Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on November 20, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

20 November 2024

Post No. 379

The Week’s Contents

• Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

• Data Storytelling and Communication Skills for Households – On the Agenda from Wednesday 20/11/2024: Data Narrative and Communication Skills

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa: Only 13 Days to Go!

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

This is a new Autumn project, which is part of our programme of work which consists of bringing together Advice Service for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance Service for the Not-for-profit Investors. The Impact Advice to ASOs is on project planning, while Guidance to Not-for-profit Investors is on Impact Investing in Africa.

The programme amalgamates both Advice Service for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance Service for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa. The two services are one of our Starting XI Campaign for Autumn 2024.

Our support to Africa-based Sister Organisations via Impact Advice will continue to operate to help these organisations to overcome many challenges and barriers they face such as changing climate, the cost-of-living crisis, debt crisis, etc. Our guidance work with not-for-profit investors will carry on as well. Under CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we run a programme to support these not-for-profit investors in Africa. The current project is part of this programme.

For both ASOs and not-for-profit investors, we have planned to conduct more activities this Autumn 2024. One of these activities is this new project, Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment.

Through the African art investment project, we will be trying to match ASOs and Not-for-profit Investors. The matching scenario is as follows.

An ASO would like to buy small art objects or works as well as receive small artworks as donations from local people in Africa so that it can resell both (art objects bought and received) to make small margin, which will be reinvested in ASO’s charitable mission of reducing poverty in Africa. In order to realise its art investment idea is looking for a not-for-profit investor who will be interested in joining it and investing in art in Africa. The matching exercise will be between ASO’s African art investment idea and not-for-profit investor’s desire to support ASO’s idea or business model.

So, the business idea of ASO has two main components:

1) Buying and receiving small artworks/objects

2) Selling/reselling these artworks/objects bought and received.

Through these processes (that is; buying, receiving and selling), ASO will realise a fairly reasonable small margin, which will then be reinvested in poverty reduction mission via creative art.

ASO can buy art on the primary or secondary art market (via an auction house) or privately through individual dealers, brokerage or galleries.

There is an additional aspect in this project which ASO expects that a not-for-profit investor will bring in. This aspect is impact investing in the creative economy in Africa. Through this project, it is hoped that there will be some social and economic benefits where the project will be implemented in Africa. The project will firstly help reduce poverty as well as enhance local populations’ well-being while revitalising local neighbourhoods.

In order to make its business model sustainable, ASO is also planning to develop some side activities to back up the main art investment project. As a result, it will be investing in art galleries and art advisory services (e.g., assisting art collectors to make informed decisions). It will provide guidance service on building and managing art collections and run online platforms specialised in African art.

To work with both ASOs and Not-for-profit Investors in the context of this matching service, we have planned four-week of work starting from 20 November 2024. So, the project is based on a 4-stage model of project planning. There could be more than four stages in any project planning. However, because we limit ourselves to deliver this project in four weeks, we chose a four-stage model for project planning or investment cycle.

More on this Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

• Data Storytelling and Communication Skills for Households – On the Agenda from Wednesday 20/11/2024: Data Narrative and Communication Skills

Households can narrativize their data so that their insights can be understood by their audiences. In fact, most of them do narrativize their data. They can make their narratives more effective than they may think.

To build an effective data narrative, they need to define their goals and their target audience, to include basic analysis storytelling elements and make their data story human, insightful and impactful. They are also required to build or develop the skills relating to data narrative and communication. This note is about the skills they can develop to that effect.

To approach these skills, we have organised our note in the following order:

σ What is data narrative?

σ What are data narrative skills?

σ Artificial Intelligence (AI) data narrative assistant for households

σ Communication skills linked to data narrative

σ Working with the Community Members on Data Narrative and Communication Skills for Households

σ Homework for the end of the Week.

Let us look at each of these above-mentioned items.

• • What Is Data Narrative?

To explain it, let us refer to the argument of Harvard Business School Online (1), which is:

“A verbal or written narrative, also called a storyline, is used to communicate insights gleaned from data, the context surrounding it, and actions you recommend and aim to inspire in your audience”.

Harvard Business School Online also explains that data storytelling uses the same narrative elements as any story you have read or heard before: characters (key players), setting (set the scene), conflict (definition of root cause of any problems) and resolution (proposition for solution).

Similarly, ‘springboard.com’ (2) argues that

“Just like the stories you watch on TV or read in books, a data narrative needs to have a structure. Where do you want your audience to begin? Where does the story end? How will you get them there?”.

Therefore, ‘springboard.com’ suggests to include in your data narrative the right details, provide the right context, give actionable information, etc.

Many households, especially those with kids at school, deal with narratives or storylines sometimes to help their children with homework.

What this note is mostly concerned is data narrative skill.

• • What Are Data Narrative Skills?

Let us begin with narrative skills. Baby Sparks (3) explains that

“Narrative skills, also known as storytelling skills, help us retell events, tell stories, give instructions, comprehend what we read, and more – in organised, efficient, and engaging ways”.

From our understanding of narrative skills, we can extend this comprehension to data.

According to ‘lazarinastoy.com’ (4),

“Data narrative skills are the skills to convey insights, to communicate wins, to instil urgency, to raise awareness of the project components, to communicate with stakeholders about your cause and impact effects”.

All households use these skills without sometimes realising they are practising narrative or storytelling skills. They need to find ways of working that enhance these skills to better narrate their stories. Amongst these ways, we can mention working in collaboration with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• • AI Data Narrative Assistant for Households

With the advancement of technology, many people and households have apps (e.g. Alexia) in their mobile phone to remind them many things including time. Similarly AI-skilled households can benefit from the assistance service of AI to help them craft their narrative. They can review it, approve it and make it their final story. However, they need to make sure that they lead and control their narrative game, not AI-powered Natural Language Generation.

So, households can use Generative AI to generate personalised narratives based on their audience. For that, they also require to possess some communication skills relating to data narrative.

• • Communication Skills Linked to Data Narrative for Households

As data narrators, households need the skills…

σ to explain their analysis, data models and findings

σ to share justifications or reasons for their conclusions

σ to summarise findings

σ to report information

σ to adapt their message to their audiences

σ to relativize their message to their communication channels

σ to prevent confusion and misunderstanding in their communication about data

etc.

CENFACS Community members can work with CENFACS either to acquire the above-mentioned skills or to improve them.

• • Working with the Community Members on Data Narrative and Communication Skills for Households

CENFACS can work with those who need help and support on data narrative and communication skills so that they can tell their stories with impact.

• • • How can CENFACS do it?

CENFACS can work with those households struggling to narrate their stories so that they can be empowered with skills to perform the following activities:

σ Use narrative or storytelling techniques to communicate data and evidence about their needs

σ Improve their data narrative journey and the quality of their data narrative

σ Leverage data to support critical processes in data narrative in the context of households

σ Gain and communicate relevant insights into data narrative in an easy and effective way

σ Connect with others via data storytelling

σ Make better data-centric decisions on things that matter for households

etc.

Since Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households make up our Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills Project, we can conduct with them basic data and insights 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 to help them meet their needs.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Narrative and Communication Skills for Households, they can contact CENFACS. CENFACS can work with them to enhance their Data Narrative and Communication Skills.

• • Homework for the End of the Week: Use AI to Tell Your Data Story

You can use Generative AI to brainstorm your narratives. Both households with AI skills and non AI-skilled households can do it as long as they learn how to do it. They can use Generative AI to generate personalised narratives based on their audiences. However, they should be in command of their story/narrative, not AI.

This homework is part of strategy for keeping the households making our community in tune with technology that invades all areas and institutions of our lives, including households. No one of these households wants to lag behind if they want to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of AI skills.

Those who have any queries about this homework, they can submit their queries to CENFACS.

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

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa: Only 13 Days to Go!

The United Nations Children’s Fund (5) notes that

“Millions of children across Africa still lack access to schooling due to ongoing conflicts across the continent… In West and Central Africa alone, more than 14,000 schools are closed mainly due to conflict, affecting 2.8 million children”.

As a way of keeping education alive for these unfortunate children living in those parts of Africa in conflict or crisis (like in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, etc.), many types of initiatives have been so far taken to support these children.

These initiatives have been carried out by organisations (such as the United Nations Children’s Fund) and people like you to help. Initiatives such as education by radio programme, back-to-school advocacy, delivery of school kits, etc. have been taken.

However, due to the immense educational challenge posed by the legacies of conflict, insecurity and violence; there is still a deep, intense and urgent educational need in many of these areas/parts of Africa.

This appeal, which is worded as or used the slogan ‘EVERY CHILD HAS RIGHT TO EDUCATION in Conflict Zones in Africa’ (in short: EVERY CHILD HAS RIGHT TO EDUCATION), has already started and will make CENFACS‘ fundraising campaign for Giving Tuesday on 03 December 2024.

We would like people who may be interested in our philanthropic mission to join us in this campaign to Rescue Children’s Education in Africa.

We are asking to those who can to support these Educationally Needy Children via this campaign, not to wait the Giving Tuesday on 03 December 2024.

