

 

• • • Link between the Reduction of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and Poverty Reduction

 

To explain this link, one may need to understand basic services.  Shrestha, M. (19) provides this understanding by arguing that

“Basic services are the provision of fundamental needs such as water, food, electricity and energy, shelter, sanitation and health, and education to improve people’s live”.

Shrestha also points out that

“Poverty and well-being are reflected by the lack of fulfilment of basic facilities like education, health, water, and energy supply”.

For example, Omar and Inaba (20) found in their study that financial inclusion as a basic service has significantly reduced poverty rates and income inequality in developing countries.  These findings were in favour of further promoting access to and usage of formal financial services by marginalised segments of the population in order to maximise society’s overall welfare.

 

• • • Link between the Reduction of Landlessness and Poverty Reduction

 

There could be association between the reduction of landlessness and poverty reduction.

For example, Barbier and Hochard (21) studied the interaction between land degradation and poverty.  They found that

“Over 2000-2010, the rural poor on degrading agricultural land increased in low-income countries and in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.  This degradation threatens the livelihoods of the poor”.

One thing is to argue about the above-mentioned links.  Another is about advocating to reduce or end the types of poverty expressed through these links.

 

• • Advocacy for Equal Rights, Access to Services and Lands to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable

 

The Month of Sustainable Development within CENFACS is also of advocacy for and on behalf of the poor (amongst them are poor  and vulnerable households) and those in need of sustainable development so that the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness can materialise to Empower Them.

Our Advocacy for the Month of Sustainable Development will cover three areas as follows:

 

a) Equal Rights

b) Better Access to Basic Services

c) Lands and/or Properties to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable Households.

 

More details about these three types of advocacy work can be requested from CENFACS.

 

• • Working with the Community Members on the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower Them

 

Beyond the above-mentioned advocacy work, CENFACS is going to engage the community members or households interested in the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, during this month of February 2024.

The following working plan provides a glimpse of the way in which we are going to both carry out the Month of Sustainable Development and support the community’s households on any matters raising from the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable.

 

• • February 2024 Working Plan on the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable

 

From every Wednesday of this month, we will be dealing with the following:

 

 

Each of the notes or sub-themes will be treated in relation of poverty reduction.

 

 

• • First Wednesday (07/02/2024), In Focus: Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty Reduction

 

• • • What this focus is about

 

It is about speaking on behalf and with the community about our understanding of the connections between the realisation of human rights and inequality.  Growing inequality can threaten and even destroy basic rights for the poor and the vulnerable who need empowerment.

 

• • • How CENFACS can work with those in need of the Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty

 

Working with the community on this matter means the following:

 

√ Supporting the community to fully realise their rights, consistent with the principles of non-discrimination and equality

√ Operating within the human rights framework by assisting them to have equal opportunity to claim their rights

√ Applying human rights principles to all persons and members of our community

√ Finding substantive equality to reduce poverty amongst them

√ Pointing out structural sources of inequality and indirect forms of discrimination

√ Ensuring that outcomes and results in equality translate into the reduction or end of poverty

etc.

 

For those members of our community who may be interested in matter relating to the Reduction of Unequal Rights and Poverty, they are free to contact CENFACS.

For any queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and the Reduction of Unequal Rights, of the Lack of Access to Basic Services and of Landlessness to Empower the Poor and Vulnerable, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in February 2024)

(2) https://legaldictionary.net/inequality/ (accessed in February 2024)

(3) https://www.openglobalrights.org/how-inequality-threatens-all-humans-rights/ (accessed in February 2024)

(4) https://accesseoservices.info (accessed in February 2024)

(5) encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/136971 (accessed in February 2024)

(6) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022

(7) https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/how-to-get-out-of-crisis (accessed in February 2024)

(8) https://www.uml.edu/Research/Lowell-Centre/About/Sustainable-Production-Defined.aspx# (accessed in February 2024)

(9) https://images.template.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/27122541/Fundraising-Strategy-Template.pdf (accessed in February 2024)

(10) https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/moneymatters/budgeting/ (accessed in February 2024)

(11) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (2009), McLean, I. & McMillan, A. (eds.), 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, New York 

(12) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/landless (accessed in February 2024)

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

(14) Pass, C., Lowes, B. & Davies, L.  (1988), Collins Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publishers 

(15) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/landless (accessed in February 2024)

(16) https://www.definitions.net/definition/Poverty%20reduction (Accessed in January 2023) 

(17) Barder, O. (2009), What is Poverty Reduction?, Working Paper Number 170, Centre for Global Development, https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/1421599_file_Barder_Poverty_Reduction.pdf (accessed in February 2024)

(18) Donald, A. & Mottershaw, E. (2009), Poverty, Inequality and Human Rights, https://www.jrf.org.uk/poverty-inequality-and-human-rights (accessed in February 2024)

(19) Shrestha, M. (2021), Access to Basic Services and Its Linkage with Ending Poverty.  In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P. G., Wall, T. (eds) No Poverty. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69625-6_1-1 (accessed in February 2024)

(20) Omar, M.A. & Inaba, K., Does financial inclusion reduce poverty and income inequality in developing countries?  A panel data analysis, Economic Structures 9,37 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s 40008-020-00214-4 (accessed in February 2024)

(21) Barbier, E.B., and Hochard, J.P. (2018), Land degradation and poverty. Nat Sustain 1, 623-631, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0155-4 (accessed in February 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Halving Poverty for and with Street and Homeless Children in Africa

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 31 January 2024

Post No. 337

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Halving Poverty for and with Street and Homeless Children in Africa

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 4 (31/01/2024 to 06/02/2024)

• Joy of Giving 2024

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Halving Poverty for and with Street and Homeless Children in Africa

 

This is a standalone appeal, which is about humanitarianly responding to the request of unsheltered children in Africa.  The appeal continues our help to reduce poverty by allocating power on home and land to those who would like to become private home and land owners in Africa.  In the context of this appeal, we are particularly working on the conditions of children in Africa who do not have access to healthy shelter, and how they can be assisted to achieve this access to halve their number.

These children, who come from various backgrounds, try to find opportunities that are available on the streets.  They could be children victims of a dysfunctional family, the result of culture, affected by domestic violence, the product of poverty, urban migrant, the displaced by wars or natural disasters in Africa.

They live and work on the streets as they try to pick up any opportunities available on the streets. These opportunities are generally menial jobs like sale of small goods, car washing, shoe cleaning and polishing, including crimes to survive.

Some of them are homeless as well.  There are children who are or become homeless for various reasons including wars, civil insecurity and natural disasters.  Many of them end up being internally displaced.

All these children, who are under the age of 18, need support.

You can help reduce or halve the number of street and homeless children in Africa.

Your support will help to enhance social protection of these children, strengthen their economic support and improve their educational outcomes and skills development.

More about this appeal can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme or Scheme: Activity 4 (31/01/2024 to 06/02/2024)

 

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 fourth activities of  FCCBP and FCCBS, which will be run from 31 January to 06 February 2024have been highlighted below.

 

• • 31 January to 06 February 2024: Taking Life-saving Financial Decisions (Activity 4 of FCCBP)

 

Activity 4 of FCCBP is an open discussion with participants on the way they decide their financial matters, whether they do it alone or consult the people around them or ask for financial advice from a financial adviser.

Indeed, life-saving financial decisions are also life-defining financial decisions.  Life-defining financial decisions are, according to ‘wiserwomen.org’ (1),

“Decisions you make throughout your lifetime – choosing a career, getting married, having children, buying a home, starting to save and invest – have a big impact on your future financial security, including retirement”.

It means engaging in the financial decision-making process which comprises identification of your financial goals, gathering relevant financial information, analysis of financial data, development of alternative solutions, selection of the best financial strategy, implementation of the selected strategy, impact monitoring and evaluation of the decision.

If any of our users want to participate in this exercise of open and frank discussion on how they take their life-saving financial decisions or how they can improve it, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • 31 January to 06 February 2024: Making Financial Decision via Budget (Activity 4 of FCCBS)

 

In order to make a sound and well-thought decision, one needs some tools to guide them.  One of these tools is budget (i.e. a predetermined quantitative plan expressed in financial terms for a given period).  In this Activity 4 of FCCBS, participants will be supported in doing or reviewing their budget to support their financial decisions.  They will learn or revisit their budget (e.g., household budget) and how this budget can help them to make better financial decisions.  This exercise will cover budget design, analysis, implementation and impact monitoring and evaluation.

Those who will be interested in developing their financial budget before making their financial decisions, they are free to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Joy of Giving 2024

 

Today is the last day of sharing your most impactful and rewarding experiences and feelings of giving.  You can share with us your sense of gladness.  You can connect and unites with us through your happiness of generosity of helping others.

You can share the good feeling factor you had after giving to causes like the noble and beautiful ones of CENFACS.  You can speak to us how delighted you are after giving to charities, the impact of your giving on others, the barriers you overcame in giving, the inspirations you brought to others in giving.

The Joy-of-Giving Days are also an opportunity to motivate others who may not be aware or do not believe that giving brings a good feeling to the givers or donors or even funders.  Through your sharing stories of giving, others can find the strengths, power and wisdom to become charity donors or funders.  The more donors or funders we have, the better for the noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction.

To spread your good feeling of giving or tell and share your joy of giving, please contact CENFACS today.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2023-2024, Closes 31 January 2024

• Poverty Reduction Show in 2024

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses Nurturing a High Sense of Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2023-2024, Closes 31 January 2024

 

Our Season of Giving through the Gifts of Peace for Edition 2023-2024 has not yet finished.  However, the Gifts-of-Peace Campaign is ending today 31 January 2024.  We are making a plea to those who have not yet managed to support them to do it now.

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 today 31 January 2024, we will still accept any donations made after this deadline to enable those who will not be in a position to donate by today’s 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 of hard landing in boost after the high inflation period and economic growth is very low, which both complicate 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!

 

 

• Poverty Reduction Show in 2024

 

Showing that poverty reduction is happening despite the events like the cost-of-living is another extra message we would like to share with our users, Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and other stakeholders.

This 2024, we would like our local people and Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations to show or showcase via a variety of evidences, testimonies, cases, films, videos, news and examples of poverty reduction that poverty reduction has happened and continues to happen despite the lingering ill-fated effects of the multiple crises of recent years.

Poverty reduction show can add value to stories of poverty reduction we normally run.

Through this showing exercise, we hope to build a better picture of these poverty reduction cases with features, similarities, differences, patterns and trends for learning and development experience about our system of poverty reduction.  It is about proofing and acknowledging that poverty reduction does happen in real life.

To show or share your experience on how poverty reduction has happened to you or those you know despite the lingering ill-fated effects of the multiple crises of recent years, please contact and share with CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses Nurturing a High Sense of Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

Generally speaking, most sensible Africans would like to see a reduction or better an end of poverty in Africa.  However, being sensible to see better change does not always mean things will happen in the way one feels or perceives them.  Things can only move in that the people’s direction  if people develop a sense of achieving them.  Because of that it makes sense to discuss ways of keeping a High Sense so that poverty reduction keeps occurring in Africa until poverty ends.

