Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

24 May 2023

 

Post No. 301

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Financial Information, Communication, Education, and Technology Project

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Positively Transforming Human Relationships with Nature (From Wednesday 24/05/2023)

• Activity 4 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: E-discussion on Bringing Lost Areas of Biodiversity Close to Net Zero (From Week Beginning 22/05/2023)

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Financial Information, Communication, Education, and Technology Project (FICETP)

 

Our work on integrating financial education, information, communication and technology into a single unit continues with the project proposals for the above-mentioned project.  This micro-initiative was first identified or announced when we published the 79th Issue of FACS which concentrates on Financial Education, Information and Communications for and with the Poor.

FICETP is an integrated and progressive way of working with those who do not have access to financial educational knowledge and skills, information tools, communication settings and technologies so that they can access them and start to make jumps or leaps in poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Through the four areas of financial empowerment, if the project is successfully implemented, they will be able to gradually make their own way in finding the strengths and capacities to better run their lives.

We have to admit that when we first introduced this project, we did not mention technologies.  Yet, technologies (such as distance-working and digital technologies) are important to bridge financial gaps, especially for those people living in remote areas.  For example, online and digital technologies used in the finance matter can help to reach the ‘hard to reach’ people from the physical point of view.  With the help of online and digital technologies, they will be able to access the financial skills, tools and settings they need.  These technologies are included in the proposals for FICETP.

So, FICETP or 4×4 Financial Project is a four-dimensional financial model of working with local people in Africa and/or their representatives that will help to reach those in need of the reduction or end of four-dimensional poverty characterised by the lacks of financial education, information, communication and technologies in Africa.

To gain more insight into FICETP (or 4×4 Financial Project) and its related proposals, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Positively Transforming Human Relationships with Nature (From Wednesday 24/05/2023)

 

Human-nature relationship evolves with the time from dependence through conquest to the coordination stage.  This relationship can be perceived from various perspectives or fields of study (like evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, social economics and environmentalism) as mentioned by theories of human-nature relationship.  These fields explained various ways in which humans are connected with nature.  However, a broad perspective about this connectedness is also available.  This broad perspective is the one we are interested in and which makes this Serial 4.  What is this Serial 4 is about?

 

• • About Serial 4 of All in Development Stories Telling Programme

 

In this Serial 4 of our All in Development Stories Telling Programme, it is much about how we can change human-nature relationship so that it is balanced or benefit both humans and nature.  Some may call it a positive or new or more connected relationship with nature.

For example, to build a new relationship with nature, Professor Miles Richardson (1) suggests, in his Nature Connectedness Research Blog, five types of activity which are: turning our senses, responding with our emotions, appreciating beauty, celebrating meaning and activating our compassion for nature.

From this new relationship and what Professor Miles Richardson argues, it is possible to identify Stories of Positively Transforming our Relationship with Nature.

 

• • Stories of Positively Transforming our Relationship with Nature

 

These are the accounts of a more connected relationship with nature.  They include the tales of

 

√ connectedness with nature, not of visits into nature

√ taking part in engagement campaign on connectedness with nature

√ reconnecting people with nature

√ emotional connections and responses to nature

√ regulating human feeling with nature

√ rebooting human policies and practices to reconnect with nature

√ engaging with nature through facts and figures

√ sensory contact, emotional, beauty, meaning and compassionate connectedness with nature

√ health improvement because of connectedness with nature

√ where both humans and nature are relatively treated in equal and equitable way

etc.

 

The above are the relationship stories that CENFACS would like to hear from those wanting to give or donate their stories.  If you have them, please do not hesitate to donate to CENFACS.

Please also remember, we will be selecting the top three impact stories of poverty reduction of the month and the real true story of poverty reduction of the month from the four series of our All in Development Stories Telling Programme.  Don’t miss the opportunity of the month to have your story as the Top Story of the Month.   Please tell your story now.  Tell it!

 

• • Stories of Positively Transforming our Relationship with Nature to Improve CENFACS Community Members’ Relationship with Nature

 

Sharing Stories of Positively Transforming our Relationship with Nature can help to make or keep CENFACS Community a more nature connected.  There are benefits in sharing these stories.  The benefits include the following:

 

√ they can motivate our members to take action for nature such as recycling, net zero shopping, volunteering for nature, etc.

√ they can as well stimulate within our community nature-based solutions to poverty

√ they can finally send a supportive message to our members that it is possible to reduce poverty while having a positive relationship with nature.

 

Those members of our community who have Stories of Positively Transforming Their Relationships with Nature to tell, they should not hesitate to share them.  Any other interested party who may have these stories, they can donate them to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Positively Transforming Human Relationships with Nature, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity 4 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: E-discussion on Bringing Lost Areas of Biodiversity Close to Net Zero (From Week Beginning 22/05/2023)

 

Before giving the aim of this Activity 4 and what we are going to discuss, let us provide the following fact and figure from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).  In its 14th edition of the Living Planet Report, WWF (2) finds

“an average 69% decline in the relative abundance of monitored wildlife populations around the world between 1970 and 2018” (p. 4)

The above-mentioned figure is an example of lost areas of biodiversity.  This figure indicates as well the challenge ahead in terms of work to be done to bring these lost areas close net zero.  This is why we are discussing about what needs to be done.

 

a) Aim of Activity 4

 

The aim of this Activity 4 is to help the community to discuss and find way of making zero loss or net loss to stop the decline of nature.  Activity 4 is indeed an e-debate on offsets as a conservation tool.  Through this e-conversation, participants will learn how to use biodiversity offsets to achieve no net loss or a net gain in biodiversity for deforestation and forest loss.

To facilitate this e-talks, it is better for prospective participants to understand the meaning of no net loss. 

According to ‘forest-trends.org'(3),

“No net loss is a goal for a development project, plan or activity in which the impacts on biodiversity it causes are balanced or outweighed by measures taken to avoid and minimise the impacts, to restore affected areas and finally to offset the residual impacts, so that no loss remains”.

Equally, the understanding of net zero will contribute to the e-discussion.  From the perspective of ‘weforum.org’ (4),

“The term net zero applies to a situation where global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are in balance with emissions reductions”.

Knowing the meaning of no net loss and net zero, it makes easy to talk about the content of Activity 4.

 

b) What the e-Discussion on the Lost Areas of Biodiversity Will Be about

 

We will be e-debating the following:

∝ the lost biodiversity areas

∝  causes of biodiversity

∝ the Living Planet and Biodiversity Intactness Indexes

∝ how to go nature positive

∝ how to increase our ecological resilience

∝ above all, the steps to be taken to bringing lost areas of biodiversity close to net zero.

The above points, which will make up our discussion, will enable us to share answers to the question of how to bring lost areas of biodiversity close to net zero.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 4 and/or find out about any of the previous activities (Activity 1 to 3), they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

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

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of Build Forward Better 

•  Fundraising your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during this Event Season

• Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Data-based Stories of Rebuilding Broken Relationships between Humans and Nature in Africa

 

 

• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of Build Forward Better (i.e. Reduced Disadvantages and Inequalities, Dismantled Discrimination Structures, Human Rights for Human Dignity, and Human-Nature Relationships)

 

These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need to Reduce Disadvantages and Inequalities, Dismantle Discrimination Structures, Build on Human Rights for Human Dignity, and Positively Transform Human-Nature Relationships.

They could also be actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of the four types of Build Forward Better projects/activities like the following ones:

 

σ Project/Activity to Reduce Disadvantages and Inequalities

σ Project/Activity to Dismantle Discrimination Structures

σ Project/Activity of Building on Human Rights for Human Dignity

σ Project/Activity of Positively Transforming Human-Nature Relationships.

 

To tell, share and provide opportunity for learning development through your story of volunteers’ actions across all the fronts of build forward better; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

•  Fundraising your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during this Event Season

 

For those who are running events in the context of Triple Value Initiative of Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2023, they can use the opportunity of the event season to introduce a giving feature in their Run activity.  They can ask those who are involved in the run with them to support good causes, including CENFACS‘ noble ones.  This ask for support concerns both in-person and virtual runs.

They can make their Run activity cost-effective with a fundraising feature while running with or without others.  Once the fundraising element has been inserted, it is wise to evaluate their fundraising drive.  To evaluate it, they can proceed with the evaluation steps suggested by ‘classy.org’ (5), steps which include analysis of fundraising data, tracking of numbers and performance, staying focused on the mission of their Run project, evaluation of fundraising results and to be forward thinking.   

They can as well journal and develop a story about their Run activity.   They can share the contents of their journal and story of run with us and others.

However, they must remember that the aim of the CENFACS’ Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa is to select or find the African best runner of poverty reduction in 2023, rather than raising money.

For those who may be having or are experiencing some problems in installing or inserting a fundraising feature in their runs, there are resources both online and in print on how to organise a fundraising event for a Run Project.  Amongst the resources is the one provided by ‘donorbox.org’  (6).  It is worthwhile looking at this resource as it provides eight steps to realise your fundraising event.

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

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

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Data-based Stories of Rebuilding Broken Relationships between Humans and Nature in Africa

 

Where there is destructive war, there is always a destruction of the environmental life, the destruction of the relationship between the victims of war and their natural environment.  Examples of these destroyed lives because of war are what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Chad, in the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.

As an add-on to our All in Development Stories Telling Sequences, we would like to add the stories of those who have tried or tried to mend destroyed relationships between local people and their natural environment in Africa.  We would like their storytelling to be based on data.  What is data storytelling?

As Catherine Cote (7) explains it,

“Data storytelling is the ability to effectively communicate insights from a dataset using narratives and visualization”.

Referring to this definition of data storytelling, our Africa-based Sister Organisations can use it to communicate their storylines or narratives with data on how their tried to repair the broken relationships between their locals and their natural environment because of events like wars or man-made natural disasters.

For any of ASOs that would like to submit or donate their data-based stories of mending broken relationships between their locals and nature as a result of wars or any other events, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Collecte de fonds pour votre course pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique pendant cette saison d’événements

Pour ceux/celles qui organisent des événements dans le cadre de l’initiative ‘ Courir pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique en 2023′, ils/elles peuvent profiter de la saison des événements pour introduire une fonctionnalité de don dans leur activité de Courir.  Ils/elles peuvent demander à ceux/celles qui sont impliqué(e)s dans la course avec eux/elles de soutenir de bonnes causes, y compris les nobles causes du CENFACS.  Demander aux gens de soutenir concerne à la fois les courses en personne et virtuelles.

Soutenir de cette façon peut aider à révolutionner l’activité de la Course avec un élément de collecte de fonds tout en courant avec ou sans les autres.  Ils/elles peuvent aussi tenir un journal et développer une histoire sur leur activité de course.   Ils/elles peuvent partager le contenu de leur journal et de l’histoire de la course avec nous et d’autres.

Cependant, ils/elles doivent se rappeler que l’objectif de la Course pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique du CENFACS est de sélectionner ou de trouver le/la meilleur(e) coureur(se) africain (e) de réduction de la pauvreté en 2023, plutôt que de collecter des fonds.

Pour ceux/celles qui peuvent avoir ou ont rencontré des problèmes lors de l’installation ou de l’insertion d’une fonction de collecte de fonds dans leurs courses, il existe des ressources en ligne et imprimées sur la façon d’organiser un événement de collecte de fonds pour un projet de course.  Parmi les ressources figure celle fournie par le donorbox.org (6).  Il vaut la peine de regarder cette ressource car elle fournit huit étapes à compléter pour réaliser votre événement de collecte de fonds.

Pour ceux/celles qui souhaitent impliquer ou parler au CENFACS de leur projet Course, ils/elles peuvent parler au CENFACS.

Pour discuter de vos progrès concernant votre projet de course, la fonction de collecte de fonds de votre projet de course ou toute autre question relative aux ‘projets tout au long de l’année’ (initiatives à triple valeur), n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Financial Information, Communication, Education, and Technology Project (FICETP)

 

The following items provide the key information about FICETP:

 

σ Definition of FICETP

σ The Aim of FICETP

σ FICETP Beneficiaries

σ Types of Financial Skills to be Developed

σ Outcomes

σ FICETP Indicators

σ Project Funding Status

σ Impact Monitoring and Evaluation.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Definition of FICETP

 

FICETP, which is a basic financial capacity building micro-initiative, deals with the reduction of four dimensions of poverty linked to the lacks of financial education, information, communication and technologies in Africa.  FICETP or 4×4 Financial Project is indeed a four-dimensional financial model of working with local people and/or their representatives; a model of working that will help to reach those who are financially uneducated or less educated, uninformed or less informed and lacking financial communication and technology or with less financial communication and technology.

Through training and skills development to be provided from this micro-project, it is hoped that beneficiaries will improve their financial skills, knowledge and wellbeing.  They will also enhance their means of living and enterprise so that they can increase the way they contribute in their community or society.

 

• • The Aim of FICETP

 

This basic financial capacity building micro-initiative aims at reducing four-dimensional poverty and hardships due to the lacks of financial education, information, communication and technologies in Africa.  This reduction of four-dimensional poverty will be done through financial training, education and basic supply of financial communication technologies  and tools to potential project beneficiaries.

 

• • Potential Beneficiaries of FICETP

 

Amongst the types of people in need who could benefit from FICETP as defined above are:

 

√ the unbanked and those relying on cash economy

√ those with inadequate personal finance education

√ the financially uneducated to control their finances

√ those who cannot manage their income and expenses

√ people who need increased awareness of financial communication

√ the financially excluded

√ those with little money which is unstable, unpredictable and hard to manage

√ those without financial technologies or tools or devices (like enabled-finance service mobile phone) to effectively and financially communicate

etc.

 

In short, most of the types of people mentioned above will need some form of financial capacity building or support to improve either their financial education or financial information or financial communication or financial technology.

 

• • Types of Financial Skills to be Developed

 

Basic training and education in the field of finance can enhance beneficiaries’ interpersonal skills.  These skills can be broken into or individualised as financial education skills, financial information skills, financial communication skills and financial technology skills.

Let us give few examples of skills to be developed.

 

∝ On the side of financial education skills, we can number the following to be taught:

√ money saving skills

√ bank account handling skills

√ money management skills

√ skills for making sensible and right decision about money

√ skills for healthy relationship with money

√ skills for budgeting and money management

etc.

 

∝ Regarding financial information skills, we can mention these ones below:

√ skills to evaluate financial information

√ skills to use relevant and reliable financial information

√ skills to analyse financial information

√ skills to search and access sources of financial information

√ skills to identify or recognise the relevancy of financial information

√ skills to identify the features of a purchase invoice or recognise the balance on a bank statement

√ skills to locate information explaining the consequences of defaulting on loan repayments in a contract

√ skills to recognise financial terminology (e.g., inflation, exchange rate, etc.)

etc.

 

∝ As to financial communication skills, they are about finding the narratives in support of quantitative data or numbers.  These skills include the following:

√ skills to effective listening to understand financial information and numbers

√ skills to feed back what your speaker says

√ skills to effectively and competently talk about financial statements such as household budgets, balance sheets, cash flow statements and income statements

√ skills to effectively pass on financial information from your financial literacy and numeracy skills

√ skills to take the perspectives of others to distil financial information

√ skills to explain how financial metrics impact your household

√ skills to provide context about financial trends and ratios

etc.

 

∝ Concerning financial technology skills, we can identify the following:

√ skills to competently use a technology (like a mobile phone) to send a text message or email to explain financial matter

√ skills to use digital technologies to communicate

√ skills to handle mobile payment technologies

√ skills to store your invoice or receipt in your phone

√ skills to make online purchase

√ skills to access financial education online

√ skills to store and retrieve financial information using technology

etc.

 

Through the learning of the above-mentioned skills, we hope to identify changes that users will go through.

 

• • Outcomes

 

After the implementation of FICETP, it is expected that project beneficiaries will be able to realise the following:

 

√ get to know their financial wellbeing

√ to raise awareness and increase confidence in having financial information that allows to effectively run their life

√ to provide a factual information and fair view information regarding the state of their financial conditions

√ to help them make important financial decisions (such as retirement planning) and

√ to lead them to an independent financial lifestyle.

 

However, to be precise it is better to differentiate outcomes in users from those relating to Africa-based Sister Organisations.

 

• • • Outcomes in users

 

By using FICETP, users will

 

√ become financially educated, informed, literate and numerate while understanding basic financial principles

√ integrate financial skills as part of their daily routine/life 

√ improve their aspiration and motivation 

√ become better financial communicators

√ ameliorate their confidence, trust and self-esteem regarding financial services and products offered to them

√ increase their financial communications and financial capacity building skills to understand financial aspects of their their shopping/contract

√ enhance their financial skills and knowledge about financial services

√ reform relationships between financial/nonfinancial service providers  and project beneficiaries

√ boost people’s perception, competence and capability about finance

√ make responsible financial decisions and own financial choices 

√ provide independence and choice to them instead of solely relying on their families, communities and next of kin for support to understand financial matter

etc.

 

Briefly, users will have a better opportunity to run their financial matters and improve their financial wellbeing.

 

• • • Outcomes in Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

Work undertaken by ASOs to help reduce poverty linked to the lack of financial capacity building should lead to:

 

√ adaptation of local needs and the needs of beneficiaries in their financial development agenda

√ better local insights and capacities to create solutions for the needy

√ improvement in the risk financial management insight for the locals and local needs

√ assisting in the innovation of solutions for the needy

√ knowledge of financial risk transfer mechanisms

√ closing of gaps in financial knowledge and skills  between the needy and the others

√ capturing financial metrics relating to financial capacity building of the poor

√ increase financial development within beneficiaries’ community

√ reducing economic deprivation because of lack of financial understanding

√ improving financial capability and confidence building in terms of money management

√ reducing mental health problems induced by poor financial education within their communities/locals

etc.

 

• • FICETP Indicators

 

The measures below will help find out whether or not the project will reach its desired objectives and progress towards meeting its defined aim:

 

√ the number of poor people who will embrace financial education, information, communications and technologies

√ the number of poor people who will be financially educated, financially informed, financial communicators and competent in handling financial technologies 

√ the rate of penetration of financial technologies in the poor community and households

√ the number of people who become less vulnerable to financial poverty as a result of financial capacity building

√ the performance of the confidence index of financial services and products amongst them 

√ the number of surveyed poor people who are happy (optimistic) or unhappy (pessimistic) to FICETP support provided or offered to them

etc.

 

To conclude, FICETP is an integrative initiative that will enable connection of the poor with the worlds of financial education, information, communication and technology.  FICETP will help make a real difference to poor peoples’ life and help shape their future.

The skills, knowledge and capacities to be acquired will help the project beneficiaries to understand finance services and products offered to them, make informed choices regarding their own financial wellbeing and improve financial risk management insights for themselves.

 

• • Project Funding Status

 

So far, this project is unfunded.  This means we are open to any credible funding proposals or proposition from potential funders or donors.  It is known that the lingering impacts of the current cost-of-living crisis, does not make easy for support to other genuine deserving causes.  However, those who would like to support this project will be more than welcome.

To fully or partly fund this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

As part of impact monitoring, there will be routine and systematic gathering of information on all aspects of the project.  In other words, we will systematically collect and analyse information to keep regular checks and balances on the project.

Likewise, we shall assess what the project will achieve in relation to the overall objectives it was set up.  This is to say that evaluation will be conducted regarding the efforts spent on this project to find out whether or not these efforts are value for relief as far as poverty reduction is concerned.

In proceeding in this manner, we will be able to measure the impact or at least the outcomes from this project.

The full project proposals including budget are available on request.

To support or contribute to this project, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including full project proposals and budget about the Financial Information, Communication, Education, and Technology Project; please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Richardson, M. (2020), A New Relationship with Nature: what it means and what we can do at https://findingnature.org/2020/04/08/a-new-relationship-with-nature/# (accessed in May 2023)

(2) WWF (2022). Living Planet Report 2022 – Building a nature-positive society. Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M., Juffe Bignol, D. & Peterson, T. (Eds). WWF, Gland, Switzerland

(3) https://www.forest-trends.org/bbop/bbop-key-concepts/no-net-loss-and-net-gain-of-biodiversity/# (accessed in May 2023)

(4) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/net-zero-emissions-cop26-climate-change/ (accessed in May 2023)

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

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

(7) Cote, C. (2021), Data Storytelling: How to Effectively Tell a Story with Data, Harvard Business School Online at https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/data-storytelling (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.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

17 May 2023

 

Post No. 300

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights that Places Human Dignity at the Heart of Policy and Action (From Wednesday 17/05/2023)

• Activity 3 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Advocacy/Campaign on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and their Contributions to Nature-based Solutions to Poverty (From Week Beginning 15/05/2023)

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty

 

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

CENFACS works with them and or their representative organisations to alleviate poverty and hardships as the lack of hopes and expectations.  In the process of relieving poverty as the lack of hopes and expectations, the next step or phase of our advocacy is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives.  We call it Rebuilding Africa.

 

• • The Focus for this Year’s Rebuilding Africa

 

This year, our Rebuilding Africa advocacy will focus on how Africa is trying to recover itself from polycrises and build forward better under the context of insufficient economic growth conditions to reduce extreme poverty.

Indeed, there are stories and evidences of economic growth slowing down in Africa compared to the levels of the same growth of the pre-pandemic period.  For instance, the World Bank (1) argues that

“Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa slowed to 3.6% in 2022, from 4.1% in 2021; and economic activity in the region is projected to further slow down to 3.1% in 2023…Growth conditions, however, remain insufficient to reduce extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in the medium to long term.  The slow recovery of per capita income growth, at 1.2% next year and 1.4% in 2025, still falls short of accelerating poverty reduction to the region’s pre-pandemic path”.

Likewise, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2),

“In 2023, Africa is projected to expand 2.5 per cent, a drop from last year and at a pace insufficient to make a dent in poverty levels.  Like in other developing regions, weaker external demand and tighter financial conditions have made growth prospects gloomier for the region” (p. 13)

So, the above-mentioned economic conditions are the ones of Africa today and in the next two years.  In those conditions or contexts, we are trying to advocate for the Rebuilding of Africa.  But, where rebuilding is needed in Africa?

 

• • Where Rebuilding Africa Can Take Place

 

Rebuilding Africa can take place in any place in Africa that needs to be rebuilt or built forward.  CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) can be part of this rebuilding process.

Where countries (like the Democratic Republic of Congo) are expecting that elections and strengthening of democratic transition will improve poverty reduction outcomes and impacts, ASOs can play a supportive role in making the voice of the poor to be heard.

Where countries came out of destructive natural disasters, ASOs can lend their hands to reduce poverty caused by climate-driven humanitarian crises and help the victims of natural disasters to rebuild their lives.

Where countries are undergoing peace transition after destructive wars (like the current process in the Central African Republic), ASOs can assist in the making of this transition process.

Where countries are searching for way to remake themselves from the hunger brought by the cost-of-living crisis, ASOs can participate in this remaking hunger-free process.

The above examples indicate where rebuilding Africa can take place as well as ways in which ASOs can play their bit in the rebuilding process of Africa.

So, there are many places where rebuilding work is needed and where our ASOs can be part of this rebuilding work.