They can donate now since the needs are urgent and pressing.

Even a small donation can lead to a BIG impact.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• 2024 All Year Round Projects/Triple Value Initiatives (Play, Run and Vote Projects) and Chat-Powered AI Assistants

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level with Initial Implementation Sub-phase (Phase 3.3): Following Discussions and Announcements at COP29

• CENFACS be.Africa Forum E-discusses the Impact of Financial Prosecutor’s Office on Poverty Reduction in Africa

• 2024 All Year Round Projects/Triple Value Initiatives (Play, Run and Vote Projects) and Chat-Powered AI Assistants

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

The 2024 Edition of All Year-round Projects (AYRPs)/Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs) will be closed on 23 December 2024. 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 follow the steps relating to these three activities as summarised below.

• • Basic Steps Relating to All Year-round Projects

a) Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2024

We hope that most of those who are undertaking or undertook the Run Project may have taken the following steps:

plan for their run event, set the goals they need, register participants to their event, get sponsors, promote their event, involve volunteers in their event, bring the community together, prepare the logistics and celebrate their wins.

They can even include a fundraising feature while keeping the essence of this project, which is to help reduce poverty.

b) Play CENFACS League for Poverty Relief

It can be expected that those who are undertaking a Play Project are or were able to follow these steps:

choose a theme, select their teams to make the league, write the script and register the performance, find a venue and set a date for their event, promote their event, market their event, engage the audience, and celebrate the wins.

They can as well insert a fundraising element while keeping the focus of this project, which is on finding the African countries that manage to best reduce poverty in 2024.

c) Vote 2024 African Poverty Relief Manager

We can anticipate that those who are organising a Vote Project are able to use the following qualities and skills to find their manager:

experience in poverty reduction, strategic thinking, leadership skills, community engagement, collaboration and networking, cultural feeling, passion and commitment in poverty reduction work, etc.

They can add a fundraising drive in the organisation of their Vote Project while preserving the integrity of this project, which is to select the international development and poverty reduction manager of 2024.

• • Working with Chat-Powered AI (Artificial Intelligence) Assistants

Those who have AI skills or would like to experiment the use of Chat-Powered AI Assistants in their project, they can try using a chat-powered AI assistant that can help them with tasks and web research (particularly those using the Play Project).

They can use AI in the management of their AYRPs/TVIs. They can use it to plan their project, to improve components and communications of their project and to execute their project in efficient and effective way.

However they should remember that what we would like to hear from them are the following three bests or stars of the year 2024:

√ The Best African Countries of 2024 which would have best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2024

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2024.

The deadline to tell us your bests or stars of this year-end is 23 December 2024.

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.

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level with Initial Implementation Sub-phase (Phase 3.3): Following Discussions and Announcements at COP29

Like anyone who is interested in global climate talks, we are following COP29. We are also discussing the announcements made so far at COP29, such as

σ Energy transition announcement from the African Energy Commission, which launched a continent level Energy Efficiency Programme, Strategy and Action Plan

σ Baku Priority International Actions

σ The Breakthrough Agenda’s new Hydrogen Action Declaration

σ The listing of CIF Capital Markets Mechanism (CCMM) on the London Stock Exchange

σ Actionable measures to unlock the energy efficiency investment

σ Call for action to remove trade barriers

etc.

We are discussing these policy/action announcements and how they will respond to our key demand of giving a climate stake to children.

Our discussion also includes the way of capturing the key moments and messages in relation to our demand to give a climate stake to children, and to our slogan which is: Baku Implements It for Children.

We are as well considering the key points discussed at various pre-COP29 climate meetings and events held so far. We are reflecting on how these pre-COP29 and COP29 Talks can fit into CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.3.

To support CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.3, please contact CENFACS.

• CENFACS be.Africa Forum E-discusses the Impact of the Financial Prosecutor’s Office on Poverty Reduction in Africa

Jules Alingete Key (6) – Inspector General of Finance, Head of Service at the General Inspectorate of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo – made some proposals on the improvement of the Congolese State’s tax assets. Among these proposals is the creation of a financial prosecutor’s office to respond to the problems of embezzlement of public funds and the inadequacy of traditional prosecutors’ offices to respond to financial crimes.

CENFACS be.Africa Forum discusses the impact of such a financial prosecutor’s office on poverty reduction in Africa. The Forum examines if there are similar financial prosecutors’ offices in Africa and their impact on poverty in the countries where they are located.

It is possible that the creation of a financial prosecutor’s office could improve public financial management in Africa. In the same way, the creation of a training school for a new layer of lawyers (for example, lawyers trained in finance, accounting and economics, let’s call them economist or financial or accounting lawyers) can bring a new deal in terms of judgments rendered against people involved in public financial crimes, regardless of legal status.

Nevertheless, no one is sure whether or not the financial prosecutor’s office and the new training school for accounting, economic and financial lawyers will make it possible to reduce poverty linked to the monopolization of public funds by a minority of African populations against the often poor majority. To settle the points of view of each other, we are organizing this discussion.

Those who have ideas to contribute on the creation of a financial prosecutor’s office and its impact on poverty reduction in Africa are asked to make them know.

If you have an answer or an argument to make on this subject, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know. This subject or discussion is also part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 and Target 4 (7).

Goal 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Target 4 of Goal 16 is to significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime, by 2030.

The subject and discussion are finally part of CENFACS‘ work on the recovery of illicitly-acquired and -obtained assets to make the resources to reduce poverty in Africa.

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join our poverty reduction pundits and/or contribute by contacting CENFACS be.Africa Forum, which is a forum for discussion on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members by making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

To contact CENFACS about this discussion, please use our usual contact information on this website.

Message in French (Message en Français)

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS e-discute de l’ Impact du Parquet Financier sur la Réduction de la Pauvreté en Afrique

Jules Alingete Key (6), Inspecteur Général des Finances, Chef de Service à l’Inspection Générale des Finances de la République Démocratique du Congo, a fait quelques propositions sur l’amélioration du patrimoine fiscal de l’État congolais. Parmi ces propositions figure la création d’un parquet financier pour répondre aux problèmes de détournement de fonds publics et à l’inadéquation des parquets traditionnels pour répondre aux délits financiers.

Le Forum ‘me. Afrique’ discute de l’impact d’un tel parquet financier sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique. Le Forum examine s’il existe des parquets financiers similaires en Afrique et leur impact sur la pauvreté dans les pays où ils sont implantés.

Il est possible que la création d’un parquet financier puisse améliorer la gestion des finances publiques en Afrique. De la même manière, la création d’une école de formation pour une nouvelle couche de juristes (par exemple, des juristes ou juges formés en finance, en comptabilité et en économie, appelons-les juristes ou juges économistes ou financiers ou comptables) peut apporter une nouvelle donne en termes de jugements rendus contre des personnes impliquées dans des délits financiers publics.

Néanmoins, personne n’est sûre que le parquet financier et la nouvelle école de formation des juristes ou juges comptables, économiques et financiers permettront de réduire la pauvreté liée à la monopolisation des fonds publics par une minorité de populations africaines contre la majorité souvent pauvre. Pour régler les points de vue des uns et des autres, nous organisons cette discussion.

Ceux ou celles qui ont des idées pour contribuer à la création d’un parquet financier et à son impact sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique sont priés de les faire connaître.

Si vous avez une réponse ou un argument à faire valoir à ce sujet, s’il vous plaît n’hésitez pas à le faire savoir au CENFACS. Ce sujet ou discussion fait également partie de l’Objectif de Développement Durable 16 et Cible 4 des Nations Unies (7).

L’objectif 16 est celui de promouvoir des sociétés pacifiques et inclusives aux fins du développement durable, d’assurer l’accès à la justice pour tous/toutes et de mettre en place des institutions efficaces, responsables et inclusives à tous les niveaux.

La cible 4 de l’objectif 16 est de réduire considérablement les flux financiers et d’armes illicites, de renforcer le recouvrement et la restitution des avoirs volés et de lutter contre toutes les formes de criminalité organisée, d’ici à 2030.

Le sujet et la discussion s’inscrivent enfin dans le cadre des travaux du CENFACS sur la récupération des avoirs illicitement acquis et obtenus pour en tirer les ressources de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.

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

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

Main Development

• Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

The following items explain this Autumn project:

σ What Is a Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment?

σ The Aim of This Project

σ Why Investing in African Art?

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

σ Matching Guidelines

σ Benefits of Matching Organisation and Art Investors under This Project

σ Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Art Investor

σ Plan for 4-week Matching Programme

σ 20 to 26/11/2024: Matching Organisation-Art Investor Activity 1

Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.

• • What Is a Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment?

Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, which is part of CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, is a set of activities by which organisations (here Africa-based Sister Organisations) are matched against not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors (here art investors). The project will use n-f-p investors’ description of their requirements to fit organisations’ needs via a fit test.

Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment is indeed an exercise to support Africa-based sister Art Charitable Organisations (ASACOs) and n-f-p art investors to realise their respective festive dreams and ambitions in terms of African art investment so that they can freshly start 2025. The exercise is meant to keep their respective dreams alive and to awake their potentials to grab any existing opportunities within the n-f-p market.

