Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 November 2022

 

Post No. 276

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Festive Shopping and Donations Needed!

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan from the Month of Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month)

• Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa; In Focus for Week Beginning 28/11/2022: Not-for-profit Investment Choices in Africa 

 

… And much more!

 

Coming Next Week: WINTER E-DISCUSSION ON VOLUNTEERING

 

Key Messages

 

• Festive Shopping and Donations Needed!

 

As we enter the festive month of December, anyone can help raise funds for CENFACS through their shopping without giving any penny.  It does not cost them any money to give to charities like CENFACS while shopping, whether online or in-person, and being asked either to tick a box or to name or choose a charity to benefit from their festive shopping activities.

By ticking a box to donate to charity or naming or choosing CENFACS, they can enable CENFACS to receive a no-direct cash donations from their shopping; donations which we need to help those suffering from poverty and the cost-of-living crisis.

Please remember that around the festive period millions of shoppers do not claim their points, discounts and rewards.  These points, prizes and rewards could have gone to good causes like CENFACS‘ noble ones.

So, it does not cost you as a shopper anything if you tick a box or name or choose CENFACS as your favourite charity to receive your points, prizes and rewards which could otherwise become unclaimed, unused and wasted.

Please this festive season, do not let these free offers resulting from your shopping to go unclaimed or wasted.  CENFACS wants them.  CENFACS needs your loyalty shopping points, discounts, vouchers, prizes and rewards that you do not want or need.

We need them to help people living in poverty and hardships.  These people require them.  We are demanding your no-direct cash gift and support through your festive shopping to help them. 

Please tick a box or name or choose CENFACS to benefit from your festive shopping activities.

More on ways of supporting CENFACS’ beneficiaries through your festive shopping is given under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan from the Month of Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month)

 

Through this ending November month of Skills Development, we have focused on Data Skills to Run your Household, in particular data storage, process, security, insight and analytics skills.  In order to know the progress and achievements made as well as the to examine our performance against objectives, we are carrying out two exercises:

 

a) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

b) Learning development and Action Plan.

 

Let us explain what these two exercises are about.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Data Skills to Run your Household

 

We are now carrying on with the systematic process of observation, recording, collection and analysis of information regarding our 4-week work on Data Skills to Run your Household in order to get its impact or at least its output.  This routing process will help to examine the activities of the data skills developed and identify bottlenecks during the process to see if they are in line with objectives we defined.

Also, we are undertaking the sporadic activity to draw conclusion regarding the relevance and effectiveness of the data skills presented.  This activity will contribute to the determination of the value judgement regarding the performance level and attainment of defined objectives for Data Skills to Run your Household.

The findings from this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will help to figure out what has been achieved through this work and give us some flavour about the future direction of Skills Development month.

As part of this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, we would like to ask to those who have been working with us throughout the last four weeks to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these two areas:

 

(a) The overall “Data Skills to Run your Household”

(b) Any of the data skills they have been interested in or used in the context of running their household.

 

You can share your feelings and thoughts with us by:

 

∝ Phoning

∝ Texting

∝ E-mailing

∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.

 

• • Learning Development and Action Plan for Data Skills to Run your Household

 

As part of keeping the culture of continuous learning and professional development within CENFACS, we are examining what the running of Skills Development and Skills Focus have brought and indicated to us.  We are particularly looking at the learning and development priorities and initiatives.  In this exercise, we are considering the action points and plan we may need to make in order to improve or better change the way in which we deliver our services and work with users.

For those who have been following the running of the Skills Development Month with us, this is the time or opportunity they can add their inputs to our learning and development experience so that we can know the skills gap that need to be filled up in 2023 and beyond.  They can as well have their own action plans on how they would like to take forward the contents of Skills Development month.  And if they have a plan and want us to look at it, we are willing to do so.

The plan could be on the following data skills presented throughout this month: data storage, process, security, insight and analytics skills.  In particular, we can look at how any household making our community wants to make a plan for them or would like CENFACS to work with them on their chosen area of data skills.

Have an action plan for your skills development and want CENFACS to look at it, please do not hesitate to contact us.  To add your input to our exercise on learning, development and action plan; just contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa (1); In Focus for Week Beginning 28/11/2022: Not-for-profit Investment Choices in Africa 

 

Through our guidance programme, we can work with potential not-for-profit investors and help them to choose the types of investment they want.  In particular, they can choose from the following: asset classes, organisation to become part of governing body and market segment.

 

• • Types of investment to consider

 

There are two types of investment that not-for-profit investors can choose in order to engage in, which are: physical or real investment and financial investment.

In the context of the not-for-profit development, we shall work with not-for-profit investors to choose investments that bring high return of poverty reduction for project and programme beneficiaries in Africa.

 

• • Choice of asset classes

 

We can work with the prospective not-for-profit investors to help them identify and choose the asset classes (e.g., cash, shares, bonds, equities/stocks, real estate, exchanged-traded funds and mutual bonds, etc.) they need in order to penetrate the organisations they would prefer to invest in.

 

• • Choice of governing body or board of directors

 

We can as well work with prospective not-for-profit investors to help them choose the governing body or board of directors that suits them or matches with or best represents their need and interest to invest.  The bodies or boards that we are talking about are those of not-for-profit organisations (whose activities are not for the financial benefit of individuals or board of directors) registered as charity or non-registered as charity.

Organisations that are registered as charities could be charitable incorporated organisations or charitable companies limited by guarantee, unincorporated associations or charitable trusts like in the UK.

Besides that, we shall use the classification and terminology of the given African organisation within their country as well as their business structure to find out whether or not they can be classified as not-for-profit.  And if they are because of their status of not-for-profit, we shall search on implications in terms of foreign direct investment in those organisations.

 

• • Choice of market segment

 

The African not-for-profit development and poverty reduction Africa are a huge market for poverty reduction goods and services.  We can help select or pitch which segment of the market investors want.

For example, a potential not-for-profit investor can make a decision to pitch the market segment of children’s needs, or water projects, women’s needs, energy projects, projects targeting COVID-19 induced hardships, etc.

For those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit organisations in Africa and need some guidance, CENFACS can work with them so that they can make informed choice on the types of investment, asset class, governing body and market segment they may consider.

Interested in Not-for-profit Investment Choices in Africa and in Guidance Programme, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Financial Security Analysis Project (FSAP)

• Activity of the Festive Season: How to Make your Triple-Value-Initiative Activity Raise Money for Good Causes

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Debates Forest Cartelization

 

 

• Financial Security Analysis Project (FSAP)

 

FSAP is part of the Three Tiers of Security Against Poverty.  The two other levels of security being Energy Security Project and Food Security Project, as we explained last week.

This week, we are providing more information about FSAP and what we can do together with those members of our community who need support to analyse their financial security.  Particularly, as we are entering the festive month of December many people are forced to spend to stay in the mood of the festive period even if they do not money or enough money to spend.  In this respect, financial security analysis is important to raise awareness on how to stay financially secure.

 

• • What is FSAP?

 

FSAP is a poverty reduction initiative that helps to analyse if households making our community have enough income to cover all their expenses and save for their future.

FSAP, which may not be a financial support in terms of cash or assets convertible into cash, can help to work with financial insecure people so that they can progressively navigate their way towards financial security.

For example, through this project we can carry out an express analysis of the financial security of our household users from their data.  The analysis will help to determine the financial position of a given household user of our project.  The analysis can provide some valuable information to potentially avoid financial poverty.  In this respect, FSAP will help to level up those who are looking for sustainable solutions to financial crisis they are facing.

There are different types of analysis we can conduct.

 

• • Types of financial analysis we can conduct for beneficiaries

 

We can work with them to analyse or assess the total value of their household.  In this respect, we can conduct with them the following three types of analysis:

 

a) Fundamental financial analysis to calculate the intrinsic value of their household by studying the fundamental factors that affect them

b) Technical financial analysis by using forecasting techniques to predict the household’s future performance

c) Quantitative financial analysis by referring to basic financial measures or ratios to work out households’ financial health and wellbeing.

 

Through these three analyses, we can work out the following:

 

√ Current living expense of FSAP beneficiaries

√ Saving plan or safety net to protect from unexpected things

√ Financial plan to live below their means

√ Built-in funds to cover the unexpected

√ Plan to pay off debts for those indebted beneficiaries

√ Financial plan that includes festive expenses and income

√ Investment plan for those who are capable of investing

Etc.

 

These analyses will help financial insecure people to progressively navigate towards financial security and support those who are looking for sustainable solutions to financial crisis they are facing to level up.

For those who need financial security analysis over this festive period, they can contact CENFACS.  Working with them on financial security analysis will strengthen them and put them in a better position to end 2022 and start 2023.

For those who want more support on financial issues, we would like to inform them that from next week, we will be running a Financial Stability Campaign which they can join.

 

 

• Activity of the Festive Season: How to Make your Triple-Value-Initiative Activity Raise Money for Good Causes

 

You can help CENFACS raise funds it needs for its noble causes while you are undertaking your Triple Value Activity or All Year-Round Project.  How can you do it?

 

If you are Running or Organising a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2022, you can dress like a Santa and raise money depending on the challenge (e.g., running laps or distances) and ask people around you to donate accordingly.  You can organise a virtual or in-person run.

 

If you are Playing the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief, you can organise a festive tournament and ask participants and your audiences to the tournament to donate.  

 

If you are Voting your 2022 African Poverty Relief Manager, you can set up a knowledge challenge in the form of Questions-Answers to find out your 2022 African Poverty Relief and Development Manager.  You can ask people who would like to attend or participate or watch the challenge to donate.

 

With some inspiration, the above shows that it is possible to raise funds for CENFACS’ noble causes while applying any of the three Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-Round Projects).

However, before embarking on raising funds via Triple Value Initiatives, you need to discuss the matter with CENFACS so that together with you we can plan How to Make your Triple-Value-Initiative Activity Raise Money for Good Causes.

To discuss the possibility of raising funds for good causes via Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-Round Projects), please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum Debates Forest Cartelization

 

Can South-South Rainforest Trilateral Alliance (between Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia) or the New Forest Cartel become true leaders of climate action and security?

In search for climate solutions, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia launched on 14 November 2022 a working partnership (2) to preserve their vast forests threatened by exploitation and agriculture.  They are asking for the following:

∝ Compensation from the international community to reduce deforestation

∝ Climate finance

∝ Carbon pricing of a tonne of carbon credit market

∝ Increase for the value of tropical forests to climate and people

∝ Development of fossil energies to provide solutions to climate change

Etc.

Further to this new forest group’s demand, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is asking the following sub-questions deriving from the above-mentioned main question:

What is the weight of the tropical forest economy in the global economy given these three biggest rainforest nations hold 52% of the world’s tropical forests?

Is the triple alliance between the world’s three biggest forest countries with vast forests a genuine leadership/partnership or a protest drive?

To what extent can this newly formed group be a true leader that can shape the climate action and security?

Can this forest cartel fix or influence the price of forest global products like other cartels (like the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) do?

How can the trilateral alliance use its forest comparative advantage to improve its competitive advantage to provide poverty reduction and a genuine climate security that the world needs?

The above is the last debate of 2022 for CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum.  You can enter this debate on forest cartelisation by contacting CENFACS on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Soutenir les nobles causes de CENFACS via vos achats festifs

Les fêtes de fin d’année sont l’occasion de faire quelque chose contre la pauvreté.

Chaque occasion ou chaque saison est une opportunité de faire quelque chose contre la pauvreté et les difficultés.  Les fêtes de fin d’année, qui sont un temps idéal pour partager des moments précieux avec vos proches, est aussi une période pour répandre un peu plus de ce bonheur à ceux /celles qui n’en ont pas.

Nous comprenons que de nombreuses personnes, y compris nos sympathisant(e)s, continuent de souffrir sérieusement de la crise du coût de la vie.  Cependant, pour les personnes qui vivent déjà dans la pauvreté, ces effets sont même intolérables et insupportables pour elles.  Il y a une raison de les soutenir pendant cette période des fêtes.

Pour les soutenir, il existe plusieurs types de dons en espèces sans contrepartie directe lors de vos achats que vous pouvez utiliser.  Dans le cadre de notre demande de soutenir les nobles causes de CENFACS via vos achats festifs, on peut envisager les deux types suivants:

a) Dons qui ne sont pas une transmission directe en espèces  lors de votre visite à la boutique en ligne de la charité CENFACS

b) Dons qui ne sont pas une transmission directe en espèces  via des achats dans d’autres magasins / boutiques.

En gros, vous pouvez faire un don indirectement lorsque vous magasinez sur la boutique en ligne du CENFACS et dans d’autres magasins.

Pour faire un don indirect au CENFACS via la boutique en ligne du CENFACS, rendez-vous sur: http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

Pour faire un don indirect au CENFACS via votre activité d’achat à d’autres magasins / boutiques, veuillez vérifier ou leur demander s’ils ont un programme qui soutient les organisations caritatives.  Parfois, ils peuvent vous le proposer eux-mêmes.

Merci d’avance d’envisager de soutenir les nobles causes de CENFACS pendant la période des fêtes de fin d’année.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Festive Shopping and Donations Needed!

 

Two items cover the contents of this Main Development, items which are:

 

∝ Festive season as an opportunity to do something against poverty

∝ No-direct cash donations as a result of your shopping.

 

Let us summarily look at them.

 

• • Festive season as an opportunity to do something against poverty

 

Every occasion or every season is an opportunity to do something against poverty and hardships.  The festive season, which is a great time to share precious moments with your loved ones, is also a period to spread a little extra of that happiness to those who do not have.

We understand that many people including our supporters continue to seriously suffer from the cost-of-living crisis.  However, for people who are already living in poverty, these effects are even intolerable and unbearable for them.  There is a reason to support them during this festive season.  One of the many ways of supporting them could be no-direct cash donations through your festive shopping. 

 

• • No-direct cash donations as a result of your shopping

 

CENFACS needs donations from your festive shopping, in particular we need no-direct cash donations, to support those in need.  Some shoppers who could donate no-direct cash may not understand what it means.  This is why it is better we explain the following:

 

∝ What do we mean by no-direct cash donations?

∝ Types of no-direct cash donations we are talking about and asking for.

 

• • • Brief explanation of no-direct cash donations

 

A no-direct cash donation is an amount given as a gift and which is not a direct transfer of cash, cheque, or a debit or credit card.  No-direct cash donations should not be confused with in-kind donations.  In the context of Festive Shopping, the donor gives money indirectly through their shopping activities.  If there is no shopping, there is no-direct cash donation linked to the shopping.

What are those types of donations that are the result of one’s shopping drive?

 

• • • Types of no-direct cash donations

 

There are two types of no-direct cash donations when shopping, which are:

 

a) No-direct cash donations when shopping at CENFACS Charity e-shop

b) No-direct cash donations via shopping at other shops/stores.

 

Let us look at each of them.

 

• • • • Indirectly donate when you shop at CENFACS e-shop at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

• • • • • SHOPPING or DONATING GOODS at CENFACS Charity e-Store

 

You can give your unwanted and unneeded goods or pre-loved items to CENFACS’ Charity e-Store, the shop built to help relieve poverty, including poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis.  You can buy second hand goods and bargain priced new items and much more.

You can do something different this Festive Season by SHOPPING or DONATING GOODS at CENFACS Charity e-Store.  You can even make this e-store better.

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

√ DONATE unwanted pre-loved GOODS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS Charity e-Store during the festive period and beyond

√ SHOP at CENFACS Charity e-Store to support good and deserving causes of poverty relief during the festive period and beyond.

Your SHOPPING action and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty, particularly poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis.

CENFACS Charity e-Shop is open for both online festive purchase and goods donations.

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

Many ordinary people and families are struggling to make ends meet at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis.  Many of them do not know how they are going to make ends meet of the month; let alone how they will meet their festive expenses as prices and bills continue to rise.  They need help.  We need support as well to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

Amongst the goods to donate, we are asking net-zero goods as well.

 

• • • • • Donation of NET-ZERO GOODS this Festive Season

 

You can donate carbon neutral or net zero greenhouse gas emissions goods to help reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and poverty, while creating an opportunity to save non-renewable natural resources.  This type of donation can boost the circular economy and improve the upkeep of the nature.

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

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

 

• • • • Indirectly donate when you shop with other stores/shops

 

You can help CENFACS raise funds through your festive shopping to other shops and stores, whether online or in-person.  You can do it via the following avenues:

∝ Raise free funds for CENFACS with your online shopping

∝ Choose CENFACS as a donation recipient of some of the profits raised from online shopping

∝ Donate your unwanted and unused points and cashback to CENFACS as your chosen charity from your loyalty shopping rewards or good causes’ gift cards

∝ Pass to CENFACS no-direct cash won from shopping surveys; cash you do not require or want

∝ Give away to CENFACS any vouchers received or earned from your shopping; vouchers you do not need or want

∝ Hand out to CENFACS any proceeds from unwanted or unneeded prize draw or award from your shopping

∝ Donate any unwanted excess points of your loyalty card from online shopping apps that may support good causes

Etc.

You can use and or get informed about a variety of ways that many stores and shops offer to support charities through customers’ shopping, particularly during the festive period.  You can use them to support CENFACS‘ noble cause of poverty reduction via your shopping action without directly giving money.  CENFACS will acknowledge and thank you for your no-direct cash contributions to its mission and causes.

To sum up, you can both indirectly donate when you shop at CENFACS e-shop and with other stores/shops.

To indirectly donate to CENFACS through CENFACS’ e-shop, please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

To indirectly donate to CENFACS via your shopping activity to other shops and stores, please check or ask them if they have any scheme that support charities.  Sometimes, they may propose you it themselves at their counters.

Thank you for considering our ask for no-direct cash donations via your festive shopping activities.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) cenfacs.org.uk/2021/11/24/guidance-for-investing-in-africa/ (accessed in November 2022)

(2) https://brazzavillefoundation.org/en/news/582-g20-drc-brazil-and-indonesia-sign-agreement-to-protect-tropical-forests (accessed in November 2022)

_________

 

• 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 until the end of 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 November 2022

 

Post No. 275

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household; In Focus from Wednesday 23/11/2022: Data Insight and Analytics Skills

• 3-tier Security Support: The Three Tiers of Security Against Poverty

• 4-week Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investment in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household; In Focus from Wednesday 23/11/2022: Data Insight and Analytics Skills

 

Data Insight and Analytics Skills are the 3rd level of our presentation of skills to support households making our community to run their lives.  It is the level at which we try to analyse data or information to tell us what they mean for us and our households.

It is at this level that one can look into the amount of data generated via their everyday activity of meeting basic life sustaining needs of food, drink, shelter, heath, education, information, transport, etc.  Using their analytical knowledge and skills, they can identify any meaningful information and study the patterns and trends about this information.

To navigate these analytical skills, we have provided a basic understanding of them under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• 3-tier Security Support: The Three Tiers of Security Against Poverty

 

The Three Tiers of Security Against Poverty are one of CENFACS’ Starting XI Projects for this Autumn 2022.  Before informing you how CENFACS is going to work with community through this project, let us briefly explain it.

 

• • What is 3-tier Security Support?

 

This year, we have many crises.  Amongst these crises, we can single out three of them which could be the major ones for ordinary people and families, and which are: food, energy and financial crises.  These crises have knock-on effects on other areas of their lives as well as of the economy.

To reflect the impacts of these three crises on the security system of the community, we can argue about three levels or tiers of security which have been affected or jeopardised.  In other words, the CENFACS Community needs to get the three levels of security (that is, food, energy and finances) in order and under control if this community wants to continue to help reduce poverty and hardships within its members and sister communities.

In this respect, 3-tier Security (i.e., Food, Energy and Financial Security) or The Three Tiers of Security against Poverty are designed to provide users with freedom from the possibility of future energy, food and financial worries and stresses.  

3-tier Security is at the same time a support and resource that helps provide freedom from vulnerability and exposure to energy, food and financial poverty.  The initiative takes stock of the work we have done so far with users on energy, food and financial security.

It is about having in the same envelope the three security projects which are: Energy Security Project, Food Security Project and Financial Security Analysis Project.  In doing so, this amalgamation of the three projects will help to better work with the community to fight the current and future crises.

 

 

• • Working with the community through 3-tier Security Support and Resource

 

Having the three levels and projects of security under one roof, it makes easier to work with the community as the following explanations about what we can achieve together through these projects shows.

 

a) Energy Security Project

 

With the Energy Security Project under the same roof with the two other security projects, we can work with the community by…

 

√ Helping to assess the energy security needs of energy insecure and poor

√ Exploring and identifying energy security options available for them

√ Developing energy safety net and protection they need against energy precariousness

Etc.

 

b) Food Security Project

 

With the Food Security Project under the same roof with the two other security projects, we can work with the community by…

 

√ Addressing the level of insecurity and threat posed by food insecurity

√ Supporting food insecure people so that they can progressively navigate their way towards food availability, access, utilisation and stability

√ Helping to level up those who are looking for sustainable solutions to food crisis

√ Assisting them to avoid food poverty

Etc.

 

c) Financial Security Analysis Project

 

With the Financial Security Analysis Project under the same roof with the two other security projects, we can work with the community by…

 

√ Helping financial insecure people to progressively navigate towards financial security

√ Conducting an express analysis of the financial security of their households from their data

√ Supporting those who are looking for sustainable solutions to financial crisis they are facing to level up

Etc.

 

 

d) Relationships between food, energy and financial security

 

As one can notice these three levels of security are linked.   

For example, having financial security can guarantee access to food and energy security.  Enjoying food security could lead to financial and energy security.  Securing energy can provide the power to build financial and food security.

So, working with the community through 3-tier Security Support and Resource means two things as shown below.

d.1) 3-tier Security as Support is about establishing these links between the three levels of security for a particular household making our community.  However, establishing these links is not a goal as such.  The goal here is to simultaneously reduce or end food, energy and financial insecurity.

d.2) 3-tier Security as Resource, it means finding the necessary resources and tools in terms of information, documentation or materials, guidance and leads to share with these households and enable them to resolve the issues of food, energy and financial insecurity they are experiencing.

For those members of our community who would like to work with us on these three levels or projects of security, they can contact CENFACS with their security needs. 

For those who would like to enquire about the 3-tier Security Support and Resource, they are free to enquire to CENFACS.

 

 

• 4-week Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investment in Africa

 

As part of CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we are running a programme to support not-for-profit investors in Africa.

If you want advice, help and support for investing in not-for-profit organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under its 4-week Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa, starting from 21 November 2022.

The programme is designed to work with those who would like to invest in the not-for-profit organisations and causes in 2023.  The following is our plan of action/work for the programme.

 

The guidance is FREE.  However, CENFACS does not mind a voluntary donation from programme users.

The guidance is a great way to realise your dream or ambition as a not-for-profit investor in Africa, to enter and start 2023.

Need to apply for the programme, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa

∝ 2022 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

∝ Climate Talks Follow-up project: What can we take away from COP27?

 

 

• Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa

 

Our Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa has entered the last phase of its campaign before the Global Giving Tuesday on 29 November 2022. 

CENFACS would like to inform those who are not aware about some of the key figures and facts relating to sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa and appeal to them to ACT NOW. 

For those who know them, we would like to appeal to them to ACT as well.

What is known about sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa?

The Amnesty International Limited (1) quotes the United Nations by arguing the following:

“Between January and September [2022], at least 1,100 women were raped in North Kivu and Ituri [Democratic Republic of Congo] as a result of conflict-related sexual violence (p. 146)

In Central African Republic, 6 girls aged between 14 and 16 were drugged and raped daily by members of the rebel group Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation at a base in the Nana Mambere area in January [2022] … According to MINUSCA, between January and June [2022], 131 Cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including 115 rapes, 12 attempted rapes, 1 case of sexual slavery and 3 forced marriages, were documented (p. 119)

In Tigray, sexual and gender-based violence by troops fighting included gang rape used against women and girls as a weapon of war in the conflict (p. 164)

In South Sudan, state security forces and non-state armed actors committed at least 63 incidents of sexual violence in conflict, affecting 89 women, girls and men, aged between two and 50, including rape, gang rape and forced nudity (p. 339)”.

By looking at the above-mentioned figures and facts, there is a need for support to the victims-survivors of these atrocities.

You can help end the weaponization of sexual violence as a tactic of war in Africa.

You can assist in STOPPING SEXUAL VIOLENCE TO WOMEN, GIRLS AND MEN in armed conflicts in Africa.

Please donate £10 to restore and save broken lives as a result of armed conflicts in Africa.

Please don’t wait until the 29th of November 2022 to donate.  CENFACS‘ door is already open for donations.  You can donate NOW!

To discuss or enquire about this appeal, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you!

 

 

• 2022 All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year-round Projects) have only one month to go.

The 2022 Edition of All Year-round Projects will be closed on 23 December 2022.  You can still play, run and vote to reduce poverty before this verdict day.

CENFACS hopes that those who have been using these projects have managed to carry out any of these three activities:

a) Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2022 

b) Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief

c) Vote their 2022 African Poverty Relief Manager.

If they have, we would like to hear from them the following three bests or stars of the year 2022:

√ The Best African Countries of 2022 which would have best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2022

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2022.

The deadline to tell us your bests or stars is 23 December 2022.

Please remember, don’t miss this verdict day or closing date.

To tell us your results or to enquire about these projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Climate Talks Follow-up project: What can we take away from COP27?

 

After following COP27, let us consider what was agreed, how it affects our key demand of protection and stake for children, and what will be the next step for Climate Talks Follow-up project.

 

• • What was agreed at COP27 that may affect CENFACS’ work and users?

 

It is encouraging to learn that the following outcomes were achieved:

∝ Agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding to climate-vulnerable developing countries hit hard by climate disasters

∝ Promotion of renewables and “low-emission” energy

∝ Setting up of a work programme to urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation

∝ Agreement on just and equitable transition based on national development priorities and inclusion of social protection and solidarity measures

∝ Scaling up of the provision of climate finance to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate

∝ Setting up a new collective climate finance goal for 2025 that will take into account the needs and priorities of developing countries

∝ Taking a renewed global action on nature, although threats to the nature will be debated at COP15, the United Nations Biodiversity Summit in December 2022.

The above outcomes or initiatives will affect people with whom we work as well as our work on poverty reduction and sustainable development.  However, are these outcomes and other ones deriving from COP27 enough to meet our demand for the climate stake and protection for children and generations to come?  We are not sure.