To keep poverty reduction continuous, one may need to have a high sense of perception.  But, what is a high sense of perception?

The website ‘spiritofchange.org’ (2) explains that

“High Sense of Perception is perception that extends beyond the range of what is considered to be normal perception”.

The same website adds that

“High Sense of Perception requires that you run energy consciousness through your brain differently than you are accustomed… High Sense of Perception is a dance between the active and receptive states of mind”.

So, to realise more results on poverty reduction, one may need to nurture a high sense of perception.

From the above-mentioned definition and its additions, we are discussing the extent to which Africans can nurture a high sense of poverty reduction in whatever they do and positions of responsibilities and capacities they hold.  In this discussion, we are recalling the following:

 

σ the theories of sense and their applicability in the field of poverty reduction and economic development

σ the methodology to follow in order to develop a suitable sense of poverty reduction

σ the relationships between a high sense in the conduct of private/community affairs and poverty reduction (or sustainable development).

 

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)

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne ‘Nourrir un sens élevé de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique’

D’une manière générale, la plupart des Africains sensés aimeraient voir une réduction ou mieux une fin de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Cependant, le fait d’être sensible à un meilleur changement ne signifie pas toujours que les choses se passent de la manière dont on les ressent ou les perçoit.  Les choses ne peuvent aller dans cette direction que si les gens développent le sentiment de les réaliser.  Pour cette raison, il est logique de discuter des moyens de garder un sens élevé afin que la réduction de la pauvreté continue de se produire en Afrique.

Pour que la réduction de la pauvreté se poursuive, il peut être nécessaire d’avoir un sens élevé de la perception.  Mais qu’est-ce qu’un sens élevé de la perception?

Le site web « spiritofchange.org » (2) explique que

«Le sens élevé de la perception est une perception qui s’étend au-delà de ce qui est considéré comme une perception normale».

Le même site Web ajoute que

«Un sens élevé de la perception exige que vous fassiez passer la conscience de l’énergie à travers votre cerveau différemment de ce à quoi vous êtes habitué… Un sens élevé de la perception est une danse entre les états d’esprit actif et réceptif».

Ainsi, pour parvenir à réduire la pauvreté, il peut être nécessaire de cultiver un sens élevé de la perception.

À partir de la définition mentionnée ci-dessus et de ses ajouts, nous discutons de la mesure dans laquelle les Africains peuvent nourrir un sentiment élevé de réduction de la pauvreté dans tout ce qu’ils font et des postes de responsabilités et de capacités qu’ils occupent.  Dans cette discussion, nous rappelons ce qui suit:

σ les théories du sens et leur applicabilité dans le domaine de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement économique

σ la méthodologie à suivre pour développer un sens adéquat de la réduction de la pauvreté

σ les relations entre un sens élevé dans la conduite des affaires privées/communautaires et la réduction de la pauvreté (ou développement durable).

Les personnes susceptibles d’être intéressées par cette discussion peuvent y participer et/ou y contribuer en contactant le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS, qui est un lieu de discussion sur les questions et les thèmes de la réduction de la pauvreté et du 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.  Ils peuvent nous contacter à notre adresse habituelle sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

Halving Poverty for and with Street and Homeless Children in Africa

This appeal includes two items:

 

a) Appeal summaries

b) How to donate.

 

• •  Appeal Summaries

 

The following summarises the data, needs, request, use, beneficiaries and outcomes that briefly make the case for halving poverty for and with street and homeless children in Africa.

 

• • • The data

 

Although there are estimates in terms of the number of street and homeless children in Africa, many organisations and experts working on this issue in Africa and local sources argue that this number is huge.  Our Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations working on the grounds confirmed this huge number of these children, knowing the conditions and circumstances of many families they are dealing with.

 

• • • • Estimated number of street children in Africa

 

Different organisations working on street children matter provide their numbers according to the places of their interest.

 

The website ‘futureofafrica.org’ (3) states that

“There are 30 million children living in street situations in Africa, according to a 2011 ILO-UNICEF joint estimate”.

Likewise, the website ‘africanews.com’ (4) indicates that

“There is an estimate of 20,000 homeless children in Kinshasa’s streets“.

In October 2023, ‘agenziafides.org’ (5) aired that 15,000 children were living on the streets in Malawi.

The above figures are just a few of examples of data about children being in street situations in Africa.  However, if one considers the all Africa this number could be huge as the joint estimate by ILO-UNICEF pointed out.

 

• • • • Estimated number of homeless children in Africa

 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (6) provides children statistics which show that in 2021 there were 14,000,000 internally displaced persons under the age of 18 in Sub-Saharan Africa, because of conflict and violence.

Obviously, these persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or leave their homes or places of habitual residence were homeless and needed healthy shelter.  Many of them are still homeless as we make this appeal.

Furthermore, the website ‘worldpopulationreview.com’ (7) indicates that the 10 top African countries with the highest homelessness rates in 2023 were the following countries with their respective numbers of homeless persons: Nigeria (24,400,000), Egypt (12,000,000), DR Congo (5,332,000), Somalia (2,968,000), Sudan (2,730,000), Ethiopia (2,693,000), South Sudan (1,542,000), Cameroon (1,033,000), Mozambique (769,000) and Burkina Faso (700,000).

Amongst these homeless persons, there are those under the age of 18.  For example, according to ‘goalglobal.org’ (8),

In Ethiopia, it is currently estimated that up to 600,000 children and youth are homeless because of severe poverty, unemployment, and family related challenges in July 2023″.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned street and homeless are desperately looking for their humanitarian needs of survival and shelter to be met.

Without confusing child streetism and child homelessness, there are cases where the same children are both homeless and in street situations.

 

• • • The Needs

 

The  needs for emergency life-saving support are 24 times more than average in Africa where the livelihoods of unsheltered children are severely affected.   These children need your life-saving and humanitarian help to meet their life-surviving need of shelter.

 

• • • The Ask

 

What it has been asked to you is your influence or power to have a positive effect on those who are holding the keys to solutions regarding the problems these unsheltered children are facing, especially for problems that are man-made.

Alternatively, you can donate money to support these children.

Your gift of Positive Influence or Money or both will provide an emergency life-saving and enhancing relief to the Street and Homeless Children in Africa.

 

• • • The Use

 

Your gift of Positive Influence or Money will help to address the plight of street and homeless children as follows:

 

√ to address the problem of street and homeless children, which sometimes get ignored

√ to stop parents who are sending their children to the streets to beg, steal or engage in petty trade

√ to turn and keep schools as a place of learning and education, not centres of violence and crime

√ to support street and homeless children to go back to school instead of working or looking for food to support their families

√ to incentivize parents to send their children to school

√ to enhance social protection of these children

√ to cut the number of street and homeless children

√ In brief, to reduce or end deprivations linked to the lack of access to basic services, violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and other vulnerabilities.  

 

• • •  The Beneficiaries of your Gift of Positive Influence or Money Donation

 

They include children who are…

 

σ the victims of a dysfunctional family

σ affected by domestic violence or escaping violence to live on the streets

σ who are on the streets or homeless because disaster-related and conflict-driven causes

σ in street situations because of poverty

σ urban migrant in street situations

σ destitute on the streets

σ unsurprised living alone in urban streets

σ street children as a result of breaking up of family structures

σ generational street children

σ homeless because of economic hardships, natural disasters and other social factors

σ living in makeshift shelters or overcrowded/displacement sites

σ sheltering in displacement camps

etc.

 

In short, the beneficiaries will be children in street situations, that is children who spend the majority of their time on the streets, either living there or for their livelihoods with or without family.  They include the four categories of street children (child of the street, child on the street, part of a street family and in institutionalised care) as defined by USAID (9).

 

• • • The Outcomes

 

With the influencing support or money donated, the following changes will be expected:

 

√ Reduction in the number of street children

√ Cut in numbers of homeless children 

√ Better food supplements for children’s well-being and welfare

√ Reduction of malnutrition for these children

√ Increase in the number of street and homeless children returning to education

√ Rise in the number of rescued children from the streets

√ More and better access to healthy shelter for street and homeless children

√ More happy and healthy sheltered children in Africa

Etc.

 

• • How to donate

 

You can donate either influence or money or both.

 

• • • Donating influence

 

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the detrimental effects of the crises that the African unsheltered children are suffering from and make these persons reduce or end these negative effects on them.

You can as well influence the things or factors that determine child streetism and homelessness in order to create lasting favourable healthy shelter conditions for these unsheltered children.

Please also let CENFACS know about your influencing work or contribution  you are or will be making and its outcome on behalf of the street and homeless children of Africa.

To let us know, you can contact CENFACS as follows:

 

*over phone

*via email

*through text

*by filling the contact form on this site. 

 

On receipt of your message or influencing donation, CENFACS will contact you for record and thank you for any influencing donation made.  However, should you wish your influencing support to remain anonymous; we will respect your wish.

 

• • • Donating money

 

You can donate moneypledge and make a gift declaration to support.

 

• • • • Making a Money Donation 

 

You can make a donation of £5 or more to support Street and Homeless Children in Africa (SHCA).

 

• • • • Making a Pledge

 

You can make a pledge of £5 or any amount more than £5 to support SHCA.

 

• • • • Making a Gift Aid Declaration

 

You can make a gift aid declaration to support SHCA.

All donations, pledges and gift aid declarations MUST be made payable to CENFACS (the Centre for Francophone African Development).

To avoid fundraising frauds and scams, CENFACS would like to ask to all potential funders and donors to contact us prior to making any donations, pledges and gift aid declarations.

 

• • • • How to Donate Money

 

You can donate

 

*Over phone

*Via email

*Through text

*By filling the contact form on this site. 

 

SHCA will be very grateful if you could donate to their noble cause of accessing healthy shelter.  Your support will halve the number of SHCA who do not have a healthy sheltered life.

Please DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION of £5 or any amount more than £5 as a way of supporting this project.  CENFACS will enthusiastically accept, on behalf of the beneficiaries, your given support.

CENFACS welcomes any enquiries and or queries about this humanitarian relief appeal.

Please do not wait to donate as the needs are NOW pressing and urgent.

We look forward to your support to make helpful difference to those children in pressing needs of survival and of coping with both child streetism and homelessness.

Thank you for your generosity.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give your Positive Influence or Money and help save the lives of the street and homeless children in Africa.

_________

 

 References

 

(1) https://wiserwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/seven-decisions-english (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://www.spiritofchange.org/practical-high-sense-perception/ (accessed in January 2024)

(3) https://www.futureofafrica.org/site/future-of-african-mission (accessed in January 2024)

(4) https://www.africanews.com/2023/06/08/music-offers-hope-for-kinshasa-street-children/ (accessed in January 2024)

(5) https://www.agenziafides.org/en/news/74286-AFRICA_MALAWI_The_plight_of_Malawi’s_15,000_children (accessed in January 2024)

(6) United Nations Children’s Fund (2023), The State of the World’s Children 2023. For every child vaccination, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, April 023

(7) https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rakings/homeless-by-country (accessed in January 2024)

(8) https://www.goalglobal.org/stories/18,000-street-children-in-ethiopia (accessed in January 2024)

(9) yapi.org/childrens-rights/street-children/ (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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 24 January 2024

Post No. 336

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project 

• Halving Children Poverty in the G5 Sahel 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 3 (24 to 30/01/2024)

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project or Project of Becoming Homeowners with Land Security in Africa

 

Our work with people in need, who would like to become private homeowners with secure land tenure, continues as we unveil the proposals for Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project (PHSLTP) or the Project of Becoming Homeowners with Land Security in Africa (PBHLSA).