For those ASACOs and n-f-p art investors willing to realise their year-end dream of winning an investment for the former and a share for the latter, this end-of-year and festive Season project is a marvellous opportunity for each of them.

• • The Aim of This Project

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

• • Why Investing in African Art?

There are various reasons to invest in art in Africa. For example, the website ‘berjartgallery.com’ (8) highlights that

“In the Africa Wealth Report 2023, the continent’s fine art market is valued at over $1.8 billion”.

Also, the same ‘berjartgallery.com’ explains that

“Investing in African art offers a range of opportunities for both seasoned collectors and newcomers to the art market… Investing in African art can yield significant financial returns. The rising demand and value of African networks present an opportunity for investors seeking alternative investments to diversify their portfolios”.

For all these reasons, including that of reducing poverty, investing in African art can provide a niche for ASACOs that would like to take that path to generate the extra income they need in order to reduce poverty in Africa. Equally, those n-f-p art investors who would like to invest in African art via ASACOs, they will find that African art has cultural and economic value that has been recognised. Also, African art market continues to evolve with promising opportunity and future.

Furthermore, ASACOs need good strategies for successful investment in African art. The website ‘berjartgallery.com’ (op. cit.) spells out some of these strategies.

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

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

• • • What Is Impact Advice to ASACOs?

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

Impact Advice to ASACOs is about

√ Working with ASACOs to overcome their project planning problems

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

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

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

Etc.

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

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

This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes. To understand this service, one needs to know “What is a Not-for-profit Investment?” (9)

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

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

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

According to ‘evpa.ngo’ (10),

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

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

• • Matching Guidelines

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

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

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

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

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

√ Creation and sustenance of relationships between organisations and investors

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

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

√ Qualitative feedback about Organisation-Art Investor and background knowledge

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

Etc.

• • Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment

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

• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Investors

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

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

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

• • Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

As part of CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, we are running a 4-week matching activities to support both art charitable organisations and not-for-profit art investors. It is a 4-week work about Impact Advice Service for art charitable organisations and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit art investors.

CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment is based on 4-stage style of investment lifecycle. To implement this style, we have referred to the four stages of project planning from ‘coursera.org’ (11), stages which are

Phase 1: Define project scope and goals

Phase 2: Agree on a project schedule, timelines, and milestones

Phase 3: Establish roles and teams

Phase 4: Plan and establish project documentation.

We have adapted these stages to our matching project.

However, let us recognise that there could be more than four stages in any art investment lifecycle. Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this matching project in four weeks, we choose a four-stage model for art investment lifecycle.

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

Notes to table no. 1:

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

(**) Match points are the different stages of project planning which are points for negotiation.

If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit art investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, starting from 20 November 2024.

If you need guidance to outsource art charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, starting from 20 November 2024.

These matching activities are a rare opportunity for an art charitable organisation to realise their Festive dream of getting an investment they badly need. They are also an unbelievable occasion for a not-for-profit art investor to find Festive peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to invest in Africa.

Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, please contact CENFACS.

• • 20 to 26/11/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment –

Activity/Stage 1: Define the Scope and Goals of Art Investment Project

There are many scenarios in which a investor can invest in an organisation. In our scenario or model of matching organisation-investor programme, we are trying to bring an art investor in an Africa-based Sister Art Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through the definitions of the scope and goals of Art Investment Project to be Initiated by this ASACO. We are trying to match ASHCOs’ Definition of project scope and goals with an art investor’s requirements relating to this stage 1.

In order to match organisation’s definitions of project scope and goals with investor’s requirements at this stage, one needs to understand the meaning of project scope and goals. However, before explaining them, let us first explain art investment.

• • • What is art investment?

According to ‘financestrategists.com’ (12),

“Art investment refers to the buying and selling of artworks as a means of investing capital. It is a form of alternative investment that offers potential for high returns, diversification of investment portfolios, and cultural and aesthetic value”.

In other words, it involves purchasing artworks with the expectation that their value will appreciate over time, providing financial returns when sold.

Knowing what is involved in art investment, ASACO wants to implement its art investment project as a valuable addition to diversify its portfolio so that it can improve its mission of poverty reduction in Africa. However, it needs to explain its project scope and goals as a starting point to the not-for-profit art investor.

• • • What is project scope? What are project goals?

• • • • What is project scope?

According to ‘coursera.org’ (op. cit.),

“In project planning, scope refers to the features and functions that a project will deliver. The scope definition is a statement that frames the goals of a proposed project. The scope management helps determine and control what your project will deliver”.

From these definitions, ASACO needs to clearly define the features and functions that art investment project will deliver. Equally, it will specify how it will try to determine and control what its art investment project will deliver.

For instance, ASACO can explain how it will use the opportunity of the art market in Africa to combine the need of poverty reduction and the potential for financial gain to invest in its poverty reduction mission. It can also argue that this will enable it o build diverse art portfolio while working with African art institutions and galleries. In doing so, this will help it to reap the rewards or benefits of its art investment.

• • • • What are project goals?

The word ‘goal’ can be perceived in many ways. For instance, the website ‘dictionary.com’ (13) defines it as

“The result or achievement toward which effort is directed”.

In project and development parlance, the word ‘goal’ has a specific meaning. Britha Mikkelsen (14) notes that

“Goal is the higher-level objective towards which the project/intervention is expected to contribute” (p. 42)

For Britha Mikkelsen (p. 165), goals are often expressed in non-technical, qualitative terms – for example, ‘to reduce income poverty’. Goals come with indicators and indicators are used to measure goals – for example, ‘poverty’, measured by the level of consumption insufficient to fulfil minimum food and other basic needs is known as poverty line. Goals associated with indicators become goal indicators, like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (op. cit.). Indicators can be SMART (that is, Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound); just as goals can be SMART. Also, measuring goals through indicators may not be enough unless one has targets attached to them. Targets are the levels of indicators that one wants to achieve by a given time – for example, ‘to reduce income poverty by 2 per cent by 2025’.

In the context of the art investment project, ASACO’s effort is directed toward income boost in order to realise its mission of reducing poverty in Africa.

However, to pass this first stage of initiating the art investment project, ASACO is required to respond to the issues raised by the not-for-profit art investor.

• • • What the not-for-profit art investor would like to know

The not-for-profit art investor wants clarification on a number of points such as ASACO’s business model, business approach or methodology, risk linked to ASACO’s art investment, and the use of technology.

Let us clarify these points.

a) ASACO’s business model

The not-for-profit art investor would like to know if ASACO’s business model is sustainable, that is can generate financial returns to allow the invested capital to be recycled, support ASACO’s cause of poverty reduction, and achieve a strong impact. He/she wants to know the scalability of this model (that is, the ability to reach larger audiences), whether or not ASACO has a clear financial plan (that outlines income streams, expenses and projected growth). In other words the not-for-profit art investor is keen to know if ASACO’s business model is sustainable, scalable, financially viable and able to measure/produce impact successfully.

b) ASACO’s business approach or methodology

The not-for-profit art investor wants to be reassured that ASACO is approaching art investment in Africa with careful consideration and knowledge, whether or not it conducted a thorough market research on African art ecosystem, it will engage with other art players such as experienced art institutions, galleries and advisors in the field.

c) Risk associated with art investment

For the not-for-profit art investor, investing in art can be risky business as it is difficult to determine what art will appreciate and how much it will appreciate. It is even more difficult where there is high level of poverty like in many places in Africa. This is despite the rising demand and value of African artworks.

d) Use of technology

The not-for-profit art investor would like to be informed if ASACO will use technology such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or AI-powered tools to analyse art market and make informed investment decisions. In other words, he/she would like to be sure that ASACO has done a careful evaluation of the dynamics of the African art market.

ASACO needs to provide satisfactory answers to the above-mentioned points raised by the not-for-profit art investor. Failure to provide these answers may not help the matching talks to go ahead or to progress. In other words, there should be an agreement between ASACO’s Project Initiation Stage (that is, the definitions of project scope and goals) and N-f-p Art Investor’s Approach to ASACO’s Project Initiation Stage. If there is a disagreement, then the talks/negotiations could be subject to match or fit test.

• • • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p Art Investor’s view on ASACO’s Initiation Stage must be matched with the information coming out of ASACO’s initiation process.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASACO is saying about its initiation process, between what the investor would like the initiation phase to indicate and what ASACO’s initiation process is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this first round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

• • • Impact Advice to APRC and Guidance to n-f-p Art Investor

CENFACS can impact advise ASACOs to improve the presentation of the process they are initiating. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p art investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of the initiation process to a format that can be agreeable by potential ASACOs. CENFACS’ impact advice for ASACOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p art investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce or avoid the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

The rule of the game is the more art investors are attracted by ASACOs’ initiation process the better for ASACOs. Likewise, the more ASACOs can successfully respond to art investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the initiation process the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., investee and investor).