Further details about this advocacy work on Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights that Places Human Dignity at the Heart of Policy and Action (From Wednesday 17/05/2023)

 

Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights that Places Human Dignity at the Heart of Policy and Action are the narratives of using fairness and justice as a basis for further development of respect for any human beings.  They are also the tales of fairness and justice being an essential part of any rules and processes.  To understand these stories, one may need to know the meaning of the following key concepts: human rights, human dignity, moral and legal framework.  Let us briefly explain these key concepts.

 

•  •  Key Concepts

 

• • • Human rights

 

Human rights can be perceived from many perspectives (i.e., moral, political and legal conceptions).  Without discussing these different conceptions, let us simply define these rights.  To explain them, we are going to refer to the definition of the International Justice Resource Centre (3), which states that

“Human rights are those activities, conditions, and privileges that all human beings observe to enjoy, by virtue of their humanity.  They include civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.  Human rights are inherent, inalienable, interdependent, and indivisible.  This means we have these rights no matter what the enjoyment of one right affects the enjoyment of others; and every human right must be respected”.

Most of these rights were consigned by the United Nations (4) in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.  What matters is not only to know these rights, but also to build on their moral and legal framework.  And if one has a personal story about how they are trying to build on this framework, they can share it.

 

• • • Moral and legal framework

 

Moral and legal framework will be approached here by looking at the difference between moral and legal.  Talking about this difference, the website ‘reasonandmeaning.com’ (5) specifies that

“Legal prohibitions incorporate most of our ordinary moral rules such as those against lying, killing, cheating, raping, and stealing.  This suggests there is some connection between the moral and the legal”.

The website ‘reasonandmeaning.com’ also suggests that

“Law codifies morality.  In other words, the law formulates the culture’s morality into legal codes… Not every legal code refers to a moral issue, but most laws do have some moral significance”.

Knowing the moral and legal framework of human rights can help to advance this framework when making plans and taking actions.  Sharing the stories of this advancement can inspire others, especially those trying to defend human dignity.

 

• • • Human dignity

 

Just like human rights, human dignity has been recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (op. cit.) in its Article 1 stating that

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

To explain this further, ‘humanrightscareers.com’ (6) expresses that

“Human dignity is the belief that all people hold a special value that is tied solely to their humanity.  It has nothing to do with their class, race, gender, religion, abilities, or any other factor other than them being human”.

Put it simply dignity is something all humans are born with.  Having human dignity as an essential part of rules and guidelines to take actions can help to build forward better from crises like the cost-of-living crisis.  And telling stories of respect for human dignity in any policy and action can motivate others.

 

 

• • Kinds of Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights

 

Amongst the stories of Human Rights to Raise Human Dignity, we can mention the following:

 

√ the histories of humanitarian assistance to protect human rights (e.g., in the context of technology-facilitated gender-based violence in places of wars and civil violence)

√ the storylines of demand to be treated with proper respect

√ the accounts of guaranteeing life, liberty and freedom from torture

√ the tales of protecting individuals against dangers associated with use of physical force or abuse of power

√ the narratives of providing assistance to individuals to promote human protection and dignity

√ the tellings of securing protection for individuals at risk when their State or those who are supposed to protect them fail to live up to their responsibility

√ the anecdotes of recognising human dignity and universality of human rights

√ the episodes of standing on one’s dignity

√ the plots of guaranteeing individual rights and security as well as of enabling freedoms of movement and thought

√ the articles about rights to peace and sustainable development

√ the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices, infographics and tones of equal opportunities

etc.

 

Although some of these stories are also linked to groups/communities or their self-determination, the rights and stories we are talking about are attached to individuals.  This is why we would like to hear individual stories.

 

• • Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights to Support CENFACS Community Members

 

Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights coming from our members and others, once shared, can support CENFACS Community members.  They can achieve support in the following ways:

 

√ they can keep our members feel respected, fairly treated , happy and in peace

√ they can encourage and inspire them while helping them in the fight against threats to their rights and dignity as well as assist them to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development

√ they can contribute to the development of storytelling and listening skills to better negotiate their way through poverty reduction and out of poverty

√ these stories can send a message of hope to our members that there is a possibility to Build on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights that Places their Dignity at the Heart of Policy and Action

√ above all, they can reassure them that poverty linked to the lack of respect for their rights and dignity can be reduced and ended.

 

Those members of our community who have Stories of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights to tell, they should not hesitate to share them.  Any other interested party who may have these stories, they can tell them to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Building on the Moral and Legal Framework of Human Rights, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity 3 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Advocacy/Campaign on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and their Contributions to Nature-based Solutions to Poverty (From Week Beginning 15/05/2023)

 

Before highlighting the aim and components of this advocacy or campaign, let us remind that the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are backed by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (7), which is a legally non-binding resolution passed by the United Nations in 2007.  This Declaration, which was published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (8), reaffirms that indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all others and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination based on their indigenous origin or identity.

To explain this advocacy or campaign, we have organised our notes around the following points:

Aim of Activity 3, Basic Definitions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Constituent Elements of Activity 3, and Contributions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.

 

• • Aim of Activity 3

 

This is a campaign or advocacy activity aiming at restoring and securing rights of indigenous people and local communities to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems.  This activity will also enable these peoples and communities to stand up for their rights by speaking to the power, to reduce deforestation, store more carbon and increase biodiversity while lowering poverty.  But what are indigenous people and local communities?

 

• • Basic Definitions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

 

According to the the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (op. cit.),

“There is no singularly authoritative definition of indigenous peoples under international law and policy and the Indigenous Declaration does not set out any definition… The identification of an indigenous people is the right of the people itself – the right of self-identification – and a fundamental element of the right to self-determination”.

As to local community, the meaning we have selected is from ‘definitions.net’ (9) which explains that

“A local community is a group of interacting people sharing an environment.  In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness”.

The above-mentioned two definitions will used in our advocacy or campaign to support indigenous peoples and local communities.  Our advocacy/campaigning messages are highlighted below.

 

• • What does Activity 3 Consist of?

 

It consists of

 

∝ recognising indigenous ethnic minorities where there has been denial of their existence or where they been referred as ethnic minorities

∝ stopping the marginalisation of ethnic minorities, including indigenous minorities

∝ accounting them in performance measures be it economic or social or environmental

∝ protecting indigenous rights and local communities

∝ improving their access to education and employment opportunities, decision making and access to justice for indigenous women and youth

∝ stopping social exclusion of indigenous communities

∝ protection indigenous lives during conflicts, wars and natural disaster events (for example, many indigenous people have been displaced because of conflicts, civil wars and natural disasters)

etc.

 

• • Contributions Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to Nature-based Solutions to Poverty

 

Indigenous peoples and local communities can and do provide long-term solutions to adaptable climate change.  They contribute in working with nature to address societal challenges.  They can participate in the works of ecosystem-based adaptation, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, etc.

In this respect, this advocacy/campaign is also voicing the positive contribution that indigenous peoples and local communities are making in providing solutions that are nature friendly.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 3 or our advocacy/campaign for indigenous people and local communities, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

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

 

Extra Messages

 

• Ways to Submit or Give Your Story

• Permission to Share a Story with CENFACS

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

 

 

• Ways to Submit or Give Your Story

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

 

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

 

• • Short Story Submission Rules

 

Basically, these rules request any storyteller or giver to proceed with the following:

 

∝ Check CENFACS submission guidelines and deadlines

∝ Be mindful of CENFACS storytelling terms and conditions

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

∝ Be concise and simple.

 

• • Means or Ways in which You Can Submit or Donate Your Story

 

There are many means or ways in which you can submit or donate your story or impact story.  In the context of this Serial 3, there are ways that one can use to do it, which include written text options, phone calls, audio storytelling and listening, short film experiences, and video options.  Let us highlight each of these means.

 

• • •  Written text options

 

You can write your story in a textual format.  You can use email, mobile phone, text messing system and CENFACS’ contact form; and send your story in the form of text.  To do that, you need basic typing skills, not special skills.

 

• • • Phone calls

 

You can call CENFACS and give your story via phone.

 

• • • Audio storytelling and listening

 

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

 

• • • Short film experiences

 

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

 

• • • Video options

 

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

If you are going to use video options, it is better to use a free option and non-profit programme, as they are accessible to everybody to join in with at home or wherever they are, especially at this time of the cost-of-living crisis.

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

• Permission to Share a Story with CENFACS

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

• • Process and Procedure for Creating a League Table

 

You can create a poverty reduction table showing the following:

 

√ Your selected African team countries

√ The number of criteria/indicators you can assess them against

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

√ How many of them they average

√ How many of them they under-perform

√ How many of them they score against the opposition

√ How many of them they concede against the opposition

√ Points they earn or share for each game.

 

By systematically and continuously recorded the results, scores and actions of your game fixtures via this table, you will in the end know which African country that would best reduce poverty by the end of 2023.

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

 

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

 

For example, those who would like to go extra miles in the workshop, they can work with us using classes of indicators (that is, input, process and impact) for monitoring the poverty reduction performance as provided by the World Bank (10).  Poverty indices like headcount index, poverty gap index and squared poverty index can be utilised when dealing with your league table.  They can also include rural terms of trade and unskilled wage index in their table.

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

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Façons de soumettre ou de donner votre histoire

Ce qu’il faut faire pour que vos histoires atteignent le CENFACS et d’autres membres de la communauté

Il existe de nombreux moyens ou façons de soumettre ou de donner votre conte ou votre histoire d’impact.  Il existe des moyens que l’on peut utiliser pour le faire, notamment des options de texte écrit, des appels téléphoniques, la narration et l’écoute audio, des expériences de courts métrages et des options vidéo.  Soulignons chacun de ces moyens.

• • Options de texte écrit

Vous pouvez écrire votre histoire dans un format textuel.  Vous pouvez utiliser le courrier électronique, le téléphone portable, le système de messagerie texte et le formulaire de contact du CENFACS; et envoyez votre histoire sous forme de texte.  Pour le faire, vous avez besoin de compétences en dactylographie, pas de compétences spéciales.

• • Appels téléphoniques

Vous pouvez appeler le CENFACS et raconter votre histoire par téléphone.

• • Narration audio et écoute

Vous pouvez utiliser la capacité audio pour raconter votre histoire de bénévolat.  La narration audio (avec de courts récits numériques, la baladodiffusion, les médias sociaux et la diffusion en ligne) peut aider à créer et à partager l’impact du changement que vous avez apporté ou que vous apportez.

• • Expériences de courts métrages

Vous pouvez faire des courts métrages pour soutenir vos expériences de narration et créer un impact social.   Vous pouvez faire un film sur votre téléphone intelligent avec un contenu vidéo.  Tourner des entretiens avec les participants à l’histoire peut également aider à créer des expériences qui maximisent les médias sociaux et les contenus essentiels de l’histoire.

• • Options vidéo

Vous pouvez utiliser les appels vidéo audio haute définition (par exemple, les appels vidéo Skype ou Google Meet pour les options de vidéoconférence) pour raconter et partager votre histoire avec le CENFACS et d’autres.

Si vous allez utiliser des options vidéo, il est préférable d’utiliser une option gratuite et un programme à but non lucratif, car ils sont accessibles à tous à la maison ou où qu’ils soient, surtout en cette période de crise du coût de la vie.

Certains de nos usagers et membres peuvent ne pas être en mesure de payer pour certains types d’options vidéo sur le marché.  C’est pourquoi il est préférable d’utiliser quelque chose qui est accessible à la majorité des gens.

Aux fins de la protection des données, veuillez utiliser les conseils de sécurité joints à l’option choisie.

Si vous savez que vous allez raconter votre histoire par appel vidéo ou par conférence et que vous souhaitez que le CENFACS participe ou se joigne à vous, vous devez nous en informer au moins trois jours avant le début de votre appel ou de votre conférence afin que nous puissions nous planifier.

Vous devez également nous informer de la date, de l’heure et éventuellement des participants.  Vous pouvez envoyer un courriel, téléphoner, envoyer un texte ou remplir le formulaire de contact pour nous le faire savoir car nous sommes occupés comme vous.

Si vous avez une histoire, vous pouvez la raconter et la partager avec nous et d’autres personnes par les moyens susmentionnés.  Et si cela ne vous dérange pas, nous diffuserons – avec votre permission – vos histoires au sein de la communauté CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty

 

The following three sub-headings explain our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty:

 

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

b) Rebuilding Projects

c) Rebuilding Activities.

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

• • • What Rebuilding Africa is about

 

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

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

Rebuilding Africa initiative tries to respond to these events by undertaking projects planning and development activity within CENFACS and in association with our Africa-based sister organisations.

 

• • • What this Projects Planning and Development is about

 

Project planning can be approached in many ways.  According to ‘coursera.com’ (11),

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

In terms of Projects Planning and Development process within CENFACS, this process enables us to know the needs on the grounds and reach out to those in most need in Africa.  It also assists to improve our way of doing development work, to rethink and exchange new ideas, avenues, approaches, theories and projects to better respond to the following:

√ New economic pressures and influences that can lead to the destruction of human and wild lives as well as other livelihoods or ways of life

√ New emerging threats and risks (like the coronavirus, geo-economic confrontation and the current cost-of-living crisis)

√ New types of needs to rebuild destroyed lives (including infrastructures) in Africa

√ Future risks and crises that are likely to happen and to cause human sufferings or impacts (like failure to climate change adaptation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse).

This planning and development process is within the context of enhancing our African Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives programme.  More details about this programme can be found from CENFACS.

 

• • Rebuilding Projects

 

Rebuilding Projects are responses to assist in Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty.  In this respect, projects planning and development for responses include environmental and war events as well as near future risks and crises.  In other words, we undertake projects planning and development linked to three events: wars, natural disasters, and future risks or crises.

 

• • • Project developments linked to environmental events

 

Project developments linked to environmental events may respond to the following:

 

∝ Short-term environmental strikes

(E.g., Recent deadly floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the Democratic Republic of Congo that created around 400 fatalities)

∝ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

(E.g., Drought in the Horn of Africa in 2022 that destroyed crops and livelihoods)

∝ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes.

(E.g., The prospect for oil spills to poison agriculture, waterways, and the atmosphere with hazardous chemicals in oil exploiting African countries; the risk of freshwater sources to be contaminated in some parts of Africa by viruses, germs, parasites and pollutants creating water scarcity; the likelihood of further amplification of pressure on biodiversity because of continued deforestation for agricultural processes with an associated demand for additional cleared cropland, especially in subtropical and tropical Sub-Saharan Africa with dense biodiversity)

 

• • • Project developments linked to war events

 

Project developments linked to war events may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Short-term crises and armed conflicts and disputes

(For instance, the propensity of escalation of conflict between state and non-state armed groups over territory and natural resources in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo leading to worsening humanitarian conditions and heightened regional conflicts; the intensification of violence and worsening of humanitarian crisis in the Sahel particularly in the tri-border of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger)

∝ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles 

(For example, the possible geo-economic tensions between African Continental Free Trade Area and other trading blocs; the attempt of the United States of America to rival economic influence of China in Africa or the bid of Russia to curtail the French and British interests in Africa)

∝ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare.

(E.g., African State system as the underlying cause of conflict, a system made of juridical statehood, neo-patrimonial politics and strained centre-periphery relations as described by James J. Hentz (12); the deterioration of the conflict situation in Sudan with the possibility of long-running civil wars).

 

• • • Project developments linked to future risks and crises

 

Project developments linked to future risks and crises that are likely to happen and to have catastrophic impacts, may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Natural disasters and extreme weather events leading to conflicts (for example, climate change has led to the emergence of terrorist groups and conflicts in Africa)

∝ Infectious diseases (for instance, the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus, Ebola, cholera, dysentery, yellow fever, meningitis and other zoonoses that can contribute to morbidity and mortality)

∝ Natural resource crisis (such as rising prices of energy and food due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; crop yields falling in volume and nutritional value due to heat, changing weather patterns, dry and wet precipitation extremes)

∝ Geo-economic confrontation or interstate economic relations fracture as a consequence of Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has partly led to the current cost-of-living crisis and the weaponization of economic policy between globally integrated powers

∝ Failure to mitigate climate change (for instance, to make less severe deadliest weather disasters in Africa)

∝ Failure to climate-change adaptation (e.g., as climate changes through time, there will be shifts to the distribution of insects, pests and diseases.  Failure to adaptation by these organisms can make them have problems with their surrounding environments)

∝ Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse (for example, extensive farming techniques, fast urbanisation, infrastructural development and illegal trafficking pose threats to Africa biodiversity).

∝ Economic and financial crises (e.g., any crises arising from a sovereign debt default, currency free falls and collapse of output that can severely impact our users and ASOs).

Project developments linked to environmental, war and future events will be a process of projects planning and development that has a triple response to environmental, war and future events for short, medium and long running crises.  This planning will include also the organisation of specific activities to help the rebuilding process.

 

• • Rebuilding Activities 

 

Rebuilding Activities are the tasks to be undertaking to help Rebuild Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty.  Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty as advocacy includes four types of activities:

∝ Activities to end the bad past (or bad systems and structures) that led to the current crises (Advocacy to manage endings)

∝ Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

∝ Activities to manage new beginnings

∝ Activities to manage the future.

 

• • • Activities to end the bad past (Advocacy to manage endings)

 

To build forward better with communities and ASOs, it is better to successfully manage the end of or close any thing that was not good.  In other words, it is better not to return to or not to build back the systems and structures (e.g., endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities) that led to the current problems or crises.

However, building better is a backward and forward process.  Even if one is in the process of building forward, they can still refer to the good things of the past to check if there is any link with the process of building forward.  It is about curating your activities by leaving behind what did not work and taking forward what did work.

In this process of ending the bad past, we can refer to what Dr David P. Helfand (13) suggested in his book about career change.  He outlined four coping mechanisms for coping with an ending, which include disengagement, disidentification, disenchantment and disorientation.  These individual coping strategies can be extended to the area of dealing with endings of bad systems and structures that led to the cost-of-living crisis for many people.

For example, if one wants to rebuild Africa by ending the bad past of the cost-of-living crisis, they can break away from the context that brought it, look for a new self-identification, recognise disenchantment, and create a new vision and new orientation for Africa.

 

• • • Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

 

The activities to manage transition will include the three stages of transition as described by the Centre for Creative Leadership (14), which are:

“accepting the ending, living in the neutral zone and reach your new beginnings”.

These activities will help to turn endings to new beginnings.

To conduct these activities, we are going to look at transition cycle.  We shall as well recall the Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (15) change curve; in particular where changes can be integrated in renewed individuals.

By referring to her model of change, we can argue that people have already accepted and integrated the cost-of-living crisis in their mind sets as the 1960s theory of the five stages of grief or model of change curve by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross tells us.  We have accepted that change is inevitable; so we could now return to where we were before the cost-of-living crisis with changes rather than against them.  We can now move on with change and transition.

These advocacy activities to manage transition will be based on wellbeing economy, inclusiveness and safety to manage the process of coming out the cost-of-living crisis.

For example, we can advocate with ASOs so that they are not left behind in Africa’s recovery efforts from the negative effects of the polycrises (i.e., the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, climate change catastrophe and human insecurity).  Our advocacy message could be that talks about financial recovery should include ASOs.

 

• • • Activities to manage new beginnings

 

The activities relating to the management of new beginnings will help to work with communities and ASOs to set up new goals, to identify opportunities and threats in the new development landscape (like the post-cost-of-living-crisis era).  We shall work with them via advice, tips and hints to manage a new beginning.

For example, we can revisit ASOs’ mission and vision in the new era of post-cost-of-living reconstruction and in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty.

So, the activities to manage new beginnings will empower communities and ASOs to navigate their ways to improve in those areas where polycrises have brought a new window of opportunities and scope to learn and develop.  It is an advocacy work to freshly start and plan future.

 

• • • Activities to manage the future

 

By using futuring and visioning methods, it is possible develop scenarios, horizon scanning and trend monitoring/analysis to help build forward better.  These activities will enable us to better equip to minimise the likely harmful impacts of future risks and crises.  As Stephen Millett (16) puts it

“[But] building future planning into your everyday practices is not only vital – it’s eminently doable”

The activities will be conducted to help communities and ASOs to meet their goals of building forward together greener, cleaner and safer.

For any enquiries and queries about any of these activities, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For further details about  Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Insufficient Economic Growth Conditions to Reduce Extreme Poverty, please also contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview (accessed in May 2023)

(2) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2023), Trade and Development Update: Global Trends and Prospects at https://unctad.org/publications/trade-and-development-report-update-april-2023 (accessed in May 2023)

(3) https://ijrcenter.org/ihr-reading-room/overview-of-the-human-rights-framework/(accessed in May 2023)

(4) https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (accessed in May 2023)

(5) https://reasonandmeaning.com/2016/03/31/the-difference-between-the-moral-and-the-legal/ (accessed in May 2023)

(6) https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/definitions-what-is-human-dignity/ (accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.ohchr.org/en/indigenous-peoples/un-declaration-rights-indigenous-peoples (accessed in May 2023)

(8) https://www.ohchr.org/about-us/high-commissioner (accessed in May 2023)

(9) https://www.definitions.net/definition/local+community# (accessed in May 2023)

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

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

(12) Hentz, J. J. (2019), Toward a Structural Theory of War in Africa at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392206.2019.1628449?journalcode=uafs20 (accessed in May 2023)

(13) Helfand, D. P. (1995), Career Change: Everything You Need to Know to Meet New Challenges and Take Control of Your Career, Careers Series/VCM Career Horizons, the University of Michigan

(14) Centre for Creative Leadership at https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/adapting-to-change-its-about-the-transition/ (accessed in May 2023)

(15) Kübler-Ross E., 1969: On Death and Dying, New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc.

(16) Millett, S. at https://www.triarchypress.net/managing-the-future.html (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.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

10 May 2023

 

Post No. 299

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Serial 2: Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor (Starting from Wednesday 10/05/2023)

• Goal of the Month: Make Poverty Reduction through Stories

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

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Serial 2: Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor (Starting from Wednesday 10/05/2023)

 

Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor are the tales of demolition of the building or fabric of discrimination that holds back those in need or exacerbate poverty.  To understand and better share these tellings, one may need to know the structures of discrimination they want to be dismantled.  It could also be interesting to find out that after dismantling these structures, how this dismantling result is going to help the poor.  In other words, it is not enough to argue for dismantling discrimination structures.  To complete the work, one needs to explain how this is going to support the poor.   Completing the work in this way can also provides opportunity to those (the poor) who benefited from the dismantling process of discrimination structures to provide their stories of benefit from the result of this process.

Additionally, it could be helpful to explore the relationship that may exist between dismantled discrimination and poverty reduction since we are dealing the poor.  Learning and knowing this relationship can make easy to explain people, in particular but not exclusively the members of the CENFACS Community, why it is important for them to provide stories, if they have any, on the matter of dismantled discrimination and disadvantage filling gap matters.  This learning and knowledge will better contribute to stories donation as giving a story for them will be more than just narrating their accounts.  It will be about empowering them from the spaces and opportunities they can seize from dismantled structures of discrimination.

More about the stories of dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor is given under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Make Poverty Reduction through Stories

 

Our poverty reduction goal for May 2023 is Making Poverty Reduction Happen through Stories.  It is about telling and sharing stories that can pitch or lead to poverty reduction and sustainable development for the poor and those CENFACS Community members who may need inspiring and motivational stories to find their ways out the problems they have.  In other words, by listening, viewing and learning from inspiring stories they can develop their own strengths to gradually find their own pace and tune towards the reduction of poverty and sustainable development.