PHSLTP or PBHLSA is an initiative that helps to reduce poverty by allocating power on home and land to those who would like to become private home and land owners in Africa.  Through this project, CENFACS will work with Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, particularly those engaged in matters such as homeownership counselling, women and lands, financial mechanisms or tools relating to homeownership and land tenure, etc.

PHSLTP or PBHLSA will help beneficiaries to transition out poverty linked to the lack of homeownership and land insecurity.  The project hopes to improve health, hygiene, and educational opportunities while ensuring access to clean water, safe toilet, sustainable electricity, and respite from heat and disease-spreading insects.  It is also expected that the project will enhance the relationships these poor people have with land and land-based resources.

To extract more insights into PHSLTP or PBHLSA and its related proposals, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• Halving Children Poverty in the G5 Sahel 

Support the Severely Food Insecure Children in The G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger)

 

This appeal, which is part of CENFACS Light Campaign, is a humanitarian response to the ask for support on the  life-saving and -sustaining needs of the G5 Sahel’s children, who are severely experiencing food insecurity.

As the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (1) explains “food insecurity is a situation that exists when people lack secure access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life” (p. 119)

Yet, the lack of food security continues to be an alarming issue for the children of G5 Sahel.  The World Food Programme (2) found that

“In the year up to the end of October 2023, 1.9 million children under five years were admitted for treatment of severe wasting across nine Sahel countries representing a 20 percent increase as compared to the same period in 2022″.

Countries of the G5 Sahel are included in this figure.

The same World Food Programme (3) explained in 2023 that

“In the Sahel, in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, the estimated number of children affected by acute malnutrition reached 6.3 million children this year [2023], compared to 3.8 million in 2019″ (p. 10)

The children of this group of five countries are suffering from fragile food systems.  Amongst these children, there are those age between 6 and 23 months, who are not consuming the minimum number of food groups they need for optimal growth and development.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (4),

“The percentages of children of age between 6 and 23 months consuming at least 5 food groups (minimum dietary diversity) were 36% for Burkina Faso, 23% for Chad, 26% for Mali, 20% for Mauritania and 17% for Niger”.

These children cannot continue to experience this sort of life-threatening and destroying situation.  All children no matter who they are, they should not experience severe food insecurity.

It is possible to end food insecurity for the children of G5 Sahel.

To help end food insecurity experienced by the G5 Sahel’s children, we are asking you to back them through this appeal.

You can help…

 

~ prevent child malnutrition happening in the G5 Sahel

~ children survive and live healthy and productive lives with dignity

~ avoid these children to reach or be in the most severe phase of food insecurity and a complete lack of access to food and other basic needs, phase 5 of food insecurity whereby a famine is declared. 

 

You can help halve poverty for the children of G5 Sahel.  You can support to halve the number of poor children in the G5 Sahel.

You can donate now £5 or more since the needs are urgent and pressing.  Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach these children with food security.

These children need your life-saving humanitarian response right now.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

• New Year’s Structured Finance Activities/Micro-projects under Financial Capacity and Capability Building Programme/Scheme: Activity 3 (24 to 30/01/2024)

 

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 24 to 30 January 2024have been highlighted below.

 

• • 24 to 30 January 2024: 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 (5).  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.

 

• • 24 to 30 January 2024: 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’ (6) 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 chose.  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 additions, 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 2024.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• 2024 Donor and Stewardship Development Programme 

• 2024 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 2024

 

 

• 2024 Donor and Stewardship Development Programme 

 

The 2024 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 Development Plan

 

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

In this Year of Transitions out Poverty 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

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 Programme

 

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

 

σ Steward donors

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

σ Enable access to and use of donor stewardship tools.

 

• • Donor Development Products on Offer in 2024

 

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 and a product booster.

 

 

• • • 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’ Supporter in a CENFACS’ Year of Transitions.

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

 

•  • Want to provide Great Relief as a 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 cost-of-living crisis, we need those who can provide that sort of relief to keep our action going and out of the disruption caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

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 cost-of-living crisis.

For those 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

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

 

 

 

• 2024 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 playrun and vote to reduce poverty this year again.

The 2024 Edition of All Year-round Projects starts this 24 January 2024.

You can Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2024. 

You can Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief.

You can Vote your 2024 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 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

 

For example, 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, 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. Like for Run activity, you must include health and safety measures and guidance.

 

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 24 People to Watch throughout the year.  One or two of them will be potentially the best managers of 2024.  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.

While you are running or organising a run activity, playing the CENFACS’ League and voting your Manager of the Year 2024; 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.  The end product of your share will be a kind of Action-Results Report 2024.

 

• • 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 2024 which will best reduce poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2024

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2024.

 

The deadline to tell us your bests or stars is 23 December 2024.

As we progress throughout the year, further information and support (in the form of workshop, discussion, questionnaire, questions-answers, focus group, 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, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discuses Poverty Reduction in Africa in 2024

How Africa’s Charitable Organisations Can Use the Tremendous Opportunities They Have to Further Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024

 

In our last week’s post, we highlighted a number of opportunities that Africa may have in 2024.  Amongst these opportunities, one can include the following:

Africa will be the second fastest-growing regional economy in the world at 4 per cent in 2024; 2024 as the first full year of operation of upgraded Lobito Corridor in Angola; 2024 is another democratic transitions year; the launch of Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, 2024 will be a year of permanent seat at G20 (Group of 20); demographic transitions in Africa, etc.

On the side of challenges, we mentioned that Africa could face many challenges in 2024 like the ones listed below:

increase food insecurity; debt distress; a year of prolonged conflicts, poor rule of law, human rights abuses, discrimination, exclusion and unemployment, and resurgence of resource nationalism.

There is an additional challenge, which is extreme poverty.  Regarding poverty in Africa, ‘worldpopulationreview.com’ (7) argues, in its ranking of the poorest countries in Africa in 2024,  that

“Africa is the poorest continent with 22 of the 26 low-income economies as per the World Bank”.

The ‘worldpopulationreview.com’ also adds that

“The 10 poorest countries in Africa (by 2020 Gross Domestic Product per capita, purchasing power parity, current int. $) are Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Mozambique, Niger, Liberia, Chad, Malawi and Madagascar”.

Likewise, the website ‘statista.com’ (8) states that

“In 2022, around 431 million people in Africa were living in extreme poverty with the poverty threshold at 1.90 US dollars a day”.

In this first discussion of our forum, we are debating how Africa’s charitable organisations 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 2024 so that 2024 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 2024.  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum would like to hear your views or opinions on the above-mentioned discussion.  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum would like to know what you think given that the World Bank (9) made a mixed statement about Sub-Saharan Africa in its Global Economic Prospects 2024; statement which is:

“Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rebound to 3.8 percent in 2024 and 4.1 percent in 2025 as country-specific factors that have temporarily weighed on growth, including reduced fiscal support and metal-exporting economies’ adjusting to lower prices, gradually ease… Despite the projected pickup in growth, increases in per capita incomes will remain inadequate to enable the region’s economies make significant progress in reducing extreme poverty” (p. 87)

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)

 

Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique en 2024

Comment les organisations caritatives africaines peuvent-elles tirer parti des formidables opportunités et débouchés qui s’offrent à elles pour réduire davantage la pauvreté en Afrique en 2024?

Dans notre article de la semaine dernière, nous avons mis en évidence un certain nombre d’opportunités et débouchés que l’Afrique pourrait avoir en 2024.  Parmi ces opportunités, on peut citer les suivantes:

~ L’Afrique sera la deuxième économie régionale à la croissance la plus rapide au monde avec environ 4 % en 2024

~ 2024 sera la première année complète d’exploitation du corridor Lobito amélioré en Angola

~ 2024 est une autre année de transitions démocratiques

~ le lancement du système panafricain de paiement et de règlement

~ 2024 sera pour l’Afrique une année de siège permanent au G20 (Groupe des 20)

~ les transitions démographiques en Afrique, etc.

Du côté des défis, nous avons mentionné que l’Afrique pourrait faire face à de nombreux défis en 2024 comme ceux énumérés ci-dessous:

l’accroîssement de l’insécurité alimentaire; le surendettement; une année de conflits prolongés, d’état de droit médiocre, de violations des droits de l’homme, de discrimination, d’exclusion et de chômage, et de résurgence du nationalisme des ressources.

Il y a un défi supplémentaire, qui est l’extrême pauvreté.  S’agissant de la pauvreté en Afrique, « worldpopulationreview.com » (7) affirme, dans son classement des pays les plus pauvres d’Afrique en 2024, que

« L’Afrique est le continent le plus pauvre avec 22 des 26 économies à faible revenu selon la Banque mondiale ».

Le ‘worldpopulationreview.com’ ajoute également que

« Les 10 pays les plus pauvres d’Afrique (par rapport au 2020 Produit intérieur brut par habitant, parité de pouvoir d’achat, $ int. courant) sont le Burundi, la République Centrafricaine, la République Démocratique du Congo, la Somalie, le Mozambique, le Niger, le Libéria, le Tchad, le Malawi et Madagascar ».

De même, le site web « statista.com » (8) indique que

« En 2022, environ 431 millions de personnes en Afrique vivaient dans l’extrême pauvreté avec un seuil de pauvreté de 1,90 dollar par jour ».

Dans cette première discussion de notre forum, nous debatons la manière dont les organisations caritatives africaines peuvent transformer les défis auxquels l’Afrique est confrontée en opportunités pour atteindre un grand nombre de cibles dans la réduction de la pauvreté.  Le débat tourne également autour de ce que ces organisations peuvent faire pour tirer parti de cet éventail d’opportunités de 2024 afin que 2024 puisse rester dans les mémoires comme une année post-pandémique de résultats vraiment excellents en termes de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable.