The good news is that UNICEF (2) has created ‘a new climate financing initiative to enhance countries’ climate resilience and disaster preparedness for children and youth as well as bolster protection for children from the impacts of future climate-related disasters’.

 

• • Have COP27 results met our key demand of protection and stake for children?

 

Despite what was agreed at COP27, it is worth noting the following:

∝ There is still less money to pay for new technology and infrastructure which children, especially those from poor nations, could benefit

∝ There is little or less money in the forms of grants, loans and private investments to support efforts to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects.  One can hope the above-mentioned new financial initiatives will help in these efforts

∝ The failure to expand the ‘phase down’ text of unabated coal to include oil and gas could mean unchanged threats to children health, especially respiratory diseases

∝ There is less support to switch to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower for children and future generations (for example, how do you expect coal-dependent energy poor families to switch to clean source of energy if they do not have the means to do it for themselves and their children?).

One can hope that when the United Nations will meet for COP28 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) in 2023, there will be another opportunity to raise ambitions, to look into those gaps and to provide ways forward.  In doing so, this will provide us a basis for clarity about climate protection and stake for children and generations to come.

 

• • What is the next step for our Climate Talks Follow-up project?

 

We are still at the implementation phase, which is Phase 3 of our Climate Talks Follow-up project.    The sub-phases or segments of the implementation phase for this project are exploration, installation, initial implementation, full implementation and expansion. 

At the moment, we have been dealing with the installation sub-phase (Phase 3.2).   As project planning is a backward and forward process, we shall deal with this phase and the previous one.

For any further details and to support 2022 Climate Talks Follow-up project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

L’édition 2022 de Projets ‘tout au long de l’année’ (ou Initiatives à triple valeur): Jouer, courir et voter pour la lutte contre la pauvreté et le développement durable

Les Initiatives à triple valeur (ou projets ‘tout au long de l’année’) n’ont plus qu’un mois à venir.

Bien que cette édition 2022 d’Initiatives à triple valeur sera fermée le 23 décembre 2022, vous pouvez toujours jouer, courir et voter pour réduire la pauvreté avant le jour du verdict ou date de clôture.

Le CENFACS peut espérer que ceux/celles qui ont utilisé ces projets ont réussi à mener à bien l’une de ces trois activités :

a) Courir ou organiser une activité de course pour réduire la pauvreté en 2022

b) Jouer à la Ligue CENFACS pour la lutte contre la pauvreté

c) Voter pour leur responsable de la lutte contre la pauvreté en Afrique 2022.

S’ils/elles l’ont fait, nous aimerions entendre d’eux/elles les trois meilleures ou stars suivantes de l’année 2022:

√ Les meilleurs pays africains de 2022 qui auraient le mieux réduit la pauvreté

√ Les meilleurs coureurs/ses africain(e)s des Jeux Coureurs de 2022

√ Les meilleurs gestionnaires du développement africain de 2022.

La date limite pour nous dire vos meilleurs ou étoiles est le 23 décembre 2022.

S’il vous plaît rappelez-vous, ne manquez pas ce jour de verdict.

Pour nous faire part de vos résultats ou pour vous renseigner sur ces projets, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household; In Focus from Wednesday 23/11/2022: Data Insight and Analytics Skills

 

The following contents will help to understand the kinds of data insight and analytics skills that a household may need:

 

∝ Key Concepts

∝ Data Insight Skills

∝ Data Analytics Skills

∝ How CENFACS Can Work with the Community Members on Data Insight and Analytics Skills to Run their Households.

 

Let us briefly explained each of these contents.

 

• • Key Concepts

 

There are four concepts that underpin the Data Insight and Analytics Skills to Run your Household: data, information, insight and analytics.

 

• • • Data, information and insight

 

Explanations about these three concepts cut across each other within the data literature.  Amongst these explanations is what Carolyn Sansom (3) argues about them, which is

“Data, which can be quantitative and qualitative, is raw, unorganised and unprocessed facts… Information – which can be in the form of graphs, reports and visualisations – is processed and organised data… Insight is analysed information”.

Like businesses, households use data, information and insight to run their lives.  Households making the CENFACS Community do the same.

 

• • • Analytics

 

There are many approaches to analytics.  In the context of these notes, we have selected an explanation from ‘oracle.com’ (4) which is as follows:

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

This kind of analytics will help household to better deliver a data user experience for their own wellbeing and wellness.  In this respect, each household can agree its own data analytical process.

 

• • Data Insight Skills

 

Before identifying the skills involved data insights, one may need to understand data insights.  Data insights refer to the deep understanding an individual or organisation gains from analysing information on a particular issue.  To add value on what we are saying, the website ‘datarobot.com’ (5) argues that

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

Many households do this sort of exercises to understand their lives without sometimes knowing they are carrying out data insights.  To better undertake data insights, it may require some skills.

 

• • • Skills to generate data insight

 

There are many data insight skills that a typical household running its life can consider, which are:

√ Digital skills

√ Comprehension skills on how the household operates

√ Collaborative skills

√ Skills to understand household ethics and value

√ Creative skills

√ Skills to interpret data

√ Home economics skills

Etc.

The households making CENFACS Community would need some of these skills in order to successfully run their data insights.

 

• • Data Analytics Skills

 

To know the skills and capacities that can be used to conduct data analytics, one may need to understand data analytics.

The definition used in these notes about data analytics comes from ‘aws.amazon.com’ (6) which states that

“Data analytics converts raw data into actionable insights.  It includes a range of tools, techniques, and processes used to find trends and solve problems by using data”.

Although ‘aws.amazon.com’ (op. cit.) speaks about business processes, this definition can apply to households to a certain degree.  What data analytics does for businesses can do it for households as well.  Indeed, data analytics can shape household processes, improve decision-making within a household and foster household health and wellness.

Like most resources on the data analytics matter, ‘aws.amazon.com’ (op. cit.) distinguishes four types of data analysis, which are: descriptive analytics, diagnostics analytics, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics.  From these types of data analytics, one can associated skills to them.

 

• • • Skills to conduct data analytics

 

We can relate skills to the above-mentioned four types of data analytics.  Members of any household making our community needs skills to conduct data analytics.  They need descriptive, diagnostics, predictive and prescriptive analytics skills.  What can they do with these skills?

Let us see what they can do with each of these skills.

 

a) Descriptive analytics skills

 

A household with descriptive analytics skills can say what their data look like by visualising them (their data) using for example pie charts, bar chart, line graphs, tables or generated narratives.

 

b) Diagnostics analytics skills

 

A household possessing diagnostics analytics skills can conduct a detailed data analytics process to identify problems and understand why something happened.  For example, over holidays (like Christmas) household members can deep-dive into their data to understand what is telling them in terms of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

c) Predictive analytics skills

 

A household having predictive analytics skills can use the history of their data to foretell, foresee, forecast and predict what could happen to its members.   For example, they can refer to the history of their income and expenses data in the last 12 months to forecast and predict what will be happen (or future trends) if they do not take the required step in order to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.

 

d) Prescriptive analytics skills

 

A household owning prescriptive analytics skills can advise its as a remedy by both predicting what is likely to happen and proposing an average response to counteract.  For example, if a household is predicting that economic recession will be unavoidable, it can plan a matching response or remedial action to protect itself from the coming economic recession.

So, by using the patterns and other meaningful information gathered from the analysis of data, households can describe, diagnose, predict and prescribe what could happen to them if they do not take serious and meaningful steps to resolve the issues they are facing or may face.

However, not all households making our community have the required skills and competences to carry out this sort of data analytics exercise or activity.  For those lacking skills or capacities or simply struggling to conduct this type of analysis or analytics, they should not feel abandoned.  CENFACS can work with them on this matter.

 

• • How CENFACS Can Work with the Community Members on Data Insight and Analytics Skills to Run their Households

 

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

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

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

So, Data Insight and Analytics Skills are the last episode of our 4-week series of presentation of Data Skills to Run your Household.  To conclude our serial presentation, we are going to conduct Monitoring and Evaluation of Data Skills to Run your Household next week.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month, please contact CENFACS.  

If one is particularly interested in a particular skill or has something to share about the skills we developed during our serial presentation, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

________

 

• References

 

(1) Amnesty International Limited (2022), Amnesty International Report 2021/22: The State of the World’s Human Rights, London, UK (www.amnesty.org)

(2) https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-calls-investment-worlds-first-child-focused-climate-risk-financing-solution (accessed in November 2022)

(3) Carolyn Sansom at https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/insights/six-key-skills-for-turning-data-into-insight/ (accessed in November 2022)

(4) https://www.oracle.com/business-analytics/what-is-analytics/ (accessed in November 2022)

(5) https://www.datarobot.com/blog/what-are-data-insights/ (accessed in November 2022)

(6) https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/data-analytics/ (accessed in November 2022)

________

 

• 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 until the end of 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 November 2022

 

Post No. 274

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• The 13th Women and Children FIRST Development Day to be held on 19/11/2022 with emphasis on Crisis Response Skills

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign from Week Beginning 14/11/2022

• Data Skills to Run your Household; In Focus from Wednesday 16/11/2022: Data Process Skills

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• The 13th Women and Children FIRST Development Day to be held on 19/11/2022 with emphasis on Crisis Response Skills

 

Let us start by explaining what we mean by Women and Children FIRST Development Day (or in short: Development Day).

The Development Day, which is annually held on 19 November of each year, is a day of enhancing the knowledge, skills and capacities of CENFACS’ Community, particularly women and children making this community, in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

It is about raising awareness and learning on development issues that women and children of our community face.

It is also a day to re-communicate our poverty reduction message about women and children matters while exploring ways of solving their issues.

It is finally a day to re-engage with new and old stakeholders on women and children matters.

As announced last week, the 13th Women and Children FIRST Development Day (in short: Development Day) will take us an extra mile from last year’s Development Day, which was on Foresight Skills.  This year, we will be thinking of and celebrating our Crisis Response Skills.

After improving our capacity to predict and forecast future risks and crises as well as plan actions based on improved knowledge, estimations and prospect; we can try to apply this improved capacity and knowledge to respond to crises (like the cost-of-living crisis, debt crisis, climate change crisis, biodiversity crisis, etc.).  In fact, the majority of us is already responding to the cost-of-living crisis and other ones.

The 13th Edition of our Development Day will provide a window of opportunities to exchange and celebrate the wins of our responses to crises.  It will also offer an occasion to improve or develop our crisis response skills if our responses fall short.  Of course, one day of development may not be enough to respond to all the very difficult problems women and children face; but it could be an extra step or turning point for some of them.

As we have gradually curated our services to return them to their pre-COVID-19 conditions, we will be working in hybrid fashion by splitting the two aspects of this year’s Development Day, which are: Thinking and Celebration.  The Thinking aspect will be done from home while the Celebration will be carried out in-person for those who can.

The Celebration aspect will be about sharing our wins over poverty in terms of successful crisis response skills while the Thinking element will be on ways of improving or developing our skills to better respond to the side effects of the current crisis (i.e., the cost-of-living crisis) and future crises and risks.

The details about this hybrid fashion of working are given under the Main Development section of this post, where you can also find other details about the Development Day.

 

 

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign from Week Beginning 14/11/2022

 

Although we finished to compose the five notes or themed activities of the “A la une” Campaign during our 5-week campaign, this campaign for the Upkeep of the Nature does not stop with these notes.  Our action for the Upkeep of the Nature continues. 

We are now carrying on with the collection and analysis of information regarding this 5-week campaign in order to get its impact or at least its output.  The findings from this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will help to figure out what has been achieved and what has not been accomplished through this campaign and give us some flavour about the future direction of this campaign.

As part of this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, we would like to ask to those who have been following our 5-week campaign to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these two areas:

(a) The overall “A la une” Campaign and the ‘Mbulu’ project

(b) Any of the themed activities you/they followed with us during this campaign.

By sharing with us your feelings and thoughts about “A la une” Campaign, this could suggest that you value our work and show interest in what we are trying to achieve as an organisation generally and or in respect to the Upkeep of the Nature specifically.  Your intervention could as well indicate that we share interest and concern regarding the health and wealth of the nature.

You can share your feelings and thoughts with us by:

 

∝ Phoning

∝ Texting

∝ E-mailing

∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.

 

When sharing your feelings or thoughts on the matter, please do not make statements to only please us.  We do not expect people to please us.  Instead, we would like you to give an objective and fair opinion.

We would like to thank in anticipation those who will be giving their opinions about the “A la une” Campaign.

 

 

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household; In Focus from Wednesday 16/11/2022: Data Process Skills

 

This week, our campaign on data skills that a typical household or family can use for its effective and efficient running deals with Data Process Skills.  To tackle these skills, let us first define data process.

 

• • What is data processing?

 

The following definition, which is from ‘simplilearn.com’, will perhaps help to better understand data processing.  The website ‘simplelearn.com’ (1) states that

“Data processing is the method of collecting raw data and translating it into usable information.  It is usually performed in a step-by-step process by a team of data scientists and data engineers in an organisation.  The raw data is collected, filtered, sorted, processed, analysed, stored, and then presented in a readable format”.

In the context of a household running its life on everyday basis, they are not going to call data engineers to deal with their data every day.  Data process for them could be about converting their data or information into readable and meaningful formats (like charts, graphs and documents) so that they can better understand their situation such as their financial health and well-being.  This could mean they need to find a method to do it.

 

• • Data processing methods

 

The website ”simplilearn.com’ (op. cit.) provides the following data process methods, which are: manual, mechanical and electronic.

Data processing is manual when data is handled manually.  It is mechanical when data is mechanically processed through the use of devices and machines.  It is electronic when data is processed with modern technologies using data processing software and programmes.

For example, if a computerised household knows how to use Microsoft Office Applications software such as Excel spreadsheets, they can undertake electronic data processing by entering the data relating to any aspect of their life (let say monthly food and drink expenses).  They can create a table with data and turn this data into a chart or graph.  They can for instance do it for the last three months and look at the tendency of this chart or graph.  This charted or graphical format of expressing their food and drink data can provide them a visual understanding of their expenses.  To be able to carry out this task on a computer, they need to possess some data processing skills.

 

• • Data Processing Skills to Run your Household

 

There is a number of skills that a typical household can learn and acquire to process their data.  They include the following:

 

√ Data entry skills

√ Data verification skills

√ Data organisational skills

√ Data supervision skills

√ Data comparison skills

√ Statistical literacy and numeracy skills

Etc.

 

All these skills and other more will enable to better process data.  Not everybody is comfortable or like doing data processing for their own household.  Where there is a need of data process and if the needy household wants help, they can ask for it.

 

• • How CENFACS can work with households to process their data

 

CENFACS can work with those households making its community and needing some help about the process of their data.  We can work with them under CENFACS’ Digital and Social Media Campaign, which provides more help and support than just data processing.  Where our capacity to help is limited, we can signpost them to services and/or organisations dealing with the kind of data processing needs they have.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Process Skills to Run their Household, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can work with them to enhance their Data Process Skills to Run their Household.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month at CENFACS, please continue to read our weekly posts.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Our Target for the Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Conflicts in Africa is…

∝ Integrating “A la une” Campaign and Nature Aspect of COP27

∝ Goal for the Month: Reduction of Poverty due to the Lack of Matching Skills, Education and Learning

 

 

• Our Target for the Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Conflicts in Africa is…

 

To raise £10 from each donor (individual or organisation) to help the victims-survivors of sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa.  You can help blow past this target.

Please support this appeal to restore and save broken lives as a result of armed conflicts in Africa.

Please don’t wait until the 29th of November 2022 to donate.  CENFACS‘ door is already open for donations.  You can donate NOW!

To discuss or enquire about this appeal, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you!

 

 

• Integrating “A la une” Campaign and Nature Aspect of COP27

 

Our work of integration of the Nature Aspect of CO27 and “A la une” Campaign continues this week.  In particular, we are shadowing the events or activities planned for Nature Zone Pavilion COP27 (2).

For example, today the 16th of November 2022 the following talks have been planned:

 

a) Nature Based Solutions Political Uptake: What is at stake? by IUCN, WWF International, Climate Champions

b) Accelerating Net Zero and Nature Positive Business Contributions Through Land-based Solutions by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Forest Solutions Group (FSG), One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B)

c) Mobilizing for a Climate Neutral and Nature Positive World Ahead of COP15 by WWF International

d) Meet the Experts Networking Session by WWF International

e) Repairing our World to Avoid Runaway Climate Change by Global Choices Arctic Angels, Global Commons Alliance, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, Green Africa Youth Organisation, SilverLining, UNDP

f) Nature for the Planet: Building a Nature Positive Future by BirdLife International, Trillion Trees, IUCN.

 

We are discussing these planned subjects from our own perspective, but with in mind what will come out of the talks from Nature Zone Pavilion COP27.

The discussion will enable us to find out how they affect our users and future generations.

For those who would like to find out more about this integration of CENFACS’ Nature Campaign and aspects of COP27 relating to nature, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal for the Month: Reduction of Poverty due to the Lack of Matching Skills, Education and Learning

 

Our goal for this month of November 2022 has three targets as it deals with three lacks, which are: the lack of matching skills, that of education and that of learning.

Indeed, the month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation is also of addressing the lack of matching skills for those members of our community who have skills, but their skills do not match what is on offer on the labour market.

It is as well the month during which we are trying to address educational poverty, particularly for those children who are having some problems to stay in the educational system.

It is finally the month during which work can be done with those members of our community suffering from the lack of learning opportunity, particularly those who are suffering from illectronism (that is, the lack or total absence of knowledge concerning the use of electronic means).

 

 • • Working with the community to tackle the lack of matching skills, education and learning

 

CENFACS can work with the community through its advice service so that the members of its community can find their way out of these three types of lack.  In particular, we can undertake the following:

 

√ Support their journey to acquire and develop their matching skills

√ Back families with children struggling to maintain school momentum so that their children can stay in the school system and cope with the pressure of the educational requirements without forcing them

√ Work with those members of our community who need digital learning to overcome illectronism they are facing.

 

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

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Notre cible pour l’Appel pour mettre fin à la violence sexuelle dans les conflits en Afrique est de…

Collecter 10 livres sterling (11.43 Euros) auprès de chaque donateur/donatrice (individu ou organisation) pour aider les victimes-survivantes de violences sexuelles dans les conflits armés en Afrique. Vous pouvez aider à dépasser cette cible.

Le CENFACS vous prie de soutenir cet appel pour restaurer et sauver des vies brisées à la suite des conflits armés en Afrique.

N’attendez pas le 29 novembre 2022 pour faire un don.  La porte du CENFACS est déjà ouverte aux dons.  Vous pouvez faire un don MAINTENANT!

Pour discuter ou en savoir plus sur cet appel, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Merci!

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• The 13th Women and Children FIRST Development Day to be held on 19/11/2022 with emphasis on Crisis Response Skills

 

To help those who might be interested in the Development Day to prepare themselves; we have assembled the following items:

 

∝ What is crisis response?

∝ Crisis response skills

∝ How this year’s Development Day will be organised

∝ Have queries or enquiries for the Development Day 2022.

 

Let us highlight each of them.

 

• • What is crisis response?

 

The literature review about crisis response provides us with many definitions.  Amongst definitions, there is the definition from ‘theclassicwander.com’ (3) which is:

“Crisis response is the process of dealing with a crisis [that is, a time of difficulty or distress].  It includes both the immediate response to the crisis itself, as well as the longer-term process of recovery”.

There are crisis stages: pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis.

To respond to any crisis, it requires skills.  What are those skills?

 

• • Crisis response skills

 

We found what Rajeev Peshawaria (4) argues about the four typical responses in any crisis interesting.   R. Peshawaria distinguishes the following four responders to a crisis: the dangerous dunce, the calculating opportunist, the caring fool or Samaritan, and the true leader.  Each of these crisis responders embodies characteristics or skills.

It is possible to use Peshawaria’s theory or model to find out when one tries to respond to any crisis whether they act or display skills like a dangerous dunce or a calculating opportunist or a caring fool/Samaritan or a true leader.  In other words, one can ask themselves when responding to crises: are they a dangerous dunce, a calculating opportunist, a caring fool or Samaritan, and a true leader?

Depending on their answer to the above question, they can draw up the skills relating to each of these characters.  For instance, a crisis responder who has leadership skills will build relationships, manage conflicts, negotiate to reduce or end crisis, critically think, etc.  A crisis responder who has Samaritan skills will listen to others, be helpful to crisis-impacted people, but not be judgemental.  A crisis responder who has an opportunist’s skills will look for opportunity to exploit, achieve selfish ambitions, use ends to justify the means, etc.

 

• • How this year’s Development Day will be organised

 

The Development Day will be organised in two parts:  Thinking and Celebration.

 

CELEBRATING THE WINS WHILE DEVELOPING SKILLS

 

Every one of us tries to respond to any crises we face in our life.  In this response, sometimes we succeed while other times we fail.  For example, some people are successfully responding to the cost-of-living crisis while others are failing to do so.

On the Development Day, we are going to celebrate those wins or successes in terms of crisis responses that have met their goals and targets.  However, where our crisis responses were inadequate or failed, the Development Day can give us the opportunity or mental/moral resources/strengths to think and acknowledge the losses/failures so that we can improve our crisis responses in the future.  In this respect, it is also the day of Skills Development in Crises Response.

 

• • • Thinking part

 

Since we are going to work in hybrid fashion, the participants to the Thinking part can remotely (from their home or office or anywhere else) think and share their thoughts on the Day using their Crisis Response Skills and any other skills about the future crises and risks, particularly what they can do if any of these crises and risks become a reality.

For example, there are forecasts or predictions that the UK could enter into a lengthy economic recession.  What could be your response as a Development Day Thinker to mitigate the impacts of this recession if it materialises?

 

• • • Celebratory part

 

Potential Development Day Celebrators could group themselves in a small COVID-19 secure working space (let say a group made up of 2 to 10 people including children) to share and recognise the value of poverty reduction and sustainable development amongst women and children.  They can make up a Healthy, Safe and Secure Development Day Small Group (HSSDDSG).

 

• • • • What is a Healthy, Safe and Secure Development Day Small Group (HSSDDSG)

 

A HSSDDSG is a number of two to ten adults including children gathered in a healthy, safe and secure space to share their poverty reduction and sustainable development experiences and wins in an informal and unstructured way.

Like in a discussion focus group, the group can systematically collect important information shared for impact monitoring and evaluation, learning and development purposes.  The group can as well seize the outputs or outcomes achieved.  Finally, the group can report to the community their experience of taking part in a HSSDDSG.

 

• • Have queries or enquiries for the Development Day 2022

 

The above are the main items that will feature this year’s Development Day.  For any queries or enquiries about them, please do not to hesitate to contact CENFACS.

At the end of this Main Development section of this post, we have appended a timeline of CENFACS Development Day milestones. 

Wishing you a SUCCESSFUL, HEALTHY, SAFE AND SECURE Development Day 2022!

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.simplelearn.com/what-is-data-processing-article (accessed in November 2022)

(2) https://nature4climate.org/cop-27-nature-zone-pavilion/ (accessed in November 2022)

(3) https://theclassicwander.com/travel-blog/what-is-crisis-response-travel-nursing.html (accessed in November 2022)

(4) https://www.forbes.com/sites/rajeevpeshawaria/2020/04/01/four-typical-responses-in-a-crisis-which-one-is-yours/ (accessed in November 2022)

 

_________

 

• Appendix

 

Women and Children FIRST Development Day (WCFDD) Timeline: 2010 to 2021

 

Since its inception in 2010, the WCFDD provides an opportunity and scope to communicate CENFACS’ anti-poverty work/message and the need to develop new ideas and proposals and improve practices to enable us to enhance the quality of life of multidimensionally-deprived women/mothers and children.  The following are the milestones so far for WCFDD.

In 2010, the WCFDD was devoted to AWARENESS on SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO & PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGIES

In 2011, CENFACS’ WCFDD tackled the challenging issue of BARRIERS TO POVERTY REDUCTION, with a special emphasis on one particular way of overcoming them, which is participation.  Women & Children’s Participation was looked at within the context of Race in the Road to Poverty Reduction.

In 2012, our Development Day in Putting Women and Children FIRST went further with the sub-theme of participation as it was organised around the theme of IMPROVING WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE RACE TO REDUCE POVERTY.

In 2013, WCFDD at CENFACS extended and deepened the idea of more and better participation by focussing on Infrastructures for Women’s and Children’s contribution to poverty relief.  The theme for 2013 was “INFRASTRUCTURES FOR A POSITIVE ECONOMY TO REDUCE POVERTY”.

In 2014, we guesstimated and compared the cost for acting to the cost for inaction to reduce poverty.  The theme of COSTING DOING NOTHING FOR POVERTY RELIEF improves our understanding on an early prevention that helps reduce costs and avoid escalating or detrimental effects for poor Women and Children.

In 2015, WCFDD was dedicated to MAKING THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN (W&C).  This was the local community response from the W&C of CENFACS to the 2030 Global Agenda and Goals for Sustainable Development.

In 2016, the theme for our Development Day was ENSURING HEALTHY LIVES AND PROMOTING WELL-BEING FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN.  This was the continuation of 2015 Development Day.  Ensure-Healthy-Lives-and-Promote-Well-being is itself Goal no.3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  One day of development thoughts does not make the 2030 Agenda works as we need more times and days. But it helped to look at Goal 3 (G3) as both global and local concept, G3 as a practical response and G3 as Protection for W&C in the CENFACS’ Year of Protections.

In 2017, ENDING POVERTY IN ALL ITS FORMS EVERYWHERE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN was our working theme for the WCFDD

In 2018, we thought ways of working together to come out of the linear model that consists of make, use and dispose goods and resources; to embrace the CIRCULAR ECONOMY

In 2019, we discussed and put ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY into practice via three specific activities which were: advice, art and design, and clothes recycling as an example to end clothing poverty.

In 2020, we formalised and structured CORONAVIRUS TALKS BUBBLE by giving it purpose and objectives so that participants to it can measure its impact or output on their lives.

In 2021, we celebrated and thought of Foresight Skills to help improve our capacity to predict and forecast future risks and crises (similar to the coronavirus) as well as plan actions based on improved knowledge, estimations and prospect.

 

• Note: For your information,

 

3W (What Women Want) is a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance the lives of multi-dimensionally deprived women/mothers and families.

PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) is a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensionally vulnerable children, young people and families

W&CSDP (Women & Children Sustainable Development projects) – a CENFACS amalgamation of 3W and PPS projects

 

_________

 

• 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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

09 November 2022

 

Post No. 273

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2022 Edition: Financial Stability – How to find financial stability in unstable economic conditions

• 2022 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activity and Action No.5 from Week beginning 07/11/2022: Safekeeping of Crossley’s Ground-Thrush

• Data Skills to Run your Household – In Focus from Wednesday 09/11/2022: Data Security Skills

 

… And much more!

 

COMING NEXT WEEK:

The 13th Women and Children FIRST Development Day (in short Development Day) will take us an extra mile from last year’s Development Day, which was on Foresight Skills.  This year, we will be thinking of and celebrating our Crisis Response Skills.

After improving our capacity to predict and forecast future risks and crises as well as plan actions based on improved knowledge, estimations and prospect; we can try to apply this improved capacity and knowledge to respond to crises (like the cost-of-living crisis, debt crisis, climate change crisis, biodiversity crisis, etc.).  In fact, the majority of us is already responding to the cost-of-living crisis and other ones.

The Development Day provides the opportunity to exchange and celebrate what we have successfully done to respond to crises.  It also offers an occasion to improve our crisis response skills if our responses fall short.

What’s more, by dealing with skills, this year’s Development Day will resonate with November month of Skills Development within CENFACS.

For further information and how to engage with the Development Day, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2022 Edition: Financial Stability

How to find financial stability in unstable economic conditions

 

Financial Stability (FS) is a dream for many people, including the members of CENFACS Community.  Yet, many of these people are finding the realisation of this dream difficult or impossible, particularly in the current state of the economy.  

The current economic conditions are those of rising interest rates, skyrocketing inflation and soaring costs of living.  And predictions are that the impact brought by the current conditions will continue to grow to end 2022 and be at their peak in the first quarter of 2023. 

As a result of the above difficult conditions, there is an increase in demand for services from beneficiaries.  One of the services in demand is their need for financial stability.

The 2022 Edition of Festive Income Booster (FIB) is about how we can work with these people making our community so that they can navigate through these unstable economic conditions in order to create financial stability for their households and/or families.  In other words, it is about how these people can have enough income that cover their living expenses and debts while creating savings for emergencies.

From the above understanding of financial stability, the 2022 Edition of Festive Income Booster deals with financial stability from the micro-economic perspective of the perception of ordinary people and families in terms of what financial stability means for them.  This perception of financial stability has to be differentiated from the macro-economic considerations that link financial stability to financial systems of the economy.

During this long festive period, many of our users will be working towards financial stability by finding ways of having enough income to cover their festive expenses and debts while saving for emergencies.  To help this search for FS, the 2022 Edition of FIB resource provides multi-dimensional income poor children, young people and families (CYPFs) with some tips, hints and hacks to work out their FS over the festive period and beyond.

Throughout the festive period and beyond this period, we shall work with CYPFs in their journey in finding the financial stability they need.  We shall work with them through financial stability tools, advice, tips and hints so that they can position themselves to enter the year 2023 in a financially stable way.

More information about this year’s Edition of Festive Income Booster has been provided under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• 2022 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activity and Action No.5 from Week beginning 07/11/2022: Keeping Crossley’s Ground-Thrush Safe

 

Crossley’s Ground-Thrush, which is a species of bird in the family of Turdidae, is found in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.  Since sometimes, the species has become rare and is threatened by forest loss, habitat encroached, clearance of the montane and semi-montane forests (e.g., in Western Cameroon), etc.  It is listed as endangered on ‘earthsendangered.com’ (1).  As a result, there is need to keep this species safe.

 

• • What is keeping Crossley’s Ground-Thrush safe?

 

It is about the following:

√ Keeping the population of Crossley’s Ground-Thrush safe from threats of extinction

√ Reversing their habitat loss

√ Reducing the impact of climate change on Crossley’s Ground-Thrush

√ Cutting direct anthropogenic mortality that impacts on bird population, including Crossley’s Ground-Thrush

Etc.

Our understanding of what is safekeeping of Crossley’s Ground-Thrush can lead to specific safekeeping actions.

 

• • Actions for Keeping Crossley’s Ground-Thrush Safe

 

The actions we are going to list below come from ‘BirdLife International (2).  They are:

√ Carry out surveys to assess the total population size of Crossley’s Ground-Thrushes

√ Monitor their regular population trends

√ Keep track of rates of habitat loss and degradation

√ Protect suitable habitat for the species

Etc.

The above actions will help in keeping safe Crossley’s Ground-Thrush, which is near endangered bird species in Africa.

To take actions and/or find out more about this fifth composed note and/or the entire “A la une” Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household – In Focus from Wednesday 09/11/2022: Data Security Skills

 

Our campaign on data skills that a typical household or family can use for its effective and efficient running continues with Data Security Skills.  To identify these skills, one may need to know the meaning of data security.

 

• • What is data security?

 

Data security can have many definitions.  Since, we are in the era of digital technology and of households that are becoming free from illectronism (that is, the lack or total absence of knowledge relating to the use of electronic resources), we have selected a digital definition of data security of this era.  This definition, which comes from ‘ibm.com’ (3), is the following one:

“Data security is the practice of protecting digital information from unauthorised access, corruption, or theft throughout its entire lifecycle.  It is a concept that encompasses every aspect of information security from the physical security of hardware and storage devices to administrative and access controls, as well as the logical security of software applications.  It also includes organisational policies and procedures”.

There are different types of data security including encryption, data erasure, data masking, and data resiliency.

Clearly speaking, the above-mentioned definition applies to members of households who use digital technologies.  We can assume that most members of our community have some touch on computer and digital devices to carry on their daily life.  If so, they handle information using the digital tools or means.

Whether they digitally store and secure their data or not, this is a matter of investigation.  If they do, then they may need digital skills to store and secure their data.  Those who are not digitally skilful or literate will need non digital skills to store and secure their data.  Others will require both digital and non-digital skills.  What are those data security skills?

 

• • Data Security Skills to Run your Household

 

There is a range of skills that a typical household making our community can use to secure its data.  To summarise, we can list the following data security skills:

√ Identification skills to spot threats and risks to the household’s data security system

√ Problem-resolution skills

√ Support skills in risk assessment

√ Skills for incident response and reporting

√ Data maintenance skills

√ Data control skills for those who are data controllers within their households

Etc.

These skills will apply whether a household is using a digital or non-digital way of securing its information or data.  Likewise, the types of skills that people making this household possess could matter.

For example, in a household (with online security skills) where people are digitally skilled or digitally statistical literate, they may find easy to apply data security using digital devices.  They may be able to spot potential attacks on their online accounts.

These skills will depend on the types and levels of digital and cyber-security threats and risks from within and outside a given household.

For instance, if the household uses an online device or technology to store their data, data security skills relating to online threats and risks will apply in case there is any online security breaches or threats (like cyber-attack, hacking, scamming, any malicious software trying to access household’s data, etc.) or to respond to an incident.  If the household uses non digital or non-computerised system of storing their data, they will have to find a method to secure their data as well.

To sum up, having or acquiring the skills to protect data that runs your household is important in the process of reducing poverty.

 

• • CENFACS’ Digital and Social Media Campaign to enhance the community’s data security status

 

CENFACS run a Digital and Social Media Campaign.  Inside this campaign, we have level 2 which is about IT (Information and Telecommunications) and Online Security, and level 3 which deals with Digital Infrastructure, Security and Defence.

Through these two levels of our campaign, we can enhance Data Security Skills for those members of our community who are in need of those skills.  These two levels of digital security campaign are about campaigning to protect the community against cyber-security crimes and digital threats.  They also speak about anti-virus devices and software to protect the community.

For those community members of our community who will be interested in Data Security Skills to Run their Household, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can work with them to enhance their Data Security Skills to Run their Household.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month at CENFACS, please continue to read our weekly posts.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Conflicts in Africa

∝ Work on Financial Security for the Poor Continues…

∝ Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

 

 

• Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Conflicts in Africa

 

This is an appeal to support the survivors of sexual violence in conflicts (like in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo).

The appeal is about backing the International Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Conference to be hosted by the UK Government in central London from 28 to 29 November 2022.

Through this appeal, we hope the work and progress that have already been done on this matter will continue and advance.  In particular, we can expect the following:

 

√ Sharing ideas and experiences about the fight against sexual violence in conflicts

√ Helping the victims and survivors of sexual violence 

√ Supporting and increasing support to African organisations based in Africa and in the Diaspora working on this issue in their mission to end sexual violence in armed conflicts in Africa

√ Increasing contributions to the Global Survivors Fund and Foundation so that more and better help can be provided to the victims and survivors of atrocities linked to armed conflicts

Etc.

Please support this appeal to restore and save broken lives as a result of armed conflicts in Africa.

We look forward to your support to help the victims and survivors of sexual violence in armed conflicts and end this violence in Africa.

To discuss or enquire about this appeal, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

• Work on Financial Security for the Poor Continues…

 

We are carrying on working on some of the topics highlighted in the 77th Issue of FACS.  In particular, we are dealing with the Survey and E-discussion aspects of this Issue relating to Financial Security for the Poor.

 

• • Financial Security Survey

 

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our user households on their assets and liabilities in order to measure their liquidity ratio (that is, Current Assets to Current Liabilities).  This benchmark measure will enable to determine their financial health.  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 do you feel in terms of financial security?

√ How confident are you to cover any unexpected expenses?

√ Is your emergency/reserve fund enough for the next 3 months?

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

To help people respond, they can think of any coping strategies to achieve the aim of financial security.  Coping strategies are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Food Programme (4) as

“Activities to which people resort in order to obtain food, income and/or other essential goods or services when their normal means of livelihood have been disrupted or other shocks/hazards affect their access to basic needs” (p. 40).

These strategies can be crisis-, emergency- and livelihood-coping.

You can refer to this definition and respond by putting it into the context of financial security.

 

 

 

• • E-discussion on Financial Skills, Diligence, Prudence, Foresight and Financial Poverty Reduction

 

To reduce financial poverty, it requires a degree of financial skills, diligence, prudence and foresight from the poor.

For those who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard to above-mentioned items (i.e., financial skills, diligence, prudence and foresight) making financial security, 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.

 

 

 

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

 

• • Following up the Climate Talks that are Taking Place in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) 

 

We are following up the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt).  We are following it while keeping in mind CENFACS’ Compendia of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy, which summarises the key points forming the basis for our climate advocacy.

The slogan for this 2022 follow-up is: Sharm El-Sheikh Makes Children’s Dreams Come True.  One can hope that the talks or discussions in Sharm El-Sheikh will deliver on the pledges made so far and make climate protection and stake for children and future generations happen.

For those who have any queries or need any details (e.g., our follow-up plan) about this 2022 Climate Talks Follow-up, they are free to get in touch with CENFACS.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ CPSAC (Climate Protection and Stake for African Children) and its sub-phase 3.2, please contact CENFACS.

To find out more about CENFACS’ Compendia of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy, please also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Augmentation festive des revenus –

Point de mire de l’édition 2022: Stabilité financière

Comment trouver la stabilité financière dans des conditions économiques instables

La stabilité financière est un rêve pour beaucoup de gens, y compris les membres de la communauté CENFACS.  Pourtant, beaucoup de ces personnes trouvent la réalisation de ce rêve difficile, voire impossible, en particulier dans l’état actuel de l’économie.  Les conditions économiques actuelles sont celles d’une hausse des taux d’intérêt, d’une inflation galopante et d’une flambée du coût de la vie.

Et les prévisions sont que l’impact apporté par les conditions actuelles continuera de croître jusqu’à la fin de 2022 et sera à son apogée au premier trimestre de 2023.

En raison des conditions difficiles susmentionnées, il y a une augmentation de la demande de services de la part des bénéficiaires.  L’un des services en demande est leur besoin de stabilité financière.

L’édition 2022 de l’Augmentation festive des revenus traite de la façon dont nous pouvons travailler avec ces personnes faisant partie de notre communauté afin qu’elles puissent naviguer dans ces conditions économiques instables de manière à créer une stabilité financière pour leurs ménages et / ou leurs familles.  En d’autres termes, il s’agit de savoir comment ces personnes peuvent avoir un revenu suffisant pour couvrir leurs frais de subsistance et leurs dettes tout en créant des économies pour les urgences.

À partir de la compréhension ci-dessus de la stabilité financière, l’édition 2022 de l’Augmentation festive des revenus traite de la stabilité financière du point de vue micro-économique de la perception des personnes et familles modeses en termes de ce que la stabilité financière signifie pour elles.  Cette perception de la stabilité financière doit être différenciée des considérations macroéconomiques qui lient la stabilité financière au système financier de l’économie.

Pendant cette longue période festive, plusieurs de nos bénéficiaires travailleront à la stabilité financière en trouvant des moyens d’avoir suffisamment de revenus pour couvrir leurs dépenses et leurs dettes festives tout en épargnant pour les urgences.

Pour aider à la recherche de la stabilité financière, l’édition 2022 de la ressource ‘Augmentation festive des revenus’ fournira aux enfants, aux jeunes et aux familles multidimensionnels pauvres en revenus quelques conseils, astuces et tuyaux pour élaborer leur stabilité financière pendant la période des fêtes et au-delà.

Tout au long de la période des fêtes et au-delà de cette période, nous travaillerons avec ces personnes pauvres dans leur cheminement pour trouver la stabilité financière dont elles ont besoin.  Nous travaillerons avec elles par le biais d’outils de stabilité financière, de conseils, de tuyaux et d’astuces afin qu’elles puissent se positionner pour aborder l’année 2023 de manière financièrement stable.

Pour plus d’informations sur l’édition d’Augmentation festive des revenus de cette année, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2022 Edition: Financial Stability

How to find financial stability in unstable economic conditions

 

The following makes the contents for the 2022 Edition of Festive Income Booster (FIB):

 

∝ What the 2022 FIB resource is about

∝ Who the 2022 FIB resource is for

∝ Key Concepts

∝ Main Highlights

∝ Resources and services to help the community establish financial stability

∝ What other highlights it covers

∝ What’s more?

∝ How to access this resource.

 

• • What the 2022 FIB resource is about

 

It is about helping beneficiaries…

 

√ Get tools to become financially stable

√ Become more resilient to financial stresses

√ Dissipate financial imbalances within household system of running finances

√ Better manage financial risks and threats

√ Become capable of dealing with economic instability (like rising interest rates, skyrocketing inflation and soaring costs of living)

√ Correct the effects of the increase in the costs of essential spending and of living crisis caused by monetary or price instability

√ Take control of their financial stability and well-being

√ Establish financial stability report by the end of 2022

√ Understand that financial stability is intergenerational

Etc.

 

• • Who the 2022 FIB resource is for

 

Festive Income Boost is for Multi-dimensionally Income Poor Children, Young People and Families (MIPCYPFs) and it is designed to support them throughout the entire festive season and beyond.  Amongst them are:

 

√ Financially unstable MIPCYPFs

√ Those without financial peace of mind and with financial stress levels above average

√ Those experiencing deteriorating financial conditions

√ Those without household cohesion and connection because of lack of financial stability

√ Those looking to improve their financial well-being and happiness

Etc.

 

• • Key Concepts

 

There are three key concepts to help the users of the 2022 FIB resource.

These key concepts are: Financial Stability, Emergency Fund and Unstable Economic Conditions.

 

(a) Financial Stability

 

The 2022 FIB resource uses an online definition of Financial Stability as given by ‘europeanbusinessreview.com’ (5) which argues that

“While there is no one-size-fits-all definition of financial stability, there are a few key components that are essential for most families.  These include having enough income to cover basic expenses, paying off debts with the help of professionals […], and having savings for emergencies”.

This definition will help us to work with beneficiaries on how they are trying to apply these three components of financial stability.

 

(b) Emergency Fund

 

In the 2022 FIB resource, the meaning of emergency fund comes from ‘fqmom.com’ (6) which provides the following definition:

“Emergency fund is the amount of money you should keep in fixed income products that you can easily withdraw if emergencies happen”.

Although it is a challenge for MIPCYPFs to create an emergency or reserve fund, the 2022 FIB resource provides ways of working with these people so that they can develop habit of creating an emergency or reserve funds to help for the unexpected situation.

 

(c) Unstable Economic Conditions

 

To understand unstable economic conditions, one may need to know the meaning of economic conditions.  Our definition of economic conditions comes from ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (7) which states that

“Economic conditions are the present state of affairs in the overall economy of a country or geographical region. The conditions evolve over time through various business and economic cycles”.

These conditions can be stable or unstable.  Economic instability can come from various factors.  According to ‘study.com’ (8),

“Economic instability [then] occurs when the factors that influence an economy are out of balance. When an economy becomes unstable, there is inflation, which is a decrease in the value of money. This leads to higher prices, higher unemployment rates, and general angst among consumers and businesses that are trying to survive financially”.

This definition of economic instability will be used in this 2022 FIB and in our work with beneficiaries.

The above three key terms or concepts (Financial Stability, Emergency and Unstable Economic Conditions) and any others (like monetary or price instability) will be considered when one is trying to navigate their way through to build financial stability.

 

 

• • Main Highlights

 

As the focus for this year’s edition is on Financial Stability, the resource includes the following items:

 

∝ Tools to become financially stable

∝ How to take control of your financial well-being through financial stability

∝ How to create enough income to cover basic festive expenses (e.g., by avoiding impulse festive buying)

∝ How to enable yourself to pay debts over the festive period (e.g., by carrying out a debt-to-income analysis)

∝ How to build savings for emergencies or emergency funds to cover unexpected festive costs

∝ How to generate enough income while cutting unneeded expenses to cover basic festive costs

∝ How to invest in long-term financial stability goals

∝ End-of-the-year earning opportunities and openings to create Financial Stability

∝ How to earn and save money during the cost-of-living crisis

∝ Online and offline opportunities from both essential and non-essential economic activities

∝ How to successfully create Financial Stability during the festive season

∝ Tips and hints to make savings for your Financial Stability.

 

For example, how can you improve your spending habits and plans to avoid impulse buying during the festive season?

 

• • Resources and services to help the community establish financial stability

 

They include

 

√ Bridging Financial Information Gap (service)

√ Summer Financial Updates (resource)

√ Signposting beneficiaries to low-cost and free financial advice services

√ Zero Income Deficit Campaign

√ Financial advocacy (e.g., discuss a workable debt repayment plan with creditors)

√ Financial advice on how to create emergency or reserve fund, to set realistic financial stability goals and targets and so on

√ Help and support in terms of financial stability planning, budgeting, financial statistical literacy

Etc.

 

• • What other highlights it covers

 

The resource covers some ways of dealing with the following:

 

√ Casual job interview questions (online, video calls and distance job interviews)

√ Seasonal job search techniques (for both online and offline searches)

√ Job search engines and leads

√ Guidance on job applications and CV

√ Reference building techniques

√ How to highlight your skills in your job application and or CV

√ Job adverts and alerts

√ Credit history or score

√ Diary of online job fairs and events

√ Job matching to person specification and profile

√ Online job fraud and employment agency scams

√ Details can potential employers ask and not ask as well as how they can ask them

√ What details to provide and not to provide in your job enquiries and when filling job applications

Etc.

 

It goes further in exploring e-skills as well as stages and steps that poor families can take to skill up themselves.

In addition, the resource covers security and protection matter when trying to organise Financial Stability or generate a little extra income to make ends meet.  In this respect, it deals again with the general data protection regulations, child protection and safeguarding issues as well as COVID-19 restrictions for jobs where these requirements apply.

The resource does not stop there as it includes online employment agency scams and job advert scams which sometimes has dramatically increased in today’s world and employment market as there are always unscrupulous players (scammers, hackers and fraudsters) on the market who try to take advantage of the poor and vulnerable people like MIPCYPFs.

 

• • What’s more?

 

The resource is packed with insights such as income statement, balance sheet. net worth asset value, etc.  It finally reminds us of the areas of law or legal requirements in terms of whatever we do to try to create Financial Stability or raise additional household income to reduce poverty.  We should always try to lawfully act and live within our means.

 

• • How to access this resource

 

The resource will be available as a booklet from CENFACS e-Store.  It is normally free of charge, but we will appreciate a donation of £5 to help us help reduce poverty and the cost of renewing and producing this resource on an annual basis.  As the side effects of cost-of-living continues and the resilience of voluntary sector is falling, we need financial help like many voluntary and charitable organisations do.

The 2022 FIB resource is a great way to start and set up yourself into 2023.

To order and or find out more about the Autumn ICDP resource, please contact CENFACS with your contact details.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) www.earthsendangered.com/(accessed in November 2022)

(2) BirdLife International (2022), Species factsheet: Geokichla Crossleyi (www.birdlife.org)

(3) https://www.ibm.com/topics/data-security (accessed in November 2022)

(4) WFP and FAO, 2022, Hunger Hotspots, FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity: October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook, Rome (accessed in August 2022)

(5) https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/the-importance-of-financial-stability-for-families/ (accessed in November 2022)

(6) https://fqmom.com/how-important-is-financial-stability-to-a-family/ (accessed in November 2022)

(7) https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/economic-conditions (accessed in November 2022)

(8) https://study.com/academy/lesson/economic-instability-definition-examples.html (accessed in November 2022)

 

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

02 November 2022

 

Post No. 272

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2022

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 31/10/2022: Safeguard of African Green Broadbill

• Giving Tuesday Event on 29/11/2022

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2022

 

November is the Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (or in short Skills Development Month) within CENFACS.  It is the month that we recognise the economic value of education as well as of the non-economic benefits from education even if there could a dispute about these values or benefits.  It is also the month we pay a particular attention to the technology of skill formation; month in which we try to find out how skills are formed and how technologies relating to them can help us to further reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

So, our November work on economic issues relating to education has just started this week.  This work will first be about the link between education economics and poverty reduction, then between education economics and sustainable development.  This work will include the identification of causal relationships between African organisations’ work and outcomes in educational projects.

In this identification, we shall refer to the human capital theory which will be the theoretical and working paradigm to be used this month.  In other words, all along this month we shall work on this assumption: the importance and capacity of education and training (skills development) to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Skills formation and development will be about forming new skills (that is any abilities to perform an activity in a competent way) to continue to fight poverty, for example poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis.    Skills formation and development will indeed include data skills.  In other words, the skills we will be dealing with are foundational statistical skills that help to understand data relating to families’ or households’ life.  This variety of abilities or skills will make our human capital.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find further information about this first key message.

 

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 31/10/2022: Safeguard of African Green Broadbill

 

African Green Broadbill, also known as Grauer’s broadbill, is a rare and beautiful bird that belongs to typical African broadbills, that is the sub-family of Smithornithinae Genus: Smithornis African broadbill, Smithornis capensis.  African Green Broadbill appears in tropical moist montane forest and is endemic to the Albertine Rift Mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

African Green Broadbill is classified as vulnerable and listed on ‘earthsendangered.com’ (1).  It is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.  Because of that, it needs to be kept safe or safeguarded.

 

• • Safeguard of African Green Broadbill

 

Safeguarding of African Green Broadbill is about ensuring that African Green Broadbill is free from danger and given protection from harm.  Yet, many studies suggest that African Green Broadbill as species is threatened by deforestation and habitat degradation.  As a result, actions need to be taken to deal with deforestation and habitat degradation that threaten this species.  Since “A la une“ Campaign is about actions not words, we are going to take actions with the community and the rest of the community.

 

 

• • Actions for the Upkeep of African Green Broadbill in Existence

 

The kind of actions we are going to deal with is the one that can help stop or reduce deforestation and habitat degradation.  These actions can include the following:

 

√ Afforestation, that is growing forests on forested lands, where African Green Broadbills can have access

√ Creation of new habitats or environmental conditions for African Green Broadbills to live

√ Replanting forests

√ Natural regeneration, that is natural regrowth of vegetation and of damaged or destroyed ecological communities

√ Aggradation, that is building up the land surface

Etc.

 

The above actions will assist in safeguarding African Green Broadbill, which is near endangered bird species in Africa.

To take actions and/or find out more about this fourth composed note and/or the entire “A la une” Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Giving Tuesday Event on 29/11/2022:

Support the Victims and Survivors of Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa!

 

By and on 29/11/2022, CENFACS is looking forward to raising funds to help the victims and survivors of violence in conflicts, particularly the survivors of sexual violence in conflicts (like in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo) to change their lives.

This fundraising activity starts from the start of this November.  On 29 November 2022, it will be the fundraising climax day as it is a Global Giving Tuesday.  CENFACS hopes you can join and help it maximise the day through your giving.

Please share this message around your contacts, in particular with your friends and family members, on how you/they can make a helpful difference.

We would love your/their help in reaching our Giving Tuesday target and goal. 

For those who would like to donate, they should not wait to do it.  They can donate now as the need is pressing and urgent.

To donate, you simply need to contact CENFACS.  You can text, phone, e-mail and complete the contact form on this site with your contact details.  On receipt of your donation or intent to support, CENFACS will contact you back.

We look forward to your support to help the victims and survivors of violence in armed conflicts, particularly the survivors of sexual violence.

Thank you in anticipation.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Activity/Task 11 of the Knowledge (‘K’) Year and Project: Identify the Skills of Those in Need

∝ Long-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

∝ Integrating “A la une” Campaign and Nature Aspect of COP27

 

 

• Activity/Task 11 of the Knowledge (‘K’) Year and Project: Identify the Skills of Those in Need

 

The 11th Activity or Task of our ‘K’ Year and Project is about Identifying the Skills of Those in Need.  

To be able to help those in need in what they would like to do (as occupation, job, activity, event, etc.), it is better to recognise or establish the identity of the skills and capabilities they possess.

Depending on the skills they possess and or can acquire, it is possible to think of what opportunity can meet their skills.  The identification of skills can also establish if there is any gap between their goal/ambition (what they want to do or achieve) and what is on offer on the market (what they can realistically get from the market).

For example, one can identify the skills of those in need via their curriculum vitae or résumé.  One can even rank these skills and match them with the kind of occupation these people are looking for in order to navigate their way out of poverty and hardships.

So, by identifying the skills of those in need, this helps to bridge the gap, if any, between their goal and the reality on the market.

