Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

02 August 2023

 

Post No. 311

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip 

• Activity/Task 8 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Run/Walk with or Visit the People in Need to Positively Influence Them

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Social Poverty

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip

 

August is CENFACS’ Track, Trending and Trip month.  What do we mean by that?  We mean that we are on the track of poverty reduction, we walk to meet those in need and we follow the direction of poverty reduction.  Let us briefly explain these key words or activities of the month making our triple pack (i.e., track, trending and trip).

 

• • On the Track of Poverty Reduction

 

We are on the Track of poverty reduction as we are looking for relief for ourselves and other people.  We do Track at CENFACS as we think that every one of us can undertake basic physical activity of running or racing to help reduce poverty.  In this process of tracking, we also try to reduce or eliminate poverty due to being on the wrong side of the tracks.

To basically run or race, one does not need to be part of field event.  For those who cannot in-person run, they can do it virtually or online.  Our project known as Run to Reduce Poverty is designed to meet that end.

This Summer, we are going to do Tracking while taking into account the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

 

• • Trips or Walks to CENFACS’ Projects

 

August is also the month during which we carry out some Trips to our projects.  We visit our projects all over the year, but August is the time we highlight this.  We do a short journey to one of the places in need.  It is the month of the year we walk again and reach out to the need, to the people, communities, organisations and livelihoods in need.

This Summer, we are going to undertake both Virtual or In-person Trips depending on the circumstances prone to the rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus.  We can work alone or use our social network or social wayfinding or even social trail.

 

• • Trendy Development

 

We thirdly deal with Trending in August as we spend time looking at what is popular at CENFACS in the context of poverty reduction as well as what is the current general movement or tendency in poverty reduction.  This is what we can call Trendy Development; that is a development process following the latest fashions in terms of poverty reduction.

Trending in Poverty Reduction helps us to follow the direction of poverty reduction. This August we are going to follow this direction or tendency of poverty (or poverty reduction) via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

Marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) can help reduce poverty, particularly through provisioning and regulating services they provide.  Marine and coastal ecosystems contribute or enhance climate aspects of sustainable development.  However, the ability of poor people to benefit from MCES depends on barriers they face which could be related to access to resources, technology, markets and other factors.

We are interested in the specific benefits of MCES to poverty reduction.  We are going to follow this direction in-person.  Where we have problem to follow it in-person, we shall do it via online, video, phone, screen and digital technological means of communication and on papers (print).

 

• • Track, Trending and Trips in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and the Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

The contexts of this summer are of rising costs of living, changing climate and the lingering effects of the coronavirus.  We are going to integrate these factors into the theme of Summer when carrying out these three activities of August 2023: Track, Trending and Trip.

More details about CENFACS’ Track, Trending and Trips month for this year is given under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 8 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Run/Walk with or Visit the People in Need to Positively Influence Them

 

As part of CENFACS’ Influence Year and Project, the activity or task to be carried out for this month is to undertake the physical activity of running or walking with the people in need.  In the process of running and/or walking, one can try to positively influence them so that they can navigate or find their way towards relief.

Alternatively, one can in-person visit the people in need and try to positively influence them to explain the kind of problems they have and discuss with them the types of solutions they would like to see.  The following examples can help illustrate these activities.

 

• • Examples of August 2023 Influencing Activities

 

To put into practice CENFACS’ Influence Year and Project and of the month of Track, Trip and Trending; one can proceed with either of the following Influencing Activities:

Influencing Activity 8.1: Safely and Healthily Run 2.5 miles (nearly 4 km) with people in need to create user-generated information opportunity through the use of influencing skills

Influencing Activity 8.2: Undertake Virtual or In-person Visits or Tours of 3 Influencing projects or activities; projects or activities based on influencing facts, information and skills acquired through experience or education, and which use influencing methodology and tools to support people this Summer 2023

Influencing Activity 8.3: Carry out online search to find 6 Trends in poverty reduction for projects that are based on the positive influence of people in need to navigate their way out of poverty.

The above three examples of Influence-based Activities are our way of linking our ‘i’ Year/Project and the month of Track, Trip and Trending together.

These run, walk and visit can also be done virtually if there are problems to conduct them in-person.

The above if the activity or task for the ‘i’ Year/Project for those who are interested in carrying it out.  For those who want any clarification of any aspects of the activity or task, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Social Poverty

 

This month, we are also interested in the social aspect of poverty.  This interest began last week when we asked those who would like to write a journal of Happiness and Healthiness for this Summer.  The first activity of this Journal is to write about social support.  This month, we are diving into social support by looking at social poverty.  Sometimes, people may need social support because they are socially poor.  What is social poverty?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Social Poverty

 

Our understanding of social poverty comes from Sarah Halpern-Meeken (1), who explains that

“Social poverty entails social isolation that is more than momentary, and that cannot be addressed through one’s current relational resources… What sets these feelings apart from being food insecure or socially poor is whether or not the person experiencing these feelings can access the resources necessary to address these issues…  That social poverty is a subjective experience makes its consequences for physical and mental health no less real – unaddressed social isolation can raise the risks of morbidity and mortality”.

There are many examples of social poverty.   To name just one is the isolation created and/or exacerbated by poor path condition or the lack of bridges for safer crossing of rivers in some places of the world, including Africa.

 

• • Reducing Social Poverty

 

Let us take the example of the isolation created and/or exacerbated by poor path condition or the lack of bridges.

Improving connection to the road network and transport services for all seasons can help reduce both isolation and social poverty.  The benefits deriving from such improvements could be life-saving ones for those walking or travelling for medical reasons and outreach.  How many times we hear stories or have been told that people in need of humanitarian assistance could not be reached because they were stranded in their homes/town or cut off from the rest of world and they could not access any life-saving and -changing services as they are isolated, therefore social poor.  They need corridors or drones for food and medicine to be dispatched.

So, improved access through footpaths and bridges can help reduce isolation and social poverty.  During this month of August 2023, CENFACS shall be working with the community to help tackle social poverty.

The above is our poverty reduction goal for this month, which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity

• Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments to Report Back and Build Forward 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity

 

Generosity is one of the six predictors of happiness and healthiness.  One can create a journal about what they are giving (or gave) or are receiving (or received) unselfishly.

Like last Summer, this Summer is tough for many ordinary people and families since the cost-of-living crisis can only make things difficult for them.  Many of these poor people and families are looking for unselfish help and support.

For those who would manage to give or receive this generous support; they can create a journal for the things, organisations and people who have been unselfishly supportive to their happiness and healthiness during this Summer 2023.

They can record their thoughts, feelings and experiences in relation to the generous support they have received or given.  They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy generous support.  This can be recorded in their journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2023.

To share the contents of their happiness and healthiness journal relating to philanthropic support, and help build a better Summer holiday experience; they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments to Report Back and Build Forward 

 

Whether one has a Summer break or is working over this Summer, it is always a good idea to impact capture and record your memorable moments or just what you are doing.

 

• • Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments as they Happen

 

Capture and record Summer activities (e.g., engagement activities where the people in your experience are engaged) that can lead to impact.  You can look for impact when capturing and recording your Summer moments.

However, impact can be difficult to track, in particular for those who do not have experience for impact capturing and recording.  You can keep track of the people who are participating in your Summer experiences.  For those who are not familiar with impact capturing and recording, they can take these basic actions:

 

∝ Look for different types of impact

∝ Use various leads and mediums of finding and mapping impact

∝ Appeal to indicators for impact

∝ Refer to impact capturing and recording tools

∝ Decide what you need to track for your impact

etc.

 

These basic actions will enable them to create an impact record.

After Summer, we often ask our project beneficiaries or the community to impact report their Summer experience back.  If you impact record what you are doing this Summer, after Summer it will be easier to share what you may judge is a shareable part of your Summer experience or story.

 

• • Do not Forget to Take Photos and Pictures, Make a Video, Record Your Voice, Podcast, etc.!

 

If you decide to impact capture and record your Summer activities or experiences, please do not forget to take photos and pictures, make a video, record your voice, podcast, etc.    It is also useful to write down dates, places and names of people involved in your Summer projects or experiences.  You can plan the way you want to impact report back, whether you want to use words or numbers or voices or information graphics (e.g. tables or graphs, figures, etc.).

Before including people around you in your recorded experience, please take care of General Data Protection Regulations.  This extra care will help to protect yourself and others.  If necessary, please check the policy on handling people’s information and data, including update on this policy.

 

• • Impact Reporting Back Your Summer Experiences to Build Forward Better Together

 

Impact reporting back your experiences can sometimes inspire others, especially if your experiences contain poverty-relieving features or outcomes.  Sometimes what you may think is not important in your life experience could be very useful or even life-saving for others in the community.  Your experiences could help to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer.

We hope you will seriously take our message of impact capturing and recording to impact report back and build forward better together.

Thank you!

 

 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects

 

The 2024 Edition of our Summer Humanitarian Appeal and Campaign has now been completed and is ready for support.  We have added to CENFACS’ Win against Distress in Africa the other four remaining projects making this appeal. The addition includes:

 

√ All Gifts for All Poor 

√ International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis

√ Iconic Young Carer 

√ ELCLASSICO International.

 

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

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Capturez l’impact et enregistrez vos moments révélateurs de l’été pour en rendre compte et construire vers l’avant

Que l’on ait une pause estivale ou que l’on travaille cet été, c’est toujours une bonne idée de capturer et d’enregistrer vos moments mémorables ou simplement ce que vous faites.

• • Capturez l’impact et enregistrez vos moments révélateurs de l’été au fur et à mesure qu’ils se produisent

Capturez et enregistrez les activités estivales (p. ex., les activités d’engagement où les personnes de votre expérience sont engagées) qui peuvent avoir un impact.  Vous pouvez rechercher un impact lors de la capture et de l’enregistrement de vos moments d’été.

Cependant, l’impact peut être difficile à suivre, en particulier pour ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas d’expérience en matière de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact.  Vous pouvez suivre les personnes qui participent à vos expériences estivales.  Pour ceux ou celles qui ne sont pas familiers(ières) avec la capture et l’enregistrement d’impact, ils/elles peuvent prendre ces mesures de base:

∝ recherchez différents types d’impact

∝ utilisez divers moyens de recherche et de cartographie de l’impact

∝ faites appel aux indicateurs d’impact

∝ vous reportez aux outils de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact

∝ décidez de ce que vous devez suivre pour votre impact

etc.

Ces actions de base leur permettront de créer un dossier d’impact.

Après l’été, nous demandons souvent à nos bénéficiaires de projets ou à la communauté de nous faire part de leur expérience estivale.  Si vous avez un impact sur ce que vous faites cet été, après l’été, il sera plus facile de partager ce que vous pourriez juger être une partie partageable de votre expérience ou de votre histoire estivale.

• • N’oubliez pas de prendre des photos et des images, de faire une vidéo, d’enregistrer votre voix, votre podcast, etc.!

Si vous décidez de capturer et d’enregistrer vos activités ou expériences estivales, n’oubliez pas de prendre des photos et des images, de faire une vidéo, d’enregistrer votre voix, votre podcast, etc.    Il est également utile d’écrire les dates, les lieux et les noms des personnes impliquées dans vos projets ou expériences d’été.  Vous pouvez planifier la façon dont vous souhaitez avoir un impact sur le rapport, que vous souhaitiez utiliser des mots, des chiffres, des voix ou des graphiques d’information (par exemple, des tableaux ou des graphiques, des figures, etc.).

Avant d’inclure des personnes autour de vous dans votre expérience enregistrée, veuillez prendre en compte les règles générales de protection des données.  Ces soins supplémentaires vous aideront à vous protéger et à protéger les autres.  Si c’est nécessaire, veuillez vérifier la politique sur le traitement des informations et des données des personnes, y compris la mise à jour de cette politique.

• • Rapport d’impact sur vos expériences estivales pour mieux construire ensemble

Le rapport d’impact de vos expériences peut parfois inspirer d’autres personnes, surtout si vos expériences contiennent des résultats de réduction de la pauvreté.  Parfois, ce que vous pensez n’est pas important dans votre expérience de vie peut être très utile ou même sauver la vie d’autres membres de la communauté.  Vos expériences pourraient aider à mieux construire ensemble plus proprement, plus vert et plus sûr.

Nous espérons que vous prendrez au sérieux notre message de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact pour rendre compte de l’impact et mieux construire ensemble.

Merci!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip 

 

Our thematic and working model of Summer of Happiness and Healthiness in the context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; will continue this month through the three activities of…

 

1) TRACK to help reduce poverty

2) Virtual or In-person TRIPS to projects and locals

3) TRENDING in poverty reduction by following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

 

The following headings contain the elements making this model:

 

∝ Track, Trip and Trending 2023 Activities

∝ August 2023 Trending Activities/Programme

∝ In Focus from Wednesday 02/08/2023: Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems.

 

Let us uncover what is inside these headings.

 

• • Track, Trip and Trending 2023 Activities

 

• • • Track to Help Reduce Poverty in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

This is delivered through the project Run to Reduce Poverty, Gaming to Reduce Poverty and Vote your African Manager of Poverty Reduction. These are All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives.

However, because of the weather conditions (sunshine) and nature of August (holiday time for many of our project beneficiaries and supporters) we put a particular emphasis on the Run aspects of these all-year round projects, over this month.  One can do physical run out and indoor while bearing in mind the lingering effects of the coronavirus and rising temperatures.

We expect those who sign up to the Run element to take actions and run it by themselves while following to letter any health and safety rules (e.g. Protection against the lingering effects of the coronavirus) relating to this element.  After summer or at any convenient time before the end of the year, they can all report back our individual Run activity and achievements.

 

• • • Virtual or In-person TRIPS to Projects and Locals in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

This is the second aspect of our Summer 2023 Triple Pack or part of work over the month of August at CENFACS.  We expect and advise our supporters to visit some of our projects and initiatives whether in the UK or in Africa during and around the month of August.

For those who cannot in-person or physically visit projects on the grounds, arrangements can be made between the prospective visitors and the organisations to be visited so that they can organise a virtual trip, tour or viewing.

This requires that the visitors and visiting organisations have the technology that enables this virtual tour to happen.  If this is possible, we expect and advise our supporters to virtually visit some of projects and initiatives whether in the UK or in Africa during and around the month of August.

 

a) Visits to Projects/Initiatives within the UK

 

Because we are also talking about Trip to the needs in the context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; our Visit this year will be to see how these three events have affected local people and local needs as well.  During the Visit, we shall have the opportunity to see in real life how these people are strategically coping to manage these events.

 

b) Trips to Projects/Initiatives in Africa

 

Trip to the need and project includes some of the experiences undertaken by CENFACS’ All-in-Development Volunteers through field work involvements and project visits, to reach out to unreached, underserved and unserved people and communities, particularly those living in remote areas of Africa.  It is the kind of experiences or expeditions that we recommend to future invertebrate and vertebrate volunteers to have and report back in September or after.

These trips also help us to check if we are on the right track at helping to reduce poverty and at tracking our records for the work on the ground.

Because the theme of trending for this Summer is about Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, we are going to link Trip to the need on the ground in terms of what services marine and coastal ecosystems provide to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • TRENDING in Poverty Reduction by Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

Sustainable development does not need to be trendy, but we can follow the latest fashions in sustainable development and poverty reduction.

This August, we are dealing with Trending in poverty reduction by following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services and their capacity in lifting people out poverty. We mean by that we are following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

In order to make sense of our trending activity, let us briefly explain marine and coastal ecosystem services and their relationship with poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Basic Understanding of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

To understand Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, we are going to first define ecosystem.  Then, we shall briefly explain marine and coastal ecosystem.

 

a) Defining ecosystem

 

The definition of ecosystem used here is the one provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2), which is

“Ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.  Humans are an integral part of ecosystems”.

From this definition of ecosystem, it is possible to deduct the meaning of marine and coastal ecosystem.

 

b) Meaning of marine and coastal ecosystem

 

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (3), marine ecosystem is

“A saltwater aquatic ecosystem that includes estuaries and coastal areas, along with the open sea and oceans” (p. 269)

The same dictionary explains coast as

“The zone where the land meets the sea, which is the boundary between terrestrial and marine environmental systems” (p. 86)

Coastal ecosystem is the ecosystem that applies to the zone where the land meets the sea.

From the above-mentioned definitions, we can now try to understand marine and coastal ecosystem services.

 

c) What are marine and coastal ecosystem services?

 

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (op. cit.) states that

“Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.  These include provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services.”

Marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) are therefore the advantages and positive aspects of marine and coastal life that ecosystems provide to humans.

MCES contribute a lot to human lives.  In the context of our activity of looking at MCES, we are specifically interested in how these services are helping people to reduce and possibly end poverty.  This does not mean that the other contributions or benefits of MCES are irrelevant.  It just means that we are going to focus on what MCES are doing to people in need in order for them to escape from poverty and hardships.  And if MCES can do something about poverty, this could suggest that there could be relationship between MCES and poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Possible Relationships between MCES and Poverty Reduction

 

There are various relations between MCES and poverty reduction if one considers each service making the MCES as well as the whole MCES.  It is possible to identify these relationships if one takes into account the well known classification of MCES in terms of provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services.  There are studies carried out about these relationships.  There are research findings that recognise the relationships between provisioning and regulating MCES and poverty reduction, while making in doubt the relationships between cultural MCES and poverty reduction.

 

• • • • • Example of study on the relationships between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation

 

If one refers to the conceptual framework for linking ecosystem services to poverty alleviation provided by Katrina Brown et al. (4), this framework enables the analysis of important aspects of the relationship between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation.  There are benefits and value of MCES to poor people in terms of the capacity of poor to benefit from them and of poor-perspective value of MCES.

Katrina Brown et al. (op. cit.) argue that the ability of poor to benefit from ecosystem services depend on barriers to benefit from these services; barriers relating to access to resources, technology, markets and other factors.

They conclude in their synthesis report that

“Access to ecosystem services is mediated by a range of societal factors [like gender, migration, health status, age, occupation, etc.], and is not merely a product of scarcity or abundance of a resource” (p. 66)

“It is important to understand the multiple and interacting processes and factors which make people dependent on ecosystem services and vulnerable to change in ecosystem services” (p. 66)

The above indicates that there are areas whereby there could a link or no link between MCES and poverty reduction.

From what has being argued about the above mentioned relationships, we will be observing how MCES are doing to hep reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  We will be looking at the extent to which MCES can be poverty reducer and sustainability enhancer.

So, we will be following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services in a Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  This is what will be trending at CENFACS.  More details about this trending is given below.

 

• • August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme

 

August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme will focus on commonly known four types of MCES and how they can help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These MCES are: provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services.  To follow them, we need a plan.

 

• • • August 2023 Working Plan about Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

The following table (table no. 1) summarises our August 2023 plan of work from every Wednesday.

 

On 30 and 31 August 2023, we will be conducting impact monitoring and evaluation of August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme.

If you are interested in this trending programme, please share with us your experience or comments about it.

Further explanation about this August month’s activities can be obtained from CENFACS.

 

• • In Focus from Wednesday 02/08/2023: Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

Before explaining how we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction here, let us first understand the provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.

 

• • • Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

• • • • What are Provisioning Services?

 

There are many definitions within the marine and coastal literature about provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.  Most of these definitions tend to be similar.  One of them comes from the website ‘biodiversity.fi’ (5) that states

“Provisioning services are tangible products that people obtain from ecosystems.  These include food, water, raw materials, energy and genetic resources…Provisioning services are vital in the human economy and have often well-developed markets and valuation systems”.

For example, Katrina Brown at al. (op. cit.) summarise in a table in their synthesis report about ecosystem services the following ecosystem services and key ecosystems providing services to poor coastal dwellers.

The ecosystem services they mention include building materials (e.g. poles, limestone), fuel (wood and charcoal), fisheries, aquaculture, agricultural products, other natural products (e.g. honey), employment and income, medicines, fresh water, seaweed production, and tourism income.

The key ecosystems providing services they refer to are mangroves and coral reefs, mangroves and coastal forests, all marine habitats, coastal land, mangroves, coastal forests, systems providing provisioning services, forests, mangroves and seawater, forests, coastal waterways, shallow lagoons, coral reefs, and beaches.

What is important is not the question whether or not marine and coastal ecosystems supply services to humans.  What is at stake here is about how these products or services can help to reduce poverty for those living in poverty.  In order to know that these products/services are helping to reduce poverty, it is better to follow the direction of poverty via provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.  We can historically follow that direction and/or currently get on track of it.

 

• • • Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

Provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems do help to reduce poverty.   Amongst these provisioning services, fisheries and building materials are the most spoken about.  Small scale fishing provides food, livelihood and source of income opportunities to marine and coastal poor and local people.  Aquaculture is also being mentioned as a key provisioning service for marine and coastal poor.  Mangroves and coral reefs provide ecosystem services for the local poor in terms of poverty reduction.

Those who are gifted enough and live in the marine and coastal areas, they have the opportunity, if they have permitted access, to have marine and coastal products to feed themselves, to cure themselves from disease, to maintain their lifestyle, to have fresh water, etc.  Those who live beyond the perimeter of marine and coastal zones can as well enjoy the provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems as long as transport of marine and coastal products allowed it or if they can afford to buy provisioning services traded in markets.

If that is the case, then it is possible to observe or follow the journey of marine and coastal products and check how they are helping to reduce poverty.  In this observation and journey, it is better to consider marine and coastal products as they come from the sea and coast.  This way, one can better seize their impact on poverty reduction and on poor marine and coastal people.

The above is our trending work from Wednesday 02 to 08/08/2023; work which has already started.

To follow with us the direction of poverty reduction via provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems, please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Halpern-Meeken, S. (2020), Social Poverty and Relational Resources, Vol. 19, Issue 2 at https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504220920195 (accessed in August 2023)

(2) https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.431.aspx.pdf# (accessed in August 2023)

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

(4) Brown, K., Daw, T., Rosendo, S., Bunce, M. & Cherrett, N., (2008), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Marine and Coastal Situational Analysis; Synthesis Report at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08bb640f0b652dd000e36/MarineandCoastal_Synthesis-Report.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(5) https://www.biodiversity.fi/ecosystemservices/services/provisioning/ (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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

26 July 2023

 

Post No. 310

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 3):  Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme

• 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight Activities from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

… And much more! 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

Our summer 2023 campaign about finding health relief and happy fulfilment continues this week with some brief accounts about Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023.  These summaries are about projects to keep children, young people and families happy and healthy over Summer 2023 and in the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

As we explained in the last week’s post, there are three features about this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects.  These features are as follows:

 

1) the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members

2) the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members

3) social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.  

 

These blended particulars will be apparent as Happiness and Healthiness Projects get fully unveiled and implemented.

The above-mentioned essential summaries can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  The full details of these projects are also available on request from CENFACS, including ways of accessing and using them.

To access and or support them, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 3):  Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme

 

Our 3-tier impact feedback has reached its third level or tier.  Unlike Impact Feedback of our 2022-2023 Programmes and Projects given by Users and Stakeholders, Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme is provided by CENFACS to inform its audience (including users and stakeholders) about the progress it is making in terms of this programme.

 

• • What is this Impact Feedback from CENFACS about?

 

CENFACS’ Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F (2020 to 2030 to 2063 Follow up) Programme is about the observation on the following five key components of this follow-up programme:

 

(a) The Paris Treaty

(b) The Istanbul Declaration

(c) The Maputo Treaty

(d) The United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

(e) Africa’s Agenda 2063.

 

This feedback also provides our feelings and what we would like (if we could) to be different regarding these five frameworks or pieces of work.

Our observation, feelings and need of difference will be in terms of progress made so far concerning these frameworks.  Our observation, feelings and need of difference are indeed in relation to the kind of work of poverty reduction we do since these global and international frameworks/initiatives greatly impact us.  Our feedback is not an evaluation of these frameworks of work.  What observation do we make about them?

 

• • Observation about the Five Pillars of XX236.3 F Programme

 

The following statement is what we would like to make about the five pillars.

Concerning the Paris Treaty, one can hope that Enhanced Transparency Framework, which will start in 2024, will enable countries to transparently report on action taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received.  One would also expect that zero-carbon solutions will become the norm or way of life for most people.

Regarding the Istanbul Declaration, it is better to wish that the application of the cybercrime frame to digital violence against women will extend its work as a supporting tool.  One can as well believe that this tool will continue to provide information on and combat violence against women on the basis of the Istanbul Convention.

As to the Maputo Treaty, one can expect that progress in realising women’s and girls’ rights and aspirations will continue and be evened within and between countries.  Discriminatory laws will be abolished if one wants to build forward better together by leaving no one behind.  One can as well desire that improvement in sexual and reproductive health will carry on.  Sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and female genital cutting will end.

CENFACS will keep on advocating for the promotion of Africa’s women and girl rights in all forms of human empowerment.

With respect to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, many studies are warning about the impossibility of meeting these goals by their deadline of 2030.  In particular, many of these studies speak about the impact of the coronavirus on the realisation of these goals.  Amongst this body of works includes the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 from the United Nations Department of Economic Social Affairs (1) which points to the same direction of missing targets.

Let us hope that the upturn and return of the global economy will help the developing regions of the world, in particular Africa, to better navigate their way towards the realisation of the above-mentioned goals.

With reference to Africa’s Agenda 2063,  the African Union’s report (2) on the implementation of this Agenda 2063 indicates that Africa performed better in 2021 than in 2019.  There are still challenges and threats, just as there are opportunities and priorities for Africa.  What many Africans would like to see is a sustained progress about the implementation of this agenda.

The above is just an observation we wanted to make about these pillars.  Some elements of this observation do not come from us as many people have the same feeling or view like ours.  This observation is not complete.  For those who would like to know more about our observation, feelings and need of difference regarding these pieces of framework of work, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight Activities from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

The two tasks or activities (i.e., data analytics and data insight of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year) have been carried out and will finish by the 31st of July 2023.  Although these data activities are jointly conducting, let us briefly highlight each of them.

 

• • 2022-2023 Data Analytics Activity from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

To highlight Data Analytics Activity, it is better to mention what needs to be said concerning this activity and its usefulness.

 

• • • What this Data Analytics Activity is about

 

It is about continuing to collect, transform and organise 2022-2023 data.  To do that, we are using descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics.  Data analytics skills such as data management, probability, statistics and others are also engaged in this analytics process.

Once this work is completed, we shall draw conclusions, make predictions and drive informed decision-making process about our poverty reduction work.  In other words, we will be using data findings to theorise and forecast poverty reduction as well as build data systems.

For example, we shall look at what fundraising data, humanitarian appeals data and so on tell us.  We can also consider data from the campaign on financial controls in 2023 and determine to continue or redesign or close this campaign.

 

• • • How this Data Analytics Activity is useful

 

This Data Analytics Activity will help to track projects (like All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives) as well as to make informed decision for the new financial year.  We can look at data about services we provide and decide which ones to continue, update or close.  We can further check the community members’ data or beneficiaries’ data to decide if the needs have been met or unmet within the community.  This data analytics will help to drive CENFACS‘ strategy in the new financial year.

 

• • 2022-2023 Data Insights Generation from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

To draw attention to Data Insights Generation we are conducting, we are going to narrate what relates to it and its helpfulness.

 

• • • What this Data Insight Generation is about

 

It is about collecting, organising and curating data about the 2022-2023 programmes and projects.  We are as well extracting knowledge from 2022-2023 data while analysing the extracted knowledge.  Once this knowledge extraction is completed, we shall hypothesize action plans for each insight and apply the insight/action plan.

 

• • • How this Data Insight Generation is helpful

 

Gleaned data-driven insights will help in a number of ways.  For example, they can assist in the following:

 

√ identifying, categorising and crafting individualised messages to prospective donors for marketing purpose

√ customising messages to Africa-based Sister Organisations

√ finding out new members for targeted marketing in terms of their preferences

√ detecting users’ needs in times of high demand induced by natural catastrophes or crises (like the cost-of-living crisis, geo-economic crisis) or war events in Africa

√ determining popular contents within the CENFACS Community

√ improving CENFACS reporting and analytics capabilities

√ boosting CENFACS poverty reduction work

√ enhancing CENFACS‘ work on sustainable development

etc.