To put this into perspective, Pullanikkatil and Shackleton (1) give the example of Poverty Reduction through Non-Timber Forest Products.  Referring to the work of Pullanikkatil and Shackleton, Sarah Feder (2) explains that

“Stories can amplify the voices of people who are not often heard, and make their experiences relatable to people in wildly different contexts”.

Likewise, Angela Wood and John Barnes (3) are in favour of

“Amplifying poor people’s voices by combining alternative media such as community radio, oral testimonies and community theatre with the involvement of the media”.

It is possible to deduct from these two quotations that stories can have the following attributes:

σ to amplify poor people’s voices

σ to provide a voice for the voiceless people

σ to create opportunity for these people to narrate from their own perspective

σ to learn lessons to be used in poverty reduction policies, practices and strategies

σ to create and sustain poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Those who can help to make poverty reduction through stories, they can be supportive of this goal.  We expect our supporters and audiences to support this goal as well.

For further details on this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

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

 

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

 

• • Basic Understanding of an Impact Evaluation

 

The definition we have chosen to understand an impact evaluation comes from ‘betterevaluation.org’ (4).  According to ‘betterevaluation.org’,

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

The same ‘betterevaluation.org’ states that

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

In other words, an impact evaluation tries to measure the difference between outcomes with an intervention and without it in a way that can attribute the difference to the intervention, and only the intervention.  For instance, an impact evaluation of  your Run Project will assess changes in your wellbeing that can be attributable to your Run Project.  The figure below is an impact evaluation exercise showing how your all-year-round project can impact on you.

 

 

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

 

• • Theories to Be Used in Your Impact Evaluation 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

σ Describe what needs to be evaluated

σ Identify and mobilise resources for your evaluation

σ Decide who will conduct the evaluation and engage it

σ Set up an evaluation methodology/approach/technique

σ Manage your evaluation work

σ Implement your evaluation work

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

σ Share your evaluation results/report.

 

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

To conclude this 12-week workshop programme, we would like to thank those who have been engaged with it.  We would like as well to ask to those who can to measure the impact and effectiveness in working with them/you on how to plan, execute and evaluate your All-year Round Projects.  They/you can state that on overall they/you have positive or negative impacts from this programme.  They/you can send your statement to CENFACS‘ usual contact details as given on this website.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – From Week Beginning 08/05/2023: Workshop on Effective Management Processes for Land and Sea Use Change (Activity 2)

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) Activity: Tell and Share your TVI/AYRP Story

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Build Forward Better

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty –

From Week Beginning 08/05/2023: Workshop on Effective Management Processes for Land and Sea Use Change (Activity 2)

 

a) Aim of Activity 2

 

Activity 2 is about working with participants to raise awareness and/or re-learn processes that help to conduct careful land use planning and management to preserve resources and qualities of land from biodiversity loss, which could be the result of agriculture expansion.

 

b) What does Activity 2 Consist of?

 

Activity 2 consists of learning ways of conducting careful land use planning and management.  Before introducing the elements of this Activity 2, let us remember what Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston (5) argued in 2021.  The two authors wrote in 2021 that

“Reducing food waste and eating less meat would help cut the amount of land needed for farming, while researcher say improved management of existing croplands and utilising what is already farmed as best as possible would reduce further expansion”.

There could be a debate about their argument.  However, their statement/argument just confirms what many experts in the field of climatology keep saying, which is changes in land and sea use are one of the causes of biodiversity loss.  If one wants to reverse this loss, then they need to act.

The workshop is about action on the following:

√ how to use threat-based and outcome-based approaches to reduce the amount of threat posed to land and sea use change

√ how to reduce the widespread form of land-use change especially used to grow crops or farm animals

√ How to influence developers to stop or reduce significant changes to the natural landscape and resources

√ How to reduce the introduction and development of invasive species

√ How to lower land-based impacts on coastal areas

Etc.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 2, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

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

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) Activity: Tell and Share your TVI/AYRP Story

 

On 19 April 2023, we asked the users of TVIs/AYRPs to journal (that is, to write an introspective and reflective record of) their TVIs/AYRPs.  The journaling goal was basically to explore and enrich one’s TVI/AYRP activity and experience through creative writing.

Alternatively, users can tell the story of their TVIs/AYRPs.  You can tell and share what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary.  Telling and sharing their TVI/AYRP story (i.e., a systematic recitation of their TVI/AYRP event or series of events) can have some benefits.

 

• • Benefits of Story Telling and Sharing about your TVI/AYRP

 

We can list the following benefits:

 

√ To interact via words and actions to reveal the elements and infographics of what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To track progress made so far and improvements you may need about what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To learn and develop on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To motivate others who are working on similar or complementary TVI/AYRP

√ To make your story positively impact deprived lives and reach out to the needy communities

√ To record and celebrate achievements made so far of what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To develop strengths and better practices to solve problems encountered in implementing what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To inspire and motivate others on the road of change for better change via TVI/AYRP

√ To encourage others take up roles and positions as well as engage with your TVI/AYRP.

 

Briefly, telling and sharing your TVI/AYRP story will enable assess the value of your engagement with TVI/AYRP while helping you to know what has worked and not worked so far before its deadline of 23/12/2023.

To tell and share your TVI/AYRP story, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Build Forward Better

 

Our All in Development Stories Telling Programme includes the stories or experiences that our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are having with their local people.  They can share with us their stories of:

 

(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

(d) positively transforming their relationships with nature.

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Stories Month, we would like to include their tales or experiences as they are trying to build forward better from the polycrises (that is, the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, climate catastrophe, insecurity in war-torn areas of Africa, etc.) they face.  We would like them to tell us their stories with data (i.e. textual, numerical, infographic, audio and visual data).  There are advantages deriving from telling and sharing these types of stories.

 

• • Advantages of Sharing Data-reliant Stories of Build Forward Better

 

Stories can help their local people to get back on their feet and move forward.  They can accompany them in their process of building forward better.  They can as well assist in mobilising resources, capacities and other types of support to help deal with the issue of poverty at this challenging time.

For any of ASOs that would like to submit or donate their data-based stories of building forward better, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le thème de cette année pour le projet ‘Histoires de Tous dans le développement’

Cette année, le thème du projet ‘Histoires de Tous dans le Développement’ portera sur les histoires de mieux construire ensemble à partir de la crise du coût de la vie.

Ces histoires seront…

a) sur la façon dont les personnes et les communautés tentent ou ont essayé de mieux construire ensemble pour sortir de la crise du coût de la vie

b) de

∝ réduction des désavantages structurels endémiques et des inégalités

∝ transformer positivement nos relations avec la nature

∝ démantèlement des structures de discrimination désavantageant les pauvres

∝ s’appuyer sur le cadre moral et juridique des droits de l’homme qui place la dignité humaine au cœur des politiques et des actions.

Ce sont les histoires de la construction physique, sociale, environnementale et économique de mieux en mieux, au lieu d’aller ou de reconstruire les structures, les systèmes et les modes de vie qui ont conduit à la crise actuelle du coût de la vie.

Les inscriptions pour ces histoires de mai ont été ouvertes depuis mars dernier, lorsque nous avons annoncé le thème général de Secours printanier 2023, qui est « Construire mieux ensemble plus propre, plus vert et plus sûr ».  Jusqu’à présent, certaines personnes ont manifesté un certain intérêt.  Pour ceux/celles qui n’ont pas encore soumis ou raconté leurs histoires, c’est le mois pour le faire.

Pour faciliter et organiser la manière de raconter ces histoires, nous allons le faire à travers une série ou un programme ou une chronologie de scénarios. Pour plus d’informations sur cette série, l’accent et les scripts de narration de cette année, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Pour raconter votre histoire de changement pour le changement au CENFACS, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS pour connaître les termes et conditions de narration.

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Serial 2: Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor (Starting from Wednesday 10/05/2023)

 

The notes highlighting this Serial 2 will be developed under the following headings:

 

∝ Key Working Concepts Used in the Serial 2

∝ Theories of Discrimination

∝ Relationships between Dismantled Discrimination and Poverty Reduction

∝ Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor

∝ Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination to Support our Community Members.

 

Let us see what each of the headings contains as notes.

 

• • Key Working Concepts Used in the Serial 2

 

There are three concepts that underpin the contents of Serial 2.  These concepts are structural discrimination, positive discrimination and disadvantaged.  Let us briefly explain each of these concepts.

 

• • • Structural discrimination

 

Before one can understand structural discrimination, they need to first know discrimination.  In Chambers Combined Dictionary Thesaurus (6), discrimination means

“Unjustifiably different treatment given to different people or groups” (p. 369)

One of the contentious areas of discrimination is the employment.  In relation to this area, Christopher Pass et al. (7) explains that

“Discrimination is inequitable treatment of employees of which the main forms are: (a) sex discrimination where men and women are treated differently by their employer; (b) race discrimination, where people are treated differently to their colour, nationality, race or ethnic origins” (p. 179)

There has been a number of legislations in the UK to deal with discrimination, legislations which include the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976 and so on.

Knowing discrimination, it is possible to define structural discrimination.

Literature review about structural discrimination provides many definitions.  Amongst these definitions is the one given by ‘activescreening.com’ (8) which is

“Structural discrimination (also referred to as indirect discrimination or institutional racism) refers to practices, norms and behaviours within institutions and social structures which have the effect of denying rights or opportunities to members of minority groups, keeping them from achieving the same opportunities available to the majority group.  Structural discrimination can occur both intentionally and unintentionally”.

From this definition of structural discrimination, one can think of ways or stories of demolishing the above-referenced practices, norms and behaviours in order to create opportunities and possibilities for the discriminated people or minority groups.

However. theories and practices draw distinction between positive and negative discrimination.  In our storytelling programme, we are interested in stories of dismantling structures of discrimination as well as the narrations of positive discrimination.  What is positive discrimination?

 

• • • Positive discrimination

 

Referring to the Oxford Dictionary of Sociology written by John Scott and Gordon Marshall (9), positive discrimination is

“Policies and practices which favour groups (mainly ethnic groups and women) who have historically experienced disadvantages (usually in the fields of employment and education)” (p. 581)

What we are interested in are stories of positive discrimination or stories of dismantling negative discrimination that disadvantage the poor.  Who are the disadvantaged poor?

 

• • • The disadvantaged

 

Using a dictionary definition like ‘dictionary.com’ (10), disadvantaged is defined as

“lacking the normal or usual necessities and comforts of life, as proper housing, educational opportunities, job security, adequate medical care, etc.”.

In the context of structural discrimination, the disadvantaged include minorities, indigenous people and migrants or refugees.  To tell how these groups are disadvantaged and their stories, one may need to back what they are saying with a theory or a series of ideas and general principles as well as facts and evidence.

 

 

• • Theories of Discrimination

 

The theories of discrimination we are using in constructing these notes are the structural-level theories, not individual- and organisational-level ones.  Structural discrimination approach focuses on broader societal structures.  Besides that, we refer to theories of segmented or split labour markets when we deal with structural discrimination in the labour market.  We include as well theories of relationships between sexes when speaking about positive discrimination.  Using these structural or standard macro-led theories does not conflict with people giving their individual stories.

 

• • Relationships between Dismantled Discrimination and Poverty Reduction

 

There are many studies or analytical works that suggest that there is a relation between discrimination and poverty.  For example, the ‘borgenproject.com’ (11) claims that

“Discrimination affects global poverty by breeding an environment of inequality that limits one’s access to fundamental rights and basic needs.  Discrimination against people or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity or other factors can foster segregation, which impoverishes the particular population who cannot obtain access to fundamental needs for basic living”.

After dismantling structures of discrimination, it is possible to open up space and opportunities for poverty reduction to happen and flourish.  If this happens, we can have Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor.   However, one needs to prove this relationship with matching rigorous statistical or quantitative evidence.

 

 

• • Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor

 

From what we explained above, Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination Disadvantaging the Poor are those of

 

√ Ending policies and practices that contribute to the systematic disadvantage of the poor members of society or certain groups

√ Combating structural discrimination

√ Awareness raising against prejudice and discrimination

√ Outreaching the discriminated

√ Promoting diversity

√ Anti-discrimination of the information about job and funding opportunities towards the minority ethnic groups and particular locations

√ Allowing the poor to reach the next step in the employment process

√ Genuine equal opportunities policies and practices in areas such as recruitment, selection, training, etc.

√ Helping disadvantaged children access educational opportunities to tackle educational poverty

√ Proactively engaging and acting against discrimination as well as helping the discriminated to claim their rights

√ Demolishing discrimination against disabled people

√ Data-based about the promotion of disadvantaged groups

Etc.

 

The above are the stories of building forward better as they are trying to remove the structures that unfairly treat the poor while opening up for them possibilities, opportunities and spaces for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

• • Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination to Support our Community Members

 

Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination coming from our members and others, once shared, can support CENFACS Community members.  They can encourage and inspire them, help them in the fight against disadvantage and assist them to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These stories can send a relieving message to our members that there is a possibility to turn disadvantage into their advantage to win over poverty induced by discrimination.

Those members of our community who have Stories of Dismantling Structures of Discrimination to tell, they should not hesitate to share them.  Any other interested party who may have these stories, they can tell them to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor, please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Pullanikkatil, D. and Shackleton, CM. (2019), Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products: Personal Stories, Sustainable Development Goals Stories, Springer at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75580-9 (Accessed in May 2023)

(2) Feder, S., (2020), The Power of Stories: Poverty Reduction Through NTFPs at https://medforest.net/2020/02/26/that-power-of-stories-poverty-reduction=through-ntfps/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(3) Wood, A. and Barnes, J., (2007), Making Poverty the Story: Time to Involve the Media in Poverty at https://gsdrc.org/document-library/making-poverty-the-story-time-to-involve-the-media-in-poverty-reduction/# (Accessed in May 2023)

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

(5) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/14/five-biggest-threats-natural-world-how-we-can-stop-them-aoe (Accessed in May 2023)

(6) Chambers (1999), Chambers Combined Dictionary Thesaurus, Martin Manser & Megan Thomson (Eds.), Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh

(7) Pass, C., Lowes, B., Pendleton, A. & Chadwick, L. (1991), Collins Dictionary of Business, HarperCollinsPublishers, Glasgow

(8) https://www.activescreening.com/blog/structural-discrimination-ban-box-help-hurt-cause/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(9) Scott, J. and Marshall, G. (2009), Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York

(10) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/disadvantage (Accessed in May 2023)

(11) https://borgenproject.com/discrimination-affects-global-poverty/ (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.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

03 May 2023

 

Post No. 298

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May 2023 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

• All in Development Story Telling Series/Programme 2023

• Activity/Task 5 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Encourage People to Tell Their Stories of Poverty Reduction

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• May 2023 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

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

 

• • Why do we tell and share stories? 

 

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

 

• • How do we tell and share these stories?

 

We do it through All in Development (AiD) Stories project, which is our storytelling project.  There is an explanation about this project that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  Every year, there is a different theme for this storytelling project.

 

• • This year’s theme for AiD Stories project

 

This year, the theme for AiD Stories project will be about Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis.

These stories will be…

 

a) about how people and communities are trying or have tried to build forward better from the cost-of-living crisis

b) of

∝ reduction of endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities

∝ positively transforming our relationship with nature

∝ dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor

∝ building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action.

 

They are the tales of physical, social, environmental and economic building forward better, instead of going to or building back the structures, systems and ways of life that led to the cost-of-living crisis.

Entries for these May Stories were opened since last March when we announced the general theme of Spring Relief 2023, which is “Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer”.  So far, some people have shown some interests.  For those who have not yet submitted or told us their stories, this is the month to do it.

 

• • Underlying principle of AiD Stories project

 

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

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

 

• • Criteria for the theme of AiD Stories project 2023

 

~ 1st Criterion

For this year’s AiD Stories project, we are mainly interested in Stories of building forward better together cleaner, greener and safer from the cost-of-living crisis, as mentioned above.  They are the stories of those who hit rock bottom of poverty because of the cost-of-living crisis and are trying to bounce forward in a sustainable way.

 

~ 2nd Criterion

We are registering people’s personal experiences of being or at risk of being left behind in the process of building forward from the cost-of-living crisis.  Experiences show that in many crises, there is always a possibility that aid/help to the crisis does reach everybody or if its does it does not reach them proportionally or equally.  For those who have not been reached, their personal stories need to be heard as well.

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

 

• • Selecting the top real true story of the month

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

• All in Development Story Telling Series/Programme 2023

 

The 2023 series of AiDS Telling Programme starts from the 3rd of May 2023, every Wednesday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2023.  These series, which are part of May 2023 Stories, are a timeline of scripts or a set of notes arranged in line to tell and share Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis.

To arrange this programme, we referred to what the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (2) 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”.

The same Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations explains that

“People living in extreme poverty … do not support a return to the endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities.  Instead, they propose building forward by transforming our relationship with nature, dismantling structures of discrimination that disadvantage people in poverty and building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action”.

From the above statements, we can organise our stories line.  There is no single logic or model of organising a story.  We thought that to make it easier, our storytelling series will follow these four sequences:

 

(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

(d) positively transforming our relationship with nature.

 

The four sequences are linked each other in a sequential way.

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

 

 

• Activity/Task 5 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Encourage People to Tell Their Stories of Poverty Reduction

 

Not everybody feels like or has the power to tell their story.  Those who can can do it themselves if they have been given the opportunity to do so.  Those who cannot, they may need some sort of encouragement and possibly a space to tell their stories.

As an influencer of poverty reduction, one can encourage people to tell their stories.  But how do you influence them?

 

• • Example of way of encouraging prospective storytellers

 

Let say you have been tasked to encourage people (e.g., a group of homeless people) to tell and share their stories of poverty linked to homelessness so that through their stories you can explore ways of helping them out of homelessness.  How do you encourage them?

Selena Rezvani and Stacey A. Gordon (3) provide us with some clues by suggesting what you can do when you open storytelling forums for your team.  They suggest the following 5 tips which are:

1) Bringing a beginner’s mindset

2) Receiving diversity stories with empathy and warmth

3) Not asking storytellers to ‘over-verify’

4) Thanking people for sharing

5) Checking in about continually improving safe spaces.

One can refer to what Selena Rezvani and Stacey A. Gordon say in order to encourage prospective storytellers.  Alternatively, one can use their own model of encouraging people to share their stories.

The above is our Activity/Task 5 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 5, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

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

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

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Discusses Conflict in Sudan, Poverty Reduction and Africa-based Sister Organisations

 

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

 

Normally, at the beginning of a project or activity, planners of this project or activity will indicate how they plan to evaluate it.  What is project evaluation for them?

 

• • Basic understanding of project evaluation

 

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

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

Let us exemplify this.

 

• • Example of Evaluating Your All-year Round Projects

 

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

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

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

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

∝ Measure progress towards their objectives

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

∝ Seize new window of opportunities

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

∝ Deal with any challenges during project implementation

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

∝ Recognise success and failure

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

∝ Give some recommendations for the future run of the project

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

∝ Keep all records

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

∝ Conduct a progress review

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

∝ Complete evaluation in due course

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

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

 

 

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

 

The second series of these activities, which already started from the 1st of May 2023, falls under the scope of target 1 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (5) adopted at the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

The summaries of the second series of the new generation of nature activities to be carried out are given below.

 

• • Summaries of the second series

 

Activity 1: Participatory Integrated Biodiversity Inclusive  Spatial Planning

 

This is an arts and design activity consisting of drawings that integrate biodiversity targets into spatial planning processes.  Participatory Integrated Biodiversity Inclusive  Spatial Planning has to be understood as the International Work Group for indigenous Affairs (6) explains it.

 

Activity 2: Effective Management Processes for Land and Sea Use Change

 

This is a workshop activity about processes that help to conduct careful land use planning and management to preserve resources and qualities of land from biodiversity loss, which could be the result of agriculture expansion.

 

Activity 3: Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and their Contributions to Nature Solutions to Poverty

 

This is a campaign or advocacy activity aiming at restoring and securing rights of indigenous people and local communities to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems.  This activity will also enable these peoples and communities to stand up for their rights, to reduce deforestation, store more carbon and increase biodiversity while lowering poverty.

 

Activity 4: Bringing Lost Areas of Biodiversity Close to Net Zero.

 

This is an e-discussion activity on offsets as a conservation tool.  Through this e-discussion, participants will learn how to use biodiversity offsets to achieve no net loss or a net gain in biodiversity for deforestation and forest loss.

The contents of above-mentioned four nature activities stem from the first target of nature goals making the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (op.cit.), which was agreed in December 2022.  The above-mentioned action plan specifies the type of activities to be carried out.  The first activity – which is Participatory Integrated Biodiversity Inclusive  Spatial Planning – has already kicked off.

Let us further explain Activity 1.

 

 

• • Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty –

From Week Beginning 01/05/2023: Arts and Design Work on Participatory Integrated Biodiversity Inclusive  Spatial Planning

 

a) Aim of Activity 1

 

Activity 1 will help guide participants to engage with planning processes and spatial tools in the form of arts and design to include biodiversity in any spatial planning process.  Participants can apply these processes and tools on their own city and local area.  In this activity, it could be for them to include poverty reduction.

 

b) What does Activity 1 Consist of?

 

This activity consists of using creative skills to prepare a plan or drawing or model showing how to integrate biodiversity and ecosystems functions and services in spatial planning across cities, landscapes and seascapes to conserve, enhance, restore and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services.

Through this arts and design activity, participants will learn how to promote integration between policy sectors,  to adaptively respond to changing societal and political conditions, to involve and engage citizens in decision-making processes, in brief to develop the capacity to promote integrated adaptive and collective planning decisions.  In this integration process, one should not forget to include the needs of poor people.

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

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

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Discusses Conflict in Sudan, Poverty Reduction and Africa-based Sister Organisations

 

As the conflict in Sudan continues and starts to have some economic ramifications in terms of supplies of basic necessities on the bordering southern areas of Sudan (like borders with Central African Republic, Chad, South Sudan and Ethiopia), CENFACS’ be.Africa is discussing the economic and poverty-relieving impacts of the conflict in the hotspot south cross borders of Sudan.  In particular, CENFACS’ be.Africa is debating the following:

∝ The needs of the innocent victims of the conflict and the displaced persons of this conflict, and how to meet them

∝ How to best help the innocent victims of the conflict and those fleeing the conflict in the region and seeking refuge in neighbouring countries/areas

∝ The kind of support that Africa-based Sister Organisations working in these areas need in order to better help the victims of this conflict

∝ How to avoid that the pressing poverty-relieving and humanitarian needs on the ground expand beyond the current areas of hunger linked to this conflict

∝ The kind of influence that is needed so that economic peace can be secured in those parts of Africa threatened by or prone to deepening poverty and humanitarian crisis because of the Sudanese conflict

∝ The appropriateness of advocacy to work with those who may bear the brunt of this conflict, particularly women, children and the elderly people

Etc.