The above is the Activity or Task no. 11 for the ‘K’ Year/Project for those who are interested in carrying it out.

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

 

 

 

• Long-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

These actions go from 2 to 10 years.  The aim of this third level of actions is to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis leads to intergenerational poverty; that is the transmission of poverty linked to high cost of living to future generations.

Through this level of service, CENFACS hopes to support the community to become more financially resilient as the cost-of-living crisis lasts and beyond.  In doing so, they can better manage their financial well-being and survive.

At this level, the actions to be undertaken could be those listed below:

 

Help beneficiaries improve their productivity and capacity to earn or generate sufficient income

Protect the economic basis of beneficiaries’ survival as humans

Support them to consume green and local so that they can be less exposed to the volatility of the international prices of goods and services

 Find ways of scaling down repressive or punitive market dictatorship on them

 Encourage them to lead long-term change not to be behind it 

Advise them on lasting financial resilience support schemes

Get them invest in long-term solutions to the cost-of-living crisis

 Advocate with them and on their behalf to those holding key to long-term solutions to their financial security problems

Etc.

 

Through the above-mentioned actions, one can expect that the cost-of-living crisis will not transform itself to the crisis in the lasting cost of surviving as human beings.  The 2020s decade will not be a decade of lost generation for the victims of cost-of-living crisis if this crisis lasts longer than expected.  This why we have this 2-to-10-year service or programme of work with the community.

The service is available for those members of our community who need it and who would like to ask for it.  The service can be accessed via what we called ‘GARSIA’ (that is Guidance, Advice, Referrals, Signposting, Information and Advocacy) options.

To request and/or access the service, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Integrating “A la une” Campaign and Nature Aspect of COP27

 

There are some areas of CENFACS “A la une” Campaign that are linked to some of the points to be raised during COP27, in particular within the Nature Pavilion at COP27.  Because of that, we are looking at those areas in conjunction with these talkable points as we are undertaking our “A la une” Campaign.  In technical terms, we can argue that we are going to integrate CENFACS‘ nature campaign and climate talks to be held under COP27.  Before that, let remind our readers what is “A la une” Campaign and what is COP27.

 

• • What is “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)?

 

“A la une” is CENFACS’ well-known household campaign for justice towards for nature in the autumnal season.

It is about working together in organised and active way toward the goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence.

It is as well about telling those who are in a position to help to fix the overexploitation and end extinction of natural species.

It is CENFACS’ branding or theme that holds to account those who are destroying the nature and its resources as well as it looks forward to changing the way our society works.

Briefly, “A la une” Campaign, which has to be differentiated from one-time protest, has three attributes, which are:

a) It focuses on a concrete goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence

b) It has specific outcomes for working with CENFACS’ users to protect nature or the wilderness/wildlands

c) It helps to add up to similar efforts and work on protecting the nature.

Amongst similar efforts is COP27.

 

• • What is COP27?

 

COP27 is the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) from Monday 07 November to Friday 18 November 2022 (2).

Generally, CENFACS follows the rounds of climate talks or negotiations hold during these sessions of the conference of the parties.  Likewise, we shall follow COP27, particularly talks to be held within the Nature Pavilion of COP27.  Prior to following these talks, we are looking at the integration between “A la une” Campaign and the Nature Aspect of COP27 via common nature points for discussion.

 

• • Integration between “A la une” Campaign and Nature Aspect of COP27

 

Through the integration of the two, we are studying if there are some synergies between the two (CENFACS‘ Nature Campaign and Nature Pavilion of COP27).  Using an integrative approach, it is possible to identify some interconnectedness between the goal of the upkeep of the nature and that of keeping global average temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius.    

It is as well conceivable to associate the upkeep of the nature and some of the issues which will be raised inside Nature Pavilion of COP27.  These nature integrative points may include these ones below:

 

√ Action to protect, manage and restore natural ecosystems

√ The place of nature and climate within the blue zone

√ Sustainable approaches to land use and contributions to greenhouse gas emissions

√ Untapped potential of natural ecosystems

√ Carbon sinks (e.g., forest, ocean or any natural environment) and their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

√ Nature positive action and nature-based solutions

√ Preservation of existing ecosystems

√ Restoration of degraded lands

√ The Convention on Biodiversity to be negotiated

√ Ways of halting and reversing nature losses

√ Carbon market or greenhouse gas trade system and the price on releasing carbon

√ Ways of ending commodity-driven deforestation

√ Technologies for nature

Etc.

 

These points for discussion and their discussion will enable us to find out how they affect our users and how our users can get prepared as we are on our way to COP27.

For those who would like to find out more about this integration of CENFACS’ Nature Campaign and aspects of COP27 relating to nature, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Vient de paraître: Le 77e numéro du FACS

Le 77e numéro de notre bulletin bilingue FACS vient de paraître.  À l’intérieur de ce numéro dans la page 10, il y a le Projet d’analyse de la sécurité financière.

Ci-dessous se trouve le résumé de ce projet (Projet d’analyse de la sécurité financière).

Alors que les prix des biens et des services continuent d’augmenter pendant que les revenus et le soutien financier des gens ne correspondent pas au niveau et à l’ampleur de la flambée du coût de la vie, il est devenu évident que beaucoup de nos bénéficiaires éprouvent des difficultés financières. Ils/elles éprouvent des difficultés financières car leurs actifs sont inférieurs à leurs passifs. En termes techniques, ils sont financièrement précaires.

Pour faire face au niveau d’insécurité et de menace que représente l’insécurité financière pour ces personnes en difficulté, il est nécessaire d’élaborer une réponse appropriée.

Le Projet d’analyse de la sécurité financière, qui peut ne pas être un soutien financier en termes de liquidités ou d’actifs convertibles en espèces, peut aider à travailler avec des personnes en situation d’insécurité financière afin qu’elles puissent progressivement se frayer un chemin vers la sécurité financière.

Par exemple, grâce à ce projet, nous pouvons effectuer une analyse expresse de la sécurité financière de nos bénéficiaires ou ménages à partir de leurs données.  L’analyse aidera à déterminer la situation financière d’un/e bénéficiaire résidentiel(le) donné(e) de notre projet.

L’analyse peut fournir des informations précieuses pour éviter potentiellement la pauvreté financière. À cet égard, le Projet d’analyse de la sécurité financière contribuera à améliorer le niveau de ceux/celles qui recherchent des solutions durables à la crise financière à laquelle ils/elles sont confronté(e)s.

Pour accéder ou soutenir ou encore contribuer au Projet d’analyse de la sécurité financière, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Pour plus de détails  à ce projet, veuillez aussi contacter le CENFACS.

L’exemplaire intégral du 77e numéro de FACS est disponible sur demande. Pour toute question ou commentaire sur ce numéro, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

Le 77e numéro de FACS est stocké dans notre référentiel sous les détails suivants:

Bulletin bilingue FACS / Titre du numéro: Sécurité financière pour les pauvres / Numéro: 77 / Mois et année de publication: Octobre 2022 / Editeur: CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2022

 

The following items make up our Skills Development 2022:

 

∝ Month of November within CENFACS

∝ Poverty as a lack of skills and knowledge

∝ CENFACS Community’s Skills Data Bank

∝ CENFACS and its work on skills development

∝ Data Skills to Run your Household

∝ In Focus from Wednesday 02/11/2022: Data Storage Skills.

 

Let us summarise these items.

 

• • Month of November within CENFACS

 

November month has two features within CENFACS which are: Skills evaluation and training implementation.

 

• • • November as a month of skills evaluation

 

November at CENFACS is the month of education and training, which revolves around the development of skills for life, for work, for poverty relief and sustainable development.  It is the month during which we look into ourselves and try to assess, explore and learn the skills we need in order to further help reduce poverty in a sustainable way amongst ourselves and re-engage with the business of sustainable development.

 

• • • November as a training implementation month

 

November is also the training implementation month during which we pay attention to the following: educationally related projects or projects that involve training, skills development and acquisition of new knowledge to help users and our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) to empower themselves with the educational tools and training resources they need to further help reduce poverty.

For example, one of the skills development projects to support ASOs is skills to hybrid work (that is, the flexibility to split time between working remotely and from the office), in particular when there is handicap for people to meet in-person and work.

 

• • Poverty as a lack of skills and knowledge

 

It is known that poverty is not only material or the lack of monetary income; it is even more the lack of knowledge, skills, knowhow and technologies than anything else.   Therefore, knowing and learning a skill can help to further reduce poverty, particularly but not exclusively poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis, and can set one on the right course of the development process.  In this respect, there could relationships between economics of education and poverty reduction, between skill formation and poverty reduction.

 

• • • Relationship between the economics of education and poverty reduction

 

The economics of education is generally defined as the study of economic issues relating to education.  The paradigm used in the economics of education is human capital theory.  This theory suggests that investment in education and training lead people to become productive.

However, education and training do not only lead to the improvement of productivity.  They can also pave the way for poverty reduction.  As people get more educated and trained, these further education and training can provide them with the means to overcome poverty.  As a result of this, there could be relationship between the economics of education and poverty reduction.

There could disagreement about this link between the two.  However, despite this disagreement we are working on the assumption that education and training can lead to poverty reduction.

 

• • • Link between skill formation and poverty reduction

 

Let us briefly try to understand skill formation by highlighting its definitions.  One of its definitions comes from an online dictionary at the website igi—global.com (3), which explains the following

“Skill formation is the process by which individuals achieve and develop innate or acquired skills to cope with everyday life challenges.  Besides heredity, it includes formal and informal training activities and life experience”.

From this definition, it is possible to deduct that individuals who are poor can use their innate or acquired skills to cope with the challenge of poverty by developing survival and coping strategies.  If they continue to use their skills and those strategies, they can navigate their way out of poverty.  When they reach the point at which their skills and strategies effectively enable them to reduce poverty, then one could argue about the link between skill formation and poverty reduction.

 

 

• • CENFACS Community’s Skills Data Bank

 

As part of our Skills Development Month, we would like to remind every member of our community that they can register their skills to our data bank, which is repository containing information about CENFACS and the data of the CENFACS’ Community.  The register is free.  Skills and information are stored on it in accordance with the latest regulations on data protection.

Knowing the skills that one possesses; it makes easy when opportunity arises to match them with registered skills.  It also helps to point those in need of support to the right and relevant a skilful person and direction.

To register your skills to make up the CENFACS’ Community of skilled people, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • CENFACS and its work on skills development

 

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we strive to support those who want to learn a skill while we at CENFACS as an organisation plan our own training, learning and development programme from time to time when we can access both funding and training.

The focus for this November 2022 will be on enhancing data skills for households making the CENFACS Community.

 

• • Data Skills to Run your Household

 

Data Skills to Run your Household is the second project of our 2022 Starting XI Campaign.  In order to understand this project, we are going to define data skill and provide the types of skills this project may contain.

 

• • • What is data skill?

 

Data Skills to Run your Household are the naturally acquired or developed talents and accomplishments that will allow our project beneficiaries to better run their households.

The project will help families/households that lack skills in terms of handling data…

 

∝ to gain sufficient skills and knowledge to use data making their lives

∝ to attach value to data

∝ to capture household data and turn them into value

∝ to create trust in data systems they use to manage their lives

∝ to support both technical skills building and efforts to enhance a culture of data use within household systems

∝ to improve family/household limited data literacy skills

∝ to keep learning numeracy and statistical literacy skills at family/household level

∝ to empower and inform household data users

∝ to build the skills of household decision-makers in relation to handling information about their households

Etc.

 

From these various ways of handling data, it is possible to have different types of data skills.

 

• • • Types of data skills 

 

Investing in building the data skills for the good running of your household and decision-making process can help not only to tackle poverty linked to the lack of ability to handle data, but also other forms of poverty that a household may face.  There are various data skills that a typical data unskilled household may need or require.

These types of data skills can include the following:

 

∝ Skills needed to collect, process and disseminate data

∝ Skills to extract the relevant information from data

∝ Skills for data engineering to manage and process data

∝ Foundational statistical skills to understand data relating to family life

∝ Data sharing skills within and outside household

Etc.

 

From these types of skills, we can select four of them and create skills-focused area to work on each Wednesday of November 2022.  To make it easy, our creation is built around the management of data.

 

• • • What is management of data?

 

Management of data can be defined in many ways.  In the context of these notes, we have selected the definition provided by ‘phoenix.edu’ (4) which states that

“Management of data refers to the processes that store, secure, process and analyse data and includes the management of servers, databases, networks and computers”.

From this definition, one can pull out the different skills that households, particularly but not exclusively those making the CENFACS Community, need to plan and make these above-named processes to happen.

The following table (table no. 1) summarises our plan (Wednesdays’ Skills Focus) for approaching these pulled-out skills this month.  It highlights a set of skills to focus on from every Wednesday of each week of November 2022 starting from 02/11/2022.

 

 

As the table no. 1 shows, the last Wednesday of November 2022 will deal with the monitoring and evaluation of Data Skills to Run your Household.

Let us start with the first area of our Wednesdays’ Skills Focus, which is Data Storage Skills.

 

 

 

• • In Focus from Wednesday 02/11/2022: Data Storage Skills

 

To deal with Data Storage Skills, we are going to briefly explain data storage in the context of households or families and the types of skills that can involve when households or families are trying to store their data.

 

• • • Data Storage in the context of households/families

 

Data storage in the context of households and/or families is simply about the place where household/family files are kept.  Most of files we will be dealing with are those households/families can keep themselves.  Others like medical records are kept by relevant body like health authorities.

Regarding the files that households/families can keep themselves, they may include everything from invoices, tenancy agreements to sensitive files or information like their bank statements.  When dealing with these households/families, a question one can ask is the following: Are these files kept in a safe, secure and easy place to access when they need the information containing in these files?  Are these files stored on a computer system or in a paper box or shelves of bookcase, etc.?

Depending on the way these households/families choose to store their files, it is possible to work with them so that they can find the effective and efficient methods of storing their private files.  This will require some data storage skills.

 

• • • Data Storage Skills in the context of households/families

 

The question we are trying to answer here is: What skills does a typical household/family need to store data relating to its life?

There is a range of data storage skills that a household/family may use.  Without listing all of them, we can mention the following:

 

√ Organisational skills

√ Problem-solving skills

√ Data collection skills

√ Foundational statistical skills

√ Information and Telecommunication (IT) skills

√ Data entry skills

Etc.

 

Depending on the task a member of a typical household/family (e.g., household/family data controller or manager) is doing to store data, they may need a particular type of skills.

For example, if they are inputting the household/family data in a computerised database (e.g., a datastore) at home, they may need IT data entry skills.  They may also need to understand a particular software (e.g., any of the versions of Microsoft Excel or Access) if they are using this software.  If they are filing their children’s school files or records using a non-computerised filing system, they can manually organise their files in paper or metal box.

Briefly, it all depends on the skills they possess, the resources they can afford and the methods they choose to store their household data.  Since, we are all trying to save papers, it will be worth for them to learn how to store some of their data or files using a digital device or a computer instead of keeping everything on papers.  Again, this will belong to them whether they can afford it or not.

In this process of storing data, CENFACS Community members are not alone.  They can work with CENFACS, especially those members who are struggling with data storage skills or who are simply having some problems to store their household/family data.

 

• • • CENFACS working with the community members through Data Storage Skills to Run their Household

 

We would like to reiterate that the purpose of working with the community members on data skills, here data storage skills, is to help them as follows:

 

√ to create trust in data systems

√ to learn and build technical skills like statistical literacy skills

√ to enhance a culture of data use within household

√ to improve household/family the overall data skills

√ to attach value to data

√ to empower and inform household data users

√ to encourage the community members to register their skills on CENFACS Skills Data Bank

above all, to reduce poverty linked to poor data skills; yet data skills are necessary to deal with life-saving household/family matters.

 

For those community members of our community who will be interested in Data Storage Skills to Run their Household, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can enhance their Data Storage Skills to Run their Household.

Additionally, for those who would like to register their skills on CENFACS Skills Data Bank, they are welcome to do so.  This registration will help in matching the support in terms of skills and the needs in the community.

To get further insight into Skills Development Month at CENFACS, please continue to read our weekly posts.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) www.earthsendangered.com/(Accessed in October 2022)

(2) https://unfccc.int/event/cop-27 (Accessed in September 202

(3) https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/is-entrepreneurship-a-bio–social-phenomenon/92105 (accessed in November 2021)

(4) https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-is-data-management.html (Accessed in October 2022)

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

26 October 2022

 

Post No. 271

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 77, Autumn 2022, Issue Title: Financial Security for the Poor

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 24/10/2022: Preservation of Dwarf Honeyguide

• Medium-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 77, Autumn 2022, Issue Title: Financial Security for the Poor

How to reduce financial worries and stresses for the income poor at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis

 

• • Abstract for the 77th Issue of FACS

 

The lingering effects of the coronavirus and the current cost-of-living crisis are making worried and stressed many ordinary and poor people and families.  They are making them worried and stressed as prices of goods and services keep rising while people’s incomes and financial support do not match the level and scale of soaring cost of living.  These people and families need some form of financial security if one needs to avoid the current crisis to become a humanitarian one.

The 77th Issue of FACS, CENFACS bilingual newsletter, will help not only to understand their financial worries and stresses, but also to explore with them positive coping strategies and mechanisms to calm their mind and find peace of mind.  In this respect, the Issue provides some tips and hints to avert the transformation of the cost-of-living crisis they are experiencing into a humanitarian one.

Many of those making our community are looking for financial security in order to make ends meet or just to cover their basic life-sustaining needs.  There are income deficit and indebted amongst them; those having their amount of income falling short of their spending.  They all need financial security to avoid that the current crisis pushes them to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe or collapse.

The 77th Issue explores ways of building financial security with and for these people and families.  Although the Issue does not list organisations and institutions that provide financial security cover, it bundles a number of financial security fixes with and for them.

At the current challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis, the 77th Issue of FACS is a journey with those people and families on how they can raise the finances they need and erect the basic foundations of financial security.  Through the 77th Issue, it is in the best interest of users to try together to identify the levels of financial security they need, whether high or low or medium.

Financial security is not only about our closer community, CENFACS Community.  It is also about our extended community; that is the people with whom our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) work in Africa.  For these distant communities and people, financial security is about how they are trying to develop their coping financial strategies (for example, if they got any financial bailout) in order to mitigate the combined side effects of the coronavirus and other diseases, the cost-of-living crisis and changing climate.

The 77th Issue goes further miles in exploring how these ASOs are adjusting their not-for-profit or charitable model in order to continue to serve their communities in this context of spiralling prices of money, food, energy and other goods and services.

Likewise, it contains an appeal for a portion of financial dividend created (e.g., from illicit financial flows in Africa) to be channelled to ASOs working with poor people and communities.  In appealing in this way, this could provide a starting point or a new development in connecting the above-mentioned poor people and families with financial niches that are supposed to help them, but they are not doing it at the moment.

Finally, the 77th Issue of FACS provides some constituents or elements a foundation for a programme of work with our community on ways of building and developing financial security with these people and families.

To get a glimpse of the subjects discussed in the Autumn Issue of FACS in order to make financial security happen or to reduce financial worries and stresses for the income poor, please read the summaries presented under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 24/10/2022: Preservation of Dwarf Honeyguide

 

Dwarf Honeyguide, which is a species of honeyguides in the indicatoridoe family, is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.  Its scientific name is indicator pumilio.  Research on Dwarf Honeyguide suggests that their number is under-recorded.  They are near threatened species that need preservation.  What does their preservation mean?

 

• • Preservation of Dwarf Honeyguide

 

It is about saving Dwarf Honeyguide from loss and keeping it safe from danger and death.  As the ‘mynextbird.com’ (1) puts it

“Bird preservation refers to efforts to protect bird populations and their habitats from human impacts. This is an important endeavour for a number of reasons. First, birds are incredibly diverse, with a wide range of species occupying different niches in the ecosystem. Indeed, some birds play critical roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, and predators”.

For example, many studies on honeyguides infer that the population of Dwarf Honeyguide is declining due to the destruction, degradation and fragmentation of the Albertine Rift montane forests.  The latter is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in East-central Africa which covers the Western portion of Rwanda and Burundi, the Eastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the portions of Western Uganda and Tanzania.

Dwarf Honeyguide is a species that is near threatened by shifting agriculture and illicit logging, just it suffers from the impact of pollution and human conflicts.  There are documented studies that indicate that during the first and second wars (1996-1997 and 1998-2003) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the montane forests of Eastern sector of this country suffered from degradation.  This suffering also affected Dwarf Honeyguide population and habitat.

Because of that, actions need to be taken to deal with the situation.  As “A la une“ Campaign is about actions not words, we are going to take actions with the community and the rest of the community.

 

• • Actions to preserve Dwarf Honeyguide

 

The kind of actions we are going to list below comes from Birdlife International (2).  They include the following:

√ Help in the survey of the total population of Dwarf Honeyguide since its number is under-recorded

√ Tackling illicit logging through patrols by local rangers

√ Increasing the area of suitable habitat or protected areas

√ Tracking its umbers through population trends

√ Monitoring of rates of habitat loss and degradation.

Besides these actions, one needs to consider actions of better way of preserving Dwarf Honeyguide, to choose the right preservation methods and the cost of preservation.

Regarding for instance the cost of preservation, one may also include fundraising actions.  Concerning the right preservation methods, one can consider education as a way to acquiring knowledge and skills.  One can as well think of planting trees as this is an important aspect of the dynamics of Dwarf Honeyguide populations.  Fruiting trees are attractive to them.

To sum up, these actions will be useful in keeping away from harm and danger, the rescue, rehabilitation and survivorship of Dwarf Honeyguide.

The above actions will indeed assist in preserving and conserving Dwarf Honeyguide, which is near endangered bird species in Africa.

To take actions and/or find out more about this third composed note and/or the entire “A la une” Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Medium-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

In order to tackle any crises, one may need short-, medium- and long-term actions.  These actions can be taken at the same time.  In other words, there is no need to wait until the end of one action (e.g., short-term action) in order to start the other one (e.g., medium-term action).

So, while we are taking short-term action, we can still work with those members of our community who need medium-term service or action.  This second level of actions (medium-term service) is designed to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis settles in with the time and becomes a humanitarian issue or crisis.  Amongst actions to be taken, which will run between 6 and 24 months, include these ones listed below:

 

Assess with users about how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting them and their needs as a result of crisis effects

Develop with the applicants to the medium-term service an action plan to come out of the cost-of-living crisis in medium term

As part of the plan, encourage them to develop or learn skills that are adapted with the evolving time and help them navigate out of the cost-of-living crisis

 Support them to build energy and food security systems in the medium term and beyond.

 

The service is available for those members of our community who need it and who would like to ask for it.  To request and/or access the service, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Happening this Week: Making Memorable Positive Difference Project

∝ Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature

∝Back-to-school Project: Integrated Training Centre in Doutchi, County of Dosso in Niger

 

 

• Happening this Week: Making Memorable Positive Difference Project

In Focus: Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa

 

The 14^th Event of Making Memorable Difference Project will start on 27/10/2022 as scheduled.  It will be the celebration of African Abilities, Talents, Skills, Legacies and Gifts to Africa and the world.

For those who would like to make contribution to our Two Days of African History, they are welcome to do so.  They can contribute to the following:

a) Heritage/Patrimony Day on 27 October 2022, day which will focus on Infrastructure Development as a Connector and Service Provider to Poverty Reduction

b) Legacies and Gifts Day on 28 October 2022; day which will concentrate on History of Infrastructures in Africa through Infrastructure Managers of the History.

 

• • To engage and or contribute to the history days

 

You can tell and share with us what they know about Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa.  Your telling or sharing could be in the form of:

 

texts, documents, references, comments, audio and visual materials, oral communications, art objects and any other historical resources.   

 

• • To donate

 

For those who can, they could support CENFACS’ Two History Days and Making Memorable Positive Difference Project with a donation to acknowledge our efforts, to help us recover costs of organising such eventful days and to build forward better African History.

To engage with this year’s Making Memorable Positive Difference theme and or support this project, please contact CENFACS on this site. 

 

 

• Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature with…

Actions to Reduce and or Stop Rising Temperatures 

 

Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature (STN), which is part of the “A la une” Campaign, is also an environmental campaign on its own.   This is because its contents are intertwined with some of the aspects of the “A la une” Campaign.

Under the STN, we are looking at Sustainable Trajectories in terms of the following trajectories:

 

∝ Temperature

∝ Sea levels

∝ Wildlife population

∝ Greenhouse gas emissions.

 

During COVID-19 lockdowns, there were some good results and news about the reduction of air pollution, electricity, transport use, industrial activity and noise in some big cities of the world including London and Kinshasa.  Many confined places (in countries such as China) recorded low levels of energy demand and CO2 emissions.

However, do these good results suggest the decreasing pattern of temperatures in relation to the climate goal of reducing the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius or it was just an exception due to the COVID-19 confinement?   Are we moving towards the net zero emissions by 2050 (that is, not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere)?

Indeed, the Paris Agreement central aim is about strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.   

Our work under STN is about searching on actions taken so far to reduce rising temperatures by checking if we are moving towards a net-zero carbon emissions world in the post-coronavirus recovery period and beyond.  In this respect, we are looking at the above trajectories (that is temperature, sea level, wildlife population and greenhouse gas emissions trajectories in terms of rising temperature) if they are moving in the way of the Upkeep of the Nature. 

The above is the key message about the campaign for Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature.  To enquire about it and or to add your input, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Back-to-school Project: Integrated Training Centre in Doutchi, County of Dosso in Niger

The Young People of the rural area of Doutchi want you to fund their project!

 

The centre aims at harmoniously integrating young people in their rural area and fighting against poverty through local sustainable development.

This project, which has been selected and highlighted as part of CENFACS‘ back-to-school programme of work, is unfunded,

We know that at this current time of the cost-of-living crisis, things are difficult for many people including small individual donors.  However, for those who may be interested in this project, this is an opportunity to make a world of difference.

For those who would like to donate no direct cash, they can use any of the ten-themed ways of giving without directly donating cash, themed ways we have mentioned in our previous posts.

For those who prefer to donate cash, they can do it and their cash will be accepted.

Please, be one of our generous givers by helping to integrate young people in their rural area of Doutchi and fighting against poverty through local sustainable development.

Please do not wait to donate as the needs are pressing and urgent NOW.