 

The above is the summary of 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight activities. 

For those who would like to know more about these activities, they can contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal: Creative Activity No. 1: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Social Support

• Happiness and Healthiness Budgets 2023 – Holiday Budget Deficit

• Data Analytics and Insight Experiences from the Perspective of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal: Creative Activity No. 1: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Social Support

 

Social support is one of the six predictors of happiness and healthiness.  But, what is social support?   Social support can be defined in many ways.  According to ‘verywellmind.com’ (3),

“Social support involves having a network of family and friends that you can turn to in times of need”.

The website ‘verywellmind.com’ adds by arguing this:

“Social support refers to the psychological and material resources provided by a social network to help individuals cope with stress”.

One can refer to the above definition and create a journal for having someone to count on in time of trouble like of the cost-of-living crisis or any other social network matter over this Summer.  They can do more within this first creative activity.

 

• • What else they can do as part of this creative activity no.1

 

They can create a journal for the things and people who have been socially supportive to their enjoyment and good conditions of life during this Summer 2023.

They can record their thoughts, feelings and experiences in relation to the social support they have received or given.

They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy social support as recorded in their journal by the end of Summer 2023.

 

• • Sharing the content of your journal

 

One of the objectives of this journal is to share one’s Summer holiday experience.  Thus, sharing your Summer holiday experience via the records from your journal could be helpful and useful for others who are looking for social support and inspiration.  You can share the content of your journal via CENFACS by submitting it.

To submit the contents of your happiness and healthiness journal relating to social support, and help build a better Summer holiday experience within the community, please contact CENFACS.  When submitting the content of your journal to us, please do not forget to give us permission to share it.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Budgets 2023 – Holiday Budget Deficit

How to Sustainably Manage Budget Deficit in the Treble Context of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and the Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

We are continuing our hacks, hints and tips to help in budgeting Happiness and Healthiness by looking at holiday budget deficit.

 

• • What is a budget deficit and why does it matter for poor people?

 

A deficit is generally defined as the amount by which expenditure is greater than real income.  In terms of holiday budget deficit, it simply means that one’s holiday expenditure is more than holiday income.  It is a negative balance which could suggest that there could be a need to finance it (here holiday budget deficit).

Yet, speaking about holiday budget deficit could seem bizarre since we are talking about poor people or those in need.  These are the people who often struggle to make ends meet.   They are the ones who often are short of money to tie the knots of the two ends of the month.  Despite that any sensible humans should do some budgeting, here holiday budgeting.

 

• • What is budgeting for a household?

 

Budgeting is forward thinking process that can help to coordinate the different areas of household life while defining responsibility and delegating powers within the same household.  It is indeed an instrument for household control as well as a basis for decision making process and changing plans where there is a need to do so.

For those households making our community who are familiar with budgeting process, they know they need to budget their holiday incomings and outgoings.  For those ones who are unfamiliar with this process, CENFACS is available for help and support.

 

• • Working with the community on holiday budget

 

We are available to work on the budgeting process with those who are struggling to make ends meet and those who are interested in budgeting their holiday expenses and incomes.  We will be working on how to avoid and sustainably manage holiday budget in a Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

For those who are familiar with online tools, they can find countless examples of family or household budgets sometimes in the form of Microsoft Application Spread sheets.  For those who are unfamiliar with these free available online resources, they can use CENFACS’ line of financial advisory support.

In the construction of this Summer Happiness and Healthiness Budget, it is better to include numbers relating to lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

So, we will be checking with them on which part of this deficit is attributable or not attributable to the above mentioned contexts or factors.  This exercise enables to take into consideration the way in which these factors are affecting their holiday budget in what they eat, drink, cover or uncover their body, entertain, shelter, etc.

To learn or seek support on how to avoid and sustainably manage holiday budget deficit or negative budget balance in Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Data Analytics and Insight Experiences from the Perspective of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

This week, we are as well looking at the way in which our Africa-based Sister Organisations perceive data analytics and insight.  It is pointless to mention that theories of data analytics and insight used can be the same.  But, the context in which these theories can be applied and the perception of the data analytics and insight could be slightly different, especially in places where there could be data poverty.

Because of these differences in perceptions and theory applications, it is a great idea to exchange views with our ASOs on data analytics and insight of programmes and projects in the African context.  This is an enriched and technically valuable exercise which will enable both sides to align works, cement their partnership and continue to develop sustainable initiatives.

We are therefore inviting ASOs that have impact stories or case studies or experiences about their own data analytics and insight processes to share with us.  Likewise, we are asking to those ASOs that need advisory support in the area of data analytics and insight to let us know.  This is an opportunity to learn and develop best practices and policies in this area.

Need to share your work or experience in terms of data analytics and insight for the programmes and projects you are running, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Expériences sur l’analytique et la perspicacité des données du point de vue des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique

Cette semaine, nous examinons également la façon dont nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique perçoivent l’analyse et la perspicacité des données.  Il est inutile de mentionner que les théories de l’analyse des données et de la perspicacité utilisées peuvent être les mêmes.  Mais le contexte dans lequel ces théories peuvent être appliquées et la perception de l’analyse et de la perspicacité des données pourraient être légèrement différents, en particulier dans les endroits où il pourrait y avoir une pauvreté de données.

En raison de ces différences dans les perceptions et les applications théoriques, c’est une excellente idée d’échanger des points de vue avec nos/des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique sur l’analytique et la perspicacité de données des programmes et des projets dans le contexte africain.  Il s’agit d’un exercice enrichi et techniquement précieux qui permettra aux deux parties d’aligner les travaux, de cimenter leur partenariat et de continuer à développer des initiatives durables.

Nous invitons donc les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui ont des histoires, des études de cas ou des expériences sur leurs propres analyses de données et leurs idées à partager avec nous.  De même, nous demandons aux organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui ont besoin d’un soutien consultatif dans le domaine de l’analytique et de la perspicacité des données de nous le faire savoir.  C’est l’occasion d’apprendre et d’élaborer des pratiques exemplaires et des politiques dans ce domaine.

Si vous avez besoin de partager votre travail ou votre expérience en termes d’analytique et de perspicacité des données pour les programmes et projets que vous menez, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

The following headings will help to summarise Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023:

 

∝ 2023 Edition of Summer of Happiness, Healthiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Protection and Sustainability

∝ Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

Let us briefly uncover these headings.

 

• • 2023 Edition of Summer of Happiness, Healthiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Protection and Sustainability

 

This 2023 Edition is out now and trending.  It covers the main initiatives and activities planned for this summer.  In this edition, the 2023 Happiness and Healthiness Projects may have kept the same names for some of these projects like in the previous Summers, but their contents reflect this year’s themes of happiness and healthiness in the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

These projects are as follows:

 

1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource (this year’s focus is on Finance for Holiday)

2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities

3) Summer Harmony with Nature

4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding at the Time of Cost-of-living Crisis

6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities.

 

They are the combination of skills, knowledge, resources, tools, fixers, enhancements, boosters and tasters for poverty relief.  They consist of:

 

√ Two resource projects (Family Happiness and Healthiness Mini-Guide, and Holiday Information Manager)

√ One communication-protection project (Networking Platform for Happiness and Healthiness)

√ One climate and environmental campaign (Summer Harmony with Nature)

√ One interactive (interaction between people and their community) project (True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness)

√ One set of initiatives to stay happy  (Happiness Enhancing Activities).

 

They are the projects to build forward together better summer holiday in cleaner, greener and safer way.

In their design, we have considered the effects of climate change all over our Summer 2023 Programme.  In other words, all the six Happiness and Healthiness Projects will have green, sustainable and climate changing contents.  They will be aligned with greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.  The consideration of the effects of climate change all across is what makes Summer 2023 of a zero or neutral carbon one.

This is done to help improve life evaluation while taking actions to enhance the same life in a changing climate.  In this way, Summer can be a season of Happiness and Healthiness NOT of Misery for un-served and under-served children, young people and families who are at the same time the victims of the adverse effects of climate change, particularly but not exclusively extreme temperatures.

They are the victims of adverse effects of climate change because climate change affects the way they dress, eat, house, educate, entertain, care for their health, and above all the way they pass Summer holiday.

We can briefly present these projects one by one as follows.

 

 

• • Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

  

Here are the essential summaries of the Happiness and Healthiness Projects making the 2023 Summer Programme Part II.  As said previously, these projects can help in achieving some happy, helpful, healthful and hopeful Summer plans, goals and outcomes. 

 

••• 1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource with a focus on Finance for Holiday

 

Holiday with Relief is one of CENFACS useful and helpful ICDP (individual Capacity Development Programme) resources for holiday makers and travellers.  The resource, which is published during Spring of every year, can also be used during Summer holiday or any holiday.

This year’s Holiday with Relief with its theme of Finance for Holiday is designed to help those in need by having happy and healthy holiday (e.g. Summer holiday).  It provides wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to funding holiday.  Within this wealth of information contained in this Issue, there are tips and hints that can be used to tackle holiday poverty.

These tips and hints are meant to support those of our users and non-users who may experience some difficulties in raising the finance they need in order to cover their holiday budget (that is; work or school holiday budget and long Summer holiday budget).

This resource is packed with seasonal relieving ideas about how to reduce holiday poverty.

To build forward happy and healthy Summer break, and or get this Family Happiness and Healthiness Mini-Guide, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities 

 

Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities (‘NAGAHAIN’) Project is our Information Manager for this year’s summer.  The goal of the ‘NAGAHAIN’ Project is to help make the distribution of subjective well-being even or equal within the community.  What is really about?

It is about…

 

√ Improving the psychological equality or happiness quality or even subjective well-being

√ Enhancing happiness levels amongst the members of CENFACS Community to avoid high levels of happiness differences

√ Increasing the community trust, that is the belief in the integrity of other members of our community.

 

One of the concerns for many people and families is how to pass this Summer happy and healthy under the constraints of rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus.

The NAGAHAIN Project/Resource as Holiday Information Manager is the awareness, preparedness and solutions-focused Resource to Manage Information to turn summer of constraints and worries into that of happiness and healthiness.  It contains a set of tips and tricks to help and enable vulnerable unaware people to plan their holiday or break with confidence to achieve the goal of increasing happiness.

For further details about this Holiday Information Manager or Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 3) Summer Harmony with Nature 

 

Summer of Happiness and Healthiness is also of accord with nature with its creatures.  Keeping a harmonious relationship with leaves, plants, animals, landscapes and surrounding natural species (like trees, plants, waters, parks, etc.) and resources adds a great value to our happiness and healthiness. In other words, it is about equating our needs of happiness and healthiness to those of the nature.

Living in harmony with nature means that to pass a good summer we do not need to upset the nature with its creatures.  Humans can pre-emptively take the lead by keeping their relationships as harmonious as possible to avoid the degradation and depletion of nature.

Need to keep harmony with nature, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS’ Summer Campaign over Nature.

 

••• 4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

 

Through this initiative, we shall work with users to address some forms of imbalance in happiness; imbalance between happiness as an individual experience and happiness as a collective endeavour.  In other words, we shall support the community members to achieve their own happiness without compromising the ability of the other members of the community they belong to to have their own happiness.

It is in the interaction in happiness of each of our members and the CENFACS Community that the true balance in happiness can be found.

To find out further about this Happiness and Healthiness Project, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis 

 

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis is a CENFACS Social Media Platform to facilitate the flows of information and communication in order to keep local children, young people and families (CYPFs) out of the threats, troubles, attacks and challenges of everyday life and during the Summertime of changing climate, rising costs of living and lingering effects of the coronavirus.

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis is about improving the Flow of Information over the Summertime amongst us and other stakeholders by gaining access to mutual support, facilities, services and resources in order to protect and safeguard multi-dimensional deprived CYPFs.

It is not enough to carry out our individual actions against the cost-of-living crisis unless we sum up them by coming together in the form of social connections as human chains.  Such connections or network will help to exchange information and data for the mutual interest and collective defence or security.

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis or Summer Social Media Platform is a means to access and facilitate the flows of information about the protection and safeguarding against the cost-of-living crisis.  It is our capacity to help protect our members from threats, risks and attacks.  Through this means, one can receive and pass on protective and safeguarding information about any threats and risks from the rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus within a networked community.

To network for protection and safeguarding against the cost-of-living crisis, please let CENFACS know.

 

••• 6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities

  

Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities are a combination of the physical, emotional and social support to people/our community members to live with care, control and dignity in our community on the one hand; and our shared responsibility for the public health on the other.  Health responsibility means that our community members fulfil their duties to maintain their physical, mental and social well-being.

Through this Personal/Family Healthcare Plan, we will try to reduce lifestyle-induced diseases for ourselves and others while promoting our own health without adversely impacting the health of others and future generations.  Community care and responsibility imply as well whatever we do we must comply with the rule of the community, society in which we live.

We can use this Happiness and Healthiness initiative to create a post-coronavirus Proof Wellness or Healthcare Plan.  Such a plan will include the following: health vision and goals, lifestyles habits, follow-up tips and checks.

For further details about Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities, please contact CENFACS.

The above six interlinked themed ways/projects of creating and sustaining Happiness and Healthiness in a Summer of rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus do not replace any good advice and practice (like the ones produced by statutory bodies on the cost-of-living crisis).  They just add value to what it is already in place.  They are to be used in conjunction with the existing other measures to bring happiness as well as health and safety measures.

For further details about any of these projects, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

We would like to wish all multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families Happy, Healthy, Vulnerability-free, Peaceful, Safe and Sustainable Summer Days.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(2) https://issafrica.org/event/agenda-2063-how-much-progress-has-been-made (accessed in July 2023

(3) https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970 (accessed in July 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

19 July 2023

 

Post No. 309

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 2): Impact Assessment of ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

• Data Insight and Analytics for ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2) 

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

 

The lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes continue to pose an enormous challenge to the plan of many poor children, young people and families (CYPFs) to have a decent, affordable, happy and healthy Summer holiday.  Despite this challenge, there are still openings and opportunities available within the community and voluntary sectors to work together with these poor CYPFs  so that they can navigate their way to have a happy and healthy Summer break.  These opportunities and possibilities include CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects may not be the panacea  for their problems; however they could be a step forward to pulling together with these CYPFs and support them to enjoy some forms of happiness and healthiness during this Summer season.  The projects can make a difference by helping to alleviate poverty linked to the lack of happiness and healthiness.  They can assist in reducing happiness and healthiness gaps within our community while building trust and positive social connections to sustain happiness and healthiness.  But what is happiness; what is healthiness?

 

• • Understanding Happiness

 

There are many ways of explaining happiness.  According to ‘sloww.co’ (1), happiness is about solving the following (in)equation:

Happiness ≥ Events – Expectations

From this (in)equation, this website explains that

“The way we link about the events of our life and compare them to realistic expectations is what makes us happy or unhappy”.

John F. Helliwell at al. (2) go further in their World Happiness Report 2023 by re-providing six factors of happiness which are income, healthy life expectancy, social support or having someone to count on in times of trouble, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity, and the absence of corruption.

These factors are included in the design of CENFACS’ Happiness Projects 2023.

 

• • Explaining Healthiness

 

There are many ways of explaining and measuring healthiness.  For example, ‘healthicine.org’ (3) speaks about individual measures of healthiness which include personal healthiness, nutritional healthiness, mental healthiness, etc.  The same ‘healthicine.org’ tells us that each individual healthiness can be measured on a scale and shows it as deficient, normal, optimal or excessive.  Deficient and excessive are both unhealthy.

One can use ‘calculatory’ system healthiness to find out if they are healthy or unhealthy.  They can refer the body mass index (4) calculator to find out if their weight is healthy or not.  They can as well refer to the metrics of calorie counting (5) to track what they eat and count calories.

These explanations and measures about healthiness have been included in the design of CENFACS’ Healthiness Projects 2023.

The Happiness and Healthiness Projects (or 6.3 Programme), which make the second part of our Summer Programme 2023,  are made of six Summer initiatives to support 3 types of beneficiaries.  These projects are the result of discussions with the members of the CENFACS Community; particularly poor children, young people and families making this community.  They are designed for them as potential beneficiaries.

 

• • Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

There are three features about this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects which are the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members, the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members, and social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.  These features are highlighted in the Main Development section of this post.  Under this Main Development section of this post you can also find the list of Happiness and Healthiness Projects making our Summer Programme or Programme 6.3.  Their contents will be unveiled as we move on and implement them during this Summertime.

For those who would like to have detailed or further information about each of the projects or the full 2023 version of this second part of our Summer Programme (that is Happiness and Healthiness Projects), they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 2): Impact Assessment of ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

 

Our work on this year’s All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment has moved to level 2.  The latter is about assessing the changes that may have occurred as result of the Programme of Building Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis.  The damaging effects of the cost-of-living crisis are simply the detrimental effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  Before going any further, let us re-explain what this programme is about.

 

• • What is Build-Forward-Better Programme?

 

Build Forward Better Programme (BFBP) is a set of projects and activities designed with the aim to ensure that the recovery from the cost-of-living crisis sits on sound and sustainable foundations that help beneficiaries to move forward better cleaner, greener and safer.

To move forward, it would be good to refer to what the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (6) states about building forward better, which is

“Building forward means not only that no one is left behind but that people living in poverty are actively encouraged and supported to be in the front, engaging in informed and meaningful participation in decision-making processes that directly affect their lives”.

From this perspective, our Impact Assessment will consider four areas of assessment which include (a) reduction of endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities, (b) dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor, (c) building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action, and (d) positively transforming our relationship with nature.

The assessment will be on the way our community members have rebuilt their lives in relation to these areas of the programme.  For example, we could assess how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the cost-of-living crisis or with their relationship with nature.

The programme has been scheduled for two years (2021 to 2023) depending on the duration of the cost-of-living crisis, with a possibility of roll out.

Through this programme, it was thought the following three ideas:

1) Beneficiaries would make steady progress in their journey to overcome the cost-of-living crisis

2) The work of reconstruction from the asymmetrical and distributional impacts of cost-of-living crisis would be undertaken as no one should be left behind

3) There would be preparation to stay resilient to future similar shocks and crises.

These three ideas are the ones we are assessing in terms of their impact.

The programme has two orientations, which are: Build Forward Better with the CENFACS Community (programme beneficiaries) in the UK and Build Forward Better with Africa-based Sister Organisations in Africa.

This is the programme we are trying to assess.  To assess it, we are going to refer to what theories say about impact assessment, and to apply or experiment these theories in the context of this programme.

 

• • What Do Theories Say about Impact Assessment?

 

Intrac (7) summarises some of the positions around impact assessment by giving two definitions (from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Roche) of impact within social development, which are as follows: an impact is

 

“The positive and negative, primary and secondary, long-term effects produced by a development intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended” (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2010)

“Lasting or significant change – positive or negative, intended or not – in people’s lives brought about by an action or a series of actions” (Roche, 1999)

 

• • How We are Going to Apply these Definitions

 

We are going to use both definitions in these ways:

(a) Roche’s definition will help to capture short-term and meaningful changes in terms of life-changing benefits such as savings made on energy and food consumption to manage the cost-of-living crisis.  We can as well include humanitarian appeals we made (e.g. The Polycrises-impacted Children of East Africa Need your Influence Right Now) to deal with events in Africa like environmental crisis (drought), war, famine, etc. that are affecting those in need in Africa.

(b) The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) definition will enable to include long-term changes in CENFACS’ capacity and system of poverty reduction (e.g. the hybrid advisory service that we set up as a result of cost-of-living crisis will continue in the future, particularly during this challenging and changing time of overlapping multiple crises).

To conclude, we are still carrying out impact assessment or assessing change on an on-going basis (or impact monitoring) while doing another impact assessment or assessing actual change for some of our 2022-2023 programmes and projects that have reached the end of their lives.  This impact assessment will be carried out until the 31st of July 2023. 

The results of these impact assessments will be published in our end-of-year 2022-2023 accounts and other impact reporting documents in due course.

 

 

• Data Insight and Analytics for ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2) 

 

From 17 to 31 July 2023, we will be looking at the patterns and other meaningful information gathered from the analysis of data from the programme of Building Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer Programme; while we are conducting an impact assessment of the same programme.  In other words, we are working to find out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS relating to this programme.  This exercise will help to know what data found will be telling us.

 

• • Engaging with the Analytics and Insight Activity

 

We are continuing to ask supporters and users as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to engage with us in responding and reacting to our poverty relief work in their own words, voices, infographics and numbers.  They can rate and or provide a statement about these programmes and projects.  Where possible, they can provide information graphics (such as charts, graphs, images, etc.).  The data collected via their response will be processed and analysed to see if there is a meaningful pattern in them.

If anyone has data or information regarding the advice service we provided via for example the advice sessions we ran or resource we produced to help the community to build forward together cleaner, greener and safer; this is the opportunity to share these data or information with us.

To share data with us and or engage with this analytics activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities: Only 12 Days to Go!

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Debt Crisis and Intergenerational Poverty: What Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) Can Do to Help 

 

 

• Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

The 15^th Edition of our Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions will start from Saturday the 22^nd of July 2023 as scheduled.

Our thoughts and actions on Financial Inclusion will be about understanding poor people’s needs, particularly the need of financial inclusion, whether these needs are met or unmet; as well as to know the barriers they encounter to access and use their transaction account.

 

• • Who are these poor people?

 

They are

 

√ formerly financially excluded

√ financially underserved poor consumers of financial products and services

√ unbanked including poor women

√ those exclusively relying on cash transactions

√ financially digitally illiterate and innumerate

√ the older generations unable to handle digitally-enabled transactions

√ financially excluded by the adverse impacts of the overlapping multiple crises (the lingering effects of the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis, etc)

etc.

 

To help anyone who wants to participate to the Festival, we have put together supporting festival information under the following headings:

 

∝ Making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments

∝ Event Guide and Programme

∝ Supporting the 7DDJ2023 (Seven Days of Development in July 2023) event

 

Let us explain what the above named headings contain.

 

• • Making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments

 

For those who will be making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments, it will be good to stick to the daily themes as planned.  Likewise, it makes easy for the good running of the festival to be short and precise in making thoughts or comments.

This will allow capture the impact they are making.   In this way, this will as well enable us to meet the Festival’s aim and get the difference that it will make to the lives of those who are financially excluded.

THINK • ACT • SHARE • ADD VALUE  •  SPREAD

 • • Event Guide and Programme

 

The following is the make-up of Summer 2023 Festival.

 

• • • 7DDJ2023 Registration: FREE!

 

The entry to the 7DDJ2023 is FREE.

For those who are busy and who can remotely, directly respond to the daily themes from their technological devices (e.g. laptop, desktop PC, tablet, phone, etc.) without having to attend any online sessions, there is no need to register.

For those who will have the opportunity to join our online sessions (or video conference), they may be notified about the days and times these sessions may happen.  They will need to sign into their Google accounts to join if everything remains the same.

 

• • • Daily Themes

 

Daily Themes (DTs) provide a daily opening thought or starting point of the broad topic/issue of Financial Inclusion.  Each DT will last all day and the only day it is planned.

 

• • • Responses to 7DDJ2023 Contributors

 

Each respondent will receive a reply to their contribution in the form of either an acknowledgement of their participation or a reaction expressed as an argument to their responses or even both.  Also, they will be entitled to receive the summary report on this summerly event.

 

• • • Lead Thoughts

 

Lead thoughts, which will be introduced on the day of festival, are a general idea on the thought of the day.  There are designed to lead to or generate more thoughts, potential research paths or investigative grounds that can be further explored to shade some lights to our Summer Thoughts and Actions.  They are not an end for themselves.

MAKE YOUR IDEAS AND COMMENTS COUNT!

• • • 7 Daily Themes

 

Day 1: Financial access and use of transaction account

Day 2: Digital financial inclusion of the older generation

Day 3: Improving poor people’s lives through financial inclusion

Day 4: Financial re-inclusion of the polycrises-impacted   

Day 5: Closing gender gaps in financial inclusion

Day 6: Financial inclusion through climate finance

Day 7: Financial inclusion and the reduction of financial poverty

 

• • Supporting the 7DDJ2023 event

 

• • • 7 Ways of Supporting 7DDJ2023

 

You could…

 

√ Post your thoughts, comments and views on any themes and topics of the event directly to CENFACS

√ Pass the message onto interested persons

√ Feedback on previous 7DDJF events

√ Promote the event around you and/or by using other means available to you and at your convenience

√ Help us re-cover the expenses of the event specifically and/or the running cost of CENFACS’ work generally

√ Support CENFACS on a regular basis to enable us to continue our work

√ Support our new initiative about Financial Inclusion of  Those in Need.

 

• • • 7 Ways of Proceeding with your Wish

 

Please choose below the kind of support you want to provide and let us know

 

√ Promote the event

√ Feedback CENFACS on previous events

√ Circulate the news about the event

√ Help in the recovery of 7DDJ 2023 expenses

√ Fund CENFACS for its deserving work and noble causes

√ Provide helpful and supportive comments or views

√ Support CENFACS in your own way.

 

Please mail your intent to support and or support to CENFACS

Closing date for reply: 07/08/2023 

Please read the above event supporting information and mail us your comments and views (on the themes of your interest) to facs@cenfacs.org.uk

Thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes and full of inspiration and creativity throughout our dedicated days of Festival of Thoughts and Actions on: Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives.

The 7DDJ2023 Events Team,

Thank you.

 

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities: Only 12 Days to Go!

 

We have twelve days left for our Analytics and Insight Month 2023.  We are again appealing to you to tell us (in your own words, numbers, voices and info-graphics) your perceptions, feelings and experiences about the programmes and projects we ran in the last 345 days preceding the beginning of July 2023.

Although we have selected 12 initiatives for Impact Feedback and Assessment One and 9 ones for Impact Feedback and Assessment Two for monitoring and evaluation purposes, we are not expecting people to provide feedback on all of them.

People can only feedback on the project(s) and programme(s) they benefited from, supported, recommended users to us or interacted within.

We again suggest picking up ONLY 1 or 2 initiatives for feedback.

Please feel free to say what you experienced.

Again, thank you for your experiential support!

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Debt Crisis and Intergenerational Poverty: What Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) Can Do to Help 

 

Debt service in Africa has now averaged a worrying level compared to Africa’s gross domestic product.  Debt service is interest plus principal payments on public and publicly guaranteed debt.  Economic theories tell us when debt service compared to the gross domestic product (GDP) crosses a certain level, this could send some worrying signs (like threats to poverty reduction, to building infrastructures for those in need, to socially investing, to meeting sustainable development goals, etc).

 

• • Africa’s debt service as a threat to poverty reduction

 

According to ‘data.one.org’ (8),

“Africa’s debt as a percentage of gross domestic product has been rising quickly since 2014, and is 24.0% of African countries gross domestic product (as of 2023 for countries with available data).  Yet, many individual countries have rates far higher”.

 

Although Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratio has not yet reached is still below 60%, if this metric continues to grow its growth can have negative impact on resources needed to to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.

It is not a surprise if the United Nations Global Crisis Group (9) states that

“Countries in Africa borrow on average at rates that are four times higher than those of the United States and even eight times than those of Germany.  High borrowing costs make it difficult for developing countries to fund important investments, which in turn further undermine debt sustainability and progress towards sustainable development”.

Whatever the reasons which have led to this debt, high debt service is a serious threat to any efforts to reduce poverty, let alone to enhance sustainable development.  This is because high debt service could indicate that attention is more put on servicing debts and bridging deficits than to other life-sustaining priorities (like reducing poverty).  Yet, Africa is one of the regions of the world with high number of people living in poverty.