Ce qui précède constitue le cadre de référence de notre première discussion de 2024.  Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS aimerait connaître votre point de vue ou vos opinions sur la discussion mentionnée ci-dessus.  Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS aimerait savoir ce que vous en pensez étant donné que la Banque mondiale (7) a fait un bilan mitigé sur l’Afrique subsaharienne dans ses Perspectives Economiques Mondiales 2024; qui est:

« La croissance en Afrique subsaharienne devrait rebondir à 3,8 % en 2024 et à 4,1 % en 2025, à mesure que les facteurs propres à certains pays qui ont temporairement pesé sur la croissance, notamment la réduction des mesures de soutien budgétaire et l’ajustement des économies exportatrices de métaux à la baisse des prix, s’atténueront progressivement… Malgré l’accélération prévue de la croissance, l’augmentation des revenus par habitant restera insuffisante pour permettre aux économies de la région de faire des progrès significatifs dans la réduction de l’extrême pauvreté » (p. 87)

Les personnes susceptibles d’être intéressées par cette discussion peuvent y participer et/ou y contribuer en contactant le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS, qui est un lieu de discussion sur les questions et les thèmes de la réduction de la pauvreté et du 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.  Ils peuvent nous contacter à notre adresse habituelle sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project or Project of Becoming Homeowners with Land Security in Africa

 

The following items provide the key information about Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project (PHSLTP) or Project of Becoming Homeowners with Land Security in Africa (PBHLSA):

 

σ Definition of PHSLTP/PBHLSA

σ The Aim of PHSLTP/PBHLSA

σ PHSLTP/PBHLSA Beneficiaries

σ Outcomes

σ PHSLTP/PBHLSA Indicators

σ Project Funding Status

σ Impact Monitoring and Evaluation.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Definition of PHSLTP/PBHLSA

 

PHSLTP or PBHLSA is an initiative that helps to reduce poverty by allocating power on home and land to those who would like to become private home and land owners in Africa.  Through this project, CENFACS will work with Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, particularly those engaged in maters such as homeownership counselling, women and lands, financial mechanisms or tools relating to homeownership and land tenure, etc.

The project will use a rights-based approach in order to respond to the needs of poverty reduction from poor and vulnerable people in Africa in terms of equal rights to economic resources, access to basic services, ownership and control over properties and land.

 

• • The Aim of PHSLTP/PBHLSA

 

The main aim of this project is to help reduce poverty linked to the lack of access to sustainable homes and lands for those poor people who would like to become homeowners and/or land owners in Africa.  This aim will be achieved by working with Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations specialised in homeownership, land ownership, rights to land, women and gender matters.

Through this project, there will be the delivery of services such as homeownership counselling, financial advice and guidance relating to access to sustainable homes and properties, signposting to organisations and institutions dealing with homeownership and land ownership finance for the needy, etc.  These services are designed to respond to the needs of poverty reduction in matters surrounding homeownership and land ownership for project beneficiaries.

 

• • PHSLTP/PBHLSA Beneficiaries

 

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

 

√ Those who would like to become sustainable homeowners

√ Those who do not have their land rights recognised

√ Those with insecure land rights

√ The excluded vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous people and the poor

√ Those who need help with homeownership counselling services

√ Those who are looking for microfinance to access homeownership

√ Informal sector workers like traders, workers and craftsmen

√ Those in need of access to credit and skills to become homeowner and/or land owner

√ Poor and vulnerable home owners

etc.

 

Most of the above-mentioned types of beneficiaries will need some form of support in terms of guidance on how they can access homeownership and /or land ownership.  For those who are already homeowners and/or land owners but they are poor, they may also require guidance on how they can improve their conditions.

 

• • Outcomes

 

After the implementation of PHSLTP/PBHLSA, it is expected that the following will be achieved:

 

√ Reduction in the number of those without access to homeownership or land ownership

√ Improvement in the capital appreciation of land for customary system users

√ Enhancement of the relations between humans and land, between humans and land-based resources

√ Improvement in secure tenure rights to land and property

√ Progress in women’s status and voice on homeownership and land issues

√ Decrease in the number of those without sustainable homes

√ Potential homeowners and land owners will become better informed and guided on sustainable homes

√ Betterment of land perceptions 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

 

By using PHSLTP/PBHLSA, project beneficiaries will

 

√ be aware about their land tenure rights and obligations

√ avoid or reduce poverty linked to the lack of access to homeownership and land ownership

√ improve their well-being through homeownership and/or landownership

√ increase their voice on land tenure security. especially for women and other vulnerable groups 

make responsible decisions in terms of homeownership schemes or plans or even choices

√ improve their aspiration and motivation about homeownership and/or landownership

√ ameliorate their confidence, trust and self-esteem regarding homeownership and/or landownership services and products offered to them

√ build or develop their homeownership capacity and capability skills 

√ enhance their land owner skills and knowledge 

√ reform relationships between project beneficiaries and lands, between project beneficiaries and land-based resources

√ boost people’s perception, competence, knowledge and capability about land ownership matters

etc.

 

Briefly, project beneficiaries will improve their access to homeownership and land ownership.

 

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

 

Work undertaken by ASCOs to help reduce poverty linked to the lack of access to homeownership and landownership will lead to:

 

√ adaptation of local needs and the needs of beneficiaries in their delivery of homeownership and land ownership service 

√ generating better local insights and capacities to create solutions to poverty linked to poor or the lack of homeownership and land ownership

√ reduction in the risk in financing homeownership and land ownership projects and programmes for the locals and local needs

√ assisting in the innovation of solutions to poverty for the needy of access to homeownership and land ownership

√ knowledge of financial risk transfer mechanisms between generations (for instance, the transfer of poverty between generations via homeownership and landownership) 

√ capturing metrics relating to poverty and way of improving these metrics

√ increasing financial development in the area of homeownership and land ownership support for the needy within beneficiaries’ community

√ reducing economic deprivation linked to poor or the lack of homeownership and land ownership

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.

 

• • PHSLTP/PBHLSA Indicators

 

The measures below will help find out whether or not the project will reach its desired objectives and progress towards meeting its defined aim:

 

√ the number of poor people who will be supported by this project

√ the number of poor people who will have a good perception of the security of property rights

√ the reduction in the number of poor homeowners and land owners

√ the number of the locals who will become homeowners and/or land owners

√ the number/percentage of women with secure land tenure

√ the proportion of project beneficiaries with secure tenure rights to land

√ the number of homeowners and land owners living above the poverty line

√ the number of people whose well-being will improve as they become homeowners and/or land owners

√ the number of surveyed poor people who are happy (optimistic) or unhappy (pessimistic) to PHSLTP/PBHLSA support provided or offered to them

√ the number of poor people who will be far, on the average, from poverty line as a result of the implementation of PHSLTP/PBHLSA

etc.

 

To sum up, PHSLTP/PBHLSA is project that will help to reduce poverty linked to the lack of access to private homeownership and secure land tenure by poor Africans.  The project will contribute to the building of good relationships between beneficiaries and lands, between beneficiaries and land-based resources.  It will help locals to access low-cost housing and land opportunities while fighting poverty through homeownership and land ownership accesses.

 

• • 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.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

As part of impact monitoring, there will be routine and systematic gathering of information on all aspects of the project.  In other words, we will systematically collect and analyse information to keep regular checks and balances on the project.

Likewise, we shall assess what the project will achieve in relation to its main aim.  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 relief as far as poverty reduction is concerned.

In proceeding in this manner, we will be able to measure the impact or at least the outcomes from this project.

The full project proposals including budget are available on request.

To support or contribute to this project, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including full project proposals and budget about Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure or Project of Becoming Homeowners with Land Security in Africa; please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

 References

 

(1) FAO.2023. The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2023 – Avoiding and reducing losses through investment in resilience. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc7900en. https://www.fao.org/3/cc7900en/cc7900en.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://www.wfp.org/news/food-insecurity-and-malnutritution-reach-new-highs-west-and-central-africa-funding-address-acute (accessed in January 2024)

(3) https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000153758/download/?_ga=2.214620887.17353229.1705869999-1485218009.1704580174 (accessed in January 2024)

(4) United Nations Children’s Fund (2023), The State of the World’s Children 2023: For every child, vaccination, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, April 2023, https://www.unicef.org/media/108161/file/SOWC-full-report-English.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(5) 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)

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

(7) https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/poorest-countries-in-africa (accessed in January 2024)

(8) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228533/number-of-people-living-below-the-extreme-poverty-line-in-africa/ (accessed in January 2024)

(9) World Bank.2024.Global Economic Prospects, January 2024. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi: 10.1596/978-1-4648-2017-5. License: Creative Commons Attribution CCBY 3.0 IGO (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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure to Reduce Poverty in Africa

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 17 January 2024

Post No. 335

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 82, Winter 2023/2024: Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024

• Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations in 2024 – a Year of Opportunities, Openings, Operations and Optimisms to Reduce Poverty 

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

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 82, Winter 2023/2024, Issue Title: Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024

 

The key message of this New Year’s Issue of FACS, our bilingual newsletter, is that a good allocation of power on home and land to everybody, especially to the poor, can help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  Indeed, access to homeownership and control over land can achieve a lot of things for those living in poverty.  They can help them to have a fixed place to plan and build their lives.  Having a home and/or a secure land can be the first step to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Yet, Africa is lagging behind in terms of homeownership and secure land tenure for its ordinary population.  There are facts and data that explain this.  For example, ‘statista.com’ (1) notes that

“At least 95 percent of urban households in over 17 of the countries in Africa were unable to buy the cheapest newly built house in 2021”.

Although the above-mentioned figure is for 2021, it is an indication of the state of homeownership in Africa.  The figure includes the areas of operations of CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs); areas where there is a need to deal with the twin problems of low levels of homeownership and land tenure insecurity.

The 82nd Issue of FACS shades light on the right to securely own land or to occupy and exclusively use a particular piece of land.  It focuses on the problems faced by CENFACS‘ ASCOs and their beneficiaries; beneficiaries who may be homeless, landless, poor home-owners and poor renters.  CENFACS and ASCOs would like to work with them in order to reduce poverty and unsustainability linked to the lack of access to private homeownership and secure land tenure.

In this respect, the 82nd Issue examines the relationship between poverty reduction and homeownership, between poverty reduction and land tenure in today’s Africa, in particular in the areas where CENFACS‘ ASCOs operate.  The Issue makes the case for the need to develop private homeownership and secure land tenure that benefit the poor.

Developing private homeownership and secure land tenure can empower people and give them more rights.  It is not surprising if ‘unhabitat.org’ (2) argues that

“Secure land tenure and property rights enable people in urban and rural areas to invest in improved homes and livelihoods”.

Similarly, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (3) explains the following:

“Land is fundamental to the lives of poor rural people.  It is a source of food, shelter, income and social identity…  Tenure security is important not only for agriculture production.  It also allows people to diversify their livelihoods by using their land as collateral, renting it out or selling it”.

The 82nd Issue considers the appropriate private property rights theories and land rights theories, particularly the evolutionary theory of land rights as suggested by Jean-Philippe Plateau (4).  It approaches private homeownership as private property.  Private property can be understood from the definition of ‘study.com’ (5) as

“Ownership of tangible or intangible property by an individual entity, rather than by the state or a common owner”.

The 82nd Issue is a story of ASCOs working with poor homeless and landless to find inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable settlements.  From this perspective, the Issue provides some examples on how ASCOs are trying to work with their locals in order to reduce poverty due to the lack of homeownership and secure land tenure, and how the former are helping the latter to adequately, safely and affordably access and climb the property ladder and/or secure land tenure.

The 82nd Issue further clarifies how the lack of genuine property rights or their enforcement can conduce and constrain the economic development of certain ethnic groups and rural women.  Beyond this explanation, the Issue provides some leads to the problems faced by these groups and women, particularly for groups located in the spheres of operation of ASCOs.

The 82nd Issue covers areas such as accessibility and affordability of homes to poor people, poor people as homeowners, women’s rights to own land especially in rural areas, residential mobility among low-income earners, sustainable housing for the poor, achieving sustainable homeownership for all, how ASCOs are working with their locals to reduce or end poverty linked to the lack of homeownership and land tenure, etc.