To donate cash and/or no direct cash, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Further details about this project can be found at www.cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

We look forward to your support to make helpful difference for the young people in their rural area of Doutchi and for fighting against poverty through local sustainable development there.

Thank you for your generosity.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Se déroulant cette semaine: Projet ‘Faire une différence positive mémorable’

Gros plan: Gérer et entretenir les infrastructures pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique

Le 14e événement du projet ‘Faire une différence positive mémorable’ débutera le 27/10/2022 comme prévu.  Ce sera la célébration des capacités, talents, compétences, héritages et dons africains à l’Afrique et au monde.

Pour ceux ou celles qui voudraient contribuer à nos deux jours d’histoire africaine, ils/elles sont invité(e)s à le faire.  Ils/elles peuvent contribuer à ce qui suit:

a) Journée du patrimoine le 27 octobre 2022, journée qui mettra l’accent sur le développement des infrastructures en tant que connecteur et fournisseur de services pour la réduction de la pauvreté

b) Journée des legs et dons le 28 octobre 2022; journée qui se concentrera sur l’histoire des infrastructures en Afrique à travers les gestionnaires d’infrastructures de l’histoire.

• • S’engager et/ou contribuer  à ces Journées

Vous pouvez dire et partager avec nous ce que vous savez sur la gestion et l’entretien des infrastructures pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique.  Votre récit ou votre partage pourrait prendre la forme de:

textes, documents, références, commentaires, matériel audio et visuel, communications orales, objets d’art et toute autre ressource historique.

• • Faire un don

Pour ceux ou celles qui le peuvent, ils/elles pourraient soutenir les deux journées de l’histoire et le projet ‘Faire une différence positive mémorable’ du CENFACS avec un don pour reconnaître nos efforts, pour nous aider à recouvrer les coûts de l’organisation de ces journées mouvementées et pour construire une meilleure histoire africaine.

Pour participer au thème ‘Faire une différence positive mémorable’ de cette année ou soutenir ce projet, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 77, Autumn 2022, Issue Title: Financial Security for the Poor

How to reduce financial worries and stresses for the income poor at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis

 

The contents and key summaries of the 77^th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key concepts relating to Financial Security (Page 2)

II. Africa-based Sister Organisations and Financial Security fixes for income poor families (Page 3)

II. How People in Need can Erect the Basic Foundations of Financial Security (Page 3)

III. Financial Security, Net Worth and Poverty Line (Page 4)

III. Tips and Hints for Building a Successful Financial Security (Page 4)

IV. Ajustements de modèles à but non lucratif africains face à l’insécurité financière (Page 5)

IV. Appel de charité concernant les fonds internationaux récupérés (Page 5)

V. Comment les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique organisent la sécurité financière avec leurs adhérent(e)s (Page 6)

V. Créations et innovations en matière de sécurité financière par des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique (Page6)

VI. Survey, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Financial Security (Page 7)

VII. Support, Top Tool, Information and Guidance on Financial Security Matters (Page 8)

VIII. Workshop, Focus group and Enhancement Activity about Financial Security (Page 9)

IX. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 77^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Concepts Relating to Financial Security (Page 2)

 

There are four concepts that will help the readers of FACS to better understand the contents of the 77th Issue.  These concepts are financial security, country financial security index, financial poverty and financial security number.  These concepts also shape the 77th Issue of FACS.

Let us briefly explain them.

 

• • • • Financial Security

 

Financial security can have different meanings depending on the way in which one wants to approach it.  In the context of the Autumn 77th Issue of FACS, Financial security has to be viewed from the perspective of what ‘quicken.com’ (3) argue about it, which is:

“Financial security refers to the peace of mind you feel when you aren’t worried about your income being enough to cover your expenses.  It also means that you have enough money saved to cover emergencies and your future financial goals.  When you are financially secure your stress level goes down, leaving you free to focus on other issues”.

The above-mentioned definition is the one we are referring to in the Autumn 77th Issue of FACS.  Financial security here has to be differentiated from the financial instruments (like shares, bonds, stocks, gilts, bills of exchange, treasury bills, etc.) issued by firms, financial institutions (e.g., pension funds, investment funds, banks and insurance companies) and government.  We are approaching financial security from the perspective of ordinary and poor people and families, those who do not financially have.

 

 

• • • • Financial Security Number

 

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

“To find your financial security number, you need to add up all of [these] monthly costs, and then multiply by 12 in order to find the annual cost.  This will show you exactly how much passive income you need annually, so you never have to worry about these expenses again”.

The costs this website is talking about include foundational expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, utilities (electricity, gas, water, phone, etc,), transportation, insurance expenses and so on.

The concept of financial security number will help to work with our users to determinate their financial security number.

 

• • • • Country Financial Security Index

 

According to ‘countryfinancial.com’ (5),

“Country Financial Security Index is a bi-monthly measure of Americans’ sentiments toward their overall financial security.  It is an aggregate of various factors comprising financial security including savings and investments, financial planning, retirement, education and asset protection”.

Although this tool was designed to deal with Americans’ sentiments or feelings, it can be nevertheless applied to other nationals regarding their feelings towards financial security.

 

• • • • Financial Poverty

 

Poverty comes in various ways and has different manifestations.  One of its manifestations is through finances.  This is why some people speak about financial poverty.  What is financial poverty?  There could be many responses.  One of the responses is from the Anglican Diocese of Gloucester (6), which argues that

“Where a household’s income is less than 60% of the UK average (identified by an annual government survey), that household is considered to be living in poverty.  Poverty can be the result of issues around low income, unemployment and debt to ill-health and poor education”.

This definition of financial poverty will help to understand why some households struggle to have peace of mind, happiness and joy, while others do not have the same problem.

The above-mentioned concepts will be used in understanding the way in which ASOs are trying to make financial security happen to their users and communities.  These concepts will as well be useful to find out why some of our users are able to reduce their financial worries and stresses while others are not at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations and Financial Security Fixes for Income Poor Families (Page 3)

 

There are households that are unbanked and cannot resort to banks and capital markets in Africa in order to raise the finances they need.  Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are working with these families and households to build some financial security.  They work with them in the following:

 

√ Helping them to access financial services in order to build financial security instead of keeping their little cash money at home

√ Improving financial literacy amongst them through training to enhance financial security

√ Advocating with them and on their behalf so that they can have an extension for the maturity of financial services they are looking for

√ Supporting them to avoid destructive and irreversible coping mechanisms and strategies such as selling their assets or productive capacities in order to raise fonds

√ Assisting them to get digitally included and to use their phone to receive and send money through mobile money app

Etc.

 

All these initiatives contribute to peace of mind of their users as they help reduce worries and stresses in terms of finances.

 

• • • How People in Need can Erect the Basic Foundations of Financial Security (Page 3)

 

The basic foundations of financial security can come from knowledge, learning and the history of those who were financially insecure and how they navigated their way out of it.

Since we are in the October History Month and the Year of Knowledge at CENFACS, one can undertake a bit of some research work or do history to find out what financially insecure did in the past in order for them to get out of their financial insecurity problems.  This knowledge of history of financially insecure people can help us to resolve our own financial security problem in the world of today’s cost-of-living crisis.

For example, one can find out how foundational expenses were dealt with in order to establish their own financial security.

From the knowledge of that past and the economic conditions of today’s world, one can start to build their own foundations of financial security today and tomorrow.

Briefly, to erect the basic foundations or foundational economy of our financial security it may require knowing and learning how the experience of yesterday’s financially insecure people would inspire poor people today.  It is through this knowledge or learning that the foundations and fences of financial security can be built and developed today and tomorrow.

 

 

• • • Financial Security, Net Worth and Poverty Line (Page 4)

 

It is possible to make an assumption that financial security for the poor could be about the poor having a net worth at or above the poverty line.  If one makes such an hypothesis, then one could work with poor people so that they live at or above the poverty line.  But what it is the value of this line?

According to the World Bank (7),

“The new extreme poverty line is $2.15 per person per day based on 2017 purchasing power parities”.

From the above measure and value of poverty, Africa-based Sister Organisations can work with their users who are experiencing poverty and hardship so that they can be at or above this line.  In this respect, those users who will be having a net worth of not less than £2.15 per person per day could be said are having some sort of financial security.

However, to truly argue that they are financially secure they need to have peace of mind and do not worry about their income being enough to cover your expenses

 

 

• • • Tips and Hints for Building a Successful Financial Security (Page 4)

 

To become financially secure, it is not a matter of luck only.  It could be the result of every day’s effort that one can make by following the tips and hints relating to financial security.  What are those tips and hints for a successful financial security?

There are various resources both online and in print regarding tips and hints to build and succeed in one’s financial security.  Without going into the full list of these tips and hints, let us name few of them: creating financial goals, budgeting, developing an emergency fund, better handling your financial security indicators, etc.

Let us pick up one of them, which is the financial security indicator like the liquidity ratio.  How can this ratio help to build financial security?

This ratio can show the household ability to fulfil current liabilities through liquid assets.  It can provide information in terms of the household ability to meet unexpected cash needs.

The more those having financial security problem, and amongst them our members, can use the tips and hints to build their financial security; the more they are likely able to improve their peace of mind and have happiness.  These tips and hints can be found and accessed within our Financial Security Analysis Project; project which we will allow us to work with the community so that our members can build and/or develop a successful financial security.

 

• • • Ajustements de modèles à but non lucratif africains face à l’insécurité financière (Page 5)

 

Les crises de ces dernières années (telles que le changement climatique, les épidémies et les crises du coût de la vie) signifient que le modèle de fonctionnement de nombreuses organisations à but non lucratif nécessite des ajustements structurels tant sur le plan de la forme que sur le fond.  Le modèle qui a longtemps compté sur l’aide internationale s’est essoufflé.  Parce que l’origine de l’aide internationale connaît aussi des crises financières.  En plus, les marchés de capitaux internationaux ont resserré leurs étaux ou conditions, de même que les organisations non gouvernementales multinationales.

Cependant, les organismes sans but lucratif doivent se réinventer pour trouver d’autres moyens de financer ou de refinancer leurs opérations ou activités.  Il en est résulté un besoin croissant d’ajustements au fond ou une remise en question de leurs modèles de financement et de fonctionnement pour mobiliser des fonds au niveau local, national, africain et pan-africain.

Bien qu’au début cela soit difficile, ces ajustements permettront de s’approprier leur travail et leur destin.  C’est en s’ajustant qu’ils réduiront l’insécurité financière à laquelle ils sont confrontés aujourd’hui.

 

• • • Appel de charité concernant les fonds internationaux récupérés (Page 5)

 

Cet appeal consiste à demander qu’une partie des fonds récupérés dans le cadre de la lutte contre le blanchiment d’argent, la contrebande financière et le transfert illicite de capitaux soit affectée aux besoins de financement des organismes à but non lucratif. 

C’est un appel pour qu’une partie du dividende financier créé (par exemple, à partir de flux financiers illicites en Afrique) soit canalisée vers les organismes travaillant avec les personnes et les communautés pauvres.

Mettre une partie de ces fonds récupérés à la disposition d’organismes sans but lucratif peut améliorer la sécurité financière de ces organismes.  Toutefois, cette mise à disposition de fonds récupérés ne doit pas devenir un moyen permanent de financer leur travail de réduction de la pauvreté.  Cette partie ne devrait être qu’une exception à la règle.

Pour soutenir cet appel, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

• • • Comment les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique organisent la sécurité financière avec leurs adhérent(e)s (Page 6)

 

Elles le font de plusieurs manières en fonction de leur taille, de leur spécialité et du secteur dans lequel elles sont engagées.  Il y a toute une gamme d’activités qu’elles exercent dans le contexte de la sécurité financière.  En bref, nous pouvons compter les opérations suivantes.

Celles qui sont engagées dans des opérations de crédit à des taux bas ou à des taux d’emprunt concessionnels prêtent de l’argent à ceux/celles de leurs membres qui veulent s’engager dans des activités génératrices de revenus pour résoudre le problème de la pauvreté auquel ils sont soumis.

Celles qui se spécialisent dans le conseil conseillent leurs membres et leurs bénéficiaires afin d’éviter les stratégies d’adaptation ou de survie négatives qui consistent à s’endetter alors qu’ils n’ont pas de moyens de rembourser leurs dettes.

En gros, il existe une variété de services que les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique entreprennent pour répondre aux besoins de sécurité financière auxquels elles sont confrontées, bien que les deux exemples seulement ci-dessus aient été cités.

 

 

• • • Créations et innovations en matière de sécurité financière par des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique (Page 6)

 

La sécurité financière peut être créée et innovée.  C’est possible de créer et innover avec nos adhérent(e)s distant(e)s/lointain(e)s à travers leurs représentant(e)s.  C’est pourquoi nos organisations soeurs basées en Afrique travaillent avec des adhérent(e)s, leurs usagers, à travers de petits projets de création et d’innovation de securité financière.

Parmi ces petits projets ou programmes, on citer les suivants:

√ petits programmes pour prévenir les pertes d’argent

√ agir comme garantie du paiement des sommes dues par leurs bénéficiaires dans des circonstances définies

√ les aider à bien gérer les fonds formés en mettant périodiquement de l’argent de côté pour le remboursement progressif d’une dette ou le remplacement d’un actif gaspillé

√ le droit de tirage d’un montant limité sur l’instrument financier que l’organisation a mis en place

Etc.

A travers ces petits projets ou programmes, cela permettra de renforcer la solidité financière des pauvres et de leur permettre trouver ou retrouver le chemin de la sécurité financière.

 

• • • Survey, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Financial Security (Page 7)

 

• • • • Financial Security Survey

 

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our user households on their assets and liabilities in order to measure their liquidity ratio.  This benchmark measure will enable to determine their financial health.  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 do you feel in terms of financial security?

√ How confident are you to cover any unexpected expenses?

√ Is your emergency/reserve fund enough for the next 3 months?

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

To help people respond, they can think of any coping strategies to achieve the aim of financial security.  Coping strategies are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Food Programme (8) as

“Activities to which people resort in order to obtain food, income and/or other essential goods or services when their normal means of livelihood have been disrupted or other shocks/hazards affect their access to basic needs” (p. 40).

These strategies can be crisis-, emergency- and livelihood-coping. 

You can refer to this definition and respond by putting it into the context of financial security.  Your response can help shape our campaign about Zero Income Deficit.

 

• • • • E-questionnaire on Actionable Financial Security Information

 

Do you have enough information on financial security?

 

If your answer is NO, CENFACS can work with you via its Bridging-Financial-Information-Gap Service (service which we offer to the community) to help you find the information you need on financial security.

 

 

 

• • • • E-discussion on Financial Skills, Diligence, Prudence, Foresight and Financial Poverty Reduction

 

To reduce financial poverty, it requires a degree of financial skills, diligence, prudence and foresight from the poor.

For those who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard to above-mentioned items (i.e., financial skills, diligence, prudence and foresight) making financial security, 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 Financial Security Matters (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Financial Security Support

 

Under CENFACS’ Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis, you can ask for support to deal with the struggle you are having to meet rising costs of living.  CENFACS does not provide funding or financial support to individuals or households.  However, CENFACS can advise them on the existing support available on the market in terms of financial security.

 

• • • • Top Tool of the 77th Issue: Financial Security Index 

 

One can use this tool to measure their feelings concerning their financial security.  They can even explore further ways of using this tool so that they can navigate toward financial security.

To discuss the relevancy of this tool and its application for your personal financial circumstances, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Information and Guidance on Financial Security

 

You can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of financial security, although the Issue does not list organisations and institutions that provide financial security cover.  Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations they are looking for.

Also, one should bear in mind that the kind of financial security we are dealing with is slightly different from the financial instruments or securities like shares, bonds, stocks, gilts, bills of exchange, treasury bills, etc.) issued by firms, financial institutions (e.g., pension funds, investment funds, banks and insurance companies) and government.

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

 

• • • Workshop, Focus Group and Enhancement Activity about Financial Security (Page 9)

 

• • • • Mini Workshop

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about financial security via CENFACS.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Focus Group on Inequality in Financial Security

 

You can take part in our focus group on widening inequality in financial security since the cost-of-living crisis began.

To take part in the focus group, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Summer Financial Security Enhancing Activity

 

How to use Financial Security Risk Index to work out your own household financial security risk

 

The index will help you find out your risk-aversion and vulnerability to rising costs of living and to work out your own sentiment towards your overall financial security.

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 Security Analysis Project (FSAP)

 

With prices of goods and services keep rising while people’s incomes and financial support not matching the level and scale of soaring cost of living, it is become obvious that many of our users are financially struggling.  They are financially struggling as their assets are below their liabilities.  In technical terms, they are financially insecure.

To address the level of insecurity and threat posed by financial insecurity to these struggling people, there is a need to develop appropriate response.

FSAP, which may not be a financial support in terms of cash or assets convertible into cash, can help to work with financial insecure people so that they can progressively navigate their way towards financial security.

For example, through this project we can carry out an express analysis of the financial security of our household users from their data.  The analysis will help to determine the financial position of a given household user of our project.  The analysis can provide some valuable information to potentially avoid financial poverty.  In this respect, FSAP will help to level up those who are looking for sustainable solutions to financial crisis they are facing.

To support or contribute to FSAP, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including the Financial Security Analysis Project, please contact CENFACS.

The full copy of the 77^th Issue of FACS is available on request.  For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

FACS Bilingual Newsletter / Issue Title: Financial Security for the Poor / Issue No.: 77 / Month & Year of Publication: October 2022 / Publisher: CENFACS

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://mynextbird.com/how-to-preserve-dead-bird (Accessed in October 2022)

(2) datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/dwarf-honeyguide-indicator-pumilio/text (Accessed in October 2022)

(3) https://www.quicken.com/what-financial-security (Accessed in September 2022)

(4) https://www.capablewealth.com/find-financial-freedom-number/(Accessed in October 2022)

(5) https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/indexes/country_financial_security_index/country_financial_security_index (Accessed in October 2022)

(6) https://www.gloucester.anglican.org/support-service/financial-poverty/ (Accessed in October 2022)

(7) https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2022/05/02/fact-sheet-an-adjustment-to-global-poverty-lines (Accessed in October 2022)

(8) WFP and FAO, 2022, Hunger Hotspots, FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity: October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook, Rome (accessed in August 2022)

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

19 October 2022

 

Post No. 270

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Autumn 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 17/10/2022: Protection of African Grey Parrots

• Short-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Autumn 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Communities and Organisations in Africa are Asking for your Support!

 

Our humanitarian relief appeal for Autumn 2022 has now been launched as planned.  This appeal is about supporting needy people, flora, fauna, communities and organisations in Africa.  It includes the following five selected projects:

 

1) Green Skills for Green Recovery

2) Symmetry Project

3) Gender and Youth in Africa’s Recovery

4) Maintaining School Momentum

5) Save Flora and Fauna Projects.

 

A brief summary of these projects can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  The full project proposals of each project making this appeal is available should any of the potential donor or funder makes a request.

Donors and funders can seize the opportunity provided by these projects and the giving season to directly and respectively donate or fund these projects.

A message about this appeal can also be passed on to a person who is in a position and willing to support.  Many thanks to those who will be passing this message!

We understand that the world is still struggling with many crises (food, energy, climate change crises, etc.).  This struggle affects the ability of people to support good and deserving causes.

However, the effects of these crises are even stronger in place where there is a high level of poverty like in Africa.  This is why we have launched this seasonal appeal to help not only to reduce poverty but also to save lives from these crises.

Therefore, we are inviting those who can, to donate £2 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans, 1 benefit for other natural livings and 1 shared benefit between humans and nature) or any amount starting from £2 or more as you wish or can.

You can gift aid your donation as well as support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, circumstance, budget, capacity and willingness.

To donate, gift aid and support otherwise; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning 17/10/2022: Protection of African Grey Parrots

 

African Grey Parrots (also known as psittacus erithacus) are listed on ‘earthsendangered.com’ (1).  Like many species, they are threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction.  They are trapped, smuggled and illicitly traded.  They also suffer from pollution like humans.  They need protection.  What do we mean by protection?

 

• • Protection of African Grey Parrots

 

It is about defence of African Grey Parrots against harm and danger.  Protection here has to be perceived from the perspective of environment and conservation like Chris Park (2) defines it as

“Any activity that reduces losses or risks, tends to maintain basic conditions and values, and reduces damage and injury to people and property” (p. 360)

Many African countries (such as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, etc.) have in place protection measures to enforce and suspend illegal and illicit trade of African Grey Parrots.  Despite that there are still cases of smuggled or illicitly traded African Grey Parrots.  There is a need to protect and conserve African Grey Parrots.

Because of that, actions need to be taken to deal with the situation.  As “A la une“ Campaign is about actions not words, we are going to take actions with the community and the rest of the community.

 

• • Actions to protect African Grey Parrots

 

Actions to be taken with the community and the rest of the community can include the following ones:

 

✔ Working with law enforcement agencies dealing with endangered bird species

✔ Working together with African organisations specialised in rescued birds like Limbe Wildlife Centre (3) and other organisations working on the matter

✔ Continuing to raise awareness about endangered African Grey Parrots

✔ Supporting the rehabilitation and return of Parrots to the wild environment

✔ Promoting the restoration of dwindling wild population of parrots

✔ Undertaking fundraising and education to defend them

Etc.

 

In brief, these actions will be to help in keeping away from harm and danger, the rescue, rehabilitation and survivorship of African Grey Parrots.

The above actions will indeed assist in protecting and conserving African Grey Parrots, which are endangered bird species in Africa.

To take actions and/or find out more about this second composed note and/or the entire “A la une” Campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Short-term Actions/Service under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

These are critical actions or activities to be undertaken from now and within six months period to work with those who are poor because of high costs of living to make ends meet.  They are short-term protective support to be implemented before any humanitarian needs emerge or materialise within the community.  These actions are part of the service we are providing to support the community.

So, under the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living, short-term actions or service include:

 

Assessing with users about how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting them and their needs as a result of crisis effects

Drawing a simple and practical action plan with users to tackle the effects of the cost-of-living crisis

Guidance, Advice and Information on organisations that are offering goods and services that could be accessible and affordable for users

Guidance, Advice, Referrals, Signposting and Information about support and benefits available for distressed households’ accounts and assets

Etc.

 

The service is available for those members of our community who need it and who would like to ask for it.  To request and/or access the service, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Online Micro-volunteering Activities with CENFACS

∝ Triple Value Initiatives for Santa: Raising Funds while Playing, Running and Voting for Poverty Reduction over the Long Festive Period

∝ Poverty-reduction History Files

 

 

• Online Micro-volunteering Activities with CENFACS

 

As well as supporting CENFACS and its noble causes with no direct cash donations, people can add up or think of alternative ways of involving with CENFACS.  For example, they can micro-volunteer with us either online or offline or both.

To enable our readers and those who may be interested in micro-volunteering with us to understand what we are talking, let us explain the following jargons: micro-volunteering, smart tasks, smart communications tools and smart poverty relief.

 

• • What is Micro-volunteering with CENFACS?

 

It is about undertaking or completing small tasks, that can be online or offline or both, to make up one of our main projects.  While we recognise the importance of both online and offline tasks in our volunteering scheme (All in Development Volunteers), our focus on micro-volunteering in the context of this post will be on the online part of it.

 

• • Online micro-volunteering doing small smart tasks

 

Small tasks are micro-actions.  From what Anna Patton said (4), these tasks need to be easy, no-commitment, cost-free, to take less than 30 minutes to complete, little or no formal agreement needed before a volunteer can get started, and no expectation that the volunteer will return, no long-term commitment for the volunteer.

These tasks could be smart, that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely; as well as capable of generating and increasing support towards CENFACS’ good and deserving causes, especially at the time of the cost-of-living crisis.  These tasks can contribute to smart poverty relief.

The above table (table no.1) briefly provides a summary of these tasks.  For those who would like to dive into online micro-volunteering small smart tasks, they can contact CENFACS’ All in Development Volunteers Scheme.

 

• • Online micro-volunteering done via smart communication tools

 

It is the use of internet connected devices or tools (such as smart phones, tablets, video calling devices, notebooks, laptops, cameras, drones, etc.) to re-engage with CENFACS audience and supporters as well as to recruit new supporters.

Smart communication tools include as well other devices designed to run or complete actions carried out by smart phones, tablets, notebooks, etc.  These extra tools could be wireless printers, broad bands, messenger apps and so on.

Additionally, online micro-volunteering by using distance working and online technologies in our campaigns can help us to reach out to our supporters and Africa-based Organisations.

We understand that not every volunteer can afford to have them.  This is why we often ask support with smart communication tools so that our volunteers (All in Development Volunteers) could be able to micro-volunteer smarter and deliver smart poverty relief.

 

• • Online micro-volunteering to achieve smart poverty relief

 

This additional way of working and engaging with our audience and supporters via online micro-volunteering has brought some opportunities and benefits.  Amongst these opportunities or openings is that of creating smart relief, of reducing poverty symptoms for temporary relief which could lead to permanent relief.

In this respect, smart poverty relief is about prioritising resources and making sure that CENFACS’ poverty reduction system is helping to meet the needs of those in need as we undertake online micro-volunteering activities.

In other words, when volunteers carry out micro-actions, they are not doing them for the sake of entertaining themselves or just passing their time with and for CENFACS.

Through their small online tasks, they are bringing their contribution, however little it can be, to the larger project or programme or picture of CENFACS.  By adding up their small pieces of work/relief, one can get the sum of poverty relief, a big poverty relief.  Online micro-volunteering could be smart when it contributes to the big picture of poverty reduction.

To enable us to continue our voluntary work, we are asking to those who can, both individuals and organisations, to support us with smart communication tools to enhance our online micro-volunteering action.

To support CENFACS with Smart Communication Tools to micro-volunteer doing Smart Tasks to deliver Smart Poverty Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives for Santa: Raising Funds while Playing, Running and Voting for Poverty Reduction over the Long Festive Period

 

You can help CENFACS raise life-saving funds it needs for its good causes by making participants or interested parties to Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) to dress like Santa.

Participants and vested parties can then donate or sponsor your Triple Value Initiatives of Playing, Running and Voting for poverty reduction.

The income to be raised on these occasions can be donated to CENFACS.  It will help to support those in most need so that they can navigate their way out of poverty and hardships.