 

• • Africa as home to multidimensional poor

 

Using a multidimensional poverty index when arguing about where poor people live, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Institute and the United Nations Development Programme (10) estimate that

“Roughly 534 million (47.8% percent) out of 1.1 billion poor people – half of all poor people- live in Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 6)

The two institutions also add that

“In Sub-Saharan Africa the intensity of poverty is particularly serious.  The region is home not only to the highest number of poor people but also to the poorest of the poor” (p. 8)

When we speak about Africa’s debt, Africa is made with people (human beings) and mostly poor people.  Servicing debt could mean not or less paying for other essential priorities like health and education.  Yet, good health and good education can help to reduce debt in the future.

 

• • Debt service and intergenerational poverty

 

There is a danger in servicing too much debt.  The danger is that debt could be transferred to future generations.  Poverty could also be transferred to the generations to come via debt repayments mechanism.  What is much at stake here is the transmission of poverty to other generations through debt service.

Given the abovementioned circumstances, what ASOs can do?

 

• • ASOs can help to deal with debt crisis and intergenerational poverty

 

What ASOs can do is what we are discussing at CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum.  We are discussing what they can do to help highly indebted poor people and households to have debt sustainability.  In specific terms, we are debating what they can do to help in debt relief, restructuring and distress for these poor people and households.  We are as well talking about what these organisations do with their users to avoid that debt service payments to become a mechanism of transmitting poverty to their children.

The above are some the points for discussion within the forum for this week.  CENFACS would like to know yours.  You can tell CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum what you think.

Those who may be interested in this third discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Suivi et évaluation de l’impact des programmes, projets et activités 2022-2023: seulement 12 jours qui restent pour donner votre avis!

Il nous reste douze jours pour notre Mois de l’analytique et de perspicacité.  Nous vous demandons à nouveau de nous faire part (dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et infographies) de vos perceptions, sentiments et expériences concernant les programmes et projets que nous avons organisés au cours des 345 derniers jours précédant le début du mois de juillet 2023.

Bien que nous ayons sélectionné 12 initiatives pour la rétrospective et l’évaluation d’impact un et 9 initiatives pour la rétrospective d’impact et l’évaluation deux à des fins de suivi et d’évaluation, nous ne nous attendons pas à ce que les gens fournissent des commentaires sur chacune d’entre elles.

Les gens ne peuvent donner leur avis que sur le(s) projet(s) et le(s) programme(s) dont ils ont bénéficié, qu’ils nous ont soutenus, qu’ils nous ont recommandé des personnes ou auxquels ils ont interagi.

Nous suggérons encore une fois de choisir SEULEMENT 1 ou 2 initiatives pour faire vos commentaires.

N’hésitez pas à dire ce que vous avez vécu ou savez ou encore pensez.

Encore une fois, merci pour votre soutien expérientiel!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

 

To approach Happiness and Healthiness Projects, it is better to understand them, to know the different factors that determine happiness and healthiness, and to deliver them.  Thus, the following headings will ease our approach:

 

∝ Understanding CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects

∝ Determining Factors or Indicators of Happiness and Healthiness

∝ Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects in 2023

∝ Delivering Healthiness and Healthiness with 6 Projects for 3 Beneficiaries.

 

Let us now look at what is inside these headings.

 

• • Understanding CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects

 

As said in the first key message, the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes continue to pose an enormous challenge to the plan of many poor children, young people and families (CYPFs) to have a decent, happy, affordable and healthy Summer holiday.  In these conditions and circumstances, happiness and healthiness may not mean anything for them.

Despite that, it is possible to find health relief and happy fulfilment while still dealing with these impacts and effects, this Summer 2023.  It is possible to make the conditions of being physically, mentally and socially sound better this Summer.

To make these conditions sound better, we have planned six happiness and healthiness enhancing initiatives.  This Summer, we are going to focus on ways or activities of finding this health relief and happy fulfilment in the context of lingering effects of the coronavirus, rising costs of living and climate change.  In other words, our centre of interest is on what will keep children, young people and families happy (or unhappy) and healthy (or unhealthy) over Summer under the debilitating conditions of the coronavirus, seismic rise in the cost of living and changing climate.

In order to keep them happy and healthy, there is a need to budget and deliver Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

 

• • • What are Happiness and Healthiness Projects?

 

CENFACS’ Happiness Projects are poverty-relieving responses to bring joy while reducing misery for poor children, young people and families over the summer period and beyond it.

CENFACS’ Healthiness Projects are poverty-relieving responses to bring freedoms from diseases (including epidemics, virus like COVID-19) while reducing misery for poor children, young people and families over the summer period and beyond it.

 

• • Determining Factors or Indicators of Happiness and Healthiness

 

The underlying principles or philosophy behind these life evaluation projects are in line with the main factors or indicators that define happiness as both a social and personal concept as explained in successive World Happiness Reports edited by Helliwell et al. (11).

 

• • • Happiness as both a social and personal concept

 

Helliwell et al. (op. cit.) distinguish the social foundations of happiness from personal happiness, although the two are complementary.  They argue that the science of measuring and understanding subjective well-being and happiness indicates that to be happy, one needs to meet the following six key variables or predictors that explain happiness differences among countries, which include:

income (Gross Domestic Product per capita), healthy life expectancy at birth, social support (having someone to count on in times of trouble), generosity, freedom to make life choices and trust (perceptions of corruption). 

For example, Helliwell et al. (12) argued in their 2020 World Happiness Report that

“Sub-Saharan Africa is not only the areas in the world with low happiness scores, but also a region in which happiness differences between the city and countryside are most pronounced in favour of city life” (p. 40)

The report went on in explaining that African countries with most pronounced urban-rural differences in life evaluation include: Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, Central African Republic, South Africa, Gambia, Niger, Liberia and Egypt.

In their World Happiness Report 2021, Helliwell at al. (13) note that

“Life expectancy has much improved in Sub-Saharan Africa… Life expectancy has become much more equal, and has increased in Sub-Saharan Africa for seven years” (p. 194)

In this year’s World Happiness Report, Helliwell at al. (op. cit.) explain that

“Happiness gaps globally have been fairly stable overtime, although there are growing gaps in many African countries” (p. 3)

When talking about key determinants of happiness and misery, they again argue that happiness is caused by factors such as income, employment, health and family life.

 

• • • Happiness is about ending poverty and misery

 

CENFACS Happiness Projects address the issues encapsulated inside the above variables and factors while keeping in mind first the needs of the CENFACS Community.  This is because we think the way to keep people happier is to reduce as much as possible poverty and misery among them.   Happiness is about ending poverty and misery.

At this time of record-high costs of living, to be happy could mean having the means and resources to meet these high costs of food, energy, fuel, transport, accommodation, etc.  Those who are unable to meet these high costs, prices and bills will obviously be unhappy.

As we have brought in the concept of changing climate into our happiness projects, happiness is finally about ending poverty and misery amongst children, young people and families in an era of changing climate.  Soaring temperatures during this Summer can only mean more fresh water, foods with higher water content, Summer diet/food, air-conditioned environment and other resources to deal with the heat.  They could also signify a possibility of high threats and damages to health.

Those who would not have the means to manage these temperatures would not be happy and/or healthy.  To get happiness, they need to find ways of keeping themselves cool while carrying on their life as a normal in a heatwave.

 

• • • Healthiness is about ending poor health conditions

 

CENFACS Healthiness Projects address the issues enclosed in the above variables and factors, particularly healthy life expectancy in this Summer 2023.  These projects will help to keep in mind the needs of the CENFACS Community in terms of healthiness; that is in terms of how their bodies, minds and spirits are healthy or unhealthy.  If they are unhealthy, then work with them to become healthy.

Keeping people healthier is about  reducing as much as possible health and climate poverty and misery among them.   Healthiness is about ending health poverty and misery.   Healthiness is finally about ending poor health and poor living environment amongst children, young people and families in an era of polycrises.

 

• • Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects in 2023

 

There are three features linked this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects which are the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members, the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members, and social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.

 

• • • The link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is also about our service capacity (or ability to deliver service services to the community) and how this capacity could help to avoid poverty or worsening of poverty and to avoid misery within our community.  This service capacity can correlate or be linked to the average life satisfaction of our community members.

 

• • • The distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is further about working with our community members to find out whether or not average life satisfaction is high or equally distributed amongst them.

 

• • • social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is as well about tracking changes in happiness (life evaluations) using social media trackers.  It is about using social media data as way of measuring levels of happiness and/or misery among our community members.

The three characteristics have been considered in the design of this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

• • Delivering Happiness and Healthiness with 6 Projects for 3 Beneficiaries

 

6 Projects to bring Happiness and Healthiness to 3 beneficiaries: Poor Children, Young People and Families

 

After the last school term, Summer is a holiday season of the year during which most of the schools are closed and families with small children and young people in much needed help are forced to stay with them and or use this time of the year to take holiday.  The usual routine of educational/academic establishments with their recreational activities is scaled down.

This Summer is even dearer as many CYPFs have to face up skyrocketing prices of food, energy, transport, accommodation, etc.  The cost of running Summer will be excessively high for many CYPFs.  This is let alone the fact that many of them who are poor may not afford to travel, even inside the country, and to go for holiday.  Yet, these CYPFs are in need of seasonal and recreational activities and programmes for improving their well-being, healthiness and happiness.

There are ways of ensuring that summer stays an interesting and enjoyable period for Multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families.  There are things that can be done to make summertime a season of Happiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Healthiness, Protection and Sustainability.

There should be projects that can help them to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  There should be projects that can help them to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

 

• • • Summer 2023 Happiness and Healthiness Projects

 

The following CENFACS suite of summer 2023 initiatives can help in achieving some joyful, healthful and helpful summer plans, goals and outcomes in the context of rising costs of living.

CENFACS Happiness and Healthiness Projects include:

 

1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource (this year’s focus is on Finance for Holiday)

2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities

3) Summer Harmony with Nature

4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding at the Time of Cost-of-living Crisis

6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities.

 

There is a link between these six initiatives.  For example, knowing the food and energy that one needs during the Summertime can help to narrow gap in inequalities relating to happiness and healthiness.  Likewise, the way in which one consumes food and energy can help build harmonious relationships with the nature, network for protection and safeguarding, and act in a responsible way in the interest of their own happiness and public healthiness.

These projects are the combination of skills, knowledge, resources, tools, tactics, fixers, enhancements, boosters, tasters, trackers and trickers for the relief from poverty induced by the cost-of-living and poverty due to the lack of happiness.

In the preparation of our Summer 2023 programme for CYPFs, we have considered the continuing happiness and healthiness issues from the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

All the six Happiness and Healthiness Projects will be COVID-19 Secure and Compliant; just as they take into account the happiness and healthiness effects in relation to changing climate and the cost-of-living crisis.

They will be delivered to help improve life evaluations while taking actions to enhance the same life in the context and under the constraint of the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

In this way, Summer can be a season of Happiness and Healthiness NOT of Misery for un-served and under-served children, young people and families who are at the same time victims of the adverse and far-reaching lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

They are the victims of adverse and far-reaching lingering effects of coronavirus.  Although the health impact of the coronavirus has gone down, its economic carry-over effects are still there in mild forms.

They are also trapped in the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter has taken them economically and healthily in hostage by affecting the way they dress, eat, house, educate, eat, warm their home, entertain, enjoy, care for their health and body, look after their homes, and above all the way they pass their Summer holiday.

They are finally suffering from the consequences of changing climate, which is transforming the way they consume, produce and entertain themselves.

For details about CENFACS Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023 and to access them, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.sloww.co/mo-gawdat-happiness-equation/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R. , Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J.-E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (Eds.), (2023), World Happiness Report 2023, New York: Sustainable Development Solution Network (http://worldhappiness.report/)

(3) healthicine.org/wordpress/healthiness-unhealthiness-wellness-illness/ (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/ (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/calorie-counting/ (accessed in July 2023)

(6)  https://www.un.org/en/desa-time-build-forward-together# (accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Impact-Assessment.pdf (accessed July 2023)

(8) https://data.one.org/topics/african-debt/ (accessed in July 2023)

(9) https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/osgmisc_2023d4_en.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(10) UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) 2023, 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Unstacking global poverty: Data for high impact action, New York

(11) Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J. (2017, 2018 & 2019), World Happiness Reports (2017, 2018 & 2019), New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network

(12) Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J. & De Neve J. E. (2020), World Happiness Report (2020), New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network

(13) Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. and De Neve, J.-E., eds. 2021, World Happiness Report 2021, New York, Sustainable Development Solutions Networkhttp://worldhappiness.report/ (accessed July 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

12 July 2023

 

Post No. 308

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1): Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

• Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

• Coming this July 2023: Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1): Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

 

The first level of work regarding our Analytics and Impact Month 2023 is All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment.  As mentioned last week in our July 2023 working plan, we shall have three activities within our July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment; activities which are:

 

a) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities (Activity 1)

b) Impact Assessment of Building Forward Better Together Greener, Cleaner and Safer from the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

c) Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme (Activity 3).

 

This week, we are kicking off the first activity.    In this first activity, we have already started with Impact Feedbacks.  They are part of the level one of our July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment.  These feedbacks are about carrying out tasks in order to get the early results or impacts of the programmes and projects we ran during the financial year 2022-2023.    But, what are feedbacks?

 

•  •  Understanding Feedback 

 

Perhaps, the best way of looking at impact feedbacks is to define the word ‘feedback’ itself.  To clarify it, we would like to refer to the quotation of ‘imperial.ac.uk’ (1).  The latter quotes Carless (2015, p.192) saying this:

“Feedback is a dialogic process in which learners make sense of information from varied sources and use it to enhance the quality of their work or learning strategies”.

Although Carless speaks about learners, we are instead dealing with project users or beneficiaries.  The feedback here is a process, a conversation between CENFACS and project users/beneficiaries.  It is also information or indicative tool telling how we are doing in our efforts to reach the goals of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.  This information or tool will help to measure or get the impact of our work with project users/beneficiaries.

 

• • Impact Feedbacks

 

We are holding two types of feedback: one from individuals as project supporters and users; and another one from organisations, particularly Africa-based Sister Organisations.

 

1) Project Supporters’ and Users’ Experiences (Feedback I)

 

This week’s Say by Project Supporters and Users will continue our Analytics and Impact Month 2023.  Project Supporters and Users can start to tell us the experiences they have had with the programmes and projects we have selected to conduct monitoring, evaluation, review, assurance and analytics.

We are asking Project Supporters, Users and other stakeholders to provide their views using their own words rather than we asking them to respond to open or close questions.  Their feedback could take one or two of the following forms: a response, an idea, advice (although feedback is not advice), a comment, an opinion, etc.

They can as well rate us, raise awareness of areas of improvement and identify actions to be taken to improve our performance.

To ease the feedback process, we have singled out 12 initiatives from which they can pick and choose to provide their feedback.

They can give us feedbacks (responses and reactions) in the form of rating (numbers), statement (words), sounds (voices) and information graphics (infographics like charts, graphs, etc.).  This Say is about how they perceived and interacted with the products and services we presented to them over the last 345 days.

 

2) Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Voices (Feedback II)

 

African sustainable development projects (ASDPs) are too initiatives that we ran in the last financial year; initiatives that directly or indirectly aimed at supporting Africa-based Organisations or just advancing poverty reduction and sustainable development agendas in Africa.  These initiatives (ASDPs) were in the form of humanitarian appeals, fundraising and campaigns, advocacy work, project planning and advice, discussions under CENFACS‘ be.Africa Forum, guidance on not-for-profit investments and impact investing in Africa, responses to global crises (like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis, and polycrises), etc.

We would like to hear the voices of Africa-based Organisations, especially the voiceless ones, so that we can know where things went well and where they did not.  This will enable us to reflect their needs in future programmes and projects development, while improving the way in which we are working with them in general and tackling the poverty issue in Africa in particular.

Their voices are important to us since we can only help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development unless those who are concerned with these issues own the process by telling us what kind of help they need and how they perceive their own problems rather than we telling them what is good for them.

Like for individuals responding to our request, organisations do not need specific questions to provide their feelings about our work.  They can freely give their feedback in numerical, textual, voiced and information graphic statements.

To facilitate this feedback process, we have selected 9 initiatives from which they can pick and choose to provide their feedback.

The selected 2022-2023 programmes and projects for the purpose of feedback making our Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Reporting, Assurance and Analytics are given in the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• • Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

 

As explained last week, there will be three activities of insight and analytics, which we are:

 

a) Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content (Activity 1)

b) Data Insight and Analytics for Building Forward Better Together Greener, Cleaner and Safer from the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

c) 2022-2023 Data Insight and Analytics (Activity 3).

 

Let us start with the first activity of data insight and analytics.

 

• • • Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

 

This is about the analysis of raw and semi-structured data provided or generated by users and other vested parties involved in the delivery of 2022-2023 programmes and projects.  This type of insight and analytics requires the use of data literacy and methodology as well as analytical skills.  As scheduled, this analytics started on 10 July 2023.  Before going any further in this presentation, let us briefly explain user-generated content, data insight, data analytics and what we are going to do or are doing in this respect.

 

• • • • Brief understanding of User-generated Content

 

To explain User-generated Content, we are going to refer to Jose Angelo Gallagos’ online article.  Gallagos (2) argues that

“User-generated content is any content that has been created, published and/or submitted by users of a brand”.

The content that Gallagos is arguing about can be in the form of images, tweets, videos, texts, audios, social media posts, reviews, comments, blog posts, testimonials, feedbacks, etc.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we are going to carry out the insight and analytics of user-generated content during their journey to poverty reduction with us.  In this respect, we are going to analytically process the content provided by CENFACS’ users, fans, enthusiasts and audience to support CENFACS‘ brand or as they navigate the road to poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Data insights

 

Data insights refer to the deep understanding an individual or organisation gains from analysing information on a particular issue.  To add value on what we are saying, the website ‘datarobot.com’ (3) argues that

“Data insights are the knowledge gained through analysing data, generating conclusions from data that can benefit your business.  Data are the input.  Insights are the output”.

In our case, we are trying to gain knowledge through the analysis of data provided by or collected from programmes and projects users/beneficiaries.  To do that, we are going to use data insight skills.

 

• • • • Meaning of data analytics

 

To make things easily understandable for our readers and supporters, we have selected the following definition from ‘Master’s in Data Science’ (4) which states that

“Data analytics is the process of analysing raw data to find trends and answer questions”.

According to ‘Master’s in Data Science’,

“A successful data analytics initiative will provide a clear picture of where you are, where you have been and where you should go”.

‘Master’s in Data Science’ also distinguishes four primary types of data analytics, which are: descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive.

We are going to turn to the above mentioned definition, primary types and other notions read within the literature survey about the concept of ‘data analytics’ in order to conduct the analytics of data or content generated by users of our programmes, projects and activities.

 

• • Data Analytics in Practice and Progress

 

We are going to combine information technology, statistics and the life of CENFACS over 2022-2023 to discover meaningful patterns in data.  In doing so, this will help us to improve performance in terms of the kind of work we do in order to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

In our data analytics process, we are going to undertake the following tasks:

 

(a) Data mining: extraction of data from unstructured data sources

(b) Data management: creation and management of databases

(c) Statistical analysis: creation of insights from data

(d) Data presentation: sharing of insights with stakeholders through data visualisation.

 

Where necessary and possible, we may involve online affordable analytics programmes to help in this exercise.

For those users who did not yet respond to our previous requests regarding any of the projects or events they took part or came across, this is the opportunity to share their content and provide their SAY or content or even  data so that they can fit it into our analytics work.

For example, the users of Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects) can inform us about the progress they have made so far.  They can as well share results of collaborations and synergies across these projects.  This information or data can be fitted into our Data Analytics Dashboard.

To sum up, user-generated content or data insight and analytics will help to provide actionable insights and user trend analysis.  It will help to review deliveries and analyse the end-of-financial year performance regarding work undertaken with users.  The result of this insight and analytics will feed and align with the contents of our annual review 2022-2023.

To give and share your SAY or content or even data to help us in this insight and analytics, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Coming this July 2023: Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

There has been a good progress to financially include people from exclusively cash-based transactions to formal financial services by using a mobile phone or other digital technology to access these services.  However, there are still people who are finding it difficult to be part of this financial world.  These financially excluded or underserved poor people could be struggling to improve the quality of their lives. 

Amongst these strugglers, there are poor women who are lacking access to financial services.  There are as well those highly indebted (because of the cost-of-living crisis or other crises like the coronavirus) who have been excluded from the financial world, apart from worrying how they can get back to this world. 

They could be struggling because financial inclusion is more than just getting people, especially the poor ones, to move to financial digital products and services offered on the market.  But, what is financial inclusion?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Financial Inclusion

 

Our basic understanding of financial inclusion comes from the ‘worldbank.org’ (5) which says that

“Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way”.

The same ‘worldbank.org’ explains that

“Digital financial inclusion involves the deployment of the cost-saving digital means to reach currently financially excluded and underserved populations with a range of formal financial services suited to their needs that are responsibly delivered at a cost affordable to customers and sustainable for providers”.

These two definitions and other notions of financial inclusion will help in understanding way of improving the quality of poor people’s lives.  They will also be used in our Festival of Thoughts and Actions on Financial Inclusion.  In particular, we shall look at with festival participants how financial inclusion can be used to further improve the quality of poor people’s lives since financial inclusion is still in progress not a finished business.  We shall as well think of ways of reincluding those who have been excluded from the financial world due to various reasons such as indebtedness and deficit in their personal or household accounts. 

This above is the theme of our Seven Days of Development in July 2023 or Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts, Actions, Tweets, Shares and Spreads.  This Summer 2023 Festival is the 15th Event of this kind.

 

• • What are the Seven Days of Development in July 2023?

 

The Seven Days of Development in July are the days of thoughts and actions against poverty; in this case thoughts and actions to financially include poor people in order to improve the quality of their lives.  By including them, one can hope to reduce financial poverty. 

These Seven Days of Development in July are organised around Seven Themes of Thoughts and Actions.  The Seven Themes are not an end of themselves.  Instead, they are the entry points in order to stimulate thoughts and actions.

This year’s festival will not make any exception.  They will be seven themes for thoughts for seven days, one theme per day, starting from the 22nd to the 28th of July 2023.

We shall soon publish the daily themes and supporting information regarding this year’s Summer Festival of Thoughts, Actions, Tweets, Shares and Spreads. 

For further details about our Seven Days of Development in July or Summer 2023 Festival, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Working with Households on Data Insight and Analytics

• Holiday with Relief with a Focus on Finance for Holiday

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

 

• Working with Households on Data Insight and Analytics

 

We are offering support about Data Insight and Analytics for Households to households making our community.  This support is part of our work with households on Data Skills to Run your Households and falls within the scope of this month’s data insight and analytics.

This kind of insight and analytics will help household to better deliver a data user experience for their own wellbeing and wellness.  To work with us, each household can agree its own data insight and analytical process.

Many households do this sort of exercises to understand their lives without sometimes knowing they are carrying out data insights and analytics.  To better undertake data insights and analytics, it may require some skills.  Not everybody has this sort of skills or can do these exercises by themselves.

CENFACS can work with those who need help and support regarding the management of their data so that they can effectively and efficiently run their households.  We can work with them on data insight and analytics matters so that they can be in a position to better understand data that run their lives.  We can conduct with them basic data insights and analytics using the tools of poverty reduction we have in our box and our analytics dashboard.

Where our capacity is limited in comparison to their demand or specific needs, we can signpost or refer them to relevant data insight and analytics services or organisations that are available on the market and can be accessible to them.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Insight and Analytics to Run their Household, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can work with them to enhance the quality of their lives via the Data that Run their Household.

 

 

• Holiday with Relief with a Focus on Finance for Holiday

 

Our Spring 2023 Holiday ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ is still available for those who are planning and or will be in holiday soon.  It is also available for those who have returned from holiday and would like to use it as reference for future holiday.

The resource provides wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to finance for holiday.  Within this wealth of information contained in this Issue, there are tips and hints that can be used to deal with holiday poverty.

These tips and hints are meant to support those of our users and non-users who may experience some difficulties in raising the finance they need in order to cover their holiday budget (that is; work or school holiday budget and long Summer holiday budget).

This resource is packed with seasonal relieving ideas about how to reduce holiday poverty.

For those users who would like information about ways of Financing their Holiday, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of the Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme.  This appeal, which has been already launched, is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs), who cannot cope with the mounting pressure and damaging effects of polycrises in parts of Africa where there is already high level of poverty.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of polycrises on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks and impacts that the polycrises can make in terms of tragedy, intergenerational poverty, etc.  Your assistance is required to respond to CYPFs’ distress signals.

One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future, especially in countries (like Burkina Faso or Mali) where there is deterioration of security conditions in conflict-affected areas.

Can you help this child?  Yes or No!

If you say yes; then you can help…

√ that child to dream and expect for a better life and future 

√ stop polycrises to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child

√ prevent polycrises from creating lifelong adverse impacts on children and young people

√ avoid children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line

√ hinder the lost generation of polycrises to happen in Africa.

To make the above happen, support ‘Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa’.

You can find further highlights of this appeal and ways of supporting at: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique

Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique est l’un des projets de l’Appel d’été qui fait partie de la première partie de notre programme d’été.  Cet appel, qui a déjà été lancé, vise à soutenir les enfants, les jeunes gens et les familles (EJGF), qui ne peuvent pas faire face à la pression croissante et aux effets néfastes des polycrises dans les régions d’Afrique où le niveau de pauvreté est déjà élevé.

Soutenir cet appel signifie aider les EJGF à minimiser et à atténuer les impacts des polycrises sur eux. Votre soutien contribuera à réduire les risques et les impacts que les polycrises peuvent avoir en termes de tragédie, de pauvreté intergénérationnelle, etc.  Votre aide est nécessaire pour répondre aux signaux de détresse des EJGF.

On peut penser à un enfant ou à un jeune sans rêves ni attentes, quel sera son avenir, en particulier dans les pays (comme le Burkina Faso ou le Mali) où les conditions de sécurité se détériorent dans les zones touchées par le conflit.

Pouvez-vous aider cet enfant?  Oui ou Non!
Si vous dites oui; alors vous pouvez aider…

√ cet enfant à rêver et à espérer une vie et un avenir meilleurs

√ à empêcher les polycrises de devenir une contrainte structurelle et un handicap pour cet enfant

√ à arrêter les polycrises pour créer des effets négatifs à vie sur les enfants et les jeunes

√ à éviter que la vie des enfants et des jeunes ne soit ramenée sous le seuil de pauvreté

√ à stopper la génération perdue de polycrises à se produire en Afrique.

Pour ce qui précède ne se réalise, soutenez « Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique ».

Vous trouverez d’autres points saillants de cet appel et des moyens de le soutenir à l’adresse suivante : cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

Main Development

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1)

Activity 1: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

 

Last week, we said that the name of the July game at CENFACS is Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Assurance, Review and Analytics.  In other words, July is the tracking month during which we conduct our Impact monitoring, evaluation, reporting, assurance, review and analytics of the projects and programmes we delivered during almost last 11 months and 2 weeks.

The following is what we have planned to cover this activity 1 of our Analytics and Impact work:

 

∝ Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics in progress

∝ All-in-One Impact Feedbacks: Tell it in your own words, numbers, voice and info-graphics!

∝ Summer Selection and Collection of 12 Initiatives for Feedback One and 9 for Feedback Two.

 

Let us summarise each of these points of our Analytics and Impact work.

 

• • Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics in progress

 

We are still routinely gathering information on all aspects of these programmes and projects related to the above named period.  Likewise, we are assessing what these programmes and projects have achieved in relation to the overall objectives we set up for them.  Also, we are critically examining, reappraising or reconsidering our objectives and policies to achievements, and figuring out whether there is any progress or set back.  Additionally, we are trying to gain a deep understanding from analysing information on data we have collected so far.  Furthermore, we are making sure that the impact process is independently carried out and can help us to assess the health and viability of programmes and projects delivered.

Besides the above five activities (monitoring, evaluation, data insight, assurance and review), we are working to find out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS, as part of the analytics activity.