To find out more about 82nd Issue, please read under the Main Development section of this post the key summaries and highlights making it.

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation in 2024 –

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

 

Every year brings along with it challenges and opportunities.  2024 does not make any exception as it brings both challenges and opportunities.  2024 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 2024.  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 2024 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 four mentioned attributes of what could be 2024 for Africa, which are 2024 as a Year of Opportunities, Openings, Operations and Optimisms to Reduce Poverty.  To explain these attributes, we have referred to a number of futurist and prospective studies and analyses, notably those from ‘chathamhouse.org’ (6) and ‘controlrisks.com’ (7), regarding their views on Africa.  We have summarised or interpreted and included them in our own analysis as indicated by the following points.

 

• • 2024 as a Year of Opportunities and Openings

 

2024 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 International Monetary Fund (8) argues that Africa will be the second fastest-growing regional economy in the world at 4 per cent in 2024; and Sub-Saharan Africa will account for six of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies this year, with growth at 3.8% this year and 4.1% in 2025 as inflation eases.

PA1: 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.

OO2: There will be an increase food insecurity in Africa in 2024.

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 the International Monetary Fund (op. cit.), nine African states are in debt distress and 19 countries at high risk of debt distress.

PA3: Debt distress means that ASCOs need to take this occasion to work with highly indebted poor households making their communities and who need guidance and advice to transition out of indebtedness.

OO4: 2024 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: 2024 could be a year of resurgence of resource nationalism in Africa.

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.

 

• • 2024 as a Year of Optimisms

 

2024 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: 2024 is the first full year of operation of upgraded Lobito Corridor in Angola.

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: 2024 is another democratic transitions year.

PA2: Democratic transitions are unfinished business and still continue in Africa as at least 17 national and/or legislative polls will take place in Africa in 2024, 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: 2024 is as well a year of deepening of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

PA3: Africa’s continental trade integration will achieve a milestone with the launch of Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS); and multinational ASCOs can help or use it to undertake cross-border payments while reducing transaction costs.

O4: 2024 will be a year of permanent seat at G20 (Group of 20).

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

 

• • 2024 as a Year of Full Operations

 

2024 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 resume or increase the volume of their operations to a full functioning capacity.

The above possibilities show that Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations can cautiously grab the opportunities and openings of the 2024 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.

For those optimist Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations wanting to fully operate and grab the above-mentioned opportunities and openings but finding some difficulties to operate; they can discuss the matter with CENFACS so that together we can plan a 2024 market development strategy.

Need a market development strategy or plan in order to fully operate and optimistically engage with the 2024 array of tremendous opportunities and openings to reduce and end poverty in Africa; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

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

 

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 17 to 23 January 2024, have been highlighted below.

 

• • 17 to 23 January 2024: 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.

 

• • 17 to 23 January 2024: 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 (2024) 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.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2023-2024, Still Running

• Guidance Service on Non-essentials or Discretionary Expenses

• The Season of Giving Continues with SHOPPING and DONATIONS

 

 

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2023-2024, Still Running

 

Our Season of Giving through the Gifts of Peace for Edition 2023-2024 has not yet finished.  The Gifts-of-Peace Campaign will end on 31 January 2024.  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 2024, 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 of hard landing in boost after the high inflation period and economic growth is very low, which both complicate 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 Non-essentials or Discretionary Expenses

 

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

 

√ Improving their spending intent

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

√ Switching to cheap non-essential retailers to save money

√ Trimming budget

√ Prioritising expenses

√ Setting up a policy not to borrow money for non-essentials

√ Adopting cost-saving behaviour

√ Briefly, developing a strategy or policy to control non-essential spending.

 

The above-mentioned options or tools will help them to build confidence throughout 2024 and beyond.

To access this Guidance Service on Non-essentials or Discretionary Expenses, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• The Season of Giving 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 is too 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 Charity 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 is all about.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activités ou Microprojets de financement structuré du Nouvel An dans le cadre du programme ou projet de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières 

Nous poursuivons le programme et le projet de renforcement des capacités et des aptitudes financières, comme prévu.  Nous sommes disponibles pour travailler en mode hybride avec des bénéficiaires potentiels via le programme de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières (PPRCAF) ou le projet de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières (PpRCAF) afin que vous puissiez être plus capables en cette nouvelle année.  Le PPRCAF et le PpRCAF aideront les bénéficiaires à réduire les risques liés à l’incapacité financière et à l’inaptitude financière tout en améliorant leurs revenus intergénérationnels et leurs transferts.

Les deuxièmes activités du PPRCAF et du PpRCAF, qui se dérouleront du 17 au 23 janvier 2024, ont été mises en évidence ci-dessous.

• • 17 au 23 janvier 2024 : Gestion financière des événements (Activité 2 du PPRCAF)

Cette deuxième activité de financement structuré, qui s’inscrit dans le cadre du programme de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières et qui se déroule sous forme de séances d’orientation, consiste à travailler avec les bénéficiaires pour obtenir des pistes sur la façon de gérer financièrement les événements.  Il s’agit de guider les bénéficiaires dans un processus tactique, à court terme et réactif pour s’assurer que leurs ressources financières sont utilisées de la manière la plus efficace possible en ce qui concerne la gestion des événements.

Si l’un de nos bénéficiaires a besoin de conseils sur la façon de gérer financièrement ses événements, il peut demander des réponses au CENFACS.

• • Du 17 au 23 janvier 2024 : Planifier financièrement (activité 2 du PpRCAF)

Cette deuxième activité de financement structuré, qui fait partie du programme de renforcement des capacités et aptitudes financières, consiste à créer de manière stratégique et proactive des budgets détaillés pour une semaine, un mois ou une année (2024) tout en fixant des objectifs et des délais pour les atteindre à long terme.

Si l’un de nos bénéficiaires a besoin d’élaborer un plan ou une stratégie de financement qui explique comment il peut planifier financièrement à l’avance, il peut contacter le CENFACS.

Si vous avez une question sur la façon de gérer financièrement vos événements ou si vous avez besoin d’élaborer un plan financier ou une stratégie financière concernant les affaires de votre ménage, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

De plus, si vous avez des problèmes de planification financière, vous pouvez communiquer avec le CENFACS afin que nous puissions travailler ensemble sur vos besoins en matière de planification financière et vous aider à rester plus capable cette nouvelle année.

 

 

Main Development

 

FACS, Issue N0. 82, Winter 2023/2024, Issue Title: Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024

 

The contents and key summaries of the 82nd Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Terms Relating to the 82nd Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Approach to Homeownership and Land Tenure (Page 2)

III. Key Theory Used in the 82nd Issue of FACS  (Page 2)

IV. Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and their Financial Guidance to Potential Homeowners  (Page 3)

V. Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations Specialised in General Homeownership Matter  (Page 3)

VI. Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, Rural Land Distribution and Women in Africa  (Page 4)

VII. Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, Restrictions Removal on Rental Land and Gender Equity Promotion in Africa  (Page 4)

VIII. L’insécurité des droits fonciers comme source de conflits, d’instabilité et d’exclusion  (Page 5)

IX. Des projets d’extraction qui désavouent les terres des peuples autochtones en Afrique  (Page 5)

X. L’accessibilité et l’abordabilité des logements pour les personnes pauvres (Page 6)

XI. Mobilité résidentielle des personnes à faible revenu (Page 6)

XII. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure (Page 7)

XIII. Support, Tools and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure (Page 8)

XIV. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Private Homeownership, Secure Land Tenure and Poverty Reduction (Page 9)

XV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 82nd Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Terms Relating to the 82nd Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three terms used in the context of this Issue of FACS.  These terms are private homeownership, secure land tenure, land tenure and property rights.  Let us briefly explain these key terms.

 

• • • • Private homeownership

 

There are simple and complex definitions of homeownership.  Let us use a simple definition of it which has been provided by ‘yourdictionary.com’ (9), which explains that

“Homeownership is the state of being homeowner”.

Homeowner is a person who owns their own home.  A private homeowner is a person who owns a home not open to or available for the use of the general public.

Homeownership can be sole or joint.  It is known that homeownership is an important dimension of well-being as it ensures stability and security for households.  In the 82nd Issue of FACS, we are interested in sustainable homeownership; that is homeownership which is continued over the long term without adverse effects.

 

• • • • Secure land tenure

 

Our understanding of secure land tenure comes from ‘land-links.org’ (10), which explains that

“Land tenure is the relationship that individuals and groups hold with respect to land and land-base resources, pastures, and water”.

The Food Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (11) describes tenure security or security of tenure as

“The certainty that a person’s rights to land will be recognised by others and protected in cases of specific challenges”.

The website ‘land-links.org’ (op. cit.) adds that

“When land tenure is secure, land can be a cornerstone for economic growth and an incentive for investment; but when land rights are insecure, this can lead to conflicts, instability, and the exclusion of vulnerable groups, such as women, indigenous people and the poor”.

 

• • • • Land tenure and property rights to land

 

Land tenure and property rights to land are part of the Goal Target 1.4 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (12), which states that

“By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have
equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including micro finance”.

According to ‘unescwa.org’ (13),

“Secure tenure rights to land and property are critical for poverty reduction and for improving economic development, gender equality, social stability and sustainable development”.

‘Land-links.org’ (op. cit.) argues that land tenure rules define the ways in which property rights to land are allocated, transferred, used, or managed in a particular society”.

Taking the same line of reasoning, the World Resource Institute (14) observes that

“Rural people and communities need strong, secure rights over their property.  Strong rights help protect rural people from expropriation, losing their land, and facing eviction… Secure rights create incentives for people to improve land management and agricultural production, such as by planting trees or building bench terraces to reduce soil erosion”.

Likewise, Ruth Meinzen-Dick (15) contemplates that

“Property rights are particularly important in determining who has entitlement to food, and may serve as a means to perpetuate or break the intergenerational transmission of poverty”.

The above-named definitions shape the contents of the 82nd Issue of FACS.  However, definitions alone may not be enough to convey the message of this Issue.  One may need to determine the approach they want to take in their journey to empowering poor people to become homeowners and secure their lands.

 

• • •  Approach to Homeownership and Land Tenure (Page 2)

 

The 82nd Issue of FACS approaches homeownership and land tenure from the perspective of the housing demand-side, from low-income and poor people looking to access and/or keep their homeownership status and land tenure.  These people could be homeless, landless, poor income-earners, poor renters, poor-homeowners, other vulnerable groups like women, indigenous people, etc.

 

• • • Key Theory Used in the 82nd Issue of FACS  (Page 2)

 

The key theory used here is of land rights, which is the theory of land rights.  Jean-Philippe Plateau (op. cit.) explains this theory in these words:

“The central tenet of this theory is that under the joint impact of increasing population pressure and market integration, land rights spontaneously evolve towards rising individualisation and that this evolution eventually leads rightsholders to press for the creation of duly formalised private property rights – a demand to which the state will have an incentive to respond”.