However, to raise funds via Triple Value Initiatives for Santa, one needs to first discuss the matter, their plan/idea with CENFACS.  Together with them, we can better plan their/our fundraising drive and help deliver it in a smooth and hassle-free way while following the rules of the game.

To raise funds for Triple Value Initiatives for Santa to help CENFACS and its noble causes, please contact CENFACS.

Just remember, do not forget to record and report your scores, results and fixtures about your Triple Value Initiatives (or All year-round Projects).  At the end of the process of All year-round Projects and by the end of the year, one should be ready to announce the 2022 Action-Results for either of the project: Run or Play or Vote.

The final Action-Results will consist of finding out and revealing the following for this year:

 

✔ The Best African Countries of 2022 which best reduced poverty

✔ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2022

✔ The Best African Development and Poverty Relief Managers of 2022.

 

If you have not yet thought about this finding or revelation, please start thinking right now and have your say about it by the 23rd of December 2022!

 

 

 

• Poverty-reduction History Files

 

Poverty-reduction History Files (PRHFs) are part of CENFACS‘ repository of knowledge and experience relating to the history of CENFACS in the month of history.  Through this part of repository, users and other stakeholders who are interested in the history of CENFACS can ask for a particular piece or file of CENFACS‘ history under defined conditions and terms.

The file or piece of information can help them to know and learn things such as how CENFACS addressed poverty issues in a particular context and time.  The file can as well enable them to conduct a comparative analysis in terms of poverty reduction while prospecting for the future of poverty reduction.

Those of our users who would like to grab this opportunity of the history month and who are interested in a particular piece of history about CENFACS, they can address their enquiry to CENFACS.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activités de micro-volontariat en ligne avec le CENFACS

En plus de soutenir le CENFACS et ses nobles causes sans dons directs en espèces, les gens peuvent additionner ou penser à d’autres moyens de s’impliquer avec le CENFACS.  Par exemple, ils peuvent faire du micro-bénévolat avec nous en ligne ou hors ligne ou les deux.

• • Qu’est-ce que le micro-volontariat avec le CENFACS?

Il s’agit d’entreprendre ou d’accomplir de petites tâches, qui peuvent être en ligne ou hors ligne ou les deux, pour constituer l’un de nos principaux projets.  Bien que nous reconnaissions l’importance des tâches en ligne et hors ligne dans notre programme de volontariat (Tous dans le développement), nous nous concentrons sur le micro-volontariat dans le contexte de cet article sur la partie en ligne de celui-ci.

• • Micro-volontariat en ligne en effectuant de petites tâches intelligentes

Les petites tâches sont des micro-actions.  D’après ce qu’Anna Patton a dit (4), ces tâches doivent être faciles, sans engagement, gratuites, prendre moins de 30 minutes à compléter, peu ou pas d’accord formel nécessaire avant qu’un bénévole puisse commencer, et aucune attente que le bénévole revienne, aucun engagement à long terme pour le bénévole.

Ces tâches pourraient être intelligentes, c’est-à-dire spécifiques, mesurables, réalisables, réalistes et limitées dans le temps; ainsi que capable de générer et d’accroître le soutien aux bonnes et méritantes causes du CENFACS, en particulier au moment de la crise du coût de la vie.

Ces tâches peuvent inclure brièvement l’un des éléments suivants :

✔ Prospection de soutiens potentiels

✔ Exécution de questionnaires

✔ Recrutement de nouveaux soutiens

✔ Dialogue avec les sympathisants

✔ Envoi et réception de messages de la part du soutien

✔ Suivre les pistes

✔ Configuration d’un événement en ligne

✔ Parrainage en ligne

✔ Financement participatif en ligne

✔ Rédaction d’un article de blog

✔ Re-tweeter un message

Etc.

Ces tâches peuvent contribuer à ce que nous appelons une lutte intelligente contre la pauvreté.

• • Micro-volontariat en ligne pour parvenir à une lutte intelligente contre la pauvreté

Cette façon supplémentaire de travailler et de s’engager avec notre public et nos sympathisants via le micro-bénévolat en ligne a apporté quelques opportunités.  Parmi ces opportunités ou ouvertures, il y a celle de créer un soulagement intelligent, de réduire les symptômes de la pauvreté pour un soulagement temporaire qui pourrait conduire à un soulagement permanent.

À cet égard, la lutte intelligente contre la pauvreté consiste à hiérarchiser les ressources et à s’assurer que le système de réduction de la pauvreté du CENFACS contribue à répondre aux besoins et attentes de ceux ou celles qui en ont besoin alors que nous entreprenons des activités de micro-volontariat en ligne.

Ce qui précède résume le micro-volontariat en ligne avec le CENFACS.  Pour soutenir le CENFACS avec des outils de communication intelligents pour micro-faire des tâches intelligentes pour fournir un soulagement intelligent de la pauvreté, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Autumn 2022 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Communities and Organisations in Africa are Asking for your Support!

 

The following items summarise their appeal:

 

∝ The data that justify the need to help

∝ The projects

∝ The request

∝ The beneficiaries

∝ The asks

∝ What your donation can achieve

∝ How to send your support.

 

Let us unpack each of these items.

 

• • The data that justify the need to help

 

The data (or information in words and numbers) that tell us there is a humanitarian need to support are given in the following examples and data from multilateral agencies working on poverty matter.

For example, looking at food security and nutrition in the world, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations et al. argue (5) that

“The number of severely food insecure people in Africa between 2019 and 2021 was 295.5 million“.

Writing on inequality, the United Nations Development Programme (6) in its latest report found that

“Inequality in income was 27.1% and inequality in education was 34.3% in 2021 in Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 284)

The same United Nations Development Programme (op. cit.) stated that

“Mean years of schooling were 5.1 for female and 6.9 for male in 2021 in Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 289)

“Labour force participation rate for female was 62.1% and 72.3% for male for ages 15 and older” (p.294)

Reporting on issues facing cities around the world, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (7) state that

“Only 54 per cent of the urban population in Africa have access to safely managed water and only 23 per cent have access to sanitation” (p. 15)

“About 84.3 per cent of the multidimensionally poor live in Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 78)

Covering news on endangered species, the website ‘phys.com’ (8) reported in August 2022 that

“Over 150 endangered vultures were poisoned to death in Southern Africa”.

Likewise, it was published in the ‘lemomde.fr’ (9) that

“Last September, there was kidnapping or removal of chimpanzees (three primate babies) from their sanctuary in Lubumbashi (Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo)”.

What the above-mentioned pieces of information and facts tell us.  They indicate the following.

Whether it is about food insecurity or inequality reduction or inequality between the two sexes or issues facing the world’s cities, the above data just highlight the underlying problem of poverty and extreme poverty in Africa.  One part of the above-mentioned figures also indicates the continuing threats to wildlife and the lack of skills in some situations to navigate out of poverty and hardships.

Furthermore, as the global cost-of-living crisis continues the figures about poverty and threats to the wildlife could be different; meaning that poor people, children, women, flora and fauna could be in a worse scenario case or situation in which humanitarian relief could be part of the response.  Data-based solutions to poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis can only help this situation, especially in the long term.

These above data from multilateral agencies finally highlight CENFACS‘ findings and the reality on the ground in Africa in the area of operation of CENFACS.  There is need out there that deservingly requires support that the locals are requesting to address existing humanitarian needs, especially at this time of the difficult global economic situation exacerbated by energy and food crises.

 

• • The projects

 

Five projects to help reduce poverty and meet the needs of the local people, animals, plants and organisations this Autumn and beyond

 

1) Green Skills for Gren Recovery (Learning and Skills Development Project)

This is a project that helps to reduce poverty linked to poor or incomplete skills, knowledge, information and capacities amongst African organisations and those who are running these organisations living in deprived areas and anxious improve their green skills in order to rehabilitate, recover, reconstruct and move forward clean, green and safely from the synergic effects of the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis and climate change.

Green skills are understood here from the perspective of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (10) as

“The knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society”.

 

2) Save Flora and Fauna projects (Environmental projects)

These are wildlife preservation, conservation and protection initiatives which help to advance justice and equity for flora and fauna, and which include two areas of action:

a) Life-saving actions against new forms of exploitation and trafficking of animal and plant species

b) Life-saving action against the cost-of-living crisis on flora and fauna.

The first action is an action to protect animal species in Africa from new forms of wildlife exploitation and trafficking, including kidnapping of animals from their natural sanctuary.

For example, in North-Kivu (the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Cong0), there are armed groups that set up their bases in the vicinity of parks like the park Virunga, which is sanctuary of very rare mountain gorillas.  These groups threatened protected ecosystems by exploiting natural resources (such as woods and animals) via poaching, illegal fishing, smuggling, kidnappings of animals, etc.  Specimen and trophies from elephant ivory, charcoal and illicit fishing are traded by these groups to finance their supply of arms and to engage in armed conflicts.

The second action is about making sure that, plant and animal species regain, restore, rebuild and thrive their lives while humans are trying to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.  In other words, the action is about to ensure that the cost-of-living crisis does not lead to flora and fauna crises since we depend on them in order to come out of the cost-of-living crisis.

There are many natural species that we would like to save, but it will take time to do it.   To name the few, we can list the following:

∝ animal species like elephants, gorillas, rhinoceros, etc.

∝ birds such as the Congo bay owl, African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Crossley’s Ground-thrush

∝ fish like cae cobarbus geertsi

∝ plants like afzelia pachyloba

∝ threes, water and forests.

They can be saved from danger of exploitation and killings while aiming at reducing poverty in Africa.

 

3) Symmetry Project (Equality Project)

A sustainable development initiative aiming at reducing the difference in the distributional effects of rising costs of living that have been asymmetrical or uneven.  It is a project of working with local poor people in parts of Africa where there is uneven impact of the cost-of-living crisis and poverty reduction in order to establish equal right and address the roots and causes of this type of asymmetry or inequality in a sustainable way.

 

4) Gender and Youths in Africa’s Recovery (Young Girls’ Education and Health)

It is a CENFACS drive to help better integrate young people and girls as well as to have a gender dimension in the process of green, economic and social recovery in Africa.  It is proven that where young people are included, there is a better chance of making sensible decisions and choices for the future.

Through this project, Africa’s youths, particularly girls, will be supported to play an active role in Africa’s resilient recovery.  The project will try to reduce gender poverty and discrimination towards the contribution that young people, particularly young girls, are making or can make in the recovery process in Africa.

 

5) Maintaining School Momentum (Educational hardship project)

One thing is for a child to go back to school; another thing is for the same child to stay in the school/educational system.  Maintaining School Momentum Project is an educational support to poor children facing poverty barriers to go back to schools, to stay in the school system and cope with the pressure of the educational requirements.

The project will help these children to keep school engagement process, to meet their educational goal setting, to be motivated toward learning, to improve their schooling habits, to get organisational tools they need for their schooling and maintain excitement during the school year.

 

In total, 5 projects to donate £2 for 3 benefits as you wish per project

 

Note: Further details about the above projects are available on request from CENFACS.

 

• • The request

 

The beneficiaries of the above projects are local poor people, flora and fauna under threat as well as Africa-based Organisations that CENFACS works with to help reduce the following types of poverty and hardships:

• Poor or lack of basic infrastructures (such as safe drinking water collection points, medical and health centres, toilets and washing essentials, places to get training and basic education, online necessary equipment, lack of personal protective equipment to stop the spread of diseases, etc.) to secure safe drinking water, to educate children, to sanitise health and access primary health care, etc.

• Lack of animal protection and care, threats to extinction or killings, trafficking and poaching of endangered animals (such as the elephants, gorillas, rhinoceros, etc.) and plant species (such as maize, potato, bean, squash, chilli pepper, vanilla, avocado, husk tomato and cotton crops).

• Wildlife crime through illegal harvest of and trade in wildlife and forest products as well as derived products

• Income poverty and dehumanising treatment afflicted to poor particularly women, young girls and children

• Asymmetrical economic effects of the cost-of-living crisis whereby those who are poor do not have the same sort of support than others to cope with the mounting or crippling effects of the cost-of-living crisis as well as they cannot move out of the vicious circle of deprivations

• Little involvement of the youth, particularly young girls, in the building process toward green, economic and social recovery from the cost-of-living crisis; yet young girls (youths) can play an active role in Africa’s resilient recovery efforts.

• Lack of income and or enough earnings by poor families to send their children back to school and/or for these children to keep school momentum.

 

• • The beneficiaries

 

This Autumn 2022 humanitarian relief appeal will help…

 

✔ The real and direct beneficiaries and end users who are poor people (amongst them the youth, young girls and children)

✔ The endangered wildlife and plant species

✔ The indirect beneficiaries made of African organisations based in Africa and working on the issues/causes of these poor people and species.

 

• • The asks

 

The above needy people, flora, fauna, communities and organisations need your support.

CENFACS is appealing to you to donate £2 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans, 1 benefit for animals and plants, and 1 benefit for both humans and nature) as you wish to achieve penultimate relief.

 

• • What your donation can achieve

 

If you donate £2 for 3 benefits, we can anticipate the following use and relief impacts that these amounts can help

 

⇒ To implement Green Skills for Green Recovery by…

✔ buying computer and distance learning equipment for training and development

✔ building workshop halls and or hiring spaces for digital and IT training in a secure environment.

For example, £2 can help provide a tablet to a community and use this tablet to disseminate knowledge and information about local green economy practice at household level.

 

⇒ To deliver Save Flora and Fauna projects by…

✔ running wildlife protection awareness campaign to address illicit trafficking in wildlife and to keep advocacy on wild animals’ and plants’ rights and welfare

✔ buying or developing software or apps on protection and care of wildlife species in Africa.

For example, £2 can help rescue animals from their kidnappers and rehabilitate rescued animals (e.g., African Grey Parrots) at a rescued animal rehabilitation centre.

 

⇒ To execute Symmetry project by…

✔ running online and virtual equality workshops on the reduction of asymmetrical adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis between people and groups

✔ training people to tackle inequalities of poverty reduction or treatment induced by the cost-of-living crisis within their communities.

For example, £2 can help a poor family to access clean energy to prepare a meal while reducing the uneven distributional consequences of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

⇒ To improve the participation of the youth, particularly young girls in the green, economic and social recovery in Africa by…

✔ helping to increase girls’ and youths’ representation and participation in the recovery process in Africa

✔ supporting African voluntary organisations to advocate for girls and youths to have a democratic say in the decision-making and delivering processes of Africa’s resilient green recovery.

For example, £2 can help pay for childcare and other care services so that young girls can study and engage in the recovery process in Africa in a gender-aware and inclusive way.

 

⇒ To make back-to-school support and maintenance of school momentum realise needy children’s dreams by…

✔ setting up income-generating activities with poor families to meet the cost of sending back to and keeping their children at schools

✔ purchasing school e-books and e-materials through African voluntary organisations to help educationally needy children to add distance learning opportunities to their education in order to mitigate the adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis on children’s learning and abilities.

For example, £2 can enable poor families to buy organisational tools and to access motivational programmes for children to stay engaged with the schooling process and educational system.

 

To realise a total of 5 lasting benefits, it may require a donation of £10 to £20 or even more.

 

To smooth the process of supporting the above-mentioned beneficiaries, CENFACS is ready to post to you and or to any other potential supporters the project proposals or an information pack about them for consideration to support.  Likewise, CENFACS is ready to talk to you or to potential funders about them if they want us to do so.

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

 

• • How to send you support

 

You can donate

* over phone

* via email

* through text

* by filling the contact form on this website.

 

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.

We look forward to your support with helpful difference for the Poor People, Organisations and Wildlife Species in Africa.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give and help change the lives of these poor people, organisations and wild species.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) www.earthsendangered.com/(Accessed in October 2022)

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

(3) https://limbewildlife.org (Accessed in October 2022)

4) Patton, A., 2021, Micro-volunteering, Making a Difference in Minutes, (Originally published Dec. 2017) at https://www.missionbox.com/article/183/micro-volunteering-making-a-difference-in-minutes (Accessed October 2021)

(5) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2022, Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable, Rome, FAO, https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0639en (Accessed in October 2022)

(6) United Nations Development Programme, 2022, Development Report 2021/2022 Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World, New York, USA

(7) United Nations Human Settlements Programme, World Cities Report 2022: Emerging the Future of Cities at www.unhabitat.org (Accessed in October 2022)

(8) https://phys.org/news/2022-08-endangered-vultures-poisoned-death-southern.html (Accessed in October 2022)

(9) https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2022/09/26/en-rdc-c-est-la-premiere-fois-qu-on-enleve-des-chimpanzes-contre-ranson_6143288_3212.html (Accessed in September 2022)

(10) European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training at https://www.ippr.org/files/2021-02/skills-for-a-green-recovery-feb2021.pdf (Accessed in October 2022)

 

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

12 October 2022

 

Post No. 269

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• 2022 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities via “Mbulu” Project

• Giving No Direct Cash Donations

• Climate Protection and Stake Action: On the Way to COP27

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• 2022 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities via “Mbulu” Project

 

Our environmental campaign known as “A la une” has already started and is going to last for six weeks.  The main theme of this campaign is still the same, which is Upkeep of the Nature; the sub-theme for this year’s campaign being Protection of Endangered Bird Species. This sub-theme will be delivered or conducted via “Mbulu” Project.

This year’s campaign is about the upkeep of endangered bird species.  It is an action to reduce and stop extinction risk and threat that bird species (like Africa Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill and Crossley’s Ground-thrush) are subject in Africa and elsewhere.  These bird species are just a few examples of many more that are threatened and at risk of extinction.

The above-mentioned examples of endangered bird species will make up selected composed notes or themed areas of our work; work that we will carry out together to shape the central topic or theme of “A la une” Campaign this Autumn.

We have provided, under the Main Development section of this post, the time frame and titles of these composed notes or themed areas of work.

The first themed area of work is Conservation of Congo Peafowls; themed area which kicked off from the 10^th of October 2022.

For further information about this first note, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• Ten No Direct Cash Donations

 

How to support CENFACS without directly giving cash

 

Last month, we highlighted ways of supporting CENFACS and of boosting your support.  This week, we are adding ways of backing us without you having to directly give cash to CENFACS and its good causes.  This is all part of improving the way in which you can make impact on what CENFACS is doing to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Indeed, there are many ways that one can use to help CENFACS without directly given cash.  One can unlock barriers to no direct cash donations for CENFACS.  Those who would like to assist CENFACS by using other means than directly giving cash, they can think of the following.

Ten ways of donating to consider this Autumn and in the lead up to the end of the year:

 

1) Giving unwanted goods and items to CENFACS e-charity store at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

2) Sign up for a Gift Aid Declaration from which CENFACS can earn an extra 25p for every £1 you give

3) Nominate CENFACS for a donation at charity fundraising and donation events

4) Select CENFACS as your preferred charity for donation from advertising revenue

5) Raise free funds for CENFACS with your online shopping or choose CENFACS as a donation recipient of some of the profits raised from online shopping

6) Donate your unwanted and unused points and cashback to CENFACS as your chosen charity from your loyalty shopping rewards or good causes’ gift cards

7) Name CENFACS as your favourite deserving cause if it happens that you have the opportunity to click the online option “donate cashback to charities”

8) Donate any unwanted excess points of your loyalty card from apps that may give support to good causes

9) Give away to CENFACS any vouchers received or earned that you do not need or want

10) Hand out to CENFACS any proceeds from unwanted or unneeded prize draw or award you prefer to get rid of.

 

The above ten-themed ways of not directly donating cash are just the few examples of ways of helping that one can think over or come across with to support CENFACS without having to directly give cash.  However, this does not mean one cannot donate cash.  They can and if you choose to donate cash, CENFACS will happily accept your cash donations.

Alternatively, one can consider other no direct cash donations (such as planned gifting, gaming assets, streaming activities, digital tickets and collectible, crypto-assets and non-fungible tokens) since resource giving to charitable causes is a fast-growing industry.

To support CENFACS without directly giving cash and or by directly donating cash, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

 

On the Way to COP27

 

On our way to CO27, we followed up climate talks including Africa Climate Week 2022 and Pre-COP27 Talks in Kinshasa.

 

• • Africa Climate Week 2022 

 

As part of the preparation for follow-up of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) from Monday 07 November to Friday 18 November 2022 (1); we followed Africa Climate Week 2022 (2) which was held from 29 August to 2 September in Libreville (Gabon).  

At this platform, stakeholders discussed regional climate action solutions and forged regional partnerships. We considered the contents of this discussion and assessed how they could fit into CENFACS’ CPSAC (Climate Protection and Stake for African Children) and its sub-phase 3.2. 

 

• • Pre-COP27 Talks in Kinshasa (held between 3 and 5 October 2022)

 

Further to the High-level ministerial meeting, pre-COP27, held from 03 to 05 October 2022 in Kinshasa at the Palais du Peuple (3), we are looking at some burning issues which some participants and representatives of environmental organisations raised during the talks.  These issues include the following ones:

 

✔ Access to climate funds, especially for grass root organisations

✔ Promotion of populations’ education in eco-gestures

✔ Impact of destructive wars and conflicts on the environment in Africa (like in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo)

✔ How partnership between the three forest basins (i.e., Amazonia, Indonesia and Congo) can provide climate protection and stake for children or future generations

✔ Alternative to deforestation for poor people

✔ New adaptative mechanisms to live for poor people, especially for those who depend on wood and leaves to build shelters and make traditional remedies

✔ Poor people’s access to electricity and gas

✔ The reduction of anthropogenic pressure and vegetal formation containing woods

Etc.

 

We are working on the Kinshasa pre-COP27 issues raised by various organisations to see how they could affect children and future generations in Africa.  We are looking at these issues and studying how they could fit into CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2.  

For those who are working on the same issues, it would be good if they can communicate with CENFACS.  For those who would like to support and or enquire about CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2, they can as well contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

∝ Back-to-school Project: Integrated Training Centre in Doutchi, County of Dosso in Niger

∝ Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

∝ Be.Africa Forum discusses Bazaïba-Kerry Arguments

 

 

• Back-to-school Project: Integrated Training Centre in Doutchi, County of Dosso in Niger

The Young People of the rural area of Doutchi want you to fund their project!

 

The centre aims at harmoniously integrating young people in their rural area and fighting against poverty through local sustainable development.

This project, which has been selected and highlighted as part of CENFACS‘ back-to-school programme of work, is unfunded,

We know that at this current time of the cost-of-living crisis, things are difficult for many people including small individual donors.  However, for those who may be interested in this project, this is an opportunity to make a world of difference.

For those who would like to donate no direct cash, they can use any of the ten-themed ways of giving without directly donating cash, themed ways we have mentioned in this post. 

For those who prefer to donate cash, they can do it and their cash will be accepted.

Please, be one of our generous givers by helping to integrate young people in their rural area of Doutchi and fighting against poverty through local sustainable development.

Please do not wait to donate as the needs are pressing and urgent NOW.

To donate cash and/or no direct cash, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Further details about this project can be found at www.cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

We look forward to your support to make helpful difference for the young people in their rural area of Doutchi and for fighting against poverty through local sustainable development there.

Thank you for your generosity.

 

 

• Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living is one of CENFACS Starting IX Projects for this Autumn 2022.  In order to get a basic understanding of it, it is better to define it, to highlight the kind of poverty this campaign is trying to address, to spell out the types of actions making it, and to explain its phases or steps.

 

• • What this campaign is about

 

The Campaign to End Poverty Linked to Rising Costs of Living is an organised series of actions to gain support for the cost-of-living poor so that something can be done for them.  These actions need to result in change, particularly the reduction and end of poverty led by the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter is now a barrier for many poor.  To tackle this barrier, one may need to understand poverty linked to the cost of living.

 

• • Basic understanding of poverty attached to the cost of living

 

For anyone to understand poverty due to high cost of living, it is better to define the cost of living.  The website ‘ben.org.uk’ (4) defines the cost of living as

“The amount of money needed to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare in a certain place and time period”.

From the above definition, it is possible to argue that those who are poor because of rising cost of living like at the moment are those who are failing or totally struggling to meet this rise.  The rise includes hikes in energy bills, food prices, taxes, interest rates, rent, etc.  In order to deal with this rise, actions need to be taken to support or work with the cost-of-living poor so that they can reduce and eventually end poverty linked to rising costs of living.

 

• • Actions or ways of working with the community to reduce and possibly to end poverty linked to the high cost of living

 

There are those who believe that to end poverty linked to high costs of living, earnings and incomes or any benefits received by the poor have to be uprated to the rates of inflation.  However, CENFACS as a charity does not have the means or power to adjust its members’ incomes or earnings or benefits for inflation.  Instead, what CENFACS can do is to work with them in a series of actions or activities so that they can navigate their way out of poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis.  What are these actions or activities?

 

• • • Actions to be taken with the community

 

It takes a long time for a crisis like the current cost-of-living crisis to end.  Because of that, it is better to have short-, medium- and long-term actions; actions that can stemmed from a strategy to end crisis. 

Since it is difficult to know the duration of the cost-of-living crisis, we prefer to have an open strategy or plan which will run for the duration of the crisis.  In this open strategy or plan, we can conduct short-, medium- and long-term actions.

 

a) Short-term or immediate actions when working with the community

 

These are critical actions or activities to be undertaken from now and within six months period to help those who are poor because of high costs of living to make ends meet.  Through these actions, one can hope to undertake the following:

 

✔ Get informed to avoid goods and services that are excessively high priced on the market

✔ Search for support and benefits available for distressed households’ accounts and assets

✔ Create a simple and practical action plan with users to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

 

b) Medium-term actions

 

This second level of actions is designed to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis to settle in with the time and to become a humanitarian crisis.  Amongst actions to be taken, which will run between 6 and 24 months, include these ones below:

 

✔ Encourage our community members to develop or learn skills that are adapted with the evolving time and help them navigate out of the cost-of-living crisis

✔ Develop with them an action plan to come out of the cost-of-living crisis in medium term

✔ Support them to build energy and food security systems in the medium term and beyond.

 

c) Long-term actions

 

These actions go from 2 to 10 years.  The aim of this third level of actions is to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis leads to intergenerational poverty; that is the transmission of poverty linked to high cost of living to future generations.

At this level, the actions to be undertaken could be those listed below:

 

✔ Help beneficiaries improve their productivity and capacity to earn or generate income

✔ Support them to consume green and local so that they are less exposed to the volatility of the international prices of goods and services

✔ Find ways of scaling down repressive or punitive market dictatorship on them.