Once we have completed the July Impact monitoring, evaluation, assurance, review and analytics; we shall proceed with impact reporting or communicate the findings to our respondents and any vested interested parties (users and supporters).

In meantime, we are inviting supporters and users as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to engage with us in responding and reacting to the work we carried out together and to our poverty relief work in their own words, voices and numbers.  Their feedback could take one or two of the following forms: a response, an idea, advice (although feedback is not advice), a comment, an opinion, etc.

They can as well rate us or the work we did together, raise awareness of areas of improvement and identify actions to be taken to improve our performance.

They can provide a statement about these programmes and projects.  Where possible, they can give information graphics (such as charts, graphs, images, etc.).

 

• • All-in-One Impact Feedbacks: Tell it in your own words, numbers, voices and info-graphics!

 

There are many types or models of feedback.  In this exercise of feedback about the 2022-2023 programmes and projects, we are referring to impact feedback.  The latter is about giving responses or reactions from the perspectives of users and African organisations by commenting on the programmes and projects delivered by CENFACS from their points of view.  It is an observation or information, but not an evaluation from their part.  They could describe the influence or impact these programmes and projects have on them and what they like to be different.

For example, if our users want to know the intergenerational impact of a service we provided to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, they can comment on how our intervention would have affected themselves and other generation or their children.  Likewise, if they would like to get cyclical impact of the same service provided, they can provide information about the effects occurring in regular intervals.

From the perspective of impact analysis, we are going to establish a chain of causation or theory from the cost-of-living crisis to impact as well as to measure or describe the changes induced along that chain.  Briefly, we are going to refer to cause-and-effect approach and to the theory of change.

The exercise is meant to enable Supporters and Users (you might be one of them) as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to share with us and others the outcomes and learning experiences resulting from the use or application of the projects we have chosen from our programmes for feedback purpose.

Please seize this opportunity to provide your own lines of thought and observation for improvement, adjustment and development by sharing with us and others the outcomes and/or experiences resulting from the communications we have had with you and or your use/application or participation/support concerning the programmes and projects below.

We would like to know how helpful, effective and efficient did you find in these programmes and projects, and what lessons, experiences did you learn and development for the future of our poverty relief work in coming years.

 

• • Summer Selection and Collection of 12 Initiatives for Feedback One and 9 for Feedback Two

 

We would like to inform you that some of the projects selected may have the same title like the year before.  However, the focus and contents for this year and each year are completely different.  In other words, what matters is not the title of the project or programme, but what is inside them or their insight.

We have selected the following programmes and projects for Feedback I and II.

 

 

Feedback I: Projects and Programmes for Feedback from Individuals (Supporters and Users’ Experiences)

 

There are 12 selected initiatives for Feedback I as follows:

 

1) Summer 2022 Festival with a Focus on Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty

2) August 2022 Trending Activities of Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction through Forest Ecosystem Services

3) Data Skills to Run Your Household

4) Short-, Medium- and Long-term Services to Reduce/End Poverty Induced by Raising Costs of Living

5) “A la une” Campaign with an Emphasis on the Safeguard of Critically Endangered Bird Species

6) Crisis Response Skills Development

7) 3-tier Security Support (The Three Tiers of Security against Poverty) 

8) 4-week Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investment in Africa

9) Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty

10) Financial Controls 2023 for Households

11) Holiday Budget Clinics

12) African Children’s Climate & Sustainable Development Goals with a Focus on Generational Impact Analysis of the Cost-of-living Crisis on Children.

 

 

Feedback II: Projects and Programmes for Feedback from Organisations (Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Voices)

 

We have selected 9 initiatives for Feedback II as follows:

 

1) The People of Lake Chad Basin Still Need Support

2) 2022-2023 Discussions on Africa Matters held within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum 

3) October 2022 Food Security Appeal

4) Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa

5) Giving Hope to the Children in Need in the Eastern Part of the Democratic Republic of Congo

6) The Polycrisis-impacted Children of East Africa Need Your Influence Right NOW

7) The People of Central African Republic Need Your Influence to Stop the Worsening Humanitarian Crisis They Are Experiencing

8) The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis Need Your Influence

9) Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa.

 

The above selected 2022-2023 programmes and projects are the result of a difficult arbitration in decision-making about initiatives to retain for both Feedbacks I and II.  They may seem a lot for a feedback purpose. However, what we have done is to give to people and organisations the opportunity to choose or pick the one (s) they know or associate with to feedback.

For the effectiveness of the feedback, we suggest that people or organisations to pick only 1 or 2 initiatives to give their feedback.  Also, it is better to be concise when making your feedback.

 

• • • How do you provide your feedback?

 

There are online feedback collection tools (such as survey monkey, visual feedback, type form, online review, etc.).  For the simplicity of our Impact Feedback model, we would very much appreciate if you could provide us your feedback…

 

(a) via e-mail, text, phone, web comments or reviews

(b) in your own words, numbers, voices and information graphics (info-graphics).

 

Please do it by saying the way in which the above named programmes and projects have affected you or the people you recommended to use them or your organisation or sister organisation.

You could rate (by using numbers or percentages or ratios) these programmes and projects or provide a statement (by using words) or even give a chart or table (as information graphics). You can as well record your voice and run a video or short film.   This is aptly up to you.

Please remember, we can only help reduce poverty and do the changes we all want if you tell us what you think; not us only telling you what we do.

Please consider our request for feedback and for your testimonial support.

 

• • • Need further information about the above programmes and projects before your feedback 

 

Those who have been following the work CENFACS does will be familiar with the above mentioned projects and programmes.  They may not need further details about them.

Those who want to provide feedback and would like to request the details or summaries of the above selected programmes and projects prior to their feedback, they are free to make their request to us.

Thank you for considering our request of feedback and for your testimonial support.

This feedback is due by the END OF JULY 2023.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.imperial.ac.uk/stuff/educational-development/teaching-toolkit/assessment-and-feedback/introduction-to-assessment-and-feedback/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) Gallegos, J. A. (2016), What is User Generated Content: Complete Guide to UGC & Why you need it  

(3) https://www.datarobot.com/blog/what-are-data-insights/ (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.masterindatascience.org/learning/what-is-data-analytics/ (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion/overview (accessed in July 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

05 July 2023

 

Post No. 307

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

• Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Use your Influential Analysis to Make Helpful Impact on Those in Need

• Goal of the Month: Reduce Poverty with Impact

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

July is CENFACS’ Analytics and Impact Month as it is the time of the year during which we conduct the impact assessment, monitoring, evaluation, review, assurance, reporting and analytics of our programmes and projects.  Through these exercises, we analyse what we did over the last 345 days, seize the outputs and, if possible, capture the early impacts made.

It is the time we focus on the effects of our intervention while reviewing what worked well, what badly worked and what did not work at all.  We do it by bringing all together the programmes and projects as well as activities that made the preceding financial year.  This is what we usually call All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment.

It is a feedback because we ask all our stakeholders (our beneficiaries) to give their opinions about our work.  This beneficiary or participatory monitoring aims to track the perceptions of project and programme beneficiaries.  We expect them to provide us with their unbiased, independent, true and fair views and feelings about our work.  From what they feedback and what we have collected as data, we can assess or judge our performance against aims, goals and targets of poverty reduction and sustainable development we set up at the beginning of the financial year.

It is also a time to deep dive into numbers and to listen to what these numbers (numerical data) are telling us; for example if we have been on track or running behind or even tracking ahead.  This tracking exercise (or financial monitoring) helps us to discover patterns in numbers achieved and to spot trends.

The analytics activity further guides us to know if we hit targets or not, and to focus time and energy on our core mission while adjusting and redeveloping our programmes and projects in improved direction.  From data analysed, we can get information about users’ experience and undertake products/services design and development.  In doing so, this gives us the opportunity to predict and plan future activities while reconnecting with stakeholders and stewarding new donors.

The impact activity helps us to start getting early signs or signals of the systematic change that we would like together with our users to instil long term.  This activity enables us to begin foreseeing the broader and long-term change or effects of the programmes and projects we implemented in the last 345 days.

For more information about All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment or CENFACS’ Analytics and Impact Month, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Use your Influential Analysis to Make Helpful Impact on Those in Need

 

It is possible to use community influential analysis or observation and make helpful impact on the most needy and vulnerable of our community and society.  One can do microscopy of their interactions with those in need and the structure of the influence they have.  They can use influence evaluation metrics, check the flow of influence and analyse their influence in terms of its impact on those in need.

 

• • Metrics to Track Success of Influence

 

For those who are interested in the metrics to track their influence and/or indicators to check the impact of their influence, they can use the measuring impact model explained by Rob Mitchell (1).  The latter provides four dimensions of influence and metrics to track success for businesses.  These four dimensions or components of influence are expertise, empathy, practicality and strength.  They can be customised for individuals.

For example, if expertise is a component of individual’s influence, then trust can be used as metric to make helpful impact on those in need.  The metrics for the other three components of influence are perceptions of influencer for empathy, confidence for practicality, and comfortability for strength.

Influencers of poverty reduction can as well use their theory of change to check if their influence is having or not having a helpful impact or influence on those in need.  If it does not, then they can explore ways of improving the quality or quantity of their influence on those in need or those who may affect the factors or parameters that lead to negative impact or the challenging issues that people in need face.

The above is our Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project.   This task can be undertaken by those members of our community who are interested in it.

To work with us via this Activity/Task 7, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduce Poverty with Impact

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Analytics and Impact Month 2023, we are looking for initiatives of poverty reduction with impact.

There are times when poverty reduction come with impact on other areas of life, while there are other times it does not.  What many people living in poverty and hardship would like to see is poverty reduction with impact.  What is poverty reduction with impact?

 

• • Explaining Poverty Reduction with Impact

 

Poverty Reduction with Impact or Impactful Poverty Reduction is about getting reduced the state in which resources are lacking, but achieving that reduction with a change in the long term for those in need.  If there is poverty reduction without long term change, then there could be no impact or very little impact on the poor people.  Yet, those living in poverty would like to reduce poverty with impact or a relatively strong impact on other areas of their life.

Changes or impact may take time to happen or appear.  However, indication or signs need to show that we are heading the right direction following poverty reduction activities.  If not, one may try to use a results chain model (e.g., input>output>outcome>long-term change) to deal with impact or establish cause-effect relations between poverty reduction actions and impact.  In other words, one needs to use measuring impact framework to check if there has been an impact or not.

For example, one can refer to the five dimensions of impact as provided by Sopact.com (2), dimensions which include what (outcomes to achieve), who (the target population), how much (the scale, depth, and duration of the impact), contribution (difference made with intervention), and risk (external factors and assumptions that influence results).

These dimensions will help to measure the impact or difference as a result of one’s intervention or work with or help to the poor.

As part of the poverty reduction goal for July 2023, our supporters and audiences can help Reduce Poverty with Impact for those who are in need.  We expect them to support this goal.

For any queries and/or enquiries regarding this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

PLEASE HELP REDUCE POVERTY WITH IMPACT!

 

Extra Messages

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during Summer Season

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the New Global Financing Pact of Paris

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Private Military Corporations and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store during Summer Season

 

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

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

The impacted of the cost of living crisis needs help and support as prices and bills have astronomically gone up while real household disposable incomes are still the same or less for many of those living in poverty.

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

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods to CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store, the shop built to help alleviate poverty, lift people out of poverty and prevent 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 to reduce poverty with impact.

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

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

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

√ SHOP at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-Store to support good and deserving causes of poverty reduction with impact this Summer.

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships with impact; poverty and hardships exacerbated or brought by the cost of living crisis.

This is what the Season of Giving or Summer of Giving is all about.

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

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

We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by the cost of living crisis.

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

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the New Global Financing Pact of Paris

 

On 26 June 2023 in Paris (3), developing countries’ leaders (including African leaders) discussed the need for reforming the global financial architecture.  Further to their discussion, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the outcomes of leaders’ deliberations, in particular on how the proposition of a reformed global financial architecture, if it happens, can help ASOs increase or improve their work and results on poverty reduction and sustainable development within the communities they serve. 

The e-discussion on the pact  within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum  is about finding out what to do for ASOs get any dividend resulting from this reform, if it materialises, and expand their poverty reduction work across Africa.  This is knowing that the polycrises that Africa is undergoing are posing multiple challenges to many organisations including mission-driven not-for-profit ones like CENFACS’ ASOs.

Those who support the reform or reformists believe that this reform can help invest with impact in health and education, instead of only paying interests on loan.  They advocate for the improvement of ASOs’ share green finance.  They also back the view that ASOs will get the means for their ambition to drive forward work on poverty reduction, sustainable development and climate action.  That ASOs will improve the work they are doing with highly indebted poor households and help them find the way to come out debt poverty.  On the contrary, others disagree with these arguments.

The above are some the views expressed so far.  CENFACS would like to know yours.  You can tell CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum what you think.

Those who may be interested in this first discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Private Military Corporations and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

There is a controversial debate about the role of private military corporations in poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and elsewhere.  Private military corporations (PMCs) have been in existence in the history of Africa.  Sometimes, they are called mercenaries, non-regular armed groups, etc.  But, what are really PMCs?

According to ‘britannica.com’ (4),

“A PMC is an independent corporation that offers military services to national governments, international organisations, and sub-state actors.  PMCs specialise in providing combat and protection forces.  Their work ranges from running small-scale training missions to providing combat units composed of up to several hundred trained soldiers equipped with powerful weapons platforms, including tanks and attack helicopters”.

PMCs take the credit for some and the blame for others for what is happening now in some parts of Africa (like in Mali, the Central African Republic) where there is continuing insecurity or armed conflicts and where PMCs (such as Wagner) are involved or present.  Insecurity and conflicts which often have consequences like hunger, famine, human displacement, illegal exploitation of natural resources, poverty, sexual violence, etc.  These consequences also generate human appeals from aid agencies.  CENFACS too makes appeals to ask for support on behalf of the victims of these insecurity and armed conflicts.

Because of that, there are people who believe that the operations and activities of PMCs are destructive and increase poverty and misery in Africa, in particular where and if PMCs’ employees or members are involved in abuses of human rights, criminal warfare activities and plundering or illegal exploitation of natural resources, commercial operations of raw materials (like gold in Mali and diamond in the Central African Republic) which do not benefit local poor populations. 

On the contrary, there are others who argue that PMCs’ operations in Africa are way of liberating people from the forces of domination, injustice, unfairness, etc.  There could be more arguments about the presence of PMCs (like Wagner, Sandline International, etc.) and their impact on poverty in Africa.

Besides these arguments, CENFACS would like to know what you think about PMCs’ repercussions on poverty reduction in Africa.  If you have argument about their repercussions on poverty reduction in Africa, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

Those who may be interested in this second discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS discute en ligne des sociétés militaires privées et de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique

Il y a un débat controversé sur le rôle des sociétés militaires privées dans la réduction de la pauvreté et le développement durable en Afrique et ailleurs.  Des sociétés militaires privées (SMP) ont existé dans l’histoire de l’Afrique.  Parfois, elles sont appelées mercenaires, groupes armés non réguliers, etc.  Mais que sont vraiment les SMP?

Selon « britannica.com » (4),

«Une SMP est une société indépendante qui offre des services militaires aux gouvernements nationaux, aux organisations internationales et aux acteurs infra-étatiques.  Les SMP se spécialisent dans la fourniture de forces de combat et de protection.  Leur travail va de l’exécution de missions d’entraînement à petite échelle à la fourniture d’unités de combat composées de plusieurs centaines de soldats entraînés équipés de puissantes plates-formes d’armes, y compris des chars et des hélicoptères d’attaque».

Les SMP s’attribuent le mérite de certains et se font blâmer par d’autres pour ce qui se passe actuellement dans certaines parties de l’Afrique (comme au Mali, en République centrafricaine) où l’insécurité ou les conflits armés persistent et où des SMP (comme Wagner) sont impliquées ou présentes.  L’insécurité et les conflits qui ont souvent des conséquences comme la faim, la famine, les déplacements humains, le pillage ou l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles, la pauvreté, la violence sexuelle, etc.  Ces conséquences suscitent également des appels humanitaires de la part des organisations humanitaires.  Le CENFACS lance également des appels pour demander un soutien en faveur des victimes de ces insécurités et de ces conflits armés.

Pour cette raison, il y a des gens qui croient que les opérations et les activités des SMP sont destructrices et augmentent la pauvreté et la misère en Afrique, en particulier lorsque et si les employés ou les membres des SMP sont impliqués dans des violations des droits de l’homme, des activités de guerre criminelle et l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles. 

Au contraire, il y en a d’autres qui soutiennent que les opérations des SMP en Afrique sont un moyen de libérer les gens des forces de domination, d’injustice, d’exploitation, etc.  Il pourrait y avoir plus d’arguments sur la présence de SMP (comme Wagner, Sandline International, etc.) et leur impact sur la pauvreté en Afrique.

Outre ces arguments, le CENFACS aimerait savoir ce que vous pensez des répercussions des SMP sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Si vous avez des arguments sur leurs répercussions sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique, n’hésitez pas à le faire savoir au CENFACS.

Ceux/celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette deuxième discussion de juillet 2023 peuvent se joindre à nous et / ou contribuer en contactant le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS, qui est un lieu de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

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

 

 

Main Development

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

The name of the July game at CENFACS is Impact Assessment, Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance, Reporting and Analytics.  July is the month during which we conduct our impact assessment, monitoring, evaluation, assurance, review, reporting and analytics of the projects and programmes we delivered during almost last 11 months and 2 weeks.

This July, the way in which we have organised ourselves to conduct the Analytics and Impact Month 2023 are summarised under the following sub-headlines:

 

∝ Key Words for the Analytics and Impact Month 2023

∝ The Analytical Process within CENFACS

∝ What is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard?

∝ Analytics of the Year of Influence as an Example of Analytical Process within CENFACS

∝ Impact Monitoring of Monthly Goals

∝ All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment for July 2023.

 

Let us look at each of these sub-headlines.

 

• • Key Words for the Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

There are seven key words we are using which are: impact, monitoring, evaluation, assurance, review, reporting and analytics.

Let us briefly explain these key words.

 

1) Impact

 

Normally, it takes a considerable amount of time to get the real impact of any intervention, project and programme.  However, because we are talking about finding out what projects and programmes have achieved, it makes sense to clarify what we mean by impact.

To do that, we are going to consider different terminologies surrounding impact; terminologies used within the impact literature or field.  These terminologies are impact analysis, impact assessment, impact monitoring and impact reporting.   Let us briefly explain these terms.

 

1.1 & 1.2) Impact Analysis and Assessment

 

To explain these two words, we are going to borrow the definition of impact from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The OECD (5) differentiates ex ante impact from ex post impact.  This is what it argues.

“Ex ante impact analysis is the needs analysis and planning activity of the policy cycle.  It is a prospective analysis of what the impact of an intervention might be, so as to inform policy making”.

“Ex post impact assessment is the evaluation and management of the policy cycle.  Evaluation aims to understand to what extent and how a policy intervention corrects the problem it was intended to address.  Impact assessment focuses on the effects of the intervention, whereas evaluation is likely to cover a wider range of issues such as the appropriateness of the intervention design, the cost and the efficiency of the intervention, its unintended effects and how to use the experience from this intervention to improve the design of future interventions”.

The above definitions help to understand the scope and scale of the impact of most interventions.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we will be doing evaluation activities for some programmes and projects; and impact assessments for others.  This is because impact assessment is mostly a theory-based activity and has a narrow and tightly-defined focus.  Where we need to design evaluation questions and use evaluation techniques, we will do evaluation.  Where there is a need for a tightly-defined focus, we will do impact assessment.

We are as well considering that the initiative for change comes from project users or beneficiaries not from CENFACS or CENFACS’ projects or programmes.  This is because the impact analysis model of change we are using is a non-linear one.  Despite this non-linearity of the theory of change used, our impact analysis will still be based on causality and attribution approach.

 

1.3) Impact Reporting

 

After carrying out the analytics and impact of our programmes and projects, we need to report our findings or results.  Although we have not yet reached this step, we need to start thinking of the way we shall report.  In technical parlance, we need to proceed or think of impact reporting.  What is impact reporting?

The website ‘sopact.com’ (6) states that

“Impact reporting is a powerful tool that organisations use to showcase the positive changes they bring to communities and the environment.  A well-constructed impact report tells a story of transformation, capturing the outcomes achieved and the significance of the impact”.

During this July 2023, we will be thinking of the various pieces that will make our impact reporting as we are analysing the data from the last twelve months.

 

2 & 3) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

We are going to use the definition of monitoring and evaluation as given by Kersty Hobson, Ruth Mayne and Jo Hamilton (7) in their “A Step by Step guide to Monitoring and Evaluation”.

Regarding monitoring, Hobson et al. define it as

“The collection and analysis of information about a project or programme undertaken while the project or programme is on-going”. (p. 5)

Arguing about monitoring, Intrac (8) considers that there are many types of monitoring which include process or performance monitoring, results or impact monitoring, beneficiary monitoring or beneficiary contact monitoring, situation monitoring or scanning, financial monitoring, administrative or logistics monitoring management information.

During our Analytics and Impact Month 2023, we will be working on three monitoring activities which include performance, impact and financial monitoring.

Concerning evaluation, Hobson et al. (op. ct.) explain it as

“The periodic, retrospective assessment of an organisation, project or programme that might be conducted internally or by external independent evaluators”. (p. 5)

In reality, there are many types of evaluation which include formative evaluation, summative evaluation, outcome evaluation, impact evaluation, etc.

The July 2023 evaluation will help CENFACS to evaluate the appropriateness of CENFACS‘ intervention design, the cost and efficiency of its intervention, the unintended effects of this ending financial year’s intervention and the need to improve the design of future interventions.

The Analytics and Impact Month 2023 will be mostly concerned with impact evaluation.  An impact evaluation can be defined in many ways. 

For example, the website ‘betterevaluation.org’ (9) explains that

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

 

From the above-mentioned definitions of monitoring and evaluation, it is understood that monitoring is an on-going process whereas evaluation is a periodic or discrete one.

 

4) Assurance

 

July is also the month to revisit our commitment to the detection and prevention of quality problems that can hinder the quality of our poverty reduction produce or service.  Put it simply, assurance is part and parcel of CENFACS‘ July analytics and Impact work.  What is assurance?

By assurance, we simply mean what His Majesty Treasury (10) argues, which is

“Assurance is an objective examination of evidence for the purpose of providing an independent assessment on governance, risk management and control processes for the organisation.  An assurance framework is a structured means of identifying and mapping the main sources of assurance in organisation, and co-ordinating them to best effect”.

Assurance can be internal and external.  In our analytics work, we are conducting internal assurance.  What does it mean?

It means what for example ‘anngravells.com’ (11) argues about internal quality assurance, which

“Seeks to ensure that assessment activities have been conducted in a consistent, safe and fair manner”.

This internal quality assurance, which took place since our programmes and projects started, will continue and be deepened this month as it is the Analytics and Impact Month.  This will be done via impact feedbacks.

 

5) Review

 

We have referred to the online source ‘method123.com’ (12) for the meaning of this key word.  This online source defines review as

“An assessment of the status of a project at a particular point in time”.

From this online perspective, we have been performing a project management review at the end of each phase of our projects and programmes.  We have been verifying whether or not we have met the objectives.  If so, then a decision needed to be approved to proceed to the next project or programme phase.

July is the month we put together all these small project reviews conducted while doing the last reviews for those projects and programmes pending for a final review.

 

6) Analytics

 

There are many approaches to analytics.  In the context of our July work, we have selected an explanation from ‘dictionary.com’ (13) which is as follows:

“The patterns and other meaningful information gathered from the analysis of data”.

The website ‘oracle.com’ (14) goes further by explaining that

“Analytics is the process of discovering, interpreting and communicating significant patterns in data.  Quite simply, analytics helps us see insights and meaningful data that we might not otherwise detect”.

Like any charity analytics, CENFACS Analytics helps to make informed decisions, drive and increase poverty reduction services or sales, reduce costs and improve poverty reduction outcomes/produce.  It finally helps us to better deliver a user experience for our projects and programmes.

 

• • The Analytical and Impact Processes within CENFACS

 

We have been continuously and at discrete points in time tracking what has been happening within our programmes and projects while using the data collected to inform programme and project implementation as well as day-to-day management and decisions during the above named period.  However, in July this monitoring exercise becomes more intense.

Likewise, we have been periodically assessing the objectives of our planned, on-going, or completed projects, programmes, or policies.  During these evaluation processes, we have tried to selectively answer specific questions related to the design, implementation, and results of our programmes and projects.

In July, these evaluation activities become further pronounced as we assess what these programmes and projects have achieved in relation to the overall objectives we set up for them.  The results of this evaluation are fed back to improve these programmes and projects, or alternatively to design and develop new ones.

Still in July, we critically examine, reappraise or reconsider our objectives and policies to achievements, and see if there is any progress or set back.  This review enables us to improve as well.

What’s more in July, we look at again our loyalty to the detection and prevention of quality issues.  This assurance assists in maintaining and improving the quality of our poverty reduction produce.

Throughout the year, we work to finding out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS.  We apply those patterns in our decision making process.  In July, we put extra emphasis on this analytics which becomes very profound.

Briefly, July is the time we do our Summer tracking by reconsidering the value and relevancy of our work, let alone the overall state of our charitable work.  It is in this period of the year that we carry out what we call All-in-One Impact Feedback and Assessment.  In other words, we try to listen to our stakeholders while tracking the effects of our intervention and capturing the early impacts of our work by considering all the pieces together as one.

One of the key information management tools we use to do our impact analysis is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard.

 

 

• • What is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard?

 

CENFACS Analytics Dashboard is an information management tool that tracks, analyses and displays key performance indicators, poverty reduction diagnostics, poverty relief metrics/dashboards, results from CENFACS’ poverty relief league, etc.

 

• • • What else Does CENFACS Analytics Dashboard Offer?

 

√ It monitors the health of CENFACS in terms of the relationships of support received to outputs and outcomes generated.

√ It provides as well infographics and summaries about some of the campaigns conducted.

√ It enables to discover and identify poverty reduction problems from the examination of symptoms it helps find.

√ It assists in engineering analytical solutions to the problem of reducing poverty.

√ It finally helps to retrieve information from CENFACS repository about the resources to help users and supporters.

For example, during the early stage of the coronavirus pandemic, we used CENFACS Analytics Dashboard to check the health of CENFACS and state of running of CENFACS’ projects and programmes.  This checking enabled us to know the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic affected the running of CENFACS and its services.  Knowing the distributional effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our projects and programmes, this knowledge helped us to reorganise these projects and programmes differently.

For more on CENFACS Analytics Dashboard, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Analytics of Year of Influence as an Example of Analytical Process within CENFACS

 

The analytics or tracking of Influence Year is the 6-month analysis and turning of raw data insights for making better decisions in terms of helping to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  To make this possible, we have created a booklet or journal of creative activities or tasks carried out so far to mark 2023 as a Influence Year.  This booklet/journal is also a record of data.

 

• • • Booklet/Journal of 2023 Activities as Year of Influence

  

Inside this Booklet/Journal of Year of Influence, there is one activity or task per month to be carried out by users.  Alongside this activity or task, there is a metrics or analytics indicator to enable the owner of the booklet or journal to measure their performance as shown below.

 

∝ January 2023

 

Activity/Task 1: Influence to achieve responsible or sustainable consumption and reduce consumption poverty

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of food insecure having accessibility, availability, utilisation and stability to food stuffs after influence

 

∝ February 2023

 

Activity/Task 2: Persuade people to meet sustainable development goals

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of energy poor having access to affordable and clean energy

 

∝ March 2023

 

Activity/Task 3: Positively influence climate actions

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Level of decrease in indoor pollution or greenhouse gas concentrations or number of households using non-polluting stoves

 

∝ April 2023

 

Activity/Task 4: Influence Protection

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Relief payments or family allowances received by those in need of income protection

 

∝ May 2023

 

Activity/Task 5: Encourage people to tell and share their stories of poverty reduction

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of homeless’ and street beggars’ stories relating to finding accommodation

 

∝ June 2023

 

Activity/Task 6: Boost and nurture the creative and innovative skills of those in need

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of skilful people in need who produced arts and/or design objects

One can journal, quantify and gain insight of the meaning of the data about the last 6 months of Influence Year from this booklet/journal of creative activities and make good decision on how to better help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • Impact Monitoring of Monthly Goals

 

Every month we set up a poverty reduction goal to be achieved for the month.  As part of the Analytics and Impact Month, we are starting to assess the changes brought about or by the poverty reduction goals we set up since January 2023.