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 May 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 du conflit au Soudan, de la réduction de la pauvreté et des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique

Alors que le conflit au Soudan se poursuit et commence à avoir des ramifications économiques en termes d’approvisionnement en produits de première nécessité dans les régions frontalières du sud du Soudan (comme les frontières avec la République centrafricaine, le Tchad, le Soudan du Sud et l’Éthiopie), le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS discute des impacts économiques et de la réduction de la pauvreté du conflit dans le point chaud du sud au-delà des frontières du Soudan.  En particulier, le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS débat de ce qui suit:

∝ Comment aider au mieux les victimes innocentes du conflit et celles qui fuient le conflit dans la région tout en cherchant refuge dans les pays/régions voisins

∝ Le type d’aide dont les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillant dans ces domaines ont besoin pour mieux aider les victimes de ce conflit

∝ Comment éviter que les besoins urgents de réduction de la pauvreté et humanitaires sur le terrain ne s’étendent pas au-delà des zones actuelles de la faim liées à ce conflit

∝ Quel type d’influence est nécessaire pour assurer la paix économique dans les régions d’Afrique menacées ou sujettes à l’aggravation de la pauvreté en raison du conflit soudanais?

∝ L’opportunité du plaidoyer pour aider ceux/celles qui pourraient être les premières victimes de ce conflit, en particulier les femmes, les enfants et les personnes âgées

Etc.

Ceux/celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette première discussion de mai 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 forum de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

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

 

Main Development

 

• May 2023 Stories – All in Development Stories:

Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The items making the contents of May 2023 Stories include the following:

 

∝ What is All in Development Stories Project?

∝ May 2023 Stories: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

∝ Story Telling Sequences or Series

∝ Nature-based Solutions inside your Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

∝ AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Reduction of Endemic Structural Disadvantages and Inequalities (Starting from Wednesday 03/05/2023)

∝ Further Information about May 2023 Stories.

 

Let us highlight each of these elements.

 

• • What is All in Development Stories Project?

 

All in Development Stories (AiDS) is a life story developing, telling, sharing and learning project set up by CENFACS in 2009 in order to give opportunities to volunteers, interns and other development supporters and enthusiasts to inspire others and spread the good news and will of better change to the community.  The project, which is run during the month of May, has four dimensions as follows:

 

√ AiDS is a telling and sharing story

 

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

 

√ AiDS is a learning and development process

 

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

 

√ AiDS is an inspirational and motivational support network

 

After all, the project seeks to inspire and motivate others on the road of change for change; especially for those who might prepare and use their summer break or any other occasions to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

 

√ AiDS finally is a state-of-the-art project 

 

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

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

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis.

 

 

• • May 2023 Stories: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

• • • What are Stories of Building Forward Better?

 

They are

 

• the sequencing tales of effectively moving towards long term recovery from the cost-of-living crisis, and achieving tangible sustainable outcomes

• the narratives of lowering structural disadvantages and inequalities

• the histories of bringing down structures of discrimination

• the tellings of the use of human rights as a basis for promoting human dignity

• the accounts of positively transforming our relationship with nature in this building process in order to revitalise life and move towards a just and net zero world in the current context of cost-of-living crisis and after the crisis.

 

These stories will be presented via AiD Story Telling programme.

We are running 4 series of AiD Story Telling programme during this month of May, programme that will revolve around the process of building forward better from the cost-of-living crisis.

For those who want to tell their stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories.

 

• • Story Telling Sequences or Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting on 03/05/2023 and after every Wednesday until the end of May 2023

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

 

σ Serial 1: From Wednesday 03/05/2023: Stories of reducing endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities

These are the stories of not going back to original or near conditions of structural disadvantage and inequality, of not returning lives and things to a former uneven status.  In other words, they are the tellings of increasing equal rewards, treatments and opportunities for different individuals within a group or groups within a society.

 

σ Serial 2: From Wednesday 10/05/2023: Stories of dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor

These are the tales of demolition of the building or fabric of discrimination that holds back those in need or exacerbate poverty.

 

σ Serial 3: From Wednesday 17/05/2023: Stories of building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action.

These are accounts of upholding human rights and values when designing policies and taking actions.  There are also the stories of treating every human being with proper respect.

 

σ Serial 4: Week beginning 24/05/2023: Stories of positively transforming our relationship with nature.

 

They are the experiences or anecdotes of building forward better while  making sure that this building process or move does not conflict or upset the nature and its components.  These stories are in fact those of re-learning to live in harmony with nature.

 

• • Nature-based Solutions inside Your Stories of Building Forward Better from the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

There are many solutions or recipes in order to build forward from the cost-of-living crisis.  In the context of AiD Stories, we would like to hear stories of building forward better using nature-based solutions.  What do we mean by nature-based solutions?

There are many ways of defining nature-based solutions.  The EU Commission (8) defines nature-based solutions as

“Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions”.

For those who would like to tell or submit their stories, it will be a good idea to bring out storying aspects of nature-based solutions making part of their stories.

 

 

• •  AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Reduction of Endemic Structural Disadvantages and Inequalities (Starting from Wednesday 03/05/2023)

 

To approach this first serial, it is better to understand what structural disadvantages and inequalities mean.

 

• • • What do structural disadvantages and inequalities mean?

 

The focus here is societal factors which impact on people’s experiences of disadvantage and inequality.

 

• • • • Structural disadvantages

 

Social disadvantage occurs when disadvantaged groups or member of group experience societal devaluation, material hardship and restricted opportunities.  According to Hurriyet Babacan et al. (9),

“Structural disadvantage refers to the disadvantage experienced by some individuals or families or groups or communities as a result of the way society functions (how resources are distributed, how people relate to each other, who has power, how institutions are organised)”.

The authors provide four key areas causing disadvantage or where disadvantage is experienced.  These areas include the lack of power over resources, the lack of power over decision-making, the lack of power over relationships, and the lack of power over information.

Structural disadvantage can be a serious problem within a society, especially when it becomes endemic or regular.

 

• • • • Structural Inequalities

 

There are many ways of perceiving structural inequality as it brings competing views (like Marxist, liberal, functionalist, structuralist, gender views, etc.).  One of its perceptions comes from the website ‘definitions.net’ (10) which states that

“Structural inequality is defined as a condition where one category of people are attributed an unequal status in relation to other categories of people.  This relationship is perpetuated and reinforced by a confluence of unequal relations in roles, functions, decisions, rights, and opportunities”.

Structural inequality can be viewed from an economic perspective as well.  From this perspective,  ‘thebalancemoney.com’ (11) thinks that

“Structural inequality occurs even in a free market economy because of the laws and policies that form it.  Those laws regulate government contracts, bankruptcy and property ownership.  They create advantages for some and disadvantages for others.  When the laws work against specific groups, inequality becomes part of the structure of the market”.

Structural inequality could be problematic if it is become endemic or distinctive feature within a particular society or market.

Knowing what endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities mean, it is possible to reduce them.  When their reduction happens, it could be good to tell and share the stories of their reduction.

 

• • • What are stories of reduction of endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities?

 

Let us distinguish stories of reduction of endemic structural disadvantages from those of endemic structural inequalities. 

 

• • • • Stories of reduction of endemic structural disadvantages

 

They are the tales of not returning lives and things to their original condition or unimproved condition of disadvantage. 

They are the stories of reducing the inability to access services (e.g., childcare), removing institutional barriers and difficulties in settlement, and ending disadvantage linked to the fact that  one belongs to a culturally diverse community. 

They are also the accounts of people (e.g., refugees) who become included, empowered and active members of the community.

 

• • • • Stories of reduction of endemic structural inequalities

 

These stories help to inform our story readers and listeners how inequality was reduced in various areas of life (like education, healthcare, housing, race, gender, income, employment, etc.).

These stories will elucidate how we are not trying to go back to structural inequality that could bring us crisis.  Instead, they will show how we are trying to build forward better. 

Also, because we are interested in stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development, the storytellers need to highlight aspects or ramifications of their story to poverty reduction.

 

• • • Kinds of stories of reduction of endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities

 

These are the tales of what, when, where, why, who and how structural disadvantage and inequality happen.  These stories connect us or our audiences with those who reduce disadvantage and inequality .  Then, what are those stories?

They are

 

√ transition stories of critical life-course transitions from structural inequality to equality, unfairness to fairness, disadvantage to advantage

√ the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices and tones of lowering material hardship within the society we belong to

√ the storytelling infographics of dealing with restricted opportunities

√ the anecdotes of helping disadvantaged group members to cope with the negative psychological impacts of stressful life experiences 

√ the tales of reducing psychological effects of social devaluation 

Etc.

 

Although we said that the focus is societal factors, these stories are given by individuals/people.  If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of reducing endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Further Information about May 2023 Stories

 

• • •  2023 Story Areas of Interest

 

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

 

• • •  Contexts of Stories

 

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

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

They could finally be an experience of everyday life.

  

• • •  Call for 2023 Entries 

 

As said above, the 2023 Edition of AiDS has already kicked off.  For those who want to enter their stories of life renewal, please note you are welcome to do so.

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

We await your responses to our call.

 

• • •  Annotated Timetable for Story Submission in 2023

 

∝ Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2023)

∝ Story submission deadline (31/05/2023)

∝ Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2023)

∝ Submission of revised stories (01 to 31/05/2023)

 

• • • Storytelling Check List

 

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

 

√ Relatable

√ Relevant

√ Engaging

√ Inspiring

√ Building inclusion

√ Poverty-relieving

 

• • •  CENFACS Story Telling & Sharing Terms

 

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

 

√ who you are

√ where and when your experience took place 

√ and of course the story itself.

 

You could also

 

√ text

√ twit 

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

 

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

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

 

• • • CENFACS story telling, sharing and learning terms:

 

1) We welcome both told and untold stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

For further clarification, contact CENFACS.

 

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

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

_________

 

• References

 

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

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

(3) https://hbr.org/2021/11/how-sharing-our-stories-builds-inclusion# (Accessed in May 2023)

(4) Allen, A. & May, C. (2007), Setting Up For Success – A practical guide for community organisations, Community Development Foundation, London (Great Britain)

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

(6) https://iwgia.org/en/convention-on-biological-diversity-cbd15147-iw-2023-cbd.html# (Accessed in May 2023)

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

(8) https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/environment/nature-based-solutions_en (Accessed in May 2023)

(9) Babacan, H., Gopalkrishman, N. & Trad-Padhee, J. at https://researchonline.jeu.edu.au/17935/1/Babacan_Achieving_Structural_Change.pdf# (Accessed in May 2023)

(10) https://www.definitions.net/definition/structural%20inequality (Accessed in May 2023)

(11) https://www.thebalancemoney.com/structural-inequality-facts-types-causes-solution-4174727# (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.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

26 April 2023

 

Post No. 297

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS Issue No. 79 of Spring 2023 Titled as Financial Education, Information and Communications for and with the Poor

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 24/04/2023: Income Protection from Insurance Organisations

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages 

 

• FACS Issue No. 79 of Spring 2023 Titled as Financial Education, Information and Communications for and with the Poor

 

Financial education is not a new topic in the field of development or as a way of working with part of the population who is not financially educated.  Although it has been around quite a while, it does not reach all the poorest sections of the population, particularly but not exclusively in Africa.  Financial information and communications do not cover everybody as well.

For several reasons or factors, a large proportion of poor people do not receive the amount of financial educational skills, information tools and communication settings they need in order to make jumps or leaps in poverty reduction.  They may not always have access to financial information they need which apparently could be available.

In the 79th Issue of FACS, we are looking at the three areas of poor people’s financial empowerment (that is; financial education, information and communication) in the current setting or landscape of development in Africa.  We will explore ways of making financial information designed with and for the poor reach them.  In other words, we shall look at the handicaps or hurdles that prevent poor people in Africa from getting the financial educational skills, information resources and communications tools they need in order to move out of poverty.

The Issue will focus on the basic functional financial educational skills, the financial information market and the travel of this information to the poor in Africa.  In this respect, the means of transportation of financial information  and how it is consumed by the poor will also be highlighted and revealed.

Furthermore, the Issue will feature how Africa-based Sister Organisations are working with their local poor to bridge the gaps in financial education, information and communication.  This is without forgetting the problems they are encountering in trying to reduce poverty linked to the lack of functional financial skills, financial information and financial communications.  Of course, this will be done without ignoring the needs of the financial educationally needy, financial uninformed or under informed and communication poor people.

To gain more insight into this new Issue, please read the summaries of its pages provided under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 24/04/2023: Income Protection from Insurance Organisations

 

In this last note of Protection Month’s Programme, we are going to explain what we mean by Income Protection from Insurance Organisations and how CENFACS can work with its community regarding this type of income protection.

 

• • Income Protection from Insurance Organisations

 

It is simply about buying income protection insurance policy directly from an insurance company or indirectly from an independent financial adviser.  If you do not have income protection insurance through your employer or a combined insurance policy or savings, you can consider taking out income protection insurance from an insurance company.  There are insurance companies and brokers on the market offering different insurance services and products at competitive prices.  What one needs to do is to check their terms and conditions, in particular their eligibility criteria.

However, to buy such a policy one needs to have income in order to meet insurance providers’ purchasing requirements.   Those members of our community who can afford can buy such policy.  Those who cannot, they may require some support to purchase the policy.  Regardless of the affordability problem, CENFACS can work with all its members needing some support about income protection provided by insurance organisations.

 

• • Working with the Community Regarding Income Protection from Insurance Organisations

 

Without pretending that CENFACS can do everything including dealing with income protection sold by insurance companies, CENFACS can provide some general and limited support to its members or users who are able to purchase an income protection policy.  Our limited and targeted service consists of:

 

σ Making income protection enquiries on behalf of our members

σ Comparing and contrasting income protection prices between different insurance providers by using online comparison websites and web views

σ Providing leads about the cheapest premiums or insurance providers or policies.

 

Besides the above-mentioned ways of supporting, we are opened for enquiries for those who have matters to raise regarding their income protection covers from insurance organisations.

As indicated above, Protection Key Note 4 is the last one of our Protection Month’s Programme.  However, it does not conclude our Month of Protection since we still have the Protection Day to deal with.

As a way of summarising the four Protection Key Notes presented so far, we would like to remind our users and supporters that protection is above all about preventing and responding to threats and risks of any kinds to the members of our community.  Working with our members so that they can find ways of improving or building income protection is part of delivering protection with them.

For those members of our community who are struggling to improve or get income protection insurance they need, they can work with CENFACS on this matter.

For any other queries and enquiries about CENFACS‘ Protection Month, the theme of ‘Income Protection’ and Protection Key Note 4; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023

 

The Month of Protection within CENFACS is also a giving one towards protection.  It is the month of supporting CENFACS’ Networking and Protection project.  To support this project, one may need to understand it.

 

• • What is CENFACS’ Networking and Protection project?

 

It is a child poverty reduction initiative designed to help and support the vulnerably poor children from HARMS, THREATS and RISKS from any forms of exploitation, neglect and abuse in Africa through the improvement of the flow of information, knowledge development, self-help activities, the increase and diversification of opportunities and chances together with and on behalf of these children.  One can back this project by Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023.

 

• • What Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023 is about

 

It is about the following:

 

√ Improving the flow of information with and amongst the vulnerable people and communities for poverty relief

√ Preventing and responding to any forms of vulnerability threats and risks coming from close and global environments

√ Re-empowering the vulnerable by increasing and diversifying opportunities and strengths amongst them.

 

• • What Your Support Can Achieve

 

It will help

 

√ To raise awareness and improve the circulation and dissemination of information for poverty relief

√ To prevent human exploitation (particularly child exploitation) and respond to child protection and safeguarding issues

√ To re-empower and re-strengthen poor people and communities’ capacities to protect young generations

√ To widen and diversify opportunities to the vulnerable to escape from poverty

√ To develop a well-informed base to reduce information gap and other types of vulnerabilities linked to the lack of networking, interconnectedness and protection.

 

• • How to Support Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023

 

You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION for any amount as a way of supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2023.

To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.

You can donate

 

*over phone

*via email

*through text

*by filling the contact form on this site. 

 

On receipt of your intent to donate or donation, CENFACS will contact you.  However, should you wish your support to remain anonymous; we will respect your wish.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Goals Combination: Reduction of Holiday Poverty and of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

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

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

There are various reasons that can lead to project termination.  ‘Taskmanagementguide.com’ (1) states that

“Failure and success are two basic reasons for terminating projects”.

The same ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ explains that success happens when project goals and objectives are accomplished on time and under budget, while failure occurs when project requirements are not met.

The above reasons for project termination can be related to the types of project termination to a certain degree; types which could be termination by addition or by integration or by starvation.  In the end, what is project termination?

 

• • Defining Project Termination

 

There are similarities in the definition of project termination.  To simplify the matter, let us refer to the definition of ‘taskmanagementguide.com’, which is

“Project termination is a situation when a given project is supposed to be closed or finalised because there’s no more need or sense for further continuation”.

Similarly, Project Management Institute (2) argues that

“Projects by definition are time bound, and must terminate”.

However, to effectively finalise a project, one needs to follow project closure procedures.

Let us follow project closure procedures to close out one of our all-year-round projects.

 

• • Example of Terminating Your All-year Round Projects

 

Realistically speaking, any of your All-year Round Projects close out just a week before 23/12/2023.  As explained above, there is a procedure for terminating them.  This procedure can be simple or complex depending on project.  Let say, you want to finalise your Play Project.  To do that, we are going to use a 8-step model of terminating a project as provided by ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ (op. cit.)

To terminate your Play Project, you need proceed with the following:

 

a) Close any agreements you made with any third parties (e.g., if you borrow materials from the library to research on poverty reduction performance of African countries, you need to close the given borrowing agreement by returning the materials, which can be a book, video, tape, etc.)

b) Handover responsibilities and accountabilities (i.e., transfer assignments to your play mates)

c) If you have been playing with friends and family members, you will dismiss them

d) Release the resources used (e.g., returning books to the lending library)

e) If you open a project book to record your results and accounts, you need to close it

f) Record and report your lessons learnt and experiences

g) Accept or reject your result which in this case should be the best African country poverty reducer

h) Share your result with the community and CENFACS by 23/12/2023.

 

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

 

 

• Goals Combination: Reduction of Holiday Poverty and of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

 

Our Season’s Goal is the Reduction of Holiday Poverty or Poverty Linked to the Lack of Means to Enjoy a Decent Holiday Whether at Home or Away from Home.  Our Goal for April Month of Protection is the Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection.

This week, we are combining the two lacks as they both fall under the problem of not having or having less means to protect against loss of income and to finance holiday budget/plan.  It is also the combination of efforts to find solutions to fund both protection and holiday.  Both protection and holiday are basic life-sustaining goods or needs; and failure to satisfy them can be seen as an symptom or indication of poverty and financial hardship.

The above is our combined goal which we expect our supporters and audiences to support.  For further details on this goals combination including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

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

 

This week, we are announcing the second series of activities that feature the new generation of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.  The second series of these  activities, which will be covered in 4 weeks in May 2023, include the following:

Activity 1: Participatory Integrated Biodiversity Inclusive  Spatial Planning

Activity 2: Effective Management Processes for Land and Sea Use Change

Activity 3: Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and their Contributions to Nature Solutions to Poverty

Activity 4: Bringing Lost Areas of Biodiversity Close to Net Zero.

The above-mentioned activities will start from week beginning Monday 1st of May 2023.  Details of each of them will be released next week.  For any further information before their release, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Soutenir le réseautage et la protection contre la pauvreté en 2023

Le Mois de la Protection au sein du CENFACS est également un mois propice à la protection.  C’est le mois du soutien au projet de réseautage et de protection du CENFACS.  Pour soutenir, il serait mieux d’avoir une idée de ce projet.

• • Qu’est-ce que le projet de réseautage et de protection du CENFACS? 

C’est une initiative de réduction de la pauvreté infantile conçue pour aider et soutenir les enfants vulnérables et pauvres contre les MÉFAITS, les MENACES et les RISQUES venant de toute forme d’exploitation, de négligence et d’abus en Afrique par l’amélioration de la circulation de l’information, le développement des connaissances, les activités d’auto-assistance, l’augmentation et la diversification des possibilités et des chances avec et au nom de ces enfants.  On peut contribuer à ce projet en soutenant le réseautage et la protection contre la pauvreté en 2023?

• • Comprendre le soutien au réseautage et à la protection contre la pauvreté en 2023

Il s’agit de ce qui suit :

√ Améliorer la circulation de l’information entre les personnes et les communautés vulnérables pour lutter contre la pauvreté

√ Prévenir et répondre à toutes les formes de vulnérabilité, menaces et risques provenant d’environnements proches et mondiaux

√ Redonner du pouvoir aux personnes vulnérables en augmentant et en diversifiant les possibilités et les forces entre elles.

• • Ce que votre soutien peut accomplir

Votre soutien aidera à

√ Sensibiliser et améliorer la diffusion et la dissémination de l’information pour la lutte contre la pauvreté

√ Prévenir l’exploitation humaine (p. ex., l’exploitation des enfants) et répondre aux questions de protection et de sauvegarde de l’enfance

√ Redonner aux pauvres les moyens d’agir et de les renforcer à protéger les jeunes générations

√ Élargir et diversifier les possibilités offertes aux personnes vulnérables pour échapper à la pauvreté

√ Développer une base bien informée pour réduire les lacunes en matière d’information et d’autres types de vulnérabilités liées au manque de réseau, d’interconnexion et de protection.

• • Comment soutenir le réseautage et la protection contre la pauvreté en 2023

Vous pouvez FAIRE UN DON, PROMETTRE ET FAIRE UNE DÉCLARATION D’AIDE AU DON pour n’importe quel montant afin de soutenir le réseautage et la protection contre la pauvreté en 2023.

Pour faire un don, donner de l’aide ou soutenir différemment, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Vous pouvez faire un don

*par téléphone

*par e-mail

*par texte

*en remplissant le formulaire de contact sur ce site.

Dès réception de votre intention de faire un don, le CENFACS communiquera avec vous.  Cependant, si vous souhaitez que votre soutien reste anonyme; Nous respecterons votre souhait.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 79 of Spring 2023 Titled as Financial Education, Information and Communications for and with the Poor

 

The contents and key summaries of the 79^th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Concepts Relating to the 79th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Links between Financial Education, Financial Information and Financial Communication (Page 3)

III. Potential Beneficiaries of Financial Education, Information and Communication Making the 79th Issue (Page 3)

IV. Making Financial Information Reach the Poor in Africa (Page 3)

V.  How Poor People Consume Financial Information in Africa  (Page 4)

VI. What Handicaps or Prevents Poor People in Africa from Having Financial Access (Page 4)

VII. Financial Education for Female-owned Micro-enterprises in Africa (Page 4)

VIII. Les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique et leur travail pour combler les lacunes en matière d’éducation, d’information et de communication financières (Page 5)

VIX. Expériences africaines en éducation financière : les cas congolais en République Démocratique du Congo (Page 5)

X. Organisations sœurs basées en Afrique et la réduction de la pauvreté liée au manque d’éducation, d’information et de communication financière (Page 6)

XI. Les marchés de l’information financière et les pauvres en Afrique (Page 6)

XII.  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Financial Education, Information and Communication (Page 7)

XIII.  Support, Top Tool, Information and Guidance on Financial Education, Information and Communications for the Poor (Page 8)

XIV. Workshop, Focus Group and Enhancement Activity on Financial Education (Page 9)

XV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 79^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Concepts Relating to the 79th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three financial concepts that will help the readers of FACS to better understand the contents of the 79th Issue.  These concepts are financial education, financial information and financial communication.  The working definitions selected for these concepts are those that can apply to the types of people listed in the 79th Issue – the poor.  Let us look at each of these concepts.