The 82nd Issue also considers informal mechanisms at community level.  Notably, the Issue takes into account customary tenure systems and their neo-liberation, which do not recognise some groups (like women and migrants) the rights to possess and control land in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The 82nd Issue includes as well neo-liberalisation processes of customary tenure (like privatisation of rights, commoditisation, de-regulation, etc.).

All these instruments (that is, key theory, mechanisms and processes) enable to understand private homeownership and secure land tenure in the context and process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development in Africa.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations and their Financial Guidance to Potential Homeowners  (Page 3)

 

There is a number of Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs) whose mission is to work with those who would like to become homeowners to access affordable housing financing solutions.  These ASCOs are involved in counselling their beneficiaries on suitable financial products to fund their homeownership project.  Their work tends to help their locals to find suitable financial mechanisms to become homeowners.  These ASCOs use a combination of financial mechanisms or tools which include:

membership, shares, individual and collective savings, subsidies in the form of seed capital, microcredits, mortgages, donations, loans, contributions from families and friends, international non governmental organisations, etc.

These mechanisms or tools help the applicants to reach their goals of homeownership.

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations Specialised in General Homeownership Matter (Page 3)

 

There are other types of ASCOs that take homeownership and land tenure as their area of operation as well.  Some of them are the branches of an international umbrella non governmental organisation working on these matters.  They tend to be not-for-profit.  Among them are organisations such as Alternative Programme for Social Housing in Cameroon, Twize in Mauritania, and Revolving Fund for Urban Renewal.

Taking the case of Twize Housing Improvement Programme in Mauritania, it is a programme to develop housing supply for the poor households.  The programme assists local people to access low-cost housing and fight poverty through housing access in the suburbs of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.  The beneficiaries of this programme include people in informal sector (like traders, workers, craftsmen) and other poor.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, Rural Land Distribution and Women in Africa (Page 4)

 

ASCOs specialised in women and land matters are working on issues such as change customs and traditional practices that prevent women from inheriting or acquiring ownership of land and other properties.  They also work on improving data on women’s land rights.

Their work aligns with the view of the ‘un.org’ (16) which argues that

“Land ownership gives women greater bargaining power and stronger fallback opinions, a stronger voice in household decision-making which may contribute to stronger investments in food, education and schooling of children, with long-run consequences for poverty reduction”.

Among these ASCOs are campaigning ones which advocating for women to be able to have direct land rights independently from their husbands or male relatives where women have been discriminated.  They are also demanding to improve the status of women with regard to family structures so that women can hold secure land rights in places where access to land comes from male line.  These campaigning ASCOs often go far beyond by making sure that women have access to other opportunities such access to credit, markets and skills development.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations, Restrictions Removal on Rental Land and Gender Equity Promotion in Africa  (Page 4)

 

To promote gender equity, there are ASCOs that are working on the removal of cultural restrictions linked to land inheritance via name of the property in the name of male only that prevent women to become the sole owner of a property.  They try to promote inclusive access to land.  They address gender inequities in access to land, housing and basic infrastructures.  They also work on aspects of human rights that are attached to equitable access to stop land rights discrimination.  This access can be direct to land or through purchase or inheritance.

They are as well engaged in activities to improve women’s ability in other areas of life.  One of the areas is documenting land rights for women.  Documenting land is about having something in writing to acknowledge women’s land rights and gender justice in land governance to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and provide them with documents to participate in land governance.  Documenting land can help reduce poverty due to the lack of access to land.  One example is ASCOs are working with rural women to have identity documents, in places they do not have them, to promote and protect women’s human rights in rural areas.

 

• • • L’insécurité des droits fonciers comme source de conflits, d’instabilité et d’exclusion  (Page 5)

 

La sécurité foncière peut constituer la base de la paix et de la stabilité sur laquelle les gens peuvent construire l’accession à la propriété.  En d’autres termes, l’absence de cette sécurité peut entraîner de l’incertitude et un manque de confiance pour ceux ou celles qui souhaitent investir dans leur future maison.

Cependant, il ne suffit pas d’avoir une sécurité foncière.  Cette sécurité doit être maintenue et protégée contre les aléas ou éventuels risques et crises qui peuvent surgir.  Par exemple, des conflits armés peuvent forcer les gens à quitter leur terre et maison.  S’ils ont la sécurité foncière, quand ils retournent après les conflits ils peuvent toujours exercer leurs droits fonciers.

 

• • • Des projets d’extraction qui désavouent les terres des peuples autochtones en Afrique  (Page 5)

 

L’histoire de l’accession à la propriété privée et de la sécurité foncière en Afrique est aussi celle de l’exploitation des terres qui pousse les peuples autochtones à quitter leurs terres sans le consentement libre, préalable et éclairé de ces personnes.  Cette expulsion forcée de ces personnes est due à des causes multiples dont la création et l’expansion d’aires protégées, l’octroi des titres de propriété à des entreprises pour exploiter des terres, aux menaces des groupes armés et aux effets pervers climatiques.

En travaillant avec ces personnes exclues et expulsées, il est possible d’obtenir la restitition de leurs terres. C’est le cas des organisations soeurs caritatives basées en Afrique qui apportent leur soutien aux populations du Nord-Kivu en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) où les victimes des terres prises par la force ont récupéré leurs terres. Ils l’ont emporté alors qu’un projet de loi avait été voté par le Parlement Congolais en avril 2021 pour protéger et promouvoir les droits des peuples autochtones de la RDC.

 

• • • L’accessibilité et l’abordabilité des logements pour les personnes pauvres (Page 6)

 

Ces dernières années, il y a eu un effondrement significatif de l’accession à la propriété pour les pauvres, en particulier dans les familles où il n’y a pas de transferts intergénérationnels de richesse.  Et les crises comme celles du coronavirus et du coût cher de la vie n’ont fait qu’amplifier ce phénomène.

Pour ces familles, le fait d’assurer l’accessibilité et l’abordabilité des logements leur permettra de rendre compte de leurs besoins au sein de la communauté à laquelle elles appartiennent et vivent.  Cela les aidera également à jouer leur rôle au sein de leurs familles respectives et au sein de leur communauté ou de la société.

 

• • • Mobilité résidentielle des personnes à faible revenu (Page 6)

 

Le niveau des possibilités de gagner de l’argent peut avoir une incidence sur la mobilité résidentielle.  Les conditions économiques et financières des pauvres peuvent les obliger à rechercher dans des régions ou des endroits où les opportunités économiques sont moindres, en particulier en ce qui concerne l’emploi.

Pour inverser cette tendance, il y a lieu à les encourager à rechercher des opportunités ou des solutions liées à leur mobilité résidentielle ou simplement à trouver des occupations bien rémunérées.  C’est en prenant des telles initiatives qu’ils sortiront de la pauvreté, pauvreté qui est liée à une mauvaise mobilité résidentielle ou à l’espace.

 

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on private homeownership

 

Homeownership is an important dimension of people’s well-being as it can help ensure stability and security for households.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our users and community members regarding their perception of private homeownership.

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: In your opinion, how much private homeownership has contributed to your well-being?

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Testing hypotheses about transitions out of poverty

 

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into private homeownership and secure land tenure, we have two educational activities for them.

 

a) Activity/test 1: Doing regression analysis between job opportunities and homeownership

 

Those who will be interested in they can conduct a regression analysis to find if getting a job increases the likelihood of moving into homeownership.

 

b) Activity/test 2: Relationships between access to secure land and poverty reduction

 

Those who want can test the hypothesis if there is any association between poverty and landlessness, between poverty reduction and secure access to land.

In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on private homeownership and secure land tenure.

 

• • • • E-question on your view about sustainable homeownership for all

 

Any of our readers and users can answer the following question:

 

Q: Is sustainable homeownership for all is realistic goal in the current lifespan of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

 

You can provide your answer directly to CENFACS.

For those answering any of this question and needing first to discuss sustainable homeownership, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • E-discussion on one’s access to the property ladder

 

Many of our members have their own views on what determine one’s access to the housing ladder.  Some think gender (being a male or female).  Others argue it is education and employment status.  Others more say, it is wealth (being rich or poor). Others more and more believe, it is networking or connections (that is, who you know or social mobility).

For those 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 Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Counselling Support regarding the reduction of poverty linked to the lack of sustainable homes

 

The lack of sustainable homes can be treated as a form of poverty or deprivations.

For those members of our community who are suffering from this type of poverty or deprivations, they can ask CENFACS to work with them so that they find sustainable home or solutions.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of coming out of it.

We can work with them under our Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  We can as well signpost them to organisations working on sustainable homes for those in need.

If you are a member of our community, you can ask us for basic support regarding your inability to access affordable sustainable homes.

 

• • • • Tools and Metrics of the 82nd Issue of FACS

 

• • • • • Property Rights Tools and Metrics

 

The 82nd Issue utilises as tool the Global Property Rights Index (Prindex) and as metric the United Nations’ Indicator of the Proportion of Adult Population with Secure Tenure Rights to Land.  What are these tools or metrics are about?

 

a) The Global Property Rights Index (Prindex)

 

One of the tools used to measure global property rights is Prindex.

According to the ‘globallandalliance.org’ (17),

“Prindex is an indicator of citizens’ perception of the security of property rights.  The Prindex database is open.  The dataset is intended to monitor and encourage good governance of property rights”.

In other words, it is a measurement of people’s perceptions of their property rights and land tenure security.

Those who would like to discuss the relevancy of this tool and its application, they can feel free to contact CENFACS.

 

b) Proportion of Adult Population with Secure Tenure Rights to Land

 

This is the United Nations’ Indicator 1.4.2 of its Sustainable Development Goals (op. cit.) which is about working out the proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, with legally recognized documentation and who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure.

This indicator is also used in the 82nd Issue to measure the incidence or level of poverty due to the lack secure tenure rights in Africa.

 

• • • • • Share of households who can afford to buy a house

 

The Issue 82 also considers as metric the number of households who can buy a house.  On this matter, ‘statista.com’ (op. cit.) notes that

“At least 95 percent of urban households in over 17 of the countries in Africa were unable to buy the cheapest newly built house in 2021”.

This figure speaks for itself about the need of working the urban households to help them realise their dream of becoming homeowners.

 

• • • • • Poverty gap ratio

 

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

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (18) 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”.

The above tools and metrics can be used in dealing with poverty, private homeownership and secure land tenure in Africa.  For example, one can use the poverty gap ratio to measure the average shortfall of the income of the poor home-owners from the poverty line.

 

 

• • • • Information and Guidance on Sustainable Homes and Poverty Reduction

 

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

 

a) Information and Guidance on Sustainable Homes and Poverty Reduction

 

b) Signposts to Improve Users’ Experience about Sustainable Homes and Poverty Reduction.

 

• • • • • Information and Guidance on Sustainable Homes and Poverty Reduction

 

Those members of community who are looking for information and guidance on sustainable homes and who do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment) or provide them with leads about organisations and services that can help them.

 

• • • • • Signposts to Improve Users’ Experience about Sustainable Homes and Poverty Reduction

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about homeownership counselling queries, 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.

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of sustainable homes and the reduction of housing poverty, although the Issue 82 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 Private Homeownership, Secure Land Tenure and Poverty Reduction  (Page 9)

 

 

• • • • Mini Themed Workshop on Homeownership Skills to Reduce Poverty Linked to the Lack of Sustainable Homeownership

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about the reduction of poverty linked to sustainable homeownership via CENFACS.