The above is the first stage or activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up an art project in Africa and n-f-p art investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses

The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy. The Hub can assist to

√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis

√ conduct data management and administration

√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses

√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data or results.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this first stage/activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via African Art Investment, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

• References

(1) https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/data-storytelling (accessed in November 2024)

(2) https://www.springboard.com/blog/data-science/data-storytelling/ (accessed in November 2024)

(3) https://babysparks.com/20/9/02/20/narrative-skills-what-are-they-how-do-they-develop (accessed in November 2024)

(4) https://lazarinastoy.com/ultimate-guide-to-data-storytelling-for-marketing-and-data-consultants/ (accessed in November 2024)

(5) https://www.unicef.org/esa/press-releases/unicef-alarmed-continued-attacks-education-conflict-zones-africa (accessed in October 2024)

(6) https://actualite.cd/2024/11/10/etats-generaux-de-la-justice-jules-alingete-deplore-un-accompagment-timide-et-mitige#google_vignette (accessed in November 2024)

(7) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (Accessed in January 2023)

(8) https: //www.berjartgallery.com/news/investing-in-african-art-exploring-a-lucrative-opportunity (accessed in November 2024)

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

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

(11) https://www.coursera.org/articles/project-plan?msockid=3ae3b6238601661709bca4468726673b (accessed in November 2024)

(12) https://www.financestrategists.com/wealth-management/alternative-investment/art-investments/(accessed in November 2024)

(13) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/goal (accessed in November 2024)

(14) Mikkelsen, B. (2005), Methods for development work and research: a new guide for practitioners, 2nd ed., Sage Publications, New Delhi, California & London

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS. Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on November 13, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

13 November 2024

Post No. 378

The Week’s Contents

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2024 Edition: Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season – How to set the year-end goal of boosting your income for next year

• Data Storytelling and Communication Skills for Households – On the Agenda from Wednesday 13/11/2024: Data Visualisation and Communication Skills

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2024 Edition: Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season – How to set the year-end goal of boosting your income for next year

The 2024 Edition of CENFACS’ Festive Income Booster is about setting a goal on ways of boosting your income during the festive period 2024 and in the next year (2025).

As one can notice, income is one of the most important variables, if one wants to reduce poverty, prepare a good year-end 2024 and start the new year with confidence and hope. Because of its importance, income needs a goal, in particular but not limited to boosting it. It is this goal which makes this 2024 Edition of CENFACS’ Festive Income Booster (FIB).

The 2024 Edition of CENFACS’ FIB as a resource, it provides some methodology and techniques on how to set and optimise your income boost goal that meets your need or the need of CENFACS‘ users and beneficiaries of reducing poverty, particularly but not exclusively income poverty, during the festive period and in the next year.

We have given key highlights about this Edition under the Main Development section of this post.

• Data Storytelling and Communication Skills for Households – On the Agenda from Wednesday 13/11/2024: Data Visualisation and Communication Skills

This second note of Data Storytelling and Communication Skills for Households deals with data and the visuals that households can handle in the process of telling their stories.

Indeed, households do not need to be scientists of visual data communication. But, they may want to know and understand some simple visuals and help them derive insights from data. When handling data and visuals, they need make sure that they (data and visuals) work together in storytelling; just as the form and function have to be balanced in storytelling and communications.

They can learn or develop their ability to transfer data into visual narratives or stories. For that, they may require to master basic data visualisations and communication skills. They do not need a blend of artistic and technical proficiency to master these basic skills. The latter is what is about in this note.

To approach these skills, the following items will be covered:

σ Understanding Data Visualisation Skills

σ Communication Skills Accompanying Data Visualisation

σ Working with the Community Members on Data Visualisation and Communication Skills for Households

σ Homework for the End of the Week: Create a Christmas’ Celebration Graphics.

Let us uncover these items.

• • Understanding Data Visualisation Skills

Perhaps the best way to understand these skills is to explain data visualisation.

• • • What is data visualisation?

According to ‘tableau.com’ (1),

“Data visualisation is the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs and maps, data visualisation tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers and patterns in data”.

Like any other organisations or institutions, households can use data visualisation tools and technologies to form a clear mental image of data that run their lives, to tell their stories as well as grab interest and attention to their message.

In this respect, ‘tableau.com’ (op. cit.) notes that

“Data visualisation helps to tell stories by curating data into a form that is easier to understand, highlighting the trends and outliers”.

Similarly, ‘knowi.com’ (2) states that,

“The main goal of data visualisation is to reduce complexity and provide clarity”.

The same ‘knowi.com’ argues that

“Data visualisations help tell a story by presenting information in an engaging, easy-to-understand manner, helping you tell a story through data”.

Visual system can quickly extract broad statistics from a display.

There are many data visualisation techniques such as line charts, bar charts, histograms, scatter plots, bubble plots, etc. These techniques are not the scope of this note. For households that do not know them and would like to dive deep into them, there are many resources available online. What we are instead interested in in this note are data visualisation skills.

• • • Types of Data Visualisation Skills for Households

To create or understand a data visualisation, you need a variety of skills such as numeracy, analysis, technical ability, audience awareness, etc. These skills can be basic (e.g., data literacy and numeracy) or complex (e.g., technical proficiency with visualisation tools) depending on how far a household can go in data visualisation. One of the skills is data storytelling, which is also a skill in data visualisation as explained by ‘tealhq.com (3).

According to the same ‘tealhq.com’,

“Storytelling with data is a skill that transcends the mere presentation of figures, it’s about weaving a narrative that engages and persuades”.

From this perspective, there are hard and soft skills for data visualisations. Hard skills include data analysis and statistical skills, understanding of colour theory and graphic design principles, etc. Soft skills cover storytelling and narrative development, creative design and aesthetic, attention to detail and precision, etc.

They are both the skills to harness analytical prowess and creative tools to transform data into insightful visual stories, with the exception that ones are hard and the others soft.

• • Communication Skills Accompanying Data Visualisation

They are the dexterities to impart ideas and information through visual presentation. They include cognitive psychology, data journalism, cross-disciplinary communication, understanding your audience, choosing the right visualisation tool. These communication skills accompany data visualisation.

CENFACS Community members can work with CENFACS either to acquire the above-mentioned skills or to improve them.

• • Working with the Community Members on Data Visualisation and Communication Skills for Households

CENFACS can work with those who need help and support on data visualisation and communication skills so that they can tell their stories by presenting information in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner.

• • • How can CENFACS do it?

CENFACS can work with those households with low graphical literacy and struggling to understand visualisation tools so that they can be empowered with skills to perform the following activities:

σ Use visualisations to communicate data and evidence about statistics and their needs

σ practise visualisations to understand relationships

σ Map visualised values in the context of households

σ Communicate relevant insights in an easy and effective way

σ Connect with others via visual stories

σ Make better data-centric decisions on things that matter for households

etc.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Visualisation and Communication Skills for Households, they can contact CENFACS. CENFACS can work with them to enhance their Data Visualisation and Communication Skills.

• • Homework for the End of the Week: Create a Christmas’ Celebration Infographics

As part of Christmas preparations, you would like to plan how to celebrate Christmas with your loved ones. You can use the colour theory or palette to create a visually appealing and intuitive graphics of Christmas celebration for your household.

It means you need to use colour theory or palette, the principles of good design and have aesthetic sense in order to create a Christmas’ Celebration Infographics for your household.

Those who have any queries about this homework, they can submit their queries to CENFACS.

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

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa

The United Nations Children’s Fund (4) notes that

We would like people who may be interested in our philanthropic mission to join us in this campaign to Rescue Children’s Education in Africa.

We are asking to those who can to support these Educationally Needy Children via this campaign, not to wait the Giving Tuesday on 03 December 2024.

They can donate now since the needs are urgent and pressing.

Even a small donation can lead to a BIG impact.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

COMING SOON:

Extra Messages

• Coming This 19 November 2024: The 15th Edition of the Women and Children FIRST Development Day with a Focus on Transitionary Skills for Ending Crises

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign from 11 to 17/11/2024

• Nature Projects, Nature-based Solutions to Poverty and Agreements Made at the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

• Coming This 19 November 2024:

The 15th Edition of the Women and Children FIRST Development Day with a Focus on Transitionary Skills for Ending Crises

This year, our Development Day will still be about skills that can be learnt and developed in order to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development. The skills we would like to learn and develop in this 15th Edition are those that we will help us to transition to the end of crises (e.g., the cost-of-living crisis). Amongst these skills are Transitionary Skills.

• • Progressing from Ways of Tackling Crises to Ending Crises

Every day, women and children respond to crises and risks they face. Because the nature of crises and risks is changing, there could be a need to find transition paths and skills to enable them to reach the end of crises. This can be done through Transitionary skills. The 15th Edition of the Women & Children FIRST Development Day will concentrate on these skills a way of reaching the end of crises.

Transitionary skills are important as ‘Harvard Business Review’ (5) puts it in the following terms:

“No matter where we are in our own journeys, we could all get better at the skill of transitioning. To do this, focus on four component skills: pacing and planning, leaving gracefully, letting the inside out and the outside in, and leaping”.

From this perspective, transitionary skills are important for navigating change and adapting to new situations.