 

• • • • Financial Education

 

Our working definition of financial education comes from ‘wealthdiagram.com’ (3) which states that

“Financial education is the ability to understand how financial resources work.  It helps someone to manage the expenses and planning for the future.  It is broad and includes financial literacy, economics and others”.

The website ‘sciencemystic.com’ (4) goes further by giving the components of financial education.  According to ‘sciencemystic.com’,

“Financial education generally includes the ability to (a) manage money and assets (banking investment), credit insurance and tax (b) time value and money distribution in basic investments (c) plan, implement and evaluate financial decisions.  In other words, financial education means understanding the importance of money and money use or getting information about it”.

Arguing about the status of financial education in Africa, Messy and Monticone (5) think that

“Well-designed financial education initiatives can reduce demand-side barriers to more effective financial inclusion and can empower vulnerable individuals economically so that they can better manage household resources and develop income generating activities”.

The above-mentioned definition of financial education and its elements will be applied to the poor.

 

• • • • Financial Information

 

Financial information can be perceived in many ways.  To limit ourselves, we are going to refer to what ‘wallstreetmojo.com’ states about it.  From the perspective of ‘wallstreetmojo.com’ (6),

“Financial information refers to information that involves money.  Non-financial information is any other information that can be availed of an individual or company and is unrelated to money”.

The website ‘wallstreetmojo.com’ provides various sources of financial information which include banks, financial statements of companies, financial data, credit card statements, etc.  Put it simply, for both individuals and companies, financial information is gathered in financial statements like balance sheet, profit and loss statement, cash flow statement, etc.

 

• • • • Financial Communication

 

Like financial education and information, financial communication can be approached from different perspectives.  From the view of ‘scribd.com’ (7),

“Financial communication is a process whereby financial information is enclosed in a package and is channelled and imparted by a sender to a receiver via some medium.  All forms of financial communication require a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, however the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender’s intent to communicate at the time of communication in order for the act of financial communication to occur.  Financial communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality.  There are verbal means, such as speech, song, and tone of voice, and there are non verbal means through media, i.e., pictures, graphics and sound, and writing”.

Although this definition is long, it nevertheless provides a thorough understanding of financial communication.  To this definition, we can add what ‘communication.iresearchnet.com’ says about financial communication in terms of its implications.  The website ‘communication.iresearchnet.com’ (8) mentions that

“Financial communication entails all of the strategies, tactics, and tools used to share financial data and recommendations with investors and other interested parties”.

As one can notice, the three key concepts (i.e., financial education, financial information and financial communication) have some links or can be linked when it comes to dealing with poverty and poor people.

 

 

• • • Links between Financial Education, Financial Information and Financial Communication (Page 3)

 

Financial education, financial information and financial communication are the three factors or elements that can predict financial behaviour of people, and amongst these people are the poor.  There could be relationship between these three factors and financial behaviour.  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 shall develop 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.   Perhaps, the month of creation and innovation (June 2023) will be the right one to ask our members to participate in this research.

Those members of our community who will be interested in taking part in this research and development work, they can let CENFACS know.

 

• • • Potential Beneficiaries of Financial Education, Information and Communication Making the 79th Issue (Page 3)

 

Amongst the types of people in need who could benefit from financial education, information and communication as defined above are:

 

√ The unbanked and those relying on cash economy

√ Those with inadequate personal finance education

√ The financially uneducated to control their finances

√ Those who cannot manage their income and expenses

√ People who need increased awareness of financial communication

√ The financially excluded

√ Those with little money which is unstable, unpredictable and hard to manage

Etc.

 

In short, most of the types of people mentioned above will need some form of capacity building or support to improve either their financial education or financial information or financial communication.

 

• • • Making Financial Information Reach the Poor in Africa (Page 3)

 

Making Financial Information Reach the Poor is about expanding the means to carry financial information to the poor in Africa.

One the means is mobile phone.  Expanding the mobile phone usage is a way to reach them with financial information.  Indeed, mobile phones can help to reduce poverty linked to the lack of financial communication means.

Another means is working with the poor to move away from cash economy to embrace digital economy.  For example, at the moment many people in Africa are using account-based digital payments.

Briefly, there are sorts of initiatives that can help to carry financial information to the poor in Africa or anywhere else as well as to offer them uplifting opportunities.

 

• • • How Poor People Consume Financial Information in Africa (Page 4)

 

Like any consumer, poor people would like credible source of financial information and having clear level of assurance.  For a good consumption of this financial information, it is better to have a standard, context, boundary and credibility about financial information to be consumed by them.  For example, any financial reports or bills or statements need to have those features. Where there is a problem to understand the message sent, it could be a good idea to explain to the receiver  the encrypted or encoded financial message.

 

• • • What Handicaps or Prevents Poor People in Africa from Having Financial Access (Page 4)

 

Financial education, information and communication play a vital role in most people’s lives.  Lacking a bank account, financial services, financial products (like insurance, savings products and pensions) can result in financial exclusion.   Therefore, working with the poor so that they can have financial education, information and communication will enhance their financial access.  As Julie Birkenmaier et al. (9) put it in the Encyclopaedia of Social Work,

“Financial inclusion, the goal of financial access, broadly refers to the ability of all people in a society to access and be empowered to use safe, affordable, relevant, and convenient financial products and services for achieving their goals”.

The types of beneficiaries of the 79th Issue of FACS may not have this access or power.  That is why some efforts can be done to remove barriers to financial access.

 

• • • Financial Education for Female-owned Micro-enterprises in Africa (Page 4)

 

As part of gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa, promoting financial education, information and communication for women who are engaged in income-generating activities to reduce poverty can be a positive drive.  In this respect, improving the attainment in financial education for those women entrepreneurs would not only help them but also their family and community.  This type of financial inclusion of women can have other positive effects such as improvement of productivity for their micro-enterprises and the economy in which they are working.

 

 

• • • Les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique et leur travail pour combler les lacunes en matière d’éducation, d’information et de communication financières (Page 5)

 

Depuis le début des années 1990, lorsque l’éducation financière (en particulier la littératie financière) a fait ses débuts dans les politiques de développement, nous voyons de plus en plus d’organisations en Afrique travailler pour aider leurs membres et les populations locales à acquérir des connaissances dans ce domaine.  Les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui travaillent avec le CENFACS ont également emboîté le pas.

Nos organisations sœurs encouragent les peuples autochtones à acquérir des connaissances financières non seulement pour gérer leur vie respective, mais aussi pour comprendre le cadre financier dans lequel ils vivent et opèrent quotidiennement ainsi que l’avalanche d’informations financières qui abondent dans les nouvelles. Ces connaissances leur permettent de tenir un compte familial, de comprendre les changements financiers tels que le taux de change, les fluctuations de la monnaie locale, le taux d’intérêt, le taux d’épargne, etc., et comment ces facteurs ou variables économiques et financiers affectent leur vie.

Cependant, ces organisations ont des limites de capacité.    Cela étant dit, elles ont besoin de soutien pour poursuivre leur mission d’éducation, d’information et de communication financière auprès des populations locales.

 

• • • Expériences africaines en éducation financière : les cas congolais en République démocratique du Congo (Page 5)

 

Il existe plusieurs cas ou expériences relatifs à l’éducation financière en Afrique.  Ce sont des cas ou des expériences de croissance inclusive, équitable et durable en Afrique.

Dans le cadre de ce 79ème numéro de FACS, nous voulons évoquer les trois cas congolais suivants:

σ Le Fonds pour l’inclusion financière en République Démocratique du Congo (FPM)

σ Le Programme d’Education Financière et Numérique (PEFD)

σ Le Programme National d’Education Financière (PNEF) qui a été mis en place en 2016 par la Banque Centrale du Congo.

Comme le montrent les documents publiés par ces programmes et fonds, ces initiatives ont des objectifs communs qui incluent de doter les populations congolaises locales des connaissances, des compétences et de la confiance nécessaires à une gestion optimale de leurs finances; de soutenir le taux d’inclusion financière; de promouvoir l’adoption des moyens de paiement existants sur le marché, etc.  Ces initiatives permettent non seulement de sensibiliser et de former les populations à la gestion de leurs finances, mais aussi de soutenir ces mêmes populations avec des outils pour réduire la pauvreté et la précarité.

Pour plus d’informations sur ces initiatives, il serait préférable de les consulter.

 

• • • Organisations sœurs basées en Afrique et la réduction de la pauvreté liée au manque d’éducation, d’information et de communication financière (Page 6)

 

Travailler avec les populations locales pour acquérir des compétences, de l’information et des communications; c’est une chose.  Aider ces mêmes populations à sortir de la pauvreté, c’est autre chose.

Nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillent avec leurs adhérents pour que ceux-ci deviennent capables de lire et de comprendre l’information financière.  Ce travail permet à leurs adhérents ou bénéficiaires de réduire une partie de leurs problèmes.  Être capable de lire, de comprendre et de communiquer des informations financières apporte plus à ces personnes.  Néanmoins, cela peut ou ne pas suffire à réduire réellement la pauvreté.

C’est pourquoi nos organisations sœurs tentent d’aller au-delà en travaillant davantage avec leurs bénéficiaires afin de trouver de vraies solutions contre la pauvreté.  Pour y parvenir, elles ont besoin de soutien car elles fonctionnent avec des moyens très limités; les moyens qui ont été parfois détruits par les polycrises (c’est-à-dire la crise du coût de la vie, la pandémie de coronavirus, la crise climatique et d’autres crises en Afrique).  Les aider financièrement à continuer leur travail sera un grand salut.

 

• • • Les marchés de l’information financière et les pauvres en Afrique (Page 6)

 

Comme tout marché, les marchés de l’information financière répondent à la loi de l’offre et de la demande.  Et ceux ou celles qui ont les moyens de payer les prix du marché ont plus de facilités pour accéder à l’information qu’ils/elles veulent.  Ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas de moyens comme les pauvres ne peuvent pas s’attendre au même type et à la même qualité d’information que les autres.

L’information financière ne fait pas exception à cette règle du jeu économique.  L’information financière circule souvent entre ceux/celles qui la fournissent et ceux/celles qui la consomment.  Ceux/celles qui produisent ou fournissent l’information sont, par exemple, les banques, les gestionnaires, les institutions financières, les compagnies d’assurance, les caisses d’épargne, la presse, etc.   Ces acteurs/actrices transmettent ou font circuler des informations financières.

En raison de très faibles moyens, les ménages pauvres n’ont souvent pas la possibilité de consommer un certain type d’informations qui peuvent être vitales pour peser sur la balance.  Ce manque de consommation d’information peut perpétuer la pauvreté dans la mesure où ils ont l’objet de ce manque.  Et pourtant, en veillant à ce que les pauvres fassent partie intégrante des marchés de l’information, cela peut avoir des effets bénéfiques sur eux et améliorer leurs conditions de vie.

En gros, si l’on veut réduire la pauvreté liée au manque d’information, il y a lieu de faire en sorte pour les pauvres ne soient pas marginalisés dans les marchés de cette information.

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Financial Education, Information and Communication (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on the impact of geographical factors and cultural barriers to financial education, information and communication

 

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our user households regarding the impact of geographical factors and cultural barriers to financial education, information and communication.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

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

 

√ How can geographical factors (like living in remote areas) and cultural barriers (such as family customs) contribute to the lack of or less financial education? 

√ How can geographical factors (like living in remote areas) and cultural barriers (such as tribe customs) contribute to the lack of or less financial information? 

√ How can geographical factors (like living in remote areas) and cultural barriers (such as ethnic group customs) contribute to the lack or less financial communication? 

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.  

 

• • • • Testing Hypotheses about causal relationships between the access to and use of financial education, information and communication on one hand; and poverty reduction on the other hand

 

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into the impact of financial education, information and communication on poverty reduction, we have some educational activities for them.  They can test 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.

 

In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on financial education, information and communication about a particular population or community.

 

• • • • E-question about experience sharing on financial education

 

Does financial education improve your ability to apply financial skills (like financial literacy and numeracy skills) in real life?  Please tick (√) as appropriate.

YES  [   ]

NO   [   ]

If your answer is YES, please share your experience with CENFACS and others within the community.

If your answer is NO, CENFACS can work with you via its Advice-giving Service (service which we offer to the community for free) to find way forward to apply your financial education or skills in real life.

 

• • • • E-discussion on the effects of financial education, information and communication on financial wellbeing

 

Some of the people making our community are or get financially educated.  Others are financially informed.  Others more are equipped with financial communication.  Does being financially educated or being financially informed or being equipped with means of financial communication grow financial wellbeing?

For those who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard this matter, they can join our e-discussion to exchange their views or thoughts or experience with others.

To e-discuss with us and others, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Support, Top Tool, Information and Guidance on on Financial Education, Information and Communication for the Poor (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Support regarding financial education, information and communication

 

For those members of our community who would like to improve their financial education or financial information or financial communication but they do not know how to improve them, CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of doing it.

We can work with them under our Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service as well as through various financial campaigns we run (like Zero Income Deficit, Financial Controls, etc.) and our tools box of poverty reduction.  Our support will help them to make good financial decisions such as investment decision, credit decision, saving decision, tax decision, etc.

If you are a member of our community, you can ask us for basic support regarding the problems you have to improve your financial education, information and communication.

 

• • • • Top Tool of the 79th Issue of FACS: Young Persons’ Money Index

 

One of the tools we find that could be useful for our community members is Young Persons’ Money Index.  What is it?

The London Institute of Banking and Finance (10) states that

“Young Persons’ Money Index is an annual survey that tracks the take-up of financial education in UK schools”.

In other words, this index examines the delivery of financial education in schools and the financial capability of young people in the UK.  This tool can help find the experiences of surveyed people regarding financial education matters such as feeling about money, learning about money, access to financial education, receiving financial information, etc.

For example, research found that 68% of young people surveyed said their financial understanding and knowledge mainly come from their parents, according to March 2023 news from the London Institute of Banking and Finance (11).

Those of members of our community who would like to gain more insight into about the index, they can find a lot of information online about it.  Those who would like to discuss the relevancy of this tool and its application, they can feel free to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Information and Guidance on Financial Education, Information and Communication for the Poor

 

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

 

a) Information and Guidance on financial education and training

b) Tips and hints to improve users’ experience about financial information and communication

 

• • • • • Information and Guidance on ways of improving and developing via financial training and education 

 

Financial Training and education can enhance beneficiaries’ financial skills (like financial numeracy and literacy skills).

Those members of community who are looking for financial training and education and who do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment) or provide them with leads about organisations that can help them.

 

• • • • • Tips and hints to improve users’ experience about financial information and communication

 

For those who need some tips and hints to improve their experience about financial information and communication, we can provide this support via a number of services and activities we run.  Our financial campaigns (like Financial Controls) and resources (such as Summer Financial Updates) will help them.

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

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of financial information and communication for the poor, although this Issue does not list them.  Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations they are looking for.

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

 

• • • Workshop, Focus Group and Enhancement Activity about Financial Education (Page 9)

 

• • • • Mini Themed Workshop

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about financial education via CENFACS.   The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less financial education gain the skills make responsible financial decisions and own financial choices, to improve their ability to manage money and assets.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 • • • • Focus Group on the Promotion of Financial Education within the Community

 

You can take part in our focus group on ways of encouraging needy people to learn and know about financial products available for them and adopt them as their way of living.

To take part in the focus group, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Spring Financial Confidence Building Activity

 

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

 

σ How confident are you with the financial educational skills you possess, financial information you receive and financial communication you have to deal with any economic hardship issues?

σ How do many of you feel confident in their financial knowledge?

σ How do many of you turn to financial professionals for financial guidance?

σ How do many of you understand the basic financial principles?

 

Those who would like to answer these questions and participate to our Spring Financial Confidence Building Activity, they are welcome.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • • • Readers’ Giving

 

You can support FACS, CENFACS bilingual newsletter, which explains what is happening within and around CENFACS.

FACS also provides a wealth of information, tips, tricks and hacks on how to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can help to continue its publication and to reward efforts made in producing it.

To support, just contact CENFACS on this site.

 

• • • • Financial Education, Information and Communication Project (FEICP)

 

FEICP, which is a basic financial capacity building initiative, aims at reducing poverty linked to the lack of financial education, information and communication in Africa.  FEICP will help to reach those who are financially uneducated or less educated, uninformed or less informed and lacking financial communication or with less financial communication. 

Through this project, it is hoped that beneficiaries will improve their financial skills, knowledge and wellbeing.  They will also enhance their means of living and enterprise so that they can increase the way contribute in their community or society.

To support or contribute to FEICP, please contact CENFACS.

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

The full copy of the 79^th Issue of FACS is available on request. 

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

_________

 

• References

 

(1) www.taskmanagementguide.com/glossary/what-is-project-termination-.php (Accessed in April 2023)

(2) https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-termination-delay-1931 (Accessed in April 2023 )

(3) https://wealthdiagram.com/finance/whats-the-difference-between-financial-education-and-financial-literacy# (Accessed in April 2023)

(4) https://sciencemystic.com/what-is-financial-education/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(5) Messy, F. and Monticone, C. (2012), The Status of Financial Education in Africa, OECD Working Papers on Finance, Insurance and Private Pensions, No. 25, OECD Publishing

(6) https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/financial-information/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(7) https://www.scribd.com/document/2922625433/What-is-Financial-Communication# (Accessed in April 2023)

(8) communication.iresearchnet.com/strategic-communication/financial-communication/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(9) https://oxfordre.com/socialwork/display/… (https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1331 (Accessed in April 2023)

(10) https://libf.ac.uk/study/financial-education/young-persons-money-index (Accessed in April 2023)

(11) https://www.libf.ac.uk/news-and-insights/news/detail/2023/03/10/demand-for-financial-education-in-schools-jumbs-by-10 (Accessed in April 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 April 2023

 

Post No. 296

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Coming Next Week’s Thursday 27/04/2023: The 13th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security for Women and Children against Geo-economic Risks and Crises

• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 17/04/2023: Income Protection by Way of Employers

• Protection of Endangered Fish in Africa: The Case of Small Pelagic in West Africa 

 

…And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Coming Next Week’s Thursday 27/04/2023: The 13th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security for Women and Children against Geo-economic Risks and Crises

 

On our Reflection Day, we will reflect on the risks and crises linked to interstate economic confrontations and rivalries in recent years and how they could lead to geo-economic warfare.  These rivalries, if they escalate, can pose concern about protection and security vulnerabilities for many people, especially but not exclusively for women and children living in poverty.

Our Reflection Day will try to look at ways of protecting and securing women and children from increasing geo-economic clashes and the proliferation of instruments of new geo-economic weaponization in the new protection and security contexts.

Additionally, we shall reflect on the effects of the geo-economic conflicts on our network and system of protection in the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

More on the Reflection Day (including how to effectively engage with it) has been explained under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 17/04/2023: Income Protection by Way of Employers

 

This 3rd key note will be developed around the following items:

 

∝ What is Income Protection by Employers?

∝ Income Protection by Employers and In-work Poverty

∝ CENFACS’ Financial Guidance on Employee Benefits Provision.

 

Let us briefly explain these items.

 

• • What is Income Protection by Employers? 

 

This is the kind of income protection cover offered by employers looking to protect their employees.  Generally, employers do it via insurance companies which provide employee benefits in the form of health, wellbeing and financial protection for those working for these employers.  To illustrate this, let us take the example of Unum Group (1) which is one of the employee benefits providers.    Unum Group states that

“Income protection can be used by employers as an employee benefit, to provide continued income for sick and incapacitated employees, helping to relieve money worries at a difficult time.  Having this valuable benefit in place can help to attract as well as retain employees”.

Normally, sensible employees and job seekers would want to choose employers who offer an attractive income protection or occupational sick-pay scheme.  Just like anybody else, the in-work poor would want employer’s occupational sick-pay scheme.

 

• • Income Protection by Employers and In-work Poverty

 

Income protection is what any worker wants.  Those workers in in-work poverty would want it even more since they cannot afford to build their income protection.  They would attempt to look for employers that offer employee benefits such as income protection.  Indeed, living in in-work poverty is what ‘cipd.co.uk’ (2) explains in the following terms:

“When a working person’s income, after housing costs, is less than 60% of the national average, they don’t earn enough to meet the cost of living – they are living in poverty”.

Likewise, ’nuffieldfoundation.org’ (3) states

“In-work poverty occurs when a working household’s total net income is insufficient to meet their needs”.

Obviously, those living in in-work poverty would prefer employers that are willing to protect them from income wise by offering them some sort of insurance if they are stricken by sickness or incapacity.  So, being able to offer to in-work poor income protection could be a good bargaining point in the negotiation relating to job contracts.  Some of those in-work poor can find themselves employers offering the kind of income protection insurance they would like to get.  Others may find it difficult and may need guidance.

 

• • CENFACS’ Financial Guidance on Employee Benefits Provision

 

There is a number of ways that CENFACS can work with the members of its community to enhance their income protection by accessing or improving the way they are trying to access income protection sponsored by employers.  Amongst these ways of working with the members of our community to enhance their protection includes financial guidance.

Under this provision of financial guidance, we can support our members in the following ways:

 

~ Provide them with information about the various options available to them regarding employee benefit provision without specifically recommending them any particular option or employer

~ Signpost them for support to organisations dealing with income protection insurance run by employers

~ Refer them to voluntary organisations dealing with employment and employee income protection matters.

 

The above are just some of ways CENFACS could support the community regarding income protection benefit run by employers.  These support services or products make up our financial guidance service in income protection by way of employers.

Those who need help and support about financial guidance on income protection and/or for any of the matters listed above falling within our capacity, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Protection of Endangered Fish in Africa: The Case of Small Pelagic in West Africa 

 

On 5 April 2023 when we presented our Plan for the Implementation of Protection for April 2023, we promised that we would consider other areas of protection, in particular the protection of flora and fauna.  As part of dealing with these other areas of protection, we are working on the protection of fish in Africa, particularly the case of small pelagic in West Africa.

 

• • The Case of Small Pelagic in West Africa

 

A number of advocacy and campaigning works (4) has been going on with regard to species of fish that are facing extinction in West Africa.   These initiatives are trying to address the problem of overfishing of small pelagic (like mackerel, sardines and mérous) in waters around Senegal, Gambia, Cameroon and Mauritania.

This case of overfishing raises three concerns which include the threats to existence of small pelagic living in these waters, the decrease of fish consumption for the populations of these concerned African countries and the rising price of fish in West Africa.  For example, it is understood that conservationists think that sardines are in danger of being wiped off the planet.

As we are in the month of protection, it is normal that we add our voice so that something can be done to protect small pelagic in this part of waters surrounding Africa.  It is possible to stop the overfishing off the West African coast and effects of intensive industrial fishing in West Africa.  Protecting fish in the waters of this region of Africa will help to preserve food security and sustenance while beating hunger in the region.

CENFACS supports the ongoing work relating to the protection of small Atlantic fish in West African waters conducted by other organisations working on this issue.  CENFACS welcome any efforts done to support small pelagic.

Those members of our community who are interested in advocating with us for the protection of small pelagic, they are welcome to get involved in this advocacy drive.  Those African organisations working on the stated countries and have the same concern like ours, they can share with us their experience and work on this matter of protecting small pelagic.