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about housing poverty gain homeownership skills and knowledge while improving the quality of their lives.  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 Secure Land Tenure

 

The focus group will deal with Customary Tenure Systems and the Ability to Claim Property Ownership by the Poor in Africa.  It will treat this topic since it is argued that in Africa within a customary system people are unable to participate in capital appreciation of the land on which they live.

You can take part in our focus group on ways of learning security about land tenure and sharing this information with relatives and friends who need security about their land tenure in Africa.  This focus group is also part of a structured activity to improve your perception of land tenure within the community.

Participants will have one-on-one conversations with each other outside their comfort zone.

To take part in the focus group using deliberative practice strategies, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Autumn Light Activity: Becoming Private Homeowners

 

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

 

Q: What steps do you need to take to become private homeowner? 

 

Those who would like to answer these questions and participate to our Becoming Private Homeowners Activity, they are welcome.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • • • Readers’ Giving

 

You can support FACSCENFACS 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.

 

• • • • Private Homeownership and Secure Land Tenure Project (PHSLTP)

 

PHSLTP is an initiative that helps to reduce poverty by allocating power on home and land to those who would like to become private home and land owners in Africa.  The project hopes to improve health, hygiene, and educational opportunities while ensuring access to clean water, safe toilet, electricity, and respite from heat and disease-spreading insects.

To support or contribute to PHSLTP, please contact CENFACS.

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

The full copy of the 82nd Issue of FACS is available on request.

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

_________

 

 References

 

(1) https://www.statista.com/statistics/613846/urban-households-who-can-afford-the-cheapest-new-houses-africa-by-country/ (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/07/indicator_1.4.2_training_module_secure_tenure_rights_to_land.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(3) https://www.ifad.org/documents/38714170/39148759/Land+tenure+security+and+poverty+reduction.pdf/ (accessed in January 2024)

(4) Plateau, J.-P. (1996), The Evolutionary Theory of Land Rights as Applied to Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical Assessment, Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 27 (1), pp. 29-86, January

(5) https://study.com/academy/lesson/private-property-economics-overview-rights-examples.html (accessed in January 2024)

(6) https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/01/whats-stake-africa-2024(accessed in January 2024)

(7) https://www.controlrisks.com/our-thinking/insights/africa-ten-key-issues-to-watch-in-2024 (accessed in January 2024)

(8) https://theexchange.africa/countries/fastest-growing-economies-in-2024/#

(9) https://www.yourdictionary.com/homeownership (accessed in January 2024)

(10) https://www.land-links.org/What-is-land-tenure/ (accessed in January 2024)

(11) https://landportal.org/sites/landportal.info/files/170622%20C%20Tenure%20Security-3.pdf# (accessed in January 2024)

(12) https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/07/indicator_1.4.2_training_module_secure_tenure_rights_to_land.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(13) https://archieve.unescwa.org/sites/www.unescwa.org/files/u593/module_8_secure_tenure_rights_to_land_edited_23-03-2018.pdf# (accessed in January 2024)

(14) https://www.wri.org/insights/shedding-light-land-tenure-africa (accessed in January 2024)

(15) Meinzen-Dick, R. (2009), Property Rights for Poverty Reduction? DESA  Working Paper No.1, ST/ESN/ST/ESA/2009/DWP/91, https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2009/wp91_2009.pdf# (accessed in January 2024)

(16) https://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2009/wp91_2009.pdf# (accessed in January 2024)

(17) https://www.globallandalliance.org/prindex (accessed in January 2024)

(18) 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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

2024 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

 10 January 2024

 

Post No. 334

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• 2024 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

• 2024 as a Year of Transitions 

• Giving Hope to the Humanitarian Needy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• 2024 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

 

Last week, we listed projects and programmes to be carried out in January 2024.   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 2024.

In both last week’s and this week’s listings, there are two 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) Seasonal projects and programmes that just fall within the Season of Light, which is from 21 December in the preceding year (e.g., 2023) to 21 March in the following year (e.g., 2024).

 

Both Specifically Designed and Seasonal projects and programmes will be implemented side by side as we move on throughout the Season of Light.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details about the 2024 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes.

 

 

• 2024 as a Year of Transitions 

 

To reduce or end poverty, it may requires 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.

For example, at the moment energy transition is one of the terms in fashion for those who would like something to be done against adverse climate change.  Transition viewed from the point of view of energy can help understand transitions or transformations in those who use polluting energy in becoming low-carbon or zero net emitters, in moving from fossil fuels consumption into a fossil-free one.  Transitions as theme has been voted or chosen within CENFACS as an area of work for this year.

2024 will be a Year of Transitions within CENFACS, a year of using the notion of transitions 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 sustainably transition the poverty reduction process.  In this work with them, one should understand that transition does not necessarily lead to change.  Yet, what we would like to achieve together with them is transitions that lead to better change.  But, what do we mean by transitions?

 

• • Understanding Transitions

 

Transitions can be perceived in many ways.  For example, in his Transition Theories Peter J. Marcotullio (1) defines transitions as

“Long-term, continuous processes wherein the structure character change marks a fundamental shift in a system.  This fundamental change is presumably easily identified, although it may not always be so; and it could mark change for the better or worse, depending upon the human values attributed to the dynamics”.

Another interpretation of transition comes from Nancy K. Schlossberg (2) who sees it as a process of moving in, moving through and moving out a new situation or circumstances.  According to her, the 3 stages in supporting people who are undergoing transition include approaching transitions (identifying the kind of transition and transition process), taking stock of the coping resources they need, and taking charge by strengthening resources.

The above definitions will help in approaching or applying transitions.

 

• • Approaching and Applying Transitions

 

To approach transitions, we are going to use a gradual or gradualist and inclusive model of the transition process.  This approach is out the context of models of transition like neo-classical, post-Keynesian and market socialist approaches.  It is an approach that engages the common good and focuses on poor or disadvantaged people in terms of how they can transition out of poverty.

This approach will drive our application of the notion of transitions as we will try to find out the determining factors that militate for those in need to move out of poverty and how we can work with them as they move through the transitions process.  In this respect, the transitions in which we will be interested are the ones that help those in need to get out of poverty and hardships.

In brief, the above understanding, approach and application of transitions will make up 2024 as a Year of Transitions.

In order to realise the Year of Transitions, we need a project.  This project is Transitions or ‘T‘ project.

 

• • Transitions (t) Project 

 

The dedication of 2024 as a Year of Transitions comes with a project to carry out this dedication.  The project to execute this dedication is the Transitions or ‘t‘ Project, which is one of the new initiatives for 2024.  The following two elements help to understand this project: its meaning and its activities.

 

• • • What is ‘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, will be undertaken throughout 2024 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.  The project will support them to smooth transitions processes they are undergoing in order to meet their poverty reduction goals.  The support can be about tackling factors that can cause problems to their transitions.

 

• • • Activities and tasks relating to the ‘t’ Project

 

There will be twelve activities, one activity or task every month.  Each ‘t’  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 transitions need to undertake in order for them to move out of poverty or any hardships they are facing.

The first ‘t’ activity is about working with those in need to transition out of consumption-based poverty.

 

 

• • • Activity/Task 1 of the ‘t’ Project: Support People in Need to Transition out of Consumption-based Poverty

 

People can enter, exit and re-enter poverty.  There could be reasons which make that to happen.  For example, Ann Huff Stevens (3) explains that

“Two key factors drive poverty transitions: changes in household structure and change in labour market attachment at the individual or household level”.

These factors can also explain transitions in terms of poverty linked to consumption. 

As part of activity or task 1, one can refer to Stevens’ factors or other factors to work with those experiencing some difficulties in their transitions process, whether these people are moving through or out of consumption-based poverty.  This task or activity also features our January’s Goal or Goal of the Month, which is Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty.

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

For any other queries and enquiries about the ‘t‘ project and this year’s dedication, please contact CENFACS as well.

 

 

• Giving Hope to the Humanitarian Needy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024

 

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 2024 include the Eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Although the DR Congo is pursuing transformation via democratic transition processes, it is still suffering from a series of events or crises such as violent clashes between armed groups in the East of the country, natural disasters, the influx of refugees, extensive internal displacement, etc.  These events have caused tragedies, health and well-being issues.

One of these crises is a compound humanitarian crisis.  According to ‘rescue.org’ (4),

“The DR Congo enters 2024 with 24.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance – more than any other country on earth.  The magnitude of the crisis has strained services, creating high levels of food insecurity and fuelling the spread of disease.  The DR Congo’s 2023 humanitarian response plan received just 38% of its necessary funding”.

The December 2023 election process in the DR Congo did not escape from the negative effects of this humanitarian crisis.  Many of the Congolese who are suffering from the humanitarian crisis did struggle to cast their votes as they had to choose between reaching the poll stations to cast their votes and looking for food to eat.

The Humanitarian Needy of DR Congo Want Your Assistance.

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 Congolese 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 Congolese and £4 can assist in buying food or medicine.

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

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

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign

• New Year’s and January’s Goal: Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty

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

 

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign

Level 8: Cloud Technology to Reduce Poverty

 

Under the Digital and Social Media Campaign, we are continuing to work with our users 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 services they require to reduce or end poverty.  In this model of working together, they are different levels.

The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign is about Cloud Technology.  In this level, we shall work with users so that they can develop the skills necessary to access what is stored on internet servers in order for them to meet their needs.

 

• • What Is Cloud Technology?

 

There are many definitions within the information and communications technology literature.  The definition we have selected comes from ‘dynamixsolutions.com’ (5), which explains that

“Cloud computing technology allows people to use digital resources stored in the virtual space by way of networks – often satellite networks. It allows people to share information and applications without being restricted by their physical location.

From this definition, cloud computing is a technology that enables people to access resources on the internet.  There are advantages and disadvantages about this technology.  What we are interested in is their advantages, in particular how they can help the CENFACS Community to reduce or end poverty.

 

•  • Cloud Technology Skills to Reduce Poverty

 

This level of working together will be about using some skills to store data on the internet, use servers, access databases, network, briefly access resources.  These skills can help users in the process of reducing poverty linked to the lack of understanding on storing and retrieving information from a virtual storage system.

To enquire and or to support the level 8 of our Digital and Social Media Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• New Year’s and January’s Goal: Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty

 

Our monthly poverty reduction project or goal of the month, which is part of  CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme (6), resumes this January 2024 with the goal of Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty.  The project relates to the second goal of this programme; second 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.

 

• • What is Consumption-based Poverty?

 

Tara O’ Neil describes it on the website of ‘americanactionforum.org’ (7) 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”.

It is not a surprise if the Office for National Statistics (8) states that

“Consumption expenditure is thought to be a better measure of achieved living standards as it is through the consumption of goods and services that people satisfy their needs and wants over time”.

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

 

• • Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty

 

It is about bringing the consumption of a particular family or household to more than the poverty threshold.  Reducing consumption-based poverty by CENFACS supporters or promotors of this goal can include initiatives such as working with the consumption poor to improve their real disposable income, financial capacity and capability, income-generating activities, expectations and sentiment, wealth creation skills, etc.