The following are the poverty reduction goals we set up from January to June 2023.

 

January 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty Linked to Food Waste and Overconsumption

February 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty Related to Illicit Financial Flows

March 2023 Goal: Reduction of Holiday Poverty 

April 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

May 2023 Goal: Make Poverty Reduction through Stories

June 2023 Goal: Make the Relationship between Creativity, Innovation and Poverty Reduction Work.

 

This tracking is about getting beneficiaries’ results.

 

• • All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment for July 2023

 

This month, we will be conducting three levels of ex post Impact Assessment:

 

(a)  Impact monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year

(b) Impact assessment of CENFACS’ Programme of Building Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer 

(c) Impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme.

 

As said above, this Impact Assessment will be ex post.  And the evaluation related to this exercise will aim to understand the extent to which and the way in which our projects and programmes corrected the problems of poverty and unsustainable development amongst our intended beneficiaries.

Let us briefly summarise the three levels of impact assessment to be conducted.

 

(a) Impact monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year

 

As the title of impact indicates, it will be about putting together in the form of one piece of work all the results of monitoring and evaluation activities we have conducted for programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year.

 

(b) Impact assessment of CENFACS’ Programme of Building Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer 

 

We are going to seize the impact of Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer, which is a two-year programme we set up to come out and move forward from the coronavirus.  We shall look at the impact of this programme on our system of poverty reduction, particularly on CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Tools and Programme, and Development Agenda (15).

 

(c) Impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme

 

Like last year, this year’s All-in-One Impact Feedback and Assessment will be extended to include our XX236.3F programme as we are in the month of Monitoring and Evaluation.

XX236.3F is our 2020 to 2030 to 2063 Follow up Programme.  We are following the implementation of the following:

 

∝ The International Climate Change Agreement (or the Paris Treaty)

∝ The Istanbul Declaration (the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women)

∝ The Maputo Protocol (the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa)

∝ The United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

∝ Africa’s Agenda 2063.

 

The five of them make up our XX236.3F programme.

In brief, we shall conduct a follow-up and examination, look back and analyse data on the overall projects and programmes delivered during the above stated period, while keeping implementing our XX236.3F programme.

We shall soon publish the programmes and projects making this year’s Analytics and Impact.  In meantime, for any enquiries about the Analytics Month 2023, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://longitude.ft.com/measuring -impact-four-dimensions-of-influence-and-metrics-to-track-success/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) https://www.sopact.com/perspectives/five-dimensions-of-impact# (accessed in July 2023)

(3) https://www.uneca.org/stories/in-paris%2C-african-leaders-call-for-affordable-financing-to-recover-economies-and-put-the (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.britannica.com/topic/private-military-firm (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/what-is-impact-assessment-OECDImpact.pdf (accessed in July 2022)

(6) https://www.sopact.com/impact-reporting (accessed in July 2023)

(7) https://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/monitoringandevaluation.html (accessed in July 2023)

(8) https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/up-content/uploads/2017/01/Monitoring.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(9) https://www.betterevaluation.org/methods-approaches/themes/impact-evaluation (accessed in July 2023)

(10) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270485/assurance_frameworks_191212.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(11) https://www.anngravells.com/information/iqa (accessed in July 2023)

(12) https://www.method123.com/initiation-phase-review.php (accessed in July 2023)

(13) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/analytics (accessed in July 2023)

(14) https://www.oracle.com/business-analytics/what-is-analytics/ (accessed in July 2023

(15) cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/ (accessed in July 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 June 2023

 

Post No. 306

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises (from Week Beginning Monday 26/06/2023)

• The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis Need your Influence

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

2023 Season of Happiness or Life Satisfaction will be passed in the conditions of weak economic upturn following the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster and the continuing cost-of-living crisis.  These conditions are those described by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its Economic Outlook of June 2023.  According to the OECD (1),

“The global economy is showing signs of improvement but the upturn remains weak, amid significant downside risks… However, core inflation is proving persistent and the impact of higher interest rates is increasingly being felt across the economy”.

For example, in the UK the base interest rate is now 5% while the UK’s annual inflation rate currently sits at 8.7% (2).

Because we are all part of the global economy these economic conditions affect all of us with variation or differentiation.  In those circumstances, how can we, especially our users or beneficiaries, find happiness in the context of weak economic upturn?

 

• • Working with users to find happiness during this Summer 2023

 

During this Season of Happiness, we shall work with users to help them find out what can satisfy their lives during this frail upward of the economy.  Our work with them will be about implementing existing initiatives while developing new ones that can make them happy or satisfy their lives.

So, our Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness will be about the following three items:

 

1) How the CENFACS Community can spread happiness between its members to narrow the gap in happiness inequalities

2) How best to help those most in need within the CENFACS Community to feel happy, to achieve successful outcomes despite the current and underlying cost-of-living crisis

3) How to create and innovate happiness-enhancing activities and projects to reduce poverty linked to the lack of happiness.

 

Although happiness is about the interplay between gene and environment, it is possible to help the members of CENFACS Community to find happiness cure, become happy and feel well.  It is possible to help them overcome inequalities in happiness and achieve well-being.

To do that, we are going to consider what the science of happiness tells us.  We shall as well approach happiness as both an independent and interdependent concept.  In other words, happiness could be a personal or subjective experience for any member of our community.  Happiness can also be a collective participation for any of these members as belonging to a community, the CENFACS Community.  It is in this interaction between happiness as individual practice and happiness as collective experience that they can find their true balance or harmony.

To sum up, during this 2023 Season of Happiness we are going to work with our users so that they can have aspects of their life in balance and feel at peace with their life despite the feeble economic revival.  The above is the way in which we would like to approach our 2023 Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details including the projects and programmes making the 2023 Season of Happiness.

 

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises (from Week Beginning Monday 26/06/2023)

 

Creating and innovating to win the battle against crises as the theme of 2023 Creative Economic Development Month continues this week.  We are dealing with appeals to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises.   The appeals could be our responses to the following:

 

∝ Short-term environmental strikes and crises

∝ Short-term armed conflicts and disputes

∝ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

∝ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles 

∝ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes

∝ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare.

 

So, creations and innovations to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises are part of the rebuilding projects or processes in the context of Rebuilding Africa programme by CENFACS.  One of the creations we made this year is how to use influence as a donation in humanitarian field instead of money to change the lives of those seeking or needing humanitarian relief.

In order to treat the above-mentioned creations and innovations, we are going to proceed with the following:

 

∝ Understanding the meaning of humanitarian crisis and appeal

∝ What we can do to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises

∝ Providing an example of humanitarian appeal made by CENFACS.

 

Let us briefly explain these proceedings.

 

• • Basic understanding of humanitarian crisis and appeal

 

Regarding humanitarian crisis, ‘concern.org.uk’ (3) explains that there is no universal definition of humanitarian crisis; and the terms ‘humanitarian crises’ and ‘humanitarian emergency’ are often used interchangeably.  The same ‘concern.org.uk’ argues that

“A humanitarian crisis is defined as an event or series of events that represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area”.

As to humanitarian appeal, the Centre for Policy Research of the United Nations University (4), states that

“A humanitarian appeal is supposed to identify top priorities under time pressure, and ensure that these are met.  Ideally, it functions as a triage process that makes the difficult decisions about what is most urgent – education or water, this camp or this group of migrant herders – all in the face of limited resources”.

In this activity about making an appeal to triumph the battle against crises linked to humanitarian catastrophe (that is, a great disaster or geological event causing destruction an loss of life), we are going to identify top priorities for those in need who are under pressure.

 

• • What we can do to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises

 

As suggested by the Centre for Policy Research of the United Nations University (op. cit.), in order to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises we are going to work with those impacted by humanitarian crises and those who can support them to find ways of

~ bridging the gaps between the requests from the impacted by catastrophe-led crises and supporters’ funding

~ developing a crisis and resilience plans between 1 to 5 years development cycle

~ aligning/synchronising pledging and planning

~ reforming humanitarian appeals process and architecture

etc.

 

• • Providing an example of humanitarian appeal made by CENFACS

 

There are many examples of humanitarian appeals launched by CENFACS.   We can mention the humanitarian appeal we made on 31 May 2023 (5) to Support Children in the Horn of Africa to Avoid Famine; appeal which is a case of basically dealing with humanitarian crisis.  In this case or crisis, children have been experiencing life-threatening and -destroying conditions due to a prolong drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa (that is, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia).

This example of Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises concludes our 2023 Creative Economic Development Month’s Working Weeks and Plan for Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises.  However, these appeals do not end this battle.  As we argued at the start of the 2023 Creative Economic Development Month, winning this battle is a desirable aim in the battlefield of poverty reduction.  To win it, one can remember what Joanne Reed (6) says, which is this:

“Life is a battlefield.  Nothing is easy, we have to fight our way through everything, and with this in mind, it would be a good idea for us to familiarise ourselves with combat strategy and learn the best tricks in the book from trained warriors”.

Throughout these working weeks and with the notes attached to them, we hope that we have learnt together as trained warriors the greatest tricks to win the battle against crises, particularly those crises that lead to poverty and unsustainability.

For any queries and or enquiries about the Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises, please contact CENFACS.

To support and or engage with CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and or  the project Jmesci, please also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Forgotten Crisis Need your Influence

 

This is a needs-based humanitarian appeal centred around the needs of the victims of the DRC’s Forgotten Crisis.  The DRC’s Forgotten Crisis concerns 5.7 millions of people who have been displaced in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.

 

• • A Perfect Example of Humanitarian Catastrophe of a Forgotten Emergency

 

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Crisis in its eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri is a perfect example of humanitarian catastrophe of a forgotten emergency.

 

The DRC’s crisis is listed by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (7) amongst other crises in Africa.  From the perspective of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the term “forgotten crises” refers to protracted conflict situations.  ECHO argues that it can also refer to crises resulting from the cumulative effect of recurring natural hazards or  combination of the two. ECHO provides the forgotten crises assessment which includes factors such as risk, crisis severity, media coverage, the level of humanitarian aid per capita and qualitative assessment.

If we take into account the crisis severity factor, it is right to argue that displacement in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri is a forgotten emergency.

According to ‘news.un.org’ (8),

“Overall, 6.2 million people have fled their homes across the country [DRC] – the highest number in Africa”.

Likewise, the Word Food Programme (9) observes that

“Food insecurity is particularly intense in DRC’s northeast, where 3.6 million people are facing emergency hunger levels – a million more than in 2022.  In May, catastrophic floods and landslides in South Kivu added to their hardship”.

 

These displaced people need your influence to support them.

 

• • Using Your Influence to Win the Battle against Displacement Crisis

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Year of Influence, we are asking to those who can to use their influential resources to affect the drivers of the crisis that have pushed the inhabitants of these provinces out of their lands.  Your influence will help to win their battle against the following:

 

√ Chronic violence and displacement that fuels a dramatic hunger crisis in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri

√ Insecurity to deliver food to the displaced persons

√ The lack of access to vulnerable communities to receive the vital relief they need

√ Overburdening of host families

√ Overcrowding in camps

Etc.

 

• • What Your Influencing Support Can Achieve

 

Your influencing donation will help the displaced and food insecure people…

 

√ to return to their land and homes

√ to grow their food

√ to feed hungry families and meet their daily food needs

√ to move the displaced persons from temporary reprieve to permanent accommodation

√ to end traumatic life amongst refugees

√ to provide food and cash assistance to the hardest-hit displaced people

etc.

 

You can donate your Influence to reduce or end poverty amongst the Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the detrimental effects of crisis that led to displacement of the people of the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.

You can as well influence the things or factors that determine these crises in order to create lasting favourable conditions towards an end to crises; factors like conflicts and non-state armed groups that have negatively impacted the supplies and prices of foods in these provinces.

Please also let CENFACS know about your influencing work or contribution  you are or will be making and its outcome on behalf of the food poor in 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.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give your Positive Influence and help save the lives of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis.

DONATE YOUR POSITIVE INFLUENCE NOW!

Extra Messages

 

• Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

• Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project –

In Focus: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the Example of Young Creators and Innovators

• Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7) – In Focus: Artificial Intelligence and Poverty Reduction

 

 

• Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

 

The Month of Creative Economic Development is also of Dematerialisation, which is part of CENFACS‘ Poverty-Environment Programme.

 

 

• • What is dematerialisation?

 

According to the World Bank (10), dematerialisation refers to

“An absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials required to serve economic functions in society”.

Cutler J. Cleveland and Matthias Ruth (11) go further by explaining that

“Dematerialisation refers to the absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials used and/or the quantity of waste generated in the production of a unit of economic output”.

For Cleveland and Ruth, there is a common indicator to measure dematerialisation.  This indicator is the intensity of material used per unit of economic output.

These definitions of dematerialisation will be used to work together with the community and explore non-conflicting ways of activating or improving the process of dematerialisation in the economic functions of their households.  In working together, there is a possibility to explore ways of further reducing poverty via dematerialisation.

 

• • Dematerialisation and Poverty Reduction

 

With reference to the above definitions, CENFACS shall work with its community to help find way of reducing the quantity of resources or materials from the ecosystem in order to meet their basic life-sustaining economic needs.  This will be an opportunity to promote and spread the news about dematerialisation in the way the community produces, consumes and distributes products and services.

Having in mind that household is small unit of production, we can work with ours users and their households to find out their material intensity as ratio of material used to the amount of poverty reduction produced.  In other words, we can try together to produce poverty reduction by using less material and/or generating less waste.  To do that we may need together to create and/or innovate for sustainability.

 

• • Dematerialisation and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

 

Finding creations and innovations that can continue over the long term without adverse effects is also part of the work of 2023 Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM).  Also, using less materials and generating less waste to create and innovate are equally amongst the objectives of 2023 CEDM.

In brief, we can try to reduce poverty with less materials and less waste while making our creations and innovations to equitably serve the current and future generations in meeting their needs.

The work on dematerialisation is CENFACS’ way of supporting both poverty reduction and sustainable creations and innovations within our community.

Those who may be interested in working with us on Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations; they are welcome to let CENFACS know.

 

 

• Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project –

In Focus: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the Example of Young Creators and Innovators

 

Artists and designers play an active role in helping to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  So, this week we are working on some of the works carried out by artists and designers especially those from small scale and charitable backgrounds, the local arts and design products and services undertaken by local people and communities sometimes to make ends meet.

These kinds of work can include the following:

√ Those carried out by poor families, children, young people and those who are left out of the economic growth or upturn

√ There are works undertaken by unknown and unnamed artists and designers who may be amateurs or not professionals or not just celebrities.

Every year, we try to find out unknown and unnamed artists and designers, as part of Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project.  This finding exercise helps to know and name them as well as advertise their works.  We can advertise their work as advertising is an area of creative industries making CENFACS’ 2023 CEDM.

All these small pieces of art and design works can help relieve poverty and enhance the process of sustainable development.  They can help to win the battle against crises such as the cost-of-living crisis.

 

•  •  Example of Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers: Young Creators and Innovators

 

Some Young Creators and Innovators can be classified as unknown and unnamed artists and designers.  Who are they?

They are of all sorts of talents and abilities who can create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  They can as well help to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer.  Their works can help reduce poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis while keeping the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.  They could be the finders of the today’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems.

So, this week we are continuing our Creative Arts and Design-based Development project by looking at the contribution that unknown and unnamed artists and designers, and amongst them are Young Creators and Innovators, who are helping in reducing poverty and hardships as well as in enhancing sustainable development.

If you are a young creator and/or innovator and has some feeling that you would probably fall under the category of unknown and unnamed artists and designers, CENFACS would like to hear from you as well as your creative or innovative work.  You could be the Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development of June 2023; the Mind we are looking for.

 

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7) – In Focus: Artificial Intelligence and Poverty Reduction

 

The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign is on how we can use and/or access artificial intelligence to reduce poverty or get more poverty reduction results or outcomes.

Since its birth in 1950 by Alan Turing, Artificial Intelligence has made progress to such an extent that it can be a tool for poverty reduction.  But, what is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

 

• • Defining Artificial Intelligence

 

There are many definitions of AI.  One of these definitions come from ‘ibm.com’ (12), which says that

“AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machine, especially intelligent computer programme”.

Knowing the meaning of AI and learning its history are all fine.  However, what we are interested in is real-world applications of AI systems in helping to reduce poverty.  There are many examples about how AI has contributed or is contributing in the work of poverty reduction.

For example, online virtual agents through social media can provide personalised advice and engage people in need to meet their needs of poverty reduction and/or enhance sustainable development.

At this level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7), we are looking forward to working with users and Africa-based Sister Organisations in finding more opportunities to access AI technology and use it to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development amongst them.

Those who would like to engage with us at this Level 7, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

For further information about CENFACS’ Digital and Social Media Campaign including levels 1 to 6 of this campaign, please also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Mots de remerciement avant le dernier jour (30/06/2023) de remerciement à nos supporteurs/ses

Nous aimerions profiter de  l’occasion des journées de grâce de CENFACS pour réitérer nos pensées, nos expressions et nos sentiments de profonde gratitude à tous nos suporters et soutiens.

Le CENFACS est vivement très reconnaissant de vous avoir comme soutiens et d’être avec nous aux côtés de ceux ou celles qui sont dans le besoin, en particulier pendant cette année difficile des effets persistants et douloureux de crises multiples qui se chevauchent.

Tous nos remerciements!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

The following items will help to understand the way in which, together with our users, we would like to wish the 2023 Season of Happiness to happen:

 

∝ Rebuilding Season to Happiness Season

∝ What is Summer for CENFACS’ Users and Beneficiaries?

∝ Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

∝ Preview of 2023 Summer of Happiness and Well-being Programmes.

 

Let us briefly explained these items.

 

• • Rebuilding Season to Happiness Season

 

Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives) and Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project are the projects that have made the last part of Spring 2023 programme.  Both projects make our Creative Economic Development month.

In practice, Jmesci is the project that is ending our Rebuilding or Life Renewal Season to start Happiness Season or Summer of Happiness.  After creating and innovating to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer as well as to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development; we are now looking forward to enjoy the sunshine of Summer with Happiness.   We look forward to Summer, although the warm weather has already started.

 

• • What is Summer for CENFACS’ Users and Beneficiaries?

 

Summer is a period of the warm sunny weather that we would like to associate with it at CENFACS.  It is the time of happiness that we all expect, after a long period of full time work and education.  We look forward to a break after such a long time of routine working life, especially as most of CENFACS’ projects and programmes are framed around the school timetable to suit and reflect the needs and living patterns of our users and beneficiaries.  This is despite that the fact that during Summer people are still working to keep their households and the economy running.

 

• • Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn as a Focus for Summer 2023

 

As highlighted in the key messages, our Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness will be about the following three elements:

 

1) Our capacity to spread happiness between the members of CENFACS Community to narrow the gap in happiness inequalities

2) The help we can provide to those who are in most need within the CENFACS Community to find happiness cure and feel happy, to achieve successful outcomes despite the current and underlying cost-of-living crisis

3) Our ability to create and innovate happiness-enhancing activities and projects to reduce poverty linked to the lack of happiness.

 

It is possible to help CENFACS’ users overcome inequalities in happiness and achieve well-being.

Therefore, the key note of our theme for Summer of Happiness will be: How to Create, Enjoy and Sustain Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn.

To support those struggling with the rising costs of living over Summer 2023, we shall work with them so that they can navigate their way to happiness and well-being.  In practical terms, it means that we shall provide Happiness Tips and Hints in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn.  We will provide them through the following Summer initiatives.

 

 

• • Preview of 2023 Summer-of-Happiness and Well-being Programmes

 

Summer Programme at CENFACS is mainly made of two sets or broad areas of projects for and with Multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families; which consists of:

 

(a) Happiness Projects (Part 1) and

(b) Appeal Projects or Humanitarian Relief to Africa (Part 2).

 

Besides this main Summer seasonal regular feature, we have also planned other initiatives as side menus.  We shall gradually release the contents of these Summer projects as we progress during Summer 2023.

Our development calendar/planner already indicates what is planned for July and August 2023.  However, should anybody want to find out more, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Summer 2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities (Summer calendar/planner)

 

 

How to Make this Summer 2023 as of Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

July 2023

  

∞ Financial Updates: Financial History

How to rebuild your financial past 

The 2023 Edition of Financial Updates (a CENFACS’ Individual Capacity Building and Development resource for Summer) will provide advice, tips and hints about how to keep, construct, repair and rebuild users’ financial past despite multiple overlapping crises since the coronavirus began.  In other words, it is about working with our users to achieve the goal of poverty reduction by avoiding reversal in their financial past.

This 2023 Edition of Summer Financial Updates (SFU) will focus on information about income, finances, assets, salaries/wages, monetary incentives, insurance, financial transactions, credit worthiness, and debts that our users may need to prove or produce in order to justify their financial past.

 

∞ All-in-one Impact Assessment

 

July, which is the Analytics month within CENFACS, is the month to be at CENFACS for those who are working on project and programme impacts.

We will be doing two levels of impact assessment as follows:

 

1) Our usual July Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics for projects and programmes that we run in the preceding financial year

2) Impact assessment of the different activities linked to the cost-of-living crisis (e.g. activities to tackle rising prices of food, energy, etc.).

 

∞ Virtual Summer Festival with Seven Days of Development in July

In focus for our Summer 2023 Festival will be:

Financial Inclusion

To reduce and possibly end poverty, it requires financially including those who are financially and economically poor.  So, working with the poor to enable them to access financial services such as savings, insurance, payments, credit and remittances, is the way to power them.

Our Summer 2023 Festival will focus on ways of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development by financially including everybody, especially those who are financially excluded or poorly included (for example women in Africa) because of various reasons.  The Festival will look at ways of increasing, improving and extending financial inclusion to others.

 

July – August 2023

 

∞ Children, Young People and Families (CYPFs) Summer Programme (Part I): Appeal Projects

 

Summer Humanitarian Appeal projects are a set of projects to help alleviate multi-dimensional poverty experienced by CYPFs during the Summertime.  We normally launch one umbrella appeal that brings under one roof these projects.  This year,  we are going to launch selected appeals for most of them with special emphasis on the impacts of the cost of living on CYPFs.

One of the selected appeals will be about helping CYPFs to be free from distress caused by the cost-of-living crisis in Africa.  The appeal – Win against Distress in Africa – is about helping poor CYPFs to mitigate the negative affects of polycrises in Africa.

Another appeal project that will have a particular attention and that is needed during this period of the cost-of-living crisis is the Iconic Young Carer Project (iYCP). 

 

∞ Children, Young People and Families (CYPFs) Summer Programme (Part II): Happiness Projects

 

Happiness projects are another set of Summer projects making the second part of our Summer Programme.  We shall release more details about Happiness projects in due course.

 

∞ Summer 2023 Run, Play and Vote to Reduce Poverty

 

Our Triple Value Initiatives (Run, Play and Vote) for this year have already kicked off.  Through e-workshops, we have provided some guidance and help about them.  And we are still available to talk to those who need some help.  Those who started them should be half-way through with them.

These activities can be run in hybrid manner; that is in-person or virtual depending on the circumstances of participants.

Since we are already in the middle of the year, half-year actions and results about these activities will be sought from those who are practising them.

We shall ask those who undertook exercises relating Triple Value Initiatives such as e-workshops and recreational activities to report on their actions and results as well.

 

∞ Integration of Le Dernier Carré into Build Forward Better Programme

 

Our four step model of poverty relief (that is the Last Square of Poverty Relief or Le Dernier Carré) will be included in some of the elements of the Summer-of-Happiness Programme.

 

∞ Summer Track, Trip and Trending

 

Track and Trip activities will be run as normal.

Regarding Trending activity, we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.  In other words, we are going to find out how marine and coastal ecosystem services are helping in lifting people out of poverty.

The above is just an indicative plan of work for our Summer of Happiness.  This Summer work plan will be reviewed depending on the circumstances and events that may occur as we move throughout the summertime.

We hope you find a happy, helpful and hopeful relief from the above programmes and projects on offer at CENFACS over this Summer!

For details or clarification about the above programmes and projects, including ways of accessing them, please contact CENFACS.

_________

Note: Although the above is scheduled for Summer 2023, we may slightly alter our initial plan and or introduce occasional initiatives to cope with the reality of the unpredictability and complexity of development situations (e.g. humanitarian and emergency situations), in which case we shall let you know as early as we can.

_________

• References

 

(1) https://oecd.org/economic-outlook/june-2023/ (accessed in June 2023)

(2) https://moneytothemasses.com/owning-a-home/interest-rate-forecasts/latest-interest-rate-prdictions-when-will-rates-rise# (accessed in June 2023)

(3) https://www.concern.org.uk/news/what-is-a-humanitarian-crisis (accessed in June 2023)

(4) https://cpr.unu.edu/publications/articles/time-for-a-reset-fixing-the-faulty-humanitarian-appeals-process.html# (accessed in June 2023)

(5) cenfacs.org.uk/2023/05/31/organisations-an-causes-to-not-for-profit-invest-for-impact-in-africa/ accessed in June 2023)

(6) https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/how-to-win-everyday-battles-08553edb539f (accessed in June 2023)

(7) https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/humanitarian-aid/needs-assessment/forgotten-crises_en (accessed in June 2023)

(8) https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137902 (accessed in June 2023)

(9) https://www.wfp.org/stories/refugee-day-how-one-family-escaped-violence-and-hunger-are-finding-safety-tanzania (accessed in June 2023)

(10) https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/dematerialisation-degrowth-and-climate-change-agenda (accessed in June 2023)

(11) Cleveland, C. J. & Ruth, M. (1998), Indicators of Dematerialisation and the Materials Intensity of Use at https://doi.org/10.1162/jiec.1998.2.3.15 (accessed in June 2023)

(12) https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence (accessed in June 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

21 June 2023

 

Post No. 305

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Research and Development to Create and Innovate Solutions to Win the Battle against Crises

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Advocacy Campaign on Overcoming the Battle against Crises Caused by Natural Disaster (From Week Beginning Monday 19/06/2023

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days (26 to 30 June 2023)

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Research and Development to Create and Innovate Solutions to Win the Battle against Crises

 

Without research it would difficult for us to create and innovate solutions or find possible answers to problems that face our users; problems exacerbated by the current challenge posed by crises (like the cost-of-living crisis, natural crisis, food crisis, energy crisis, etc.).  Likewise, without the development of ideas to respond to crises, it would be hard to come out crises.

Research and development are at the heart of everything we do at CENFACS.  We research into new ideas to better help reduce poverty amongst our users in the community and Africa-based Organisations that work in our area of operation in Africa.  We also investigate into new ways of applying new facts and data to better help reduce poverty and hardships amongst the same beneficiaries.

The two interlinked functions (that is, research and development) within CENFACS are vital in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.  Although they are linked, they can also be looked at separately from the perspective of management.

Concerning the research function within CENFACS, we would like to let you know that we are currently researching into the relationships between financial education, financial information, financial communication, financial technology on the one hand and financial behaviour on the other hand.  The research will enable us to find out how for instance access to financial education can improve financial behaviour of our members.  This piece of research work is applied one.

Regarding the development function within CENFACS, we would like to inform you that this function helps us to develop existing products, services and activities.  The function enables us to build model to check or test the feasibility of any products or services designed. Furthermore, the development function helps to initiate change of systems in CENFACS, to adapt and positively respond to changes in the poverty reduction market, to continue to develop poverty reduction model, to increase communication, etc.