To share your work about the protection of small pelagic, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 9: Reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Journaling Activity: Write a Journal of Your TVI/AYRP Cycle

• Basic Financial Advice/Guidance/Information to Finance Your Holiday

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 9: Reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

You can start reviewing Your Play, Run and Vote Projects, while the monitoring of the same projects is still going on.  But, what are project reviews?

 

•  •  Basic Understanding of Project Reviews

 

Project reviews can be explained in many ways depending on any approaches taken.  Referring to the explanation of ‘fox-plan.com’ (5),

“A project review is an evaluation of the current progress of a project at a specific point of the project (milestone)… A project review will provide you with a thorough knowledge of the current status of your project and if it is on track to meet your success criteria”.

There can be many or staggered reviews in a project depending on a project size, scope, scale, progress, complexity and resource availability.  These different reviews can include initial review, completion review, special review and follow-up review.  Also, to better review a project it is preferable to design a review process with guidelines, evidence and tools.

 

 

• • Example of Reviewing Your All-year Round Projects

 

Let us consider Voting your 2023 International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager.

In order to review your Vote Project, you will proceed with the following three review tasks:

 

a) Examine and audit your planned tasks, activities, procedures, events and other work about the project

b) Identify if the amount of work you put in your project responded to your Vote Project requirements

c) Work out additional resources to help you complete the project.

 

The above is a simple version of project reviews.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Reviewing their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Journaling Activity: Write a Journal of Your TVI/AYRP Cycle

 

You can write and reflect on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary.  Journaling a TVI/AYRP (that is Play, Run and Vote) can have benefits.  To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.

 

• • Benefits of Journaling Your TVI/AYRP

 

The journal will help you to capture the moments of your TVI/AYRP via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring your progress on TVI/AYRP, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of your TVI/AYRP.  You can even show your style and express your feeling or character through your writing.  Another good thing of journaling your TVI/AYRP is that it makes things easy when it comes to report to CENFACS and others before the deadline of 23 December 2023.

 

• • Journaling Goal of TVI/AYRP

 

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

 

• • What One’s TVI/AYRP Journal Can Achieve

 

It can achieve many things including the following:

 

∝ Solve problems encountered in the cycle of your TVI/AYRP 

∝ Enhance one’s health and wellness via TVI/AYRP 

∝ Improve TVI/AYRP outcomes.

 

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

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

 

 

• Basic Financial Advice/Guidance/Information (AGI) to Finance Your Holiday

 

CENFACS can help and support you with basic financial AGI to finance your holiday.  Our basic financial AGI to finance your holiday includes the following:

 

√ Building a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) holiday budget

√ Working with the members of our community to find ways of financing their holiday

√ Guiding them/you to find financial help for holidaying with peace of mind

√ Arranging for them/you to speak to specialists around funding holiday for vulnerable and needy people

√ Signposting them/you to organisations offering holiday funding service to those in need

√ Informing them/you about free activities and free trips during holiday (e.g., Summer holiday)

√ Referring them/you to the local authority if they/you have a need for a holiday arising from disabilities under the provision of holidays

√ Advocating to charities and voluntary organisations that can help around holiday matters such as paying for a holiday via financial support for holidays, finding the right holiday for families with a member with a chronic condition, and finding a break and or respite.

Etc.

 

If you need helpful and supportive financial advice, information and guidance to finance your holiday, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

À venir la semaine prochaine jeudi 27/04/2023: La 13ème édition de la Journée de réflexion du CENFACS avec un accent sur la protection et la sécurité des femmes et des enfants contre les risques et les crises géo-économiques

Lors de notre Journée de réflexion, nous réfléchirons aux risques et aux crises liés aux confrontations et rivalités économiques interétatiques de ces dernières années et à la manière dont elles pourraient conduire à une guerre géo-économique.  Ces rivalités, si elles s’intensifient, peuvent susciter des inquiétudes quant aux vulnérabilités en matière de protection et de sécurité pour de nombreuses personnes, en particulier mais pas exclusivement pour les femmes et les enfants vivant dans la pauvreté.

Notre Journée de réflexion tentera d’examiner les moyens de protéger et de sécuriser les femmes et les enfants contre les affrontements géo-économiques croissants et la prolifération des instruments de nouvelle militarisation géo-économique dans les nouveaux contextes de protection et de sécurité.

En outre, nous réfléchirons aux effets des conflits géoéconomiques sur notre réseau et notre système de protection et de sécurité communautaire dans le processus de construction ensemble d’un avenir meilleur, plus vert, plus propre et plus sûr.

Pour soutenir ou participer à la Journée de réflexion sur la protection des femmes et des enfants, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Coming Next Week’s Thursday 27/04/2023: The 13th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day with a Focus on Protection and Security for Women and Children against Geo-economic Risks and Crises

 

The following notes give a glimpse of the 13th Edition of CENFACS Reflection Day.  They also help to plan ahead for those who may be interested in the Reflection Day.  The notes are organised around two items:

 

∝ What is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

∝  The 13^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day.

 

Let us briefly explain each of these items.

 

• • What is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to acknowledge the conditions of women and children in need, to reflect on attitudes and what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children in need.

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is also a special eventful day to re-engage our mind set and spirit to deeply think about the fate of poor women and children, and engineer possible new solutions that can lift them out of poverty and hardships they are facing.  At this time of the world in multiple crises and risks, they may be facing poverty induced by these crises and risks.  One of these crises and risks is geo-economic confrontation.

 

• • The 13^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day 

 

The following points will assist in clarifying the 13^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day:

 

∝ What is the 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day? 

∝ What Will Happen during the 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

∝ How the 13^th Edition of Our Reflection Day Will Be Run

∝ What Areas of Thoughts Our Reflection Day Will Touch upon.

 

The above-mentioned points are explained below.

 

• • • What is the 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day? 

 

The 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a continuity of the theme about self-protection by women and children and/or protection of women and children by others against future risks or crises or polycrises (like food, fuel and cost crises).  In this case, the risk or crisis is geo-economic confrontation.

The 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to think of the struggle these women and children have in face of geo-economic risk of confrontation.  Before going any further, let us try to understand geo-economic risk.

 

• • • • Understanding geo-economic risk

 

To comprehend geo-economic risk, we are going to recall what the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (6) states in one of its papers, which is

“Geo-economic risk denotes the risks associated with economics being used by states for power political objectives.  This not only affects US and Chinese companies, but reverberates throughout the networked global economy”.

To this basic understanding of geo-economic risk, we can add what Daniela Schwarzer (7) explains about geo-economics which is:

“What is at stake is securing influence outside of one’s own territory by using geo-economic instruments to reinforce one’s own power position.  To this end, governments are attempted to control data streams, financial and energy flows, and trade in industrial goods and other technologies”.

Taking the same line of reasoning, the World Economic Forum (8) recognises that

“Economic warfare is becoming a norm, with increasing clashes between global powers and state intervention in markets over the next two years”. (p. 7)

From the survey conducted by the same World Economic Forum, geo-economic confrontation is ranked third amongst the global risks ranked by severity over the short term; that is over a 2-year period.

Given this understanding of geo-economic risks and what is said about the geo-economic nature of globalisation, there could be a need to protect or think ways of protecting people, especially but not exclusively women and children in need, against any emerging damaging effects (such as risks of distrust and decoupling) from the intensive geo-economic weaponization.  Put it simply, a geo-economic risk or crisis can also affect the security of women and children in need.  One can think of how the interstate conflict or geo-military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine has harmful economic ramifications in the world to even reach and threaten economic security in Africa.  In this respect, our Reflection Day is also a day of economic security.

 

• • • •  What is economic security?

 

Economic security here has to be interpreted like what the International Committee of the Red Cross (9) argues about it as

“The ability of individuals, households or communities to cover their essential needs sustainably and with dignity.  This can vary according to an individual’s physical needs, the environment and prevailing cultural standards.  Food, basic shelter, clothing and hygiene qualify as essential need, as does the related expenditure; the essential assets needed to earn a living and the costs associated with health care and education also qualify”.

In our Reflection Day, we shall think of how the intensive use of geo-economic instruments in power competition can affect economic security of those in need, particularly but not exclusively women and children in need.

 

• • • What Will Happen during the 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

During the 13th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day, we will reflect on what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children in the contexts of increasing clashes between global powers and state intervention in markets over the next two years.

The day is also about finding solutions to economic insecurity through inspirations, new thoughts and ideas to mitigate harmful consequences of geo-economic weaponization.

 

• • • How the 13^th Edition of Our Reflection Day Will Be Run

 

This year, the 13th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run in hybrid fashion (that; it will be organised  in-person and virtual).

There will be a physical gathering for those who want it.  There will also be a virtual reflection.  In the case of virtual reflection, every participant will be reflecting from the location which is suitable for them (that is, like a virtual reality or remotely).

 

• • • What Areas of Thoughts Our Reflection Day Will Touch upon

 

During our reflection, we will try to think of following matters:

 

√ Effects of defensive economic policies on the welfare and wellbeing of women and children

√ Ways of building and improving self-sufficiency from geo-economic threats

√ Security vulnerabilities posed by economic interdependency to poor women and children 

√ Impacts of inefficient production and rising prices on women and children as a result of geo-economic warfare 

√ Ways of developing defensive geo-economic capabilities for women and children

√ Effects of geo-economic measures (like unilateral enforcement of trade tariff obligations, the stoppage of the dissemination of strategic knowledge, etc.) on educational and training opportunities for women and children of victimised countries

√ Learning lessons and development experiences about multi-domain conflicts and asymmetric economic welfare in terms of their effects on women and children in need

Etc.

 

The above is the main menu of our Reflection Day.  Besides this main menu, we shall have a side menu which is Reflection on the Effects of Geo-economic Confrontation on our Network for Protection and Community Security in the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

To support or join the Reflection Day on the Protection of Women and Children, please contact CENFACS.

After the References section of this post, we have appended a timeline about CENFACS’ Reflection Day for your information.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.unum.co.uk/employer/group-income-protection-insurance# (Accessed in April 2023)

(2) https://cipd.co.uk/knowldege/culture/well-being/employee-financial-well-being/in-work-poverty/introduction# (Accessed in April 2023)

(3) https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/Hick%20and%20Lanau%20_%20In-Work%20Poverty%20in%20the%20UK.pdf (Accessed in April 2023)

(4) https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-africa-stateless/2021/05/a69ef97c-nourrir-lemonstre-fr-final-small.pdf (Accessed in April 2023)

(5) https://fox-plan.com/docs/project-review/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(6) https://www.fiia.fi/en/publication/recognizing-geoeconomic-risk?read (Accessed in April 2023)

(7) https://berlinpolicyjournal.com/weaponizing-the-economy (Accessed in April 2023)

(8) https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(9) https://www.icrc.org/en/document/introduction-economic-security (Accessed in April 2023)

_________

 

• Appendix

 

• • Reflection Day Timeline

 

The Reflection Day is a day of thoughts by bringing together the two pillars of our network and protection programme, which are 3W and PPS.  Although they started in 2003, we only introduced a Reflection Day (RD) in them in 2011.

In 2016, we amalgamated 3W and PPS to become Women and Children projects as we noticed in some situations it was difficult to separate women’s and children’s needs.  Where their needs are separable or differentiated one to the other, we run either of the two brands (that is 3W and PPS) individually.  This is why these two brands of our network and protection are still alive despite their amalgamation.

The Reflection Day is a day of introspection to think in depth the ways forward for our systems of support network and protection for poverty relief and sustainable development in face of the current, new and emerging challenges ahead as well as the ever changing development landscape.

Since its inception, the following is the timeline of 3W and PPS

2011: Making Networking and Protection Even Better in 2011

2012: Raising Standards in Poverty Reduction for Improving Lives

2013: Place of Women and Children in the Post-2015 Development World (Part I)

2014: Women and Children in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda (Part II) – A Stock Taking Reflection Event

2015: Doing Business to Lift Women and Children out of Poverty

2016: Improving Digital Protection for the Extremely Digitally Poor Women and Children

2017: Reducing Information and Communication Poverty for Multi-dimensionally Poor Women and Children

2018: Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families

2019: Protection of Women and Children in War-torn Zones and Natural Disaster-stricken Areas

2020: Protection of Women and Children in Times of Health or Sanitary Crisis like Covid-19

2021: Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant in face of Future Risks and Crises

2022: Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis

For your information,

3W & PPS = Support Network and Protection for Poverty Relief and Development

Women and Children projects = amalgamation of 3W and PPS in 2016

3W (What Women Want) = a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance the lives of multi-dimensional deprived women and families

PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) = a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensional vulnerable children, young people and families

KNA (Keep the Net Alive) = a motto that helps to keep our networking for protection running.

For more information on 3W and PPS or Women and Children projects, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.  Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE 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 April 2023

 

Post No. 295

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2023 Issue: Finance for Holiday

• Protection Month – In Discussion for Week Beginning Monday 10/04/2023: Income Protection from Statutory Bodies

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2023 Issue: Finance for Holiday

 

The Spring 2023 Issue our ICDP (individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ is out now.  This Issue is an ultimate guide to fund and survive the Holiday Spending Season while contributing to avoiding financial stress during holiday.

This year, ‘Holiday with Relief’ 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; Easter holiday budget, work or school holiday budget and long Summer holiday budget).

This resource is packed with Spring-relieving ideas about how to reduce holiday poverty.  Although we are already in Easter holiday, the resource is still relevant for the rest of Easter holiday and can be used as a reference for future holidays.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided the content summaries about the key advice, tips and hints provided.  To enquire about the full 2023 Issue of Holiday with Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Protection Month – In Discussion for Week Beginning Monday 10/04/2023: Income Protection from Statutory Bodies

 

Normally, statutory bodies like the Government provide protection to their people as part of their regal duty.  This protection is what is stated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (1), which is:

“Protection encompasses all activities aimed at ensuring full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with human rights law, international humanitarian law (which applies in situations of armed conflict) and refugee law”.

Statutory bodies can also provide income protection to those who are eligible according to the criteria or terms and conditions determined by themselves.  Under the entitlement or means-tested criteria, the UK Government (as well as devolved government and local authorities in the UK) can provide income protection to those who need it.  This income protection benefit can includes statutory sick pay or benefits for people who are sick or disabled.  What kinds of income protection these people can ask for?

We are going to answer this question through the following items:

 

a) Types of income protection for benefit claimants

b) Practices and experiences of income protection creation ad innovation

c) Working with the community on Income Protection provided by Statutory Bodies.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Types of circumstances leading to income protection benefit claims

 

On the website of ‘citizensadvice.org.uk’ (2), it states that income protection seekers can claim benefits in the following circumstances:

 

~ If they have difficulty with everyday tasks or getting around

~ If they can’t work because they’re sick or disabled

~ If they are on a low income or they have no income.

 

• • Types of income protection benefits to claim

 

To the above-mentioned types of circumstances are related certain types of benefit.

If you have difficulty with everyday tasks or getting around, you can for example claim Personal Independence Payment if you are 16 or over and haven’t reached State Pension age.

If you can’t work because you are sick or disabled, you can for example apply for Employment and Support Allowance if your Statutory Sick Pay has ended.

If you are on a low income or you have no income, you can for example get Universal Credit.

Those in need of income protection can check the type of benefits relating to their circumstance at citizensadvice.org.uk.  For those who need help to check them, CENFACS can assist them.  Within each of these circumstances, there are types of income protection that people experiencing these circumstances can claim.  They can apply for the benefit related to their circumstance to Government income protection benefit agencies.  Beyond that income protection can be created and innovated.

 

• • Practices and experiences of income protection creation ad innovation

 

Like in the UK, there are many parts of the world that try to create and innovate income protection.  For example, in Europe there is a minimum income (3) which is ‘cash payments that help households who need it to bridge the gap to a certain income level to pay the bills and live a life in dignity’.  Likewise, there is what the World Bank (4) called universal basic income which is ‘a transfer that is provided universally, unconditionally, and in cash’.  Additionally, in some countries in Africa there have been direct dividend transfers of part of the money form the sale of oils, gas and minerals to the people, amongst them the poor ones.  Many of these transfers have been facilitated by the introduction of digital technologies to deliver fast and cheap income protection support.

Furthermore, during the coronavirus disaster many governments around the world including the UK Government created and innovated income protection by providing income protection to those who needed to cope with the enormous pressure and life-threatening impact of the disaster.  In Africa, governments put in place social and income protection and tax-benefit measures as well as cushioned against income losses to respond to the crisis.  Currently, the UK Government is subsiding the cost of energy for those households who cannot afford the soaring price of energy, as result of the cost-of-living crisis.

These examples and many more show that income protection can be created and innovated.  However, what is needed is long term solutions to income protection poverty.  Part of these solutions could be to research and innovate in terms of the links between income protection and inflation, between income protection and pensions, between income protection and minimum wage, etc.  In that process of searching for new solutions to income protection poverty, there is a need to work with the income protection poor people.

 

• • Working with the community on Income Protection Provided by Statutory Bodies

 

There is a number of ways that CENFACS can work with the members of its community to enhance their protection by accessing or improving the way they are trying to access income protection provided by the Government and or local authorities.  Amongst these ways of working with the members of our community to enhance their protection include the following:

 

√ Providing basic financial advice about the types of income protection benefit they can apply for and relating to their degree of eligibility 

√ Making income protection benefit enquiries on their behalf

√ Supporting them to make an application and apply online

√ Signposting them to specialists in income protection benefit 

√ Organising a drop-in sessions about income protection benefit

√ Running small and targeted income protection clinics for those in need

√ Helping them fill income protection benefit forms

√ Running a referral service on income protection matters for them

√ Advocating their income protection cases to services and organisations where they could be eligible

√ Keeping them informed, guided and updated about any changes in income protection benefit legislations

√ Translating and interpreting income protection benefit documents or materials

√ Motivating them to become independent from income protection benefit as a long term solution

Etc.

 

The above are just some of ways CENFACS could support the community regarding income protection benefit matter.  Part of support services or products is the basic financial advice product/service we can offer in terms of income protection.

Those who need help and support about basic financial advice on income protection and/or for any of the matters listed above falling within our capacity, they can contact CENFACS.  Those who may enquiry for any other income protection issue that is not listed above, they can still check with CENFACS if there could be any help.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

 

Each month, we set up a poverty reduction goal to meet.  For this month, our goal is to reduce poverty as a lack of income protection.

 

• • Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

 

The lack of income protection can be seen as an expression of poverty.  Those who have no income or not enough income to shield themselves from danger or cover against loss of money or keep themselves safe, can be seen as being poor.  They are poor because they cannot organise their own protection, which is a basic life-sustaining goods for any human beings.  So, reducing this type of poverty is not simply an act of filling income gaps.  It is instead a matter of meeting a human fundamental need.  Meeting such need can help tackling inequality and vulnerability that could have been created or exacerbated by the lack of income protection.

 

• • Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

 

There are ways of reducing poverty as a lack of income protection.  In practical terms, it means working with income protection poor to access or acquire income protection insurance.  For those income protection poor who are eligible to benefit, help could mean for them accessing and having their benefit claims or applications processed, accepted and income benefits granted to them.   For those income protection poor in employment, support could be about bridging the gap in income protection insurance.  In all, it is about making sure that the income protection poor are fully insured like others.

So, the above is our goal for the month which we hope will be shared by our supporters and audiences.  We therefore expect our supporters and audiences to work on this goal of the month by supporting those who may be suffering from poverty expressed as a lack of income protection.

For further details on the Goal of the Month and its selection procedure including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Help CENFACS Fight Together with You Poverty Induced by the Cost-of-Living Crisis this Spring Season

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 8: Monitoring Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Spring Project of Building Forward Better from Reinforcing Shocks in Africa (SPBFBRSA)

 

• Help CENFACS Fight Together with You Poverty Induced by the Cost-of-Living Crisis this Spring Season

 

You can donate or pledge or make a gift aid declaration to help CENFACS’ in its Charitable Response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis (CRCLC).

CRCLC is supporters’ contribution via CENFACS to the current effort to fight the cost-of-living crisis.

Any of the donations, pledges and gifts given will help those adversely impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

To support, just contact CENFACS by quoting or asking for the Charitable Response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis (CRCLC).

Thank you!

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 8: Monitoring Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

To count what is happening and happened to your Play, Run and Vote Projects, you need to monitor and track them.  Monitors or trackers will help you to do that.

 

• • What is monitoring your Play, Run and Vote Projects about?

 

It is the step during which you regularly observe and record the activities of your Play, Run and Vote Projects.  As part of this process, you will routinely and regularly collect information about the outcome of all aspects of your Play, Run and Vote Projects as the theory of monitoring suggests.  The monitoring exercise will help you to check your progress against your project plans.  You can plan specific dates for your project progression monitoring.  If your Play, Run and Vote Projects involve other participants; then you can ask them to tell you what they think about the projects.

 

 

• • Example of monitoring your All-year Round Projects

 

Let say you want to monitor your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa.  To monitor it, you will need…

 

~ to cover all the activities making your Run

~ to find out what all the participants think about your project

~ to know who take part in the run, their number and the frequency of their participation

~ to find the met and unmet needs

~ to identify the problems you encounter in the process of running your project

~ to figure out the resources needed for the project and the costs of running it

etc.

 

You need as well to keep all the records about the project and ask for the comments from anyone who gets involved with your Run Project.  You can do it on an outcome-monitoring sheet for effectiveness in the way you are collecting and keeping record.  An outcome-monitoring sheet can include any skills, any improvement in motivation and aspirations, any boost in confidence and self-esteem, etc. that you or your participants have gained or increased as a result of your project.

You need to record changes and effects as they happen.  You can keep notes of any success and failure about your project, the numbers of people involved in it and the numbers of those who benefited.

Please remember to make sure that the records you are keeping and the notes you are taking will help you to decide who is your Runner of Poverty Reduction in Africa 2023.

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

 

 

• 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 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, just contact CENFACS.

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Plan d’action pour la mise en œuvre de la protection en avril 2023

Pour mettre en œuvre la protection en avril 2023, nous avons sélectionné quatre notes clés, qui sont données dans le tableau ci-dessous.

Ces notes seraient élaborées à compter de tous les lundis d’avril 2023, comme prévu ci-dessus.

Pour plus de détails sur ces notes, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Holiday with Relief –

In Focus for Spring 2023 Issue: Finance for Holiday

 

Wondering how to finance your holiday and/or have a debt free holiday?  You have come to the right place as the following contents, tips and hints highlight it:

 

∝ What is Holiday with Relief (HwR)?

∝ What is the Focus for this Year’s HwR?

∝ For Whom this Resource is Designed  

∝ Reduction of Holiday Poverty

∝ Holiday Plan and Budget

∝ Ways of Financing Your Holiday

∝ Needing Help and Support to Finance Your Holiday.

 

Let us summarise these contents.

 

• • Content Summaries, Tips and Hints about Spring 2023 Holiday with Relief

 

• • • What is Holiday with Relief?

 

Holiday with Relief (HwR) is an awareness, preparedness and solutions focussed Resource to Manage Information over holidays (e.g. Easter and Summer holidays).

As an Information Manager, HwR is a set of life-changing tips and tricks to help and enable vulnerably unaware people to plan and have their holiday or break with confidence in taking into account all aspects of life and by making sure that key areas of those life aspects are not adversely affected.

 

• • • What is the Focus for this Year’s HwR?