Similarly, speaking about leadership skills, ‘weforum.org’ (6) argues that

“In a volatile environment, clarity, control and speed are essential”.

These three skills (i.e., clarity, control and speed) will be part of our Development Day as well.

• • The 15th Development Day as a Fresh Opportunity

The 15th Development Day will provide an occasion to exchange ideas and celebrate our clarity, control and speed to take the path that can help us reach the end of crises.

The 15th Edition of our Development Day will provide a window of opportunities to share and celebrate the Wins in terms of Transition. It will also offer a chance to Improve or Develop our Transitionary Skills. 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.

• • Celebrating the Wins while Developing Skills

On the Development Day, we are going to celebrate those wins or successes in terms of transition plans, goals and targets. However, where we failed or fell short to realise our plans, meet our goals and targets, the Development Day can give us the new opportunity or mental/moral resources/strengths to think and acknowledge the losses/failures so that we can improve in the future. In this respect, it is also the day of Transitionary Skills Development.

• • Working in Hybrid Fashion on the Development Day

How will the Development Day be organised?

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

We will be working in hybrid fashion by splitting the two aspects of this year’s Development Day, which are: Thinking and Celebration.

• • • Thinking part

Since we are going to work in hybrid fashion, the participants to the Thinking part can remotely (from their home or work or anywhere else) think and share their thoughts on the Day using their Transitionary Skills.

For example, Development Day Thinkers can share with other participants their thoughts and life/work experiences about clarity, control and speed in face of volatile situation.

• • • Celebratory part

Potential Development Day Celebrators could group themselves in a small health and safety 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.

For example, one can plan a HSSDDSG as follows:

a) Set a clear and simple goal of a HSSDDSG (e.g., meetup to discuss our life transition experiences)

b) Create a session of diverse transitionary skills development on the development day

c) Include collaborative opportunities between participants

d) Share experiences, resources and support each other

e) Evaluate and gather feedback from each participant

f) Safely conclude their HSSDDSG.

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 2024

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 2024!

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign from 11 to 17/11/2024

Although we finished to compose the five notes and/or fish 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 – under the sub-theme of Protecting Endangered Fish Species delivered via ‘Mbisi‘ Project – continues.

The five fish themed notes relating to this campaign are:

a) Saving Bagrus Meridionalis

b) Conserving Treur River Barb (enteronius treurensis)

c) Protecting African Wedgefish (Rynchobatus Luebbert)

d) Preserving Haplochromis granti

e) Safekeeping Estuarine Pipefish (Syngnathus Watermeyeri).

The five add-on activities are:

i) Workshop on Humans’ Dependency on Fishes

ii) Focus Group on the Role of Fish in the Food Chain

iii) E-discussion on Fish as Keeper of the Health of Our Ecosystems

iv) A case study on Sustainable Fishing

v) A survey on Ethical Treatment of Fishes.

We are now carrying on with the collection and analysis of information regarding this 5-week campaign in order to get its insights, 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 while giving 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 three areas:

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

(b) Any of the fish 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 common 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.

• Nature Projects, Nature-based Solutions to Poverty and Agreements Made at the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

At the end of COP16, there were agreements between the participants. Amongst these agreements (7), we can mention the following:

σ A newly established Fund (Cali Fund) to allocate a significant share of its resources to Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs)

σ The use of digital sequencing information from genetic resources

σ Nature’s genetic data

σ Recognition of People of African descent and their communities as stewards in biodiversity conservation

σ Promotion of measures that lead to a sustainable future

σ New decision-making powers with the newest subsidiary body translated into a permanent space for IPLCs to participate in decision making on biodiversity.

Because of the new developments, we are examining how these new COP16 agreements can be fitted into CENFACS’ Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty as well as to our work with Africa-based Sister Organisations.

Those would like to contribute to this fitting exercise can contact CENFACS.

Those who would like to know more about CENFACS‘ Nature Projects (and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty) and how they can support them can as well communicate with CENFACS.

Message in French (Message en français)

• Activité/Tâche 11 de l’Année et du Projet Transitions (‘t’): Motiver les Gens à Acquérir des Compétences pour une Transition Juste

Notre année et notre projet Transitions (‘t’) ont maintenant atteint l’activité/tâche 11, qui est «Motiver les gens à acquérir des compétences pour une transition juste». Peut-être qu’un bon point de départ pour comprendre ces compétences est d’expliquer la transition juste.

• • Qu’est-ce que la transition juste?

Il existe de nombreuses façons de définir la transition juste. L’une de ses définitions provient du Groupe de la Banque Africaine de Développement (8). Ce dernier définit la transition juste comme

«Un cadre pour faciliter l’accès équitable aux avantages et le partage des coûts du développement durable, de sorte que les moyens de subsistance de tous, y compris les plus vulnérables, soient soutenus et améliorés à mesure que les sociétés effectuent la transition vers des économies à faible émission de carbone et résilientes. Une transition juste affirme le droit de l’Afrique au développement et à l’industrialisation sur la base du langage de l’équité négocié par l’Accord de Paris et du principe des responsabilités communes mais différenciées et des capacités respectives, à la lumière des différentes circonstances nationales».

Il y a des compétences qui sous-tendent cette définition; compétences que l’on peut développer et/ou motiver les autres à acquérir ou à développer.

• • Quelles sont les compétences pour une transition juste?

Selon wits.ac.za (9),

«Les compétences pour une transition juste sont celles qui aident à conduire un changement de régime et à lutter contre les verrouillages qui entravent le changement structurel et systémique. »

Pour le même wits.ac.za, les transitions justes nécessitent une approche de la formation des compétences qui soit fortement basée sur le lieu et qui puisse jouer un rôle transformateur dans les communautés locales.

Les membres de notre audience qui aimeraient que les gens jouent leur rôle transformateur dans les communautés locales peuvent travailler avec eux afin que ces personnes puissent apprendre ou améliorer leurs compétences pour une transition juste. Travailler avec les gens pour apprendre ou améliorer leurs compétences en vue d’une transition juste est l’objet de l’activité/tâche 11. Comme toutes les autres activités/tâches de l’année/du projet Transitions (‘t’), l’activité/tâche 11 a besoin de soutien.

• • Soutenir cette activité/tâche

L’activité de soutien/tâche 11 consiste à mettre en pratique sa mise en oeuvre. En d’autres termes, il s’agit de trouver des personnes qui ont besoin de compétences pour une transition juste et de travailler avec elles afin qu’elles puissent acquérir ou être en train d’acquérir ces compétences.

Ceux ou celles qui souhaitent poursuivre cette activité/tâche par eux/elles-mêmes peuvent aller de l’avant.

Ceux ou celles qui souhaiteraient faire partie d’un groupe de travail aidant à la réalisation de cette activité/tâche peuvent le faire savoir au CENFACS.

Pour ceux ou celles qui ont eux/elles-mêmes besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS. Pour s’adresser au CENFACS, ils/elles sont tenu(e)s de planifier à l’avance ou de se préparer aux questions qu’ils/elles souhaitent soulever.

Pour toute autre question ou demande de renseignements sur le projet (‘t’) et la dédicace de cette année, veuillez également contacter le CENFACS.

Main Development

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2024 Edition: Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season – How to set the year-end goal of boosting your income for next year

The following makes the contents for the 2024 Edition of Festive Income Booster (FIB):

∝ What the 2024 FIB resource is about

∝ Who the 2024 FIB resource is for

∝ Key concepts

∝ Setting goal to boost your income

∝ Main highlights

∝ Resources and services to help the community set income boost goals

∝ What other highlights it covers

∝ What’s more?

∝ How to access this resource.

Let us now highlight these contents.

• • What the 2024 FIB Resource Is about

It is about helping beneficiaries to…

√ Get user-friendly tools to plan ways of boosting their income

√ Access the support they need to better prepare their year-end celebrations

√ Become more resilient to stresses linked to income shortfall

√ Dissipate financial imbalances within household system of managing incomes

√ Better plan risks and threats linked to income

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

√ Find income to face the increase in the costs of essential spending linked to the festive season, and costs of living crisis caused by monetary or price instability

√ Take control of their financial health and well-being

√ Become aware of their income limits or constraints

√ Establish income report by the end of 2024

√ Understand that boosting income could have an intergenerational effect on poverty reduction

Etc.

• • Who the 2024 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:

√ Incapacitated and incapable MIPCYPFs because of lack of income or insufficient income

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

√ Those failing to meet their life-sustaining basic needs because of income lack or insufficient

√ The unable to plan and save for the future

√ The unprepared for the future and unexpected events

√ Those without income generation skills and judgement

√ The unable to detect and prevent income crisis

√ Those experiencing deteriorating income situations

√ Those without household cohesion and connection because of lack of means to boost their income

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

√ Those who need to build or develop the skills to set income goal

√ Those working with low income or income poor households

Etc.

• • Key Concepts

There are three key concepts or terms to help the users of the 2024 FIB resource.

These key concepts are: income, income boost and goal. Let us briefly explain these terms.