 

The above-mentioned actions are just a selection amongst the ones we hope to take with the community.  They will be taking them via what we called ‘GARSIA‘ (that is Guidance, Advice, Referrals, Signposting, Information and Advocacy) services.

Because in any campaign, there are phases or steps, these actions will be taken according to the phases of our campaign.

 

 

• • Phases/steps in the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living

 

Any crisis has some phases or cycle to take or follow.  Because of that, our campaign will follow the cycle of a typical crisis.  We use the adjective typical because we do not exactly how the cost-of-living crisis will evolve.  What we know so far, there has been a crisis (the cost-of-living crisis).  And if we use the generic model of this typical crisis, we can guestimate that there will be de-escalation, stabilisation and resolve phases of the current crisis.

In each phase of our model of crisis curve, there will be actions to be taken.  However, actions from each phase should not be treated separately without considering actions before and after each phase.  This is because there could be communicating vessels between the two phases.

So, the phases or steps of our Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living will be aligned with the above-named phases (i.e., de-escalation, stabilisation and resolve).  At the moment, our Campaign is between the crisis phase and the de-escalation phase.

The above is the summary of our Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living.  To enquire and or support our campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Be.Africa Forum discusses Bazaïba-Kerry Arguments

 

‘Aljazeera.com’ (5) reported that John Kerry – the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate – argued last week at pre-COP27 in Kinshasa that

“There was a way to provide employment and economic development without polluting sensitive environmental areas such as ‘really critical peatlands’ at risk”.

It is understood that John Kerry made his argument as he thought that drilling in the Congo Basin’s rainforests and peatlands could release vast amounts of heat-trapping gas.

The same ‘Aljazeera.com’ (op. cit.) wrote that Ève Bazaïba, the Congolese environment minister, contended that

“As much as we need oxygen, we also need bread”.

This week at CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum, we are discussing the argument and counterargument made by the two high-level environment representatives respectively.  We are debating if one should save the environment (or the Paris Climate Treaty) or save humans or both.  In other words, should the Congolese forest and forest resources be protected while the Congolese children are dying with hunger, or the Congolese children should be given bread no matter what happens to the Congolese forest and forest resources?  And if one had to save both (environment and humans), how should they do it?

You can join or add your input to the debate by telling the CENFACS be.Africa Forum what you think.  You can tell it over phone, via email or text, and by filling the contact form on this site.

Please tell us what you think.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Comment soutenir le CENFACS sans donner directement d’argent

Dix façons de faire un don à considérer cet automne et à l’approche de la fin de l’année:

1) Donner des biens et des articles non désirés à la boutique de l’organisme de bienfaisance électronique CENFACS à http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

2) Inscrivez-vous pour une déclaration d’aide aux cadeaux à partir de laquelle le CENFACS peut gagner un supplément de 25 pence pour chaque 1 livre que vous donnez

3) Proposer la candidature du CENFACS pour un don lors d’événements de collecte de fonds et de dons de bienfaisance

4) Sélectionnez le CENFACS comme organisme de bienfaisance préféré pour les dons provenant des revenus publicitaires

5) Collectez des fonds gratuits pour le CENFACS avec vos achats en ligne ou choisissez le CENFACS comme bénéficiaire d’un don de certains des bénéfices générés par les achats en ligne

6) Faites don de vos points et remises en argent non désirés et inutilisés à CENFACS en tant qu’organisme de bienfaisance de votre choix parmi vos récompenses d’achat de fidélité ou vos cartes-cadeaux pour de bonnes causes

7) Nommez le CENFACS comme votre cause méritante préférée s’il arrive que vous ayez la possibilité de cliquer sur l’option en ligne « faire un don de remise en argent à des organismes de bienfaisance »

8) Faites don de tout excédent de points indésirables de votre carte de fidélité à partir d’applications susceptibles de soutenir de bonnes causes

9) Offrez au CENFACS tous les bons reçus ou gagnés dont vous n’avez pas besoin ou que vous ne voulez pas

10) Distribuez au CENFACS tout produit d’un tirage au sort ou d’une récompense indésirable ou inutile dont vous préférez vous débarrasser.

Les dix façons ci-dessus de ne pas donner directement de l’argent ne sont que quelques exemples d’aide que l’on peut réfléchir ou rencontrer pour soutenir le CENFACS sans avoir à donner directement de l’argent.  Cependant, cela ne signifie pas que l’on ne peut pas donner de l’argent.  Vous peuvez donner de l’argent en espèces et si vous choisissez de faire un don en espèces, le CENFACS acceptera volontiers vos dons en espèces.

Alternativement, on peut envisager d’autres dons en espèces non directs (tels que les dons planifiés, les actifs de jeu, le streaming, les billets numériques et les objets de collection, les crypto-actifs et les jetons non fongibles), car les dons de ressources à des causes caritatives sont une industrie en croissance rapide.

Pour soutenir le CENFACS sans donner directement de l’argent et/ou en donnant directement de l’argent, il suffit de contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• 2022 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities via “Mbulu” Project

 

The following covers the points making this Main Development:

 

∝ What is “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)?

∝ What is “Mbulu“?

∝ “A la une” Campaign Calendar

∝ Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 10/10/2022 by Focusing on the Conservation of Congo Peafowl

 

• • What is “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)?

 

“A la une” is CENFACS‘ well-known household campaign for justice towards for nature in the autumnal season.

It is about working together in organised and active way toward the goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence.

It is about telling those who are in a position to help to fix the overexploitation and end extinction of natural species.

It is CENFACS’ branding or theme that holds to account those who are destroying the nature and its resources as well as it looks forward to changing the way our society works.

Briefly, “A la une” Campaign, which has to be differentiated from one-time protest, has three attributes, which are:

a) It focuses on a concrete goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence

b) It has specific outcomes for working with CENFACS‘ users to protect nature or the wilderness/wildlands

c) It helps to add up to similar efforts and work on protecting the nature.

“A la une” Campaign needs sub-themes to be completed.  The sub-theme we have selected to deliver “A la une” Campaign for this year is “Mbulu“.

 

 

 

• • What is “Mbulu“?

 

“Mbulu” stands for Mobilising for Birds’ Useful Life for Us.  “Mbulu” Project is a sequence of tasks with a defined start (10/10/2022) and end date (19/11/2022) to achieve the overall aim of keeping up the nature (here endangered bird species) in (good) existence, particularly from exploitation and extinction.

Whereas “A la une” Campaign is our overall values or umbrella body of work for justice towards nature, “Mbulu” Project is one of the groupings of projects making our “A la une” Campaign.

“Mbulu” is a SMART (that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goal within “A la une” Campaign or a result that we are attempting to achieve.

“Mbulu” as a SMART goal helps…

 

✔ Increase awareness within our community and the rest of the community about endangered bird species 

✔ Get improved conversions in terms of new sustainable initiatives

✔ Attract support to our noble cause of reducing poverty by developing sustainable initiatives.

 

Any campaign to be serious needs to have some planning, strategy and process.

 

• • “A la une” Campaign Calendar

 

• • • Six Weeks of Campaign for the Upkeep of the Nature

 

As announced earlier, we have started our 6-week campaign work for the Upkeep of the Nature.  The campaign will help in promoting healthy relationships between humans and nature by taking actions to reduce and end extinction risks and threats to Bird Species.  It will also help in the fight against the adverse impacts of climate change.

As outlined earlier, the sub-theme of “A la une” for this year is Protection of Endangered Bird Species delivered via “Mbulu” Project while the “A la une” theme remains the same which is: Upkeep of the Nature.

Within these theme and sub-theme, we have composed six notes including monitoring, evaluation and review of the “A la une” Campaign.  These notes, which can be found below are in fact actions that can be taken to Protect Endangered Bird Species.

 

• • • “A la une” Composed Notes or Themed Areas for Action

 

During the following periods within this Autumn and “A la une” season, CENFACS’ advocacy on environment will focus on the following areas from the beginning of every Mondays (starting from 10 October 2022 to 19 November 2022).

 

 

In total, there are six themed areas of work and action starting from the 10^th of October 2022 and thereafter every Mondays until the 19th of November 2022.  These activities will help us to re-communicate our environmental message for the upkeep of the nature in (good) existence as well as triggering better changes the way in which our community/society works.

The notes are supposed to guide our action since “A la une” is about actions, not words.  During the run and at the end of these notes and actions, we shall pull monitoring and evaluation reports.  We shall as well review the campaign results to see how it performed overall and if we achieved our goal, that is “Mbulu“.

To engage with “A la une” themed areas and to act for healthy and wealthy nature, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• • Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 10/10/2022 by Focusing on the Conservation of Congo Peafowl

 

The Congo Peafowl, which is found only in the downland rainforests of the Congo River basin in Central Democratic Republic of Congo, is threatened by habitat loss caused by mining, shifting cultivation and logging, according to various sources.

Within birding literature, it is said that the Congo Peafowl, which is also known as the African peafowl or ‘mbulu’ by the Bakôngo, is vulnerable and its population is decreasing.

According to the World Pheasant Association (6),

“Peafowl use regenerating forest with little disturbance in close proximity to primary forest… Peafowl use both primary and secondary forest.  Patches of secondary or regenerating forest connecting fragment of primary forest increase connectivity and allow the peafowl to move between forest blocks.  Such areas of secondary forest could be an important component for a conservation strategy for Congo peafowl”.

There are more actions that can be taken to conserve Congo Peafowl.

 

• • • What one can do to conserve Congo Peafowl

 

In order to secure long-term survival of the Congo peafowl, one can take actions with CENFACS via “A la une” Campaign on the following:

 

✔ Restore peafowl’s lost habitat by preventing any development that would alter or destroy its habitat

✔ Scale down mining, shifting cultivation and logging activities that threatened peafowl’s habitat and way of life

✔ Provide peafowl with primary and secondary forest to increase its movements.

 

The above actions will help to reduce extinction risks and threats to the Congo peafowl, which is endangered bird species in Africa.

Briefly, this is our first note of the “A la une” Campaign for this year.

To find out more about this first note and/or the entire “A la une” campaign, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://unfccc.int/event/cop-27 (Accessed in September 2022)

(2) https://unfccc.int/ACW2022 (Accessed in September 2022)

(3) https://drcprecop27.medd.gouv.cd/en (Accessed in October 2022)

(4) https://ben.org.uk/how-we-help/for-me/articles/reduce-your-living-costs/ (Accessed in October 2022)

(5) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/4/us-asks-drc-to-pull-oil-blocks-from-auction-to-protect-forests (Accessed in October 2022)

(6) https://www.pheasant.org.uk/congopeafowl (Accessed in October 2022)

 

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

05 October 2022

 

Post No. 268

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa  

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Concentration on Critically Endangered Bird Species

• Activity/Task 10 of the Knowledge (‘K’) Year and Project: Know the History of People in Need

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa

 

This year’s Making Memorable Positive Difference (MM+D), which is the 14th one, will be about the Management and Maintenance of Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty.

Infrastructures play a key role in the process of poverty reduction.  Their good management and maintenance are equally important.  This is because it is not enough building infrastructures.  It is as well vital to manage and maintain them.  If infrastructures are well managed and maintained, they can serve both the current and future generations.  In this respect, those who manage and maintain infrastructures can have a significant role and responsibility in the history.

As part of MM+D 2022, we will remember the history of infrastructures in Africa, especially critical infrastructures for poverty reduction.  We shall as well reminisce those who managed, kept and looked after them.

Thus, the history of infrastructures in Africa will be looked at in two ways:

a) Infrastructure development as a connector and service provider to poverty reduction

b) History of Infrastructures in Africa through Infrastructure Managers.

Infrastructures will be remembered between two periods:

a) Period of large infrastructure investment in Africa during the 1960s and 1970s (Period of post-independence Infrastructures)

b) Period in the aftermath of the Millennium or the transition from the 20th to the 21st Century (Period of the years 2000s Infrastructures).

For further information on this acknowledgement about Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa, please read under the Main Development section of this post.  

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with a Concentration on Critically Endangered Bird Species

 

“A la une” takes Save Fauna and Flora advocacy to the next level of CENFACS‘ environmental communications and awareness raising.  It will focus on Critically Endangered Bird Species through our new initiative called ‘Mbulu’.

‘Mbulu’ (that is; Mobilising for Birds’ Useful Life for Us) is a new advocacy project set up by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered bird species in Africa.  What do we mean by endangered?

 

• • Meaning of endangered

 

Endangered can be defined from the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (1) as

“A species that is in danger of *extinction if existing pressures on it (such as over-harvesting or habitat change) continue, and which is therefore likely to disappear if it is not offered adequate protection” (p. 147)

Birds like African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, African Green Broadbill, etc. are endangered species.  Our new project ‘Mbulu‘ will deal with these species.

 

 

 

• • ‘Mbulu’ (that is; Mobilising for Birds’ Useful Life for Us) as a focus of our birding campaign

 

In the coming weeks, we are embarking on a campaign to help save critically threatened for extinction birds in Africa.   This Autumn birding season’s campaign will be featured by a number of notes to be written to make up the theme of the campaign.

There will five notes which will be related to the following birds: Africa Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill and Grossley’s Ground Thrush.  Through these campaigning notes, we hope to mobilise together for birds’ useful life for all of us.  This mobilisation will be indeed an action for the upkeep of bird species.

To support “A la une” campaign and “Mbulu” project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Activity/Task 10 of the Knowledge (‘K’) Year and Project: Know the History of People in Need

 

The 10th Activity or Task of our ‘K’ Year and Project is about Knowing the History of People in Need.  It is about building the knowledge of their history.

Indeed, knowing the history of those who are asking for help or need help can serve in the following objectives:

 

✔ to get helpful information about these people

✔ to form their identity or profile (that is, beneficiary persona)

✔ to know who they are and who they are not

✔ to learn about their mistakes and successes

✔ to construct memory about how they got into poverty and why they are still in poverty

✔ to understand how past events shape up their lives and made poverty and hardships they are living today

✔ to identify which lessons that can be learnt from their history

✔ to see if they can develop abilities and skills to avoid past mistakes

✔ to spot the paths they can navigate out of poverty

Etc.

 

 

The more one can get the above-mentioned details from those in need, the better position they will be in order to help them.

The above is the Activity or Task no. 10 for the ‘K’ Year/Project for those who are interested in carrying it out.

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

 

Extra Messages

 

October 2022 Food Security Appeal

Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Green/Blue Prescribings

Fuel/Energy Budget for Families: Data Skills

 

 

• October 2022 Food Security Appeal

 

This is an appeal to raise awareness and provide support to acute food insecure people in Africa.  This appeal, which is a part of CENFACS’ Making Zero Hunger Africa Campaign, is also about joining in the World Food Day initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations on 16 October 2022.

Through this appeal, one could support those who are acute food insecure, particularly but not exclusively in hotspot African countries which we have selected to launch this appeal.  In other words, the selected countries are just a sample of others.

These hotspot selected African countries include Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mali and Niger.

According to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United Nations (2), the number of people in acute food insecurity in 2022 (most recent projections) would be in the above-named hotspot countries as follows:

 

3.5 million in Burkina Faso

2.2 million in Central African Republic

2.1 million in Chad

25.9 million in Democratic Republic of Congo

2.1 million in Madagascar

1.8 in Mali

4.4 in Niger (p. 8).

 

Both the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United Nations (op. cit.) define acute food insecurity as

“Any manifestation of food deprivation that threatens lives or livelihoods regardless of the causes, context or duration” (p. 39)

With the difficulties that these hotspot selected African countries and other countries around the world are experiencing to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, these numbers could increase or at best be stationary.

If one wants to build a zero-hunger generation and act against hunger (as a way of backing World Food Day 2022), then supporting this appeal will bring a tremendous help to those acute food insecure in Africa.

This appeal runs from now until the 16 October 2022; day on which we shall join others across the world to act against hunger.

You can support this appeal via CENFACS or directly help the acute food insecure in the above-mentioned hotspot selected African countries.

To support via CENFACS, please contact us NOW.

 

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Green/Blue Prescribings

 

Our work on green and blue spaces continues as we are trying to get the views of those of our members using Triple Value Initiatives as blue or green prescriptions.  CENFACS is looking into the possibility of how their undertakings of these initiatives can be fitted into blue or green prescriptions.

Social prescribing nature-based activities are known as those ones that support the health and well-being of the community.  These activities can be land-based (green prescribing) and water-based (blue prescribing).

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (3) describes social prescribing as

“Being about helping people getting more control over their healthcare to manage their needs in a way that suits them”.

For those who have been using the Triple Value Initiatives, it would be a good idea to share with us their experience in terms of health and well-being benefits so that we know how green or blue prescribing these initiatives can be.

The more people respond, the more we would know about the health and well-being outcomes from these initiatives, the more we could be recommending people or blue/green prescribing them to use these initiatives.

Their responses will as well help prepare CENFACS’ State of Play, Run and Vote.

To support CENFACS’ State of Play, Run and Vote as well as our work on blue/green prescribings, please let us know your personal experience on Triple Value Initiatives in terms of health and well-being results.

 

 

• Fuel/Energy Budget for Families: Data Skills

 

As soaring energy price is a hot topic this October and Autumn 2022 as well as a concern for many members of our community, we would like to continue our work on this topical issue.  In particular, we are looking at energy or fuel budget for families as part of the reduction of energy poverty.

Energy or fuel budgeting is our support to the community in the context of and the implementation of CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.  We are trying to support them to develop basic data skills to understand energy or fuel budget and the implications for their entire family budgets.  Through this process, one can hope they will be moderated in their energy consumption and able to navigate their way to reduce energy poverty and other types of poverty.

We would like to remind those who forgot or do not know that those who spend more than 10% of their income in energy, they could be considered as energy poor.  In other words, the sensitivity of energy share to their household income is high.  As a result, we would like to raise awareness about energy share to household income by looking at fuel/energy budget for families.  Our awareness-raising activity will include disucssions on the current energy price cap and its implications for your household budget.

If you are a member of our community and would like to know more or exchange ideas in terms of data about the right balance between your energy expenses budget and the other budgets for your household, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Those who would like to share their data skills in this area of household Fuel/Energy Budget, they are also welcome.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

À paraître à l’automne 2022: Le 77e numéro du bulletin d’information FACS qui s’intitulera Sécurité financière pour les pauvres

Le sous-titre de ce numéro sera:

Comment réduire les inquiétudes et le stress financiers pour les pauvres en cette période difficile de la crise du coût de la vie

Résumé du 77e numéro de FACS

Les effets persistants du coronavirus et la crise actuelle du coût de la vie inquiètent et stressent de nombreuses personnes et familles ordinaires et pauvres.  Ils les inquiètent et les stressent alors que les prix des biens et des services continuent d’augmenter pendant que les revenus et le soutien financier des gens ne correspondent pas au niveau et à l’ampleur de la flambée du coût de la vie. Ces personnes et ces familles ont besoin d’une certaine forme de sécurité financière si l’on a besoin d’éviter que la crise actuelle ne devienne une crise humanitaire.

Le 77e numéro de FACS, le bulletin bilingue du CENFACS, aidera non seulement à comprendre leurs soucis et leur stress financiers, mais aussi à explorer avec eux des stratégies d’adaptation positives pour calmer leur esprit et trouver la tranquillité d’esprit. À cet égard, le numéro pourrait fournir quelques conseils et astuces pour éviter que la transformation du coût de la vie qu’ils connaissent ne devienne un coût humanitaire.

Bon nombre de ceux/celles qui font partie de notre communauté recherchent une sécurité financière afin de joindre les deux bouts du mois ou simplement de couvrir leurs besoins vitaux de base. Il y a un déficit de revenu et un endettement parmi eux/elles; ceux/celles dont le revenu est inférieur à leurs dépenses. Ils/elles ont tous/toutes besoin de sécurité financière pour éviter que la crise actuelle ne les pousse au bord de la catastrophe humanitaire ou de l’effondrement.

Le 77e numéro explorera les moyens d’assurer la sécurité financière avec et pour ces personnes et ces familles.  Bien que le numéro ne répertorie pas les organisations et les institutions qui fournissent une couverture de sécurité financière, il regroupera un certain nombre de correctifs de sécurité financière avec et pour elles.  Cependant, en soutenant qu’elles ont besoin de sécurité financière, qu’entendons-nous par là?

La sécurité financière doit ici être considérée du point de vue de ce que le site internet « quicken.com » (4) prescrit, à savoir:

« La sécurité financière fait référence à la tranquillité d’esprit que vous ressentez lorsque vous ne craignez pas que votre revenu soit suffisant pour couvrir vos dépenses. Cela signifie également que vous avez suffisamment d’argent économisé pour couvrir les urgences et vos objectifs financiers futurs. Lorsque vous êtes en sécurité financière, votre niveau de stress diminue, vous laissant libre de vous concentrer sur d’autres problèmes ».

La définition mentionnée ci-dessus sera celle à laquelle nous nous référerons dans le 77e numéro de FACS. La sécurité financière doit ici être différenciée des instruments financiers (comme les actions, les obligations, les valeurs bousières, les titres financiers, les lettres de change, les bons du Trésor, etc.) émis par les entreprises, les institutions financières (par exemple, les fonds de pension, les fonds d’investissement, les banques et les compagnies d’assurance) et le gouvernement.

Nous aborderons la sécurité financière du point de vue des gens et des familles ordinaires et pauvres, de ceux ou celles qui n’en ont pas financièrement.

En cette période difficile de crise du coût de la vie, le 77e numéro de FACS sera un voyage avec ces personnes et ces familles sur la façon dont elles vont lever les fonds dont elles ont besoin et ériger les bases de la sécurité financière. Dans le 77e numéro, nous tenterons d’identifier les niveaux de sécurité financière dont elles ont besoin, qu’ils soient élevés, faibles ou moyens.

La sécurité financière ne concerne pas seulement notre communauté plus proche, la communauté CENFACS.  Il s’agit également de notre communauté élargie; ce sont les personnes avec lesquelles nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillent en Afrique.

Pour ces communautés et ces personnes éloignées, la sécurité financière dépend de la façon dont elles essaient de développer leurs stratégies financières d’adaptation (par exemple, si elles ont obtenu un renflouement financier) afin d’atténuer les effets secondaires combinés du coronavirus et d’autres maladies, de la crise du coût de la vie et du changement climatique.

Le 77e numéro va plus loin en explorant comment ces organisations ajustent leur modèle d’organisme de bienfaisance ou sans but lucratif afin de continuer à servir leurs communautés dans ce contexte de flambée des prix de l’argent, de la nourriture, de l’énergie et d’autres biens et services.  De même, il contiendra un appel à ce qu’une partie des dividendes financiers créés (par exemple, à partir de flux financiers illicites en Afrique) soit acheminée vers les  organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillant avec les personnes et les communautés pauvres.

En faisant appel de cette manière, cela pourrait fournir un point de départ ou un nouveau développement pour connecter les pauvres et les familles mentionnés ci-dessus avec des niches financières qui sont censées les aider, mais ils ne le font pas pour le moment.

Enfin, le 77e numéro de FACS fournira à certains constituants ou éléments d’une base pour un programme de travail avec notre communauté sur les moyens de construire et de développer la sécurité financière avec ces personnes et ces familles.

Ce qui précède donne un peu de saveur ou une idée générale du prochain numéro de FACS, le 77e numéro du bulletin FACS.

Pour toute demande de renseignements et/ou questions concernant ce numéro, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: Managing and Maintaining Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa

 

The following items make up the contents of this year’s focus of Making Memorable Positive Difference Project:

 

∝ What is Making Memorable Difference Project (MM+D)? 

∝ MM+D Days 

∝ MM+D Timeline

 

• • What is MM+D? 

 

MM+D is

∝ a two-day event of Awareness, Thought and Recognition set up by CENFACS in 2009 to celebrate the Black History Month in our own way and feeling while preserving the tradition linked to this remembrance and standing on the shoulders of similar celebrations

∝ a history project of collective memory about works carried out, heritage and legacies left by Africans

∝ all about collectively telling, acknowledging, studying and learning that everyday Africans wherever they are (in Africa) or elsewhere (in the UK-Croydon and the world) are striving to improve the quality of their lives and of others. Through their historically valuable works, they are making memorable positive difference and the world a better place for everybody, including the generations to come.

∝ a celebration of African Abilities, Talents, Skills, Gifts and Legacies to Africa and the world.

 

This year’s dedicated two days (27 and 28 October 2022) are days of historical study, analysis and skill recognition and celebration of the legacies left by Africans in Infrastructures to reduce poverty, particularly the management and maintenance of these infrastructures.

 

• • MM+D Days

 

There will be Two Days of the history of Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty in Africa as follows:

 

∝ One Day of Infrastructure development as a connector and service provider to poverty reduction

∝ One Day of History of Infrastructures in Africa through Infrastructure Managers of the history.

Let us summarise the contents of each day’s work.

 

• • • Heritage/Patrimony Day (27 October 2022): Infrastructure development as a connector and service provider to poverty reduction

 

On the first day of our MM+D, we shall remember infrastructure development in Africa as heritage and/or patrimony from our ancestors or those who built them.  We shall as well look at how post-independence infrastructures (large-scale infrastructure projects) in Africa were linked to poverty reduction.

The definition of infrastructure we will be using on that day is from a reference to the United Nations by Ulrikke Wethal (5), who quotes this:

“The term infrastructure can be used to cover all physical facilities, institutions and organisational structures, or the social and economic foundations, for the operation of a society and social infrastructure is often distinguished from economic infrastructure”.

Ulrikke Wethal adds that construction-based physical infrastructure can be divided in two groups: civil engineering (roads, railways, ports, dams, power stations, drainage and water supply) and residential and non-residential buildings.

In this construction-based physical infrastructure, our MM+D will focus on infrastructures upon which poor people depend for their lives.  In other words, we shall work on infrastructures that connect us or help to reduce poverty in Africa.

 

• • • Legacies and Gifts Day (28 October 2022): History of Infrastructures in Africa through Infrastructure Managers of the history

 

During the Legacies and Gifts Day of MM+D, we shall learn these legacies and gifts of infrastructures from those who managed and maintained them.  Infrastructures will be looked at as properties handed on or left to the new generations.

To better work on that day, one may need to understand the meanings of management and maintenance.