 

The focus for HwR for this year is on Finance for Holiday.  It is about providing a set of life-enhancing tips and hints to support those who are looking for  simple but practical advice to fund their holiday plan and budget without getting into a holiday debt which they cannot afford.

 

 

• • • For Whom this Resource is Designed

 

This resource is primarily designed for the CENFACS Community members and those related to them.

The resource also caters for the following:

 

√ Those who are looking for some basic ideas about how to build holiday fund

√ Those who are searching for holiday funding schemes and programmes

√ Those who are willing to create affordable holiday plan and budget

√ Those having a high sensitivity of budget share to their household income

√ Disabled people and their carers

√ Those looking to raise money for their holiday trips

√ Those wanting to fund their respite break as disabled persons and their carers

√ Anyone interested in funding for holiday.

 

 

• • • Reduction of Holiday Poverty

 

This Spring Season, we shall find ways of working with the members of our community who are likely to face holiday poverty because of various circumstances but in particular due to the lack of means to enjoy a decent holiday, whether they stay at home or are away from their home.  We hope that working together with them will help them avoid holiday poverty trap or to exacerbate it.

Through this wealth of information contained in the ‘Holiday with Relief’, we will try together to tackle holiday poverty or poverty linked to the lack of means to enjoy a decent holiday whether at home or away from home.

 

 

• • • Holiday Plan and Budget

 

The starting point to plan your holiday is to have a plan for your holiday and a budget for it.

Regarding your holiday plan, you need to include the following: where to go if not staying at home, when to go, how to go, who to go with, where to stay, what to do, what to eat, when to return, etc.

Concerning your holiday budget, the theory recommends to take inventory or stock of last year’s holiday accounts.  In practice, you will use your last year’s holiday expenses and divide them by 12 to obtain the monthly amount of saving or spending you need to budget for the next holiday.  However, you should bear in mind that there are economic factors (like changes in interest rate, exchange rate, the cost of living, the cost of holidaying, etc. ) you should include when working your numbers.  You budget will be adjusted for these factors.  You could as well use an online holiday budget calculator to do it for you.

 

 

• • • Ways of Financing Your Holiday

 

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)

√ 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 food 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 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

√ 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 suitable for them.  In this identification, we shall make sure that they find positive coping strategies to fund their holiday.

 

 

• • • Needing Help and Support to Finance Your Holiday

 

CENFACS can work with the members of its community to find ways of financing their holiday.  We can guide them/you to find financial help for holidaying.  We can arrange for them/you to speak to specialists around funding holiday for vulnerable people.  We can as well signpost them/you to organisations offering holiday funding service to those in need.

Additionally, there are charities and voluntary organisations that can help around holiday matters such as

∝ paying for a holiday via financial support for holidays

∝ finding the right holiday for families with a member with a chronic condition

∝ finding a break and or respite.

Amongst these organisations are the Family Fund, Turn2Us, Happy Days Children’s Charity, Revitalise, etc.

We hope that the above content summaries will provide a succinct idea about this year’s Issue of Holiday with Relief.  For those users who would like to dive into Finance for Holiday, we can provide them with online and print resources (e.g., a list of organisations providing holidaying support for those in need) relating to Finance for Holiday.

To support Finance for Holiday and get the full Spring 2023 Issue of ICDP Resource (Holiday with Relief), please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.unocha.org/Sites/dms/Documents/120405%20ooM%Protection%20final%20draft.pdf (Accessed in April 2023)

(2) https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/benefits-for-people-who-are-sick-or-disabled/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(3) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_5706 (Accessed in April 2023)

(4) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialprotection/publication/exploring-universal-basic-income-a-guide-to-navigating-concepts-evidence-and-practices# (Accessed in April 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 April 2023

 

Post No. 294

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Protection in the Context of Falling Real Household Disposable Income

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation (TCPSACI) with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2) and the High Seas Treaty

• Activity/Task 4 of the ‘i‘ Project: Influence Protection

 

…And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Protection in the Context of Falling Real Household Disposable Income

 

This month, our protection work will focus on ways of finding and or enhancing the means, tools and policies to protect incomes and income poor households.  Many of income poor households have problem to meet their living expenses. They live at or below the extreme poverty line of $2.15 person per day (based on 2017 purchasing power parities) and or do not simply have earned income to be independent.  Adding to their lack of or very limited level of income, there has been a succession of crises (like climate crisis, the coronavirus disaster and the cost-of-living crisis) with cumulative adverse effects.   These crises together with their negative effects have made their income situation even worse in living memory.  It has been catastrophic for those who do have not solvable income to survive or those living at/below the extreme poverty line or those who always have income problem.  The majority of them have their purchasing power falling while the prices and bills for life-sustaining services and goods keep on climbing.

In this painful context of soaring prices and bills, there is a pressing and urgent need to protect falling real household disposable income.  Protecting falling real household disposable income is about taking actions to stop incomes falling.  This could mean either the income poor households do it by themselves (via self-protection) or someone else do it for them or even they partly do it and others partly do it for them.  These are the possible options for them.

The income protection options that we will be working on during this Month of Protection within CENFACS are the most commonly known about income protection for the poor households.  However, we shall not stop at these conventional options.  Throughout the month of April 2023, we are going to try to go beyond these generic or classic recipes of income protection to explore new and innovative ways of approaching income protection for the poor; ways that reflect the kinds of context or circumstances we have today and will be having tomorrow.  Today, we are in the context of skyrocketing prices and bills at a rate and pace that no income poor household can match or follow.  Tomorrow, there could be different types of challenges or crises with damaging effects on poor household income.

Both the generic or classical solutions to falling incomes and new approaches are highlighted in our April 2023 action plan to work with the income poor households to protect their falling purchasing power.  To find more about this action plan and what is likely to be the Month of Protection within CENFACS, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation (TCPSACI) with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2) and the High Seas Treaty

 

Last month, we started the planning process of the 2023 Climate Talks Follow-up.  We informed you that the slogan for this 2023 follow-up would be: Dubai Raise Children’s Ambitions and Hopes. 

Consisted of the 2023 Climate Talks Follow-up is our plan to engage with the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1), which will be convened in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from 30 November to 12 December 2023.  This engagement or follow up will contribute to TCPSACI.

We hope that the coming Dubai climate gathering will raise climate ambitions and hopes for children.  Let us also expect that the voices of youth and future generations will resonate during COP28 as they were included in COP27, and youth-led solutions to climate change will find accommodation in COP28.

Besides the planning process of the 2023 Climate Talks Follow-up, we are reflecting on the High Seas Treaty.

 

• • What is the High Seas Treaty?

 

Last month, the United Nations (2) reached an historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters.  This agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (also known as BBNJ or the High Seas Treaty for others) is about ensuring the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas of beyond national jurisdiction.  It is the ocean-related goals and targets linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  We are working on the contents of this agreement or treaty.

 

• • TCPSACI and the High Seas Treaty 

 

We are working on how the stoppage of the destructive trends facing ocean health can enhance climate protection and stake for children and generations to come.  In other words, we are looking at how a healthier, resilient and productive ocean can benefit the current and future generations since the ocean provides water, food, oxygen and climate regulation.

For those who are interested in this piece of work or are doing similar work and would like to talk to us about it, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

For those who have any queries about the 2023 Climate Talks Follow-up and the Phase 3.2, they are free to get in touch with CENFACS.

To find out more about CENFACS’ Compendia of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy, please also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Activity/Task 4 of the ‘i‘ Project: Influence Protection

 

This month’s activity or task for the ‘i‘ project is to positively influence protection of the poor, the victims of war and natural disasters as well as the victims of other risks, shocks and crises.

 

• • What is positively influencing protection about?

 

It is about maximising the power that persons or factors have to affect target audiences (e.g., those looking for shelter, refuge, cover, safety, care, food, health, etc.) shielding from danger (like homelessness, hunger, insecurity, violence, natural calamity, health disaster, etc.).  This can be in local community matter and/or overseas humanitarian aid situation where the protection of the vulnerable, unprotected and events-stricken people and communities is highly regarded and demanded.

 

• • What one can do to create and or enhance protection of the poor

 

To create and or enhance protection of the poor, one needs to understand the contextual situation of those who need protection, identify the problems they are facing, find out who have the power to achieve change and explore the way of achieving change.

In this task, it is better to use evidence-based materials to positively influence those who have the power to protect the poor.  One can also use a simple and persuasive story and engage those who hold the key to the lack of or less protection of the poor, those who are in the position to do something about poverty.   One can use their experience to the real world policy influencing techniques or methods, conduct evidence-informed policy change, and utilise their alliances and networks so that those in need of protection can have it and navigate their way out of poverty linked to the lack of or less protection.

For those members of our community who would like to positively influence protection with us, and who would like to talk to us beforehand; they should not hesitate to contact us.

To contact CENFACS, please use the details provided on the contact-us page of this site.

 

Extra Messages

 

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

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 7: Implementing your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discusses Protection for Women and Children in Africa

 

 

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

 

CENFACS e-Store is opened for your Easter 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 incomes are less for many of those living in poverty.

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

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

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

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

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

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

√ DONATE unwanted Easter GOODS, GIFTS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS Charity e-Store this April and Spring.

√ SHOP at CENFACS Charity e-Store to support good and deserving causes of poverty relief this April and Spring.

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

This is what the Season of Giving is all about.

Please do not hesitate to donate goods or purchase what is available at CENFACS 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/

 

 

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

Step/Workshop 7: Implementing your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

After making the organisational structure of your chosen Play, Run and Vote Projects, it is now the time to proceed with the Implementation Step.

 

• • What is an Implementation Step?

 

There are many definitions within the literature about project implementation.  One of them comes from ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ (3) which states that

“Project implementation is a practice of executing or carrying out a project under a certain plan in order to complete this project and produce desired results”.

The above definition indicates that one needs an implementation plan.  As an all-year-round project implementor, you can draw up your implementation plan that shows the way you would like to execute and carry out your project.

Having said that Project Implementation is the step you put your project plan into action.  You want your all-year-round project to fulfil and accomplish the goals and objectives you have set up for it.  It is also the phase during which you can register, review and approve/reject any changes and variations.  As an all-year-round project manager of your project, you need to coordinate all project aspects and resources to meet the objectives of the project plan.  One of the aspects of the project implementation is change control.

 

• • What is Change Control in a Project implementation Process? 

 

Drawing from what ‘ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub’ (4) states,

“It is a set of procedures that lets you make changes in an organised way”.

The same ‘ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub’ explains this:

“If you find a problem,… you will need to look at how it affects the triple constraint (time, cost, scope) and how it impacts the project quality… If you evaluate the impact of the change and find it won’t have an impact on the project triple constraint, then you can make the change without going through change control”.

 

 

• • An Example of Implementing your All-year Round Projects

 

Let us take the example of Voting your 2023 International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager.

Your goal is to find a person who will meet the managerial qualities of such a position.  Amongst the objectives are the design of a job description and person specification that match with the profile of your ideal International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager of the Year.

In project implementation jargon, you will put approved plan into practice to proceed with the selection of your International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager of the Year.  He/she must meet your selection criteria.  If you are voting as a group, you could set up a selection panel or recruitment board like you will do it for real job interview.  You can start by shortlisting 12 candidates, cutting down your list to 6, then to 3 until you reach/vote the last one, who has scored the best and most results of your jury questions and responded to most criteria.

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

 

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discusses Protection of and for Women and Children in Africa

 

How to avoid overlapping crises lead to the reversal of the hard-won gains made on protection and development for women and children in Africa

 

The first debate of the Month of Protection within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum of Ideas and Actions will be about finding sustainable paths to preserve the hard-won gains on the road of protection of and for women and children in Africa.  Indeed, the overlapping crises (like the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, Russia-Ukraine conflict, the cost-of-living crisis, civil insecurity, etc.) have led to multiple adverse consequences across Africa.

Amongst the ripple effects are declining revenue for many States, rising debts, tightening of fiscal manoeuvre, worsening terms of trade, erosion of decades of development gains, increased poverty and economic hardships, in brief looming economic crisis.  These crises and damaging consequences are threatening, if not destroying, many of established lives and the hard-won achievements made such as poverty reduction, protection of women and children and so on.  They have reverberated in every aspect of life and resulted in increased inequalities and vulnerabilities in Africa.  As we all know quite often women and children are the ones who often bear the brunt of these types of crises and damaging consequences.

There could be ways of stopping or avoiding that crises hamper the hard-won gains made on protection of and for women and children in Africa.  In the first discussion of the CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum of Ideas and Actions, we shall carry out the following:

a) Explore ways of protecting and consolidating the achievements made in terms of protection of and for women and children in Africa

b) Think of ways of keeping protection for African women and children resilient and ring-fencing in face of the threats and risks from congruent effects of overlapping shocks that Africa is going through right now

c) Investigate the best way of growing protection beyond and despite the damaging consequences of these current overlapping and future shocks.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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 engage with the CENFACS‘ be.Africa Forum of Ideas and Actions and share what they know and think about protection of and for women and children in Africa in challenging times like now, please contact us by using our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Magasinez à la boutique en ligne Zéro déchet du CENFACS pendant la saison des dons de Pâques

La boutique en ligne du CENFACS est ouverte pour vos dons de produits de Pâques et vos achats de biens.

À l’heure actuelle, de nombreuses personnes ont été touchées par la crise du coût de la vie, principalement en raison de la hausse des prix des produits de première nécessité (énergie, nourriture, transport, logement, taxe d’habitation, téléphone, etc.).

Les impacté(e)s de la crise du coût de la vie ont besoin d’aide et de soutien, car les prix et les factures ont augmenté de façon astronomique alors que les revenus réels sont moindres pour beaucoup de ceux ou celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté.

Chaque saison ou chaque mois est l’occasion de faire quelque chose contre la pauvreté et les difficultés.  Ce mois d’avril aussi est un bon et excellent mois de l’année pour le faire.

Vous pouvez faire don ou recycler vos biens non désirés et inutiles à la boutique en ligne caritative du CENFACS, la boutique zéro déchet conçue pour aider à soulager la pauvreté et les difficultés.

Vous pouvez également acheter des biens d’occasion et des articles neufs à prix avantageux et bien plus encore.

La boutique en ligne caritative du CENFACS a besoin de votre soutien pour les ACHATS et les DONS MARCHANDISES.

Vous pouvez faire quelque chose de différent cette saison des dons de biens en MAGASINANT ou en DONNANT DES BIENS à la boutique en ligne de charité CENFACS.

Vous pouvez FAIRE UN DON ou ACHETER ou faire les deux:

√ DONNEZ des BIENS, CADEAUX et PRODUITS de Pâques indésirables à la boutique en ligne de la Charité CENFACS en avril et au printemps;

√ ACHETEZ à la boutique en ligne de charité CENFACS pour soutenir les bonnes et méritantes causes de lutte contre la pauvreté en avril et au printemps.

Vos ACHATS et/ou DONS DE BIENS aideront à l’entretien de la nature et à réduire la pauvreté et les difficultés causées par la crise du coût de la vie.

C’est ce qu’est la saison du don.

N’hésitez pas à faire un don ou à acheter ce qui est disponible sur la boutique en ligne du CENFACS.

De nombreuses vies ont été menacées et détruites par la crise du coût de la vie. 

Nous avons besoin d’aide pour les aider à sortir de la pauvreté et des difficultés causées par la crise du coût de la vie.

Pour faire un don ou acheter des biens, veuillez vous rendre à : http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

Main Development

 

• Protection in the Context of Falling Real Household Disposable Income

 

The following items will help to approach Protection in the Context of Falling Real Household Disposable Income:

 

σ Basic Understanding of Real Household Disposable Income

σ Falls in Real Household Disposable Incomes

σ Income Protection

σ Identified Areas of Protection Work and Households to Work with in this April 2023

σ Action Plan for the Implementation of Protection this April 2023

σ Week Beginning Monday 03/04/2023: Income Protection through Savings 

σ Other Areas of Protection: e.g., Protection of Flora and Fauna.

 

Let us briefly explain each of the above items making Protection in the Context of Falling Real Household Disposable Income.

 

• • Basic Understanding of Real Household Disposable Income

 

Disposable income is defined by Christopher Pass et al. (5) as

“The amount of income which a person has available after paying INCOME TAX, NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS and PENSION contributions” (p. 181)

However, disposable income needs adjustment for inflation.  After being adjusted for inflation, disposable income becomes real.  The website ‘tutor2u.net’ (6) explains that

“Real disposable income is the post tax and benefit income available to households after an adjustment has been made for price changes”.

In other words, changes in prices of goods and services can lead to the increase or fall in real household disposable incomes.  In the context of this post, we are dealing with fall in real household disposable incomes.

 

 

• • Falls in real household disposable incomes

 

In recent years, prices and bills keep on rising while real household disposable incomes have failed to match this rising trend.  That is to say, incomes are not fully index-linked to keep pace with inflation.

To highlight this fall, the website ‘finder.com’ (7) has revealed that

“The average British adult has £866 in disposable income a month in 2022, which is a reduction of £23 a month from 2020 (£889).  Total monthly living costs on average have reached £1,125 with the average rent price being £437 and the average essential spending costs at £688 a month”.

Likewise, the Resolution Foundation (8) found that

“2022 was a year of double-digit inflation that drove a 3.3 per cent – or £800 per household – hit to real disposable incomes, the biggest annual fall in Century”.

The same Resolution Foundation forecasted that

“Household income falls in 2023 will be 3.8 per cent or £880 per household as big as those seen in 2022”.

As a result, living standards are unchanged or getting worse.

According to the Office for National Statistics (9),

“Median household disposable income in the UK was £32, 300 in the financial year ending (FYE) 2022, a decrease of 0.6% from FYE 2021, based on estimates from the Office for Natural Statistics Household Finances Survey… Median disposable income for the poorest fifth of the population decreased by 3.8% to £14,500 in FYE 2022; reductions were also observed in main original income and cash benefits”.

Also, the Office for National Statistics (10) argues that

“The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 9.2% in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 8.8% in January”.   This CPIH figure was released on 22 March.  The next release will be on 19 April 2023.  Yet, the consumer price inflation in the UK was 6.2% in March 2022.

Similarly, the figure released on 22 March 2023 by the Bank of England (11) for the current bank rate was 4.25%, whereas the bank rate was 0.75% in March 2022.

Moreover, The Food Foundation (12) states that

“The percentage of households with children who are experiencing food insecurity was 25.8% in September 2022”.

This percentage of households with food insecure children could be another way of perceiving the fall in real household disposable income.

In meantime, bills like council tax, rent, telephone, transport, etc. have also risen.  Although the energy price is capped at £2,500 on the average household energy bill, we are still waiting for the next policy announcement by the UK’s independent energy regulator, Ofgem, on 26 May 2023.

So, real disposable incomes for poor households have not risen to match the raising trends from bills and prices.  This is despite income support has been given to those who are eligible.  This mismatch between their real incomes and rising prices and bills can only lead to falling real household disposable incomes.

Falling real household disposable incomes can cause serious harms to households, especially to the poorest.  This is why protection is needed to protect their incomes.

 

• • Income Protection

 

The kind of protection we are talking about is of income.  What is income protection?  Income protection can be viewed from many perspectives (economic, climate finance, governmental, insurance, etc.).  Many of the definitions within the literature  have a common ground as they take the insurance view of income protection.  Amongst these definitions is the one provided by ‘which.co.uk’ (13) which states that

“Formerly known as permanent health insurance, income protection is an insurance policy that pays out if you’re unable to work because of injury or illness.  It is there to help you pay your household bills, mortgage payments, credit card and everyday costs that you can no longer cover”.

However, for income protection to be relevant it has to be index-linked.  Index-linked income protection is the one you add an index-link to the income protection.  In other words, income protection rises with a measure of inflation (such as the consumer prices index or the retail prices index), each year.  Adding an inflationary index-link will obviously increase the premium each year.

Yet, the kinds of households we are dealing with may or may not be able to buy income protection insurance since they cannot afford it.  If so, then what is income protection for them? How can we innovate in terms of income protection for the poor households?  Can income protection be conceived outside the framework of insurance policy?  The answers to these three questions will be provided as we move along our protection notes of the month.

 

• • Identified Areas of Protection Work and People to Work with in this April 2023

 

Following some basic research relating to income protection for the poor households, we have identified the following areas and households to work with.

 

• • • Identified areas of protection work

 

We have identified four areas of work on income protection which are as follows:

 

a) Income protection from savings made by households

b) Income protection from statutory bodies like the Government

c) Income protection provided by employers or employer-sponsored income protection plan

d) Income protection sold by insurance companies or organisations.

In the plan for the implementation of protection this April 2023, we will consider the above-stated areas of protection.

 

• • • Households to work with for April 2023 Protection

 

We will be working with the following households needing support to protect their real disposable income:

 

√ Households unable to purchase income protection insurance 

√ Those having savings but without income protection policy

√ Those looking for support to improve their  income protection policy

√ Those grappling with a reduced income and struggling with bills and prices

√  Those who need income protection to deal with the cost-of-living crisis

√  The severely impacted by inflation (both imported and domestic inflation)

√  Those with less or low real disposable income

√  Those having less flexibility in their household protection budget

√  The income poor households

√  Those extreme poor households or living at or below the extreme poverty line

√  The food and energy poor households

√  Households incapacitated by multi-crises 

√  The other poor and vulnerable households

Etc.

 

Many of these households we have listed could fall under these categories:

 

~ those looking for a cover on sick pay

~ those searching for savings to protect themselves

~ those surviving on government benefit or support

~ those supported by families or relatives.

 

To better work with them, an action plan is needed.

 

• • Action Plan for the Implementation of Protection this April 2023

 

To implement protection this April 2023, we have selected four key notes, which are given in the table below.

 

 

These notes will be developed starting every Mondays of April 2023 as scheduled above.

Also, this plan of protection needs to be combined with the Preview of Projects and Programmes for Spring Relief 2023 (which we released on the 15th of March 2023 in our Post No. 291).

Besides these selected notes and areas of protection, we would like to keep on working on other areas that need particular attention too, like protection of flora and fauna.

Before summarising these other areas of protection, let us look at the first selected key note of our plan, which is Income Protection through Savings.

 

 

• • Week Beginning Monday 03/04/2023: Income Protection through Savings 

 

Households can use their savings (or a portion of their income that is not used for consumption or paying taxes) to protect them from any unexpected expenses, loss of job, sickness, retirement, etc.  In order to do that they need to create a savings plan that can match their protection plan.

 

 

• • • Savings plan

 

The website ‘bitpanda.com’ (14) explains that

“A savings plan is useful if you want to establish an emergency fund for unforeseen expenses… It involves putting aside a portion of your income over a fixed period of time in order to reach a specific financial goal”.

To set up savings safety net by building an emergency fund, the theory on the matter states that your emergency fund needs to be equivalent to at least three months’ salary or essential outgoings available in an instant-access savings account.

You can use high-yield-savings account or money market account or savings bond or a certificate of deposit to create your savings.  The practice suggests to save money using easy-access accounts or fixed-term savings account.

However, setting money aside as savings or sinking funds on a regular basis could be harder even impossible for extremely poor households.  In other words, they cannot afford to buy savings plan.  But, having a financial plan or saving can help in the wake of an emergency or unpredictable time.  Likewise, having a protection plan could be life-saving.