(a) Income

The word ‘income’ can be explained in many ways. The definition in which we are interested is the one relating to individuals and households income. From this perspective, Market Business News (10) explains that

“Income refers to money – cash or cash-equivalents – coming in either for work done, interest or profit from capital invested, or rent from a property or land that is let. When it comes from work, it is referred to as either a wage or a salary”.

Market Business News also adds that

“For individuals and households, however, it is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interest payments, rents and other forms of earnings received – in every case, over a specific period”.

The 2024 Edition of FIB is mostly about other forms of earnings or ways of boosting your income or ways of earning extra income for MIPCYPFs. This is because we are working on the assumption that the latter are not in a position to increase their salaries or earn profits or rents from a property since they are poor. They can however explore other ways of boosting their income differently.

(b) Income Boost

The concept of income boost here has to be differentiated from the one used in the mortgage environment. By talking about income boost, we simply mean all the steps that MIPCYPFs can take to increase or earn extra income since their basic one is low or below the poverty line.

For example, ‘thetimes.com’ (11) provides many ways of boosting your income which includes the following:

sell your unwanted things, take advantage of bank switching offers, take online surveys (with Ipsos i-Say or Swagbucks), enter competitions (to earn cash prices, vouchers or free products), sign up to cashback websites, making money from ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer), etc.

Some of these incomes to be earned from these ways can be taxable if you earn more than £1,000 a year.

All the above-mentioned ways can give other streams of income for those who use them. However, to better use them one may need to set a goal.

(d) Goal

The word can be perceived in many ways. For instance, the website ‘dictionary.com’ (12) defines it as

“The result or achievement toward which effort is directed”.

In project and development, the word ‘goal’ has a specific meaning. Britha Mikkelsen (13) notes that

“Goal is the higher-level objective towards which the project/intervention is expected to contribute” (p. 42)

For Britha Mikkelsen (p. 165), goals are often expressed in non-technical, qualitative terms – for example, ‘to reduce income poverty’. Goals come with indicators and indicators are used to measure goals – for example, ‘poverty’, measured by the level of consumption insufficient to fulfil minimum food and other basic needs is known as poverty line. Goals associated with indicators become goal indicators (e.g., the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Indicators). Indicators can be SMART (that is, Specific, Measurable, Attainable/Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound); just as goals can be SMART. Also, measuring goals through indicators may not be enough unless one has targets attached to them. Targets are the levels of indicators that one wants to achieve by a given time – for example, ‘to reduce income poverty by 2 per cent by 2025’.

In the context of this note, our effort is directed toward income boost in order to reduce income poverty amongst MIPCYPFs.

(e) Goal to Boost Income

To understand the goal to boost income, let us first explain income goal. The website ‘sprucemoney.com’ (14) provides this explanation in the following terms:

“An income goal is exactly that – a goal you set for how much income you want to bring in each month. By setting an Income Goal, you can easily monitor your progress each month”.

Knowing what is income goal, one can even set a goal to boost their income. They can use the ways of boosting income given by ‘thetimes.com’ to set how much income they want to bring in each month from their chosen way of boosting their income. This is the way of setting their goal of income boost

• • Setting Goal to Boost Your Income

There are strategies to set your income goal.

For example, ‘thewordling.com’ (15) recommends the calculation of two numbers:

1) your base income

2) your target income.

For ‘thewordling.com’, the base number (or the floor) is the minimum you need to earn given your circumstances. It is also the average income from the last quarter. The target number is the number you can hit, that is reasonable, realistic and achievable.

Another example is from Denise Duffield-Thomas (16) who spells out four strategies to set your business income goal for the coming year. These four strategies are the following:

1) Income Plus a Percentage

To apply this strategy, you can take your income for past year and add a percentage of how much you want to earn to grow.

2) Calculate Your Lifestyle Costs

You can work out how much your lifestyle will cost you in the next year. From the amount worked out, you can find out how much to cover for your lifestyle.

3) Get Strategic

You can think of income plans and activities you are planning. You can then develop a strategy on how you are going to make this money.

4) Pick a Number, Any Number

Your goal here is a number which you need to pick or specify.

Although these strategies are for businesses, they can be adapted to be used by individuals or households.

This goal should be measurable and deadline-driven as explained by ‘deborahmacdonald.com’ (17). According to this website, goal has to be set in amounts and deadline for when you want to reach that income level. For example, your goal might be something like ‘make x amount’ in income in six months or it could be something like ‘increase income surplus by x percent’ within one year.

There are other ways of setting income goal. For instance, ‘ppsaccounting.com’ (18) lists 10 steps in the process of setting a specific income goal, which includes:

evaluate your current financial situation, define your goals, give yourself permissions, increase your income, explore new income streams, develop an action plan, stay motivated, seek support and accountability, never stop learning financial literacy, and rinse and repeat.

Similarly, ‘upwork.com’ (19), provides 25 creative ways to increase income in 2024 and gain financial flexibility.

The above-mentioned ways (whether quantitative or qualitative) can help set income goal as well as goal for boosting your income.

• • Main Highlights

As the focus for this year’s edition is on Income Boost Goal for the Festive Season, the resource includes the following items:

∝ Tools to set goals to boost your income

∝ How to take control of the way of boosting your income through better goals planning

∝ How to create extra income to cover basic festive expenses

∝ How to apply the 50 30 20 rule to reduce your outgoings when making plan for the goal to boost your income

∝ How to include in your income goal debt servicing

∝ How to build savings for emergencies or emergency funds as part of income goal to cover unexpected festive costs

∝ How to generate enough income while cutting unneeded expenses as part of goal to boost your income

∝ How to invest in income goals

∝ How to use end-of-the-year earning opportunities and openings to realise your plan for income goal

∝ How to earn and save money to finance your project about the goal to boost income

∝ How to find online and offline opportunities from both essential and non-essential economic activities

∝ How to successfully remake your income dream during the festive season

∝ Tips and hints to make savings through the goal for boosting income.

For example, how can you improve your spending to create extra income to realise the goal of income boost.

• • Resources and Services to Help the Community Set Income Boost Goals

They include

√ Helping our members to create measurable and deadline-driven goals to boost their income

√ Supporting those who want with need assessment about setting income boost goal

√ Making our members to understand that the ability to set income goal can be a life-saving skill

√ Working with the community on the key strategies to set goal to boost income

√ Bridging Financial Information Gap (service)

√ Summer Financial Updates (resource)

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

√ Zero Income Deficit Campaign

√ Financial data and insight advocacy

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

√ Working with our members to reinforce decision-making capacity relating to income goal setting

√ Help and support in terms of skills to set income goal

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 AI-powered 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 set Income Goal 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 health and safety 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, spammers, hackers and fraudsters) on the market who try to take advantage of the poor and vulnerable people like MIPCYPFs.

The resource also contains some highlights about new technologies (such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer or ChatGPT) and how they provide additional streams of income for those using them.

• • 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 set Goal for Boosting Income 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 fading, we need financial help like many voluntary and charitable organisations do.

The 2024 FIB resource is a great way to start and set up yourself into 2025.

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

_________

• References

(1) https://www.tableau.com/en-gb/learn/articles/data-visualisation (accessed in November 2024),

(2) https://www.knowi.com/blog/data-visualisation-for-effective-communication/ (accessed in November 2024)

(3) https://www.tealhq.com/skills/data-visualisation (accessed in November 2024)

(4) https://www.unicef.org/esa/press-releases/unicef-alarmed-continued-attacks-education-conflict-zones-africa (accessed in October 2024)

(5) https://hbr.org/2018/07/learn-to-get-better-at-transitions (accessed in November 2024)

(6) https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/06/the-roadmap-for-leaders-navigating-through-crisis (accessed in November 2024)

(7) https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156456 (accessed in November 2024); https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/cop16-concludes-several-landmark-eu-championed-outcomes-2024-11-05_en (accessed in November 2024)

(8) https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/climate-investment-funds-cif/just-transition-initiative# (accessed in November 2024)

(9) https://www.wits.ac.za/real/events/just-transition (accessed in November 2024)

(10) https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/income-definition-meaning/ accessed in November 2024)

(11) https: //www.thetimes.com/money-mentor/income-budgeting/boost-your-income (accessed in November 2024)

(12) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/goal (accessed in November 2024)

(13) Mikkelsen, B. (2005), Methods for development work and research: a new guide for practitioners, 2nd ed., Sage Publications, New Delhi, California & London

(14) https://www.sprucemoney.com/resource-center/help/spending/what-is-income-goal/# (accessed in November 2024)

(15) https://www.thewordling.com/income-goals/ (accessed in November 2024)

(16) https://www.denisedt.com/blog/set-an-income-goal (accessed in November 2024)

(17) https://www.deborahmacdonald.com/how-to-set-goals-that-increase-your-income (accessed in November 2024)

(18) https://ppsaccounting.com/setting-your-income-goal-a-roadmap-to-financial-success/ (accessed in November 2024)

(19) https://www.upwork.com/resources/best-ways-to-increase-income (accessed in November 2024)

_________

• Appendix

Women and Children FIRST Development Day (WCFDD) Timeline: 2010 to 2023

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.