So, the key message is Creative Economic Development Month is also about research and development.  It is a month to invent or create new products and services while developing or improving existing ones to make helpful difference to our users and fill gaps in the poverty reduction market.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details about this first key message, and the focus on the current research and development trending, which is: Create and Innovate Solutions to Win the Battle against Crises.

 

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Advocacy Campaign on Overcoming the Battle against Crises Caused by Natural Disaster (From Week Beginning Monday 19/06/2023)

 

Wherever our areas of operation are subject to crises directly resulting from natural events (such as volcano, earthquake, torrential rains, cyclones, etc.), we need to find ways of creating and innovating to find solutions to the negative impacts of these crises on the people and communities we serve.  If those creations and innovations could overcome these natural disaster-led crises, it will be even better than without them.

These creations and innovations could be part of the rebuilding projects or processes in the context of Rebuilding Africa programme by CENFACS.  They could be a response to win the battle against the impacts of short-term environmental strikes, disasters linked to climate change cycles, and  long-term environmental storms and catastrophes.

In this respect, crises caused by natural disaster are our battlefield for this week as we would like to work with our users to find ways of overcoming fight over crises stemming from natural disaster.  This battle can be short or long depending on circumstances.  One can think of all those people and communities asking for humanitarian aid in Africa to deal with natural events such drought, volcano, torrential rains, cyclones, etc. who are still struggling to come to term with the impacts of these events.

We will be dealing with these events through advocacy campaign activity.  One week of advocacy campaign this month will not be enough to deal with crises brought by these events knowing the magnitude and damages of these events on people, properties and infrastructures.  One week’s advocacy campaign activity is just the way we organised ourselves to explain to those who would like to engage with us on how we can create and innovate together to overcome the battle against crises induced by natural disaster.

Also, overcoming the battle against natural disaster is not easy as the origins of these events are often out of human hands or control.  However, it is possible to create and innovate to better deal with the consequences or crises brought by these events.   To create and innovate for the reduction of natural disaster effects, we are going to do it through these points: basic understanding of natural disaster and crisis, advocacy campaign to overcome the battle against crises caused by natural disaster, and ways of working with the community to overcome this battle.

 

• • Basic understanding of natural disaster and crisis

 

Our definition of natural disaster comes from ‘britannica.com’ (1) which states that

“Natural disaster is any calamitous occurrence generated by the effects of natural rather than human-driven, phenomena that produces great loss of human life or destruction of the natural environment, private property, or public infrastructure.  A natural disaster may be caused by weather and climate events or by earthquakes, landslides, and other occurrences that originate at Earth’s surface or within the planet itself”.

As to crisis, it will be approached from its difference with disaster.  From this perspective, ‘rainfoodtci.org’ (2) provides this difference by referring to what Oxford Dictionary says, which is

“A disaster is sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life, while a crisis is a time of intense difficulty or danger or a time when a difficult or important decision must be made”.

Although natural disaster is not human-driven, it is possible to create and innovate to overcome crises or dangers resulting from it.  Historically speaking, organisations (like disaster reduction agencies), governments around the world and individuals tend to create and innovate to deal with this sort of events.  During our Creative Economic Development Month, we are going to try to do the same while exploring ways of overcoming the battle over crises generated by these natural events.

 

• • Advocacy campaign to overcome the battle against crises caused by natural disaster

 

Perhaps, the best way of kicking off this advocacy campaign is to understand what it means.

 

• • • What is advocacy campaign?

 

The meaning of advocacy campaign to be used here comes from Salsa (3), which argues that

“An advocacy campaign is an individual marketing effort that uses one or more advocacy tactics to get the word out to your supporters with an appeal for them to take a specific action in support of a larger goal”.

This working definition will help us to work with our supporters and try to overcome the battle against crises caused by natural disaster.  To implement, this definition, we need to carry out some tasks.

 

• • • Tasks to completed under our advocacy campaign of the month of CEDM

 

To undertake our advocacy campaign, we are going to proceed with the following tasks as suggested by Salsa (op. cit.):

 

∝ define the problem

∝ identify solutions

∝ get our message out to our supporters

∝ try to bring about the intended solutions to crises caused by natural disaster.

 

Additionally, we are going to use specific campaign metrics to assess the effectiveness of our advocacy campaign activity.

This activity is about supporting the victims of natural disaster-led crises to express their views and wishes and help them stand up for rights.  It is also about speaking truth to power.

To create and innovate under this advocacy campaign activity, we are going to have some specific actions.

 

• • • Actions under advocacy campaign to overcome the battle against crises caused by natural disaster

 

These actions include the following:

 

√ to build power at the base to rebuild power in the communities of the victims of natural disaster

√ to re-educate legislators regarding ways of overcoming the battle against crises caused by natural disaster

√ to educate the public on why we need to keep supporting humanitarian causes like those of the victims of natural disaster

√ to produce resources and tools linked to ways of overcoming the battle against crises like natural disaster

√ to mobilise for the cases of those suffering from crises led by the impact of natural disaster

√ to run educational gatherings (both online and in-person)

√ to launch humanitarian relief appeals together with events-stricken people

etc.

 

Briefly, this activity is about acting in speaking in favour of those suffering from crises caused by natural disaster, arguing for their case to be heard, supporting and defending them, and pleading on their behalf.   This could concern both areas of our operation in Africa and in the UK.

 

• • Ways of working with the community to overcome this battle

 

Those members of our community who are having some difficulty in overcoming the battle they have against crises or effects caused by natural events can let us know so that together we can create and innovate ways of overcoming the battle against the crises that are affecting them.

We can use the above-mentioned ways or tools of overcoming the battle against crises caused by natural disaster.  We can plead on their behalf so that they can get the support they need to express their views and wishes, and stand up for their rights.

For example, for those fighting to get a compensation because of the damage caused by natural events to them or their accommodation, we can work with them to stand up for their rights and try to overcome their fight.

For those who would like to know more about our advocacy and campaign appeals to Africa and how we are trying to work with the victims of natural disaster in Africa, they can read our previous posts or refer to this year’s appeals we made or contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days (26 to 30 June 2023)

 

The last week of June is a thanksgiving one in accordance to CENFACS development calendar.  From 26 to 30 June 2023, we will be thanking all our supporters (current and past ones).

We would like to take the opportunity of the end of June to thank them (and you if you are one of them) for helping…

 

CENFACS IN ENHANCING AND SUSTAINING FREEDOMS AND CAPABILITIES BY WORKING IN ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES.

  

• •  What do mean by Thanking Days or Supporters’ Days?

 

These are Special Days of Thank You within CENFACS we would like to dedicate to all those who contributed to our work for any types of support they have given us over this financial year.  This dedication is normally held in the last week of and by the end of June.  For this year, Thank-you Days will be held from 26 to 30 June 2023 in order to keep our tradition.

As we are in CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and Year of Influence, we shall find all sorts of creative, innovative, influencing and communicative ways of thanking our invaluable supporters and backers.

These thanking ways may include the following:

 

√ Conversing with our supporters over phones

√ Signing and sending thank-you prints or e-cards to them

√ Telling them the stories or outcomes about the people and communities they helped through their support

√ E-mailing, texting and tweeting them with messages of gratitude

√ Telling and sharing thank-you stories

√ Playing and listening with them music and songs of thank you

√ Making and playing thank-you videos and films

√ Giving back to them by volunteering our time to the cause they deeply care about

√ Undertaking a free translation service (French to English and vice versa)

√ Reading African poems and poetry

√ Sending to them digital and technologically animated thank-you messages

√ Doing creative and design works symbolising thank you

√ Sending out designed and hand crafted made objects and crafts of acknowledgement

√ Making video calls if we cannot have in-person contact with them

Etc.

 

If you are one of the CENFACS’ supporters, please we would like to let you know the Thanking Days at CENFACS are your Days.  Do not hesitate to get in touch, if you do not mistakenly hear from us.

We will welcome you, reconnect with you and thank you on the occasion for the helpful difference you made to our work and project beneficiaries, and for being with us on the side of those in need especially during this challenging year of the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis.

Your invaluable support has meant a lot for our programme and project beneficiaries over this ending financial year.

We would like to express all our sincere gratitude to you for helping us to help reduce poverty, for making our voice heard especially at these challenging times of the side effects of the coronavirus followed by the cost-of-living crisis.

For further details, please contact CENFACS’ Thanksgiving-End-of-June-2023 Team.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

• Coming this Summer 2023:  Financial Updates with a Focus on  Financial History

• Creative Arts, Design-based Development Projects and e-Workshops: Construct and Post e-cards or e-objects

 

 

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of the Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme, which will be published soon.  This appeal has been already launched.

The appeal is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs), in places in Africa where there is already high level of poverty, who cannot cope with the mounting pressure and damaging effects of polycrises.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of polycrises on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks and impacts that the polycrises can make in terms of tragedy, intergenerational poverty, etc.  Your assistance is required to respond to CYPF’ distress signals.

One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future, especially in countries (like Burkina Faso or Mali) where there is deterioration of security conditions in conflict-affected areas.

Can you help this child?  Yes or No!

If you say yes; then…

√ you can help that child to dream and expect for a better life and future 

√ you can help stop polycrises to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child

√ you can help stop polycrises to create lifelong adverse impacts on children and young people

√ you can help stop children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line

√ you can stop the lost generation of polycrises to happen in Africa.

To make the above happen, support ‘Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa’.

You can find further highlights of this appeal and ways of supporting at: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

• Coming this Summer 2023:  Financial Updates with a Focus on  Financial History

 

Too many crises (like the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis, food crisis, energy crisis, nature crisis, climate crisis, debt crisis, economic crisis, etc.) can make people, especially those living on ordinary means, find their financial history in threat or destruction.  Yet, financial history is important especially in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises.

This 2023 Edition of Summer Financial Updates (SFU) will focus on information about income, finances, assets, salaries/wages, monetary incentives, insurance, financial transactions, credit worthiness, and debts that our users may need to prove or produce in order to justify their financial past.

In this year’s edition of SFU, we shall provide advice, tips and hints about ways of building forward financial history.  The 2023 Edition of SFU will help our users

 

√ to apply money, financial and banking knowledge in their daily life

√ to identify the causes of financial crisis (e.g., debt crisis or distress) some of our members may have gone through or face

√ to reconstruct their financial history

√ to identify and learn from past financial mistakes

√ to reflect on their financial wellbeing and record

√ to have a historiographical view of their finances

√ to match their financial history and financial poverty

√ to carry out financial projections from their financial past

etc.

 

In brief, the 2023 Edition of SFU is not only about learning your financial past, but also avoiding financial mistakes of the past.  In this respect, this edition will help to find way of achieving the goal of financial poverty reduction.

For those members of our community who may interested in the 2023 Edition of SFU, they are welcome to enquire to CENFACS  about it.

 

 

• Creative Arts, Design-based Development Projects and e-Workshops: Construct and Post e-cards or e-objects

 

This month, we are running two e-workshops as follows.

 

 

• • e-Workshop 1: Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card Expressing the Theme of “Solutions to plastic pollution”

 

The construction will echo the World Environmental Day’s (4) celebratory theme of last 05/06/2023.

Participants to the e-workshop can Make and Send a p-Card or e-Card expressing the theme of “Solutions to plastic pollution”.

For those who are trying to design and send this type of paper card (p-card) or an electronic card (e-card) as a way of participating in the Creative Economic Development month, please make sure that the poverty relief message you are conveying is without confusion.

 

 

• • e-Workshop 2: Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card to Support World Desertification and Drought Day 2023 held last 17 June

 

The second e-workshop is about constructing and posting the similar cards as expressions or ways of dealing with drought to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17/06/2023.  The theme of 2023 Desertification and Drought Day (5) is “Women’s land rights”.

One can follow CENFACS‘ card design criteria and guidelines for Arts and Design e-workshop 1 and 2, and design their p-card or e-card.

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature these themes.  There are card design criteria and guidelines which we expect people to follow.  Those who need to know these criteria and guidelines can let CENFACS know.

To support and or enquire about e-workshops on Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, please contact CENFACS.

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Journées de remerciement: Journées des supporteurs/trices (du 26 au 30 juin 2023)

La dernière semaine de juin est une semaine d’action de grâce conformément au calendrier de développement du CENFACS.  Du 26 au 30 juin 2023, nous remercierons tous nos supporters (actuels et passés).

Nous aimerions profiter de la fin du mois de juin pour les remercier (et vous si vous êtes l’un d’entre eux) d’avoir aidé…

LE CENFACS DANS LE RENFORCEMENT ET LE MAINTIEN DES LIBERTÉS ET DES CAPACITÉS EN TRAVAILLANT EN ALLIANCE AVEC LES POPULATIONS LOCALES POUR DÉVELOPPER DES INITIATIVES DURABLES.

• • Qu’entendez-vous par journées de remerciement ou journées des supporteurs/trices?

Ce sont des jours spéciaux de remerciement que nous aimerions dédier à tous/toutes ceux/celles qui ont contribué à notre travail pour tout type de soutien qu’ils/elles nous ont apporté au cours de cet exercice financier.  Cette consécration a normalement lieu la dernière semaine de juin et avant la fin du mois de juin.  Pour cette année, des journées de remerciement auront lieu du 26 au 30 juin 2023 afin de garder notre tradition.

Comme nous sommes dans le Mois du développement économique créatif et l’Année de l’influence du CENFACS, nous trouverons toutes sortes de façons créatives, innovantes, bien informées et communicatives de remercier nos précieux(ses) partisan(e)s et bailleurs/eresses de fonds.

Ces moyens de remerciement peuvent inclure ce qui suit:

√ converser avec nos sympathisant(e)s par téléphone

√ signature et envoi des imprimés de remerciement ou de cartes électroniques

√ leur raconter les histoires ou les résultats des personnes et des communautés qu’ils/elles ont aidées grâce à leur soutien

√ leur envoyer des e-mails, des textes et des tweets avec des messages de gratitude

√ raconter et partager des histoires de remerciement

√ jouer et écouter avec eux/elles de la musique et des chansons de remerciement

√ réalisation et lecture de vidéos et de films de remerciement

√ leur redonner en donnant de notre temps à la cause qui leur tient à cœur

√ réalisation d’un service de traduction gratuit (du français vers l’anglais et vice versa)

√ lire des poèmes et de la poésie africains

√ leur envoyer des messages de remerciement numériques et animés technologiquement

√ faire des œuvres créatives et de dessin symbolisant le merci

√ envoi d’objets conçus et fabriqués à la main et d’artisanat de reconnaissance

√ faire des appels vidéo si nous ne pouvons pas avoir de contact en personne avec eux/elles

etc.

Si vous êtes l’un(e) des partisan(e)s du CENFACS, s’il vous plaît nous aimerions vous faire savoir que les jours de remerciement au CENFACS sont vos jours.  N’hésitez pas à nous contacter, si vous n’avez pas de nos nouvelles par erreur.

Nous vous accueillerons, renouerons avec vous et vous remercierons à l’occasion pour la différence utile que vous avez apportée à nos bénéficiaires de travail et de projets, et pour être avec nous aux côtés de ceux et celles qui en ont besoin, en particulier pendant cette année difficile des effets persistants du coronavirus et de la crise du coût de la vie.

Votre soutien inestimable a beaucoup compté pour les bénéficiaires de nos programmes et projets au cours de cet exercice financier qui se clôture.

Nous tenons à vous exprimer toute notre sincère gratitude pour nous avoir aidé à réduire la pauvreté, en particulier en ces temps difficiles où les effets secondaires du coronavirus sont suivis de la crise du coût de la vie.

Pour plus de détails, veuillez contacter l’équipe de l’Action de grâce de fin juin 2023 du CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Research and Development to Create and Innovate Solutions to Win the Battle against Crises

 

To create and innovate solutions to win the battle against crises, we need research and development.  Research and development help to find ideas and tools to drive creation and innovation.  But, what are research and development?

To understand research and development carried out by CENFACS, we are going to consider the following items:

 

∝ Understanding the concepts of research and development

∝ Research and Development within CENFACS

∝ Researching into links of financial education, financial information, financial communication and financial technology with financial behaviour

∝ Testing hypotheses about causal relationships between the access to and use of financial education, information, communication and technology on one hand; and poverty reduction on the other hand

 

Let us look at each of these items.

 

• • Understanding the concepts of research and development

 

There are many ways of conceptualising research and development.  In the context of these notes, we have selected the following definitions.

Christopher Pass at al (6) define research and development as

“Any scientific investigation leading to the discovery of new techniques and products (INVENTION) and their commercial application (INNOVATION), together with the refinement and improvement of existing technologies and products” (p. 454)

Their definition, which is an economic one, focuses on the types of research and development conducted by business entities.  It can be extended to include not for profit organisations.

Besides the above definition, we are appealing to what the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (7) states, which is

“Research and experimental development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge (p. 2)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development argues that

“For an activity to be an R&D activity, it must satisfy five core criteria.  The activity must be: novel, creative, uncertain, systematic and transferable and/or reproducible.  All five criteria are to be met, at least in principle, every time an R&D activity is undertaken whether on a continuous or occasional basis”.

Alongside these five criteria, the kinds of R&D activities in which we are interested would be those that help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• •  Research and Development within CENFACS

 

The functions of research and development (R&D) are important one within CENFACS.  This is because we can only help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development if we are able to undertake research and develop solutions together with local people to poverty reduction and to the enhancement of sustainable development.  In this respect, the kinds of research and development work we do are related to the core activities of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

In the context of this year’s Creative Economic Development Month, we are undertaking two types of applied research projects, which are:  

 

a) Links of financial education, financial information, financial communication and financial technology with financial behaviour

b) Relationships between the access to and use of financial education, information, communication and technology on one hand; and poverty reduction on the other hand.

 

This is the general scope of our research and development work for this month.

Let us highlight these two research projects.

 

 

• • Researching into links of financial education, financial information, financial communication and financial technology with financial behaviour

 

Financial education, financial information, financial communication and financial technology are the four areas or fields that can predict financial behaviour of people, and amongst these people are the poor.  Financial behaviour can be understood here as money management of cash, savings, and credit.

There could be relationship between these four areas and financial behaviour.  For instance, there are studies that show that financial literacy can lead to household participation in entrepreneurial activities, commercial insurance participation and choice of lending channels.

But, reliability and validity testing needs to prove this relationship.  In other words, the extent that a measurement tool measures what anyone who wants  to use to measure this relationship needs to prove it.

As part of research sample on this relationship, we are developing a questionnaire to check it amongst our community members.  The evaluation of content of this questionnaire will help to prove or disprove it within our community.

The research will help to understand the financial behaviour of our community members in terms of savings, expenditure, budget, money management (like cash, savings and credit), investment behaviour, etc.

Those members of our community who will be interested in taking part in this research and development work, they can let CENFACS know.

 

 

• • Testing hypotheses about causal relationships between the access to and use of financial education, information, communication and technology on one hand; and poverty reduction on the other hand

 

For those of our members who would like to work with us on the impact of financial education, information, communication and technology on poverty reduction; we have some research activities for them.  They can work with us by testing the inference of the following hypotheses:

 

a.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): there is a relationship between financial education and poverty reduction

a.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): there is not a relationship between financial education and poverty reduction

b.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): there is a positive relationship between financial information and poverty reduction

b.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): there is not positive relationship between financial information and poverty reduction

c.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): there is a positive relationship between financial communication and poverty reduction

c.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): there is not a positive relationship between financial communication and poverty reduction

d.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): there is a positive relationship between financial technology and poverty reduction

d.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): there is not a positive relationship between financial technology and poverty reduction.

 

For example, we are going to test if the use of financial technology (that is, technology to improve and automate the delivery and use of financial services; technology like Artificial Intelligence) is helping our community members to reduce poverty.

In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on financial education, information, communication and technology about a particular population or community.

The results of these research activities will enable us to proffer solutions to help win the battle against crises.  The findings of these studies will also enable to create and innovate ways of working with the community following the emerging needs that the studies will generate.

For further details and or enquiries about these Research and Development activities, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS. 

To support Research and Development to Create and Innovate Solutions to Win the Battle against Crises, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.britannica.com/science/natural-disaster (accessed in June 2023)

(2) https://rainfoodtci.org/2020/07/04/crisis-and-disaster-management-explained/ (accessed in June 2023)

(3) https://www.salsalabs.com/blog/advocacy-campaign-planning (accessed in June 2023)

(4) https://www.unep.org/events/un-day/world-environment-day-2023 (accessed in June 2023)

(5) https://www.unccd.int/news-story/notifications/desertification-and-drought-day-17-june-2023 (accessed in June 2023)

(6) Pass, C., Lowes, B. & Davies, L., (1988), Collins Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publishers, London Glasgow

(7) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Frascati Manual 7.0, Chapter 2, The full Frascati Manual and current and upcoming online at http://oecd/frascati (accessed in June 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

14 June 2023

 

Post No. 304

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: e-Discussion on Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes from Week Beginning Monday 12/06/2023

• Coming this Summer 2023: FACS Issue No. 80 to Be Titled as ‘Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty in Africa’

• Holiday Budget Clinics

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: e-Discussion on Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes from Week Beginning Monday 12/06/2023 

 

Our June 2023 working theme continues to be run as we will be e-discussing how to win the battle over falling real household disposable incomes.  This e-discussion followed the workshop on creating and innovating to succeed in the struggle against the cost-of-living cost.  The rise in the cost-of-living crisis can be the expression or the cause of falling real household disposable incomes.

For instance, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility – quoted by ‘independent.co.uk’ (1),

“The rise in the cost of living means real household disposable incomes per person is forecast to drop by 3.7% in 2022/23 and by 2% in 2023/24.  3.7% is [still] the largest fall in a single financial year since comparable records began in 1956/57.  The 5.7% cumulative fall across 2022/23 and 2023/24 is the largest two-year fall since records began”.

Likewise, the Research briefing produced by the House of Commons Library of UK Parliament (2) quoting the Office for National Statistics and the Office for Budget Responsibility indicates that

“95% of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living in May 2023.  The Office for Budget Responsibility expects real post-tax household income to fall by 4.3% in 2022 to 2023, the biggest fall since comparable records began in 1956”.

If the fall in post-tax household income is historically big, then households have the battle in their hands which they need to win to avoid further damages on them and to their children or future generations.  To win this battle, it requires creations and innovations amongst other things.  To win it, one may consider both internal obstacles within themselves and external impediments coming from the economic environment that are causing them suffering.

The e-discussion will provide an opportunity for sharing the winning tricks and combat strategies that some of you/our members of the community have adopted or will adopt in order to win the fight against falling real household disposable incomes.  It is an invitation of contributions and insights from our members and non-members on the issue of winning the battle over falling real household disposable incomes.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further information about this first key message.

 

 

• Coming this Summer 2023: FACS Issue No. 80 to Be Titled as ‘Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty in Africa’

 

Abstract –

 

Quite often in many parts of Africa, most poor people are not covered by pension systems and schemes like in developed regions of the world.  Many of them when they reach the old age suffer from old age poverty.  They tend to rely on their families and friends for support which is often limited to lift them out of poverty.  Even social insurance programmes are far from reducing the old-age poverty in Africa.  Where there is pension, the monetary value of this pension tend to be below the poverty line and incapable of lifting old-aged poor people out of poverty. 

This pension is incapable of lifting them if it is below $3.65 per person per day and does not match the poverty line of the $3.65 per person par day  for middle-income countries as provided by the World Bank (3).  Yet, pension is important to support people as they get to the old age.  As Fiona Stewart and Juan Yermo (4) argue that

“Pensions play an important role in poverty alleviation of the elderly – one of the most vulnerable groups in any society, particularly older women”.

To highlight this important role of pensions, CENFACS’ 80th Issue of FACS will deal with ‘Pension and the Reduction of the Old Age Poverty in Africa‘.  In other words, the Issue No. 80 will concentrate on how pension can be used to reduce poverty amongst the older generation in Africa.  It will look at how to allow poor people to continue to consume after they have stopped working without getting into consumption poverty.  It will be a discussion on the alignment of pension at or above the poverty line.  It will further be a story of building sustainable retirement to avoid multi-dimensional poverty in the old age.

There are studies that have been done pension and old age wellbeing.  For example, Nicholas Barr and Peter Diamond (5) argue that the aim of pension is to ensure economic security in old age.  Within this aim, Barr and Diamond provide the following objectives of pension: consumption smoothing, insurance, poverty relief and redistribution.  They also include other objectives of pension like economic development and economic growth.

The Issue No. 80 will focus on the objectives of poverty reduction and sustainable development with the aim of ensuring sustainable security in the old age.  The aim of sustainable security will include economic, environmental and social sustainability for the pensioners.

Far from being a story of contributions and benefits, the Issue No. 80 will not only deal with pension as payment made to persons who have retired from paid employment in the form of lump sum and regular income.  Instead, it will help revisit the impacts of non-contributory pension programmes – for countries that run them – on poverty reduction and sustainable development.  What else will the Issue No. 80 tell us?

The Issue No. 80 will give insights on how a good pension policy and practice can help reduce old age poverty and enhance sustainable development.  In this respect, the Issue No. 80 will take a micro-economic view of pension.  It will be about how for example Africa-based Sister Organisations can organise themselves in creating and innovating pension support to the elderly of the communities they work with to reduce and possibly end old age poverty.  This is without forgetting the people making or staffing their organisations.

Given that the current Africa’s economic growth is not enough to reduce poverty, the Issue No. 80 will explore ways of equating minimum pension and average income to help reduce old age poverty in this restricted context of limited economic growth.  But, what do we mean old age poverty?

The Issue No. 80 will use the definition of old age income poverty as provided by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The OECD (6) gives the relative concept of old age poverty by arguing that

“Old age income poor are individuals aged over 65 having an income below half the national median equivalised household disposable income”.

The same OECD considers that

“The yardstick for poverty depends on the medium household income in the total population in a particular country at a particular point in time”.

The Issue No. 80 will also refer to economic theories of pension or economics of pension (like the theories of Barr and Diamond as mentioned above) to further hep those of our members who would like to dive deeper into the relationship between pension and the old age poverty to inspect the correlation between universal (untargeted) social pension and old age poverty reduction in Africa.

Away from being a descriptive presentation, the Issue No. 80 will use classes of measures about poverty indicators (such as poverty gap ratio) in order to advocate what needs to be done to support elderly Africans, who are beneficiaries of project run by our Africa-base Sister Organisation, who cannot rely on family support to get the backup they need.

The Issue No. 80 will provide some ideas about how Africa-based Sister Organisations can support and/or are supporting the elderly to get away from overlapping crises (including pension crisis) faced by Africa and protect their insurance.  They are doing it by helping them to access cash transfer programmes for the elderly.

To get inside scoop on the Issue No. 80 or to reserve a copy before its publication, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Holiday Budget Clinics

 

As we are heading into the summer holiday season, we are holding holiday budget sessions or clinics for those who need them.  These sessions or clinics are part of CENFACS‘ service offered under financial advice, guidance and information about funding for holiday (i.e., Finance 4 Holiday).

 

• • What are Holiday Budget Clinics (HBCs)?

 

HBCs are customised sessions of consultation for those with holiday budgeting needs who want special advice on the matter of making, revising and executing a holiday budget.

 

• • How CENFACS Can Work with HBC Applicants

 

Through HBCs, we can offer the following three free-of-charge sessional services:

 

a) Budget set-up session

Under this sessional task, we can work with the applicants to create their holiday budget.

 

b) Budget verification or clean-up session

If you have already done your budget, you want us to verify it.

 

c) Full budget session

If you want us to write it from scratch, verify and advise you including on how to use online budget planner or calculator.

To arrange for a holiday budget session, you need to book an appointment.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Spring 2023 Rebuilding Activities

• World Anti-poverty System: Poly-crises Can Pave the Way for Re-creating and Innovating the International System through an International System for Poverty Reduction

• Be.Africa Forum e-discusses Investing in African Women’s Equal Access to Land and Related Assets within the Context of African Continental Free Trade Area

 

 

• Spring 2023 Rebuilding Activities

 

The coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, energy crisis, food crisis, etc.  have left some scarce on many people.  Many in the community are still struggling to come to term with them.