Although it could be difficult or impossible for poor households to save money to take out income protection plan, there could be ways of working with them in order to explore ways of supporting them in case of emergency or unpredictability.

 

• • Ways in which CENFACS Can Work with the Community regarding Savings and Income Protection

 

There is a number of ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to boost their income protection to deal with the bad times.  These ways of working together include the following ones:

 

√ Setting up a basic protection plan

√ Building a simple realistic savings plan

√ Getting informed about the current and near-future opportunities to save money

√ Providing them with leads to savings for the poor

√ Advising them on the best possible options to create savings or to move in the direction of savings road

√ Explaining them the savings products and tools offered on the market (like high-yield-savings account, money market account, savings bond or certificate of deposit offered by some financial institutions and banks)

√ Recommending them digital solutions to their savings problems (e.g. online saving plan calculator) 

√ Working with them to restructure their accounts to create financial space for savings 

√ Adding an inflationary index-link to their income protection plan

√ Helping them to read and understand savings and financial information 

√ Advising them on how to react and prepare from financial news, warnings, notices and alert messages about savings and income protection 

√ Developing the basic financial skills to interpret the impact of economic indicators (like inflation, interest rate, exchange rate, etc.) on savings

√ Building their financial literacy statistics and numeracy skills to enable them to read financial information pages about savings (e.g. charts, tables, in brief infographics about savings)

√ Organising activities or workshops to help them integrate savings habit 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 savings plans)

√ Motivating them to follow news and information about savings and income protection

√ Asking them to subscribe to free providers of savings and income protection information that touches their life (e.g. free subscription to magazines, papers and websites that provide information about savings and income protection for poor households)

Etc.

 

All these ways of working with the community will help to protect them and their income.  This is because the more informed they are, the more they will find the tools, tips and hints they need in order to create savings or to be on the road to create savings.  It is all about working with them to improve the way they can create and manage their income and life in order to overcome future emergencies and unpredictability.

 

• • Other Areas of Protection

 

There are many areas that will be highlighted and on which we will be working.  One of them is protection of flora and fauna.

 

• • • Protection of flora and fauna 

 

This month, we shall as well revisit progress made so far in protecting animals and plants.  We shall do it by recalling our Build Forward Better Flora and Fauna Projects, which were one of our last XI Starting Campaign and Projects for Autumn.

Indeed, we continue to advocate for the protection of animals (fauna) in Africa and elsewhere in developing world whereby animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some species are at the brink of disappearing.

We are as well extending our advocacy to other species in danger like trees, plans and flowers (flora).  It is about building forward these species that are threatened with extinction.

To advocate and raise your voice to protect and build forward better endangered plant and animal species, contact CENFACS.

For any further details about CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.cop28.com/en/ (Accessed in February 2023)

(2) https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/1134157 (Accessed in April 2023)

(3) www.taskmanagementguide.com/glossary/what-is-project-implementation.php (Accessed in April 2023)

(4) https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-17-project-implementation-overview-project-management/ (Accessed in April 2023)

(5) Pass, C., Lowes, B., Pendleton, A. & Chadwick, L. (1991), Collins Dictionary of Business, HarperCollinsPublishers, Glasgow

(6) https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/blog/s-macro-key-term-real-disposable-income (Accessed in March 2023)

(7) https://www.finder.com/uk/disposable-income-around-the-uk# (Accessed in March 2023

(8) https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/new-years-outlook-2023/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(9) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2022/previous/v1 (Accessed in April 2023)

(10) https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices (Accessed in March 2023)

(11) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy-summary-and-minutes/2023/march-2023?trk=public-post-comment-text (Accessed in April 2023)

(12) https://www.foodfoundation.org.uk/publications/new-data-show-4-million-children-households-affected-food-insecurity (Accessed in April 2023)

(13) https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/life-insurance-and-protection/income-protection-explained-asH217E3fIZQ# (Accessed in April 2023)

(14) https://www.bitpanda.com/academy/en/lessons/what-it-a-savings-plan/ (Accessed in April 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!

29 March 2023

 

Post No. 293

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023

• Debt Reduction Advocacy

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discusses Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023

 

Any action to be successful needs impact monitoring and evaluation to know that it has been executed as planned and the changes that may happen over time as a result of this action.  It requires monitoring to regularly collect and record information.  It demands some measures of change from the services and facilities that have been delivered.  It necessitates a value judgement on the information gathered during the project.  Our Climate Actions 2023 will not escape from these basic principles of project planning cycle.

To monitor our climate actions (Climate Actions 2023), we have been routinely gathering information on all aspects of the climate actions conducted.  We are examining what these actions have achieved or will achieve in relation to the aims and objectives we set up for them, in particular in terms of the theme of ‘Making Carbon Markets Work for the Poor‘.  This monitoring has enabled us to keep an eye on the progress made so far.  In our approach to monitoring and evaluation for impact, we included four actions into our Climate Actions 2023, which are as follows:

a) Make Opportunities in Carbon Trading Reach the Poor (Action 1)

b) Influence Voluntary Carbon Markets Foster Sustainable Livelihoods for Poor Communities (Action 2)

c) Induce Carbon Markets to Be Part of Recovery from the Polycrisis (Action 3)

d) Invest in Carbon Credit Markets that Accelerate Climate Action for the Poor (Action 4).

Besides this monitoring activity, we are as well conducting evaluation for learning purpose.  To evaluate the data collected, we are involving participants to our Climate Actions March 2023.  This evaluation will help us to learn something from these actions.  It will also assist to check the actual outcomes against the objectives we set up for climate actions.  When this evaluation for learning is completed, we shall carry out an impact evaluation to find out how working with the community would have some influences in the long term on their climate action.

One of the monitoring and evaluation indicators/tools we are using is to collect the views from those who have been acting with us and/or those who have been following us.  In this respect, we would like to ask them to tell us their feelings about the four climate actions taken.

The findings from the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023 will not be available this month as we are still working on them.  However, for those who would like to know more about the way in which we are conducting (the process of) the Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023, they can read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Debt Reduction Advocacy

 

Debt Reduction Advocacy (DRA) is one the CENFACS initiatives planned for the Light Season 2023 which ended last week.  DRA takes stock of our February 2022 work on debt sustainability for the highly indebted poor households, work which includes debt financing, debt relief, debt restructuring and debt distress.  In other words, it includes many aspects of debt sustainability work, particularly the debt relief aspect, we carried out in February 2022.  We have chosen this time to launch it as many types of support people are receiving are nearing their ends.  Yet, prices (especially of food, money and other essentials) and bills (like rent, council tax, transport, etc.) continue to rise.  Rising prices and bills can only mean more pressure of all kinds on debtors and borrowers.  But, what is DRA?

 

• • Meaning of DRA

 

DRA is about taking action to create change in the direction of reduction of the money owed by the poor, especially at this time of the business cycle during which the cost-of-living crisis is not showing any sign of calming.  DRA reactivates the debt relief work we did.

Indeed, the cumulative effects of crises (like the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change catastrophe, etc.) have put enormous financial pressure on poor people, families and households.  Those who are already indebted within our community in the UK and the communities making our Africa-based Sister Organisations can only feel the pinch even harder.  Perhaps, the way to understand the debt situation they are in, the following figures can help to elucidate the matter.

 

• • Debt Statistics

 

The following debt statistics covered both the UK and Africa.

 

• • • Debt Statistics for UK

 

Regarding the debt situation in the UK, when working out household debt as a percentage of disposable income the ‘commonslibrary.parliament.uk’ (1) states that

“The debt-to-income ratio rose [again] to 136.3% by mid-2017, in Q3 [third quarter] 2022 it was 133.8%”.

Household debt can be understood in the way the ‘data.oecd.org’ (2) defines it as

“All liabilities (including non-profit institutions serving households) that require payments of interest or principal by households to creditors at fixed dates in the future”.

Likewise, according to ‘themoneycharity.org.uk’ (3),

“Total unsecured debt per UK adult in December 2022 was £3,914…

Average total debt per UK household in November 2022 was £65,914″.

Additionally, the website ‘moneynerd.co.uk’ (4) explains that

“In the UK alone, the personal average total debt is [was] £33,410 in March 2022, which is [was] a rise of £1,767 since 2020.  That equates [equated] to around 107% of average earnings per adult”.

The above mentioned figures also relate to the members of our community living in the UK.

 

• • • Debt Statistics for Africa

 

Concerning Africa’s debt, the website ‘data.one.org’ (5) asserts that

“21 countries in Africa are in, or at risk of, debt distress (58% of assessed countries);

African countries owe US$644.9 billion to external creditors as of 2021;

African countries will pay US$68.9 billion in debt service in 2023;

Debt owed by African countries is equivalent to 24.1% of their combined Gross Domestic Product in 2021″.

Additionally, many African countries (like Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, etc.) are listed as having debt crises among the top five risks identified by the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Executive Opinion Surrey (6).

Much of Africa’s debt is non-concessional and owned by China and private creditors.  Africa’s total debt translated into debt per head/inhabitant or per African household can tell you the story of poverty and of those people, families and households in need.  It is a challenging story of how our Africa-based Sister Organisations can help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the context of highly indebted project beneficiaries.  So, it makes sense to take action to create financial change to recovery from debt should one needs to continue to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.

 

• • Taking action to create debt reduction

 

To take action to create change about debt, one may need to understand debt reduction.  As ‘alleviatefinancial.com’ (7) puts it:

“Debt reduction, also known as debt relief, is the process of coming up with a plan to manage debt that you are no longer able to manage on your own.  The goal of debt reduction is to help you reduce or eliminate your debt in a quicker and more convenient manner”.

The website ‘lawinsider.com’ (8) argues that

“Debt relief means the release of the outstanding debt.  [It also] means the reduction of debt for consideration that is less than the face value of the debt”.

There are different types of debt reduction which include debt settlements, debt consolidation, credit counselling, refinancing and bankruptcy.

Knowing what is debt reduction, it is possible to take action to create change on debt.

 

• • • Actions to create change for the highly indebted poor 

 

There is an urgent need to take action to create and sustain better change for the highly indebted poor people, families and households (HIPPFH).  What change can be done to support them?

By working together with the community members and Africa-based Sister Organisations, we can together take the following actions:

 

√ Speak truth to power about debt owed by the HIPPFH

√ Select debt relief services that really help the poor 

√ Outsource debt relief assistance services that are relevant to our members’ needs and priorities

√ Source information and explore a better a way of dealing with debt relief for Africa-based Sister Organisations working on debt reduction issue

√ Find way of lowering their debt to sustainable or life-saving levels 

√ To formulate a strategy to reduce both debts and poverty

√ To incorporate their debt relief plans into Zero Income Deficit policy

√ To advocate the HIPPFH’s cases to be eligible to the forgiveness of a legal obligation, in whole or in part, of debt repayment.

 

Briefly and finally, our work with HIPPFH would not be about reducing debts, but helping them to help themselves so that debt reduction can lead them towards poverty reduction.  In other words, debt reduction for HIPPFH would not just be a pain killer, but a road/journey to poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Debt reduction for HIPPFH should be about putting first people – the HIPPFH – at the centre of the economics of debt reduction.

For any queries and enquiries about CENFACS‘ Debt Reduction Advocacy, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Discusses Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa

 

This week, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa.  This debate or discussion is part of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme for those who would like to not-for-profit invest in Africa for impact.  In other words, the discussion is about how not-for-profit investors can create and sustain an impact through their investments.  To positively contribute to this discussion, one may need to understand what is investing for impact.

 

• • Impact Investing

 

There are many definitions within the literature about impact investing.  For the purpose of this debate, we have selected the definition provided by ‘evpa.ngo’ (9) 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’ (10) 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.

 

• • Engaging with CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum about Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa

 

By referring to the above stated definition and characteristics, one can engage with the CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum to share what they know and think about Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa.  Alternatively, one can use their own definition of impact investing to participate to the discussion.

The outcome from this discussion will be included in CENFACS’ Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investing for impact in Africa and support prospective not-for-profit investors who are not fully aware about impact not-for-profit investing.  Amongst these not-for-profit investors, are those who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in some of our Africa-based Sister Organisations.

Those who may be interested in this discussion, they can contact CENFACS to join in and or contribute.

To engage with the CENFACS‘ be.Africa Forum and share what they know and think about Not-for-profit Investing for Impact in Africa, please contact us by using our usual contact details on this website.

 

Extra Messages

 

• The Season’s Goal: Reduction of Holiday Poverty or Poverty Linked to the Lack of Means to Enjoy a Decent Holiday Whether at Home or Away from Home.

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 6: Starting the Organisation of your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign

 

 

• The Season’s Goal: Reduction of Holiday Poverty or Poverty Linked to the Lack of Means to Enjoy a Decent Holiday Whether at Home or Away from Home.

 

This Spring 2023, our poverty reduction goal is to work with holiday poor people to explore ways of reducing and possibly ending poverty and hardships they may experience during any holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter or Summer holidays). 

 

• • Working with the Holiday Poor

 

How many times we hear stories or worries about how for example kids will face hunger during holiday or there is no much to do for them during holiday or they will go into violence because of lack of opportunity during holiday.  Stories, news and worries like these are not the ones we want to hear.  We would like to hear great moving stories about kids and all the people making our community doing great things.  To stop this type of poverty to happen or exacerbate, one needs to act.

This Spring Season, we shall find ways of working with those individuals, families and households in our community who are likely to face holiday poverty because of various circumstances, but in particular because of lack of means to enjoy a decent holiday whether they stay at home or are away from their home.  We hope that working together with them will help them avoid holiday poverty trap or to exacerbate it.

So, the above is our selected goal for this Spring Season.

 

• • Implications for Selecting Spring Season’s Goal

 

There are implications once a goal has been identified and selected.  Concerning our selected Spring Season’s Goal, its selection implies to us to make sure that we apply it in our real life.  We also expect our supporters and audiences to work on the same chosen goal by supporting those who may be suffering from the type of poverty linked to the goal for the season – Holiday Poverty.

For further details on the Season’s Goal and its selection procedure including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

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

Step/Workshop 6: Starting the Organisation of your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

After negotiating and agreeing the terms of your all-year-round project, you can now start organising it.

 

• • Organising your All-year Round Projects

 

This is the step from which you start to put your organisational structure.  In project planning parlance, you will identify the roles and responsibilities of each person to be involved in the project in order to facilitate the coordination and implementation of the project activities.

 

 

• • An Example of Organising your All-year Round Projects

 

Let say you would like to Run for Poverty Reduction and you want to undertake it as a group in your local area.  You decide to set up a running group and to name it as “All-year-round Runners’ Group”.

You can create a basic organisational structure that identifies your project personnel, creates a management and delivery teams, and assigns roles and responsibilities including coordination.  In practical terms, you will have to decide on the following:

Who is (are) going…

∝ to be first at the meeting/gathering point each time the running takes place?

∝ to hold the contact number/details of the group to keep everybody on board?

∝ to keep the attendance register?

∝ to check that everybody is fit and well to run?

∝ to lead or coordinate the run?

∝ to deal with health and safety of the group?

∝ to sort out the equipment if any?

∝ to care for people belongings while they are running?

∝ to make sure that everyone is countable after the Run?

∝ to record your Run event (e.g., filming it, using camera on your phone, a video or voice recorder, etc.)?

∝ to check that everyone leaves the meeting/gathering point safely after the event?

etc.

If your Run involves any fundraising activity, you need to decide who will volunteer to undertaking fundraising responsibility (or everybody in the group).  If you would like to report on your Run, you need to appoint someone to produce a report.

Depending on your skills, knowledge, experience and resources; you may add more roles and responsibilities.

Please remember, if your group is going to select the best runner of the year 2023 and give a prize/reward accordingly; then you need to organise yourself to monitor and evaluate the performance of each runner throughout the year and decide by the 23rd of December 2023 who is the group’s best runner of the year 2023.

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

 

 

 

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign: Managing and Closing your Year-end Accounts

 

In focus at the start of Spring 2023: How to successfully close your year-end personal and family accounts and get prepared for the next financial year with new accounts

 

The current fiscal year is about to end soon and the new one will start from the 6th of April as usual.  For those members of our community who are struggling to get a grip on their household accounts, there is still time to work with CENFACS to sort out their accounts.  CENFACS can work with them so that they could understand their financial position while keeping financial control on their accounts.

This year-end financial control exercise is still part of CENFACS’ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, which is designed to help our community members to reduce and possibly end intergenerational poverty.

For those who may be interested in this year-end financial control activity, they can contact CENFACS. 

For your information, we do not deal with company accounts.  We only support our community members who are experiencing some difficulties in handling their household financial accounts and statements (i.e. balance sheet, cash flow statement, surplus and loss account, etc.).

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• La Campagne sur le Déficit de Revenu Zéro: Gestion et clôture de vos comptes de fin d’année financière

Point de mire au début du printemps 2023: Comment clôturer avec succès vos comptes personnels et familiaux de fin d’année et vous préparer pour le prochain exercice financier avec de nouveaux comptes

L’exercice financier en cours est sur le point de se terminer bientôt et le nouveau débutera à partir du 6 avril comme d’habitude.  Pour les membres de notre communauté qui ont du mal à maîtriser les comptes de leur ménage, il est encore temps de travailler avec le CENFACS pour régler leurs comptes.  Le CENFACS peut travailler avec eux afin qu’ils puissent comprendre leur situation financière tout en gardant le contrôle financier de leurs comptes.

Cet exercice de contrôle financier de fin d’année fait toujours partie de la campagne ‘Déficit de Revenu Zéro‘ aussi bien de celle des Contrôles Financiers du CENFACS, qui sont conçues pour aider les membres de notre communauté à réduire et éventuellement à mettre fin à la pauvreté intergénérationnelle.

Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette activité de contrôle financier de fin d’année peuvent contacter le CENFACS.

Pour votre information, nous ne traitons pas des comptes d’entreprise.  Nous soutenons uniquement les membres de notre communauté qui éprouvent des difficultés à gérer les comptes et les états financiers de leur ménage (c’est-à-dire le bilan, l’état des flux de trésorerie, le compte d’excédent et de pertes, etc.).

 

 

Main Development

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023

 

Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Actions 2023 are about tracking the results of Climate Actions March 2023 and their impact.  They will be carried out from 29 to 31 March 2023, as announced at the start of March 2023.  In accordance with our Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Budget, we have organised this tracking around these points:

 

∝ The Four Key Climate Actions Taken

∝ Key Takeaways from Climate Actions March 2023

∝ Monitoring Questions

∝ Outcome-focussed Evaluation Questions.

 

Let us briefly develop each of the above-mentioned points.

 

• • The Four Key Climate Actions Taken

 

To deliver the theme of ‘Making Carbon Markets Work for the Poor‘, we focused on four key climate actions from every Wednesdays of this month as follows:

 

∝ Make Opportunities in Carbon Trading Reach the Poor (Climate Action 1, held  from 01 to 07/03/2023)

∝ Influence Voluntary Carbon Markets Foster Sustainable Livelihoods for Poor Communities (Climate Action 2, held from 08 to 14/03/2023)

∝ Induce Carbon Markets to Be Part of Recovery from the Polycrisis (Climate Action 3, held from 15 to 21/03/2023)

∝ Invest in Carbon Credit Markets that Accelerate Climate Action for the Poor (Climate Action 4, 22 to 28/03/2023).

 

What can we take away from these actions?

 

• • Key Takeaways from Climate Actions March 2023

 

The following are the main ideas to remember from Climate Actions March 2023.

 

1^st takeaway

Climate projects like reforestation, forest conservation, carbon-storing agricultural practices, etc. in poor communities or areas can help reach out to the poor crowding in these communities.

2^nd takeaway

Putting poverty reduction value on what voluntary carbon credit markets provide is about focussing on the interests of the poor, prioritising concerns of small producers and farmers and evaluating the social impacts of these markets.

3^rd takeaway

Making persuasive efforts towards those operating in carbon markets to occupy the places they deserve in the economic recovery from the simultaneous occurrence of severe catastrophic events (like energy, food, housing, health crises, etc.) can have co-benefits for carbon market players and the victims of the polycrisis.

4^th takeaway

Investing in carbon markets and credits should not limit itself to financial return only; it has instead to go beyond financial yield by including the needs and priorities of the poor in any investment drive.

These takeaways can help to formulate some monitoring questions.

 

• • Monitoring Questions

 

Monitoring questions will help to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.  Our monitoring information or data comes from the audience who participated and/or followed our Climate Actions March 2023.  The collection of this information/data has been carried out on a continuous basis since we started these actions on the first of March 2023.

One of the monitoring indicators/tools we are using is to collect the views from those who have been acting with us and/or those who have been following us.  In this respect, we would like to ask them to tell us their feelings about the four climate actions taken as highlighted in the following simple questions.  They can provide their feelings in the form of a review or feedback or testimonial.  The results of their feelings will help to improve future climate actions.

 

The survey will fulfil the data collection requirements.  Those participating to this survey can tick one box (ranging from 0 to 10) for each climate action.  Ticking the box will indicate to us how satisfied they are with the delivery experience about each action taken.  All the completed survey forms should be sent to CENFACS by mid-April 2023.  Therefore, it will be good that those who would like to provide their feelings to do them by mid-April 2023.  Their/your responses to this survey will help to measure the change in behaviour that can result from the outputs completed for Climate Actions March 2023.

Those who want to provide feelings and would like to request the details about these actions prior to their response, they are free to make their request to CENFACS.

 

• • Outcome-focussed Evaluation Questions

 

Our evaluation audience is the participants or those who followed our Climate Actions March 2023.  In order for us to improve on Climate Actions in the future, we have prepared the evaluation questions which we would like members of our audience and followers to respond.  Amongst the questions are the following ones we would like to mention and we are inviting climate action followers, participants and audiences to respond:

 

~ To what extent our Climate Actions meet the overall needs of zero-net path and the theme of ‘Making Carbon Markets Work for the Poor‘?

~ Did the above-mentioned Climate Actions bring any significant change to your own climate action?

~ What did you find worked and did not work?

~ Can we replicate these actions or what would you like to see for future climate actions?

~ To what extent are Climate Actions March 2023 in line with the needs and priorities of our community?

~ To what extent did Climate Actions March 2023 lead to increased community?

 

Responding to the above evaluation questions will help in assessing the success of Climate Actions March 2023 in meeting their goal and in reflecting on the lessons learned.

You can directly respond to these evaluation questions by sending your answers to CENFACS at our usual contact details which are on this website.

For any queries or enquiries (including outcome, learning, report and what next) about Climate Actions March 2023, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Thank you for considering our demand of feelings and for your support.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02885/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(2) https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-debt.html (Accessed in March 2023)

(3) https://themoneycharity.org.uk/money-statistics/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(4) https://moneynerd.co.uk/average-personal-debt/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(5) https://data.one.org/topics/african-debt/  (Accessed in March 2023)

(6) World Economic Forum (2023), The Global Risks Report 2023, 18th Edition , Insight Report, Geneva at https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(7) https://alleviatefinancial.com/debt-settlement/what-is-debt-reduction-and-how-can-it-benefit-me/ (Accessed in March 2023)

(8) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/debt-relief (Accessed in March 2023)

(9) https://www.evpa.ngo/impact-glossary (Accessed in March 2023)

(10) https://www.impactinvest.org.uk/modules/introduction-to-impact-investing/#resource-section-4 (Accessed in March 2023)

 

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.  Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE 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.