For example, one can work with those in need and help them build household food safety net to reduce consumption-based poverty.

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 2023.  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 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 10 to 16 January 2024 the first activity of FCCBP and the first activity of FCCBS, as shown in the working plan below.

 

 

• • 10 to 16 January 2024: 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.

 

• • 10 to 16 January 2024: 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 (2024). 

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)

 

• À paraître cet hiver : le numéro de FACS et du Nouvel An (le numéro 82) qui s’intitulera ‘L’accession à la propriété privée et la sécurisation foncière pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique’

L’accession à la propriété privée et le régime foncier sont importants dans le processus de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Leur importance a été reconnue par de nombreuses organisations et institutions, dont la Banque mondiale (9), qui recommande d’accroître l’accès à la terre et le régime foncier pour les pauvres et les personnes vulnérables en redistribuant les terres rurales, en accordant des droits de propriété aux squatters sur les terres publiques urbaines, en supprimant les restrictions sur les terres locatives et en promouvant l’équité entre les sexes en documentant les droits fonciers des femmes.

Malgré cette reconnaissance, il y a des endroits ou des régions du monde où les pauvres et les personnes vulnérables n’ont toujours pas accès à la terre et au bail.  L’Afrique en fait partie. Bien que l’Afrique soit le deuxième plus grand et le deuxième continent le plus peuplé du monde après l’Asie dans les deux cas, c’est aussi un continent où les gens ont du mal à posséder une maison et/ou une terre.  C’est à ce point que l’Afrique est en tête en termes de pourcentage de la population urbaine vivant dans des quartiers informels.

Pourtant, la promotion d’un foncier durable et d’une gouvernance inclusive en Afrique fait partie de la politique foncière en Afrique et contribuera à la réalisation des aspirations et des objectifs de l’Agenda 2063. De même, l’Objectif de Développement Durable 11 (10) des Nations Unies qui vise à rendre les villes et les établissements humains inclusifs, sûrs, résilients et durables. La première cible du même objectif (c’est-à-dire la cible 11.1) est la suivante : « D’ici à 2030, garantir l’accès de tous à un logement adéquat, sûr et abordable et à des services de base et rénover les bidonvilles ».

Compte tenu du fait que l’Afrique est à la traîne en termes d’accession à la propriété et de régime foncier pour sa population ordinaire, le thème sous-jacent du 82e numéro de FACS traitera du double problème de l’accession à la propriété et de la terre en Afrique dans les zones d’opération des organisations caritatives sœurs basées en Afrique (OCSBA) du CENFACS. Il mettra en lumière le droit de posséder des terres en toute sécurité ou d’occuper et d’utiliser exclusivement une parcelle de terre particulière.

Cependant, le 82ème numéro de FACS aura une portée limitée car il n’aura pas l’ambition de traiter toutes les questions relatives à l’accession à la propriété et au foncier en Afrique. Au lieu de cela, le numéro se concentrera sur les problèmes rencontrés par les OCSBA du CENFACS et leurs bénéficiaires qui peuvent être des sans-abri, des sans-terre, des propriétaires pauvres et des locataires pauvres ; et qui voudraient travailler avec eux afin de réduire la pauvreté et l’insoutenabilité liées au manque d’accès à la propriété privée et à la sécurité foncière.

À cet égard, le numéro 82 examinera la relation entre la réduction de la pauvreté et l’accession à la propriété, entre la réduction de la pauvreté et le régime foncier dans l’Afrique d’aujourd’hui, en particulier dans les zones où opèrent les OCSBA du CENFACS. Le numéro fera valoir la nécessité de développer l’accession à la propriété privée et de sécuriser le régime foncier qui profite aux pauvres.

Le numéro 82 traitera de la répartition de l’énergie à la maison et sur la terre, et de la manière dont cette répartition de l’énergie peut contribuer à réduire la pauvreté et à améliorer le développement durable. En effet, l’accès à la propriété et le contrôle de la terre peuvent apporter beaucoup de choses à ceux ou celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté. Ils peuvent les aider à avoir un endroit fixe pour construire et planifier leur vie. Avoir un logement ou un terrain sûr peut être la première étape pour réduire la pauvreté et améliorer le développement durable.

Ce n’est pas une surprise si le « unhabitat.org » (11) affirme que

« La sécurité foncière et les droits de propriété permettent aux habitants des zones urbaines et rurales d’investir dans l’amélioration des logements et des moyens de subsistance ».

De même, le Fonds International de Développement Agricole (12) explique ce qui suit:

« La terre est essentielle à la vie des populations rurales pauvres.  C’est une source de nourriture, d’abri, de revenus et d’identité sociale… La sécurité foncière n’est pas seulement importante pour la production agricole.  Elle permet également aux gens de diversifier leurs moyens de subsistance en utilisant leurs terres comme garantie, en les louant ou en les vendant.

Le numéro 82 examinera les théories appropriées des droits de propriété privée et des théories des droits fonciers utilisées, car il combinera les arguments de la rareté, de l’État autoritaire et de la culture traditionnelle pour expliquer les questions d’accession à la propriété et de terre en Afrique.  Il abordera l’accession à la propriété privée comme une propriété privée. La propriété privée peut s’expliquer par la définition de la notion de « study.com » (13) comme suit:

« Propriété d’un bien corporel ou incorporel par une entité individuelle, plutôt que par l’État ou un propriétaire commun ».

Loin d’être un compte rendu des théories de l’accession à la propriété et de la terre, le numéro sera l’histoire d’OCSBA travaillant avec des sans-abri et des sans-terre pauvres pour trouver des établissements inclusifs, sûrs, résilients et durables. De ce point de vue, le numéro fournira quelques exemples de la façon dont les OCSBA tentent de travailler avec leurs sections locales afin de réduire la pauvreté due au manque d’accession à la propriété et de terres sûres, et comment les premières aident les secondes à accéder de manière adéquate, sûre et abordable à la propriété et à gravir les échelons de la propriété.

Le numéro 82 expliquera en outre comment l’absence de droits de propriété réels ou leur mauvaise application peut entraver et limiter le développement économique de certains groupes ethniques et des femmes rurales.  Au-delà de cette explication, le numéro fournira quelques pistes de solutions sur les problèmes rencontrés par ces groupes et les femmes, en particulier pour les groupes situés dans les sphères d’activité des OCSBA.

Le 82e numéro couvrira des domaines tels que l’accessibilité et l’abordabilité des logements pour les pauvres, les pauvres en tant que propriétaires, les droits des femmes à posséder des terres, en particulier dans les zones rurales, la mobilité résidentielle parmi les personnes à faible revenu, le logement durable pour les pauvres, la réalisation d’un accès à la propriété durable pour tous, la manière dont les OCSBA travaillent avec leurs sections locales pour réduire ou mettre fin à la pauvreté liée au manque d’accession à la propriété et au régime foncier, etc.

De plus amples détails sur le 82e numéro de FACS seront donnés cet hiver.  Cependant, pour ceux ou celles qui souhaiteraient se renseigner à ce sujet avant qu’il ne paraisse, ils/elles ne doivent pas hésiter à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

2024 Light Season’s Resources, Projects and Programmes

 

The following highlights the 2024 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 two types, which are:

 

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

(b) 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 the coronavirus, wars, natural disasters and the current the cost-of-living crisis

(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.

 

For example, the Appeal to Give Hope to the Humanitarian Needy of the Democratic Republic of Congo is at the same time for unfinished business of humanitarian work and any potential eruption of insecurity crisis in the New Year.  As the World Food Programme (14) puts it:

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing one of the world’s largest hunger crises.  According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an estimated 25.4 million people are experiencing crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity, including 5.5 million people in the three eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu”.

 

• • • Initiatives falling within the Season of Light

 

They consist of the following:

 

√ Consume to Reduce Poverty (Edition No. 12) with a Focus on Non-essential Consumption and the Reduction of Consumption-based Poverty

√ Financial Capacity and Capability Campaign 2024

√ 2024 Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook

√ Nature-positive Projects (New) 

√ Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.

 

The above mentioned initiatives are amongst the ones we have selected to kick-start 2024.  Apart from them, we shall take a moment to reflect on the poverty reduction landscape of 2023 by taking stock and charge of what happened in 2023, and how we can move forward in 2024.  In particular, we will be working together with beneficiaries on the following:

 

√ 2023 Year-end Financial Controls as Stocktaking and Charge Taking Tools for Poverty Reduction

√ Projects of Just, Orderly and Equitable Energy Transitions

√ Fossil-free Projects 

√ 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

√ Climate Actions 2024 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 2024 Light Season’s Initiatives

 

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

The above are 12 Initiatives to implement the Light Season 2024.  They are also 12 Essential Ways to Bring and Sustain Hope for Those in Need This Winter 2024. 

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

 

a) Since the global climate community committed itself to transition away from fossil fuels at the end of COP28 (15), the Installation Sub-phase of Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation has moved from Installation sub-phase (phase 3.2) to Initial Implementation sub-phase (phase 3.3)

b) Projects of Just, Orderly and Equitable Energy Transitions are our new initiative not only to feature the Season of Light, but also to volunteer for the poor and the planet

c) The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 8) is on Cloud Technology.

 

This initial implementation plan for the Light Season’s initiatives can change depending on the circumstances, events and conditions.  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 2024, please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

 References

 

(1) Marcotullio, P. J., Transition Theories  (pp. 236-248), in Iossifova, D., Doll, C.N. H., & Gasparatos, A. (Eds.), (2017), Defining the Urban: Interdisciplinary and Professional Perspectives (1st ed.), Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315576282 (accessed in January 2024)

(2) https://marcr.net/marcr-for-career-professionals/career-theory/career-theories-and-theories/transition-theory-nancy-k-schlossberg/ (accessed in January 2024)

(3) Stevens, A. H., Poverty Transitions, in Philip N. Jefferson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Poverty, Oxford Handbooks (2012; online edn, Oxford Academic, 28 Dec. 2012, https://doi.org/10.1093/Oxfordhb/9780195393781.013.0016, accessed in January 2024 

(4) https://www.rescue.org/en/article/top-10-crises-world-cant-ignore_ (accessed in January 2024)

(5) https://dynamixsolutions.com/what-is-cloud-technology-and-how-does-it-work/ (accessed in January 2024)

(6) cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/ (accessed in January 2024)

(7) 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)

(8) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/articles/anexpenditurebasedapproachtopovertyintheuk/financialyearending2017 (accessed in January 2024) 

(9) https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/securing-africas-land-for-shared-prosperity# (accessed in January 2024)

(10) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in January 2024)

(11) https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/07/indicator_1.4.2_training_module_secure_tenure_rights_to_land.pdf (accessed in January 2024)

(12) https://www.ifad.org/documents/38714170/39148759/Land+tenure+security+and+poverty+reduction.pdf/ (accessed in January 2024)

(13) https://study.com/academy/lesson/private-property-economics-overview-rights-examples.html (accessed in January 2024)

(14) https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/drc-emergency (accessed in January 2024)

(15) https://www.cop28.com/en/ (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 throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.