To work with those of them who are struggling to manage during this Spring, we are organising four types of activities.  These activities are part of our Season of Rebuilding/Renewal.  Let us highlight them, the circumstances under which users can access them and the invitation to participate.

 

• • Types of Rebuilding Activities

 

The four activities include the following:

 

a) Activities to end the bad past (to manage endings)

b) Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

c) Activities to manage new beginnings

d) Activities to manage plan for the future.

 

These activities are part of our campaign of Rebuilding and Renewing Lives, in particular Rebuilding Africa during Spring Relief season.

 

 • • Accessing Rebuilding Activities

 

Depending on people’s circumstances of life (whether they are looking forward to managing transition or embarking on new beginnings or building the future), they will be supported accordingly in these activities.

For example, if the post-crises needs assessment indicates that a user needs transition management, then they will take part in activities to manage their transition from the remnants of the multi-crises.

 

• • Need to Participate in Spring 2023 Rebuilding Activities? 

 

To take part in the Spring 2023 Rebuilding Activities, please contact CENFACS.  These activities will continue to be run after Spring 2023 if people need them.

 

 

• World Anti-poverty System: Poly-crises Can Pave the Way for Re-creating and Innovating the International System through an International System for Poverty Reduction

 

To explain why an International System for Poverty Reduction is badly needed, let us first try to briefly understand poly-crises.

According to the ‘weforum.org’ (7),

“Polycrises occur when concurrent shocks, deeply interconnected risks and eroding resilience [happen] and where disparate crises interact such that the overall impact far exceeds the sum of each part” (p. 9)

The ongoing polycrises (like the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis, human insecurity, food crisis, livelihood crisis, geo-economic crisis, pension crisis, etc.) can help the international development community to realise that another system is now desirable.  Every time there is a global crisis or a collection of crises – call them polycrises – striking at the same, it is also a reminder of the best possible global mechanism of dealing with crises.  The world can re-create and innovate the international system through the Creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction, which does not exist.    The current polycrises are yet a further occasion to raise the question of an international or global system to deal with poverty induced by polycrises.

Polycrises could be a ground to create an International System for Poverty Reduction or to innovate the world’s institutions, if they exist, dealing with global poverty.  Indeed, developing countries of Africa, Asia, Middle-East and Latin America are trapped by the current international system.  For example, let us be honest to recognise that Africa has its own internal problems that often lead to poverty and hardships.  Besides that there are global or extra-African factors (like geo-economic and geo-strategic ones) that repeatedly feed poverty to Africa.

However, if we had an International System for Poverty Reduction (that is a World Anti-poverty System comparable to the institutions of Bretton Woods System), would this system makes the world a better place for the poor? 

Every time, there is a global crisis or overlapping crises, this question comes back, time and time again.  In particular, one could raise and answer the following question:

If we had an International System for Poverty Reduction, would the impacts of polycrises be severe on poor people?

If you think that an International System for Poverty Reduction could have protected the world’s poorest from polycrises, please let us know your arguments.  If you do not think so, still let us know what you think.

An International System for Poverty Reduction is a missing piece in the world’s institutional systems.  This is CENFACS‘ campaign point, which is the creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction.

You can support the campaign or movement for a World Anti-poverty System or International System for Poverty Reduction with your VOICE, by E-SIGNING petition, E-MOBILISING your energy, BRANDING EVENT, etc.

You can join CENFACS’ Campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction.  To join, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Be.Africa Forum e-discusses Investing in African Women’s Equal Access to Land and Related Assets within the Context of African Continental Free Trade Area

 

This coming 17 June 2023 is the United Nations’ remembrance Day of the Desertification and Drought (8).  The global focus of the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day is on women’s land rights.

To echo the theme of the Desertification and Drought Day, CENFACS is discussing Investing in African Women’s Equal Access to Land and Related Assets in the Context of African Continental Free Trade Area.  Indeed, many studies and evidence show that smartly investing in women in Africa could positively impact not only women themselves but the entire society.

This discussion is part of Building Forward Better Together with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations.  Those who may be interested in the discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Séances budgétaires des vacances

Dans le cadre du projet du CENFACS « Finance pour les vacances », nous organisons des sessions ou des cliniques sur le budget des vacances pour ceux/celles qui en ont besoin.

• • Que sont les Cliniques Budget des Vacances (CBV)?

Les CBV sont des séances de consultation personnalisées pour ceux/celles qui ont besoin d’un budget de vacances et qui souhaitent obtenir des conseils spéciaux sur l’établissement, la révision et l’exécution d’un budget de vacances.

• • Comment le CENFACS peut travailler avec les candidat(e)s de CBV

Par l’entremise des CBV, nous pouvons offrir gratuitement les trois services de session suivants:

a) Session d’établissement du budget

Dans le cadre de cette tâche de session, nous pouvons travailler avec les candidat(e)s pour établir leur budget de vacances.

b) Vérification du budget ou séance de nettoyage

Si vous avez déjà fait votre budget, vous voulez que nous le vérifions.

c) Session budgétaire complète

Si vous souhaitez que nous l’écrivions à partir de zéro, vérifiez et vous conseillez, y compris sur la façon d’utiliser le planificateur et calculateur de budget en ligne.

Pour organiser une session budgétaire de vacances, vous devez prendre rendez-vous avec le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: e-Discussion on Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes from Week Beginning Monday 12/06/2023

 

The following items cover this Main Development:

 

∝ About the e-discussion on Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

∝ Why Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

∝ What are Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes?

∝ Types of Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

∝ Working with the Community to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes.

 

Let us highlight each of these items.

 

• • About the e-discussion on Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

This e-discussion is an open informal asynchronous conversation to engage members of our community to examine creations and innovations in depth to win the battle against falling real household disposable incomes.  It is also a deep reflection session on what our members have done so far to win this battle.  We hope to use discussion tools and capture the results of this debate for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Those of our members who would like to take part in the e-discussion can let CENFACS know.  Those who would like to share their experiences or lessons about the way they managed to fight against and win the battle over falling real household disposable incomes, they can use this opportunity of the Creative Economic Development Month to share.

 

• • Why Winning the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

Since real disposable incomes for households started falling, many people have been trying things to stop the fall.  Some of them have succeeded, others have not.  In idealised world, most of them would like to win this battle – this war.  As Joanne Reed (9) argues

“War is part of life, it is in the nature of most living organisms to engage in battle, defeat opponents, assert power and dominate.  With humans, we see this happens in wars, in business, on a soccer field, in video games, and the chances are even when we are not waging war against our environment, we are waging war against ourselves”.

Waging war against fall in real household disposable incomes can help avoid poverty or exacerbation of poverty.  The best way of waging this war is to create and innovate solutions to income falls.

 

• • What are Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes?

 

They are productions/makings and changes undertaken to overcome the drop in the amount of income (adjusted for inflation) which households/consumers have available after paying income tax, national insurance contributions and pension contributions.  Without these creations and innovations, the battle over falling real households disposable incomes can take long and even unwinnable.

 

• • Types of Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

As said above, Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes are those of helping to increase disposable household income.  In other words, they are those of winning the battle against the increase of income tax, national insurance contributions and pension contributions that negatively impact households’ disposable incomes.  They are as well those of fighting the impact of inflation on the same incomes.  Therefore, the types of creations and innovations we are concerned with would be those may help to win this battle.

Amongst the types of creations and innovations we are looking forward are those that

 

√ deal with inflation that raise the price of essentials while squeezing spending power

√ increase disposable income savings

√ reduce tax liability

√ increase disposable income (e.g., creations and innovations to earn more money, to negotiate high salary, to find additional job, to start a side business, etc.)

√ improve average retirement income

√ reduce expenses (e.g., creations and innovations to lower utility bills, find affordable housing, to use cheap means of transport, etc.)

√ cut back on non-essentials (e.g., subscriptions to entertainment, gambling, etc.)

√ create multiple streams of income

√ diversify asset classes as a fighting weaponry

etc.

 

All these above-mentioned types of creations and innovations can be used to win the battle against falling real household disposable incomes.  Some of these types of creations and innovations could effective in the fight, others may be ineffective.  However, unless one tries to fight a battle with the weapons they have available, then they will know if they will win or lose that battle.  In other words, unless one tries to battle to win over poverty induced by falling real household disposable income, then they will know what looks like this kind of battle and how to win it.  Let us give a try with the community.

 

 

• • Working with the Community to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

There is a number of ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to help Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes.

To help the community in this direction, we will be working with them by referring to the types of creations and innovations we have mentioned so far and to our model of creative economic development as shown by the above figure.  In our model of working with them, we shall include the following:

 

√ Setting up a basic fighting plan to win the battle over falling real household disposable incomes

√ Providing them with leads to winning the battle over income falls

√ Advising them on the best possible options in terms battle strategies to fight for their income

√ Explaining them techniques to create two to three income streams 

√ Recommending them to use money or finance apps (like Money Dashboard)

√ Working with them to restructure their accounts to increase disposable income while avoiding negative disposable income

√ Adding an inflationary index-link to their disposable income plan

√ Creating a wait list to reduce impulse spending

√ Helping them to read and understand information about real household disposable incomes

√ Advising them on how to react and prepare from financial news, warnings, notices and alert messages about real household disposable incomes

√ Developing the basic financial skills to interpret the impact of income tax, national insurance and pension contributions/policy announcements on their income

√ Building their financial literacy statistics and numeracy skills to enable them to read financial information pages (presented in the form of charts, tables, in brief infographics) about real household disposable incomes 

√ Organising activities or workshops to help them deepen their understand of real household disposable incomes in the handling of their household financial affairs and plans

√ Improving their knowledge in terms of the key financial dates to save in the calendar about key policy announcements (for example, the release date of budgets by the Government and how these budgets can impact their real incomes)

√ Motivating them to follow news and information about real household disposable incomes

√ Asking them to subscribe to free providers of information and tools about income creation and innovation that touches their life (e.g. free subscription to magazines, papers and websites that provide information about real disposable incomes for poor or low income households)

Etc.

 

All these ways of working with the community members will help to win or at least to try to win the battle against falling real household disposable incomes.  This is because the more informed they are, the more they will find the tools, tips and hints they need in order to create and innovate to win the battle against slips, trips and falls of their real disposable incomes.  It is all about working with them to improve the way they can create and innovate to win the battle against poverty and financial hardship now and for the future.

For any queries and or enquiries about the e-discussion on Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle over Falling Real Household Disposable Incomes, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.independent.co.uk/business/budget-2023-record-fall-in-disposable-income-and-other-historic-benchmarks-b2301562.html (accessed in June 2023)

(2) https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefing/cbp-9428 (accessed in June 2023)

(3) https://www.devinit.org/resources/poverty-trends-global-regional-and-national/# (accessed in June 2023)

(4) Stewart, F. & Yermo, J. (2009), Pensions in Africa, OECD Working Papers on Insurance and Private Pensions, No. 30, OECD publishing, ©OECD. doi://10.1787/227444006716 (accessed in June 2023) 

(5) Barr, N. and Diamond, P. (2006), The economics of pension, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 22, No. 1

(6) https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/d76e4-fad-en/index.html?itemld=/content/component/d76e4fad-en (accessed in June 2023)

(7) https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/ (accessed in June 2023)

(8) https://www.unccd.int/news-story/notifications/desertification-and-drought-day-17-june-2023 (accessed in June 2023)

(9) https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/how-to-win-everyday-battles-08553edb539f (accessed in June 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

07 June 2023

 

Post No. 303

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2023

• Activity/Task 6 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Boost and Nurture the Creative and Innovative Skills of Those in Need

• Goal of the Month: Make the Relationship between Creativity, Innovation and Poverty Reduction Work

 

…  And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2023

Theme: Create and Innovate to Win the Battle against Crises

 

In every crisis, those who have been affected by the crisis try to do something about it.  This happened with the coronavirus disaster and other previous crises in the history.  This is also occurring with the cost-of-living crisis as everybody is trying to battle against it.  In this battle, some people may succeed while others may not.  Other more may be between success and failure.  However, most sensible people would like to win the battle against crises (whether it is about the coronavirus disaster or the cost-of-living crisis or income crisis characterized by falling real household disposable income or any other crisis).

To win against any crises, it depends on whether one is battling within themselves (that is, against internal obstacles) or against external obstacles (that is, fighting something in their environment that is causing them suffering) or both.  In all these cases, to win the battle it requires not only routine fight against them; but to bring in creations and innovations.

In the context of the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM), the battle we would like to win here is mostly against external factors or obstacles like the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income.  To win this battle, we need to create and innovate.  So, creating and innovating to win the battle against the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income is our theme for 2023 CEDM.

During this Month of Creative Economic Development, we are forming responses from nothing and bringing them into existence to deal with the above mentioned crises.  Equally, we are going to introduce new ideas or methods as well as make changes to what has been tried and tested to respond to these crises to help us lead to solutions.

In this process of forming proposals and introducing new methods, we are going to work with the community – via the project Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives project) featuring this month – to try to create and innovate so that we are all able to better meet the challenges and cross the hurdles brought by crises (such as the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income, natural disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, etc.).  It is a feature-rich month during which we shall streamline users’ content creation and innovation processes.

In this process of creating and innovating, we shall consider some of the creative and innovative ideas, proposals, experiences and tools that have been so far put forward to help poor people reduce poverty and hardships, or at least to manage the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income.

Our work will revolve around the kinds of creation and innovation the CENFACS Community (and alike our Africa-based Sister Organisations) needs in order to find ways of winning over these crises and building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further information about this first key message.

 

 

• Activity/Task 6 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Boost and Nurture the Creative and Innovative Skills of Those in Need

 

Everybody has a variety of skills.  People in need have skills that can be improved or applied to a particular context and help them navigate their way out of poverty and hardships.

As an influencer of poverty reduction and sustainable development, you can help boost and nurture the creative and innovative skills of those in need.  But, what are creative and innovative skills of those in need that you may need to work with them and boost and nurture their skills?

 

• • Creative and Innovative Skills of Those in Need

 

• • • Creative Skills of Those in Need

 

To understand creative skills, one may need to know creativity.  Creativity can be explained in many ways.  The website ‘creativelive.com’ (1) provides their notion in the following terms:

“Creativity involves transforming your ideas, imagination, and dreams into reality.  Creative ability depends on creative thinking which is part hard work but largely creative problem-solving”.

From this perspective, creative skills are the ability to form from nothing, to bring things into existence, etc.  Creative skills include artistic, inventive, original, imaginative, visionary, etc. skills.

 

• • • Innovative Skills of Those in Need

 

To explain innovative skills of those in need, let us refer to the argument of Zoe Kaplan (2) on this matter.  She defines innovation as

“The ability to come up with something new; however, you don’t need to develop the first flying car to be an innovative thinker”.

For her, innovative skills include risk-taking, brainstorming, imagining, critical thinking, ambition and resilience.

An influencer of poverty reduction can help boost and or nurture these skills in the people in need.

 

• • Examples of Way of Boost and Nurturing Creative and Innovative Skills

 

An influencer of poverty reduction can encourage people in need by

 

√ helping them to see hidden patterns of poverty

√ making connections with solutions to poverty

√ imagining circular and nature-based solutions to poverty

√ coming up with new ideas to explore and navigate their way out of poverty

etc.

 

The above is our Activity/Task 6 of the Influence (i) Year/Project.   This task can be undertaken by those members of our community who are interested in it.

To work with us via this Activity/Task 6, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Make the Relationship between Creativity, Innovation and Poverty Reduction Work

 

Not all creations and innovations can help tackle poverty or enhance sustainable development.  People and communities can create and innovate without necessarily having those creations and innovations positively impacting poverty reduction.  Likewise, there are creations and innovations that have not been primarily designed for poverty reduction but end up by reducing poverty.  For example, the Internet is one of them.

Where there are relationships between creations, innovations and poverty reduction; it would be worthwhile to encourage these types of links.  For example, the ‘borgenproject.org’ (3) mentions these relationships in those terms:

“The creativity that comes from the people who live in extreme poverty has the potential to instate meaningful and large-scale change that can improve the lives of millions, and not just those in the middle and upper middle class seen in developed countries.  The link between creativity, innovation and poverty is being acted upon within the minds of severe talented individuals living in emerging countries”.

The ‘borgenproject.org’ gives many examples of the relationship between creativity, innovation and poverty.  These examples show how creativity and innovation can help to reduce poverty.

As part of the poverty reduction goal for June 2023, our supporters and audiences can help Make the Relationship between Creativity, Innovation and Poverty Reduction Work for those who are in need.  We expect them to support this goal.

For any queries and/or enquiries regarding this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Beginning-of-June Reminder: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from Reinforcing Shocks in Africa (SPBFBRSA)

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) Helping Beat Plastic Pollution

• Be.Africa e-Discusses Ways of Creating and Innovating More Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Children in Africa to Withstand Future Climate and Economic Impacts 

 

• Beginning-of-June Reminder: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from Reinforcing Shocks in Africa (SPBFBRSA)

 

SPBFBRSA is a progressive way of working with the victims of a series of severe and mutually reinforcing shocks (like the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, debt tightening, natural disasters, etc.) in Africa so that they can navigate their way towards the reduction or possibly end of the effects of these shocks on them.  It is also about Saving, Rebuilding and Sustaining Lives of the victims from these shocks, disasters and destructions in Africa.

SPBFBRSA is after all about adding value to other similar works and efforts which have been already undertaken so that the poorest people and victims of these overlapping shocks can start or continue the process of building forward and reclaiming their lives while Africa is still embattled against these shocks.

You can find more details about the Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Reinforcing Shocks in Africa under the page support causes at   http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

To support and get further information about this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) Helping Beat Plastic Pollution

 

On 05 June 2023, World Environment Day 2023, which was hosted by Côte d’Ivoire and supported by the Netherlands, was celebrated with a focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #Beat Plastic Pollution (4).  Although its celebration was two days ago, the campaign #Beat Plastic Pollution has not stopped.

Those of who are using Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) can integrate the protection of the environment into them.  In particular, they can try to include the campaign #Beat Plastic Pollution in the use of these projects.

Those who have included or will include the features of this campaign in the TVIs/AYRPs can let us know their experience of this inclusion.

Telling and sharing your TVI/AYRP story of the inclusion experience will help

 

√ beat plastic pollution

√ improve the environmental aspect within TVI/AYRP

√ know what has worked and not worked so far before  TVI’s/AYRP’s deadline of 23/12/2023.

 

To tell and share your TVI/AYRP story of environmental inclusion and particularly of beating plastic pollution, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Be.Africa e-Discusses Ways of Creating and Innovating More Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Children in Africa to Withstand Future Climate and Economic Impacts 

 

Future climate and economic crises (like natural disasters, extreme weather, debt crisis, prolonged economic downturn, dry conditions, failure to climate-change adaption, etc.) will have impact on children in Africa.  One can notice the current impact of drought in the Horn of Africa on children.

In face of these threats and impacts, there is a need to create and innovate systems that are more resilient and sustainable than the ones Africa has today.  But, what do we mean by resilient and sustainable systems?

According to ‘insights.sei.cmu.edu’ (5),

“A system is resilient if it continues to carry out its mission in the face of adversity (i.e., if it provides required capabilities despite excessive stresses that can cause disruptions).  Being resilient is important because no matter how well a system is engineered, reality will sooner or later conspire to disrupt the system”.

As to sustainable system, the website ‘aber.ac.uk’ (6) describes it as

“One of whose attributes stay within an acceptable range of states.  These attributes vary with time and the patterns of variability within a system change in scale and complexity”. (p. 48)

At the be.Africa Forum, we are going to use these definitions and other ones to e-discuss Ways of Creating and Innovating More Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Children in Africa to Withstand Future Climate and Economic Impacts.

This discussion is part of Building Forward Better Together with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations.  Those who may be interested in this first discussion of June 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Rappel du début de juin 2023 au sujet du projet de ce printemps qui s’intitule  ‘Mieux construire à partir des chocs qui se renforcent en Afrique’ (PPMCCRA)

PPMCCRA est une façon de travailler avec les victimes d’une série de chocs graves et qui se renforcent mutuellement (comme les effets persistants de la catastrophe du coronavirus, la crise du coût de la vie, le resserrement de la dette, les catastrophes naturelles, etc.) en Afrique afin qu’elles puissent se frayer un chemin vers la réduction ou éventuellement la fin des effets de ces chocs sur elles. Il s’agit également de sauver, reconstruire et pérenniser la vie des victimes de ces chocs, catastrophes et destructions en Afrique.

PPMCCRA consiste après tout à ajouter de la valeur à d’autres travaux et efforts similaires qui ont déjà été entrepris afin que les personnes les plus pauvres et les victimes de ces chocs qui se chevauchent puissent commencer ou poursuivre le processus de construction et de récupération de leur vie pendant que l’Afrique est encore aux prises avec ces chocs.

Vous trouverez plus de détails sur Projet de printemps de Mieux construire à partir des chocs qui se renforcent en Afrique sous la page soutenir les causes à http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Pour soutenir et obtenir de plus amples informations sur ce projet, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2023

 

The following points make up the Main Development section of this post:

 

∝ Basic understanding of the creative economic development

∝ What 2023 June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives (Jmesci) project will be about

∝ Theme of Creative Economic Development Month 2023: Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises

∝ The kinds of creative economic development projects we will be dealing with

∝ The method of delivering the Creative Economic Development Month

∝ The calendar and contents of the Creative Economic Development Month

∝ Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis (From Week Beginning Monday 05/06/2023)

∝ The featuring of other environmental activities or events outside but closer to CENFACS’ work.

 

Let us look at these points one by one.

 

• • Basic Understanding of the Creative Economic Development (CEDM)

 

To grasp the creative economic development is better to start with the understanding of the creative economy.

 

• • • Basic understanding of the creative economy

 

There are many definitions of creative economy.  In this communication, we have selected two of them.

The first definition comes from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  UNCTAD (7) argues that a creative economy

“Essentially… is the knowledge-based economic activities upon which the ‘creative industries’ are based”.

The UNCTAD goes on by claiming that

“The creative industries – which include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research and development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and TV/radio – are the lifeblood of the creative economy”.

The second definition, which is from ‘rasmussen.edu’ (8), is

“The creative economy is the income-earning potential of creative activities and ideas”.

Clearly, this second definition focusses on the income generation aspect of creative industries and activities.

However, CENFACS looks at the creative economy from the perspective of development or sustainable development.

 

• • • Creative economy from the perspective of sustainable development

 

From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (9), definition which is:

“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

So, the knowledge-based economic activities – upon which the creative industries are supported – need to be sustainable; that is capable of being continued over the long term without adverse effects.  Since, we are pursuing CENFACS’ Programme of ‘Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’; these activities need to be inclusive, clean, green (or net zero) and safe.

 

• • What June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives 2023 is about

 

Individual and collective creations in the ways of improving lives through the conception of fresh ideas and the implementation of practical ideas to escape from poverty and hardships as well as foster a better environment and sustainability, are CENFACS’ area of interest.   We create all over the year and life; however June is the month for us to remember and acknowledge our environmental and sustainable makings.

June is the month of Creative Economic Development at CENFACS with creation and innovation on the main menu: creation for researching and developing fresh ideas to reduce poverty, particularly extreme poverty; innovation for making these ideas or dreams come true, transformable into practical environmental and sustainable initiatives and actions.

Put it simply, Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives) is just about finding out ways of engineering creations relating to the environment and sustainability in order to further reduce poverty and improve the quality of life.  In practical terms, it is the project that features or carries the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM).

This year’s Jmesci will be about creations and innovations that help win over crises (e.g., the cost-of-living crisis, falling real household disposable income, etc.) as well as those that help prevent future crises, shocks and disasters to be harmful or destructive on people and communities we serve.  Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises is also this year’s theme for Creative Economic Development Month.

 

• • Theme of CEDM 2023: Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises

 

We said in the first key message that most sensible people would like to win the battle against crises (whether it is about the coronavirus disaster or the cost-of-living crisis or income crisis characterized by falling real household disposable income or any other crisis).  Winning this battle is a desirable aim in the battlefield of poverty reduction.  As Joanne Reed (10) argues that

“Life is a battlefield.  Nothing is easy, we have to fight our way through everything, and with this in mind, it would be a good idea for us to familiarise ourselves with combat strategy and learn the best tricks in the book from trained warriors”.

Learning the best tricks in creations and innovations can help us to win the war on crises, on poverty.  We have already started these creation and innovation processes since we kicked off the processes to dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income.  As this month is about creation and innovation, we are going to continue and deepen these processes by trying to overcome four battles or crises:  cost-of-living crisis, real income fall (characterised by falling real household disposable income), natural disaster and humanitarian catastrophe.  Those crises affect our communities in the UK and in Africa.  To know how we are going to win, please continue to read the next communications in the following weeks starting from this Main Development section of this post.

 

• • Kinds of Creative Economic Development Projects Dealt with

 

The types of creative economic development projects that will be considered will be those helping people in need to reduce or end poverty while enhancing sustainable development.  In other words, for any creations and innovations to meet the objectives of the creation and innovation month, they need to address poverty while contributing to the principles of sustainable development; that is development that is inclusive, clean, green (or net zero) and safe.

From the idea or conception to the implementation of these projects, their contents need to have the values of poverty reduction and sustainability (particularly the inclusive, clean, green or net zero and safe aspects of sustainability).  As we continue to unveil these projects throughout this month, these values will become clear, apparent and self-explanatory.  This will as well determine the manner in which the Creative Economic Development Month will be approached and delivered throughout the month.

 

• • The Method of Delivering the Creative Economic Development Month 

 

The Creative Economic Development Month will be delivered through the composition of notes and a number of activities (such as workshop, focus group or discussion, advocacy or campaign and appeal).

 

• • The Calendar and Contents of the Creative Economic Development Month

 

To deliver on what we have argued so far we have organised the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM) as indicated in the figure below.

 

 

♦ From Week Beginning Monday 05/06/2023: Creations and Innovations to succeed in the struggle against the cost-of-living crisis 

 

These creative ideas and innovative ways of working will enable to find the means to meet the level of ambition we have for the kind of poverty reduction and sustainable development and future we want.

Using our skills, knowledge and talents to find techniques, technologies and new methods to deal with the currently pressing and immediate needs of the cost-of-living crisis period may not be enough unless we create and innovate to prevent or at least to mitigate future crises linked to essential living costs.

 

♦ From Week Beginning Monday 12/06/2023: Creations and Innovations to win the battle over falling real household disposable incomes 

 

The continuous fall in real household disposable incomes means that one needs to find some creative and innovative ways of dealing with this fall if one wants to avoid the deepening of income poverty.  It also signifies that one may work out to develop an alternative in terms of ideas, skills and new knowledge to meet the income needs of those who are unable to raise or earn incomes beyond the income poverty line.

 

♦ From Week Beginning Monday 19/06/2023: Creations and Innovations to overcome the battle against natural crisis

 

Wherever our areas of operation are subject to crises directly resulting from natural events (such as volcano, earthquake, torrential rains, cyclones, etc.), we need to find ways of creating and innovating to find solutions to the impacts of these crises on the people and communities we serve.  If those creations and innovations could overcome these natural crises, it will be even better than without them.

These creations and innovations could be part of the rebuilding projects or processes in the context of Rebuilding Africa programme by CENFACS.  They could be a response to win the battle against the impacts of short-term environmental strikes, disasters linked to climate change cycles, and  long-term environmental storms and catastrophes.

 

♦ From Week Beginning Monday 26/06/2023: Creations and Innovations to triumph the battle against humanitarian crisis

 

Where there is an event or series of events that can pose a critical threat or destruction of lives and livelihoods of the people and communities we deal with, creations and innovations to win the battle against those life-threatening and destroying events are the key answer.  Life-saving creations and innovations can prevent terrible conditions such as famine, mortality, malnutrition, the spread of diseases, epidemics, human displacement, food insecurity, etc.