Management can be understood in many ways.  In the context of MM+D, we will be referring to what Christopher et al (6) say about it, which is:

“Management is the process of organising and directing human and physical resources within an organisation so as to meet defined objectives.  The key management roles are planning, control, coordination and motivation” (p. 350)

With reference to our MM+D, we will be interested in the management of physical infrastructure like those helping to reduce poverty.

Christopher Pass et al (op. cit.) also explained maintenance as

“The management process of repairing and maintaining buildings, plant, machinery and equipment to avoid breakdowns and disruption to production”(p. 349)

Likewise, we shall be concerned with the maintenance of physical infrastructures to reduce poverty.

Since there is history of badly managed and poorly maintained infrastructure projects, of neglected infrastructures and debts linked to infrastructures in Africa; we shall investigate the historical processes that led to the mismanagement and neglect of infrastructures.  In this investigation, we shall reminisce infrastructure managers of the post-independence and early millennium eras in Africa, particularly those infrastructure managers who made memorable positive difference.

The above is this year’s MM+D theme.  To engage with this theme and or support this project, please contact CENFACS on this site. 

Because we are talking about history, let us remember the history of CENFACS‘ MM+D through timeline.

 

• • Making Memorable Positive Difference Timeline

 

MM+D has a history and timeline.  The following is the timeline of MM+D since its inception.

 

2009: CENFACS recognised environmental sustainability.

2010: We acknowledged and honoured sports contributions and history in relieving collective poverty and improving community lives beyond fitness and beyond individualistic achievements.

2011: We recollected, remembered and revered caregiving talents and legacies of young carers in enhancing human development (their own development and other people’s development) by reducing the burden of poverty.

2012: We dedicated our historical recognition to Africa’s Global Game Runners and the Science of Running.

2013: Our two days were about the Memorable Positive Difference Made and brought by Working Poor (Miners & Factory Workers) in relieving poverty. We consecrated them to the historical study of The Role of Working Poor Miners and Factory Workers of Natural Resources and Extractive Industries in the Poverty Relief in Africa since the Berlin Conference (1884-5).

2014: We celebrated the place of the African Music and Dance in the pre– and post-colonial eras, the late 1950s and the early 1960s.  This celebration focused on the African History of Singing and Dancing and their Impacts on Liberation and Freedoms.

2015: Making Memorable Positive Difference focused on African Negotiators of the History. 

2016: We remembered the Protectors and Guardians of the African History and Heritage. 

2017: We acknowledged the Communicators of the African History 

2018: We learnt about African Communications and Oral History

2019: We searched on the African Health History

2020: We celebrated African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (i.e. Period before the 1960s)

2021: We recognised and celebrated of the legacies left by Africans in dance, particularly the Congolese Rumba.

For further details about these past MM+D events, please contact CENFACS. 

_________

 

• References

 

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

(2) WFP and FAO, (2022), Hunger Hotspots, FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook, Rome (Accessed in October 2022)

(3) https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/about-us/what-is-socialpresscribing/ (accessed in October 2022)

(4) https://www.quicken.com/what-financial-security (Accessed in September 2022)

(5) Wethal, U., (2019), Building Africa’s Infrastructure: Reinstating History in Infrastrurcture Debates, In Forum for Development Studies, Centre for Development and Environment, Universtity of Oslo 

(6) Pass, C., Lowes, B., Pendleton, A., & Chadwick, A., (1991), Collins Dictionary of Business, HarperCollins Publishers, Glasgow

_________

 

• 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.

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 September 2022

 

Post No. 267

 

 

The Week’s Comments

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2022 Edition: Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis

• Green Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 26/09/2022: Interaction between Green and Blue Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

• Data Skills to Run your Household

 

…And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2022 Edition: Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

To introduce the 2022 Edition of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, we are going to briefly explain the following: Help and Resources for a Fresh Start as well as the focus for this year’s Fresh Start.  Fresh Start and Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis are key words and contextual framework of CENFACS‘ Autumn poverty reduction work.

 

• • Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources

 

Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help strikes or kicks off our Autumn programme and Starting XI Campaign.  It is our Autumn project striker.  Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources are made of fresh start skills, tips, hints, tweaks, hacks, etc.; help and resources designed to overcome poverty and hardships.  They are indeed activities to manage new beginnings and plans for the future.

Our advice-giving month of September continues as planned and will end next month.  Advice-giving is part of our Help and Resources for Autumn Fresh Start.  Although we put particular emphasis on advice-giving activity in our September engagement, other aspects of Autumn Fresh Start or striker are equally important and will continue beyond September.

Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help comes with Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) Resources.  The highlights of the 2022 Edition of FAS, which are given below, take into account and focus on the cost-of-living crisis.  The resources provided in FAS are non-financial help towards the costs of living.  In this respect, the focus will be on what help that is available for users and what resources they can have in order for them to navigate their way out the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis as a Focus for this Year’s Autumn Fresh Start

 

Coming out of the cost-of-living crisis is a process that can last long ahead.  It can last long because prices of goods and services are still rising.  In the UK for example, the interest (that is; the price of borrowing money) expressed in terms of current bank rate by the Bank of England (1) is now 2.25%.  And the Bank of England can still rise it depending on the economic conditions and the performance of the economy.  In addition to the interest rate increases, inflation in the UK stood at 9.8% in August 2022, according to the ‘rateinflation.com’ (2).  These increases, which can settle in the duration, affect the prices of goods and services in the economy.  They also influence the prospect and duration of coming out of the cost-of-living crisis and of the cost-of-living poverty.

In the general and global context of continuing soaring prices, it is difficult to see how ordinary people, especially those living in poverty like some of CENFACS users, can survive without any help and access to resources to help them.

To begin the process of navigating way out this crisis, they need to freshly start.  There is say that every day is a fresh start.  In this Autumn of the cost-of-living crisis, fresh start is even more relevant than at any time.  They need to freshly start since they are still dealing with the lingering socio-economic effects of the coronavirus.  They need to freshly start to navigate their way out of the current cost-of-living crisis.  So, in the process of coming out, Fresh Autumn Start could be what they badly need.

Further details about the above key words and contextual framework are given below under the Main Development section of this post.

To ask for ‘Fresh Start’ Help and or access Fresh Start Resources to Navigate your Way out of the Cost-of-living Crisis, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Green Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 26/09/2022: Interaction between Green and Blue Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

 

Green Spaces can have influence on Blue Spaces and vice versa.  This influence can happen in the process of reducing poverty.  In the context of this note, we are looking how this influence between the two can be beneficial for the community we serve.  Before that let us explore the influence between the two spaces.

 

• • The influence between green and blue spaces

 

Prior to dealing with this influence, it is better to understand both spaces.

Our understanding of green spaces comes from what Abigail Isabella McLean (3) argues about them, which is

“Green space refers to the many types of green land, ranging from parks to natural areas.  Hence, the green spaces … will encompass naturally occurring green spaces, such as forests, but also space created within human-made means such as green roofs and tree-lined streets”.

As to blue space, its definition comes from what the ‘environmentagency.blog.go.uk’ (4) states about it, which is

“Blue spaces are outdoor environments – either natural or manmade – that permanently feature water and are accessible to people.  In short – the collective term of rivers, lakes or the sea”.

So, blue spaces include blue ecosystems such as sea and coastline, rivers, lakes, canals, waterfalls, fountains, etc.

The above two definitions allow to understand the influence or interaction between green and blue spaces.  Their influence can be looked at via or at the level of benefits they provide to humans; benefits which could be similar in those cases. What are those benefits?

 

• • Benefits provided by green and blue spaces to humans

 

A research study by Claire J. McCartan (5) found that

“Exposure to green and blue spaces has been linked to improvements in physical health including a reduction in cortisol levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and increases in self-reported health; there is also growing evidence of the benefits for mental health and wellbeing.  How green and blue spaces transmit these benefits may be as a result of increased levels of physical activity and social interaction, greater exposure to sunlight, Vitamin D and healthy bacteria”.

Also, writing in the Guardian, Elle Hunt (6) argues that

“The benefits of blue space… are less publicised than green space.  The science has been consistent for at least a decade: being by water is good for body and mind.  Proximity to water – especially the sea – is associated with many positive measures of physical and mental wellbeing, from higher levels of vitamin D to better social relations.  Many of the processes are exactly the same as with green space – with some added benefits”.

Furthermore, there are studies, like the one carried out by Abigail Chan (7) that conclude green and blue spaces can bring communities together while helping to reduce loneliness and stress.

The above research work and findings indicate that there are benefits to human health resulting from green and blue spaces.  Some of the benefits are similar between the two spaces.  This similarity in benefits provided can point out to some degree of influence or interaction between these spaces.

Although Elle Hunt (op. cit.) speaks about added benefits regarding the blue spaces, one can suggest that being in a green space can be seen as the same as staying in blue space.  This could mean that green and blue spaces could interact on each other via the benefits they provide to humans.

Writing a note about the above-mentioned interaction is not the end of the theme of green spaces.  The real aim here is how CENFACS can work with the communities in the UK and in Africa in order for them to live this interaction through the enjoyment of the benefits provided by both spaces.

 

• • Working with the communities to access the benefits provided by both spaces through their interaction

 

There are ways of working with communities to make the interaction between green and blue spaces work for them.

For example, if green and blue spaces can help reduce loneliness and stress, and loneliness and stress are seen as forms of poverty; then CENFACS can work with those members of its community who feel poor because of loneliness in order to alleviate this type of poverty.

Likewise, if the blue space can assist in reducing inequality, then CENFACS can work with those of its members who suffer from inequality, to tackle the matter.

Furthermore, if blue infrastructure (like rivers and inland lakes) can help address physical inactivity, then CENFACS can work with the members of its community who are physically inactive so that they look for and find opportunities to access blue infrastructure and tackle their physical inability.

In short, if one of our members needs blue or green prescription, we can work with them on this matter through advice, information, guidance, signposting and social prescribing.

The above is our last note about the theme of green spaces which we hope we have enjoyed.  We also expect that through this theme, one will be able tackle green or blue poverty they are facing.

Saying that the above is our last note does not mean that we stopped working on green spaces.  We are still working on them even though we will not produce any further note for the rest of the days of September 2022.

For those who would like more information about any of the notes developed throughout this month about green spaces as well as those who need a blue or green prescription, they are free to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to support the theme of green spaces and our work, they should hesitate to contact CENFACS with your support.

 

 

• Data Skills to Run your Household

 

Data Skills to Run your Household is the second project of our 2022 Starting XI Campaign. Although this project was scheduled to start late in the Autumn, we are launching it now since we are in time of the cost-of-living crisis.  And the sooner those in need of data skills understand the data making their household and life, the sooner they can prevent any further damaging effects on them from the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • What is data skill?

 

When we introduced this project through the presentation of our Starting XI Campaign and Autumn Programme, we argued that Data Skills were/are the amalgamation of literacy and numeracy skills.  Yet, Data Skills are deeper than what we said.  How deeper are they?

Data Skills to Run your Household are the naturally acquired or developed talents and accomplishments that will allow our project beneficiaries to better run their households. 

The project will help … 

 

∝ families/households that lack skills in terms of handling data to gain sufficient skills and knowledge to use data making their lives

∝ these families attach value to data

∝ to capture household data and turn them into value

∝ to create trust in data systems they use to manage their lives

∝ to support both technical skills building and efforts to enhance a culture of data use within household systems

∝ to improve family/household limited data literacy skills

∝ to keep learning numeracy and statistical literacy skills at family/household level

∝ to empower and inform household data users

∝ to build the skills of household decision-makers in relation to handling information about their households.

 

• • Types of data skills 

 

Investing in building the data skills for the good running of your household and decision-making process can help not only to tackle poverty linked to the lack of ability to handle data, but also other forms of poverty that a household may face.  There are various data skills that a typical data unskilled household may need or require. 

These types of data skills can include the following:

 

∝ Skills needed to collect, process and disseminate data

∝ Skills to extract the relevant information from data

∝ Skills for data engineering to manage and process data

∝ Foundational statistical skills to understand data relating to family life

∝ Data sharing skills within and outside household

Etc.

 

For those of our members interested in this project, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• End-of-Month Special Offer with Translation Day on 30/09/2022

• Happiness Survey and Questionnaire

•  Save Flora and Fauna 

 

 

• End-of-Month Special Offer with Translation Day on 30/09/2022

 

As part of CENFACS’ Translation Service and the United Nations’ International Translation Day, CENFACS’ in-house bilingual translators will be offering special translation service on 30/09/2022 in French to English and vice versa.  

If you have texts, documents, projects and stories to be translated from English to French and vice versa, please grab the unique opportunity of the end of the month and the beginning of the Autumn season to get your work translated.

Translation is free service that we offer to our community.  However, we do not mind a voluntary donation or gift to keep this service running and the machinery of CENFACS.

Should anyone need translation; they can let us know before the Translation Day so that we could plan ahead.

Please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS beforehand should you need translation, and we hope you will join us on the Translation Day.

 

 

• Happiness Survey and Questionnaire

 

As part of our Summer Reporting and Sharing of experiences and stories, we are running a Happiness and Healthiness survey.

The survey, which is mostly about hearing your Summer experiences and stories, is also about improving on planning and delivery of summer projects and of enhancing the outcome of our advice on summer break and season.

For those who may be interested in this survey, there is a questionnaire to complete and return to CENFACS.  This questionnaire can also be found in our Fresh Autumn Start resource.  You can request the questionnaire as well.

To request and or complete the questionnaire, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

•  Save Flora and Fauna 

 

During our Build Forward Better Programme from the life-threatening and -destroying impacts of the coronavirus, our campaign on flora and fauna have been part of this process of building forward.  Since we have curated and returned some of our projects, we have returned the original format of this campaign, which is Save Flora and Fauna.

 

• • What is Save Flora and Fauna? 

 

Save Flora and Fauna, which is a twin advocacy, is one of our Starting XI Projects.  Through this Starting XI Project, we are continuing to advocate for the protection of animal and plant species in Africa and elsewhere in developing world.  Animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some animal species are at the brink of disappearing.  Some plants are also threatened and disappearing.

As said above, our advocacy has two parts, which are: save fauna and save flora.  Let us consider each part.

 

• • Save Fauna

 

We continue to advocate for the protection of animals 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.

Our fauna advocacy aims at dealing with ways of tackling the threats to survival in the wild facing by the world’s big cats (such as lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, clouded leopard, etc.), the world’s majestic animals and symbols of power and courage.

Animals such as jaguars, tigers, elephants, snakes, alligators, rhinoceroses, etc. are under threat.  There are several reasons about it which include: hunting, illicit and illegal trade, over-harvesting, habitat loss, climate change, poaching, etc.

CENFACS’ Save Animals or Fauna advocacy is to advocate for the re-enhancement of protection of endangered, threatened and vulnerable animal species.

In this process, we are as well interested in efforts made to protect animals from diseases including the coronavirus.  For example, people can still remember how tuberculosis killed elephants in South Africa, a few years ago.

 

• • Save Flora

 

We are as well extending our advocacy to other species in danger like trees, plans and flowers (flora).  It is about advocating to save these species that are threatened with extinction.

For example, the New Phytologist Foundation (8) argues that 35% of the species are threatened with extinction.  They include maize, potato, bean, squash, chilli pepper, vanilla, avocado, husk tomato and cotton crops.

If this threat is true and continues, then one needs to protect and build forward better these threatened species.

In the light of the above, what would be the contents of our Save Flora and Fauna for this Autumn.   

 

• • This Autumn advocacy about ‘Save Flora and Fauna’

 

This year’s advocacy for flora and fauna will include two actions as follows.

 

1) Life-saving action against new forms of exploitation and trafficking of animal and plant species

 

This is an action to protect animal species in Africa from new forms of wildlife exploitation and trafficking, including kidnapping of animals from their natural sanctuary.

For example, in North-Kivu (the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Cong0), there are armed groups that set up their bases in the vicinity of parks like the park Virunga.  These groups exploit natural resources (such as woods and animals) via poaching, illegal fishing, smuggling, kidnappings of animals, etc.  Specimen and trophies from elephant ivory, charcoal and illicit fishing are traded by these groups to finance their supply of arms.

According to the Journal Le Monde (9), there has been kidnapping and holding of three baby chimpanzees from their sanctuary to ransom in the province of Katanga of the Democratic Republic of Congo, this September 2022.  The kidnappers of these baby chimpanzees are still asking for money via social media.

As part of our action, we are appealing to those kidnappers to release those smuggled chimpanzees.

 

2) Life-saving action against the cost-of-living crisis on flora and fauna

 

The current cost-of-living crisis has put enormous pressure on humans, particularly the poorest ones.  One could be afraid that fauna and flora could be neglected or simply forgotten or abandoned since mankind cannot cope with their own pressure of facing soaring costs of living.

This action is about making sure that, plant and animal species regain, restore, rebuild and thrive their lives while humans are trying to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.  In other words, the action is about to ensure that the cost-of-living crisis does not lead to flora and fauna crises since we depend on them in order to come out of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • Save Fauna and Flora to “A la une” Campaign

 

Save Fauna and Flora is only an iceberg of the wide natural creature protection campaign run by CENFACS.  CENFACS’ Save Fauna and Flora is run this week and will be soon after followed by our Autumn environmental umbrella campaign, “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action to the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) project.

“A la une” will take Save Fauna and Flora advocacy to the other level of environmental communications and awareness raising.  It will focus on Critically Endangered Bird Species.  We shall focus on saving endangered bird species through our new initiative called ‘Mbulu’, as we said at the beginning of this September.

‘Mbulu’ (that is; Mobilising for Birds’ Useful Life for Us) is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered bird species in Africa.  Birds like African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, African Green Broadhill, etc. are endangered species.

The above is our highlights for Save Flora and Fauna.  To advocate and raise your voice to save endangered plant and animal species, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Enquête et questionnaire sur le bonheur et la santé

Dans le cadre de nos rapports d’été et de notre partage d’expériences et d’histoires, nous menons une enquête sur le bonheur et la santé.

L’enquête, qui porte principalement sur l’écoute de vos expériences et de vos histoires estivales, vise également à améliorer la planification et la livraison des projets d’été et à améliorer les résultats de nos conseils sur les vacances d’été et la saison.

Pour ceux/celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette enquête, il y a un questionnaire à remplir et à retourner au CENFACS.  Ce questionnaire se trouve également dans notre ressource ‘Nouveau départ d’automne’.  Vous pouvez également demander le questionnaire.

Pour demander et/ou remplir le questionnaire, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2022 Edition: Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The following two items cover the presentation of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources: 

 

∝ Making Autumn Start and Season Easier 

∝ Key summaries of FAS 2022 Edition.

 

Let us look at these items.

 

• • Making Autumn Start and Season Easier 

           

In order to make Autumn Start and Season Easier it is better to understand Fresh Autumn Start and its context.

 

• • • What is Fresh Autumn Start (FAS)

 

FAS is a continuation of our Summer Support projects into the Autumn season.  It is a building block or additional back up of useful survival tips and hints to embrace Autumn as smoothly and trouble-freely as possible.

It includes real life situations that users may face when and as they return from their Summer break or season on one hand, and possible leads to proffer solutions to their arising Autumn needs on the other hand.

This FAS resource is not exhaustive or an end itself.  It needs other resources as complement.  It is a good basic insight into a Fresh Start as it provides helpful advisory tools for a Fresh Start and confidence building from the beginning to the end of Autumn season.  It could also be used as a reference for users to engineer their own idea of Fresh Start and the sustained management of autumn needs.

At the end of this resource, there are some websites addresses/directories for help and support.  These sources of help and support are not exhaustive.  We have mainly considered third sector organisations and service providers as well as social enterprises.

For further or extended list of service providers for Autumn needs, people can contact their local authorities and service directories (both online and in print).

 

• • • Fresh Autumn Start in the context of Rising Costs of Living

 

This Autumn, we are approaching Fresh Start Help from the perspective and context of Rising Costs of Living.  It is the context in which prices of goods and services are continuing to rise while incomes are not in position to catch up with rising costs.  It is the context of cost-of-living crisis.  In this typical context, the most sufferers are those living in poverty as they cannot afford rising prices and bills.

A context like the one we have depicted needs a response so that our users can meet their needs and navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis.  Our users need help and support.  We can work with them so as they can get the needy help in order to meet basic life-sustaining needs and requests.

Briefly speaking, Fresh Start Help is the first line of support in the process of coming out of the cost-of-living crisis.  The second line of support is Fresh Start Resources.

 

• • Key Summaries of FAS 2022 Edition

 

The key summaries of FAS 2022 Edition can be found under the contents below.

 

• • • Contents for FAS 2022 Edition

 

The contents for 2022 Edition of FAS include:

 

∝ Autumn scenarios and actions to take

∝ Examples of Summer Break Expenses Track Record and Autumn Budget

∝ People needs and Autumn leads

∝ Integration of threats and risks

∝ What you can get from CENFACS

∝ Autumn online and digital resources.

 

Let us briefly explain each of these contents.

 

• • • Possible Autumn Scenarios and Possible Actions

 

When returning from Summer break and/or season, people can find themselves in a variety of situations depending on their own individual circumstances and life experiences.  This variety of situations may require or be expected to be matched with a diversity of responses in order to meet people’s Autumn needs.

These variable circumstances and diverse responses or a course of actions can take the different shapes as well as can be framed in order to take into account the continuing adverse impacts of climate change.  One of these shapes could be to contextualise and customise back-to-relief, fresh start and build-forward-better support.  This is what CENFACS tries to do via the advice service.

 

• • • Examples of Summer Break Expenses Track Record and Autumn Budget

 

Tracking down and reassessing summer break/season expenses are a positive step to put one through an optimistic start of the Autumn season.  As part of this positive step, FAS is packed with an example of Summer Break Expenses Track Record.

Budgeting Autumn items and needs is also good for a Fresh Start and for overall control over the start and rest of autumn season expenses.  Since our focus is on ways of coming out of the cost-of-living crisis, one can write a budget that deals with soaring costs of living. 

To write a comprehensive budget, one needs to include in their budget possible projections or forecasting or even scenarios regarding key indicators or adjustment factors like interest rate, inflation, indexes of goods and services, etc.  Such a budget will help in costing the activities planned in the process of navigating one’s way out of the cost-of-living crisis.

To support this financial control, FAS contains two examples of budgets: Autumn budget adjusted for the cost-of-living crisis and fresh start budget.   

 

• • • People’s Needs and Autumn Leads 

 

Variable circumstances can obviously result in multiple needs.  One of these circumstances is the current cost-of-living crisis.  To meet those needs, we may have to gather resources, tools and institutions to guide us.  The 2022 Edition of FAS provides a table that gives an idea of the likely leads to satisfy people’s needs or just to guide them.

 

• • • Integrating Threats and Risks from the Adverse Impacts of Various Factors into FAS

 

The FAS 2022 edition integrates the damaging impacts of economic factors or variables such as interest rate change, inflation, the cost-of-living index, policy changes, etc. 

It also considers the probable evolution of these factors or variables in the medium term since there are speculations that the worsening of these variables like the cost-of-living crisis can lead to humanitarian crisis.  Likewise, the probable adverse impacts of climate change are nevertheless taking into account and unavoidable. 

This integration is at the levels of possible Autumn scenarios, Autumn budget and arising needs.  It is the integration of both life-sustaining needs and life-threatening impacts of the coronavirus and climate change.

 

• • • What You Can Get from CENFACS in Autumn under Autumn Help to Navigate your Way out of the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The set of helps provided in the FAS 2022 is part of CENFACS’ UK arm of services and additional services we set up to overcome the negative side effects of crises and risks (like the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis).  In this respect, FAS 2022 include ‘Fresh Start‘ activities or services that can be aligned with Post-pandemic Rebuilding Activities we explained in our post of 18 May 2022.  What are these activities? 

There are two activities we would like to mention, which are:

a) activities to manage new beginnings

b) activities to manage plans for the future.

 

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Manage New Beginnings 

 

The activities relating to the management of new beginnings will help to work with the community to achieve the following:

✔ Set up new goals with them

✔ Identify new opportunities and threats at the current time of the cost-of-living crisis.

We shall work with them through advice, tips and hints in order for them to manage the new beginnings.

 

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Manage Plans for the Future

 

Fresh Start activities could be those of managing the future as well.  By using  futuring and visioning methods and techniques, it is possible to develop scenarios, horizon scanning and trend monitoring/analysis to help them not only navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis; but to minimise the likely harmful impacts of future risks and crises as well.

Besides the above-mentioned provision, FAS 2022 further takes into account specific needs of people that may require specialist organisations and or institutions to deal with them.  In which case CENFACS can signpost or refer the applicants to those third parties.

 

• • • Autumn online and digital resources

 

As explained earlier, FAS 2022 Edition contains a list of organisations and services that can help users in different areas covering basic needs.  Most the provided resources, which are from the charity and voluntary sector, are online and digital.  The list gives their contact details including the kinds of support or service they provide.

 

We hope that the basic tips and hints making the contents of FAS 2022 Edition will help you in some aspects of your Autumn needs, and you will find the relief you are looking for.

We would like to take this opportunity of the beginning of the new season to wish you a Happy and Healthy Autumn, as well as good luck in your efforts to Navigate your Way Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis!

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk (Accessed in September 2022)

(2) https://www.rateinflation.com/inflation-rate/uk-inflation-rate (Accessed in September 2022)

(3) McLean A. I., at https://peopleknowhow.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/what-are-the-benefits-of-green-and-blue-space.pdf (Accessed in September 2022)

(4) https://environmentagency.blog.go.uk/2021/08/04/blue-space-the-final-frontier/ (Accessed in September 2022)

(5) McCartan C. J., at https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/application-summaries/research-summaries/green-and-blue-spaces-mental-health-benefits-of-being-outdoors (Accessed in September 2022)

(6) Hunt E., at https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/03/blue-space-living-near-water-good-secret-of-happiness (Accessed in September 2022)

(7) Chan A., at https://environment-review.yale.edu/creating-community-role-green-and-blue-spaces-cities (Accessed in September 2022)

(8) https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.10225 (accessed September 2022)

(9) https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2022/09/26/en-rdc-c-est-la-premiere-fois-qu-on-enleve-des-chimpanzes-contre-ranson_6143288_3212.html (Accessed in September 2022)

 

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• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS.

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.

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With many thanks.