These creations and innovations could be human/our response to win the battle against the catastrophic impacts of the following situations or events: natural disasters and extreme weather events leading to conflicts, infectious diseases, natural resource crisis, geo-economic confrontation or interstate economic relations fracture, failure to mitigate climate change, failure to climate-change adaptation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, economic and financial crises, etc.

The above is our organisation to deliver CEDM.  For any queries or enquiries about the above organisation, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

• • Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis (From Week Beginning Monday 05/06/2023)

 

To tackle these creations and innovations, we are going to highlight the following items:

 

∝ what these creations and innovations are about

∝ their usefulness,

∝ the workshop about them

∝ our work with the community about them.

 

• • • About Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

When one talks about creations and innovations to manage rising prices of energy, food, money, accommodation and any other essential living items; it all comes down to meeting basic living costs.  When these costs become so high to the extent that they turn into a crisis like it is now with the cost of living crisis; then creations and innovations could be the answer.  What are Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis?

Creations to Succeed the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis are the makings, inventions and productions during and after the cost-of-living crisis; creations that help to do well  in the struggle against the negative impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis are the changes, alterations and reforms introduced during and after the cost-of-living crisis; innovations that assist in winning the struggle against the negative impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

Briefly, Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis are makings and changes to overcome the negative impacts of fall in real incomes caused by high inflation and tax increases outstripping wage increases.

In 2022, we dealt with these creations and innovations.  The focus then was to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.  This year, it is not only about responding.  It is instead about being a bit ambitious by winning against the negative impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • • The Usefulness of Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

Creations and innovations will assist to avoid that the cost of living crisis trends from being a cyclical to structural issue within the members of our community.   In other words, creations and innovations will help avoid that poverty that could be transitory because of rising prices of goods and services to become permanent or intergenerational or simply stay in the long term.

 

• • • Method of Approaching these Creations and Innovations

 

These creations and innovations will be dealt with via a workshop which will be about to find creations and innovations that will be good to win the fight against the cost-of-living crisis.  The workshop will as well provide an opportunity to share real-life stories, experiences and projects of creation and innovation that could contribute in the triumph over the war against the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • • Working with the Community on Creations and Innovations to Succeed in the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

Working with the community on the matter of these creations and innovations will be done as follows.

 

Concerning our work with the community on creations, we can together create

 

√ by translating their needs into project proposals in order apply for financial support to finance these needs

√ to adapt and adjust behaviour and lifestyle within the community so that the members making our community can live within their means and budgets

√ to find new services and products to meet the needs relating to the cost-of-living crisis

√ to spend money differently to meet the cost-of-living crisis

√ to save and audit their accounts to avoid negative balances

√ to reduce debt and renegotiate it under the terms that match the circumstances of the cost-of-living crisis

etc.

 

Concerning our work with the community on innovations, we can together innovate

 

√ to factor higher prices in any household budget planning and monitoring

√ ways of better budgeting resources and expenses

√ to reduce digital exclusion that can exacerbate the distributional impacts of the cost-of-living crisis

√ to reduce the adverse impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on CENFACS beneficiaries

√ to empower digitally vulnerable users and develop their online skills (e.g. soft skills to deal with cash less or digitally enabled payment methods) that can enhance their chance to raise income

√ to guide CENFACS Community in order to stop fraudsters and scammers to target vulnerable members of this community

√ to cut back on non-essential spending

etc.

 

Our work with them will be on both creations and innovations inclusively, not separately even though they have been separately presented.  We must emphasise that our work with them this time is not only about responding to a crisis, but it is about winning the battle against a crisis – the cost-of-living crisis.

Working with the community can be done in many ways including via a workshop.  Those of our members who would like to take part in the workshop, they can let CENFACS know.  Those who would like to share their experiences or lessons about the way they managed to fight and win against the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, they can use this opportunity of the CEDM to share.

For any queries and or enquiries about the workshop on Creations and Innovations to Succeed the Struggle against the Cost-of-living Crisis, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Creative Economic Development Projects

 

There are areas of creative economic industries upon which we (together with those in need) draw inspiration to develop projects to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These areas include: advertising, arts and crafts, design, video, research and development.

To be more specific, let us look at one example, one activity and one competition relating to creative economic development projects.

 

 

• • • Example of Creative Economic Development Project: Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (like Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to manage the cost-of-living crisis.

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development or creative economy project.   Through this project, participants can unlock their creative aspirations to build and develop poverty reduction content-creating objects or materials.  This exercise will provide them with poverty reduction building experiences via objects/materials.

 

 

• • • Creative Economic Development Activity of the Month: Construct and Post e-cards or e-objects

 

One of the activities related to this project for this year will be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects expressing the theme of “Solutions to plastic pollution”.  The construction will echo the World Environmental Day’s (op. cit.) celebratory theme of last 05/06/2023.

One can as well construct and post the similar cards as expressions or ways of dealing with drought to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (11) on 17/06/2023.  The theme of 2023 Desertification and Drought Day is “Women’s land rights”.

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “Solutions to plastic pollution” relating to World Environment Day, and/or the theme of “Women’s land rights” linked to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

To support and or enquire about Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • Creative Economic Development Competition of the Month: The Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

The Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development is a one-month’s project of challenge created and run by CENFACS that will enable creators and innovators of the month to showcase their creations and innovations in and for the community; creations and innovations relating to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

As a creator or innovator of poverty reduction and/or sustainable development you can tell and/or share with CENFACS your creation and/or innovation project or experience of creative and/or innovative poverty reduction and/or sustainable development.  Your creation and/or innovation project or experience will be part of this month’s challenge to find the Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.

To tell and/or share your creation and/or innovation project or experience, please contact CENFACS this month.

 

• • Inclusion of other Environmental Activities into Jmesci 2023

 

Our month of creation (of thinking up new things) and innovation (of converting our thoughts into tangible outcomes) revolves around global, national, and local environmental and sustainable issues and events of the month as well.

Examples of June world environmental events and days of the month include the following events which we have already mentioned:

 

∝ Croydon Climate Action (12) with the Great Big Green Week to be held between 10 and 18 June 2023

∝ The United Nations World Environment Day held on 05/06/2023 under the theme of “Solutions to plastic pollution“

∝ The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2023 to be held on 17/06/2023 under the theme of “Women’s land rights“.

 

The above notes are for CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month.

To support and or engage with CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and or  the project Jmesci, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.creativelive.com/blog/what-is-creativity/ (accessed in June 2023)

(2) https://www.theforage.com/blog/skills/creative-thinking (accessed in June 2023)

(3) https://borgenproject.org/creativity-innovation-and-poverty/ (accessed in June 2023)

(4) https://www.unep.org/events/un-day/world-environment-day-2023 (accessed in June 2023)

(5) https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/system-resilience-what-exactly-is-it/ (accessed in June 2023)

(6) https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/departmental/ibers/pdf/innovations/00/00ch6.pdf (accessed in June 2023)

(7) https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx (accessed in May 2023)

(8) https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/design/blog/what-is-the-creative-economy/ (accessed in June 2023)

(9) Brundtland et al. (1987), Our Common Future, World Commission on Environment and Development (The Brundtland Report), Oxford University Press, London

(10) https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/how-to-win-everyday-battles-08553edb539f (accessed in June 2023)

(11) https://www.unccd.int/news-story/notifications/desertification-and-drought-day-17-june-2023 (accessed in June 2023)

(12) https://greatbiggreenweek.com (accessed in June 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 CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

31 May 2023

 

Post No. 302

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 (Part II): Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

• Africa’s Food Crises Impacted Poor Need Your Influence

• Support Children in the Horn of Africa to Avoid Famine 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 (Part II): Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

 

The second release of the Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023, which takes stock of the first one, provides our view to those who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in organisations and charitable causes in Africa.  The second release is indeed about impact investing in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.  These organisations and causes are those ones CENFACS is dealing with and or dealt with in the past.  In this respect, the Outlook 2023 does not represent or speak about all the organisations operating in Africa.  Despite that, what we are saying about the future of not-for-profit investments and organisations making this Outlook 2023 and linked to CENFACS can be applied to other not-for-profit entities in Africa.

The new release explains the type of organisations we are talking about and their legal or juridical status (or organisation type) as well as their fields of activity or main areas of intervention.  The new release has to be placed in the context of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme for those who would like to not-for-profit invest in Africa for impact.  In this release, we have included Africa-based Sister Organisations that can potentially welcome both foreign and non foreign direct investment.  What else is this new release about?

Part II of Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 is a glimpse of charitable organisations and causes linked to CENFACS that can welcome not-for-profit investment.  Part II does provide what any prospective not-for-profit investors need to know; but it does not give contact details of organisations.  It is handy tool to guide prospective not-for-profit investors to find what they need to know in organisations to invest in.  In this respect, it gives essential not-for-profit investment knowledge and information about organisations and causes they may think of investing in whether they are new to not-for-profit investing for impact in Africa or regular investor.

More highlights about Part II of Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Africa’s Food Crises Impacted Poor Need Your Influence

 

Food crises continue to be an issue that can threaten and take lives in many African countries.  For example, ‘fsinplatform.org’ (1) found that

“Between December 2022 and February 2023, there were food-crises countries with the largest local currency depreciation relative to the US dollar in countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Ghana”.

Likewise, the World Bank Group (2) states that

“It is projected that up to 68 million people in East Africa will be food insecure (Crisis, Emergency, and Famine; Integrated Food Security Phases Classification 3-5) by October 2023.  The projected hotspots are in Ethiopia (14 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (10 million), Sudan (10 million), South Sudan (10 million), and Kenya (7 million), Somalia and South Sudan continue to be at risk of famine”. (p. 10)

Additionally, the ‘redcross.org.uk’ (3) declares that

“Communities in Africa face a race against the clock”.

However, food crises have causes and consequences.

 

• • Drivers and Impacts of Food Crises

 

Without going into a lengthy analysis of the drivers of food crises in Africa, most experts on this matter agree that a global economic slowdown, monetary tightening, weather extremes (such as drought, rainfall deficits, and high temperatures) and conflicts (like war in Ukraine) are part of the causes of food crises in Africa.

For example, ‘fsinplatform.org’ (op. cit.) argues that

“Conflict/insecurity was the main driver of acute food insecurity in four countries with 32.27 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity in the Central Africa Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique and for refugee populations in the Congo in 2022” (p. 37)

The impact of conflict and/or insecurity on food crises can also be looked at the level of agricultural activity which was hampered by insecurity and population displacements in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.  Likewise, the consequences of food crises have been deaths among children under 5 years old in countries such as Somalia in 2022.  Yet, it is possible to reduce the impact of food crises in Africa.

 

• • Using Your Influence to Mitigate the Impact of Food Crises

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Year of Influence, we are asking to those who can to use their influential resources to affect the drivers of food crises, to alter man-made weather extremes and the causes of soaring food prices that drove and are driven high levels of acute food insecurity in Africa.  They can as well exert their power to drive food prices down for parts of Africa that have no choice but to rely on food imports.  In Africa, the domestic food price inflation (measured as year-on-year change in the food component of a country’s consumer price index) is high, according to various studies and evidences on the ground.

Your influence could protect and save threatening lives and possibly avert food crises.

You can donate your Influence to reduce or end food poverty in Africa.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the detrimental effects on poor people from the food crises in Africa.

You can as well influence the things or factors that determine these crises in order to create lasting favourable conditions towards an end to food crises; factors like the conflicts that have negatively impacted the supplies and prices of foods or monetary policies that have tightened the availability of finance for the poor.

Please also let CENFACS know about your influencing work or contribution  you are or will be making and its outcome on behalf of the food poor in 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.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give your Positive Influence and help save the lives of the Food Crises Impacted and Food Poor in Africa.

 

 

• Support Children in the Horn of Africa to Avoid Famine 

 

Children victims of prolong drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa (that is, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia) are still undergoing through a life-threatening and -destroying situation.   Their stories, infographics and statistics throughout the news and social media around the world speak enough themselves about the terrible conditions in which these children are living.  There is no need to replay their images and restate statistics relating to them.  What is needed actions, not words only to help these children.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (4),

“Children in the Horn of Africa are living through an unprecedented large-scale crisis of hunger, displacement, water scarcity, and insecurity”.

Yet, it is possible to prevent famine in the Horn of Africa.  These children need your life-saving support to meet their life-surviving need.  There are local communities, humanitarian organisations and local authorities that are working on the ground.  Last week, there was a donor conference during which aid agencies appealed to end food crisis for the region and managed to secure some funding.  But, the scale of the problems that these children are facing needs further and better support.  Also, some of the funds pledged have not been materialised.

These children need your support to avert humanitarian catastrophe and famine.

They need food or income to buy food, life-saving and sustaining services.

You can help the Children in Need in the Horn of Africa.

Would you consider making a gift of any amount to help the Children in Need in the Horn of Africa to navigate their way out of large-scale crisis?

You can donate, gift aid and or support differently by

phoning, e-mailing, texting CENFACS and filling the contact form on this website.

Please support TODAY so that we can help the Children in the Horn of Africa who Need Your Support at this Moment. 

To discuss and get further details about this appeal, please contact CENFACS at http://cenfacs.org.uk/contact-us/

Thank you for considering delivering on this appeal.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• End-of-May Stories: Impact Story

• End-of-May Reminder: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from Reinforcing Shocks in Africa (SPBFBRSA)

• Options for Financing Summer Holidays

 

 

• End-of-May Stories: Impact Story

 

On the last day of the Month of Stories, people and ourselves will ask this: what is the impact your story leaves to us?  In other words, what is the force or effect or even impression your story will leave after telling and sharing it?

 

• • What is the Impact of My Storytelling?

 

One can answer the above question by referring to the impact story model of Laura Meagher and David Edwards (5) who used building blocks to tell their impact story.   According to them, there are five types of impact that could be the legacy of your story; types which are:

1) instrumental 2) conceptual 3) capacity building 4) enduring connectivity 5) culture/attitudes towards knowledge exchange, and research impact itself.

Depending on the type of impact your story will generate, your story could be on the Top Three Stories of the May 2023 Stories Challenge organised by CENFACS.  It is also a way to evaluate your story.

 

• • Evaluating Your Impact Story

 

On the site ‘linkedin.com’ (6), it is stated that

“Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, conveying your message, and inspiring action”.

During this month of May, we have tried as much as we could to engage with our audiences, users and supporters through this tool.  Now, it is the time to evaluate the impact of our and your stories.

To measure or evaluate your storytelling impact, the same ‘linkedin.com’ suggests the following steps:

σ define your communication goals

σ collect feedback about your communication

σ analyse results or indicators that show how well you have achieved your communication goals.

Evaluating Your Impact Story ends our notes on May 2023 Stories.  Those who have not yet donated their stories, we would like to remind them today is the last day.  They can still submit it by midnight today.  For those who have donated their stories, CENFACS thanks them for their storying gift.

For those who would like to know more about or to catch up with any of the series of our All in Development Storytelling Programme for this year or month, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• End-of-May Reminder: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from Reinforcing Shocks in Africa (SPBFBRSA)

 

SPBFBRSA is a way of working with the victims of a series of severe and mutually reinforcing shocks (like the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, debt tightening, natural disasters, etc.) in Africa so that they can navigate their way towards the reduction or possibly end of the effects of these shocks on them.  It is also about Saving, Rebuilding and Sustaining Lives of the victims from these shocks, disasters and destructions in Africa.

SPBFBRSA is after all about adding value to other similar works and efforts which have been already undertaken so that the poorest people and victims of these overlapping shocks can start or continue the process of building forward and reclaiming their lives while Africa is still embattled against these shocks.

You can find more details about the Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Reinforcing Shocks in Africa under the page support causes at   http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

To support and get further information about this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Options for Financing Summer Holidays

 

As Summer is approaching, many families and people have started to plan their Summer holiday.  In this plan, financing is part of it.  Financing any holiday for those on low income can be nightmare and sometimes unachievable dream.  However, for those of them who may have the right information and knowledge to finance their holiday according to their means and conditions of life, this dream can come true.  The right information and knowledge can stem from ways of financing holiday.

Here are the ways of financing your holiday:

 

√ Setting money aside (Putting savings towards your holiday goals)

(It is about knowing how much money you need to put aside to cover your next holiday.  The problem with this option is that poor people and families do not have money to set aside for holiday)

√ Finding extra money in your budget (for instance, by trimming expenses)

(Again, those who are on low incomes and live on tight budget may find it extremely challenging to cut basic life-sustaining expenses or needs)

√ Employers’ holiday pay schemes

(For example, in the UK employment rules state that when an employee or worker takes holiday, they should get the same pay when they are on holiday as when they are at work – whichever their working pattern)

√ Finding cheapest holiday deals can help you save money

√ Crowdfunding by raising money from friends and family members

√ Applying for free school meals to fund your children’s food need during holiday

√ Attending free activities organised by local charities during holiday

√ Free trips for families funded by charities, local groups and churches

√ Free family day trips to a variety of destinations like zoos, farm parks, theme parks, the seaside or the theatre

√ Holiday loans which we will not advise, especially for income poor people and families as holiday loans may not be positive coping strategies for them to deal with holiday income poverty particularly in the context of soaring interest rates like now

√ Funding holiday as identified need by your local authority

√ A need for a holiday arising from disabilities under the provision of holidays

(i.e., local authorities can be under a duty to meet the need of a holiday by funding the cost of the holiday)

√ Holiday funding for disabled adults and their carers

(For example, there are organisations like Revitalise.co.uk that offer disability holiday funding support for respite and accessible holidays)

Etc.

 

The above-mentioned options to fund your holiday can be used by those who need them.  The best thing to do is to check their eligibility and suitability criteria.  For those members of our community who may experience some difficulties in dealing with these ways of financing their holiday, CENFACS can work with them to identify the option that is the most suitable for them.  In this identification, we shall make sure that they find positive coping mechanisms to fund their holiday.

This work with them is part of the advice service we provide.  For those who need advice about financing their Summer holiday, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Moyens de financer vos vacances d’été

À l’approche de l’été, de nombreuses familles et personnes ont commencé à planifier leurs vacances d’été.  Dans ce plan, le financement en fait partie.  Financer des vacances pour les personnes à faible revenu peut être un cauchemar et parfois un rêve irréalisable.  Cependant, pour ceux/celles d’entre eux/elles qui peuvent avoir les bonnes informations et connaissances pour financer leurs vacances en fonction de leurs moyens et conditions de vie, ce rêve peut devenir une réalité.  Les bonnes informations et connaissances peuvent provenir des moyens de financer les vacances.

Voici les moyens de financer vos vacances:

√ Mettre de l’argent de côté (Investir dans vos objectifs de vacances)

(Il s’agit de savoir combien d’argent vous devez mettre de côté pour couvrir vos prochaines vacances.  Le problème avec cette option est que les pauvres et les familles nécessiteuses n’ont pas d’argent à mettre de côté pour les vacances)

√ Trouver de l’argent supplémentaire dans votre budget (par exemple, en réduisant les dépenses)

(Encore une fois, ceux/celles qui ont de faibles revenus et qui vivent avec un budget serré peuvent trouver extrêmement difficile de réduire les dépenses ou les besoins de base pour le maintien de la vie)

√ Régimes de congés payés des employeurs

(Par exemple, dans le Royaume-Uni, les règles d’emploi stipulent que lorsqu’un(e) employé(e) ou un(e) travailleur(se) prend des vacances, il/elle doit recevoir le même salaire lorsqu’il/elle est en vacances que lorsqu’il/elle est au travail – quel que soit son mode de travail)

√ Trouver les offres de vacances les moins chères peut vous aider à économiser de l’argent

√ Financement participatif en recueillant des fonds auprès d’amis et de membres de la famille

√ Demander des repas scolaires gratuits pour financer les besoins alimentaires de vos enfants pendant les vacances

√ Assister à des activités gratuites organisées par des associations caritatives locales pendant les vacances

√ Voyages gratuits pour les familles, voyages financés par des organismes de bienfaisance, des groupes locaux et des églises

√ Excursions gratuites d’une journée en famille vers une variété de destinations comme les jardins zologiques, les parcs agricoles, les parcs à thème, le bord de mer ou le théâtre

√ Les prêts de vacances que nous ne conseilleront pas en particulier pour les personnes et les familles à faible revenu, car les prêts de vacances peuvent ne pas être des stratégies d’adaptation positives pour faire face à la pauvreté des revenus de vacances

√ Congé de financement selon les besoins identifiés par votre autorité locale

√ Nécessité d’un congé découlant d’un handicap dans le cadre de l’offre de congés

(c’est-à-dire que les autorités locales peuvent être tenues de répondre aux besoins d’un jour férié en finançant le coût du jour férié)

√ Financement des vacances pour les adultes handicapés et leurs aidants

(Par exemple, il existe des organisations comme Revitalise.co.uk qui offrent un soutien financier pour les vacances pour les personnes handicapées pour les services de répit et les vacances accessibles)

Etc.

Les options mentionnées ci-dessus pour financer vos vacances peuvent être utilisées par ceux ou celles qui en ont besoin.  La meilleure chose à faire est de vérifier leurs critères d’éligibilité et d’adéquation. 

Pour les membres de notre communauté qui pourraient éprouver des difficultés à gérer ces moyens de financer leurs vacances, le CENFACS peut travailler avec eux pour identifier l’option qui leur convient le mieux.  Dans cette identification, nous veillerons à ce qu’ils trouvent des stratégies d’adaptation positives pour financer leurs vacances.

Ce travail avec eux fait partie du service de conseil que nous fournissons.  Pour ceux de nos membres qui ont besoin de conseils sur le financement de leurs vacances d’été, ils sont invités à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 (Part II): Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

 

Our coverage of this second part of Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 includes three items:

 

σ What is Not-for-profit Impact Investing?

σ Types of Organisations to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

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 is Not-for-profit Impact Investing?

 

There are many definitions within the literature about impact investing.  For the purpose of this outlook, we have selected the definition provided by ‘evpa.ngo’ (7) which states that

“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”.

Working on a similar line of reasoning, ‘impactinvest.org.uk’ (8) provides four defining characteristics of impact investing which are:

a) Intentionality b) Evidence and impact data in investment design c) Manage impact performance and d) contribute to the growth of the industry.

These definitions of impact investing will help to engage or boost engagement with those who would like to not-for-profit invest in any of Africa-based organisations linked to CENFACS.  To not-for-profit invest in any organisation, one may need to know the types of organisations to invest in, the size of investment they need to provide, the types of investments, the time to invest, etc.

Many of these questions or issues are part of the guidance programme we provide to potential not-for-profit investors.  In the context of the highlights of Part II of Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023, we are going to limit ourselves to the types of organisations to not-for-profit invest.

 

• • Types of Organisations to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa

 

As we argued in the page 3 of FACS No. 72 of Summer 2021 (9), African Sister Organisations (ASOs) can be an alternative route for investing in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for those investors having other motives than only making profit.  Investing in this sort of organisations is a way of thinking differently and approaching poverty from a different and new perspective.

Indeed, there is a difference between investing in organisations that consider poverty reduction as a residual or appended or negligible aspect of their main trading activity compared to those organisations that take poverty reduction as their main or core mission or activity.  So, if one wants to see real improvements in reduction of poverty in quality and quantity; then putting their money and assets into ASOs 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.

 

• • • Classes of Organisations to not-for-profit Invest for Impact

 

Not-for-profit investors can invest in any of the organisations CENFACS has links with. Generally, these organisations tend to be non-governmental ones.

 

• • • • What is a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO)?

 

According to ‘ngos.org’ (10),

“A non-governmental organisation generally refers to an organisation that operates independently from any government – though it may receive funding from a government but operates without oversight or representation from that government”.

Most of organisations that are based in Africa and linked to CENFACS tend to fall under the category of non-governmental and charitable organisations.  These organisations can be operational and /or advocacy NGOs.  They take charitable orientation and/or are community-based in terms of the level of operation, impact and cooperation.  The table no. 1 below gives a summary of these organisations and their fields of activity.  As we have said it the table is a summary.  Therefore, it does not contain all the organisations that have links with CENFACS.

 

 

CENFACS‘ NGOs can be international or multinational, pan-African, environmental, civil society organisations, women organisations, etc.  The classes of investment that a potential not-for-profit investor can provide to them could be in the form of grants, loans and private donations.  In their portfolios, these organisations can accept carbon-related or emissions trading assets and green funding as well as environmentally friendly holdings.  They can also accommodate investors who help keep net-zero objective in their portfolio and accelerate climate action for the poor.  These investors could be corporate, institutional and individual.

They can welcome both foreign direct and non-foreign direct not-for-profit investments.  What do we mean by foreign direct investment?

According to the ‘oecd-ilibrary.org’ (11),

“A foreign direct investment is a category of cross-border investment in which an investor resident in one economy establishes a lasting interest in and a significant degree of influence over an enterprise resident in mother economy.  Ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting power in an enterprise in one economy by an investor in another economy is evidence of such a relationship”.

This definition can apply to any of these organisations that have projects or undertakings.  Depending on these organisations’ areas of speciality, they deal with issues or causes such as the following:

Environmental education, natural resource conservation, sustainable forestry, gender equality, reforestation, soil conservation, water, democracy, human rights, rural farming, agroforestry, desertification, health, education, community development, sustainable development, infrastructures (e.g., school buildings, drinking water points and health centres), disaster relief, women, children, climate, urbanisation, etc.

 

 

• • Guidance for Not-for-profit Investors about Organisations 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 they can conduct needs assessment with them and search their ideal Africa-based organisation to invest in.  We run an International Advice Service to that effect.

Under our International Advice Service, we can work with them so that they can find the direction they need for their not-for-profit investment plan or journey in Africa.   This service is designed to support Africa-based Sister Organisations on the following matters:

Capacity building and development, Project planning and development, Poverty reduction within the context of Africa Continental Free Trade Area, Not-for-profit investment and development, Absorption capacity development, Fundraising and grant-seeking leads, Income generation and streams, Sustainable development,  and Monitoring and evaluation.

Not-for-profit investors can benefit from some aspects of our International Advice Service, which will help them to protect their not-for-profit investments while providing them peace of mind.  Likewise, it will ensure that they receive the return to their investment in the form of the quantity and quality of poverty reduction to be generated.  Where it is appropriate, we would conduct the following tasks:

 

√ trend analysis of poverty reduction achievements from the target organisations

√ finding out the level of inward foreign direct investment of these organisations

√ provide financial histories and health check of these organisations

√ finding information on investments made in carbon-credit-related organisations, organisations with operations at low impact on the environment, organisations making voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reductions or net-zero pledges

√ undertaking forecasting and advising about the level and direction of poverty reduction to be achieved as well as other synergic impacts on the community/area to be invested in.

 

Those who have any queries and/or enquiries about Part II of Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023 (that is, Organisations and Causes to Not-for-profit Invest for Impact in Africa), they can communicate with CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.fsinplatform.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/GRFC2023-hi-res.pdf (accessed in May 2023)

(2) World Bank Group (2023), Food Security Update, World Bank Publications, Washington

(3) https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/disaster-and-emergencies/world/africa-hunger-crisis-100-million-struggling-to-eat (accessed in May 2023)

(4) https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136927 (accessed in May 2023)

(5) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialscience/2020/09/18/how-to-to-tell-an-impact-story-the-building-blocks-you-need/ (accessed in May 2023)

(6) https://www.linkedin.com/advice/o/how-do-you-measure-impact-storytelling (accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.evpa.ngo/impact-glossary (Accessed in March 2023)

(8) https://www.impactinvest.org.uk/modules/introduction-to-impact-investing/#resource-section-4 (Accessed in March 2023)

(9) cenfacs.org.uk/2021/08/11/investing-in-the-not-for-profit-african-organisations (accessed in May 2023)

(10) ngos.org/what-is-an-ngo/ (accessed in May 2023)

(11) https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/finance-and-investment/foreign-direct-investment-fdi/indicator-group/english_9a523b18-en (accessed in May 2023)

 

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.  Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.