In 2022, we thought and celebrated the wins of our Crisis Response Skills to better respond to the side effects of the current crisis (i.e., the cost-of-living crisis) and future crises and risks.

In 2023, we shared and remembered the wins in terms of self-efficacy while using the occasion to improve or develop our Self-efficacy Skills to refresh ways of tackling crises.

• 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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2024

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on November 6, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

06 November 2024

Post No. 377

The Week’s Contents

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2024 with a 4-week Highlight on Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households

• Activity/Task 11 of the Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project: Motivate People to Learn Skills for Just Transition

• African Charities Investment Management Advice Project

… And much more!

Key Messages

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2024 with a 4-week Highlight on Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households

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 though there could be a dispute about these values or benefits. It is also the month during which we pay a particular attention to the technology of skill formation; month during 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 started today. 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 2024 and beyond.

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 or any other crisis. This month, Skills formation and development will include three types of skills: data storytelling and communications skills, skills for just transition and transitionary skills.

~ Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households (DST&CS4Hs) will be households’ expertness or dexterity to gather data, extract insights, and translate those insights into a story as well as to impart the information making this story. DST&CS4Hs will be covered throughout November 2024.

~ Loincloth Weaving Skills will be those needed by some of our users who may be interested in traditional skills of loincloth weaving, weaving techniques and raw materials used in the context of woven loincloth to run their families’ income-generating activities, to make ends meet and reduce their own poverty as well as others’ poverty.

~ Transitionary Skills to Progress from Ways of Tackling to Ending Crises, which will make up our Development Day 0n 19 November 2024, will be those that people can learn and develop in order to freshly start or manage Autumn 2024.

This above-mentioned variety of abilities or skills will make our human capital this month.

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

• Activity/Task 11 of the Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project: Motivate People to Learn Skills for Just Transition

Our Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project have now reached Activity/Task 11, which is ‘Motivate People to Learn Skills for Just Transition’. Perhaps, a good starting point to understanding these skills is to explain just transition.

• • What Is Just Transition?

There are many ways of defining just transition. One of its definitions comes from the African Development Bank Group (1). The latter defines Just Transition as

“A framework for facilitating equitable access to the benefits and sharing of the costs of sustainable development such that livelihoods of all people, including the most vulnerable, are supported and enhanced as societies make the transition to low carbon and resilient economies. A Just Transition affirms Africa’s right to development and industrialization based on the Paris Agreement-negotiated language of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances”.

There are skills that underpin this definition; skills that one can develop and or motivate others to acquire or develop.

• • What Are Skills for a Just Transition?

According to ‘wits.ac.za’ (2),

“Skills for just transition are those help to drive regime change and work against the lock-ins that hinder structural and systemic change”.

For the same ‘wits.ac.za’, just transitions require an approach to skills formation that is strongly place-based and which can play a transformative role in local communities.

For those members of our audiences who would like people to play their transformative role in local communities, they can work with them so that these people can learn or improve their skills for just transition. Working with people to learn or improve their skills for just transition is what Activity/Task 11 is about. Like any other activities/tasks of the ‘t’ Year/Project, Activity/Task 11 needs support.

• • Supporting This Activity/Task

Supporting Activity/Task 11 is about delivering in practice. In other words, it is about finding people who need skills for just transition and working with them so that they can acquire or be in the process of acquiring these skills.

Those who would like to proceed with this activity/task by themselves can go ahead.

Those who would to be part of a working group helping in the realisation of this activity/task can let CENFACS know.

For those who need some help themselves before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS. To speak to CENFACS, they are required to plan in advance or prepare themselves regarding the issues they would like to raise.

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

• African Charities Investment Management Advice Project (ACIMAP)

ACIMAP, which is a new initiative, is part of CENFACS’ International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service to Africa-based Sister Organisations. To explain this project, let us define it, present its aim, highlight its features, summarise the matters it covers, cover its helpfulness and cost-effectiveness.

• • What Is ACIMAP?

ACIMAP is an advisory management project designed by CENFACS to work together with Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) looking to plan and manage their investments so that they can realise their mission with peace of mind without having to worry to much about investment issues. The project will help to avoid investment mistakes while tolerating risk at fairly acceptable and reasonable level.

• • What Is the Aim of ACIMAP?

The aim of ACIMAP is to reduce poverty by working with African charities so that they can find good charity investment solutions to reduce poverty amongst their users and beneficiaries. Through this project, organisations will build generational investment management capacity and wealth that will help them and their beneficiaries to escape from intergenerational poverty.

• • Features of ACIMAP

ACIMAP is designed to offer higher quality advisory service levels to Africa-based Sister Organisations. Our advice, which includes ethical and financial matters, is restricted to African charities’ specific investment needs. It means that there are limits on what we can offer and what African charities can access.

Our advice is not one-size-fits-all. Every African charity has its own investment needs and requirements which demands particular response. In this respect, the advice should suit their individual requirements.

• • Matters Covered by Advisory Service

They include the following:

√ setting up investment objectives and performance

√ improving attitude to risk or risk tolerance

√ undertaking changes to portfolios (especially for underperforming investments)

√ handling change of asset allocation

√ working on day-to-day trading of securities

√ finding out how to monitor portfolio and how to measure investment performance

√ reporting to African charities’ investment management boards

√ dealing with risk management

etc.

• • How Helpful Will Be This Advisory Service

ACIMAP will help ASOs become financially better off in the long term.

• • The Cost of Receiving Advice

Generally advice is free. There is no fee, no rate and no commission. However, those African charities that can afford can dedicate a percentage of the assets from their investment portfolios to a voluntary donation to CENFACS, provided that their giving is in their best interests.

To support ACIMAP or seek advice, please contact CENFACS.

For any further details about ACIMAP, please get in touch with CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Clothing Poverty

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning Monday 04/11/2024: Safekeeping Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Public Transport Subsidy to Reduce Transport Poverty or Poverty Due to Lack of Transport Facilities

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Clothing Poverty

This goal is the continuation of our last month’s work on Making Memorable Positive Difference Project via the History of African Woven Loincloth. After dealing with the heritage, patrimony, legacies and gifts of the African woven loincloth, we are working on clothing poverty reduction in the current context and development landscape. Some of you may know that poverty can change its faces. Clothing poverty may be different in today’s life compared to century ago. Equally, the reduction of clothing poverty may also evolve.

Our work on clothing poverty reduction is on what ‘justfair.org.uk’ (3) explains in the following terms:

“To ensure people don’t slip below the poverty line, a minimum level of clothing is required for survival, hygiene and protection”.

Those who may be at risk of slipping below clothing poverty line may include the following groups:

√ Those with unwashed or damaged clothes

√ Those using clothes banks

√ Those unable to afford weather-appropriate clothing (like during the cold weather)

√ Those suffering or exposed to life-threatening heat disease and who do not have adaptive clothes to deal with this threat

√ Those without adequate clothing as a result of lack of means to afford it

√ Those failing to maintain their well-being, self-esteem and a place in society because of poor clothing

√ Those being denied the rights to clothes

√ Those suffering from deprivation of freedom of belief and expression because the lack of adequate clothing

√ Disabled people not having adaptable clothes to carry out their life as normal

etc.

All the above-mentioned groups of persons may suffer from clothing poverty.

The goal of this November 2024 is about working with them or help them to reduce and possibly end the type of clothing poverty they are experiencing.

Therefore, we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote this goal.

For any enquiries and/or queries about this goal, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign – In Focus for Week Beginning Monday 04/11/2024: Safekeeping Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

To keep safe Estuarine Pipefish, also known by its scientific name as Syngnathus Watermeyeri, we have composed our note around the following headings:

σ What is Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri?

σ The conservation status of Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

σ What can be done to Keep Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri Safe.

In addition, we shall provide the themed activity we have planned for this week. This themed activity is a survey on Ethical Treatment of Fishes.

Let us look at each of the headings making this note.

• • What Is Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri?

According to ‘mongabay.com’ (4),

“The estuarine pipefish is the world’s only critically endangered pipefish species, among more than 200 species of pipefish within the Syngnathidae family”.

The same ‘moongabay.com’ explains that the critically endangered estuarine pipefish is known from only two estuaries (i.e., Bushmans and Kariega) on the eastern coast of South Africa.

• • The Conservation Status of Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

As indicated above, Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri is critically endangered. Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri was assessed for the IUCN Red List (5) of Threatened Species in 2016. Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri was listed as Critically Endangered under criteria c2a(i)b.

• • What Can Be Done to Keep Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri Safe

There are many initiatives that have been taken and need to be undertaken to Keep Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri Safe. They include the following:

σ protection of its habitat

σ increase in the flow of freshwater into estuaries

σ combatting droughts

σ reducing over-extraction of water from river upstream home to Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

σ maintaining nutrients in the estuary and keep river flow

σ keeping resources for Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

σ developing projects that help freshwater inflow into the estuaries (the Bushmans and Kariega estuaries)

σ limiting extraction of water upstream for agriculture

σ providing a home to Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri

σ keeping estuaries healthy as conserving the Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri is tied up with preserving the health of estuaries

etc.

• • Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: A Survey on Ethical Treatment of Fishes

The fish themed activity of this week is a Survey on Ethical Treatment of Fishes.

• • • What is this activity about?

We are trying to gather information using questions from a sample of people with the aim of understanding the ethical problems stemming from the use of genetic engineering technologies to alter fish and their effects on fish, as highlighted in the report of the Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology (6). These ethical issues include the use of fish in experiments, medical and spa treatments.

As part of this survey, we would like you to answer the following question:

How much do you know about the use of genetic engineering technology to alter living creatures like fish?

This is because there are some issues with this practice and other practices on human and animals health. For example, the use of antibiotics in animal production (like in intensive fish farming) can lead to negative effects on the health of both humans and animals.

Those who may be interested in responding to the above-mentioned survey question or fish themed activity, they can contact CENFACS.

To find out more about the entire “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities, please communicate with CENFACS.

Before closing this note, we would like to remind every body that from the 11th to the 17th of November 2024, we shall carry out Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Review of the “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities conducted. For those who may be interested in this exercise of monitoring, evaluation and review; they should not hesitate to engage with this campaign and activities. Please do not miss the opportunity to affect this campaign.

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Public Transport Subsidy to Reduce Transport Poverty or Poverty Due to Lack of Transport Facilities

In developed countries, public transport, especially in large urban areas, is subsidized by the State. In Africa, governments do not have the means to subsidize public transport, except for some countries.

And yet, the urbanization of large African cities or towns means that there is a rise in the urban population in Africa. In addition, it is necessary to recognize the lack of resources of certain layers of the population, the majority of whom lack means of transport. The lack of means to pay for transport can only exacerbate the poverty linked to the lack of transport. What is poverty related to lack of transportation?

According to ‘europarl.europa.eu’ (7),

“Transport poverty refers to a lack of adequate transport services necessary to access general services and work, or to the inability to pay for those transport services”.

Due to this inability, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is wondering how to help African states so that they are able to subsidize their public transport systems.

In other words, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is questioning about the policies and strategies likely to mobilize resources for African States to become able to subsidize public transport, which is normally expensive if we take into account the cost of the market.

CENFACS would like to know your views on Public Transport Subsidy to Reduce Transport Poverty. CENFACS wants to know what can be done in terms of much-needed support to Public Transport Subsidy to Reduce Transport Poverty or Poverty Due to Lack of Transport Facilities.

If you have answer or argument to make about this matter, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

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

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

Message in French (Message en Français)

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS e-discute des subventions aux transports publics pour réduire la pauvreté des transports ou la pauvreté due au manque d’infrastructures de transport

Dans les pays développés, les transports publics, en particulier dans les grandes zones urbaines, sont subventionnés par l’État. En Afrique, les gouvernements n’ont pas les moyens de subventionner les transports en commun, à l’exception de certains pays.

Et pourtant, l’urbanisation des grandes villes africaines signifie qu’il y a une augmentation de la population urbaine en Afrique. De plus, il faut reconnaître le manque de ressources de certaines couches de la population, dont la majorité manque de moyens de transport. Le manque de moyens pour payer les transports ne fait qu’exacerber la pauvreté liée au manque de transport.

• • Qu’est-ce que la pauvreté liée au manque de transport?

Selon ‘europarl.europa.eu’ (7),

«La précarité des transports fait référence à l’absence de services de transport adéquats nécessaires pour accéder aux services généraux et au travail, ou à l’incapacité de payer ces services de transport».

En raison de cette incapacité, le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS s’interroge sur la manière d’aider les Etats africains à pouvoir subventionner leurs systèmes de transport public.

En d’autres termes, le Forum s’interroge sur les politiques et stratégies susceptibles de mobiliser des ressources pour que les États africains deviennent en mesure de subventionner les transports en commun, qui sont normalement coûteux si l’on tient compte du coût du marché.

Le CENFACS aimerait connaître votre point de vue sur les subventions aux transports publics pour réduire la précarité des transports. Le CENFACS veut savoir ce qui peut être fait en termes de soutien indispensable aux subventions aux transports publics pour réduire la pauvreté des transports ou la pauvreté due au manque d’infrastructures de transport.

Si vous avez une réponse ou un argument à faire valoir à ce sujet, n’hésitez pas à le faire savoir au CENFACS.

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

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

Main Development

• The Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (Skills Development Month) 2024 with a 4-week Highlight on Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households

The following items make up our Skills Development 2024:

∝ 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 Formation and Development

∝ Data Storytelling and Communications for Households (as part of Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills Project)

∝ In Focus from Wednesday 06/11/2024: Data Science and Communications Skills for Households

∝ Homework for the End of the Week: Get Basic Health Assistance from Chatbots.

Let us summarise these items.

• • Month of November within CENFACS

November month has two features within CENFACS, which are: Skills evaluation (or audit) and training implementation.

• • • November as a month of skills evaluation or audit

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 our users and 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 be 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. According to ‘oxfordbibliographies.com’ (8),

“The economics of education is a rapidly growing and evolving field that applies a diverse array of economic theories, models, and quantitative methodologies to understand, analyse, and improve the performance of education systems”.

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 be 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 (9), 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.

However, Kenneth King and Robert Palmer (10) think that

“The translation of skills development into skills utilisation, and therefore poverty reduction and/or growth, is dependant on many factors, including good quality education/training and the presence of a supportive environment” (p. 71)

The Skills Development Month provides us with the opportunity to learn these factors and find ways of turning them in favour of 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 Formation and 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.

This month, Skills Formation and Development will include three types of skills: data storytelling and communications skills, skills for just transition and transitionary skills.

~ Loincloth Weaving Skills will be those needed by some of our users who may be interested in traditional skills of loincloth weaving, weaving techniques and raw materials used in the context of woven loincloth to run their families’ income-generating activities to make ends meet and reduce their own poverty as well as others’ poverty.

~ Transitionary Skills to Progress from Ways of Tackling to Ending Crises, which will make up our Development Day 0n 19 November 2024, will be those people can learn and develop in order to freshly start or manage Autumn 2024.

This above-mentioned variety of abilities or skills will make our human capital this month.

In brief, DST&CS4Hs are our every Wednesday’s focus, this November 2024. Loincloth Weaving Skills are the skills that contribute to our goal of the month. Transitionary Skills will be developed on our Development Day.

Let us kickstart the Skills Development Month 2024 with Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households.

• • Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households (as part of Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills Project)

Data are deeply embedded in households. Households need appropriate communications and storytelling skills about data to properly express by themselves what is behind data. To better communicate the story behind their data households, they do not need to be data scientists. But, they may need some of the skills that data scientists use. It is those skills that this note is about.

So, DST&CS4Hs aims at empowering user households with skills to tell and visualise data (i.e., words and numbers) as well as get explained information that run their life. It will help them to have control over their data and life.

We are going to look at these skills via DST&CS4Hs, which will make our Data and Insight Advocacy and Skills Project this Autumn 2024. This project is amongst those making our 2024 Starting XI Campaign.

In order to understand DST&CS4Hs, we are going to define data storytelling as well as provide the types of skills it may contain. Before that, let us briefly explain data, information and insight.

• • • What is data, what is information, what is insight?

Data, information and insight can be explained in many ways. Amongst these explanations is what Carolyn Sansom (11) 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.

Knowing what is data, what is information and what is insight; it is possible to explain Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households.

• • • What are Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households?

To explain them let us start with data story.

• • • • What is data story?

The website ‘thoughtspot.com’ (12) states that

“Data story is a narrative constructed around a set of data that puts it into context and frames the broader implications”.

The same website goes further in arguing that

“Telling a story with data is important because it allows the narrator to put the data into context of a broader objective and use tools such as visual aids to help break down the results so that the audience, regardless of their background, domain expertise, or technical sophistication, can easily understand them and their implications”.

Knowing what is data story, it is possible to explain data storytelling.

• • • • What is data storytelling?

There are various definitions or explanations of data story.

For instance, ‘elearning.adobe.com’ (13) argues that

“Data storytelling is the general term we use to describe the full act of gathering data, extracting insights, and translating those insights into a story. It’s a compelling narrative crafted around and anchored by compelling data, used to guide decision-making, reveal an interesting trend, or provide valuable information to your audience”.

Another view of data storytelling comes from ‘lazarinastoy.com’ (14) which describes it as

“The ability to tell stories behind the raw data through a methodology that presents information, tailored to a specific audience with a compelling narrative”.

Data storytelling involves the use of skills. There are key skills for data storytellers. They include hard and soft ones. These are the skills we are dealing with this November 2024.

Furthermore, inside Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households, there are also data story communications skills.

• • • • What are data story communications skills?

They are the dexterities to transfer or move stories with data from one place to another one. This November, we are also working on these communications skills. We are doing it despite the fact that ‘peopleresults.com’ (15) distinguishes communication and storytelling by arguing that

“Communicating is static and single-use. Storytelling is dynamic and continuous. Communicating is focusing on what you need your audience to know and do. Storytelling is about how you want your audience to feel”.

Knowing what is data storytelling and what are communications skills, it is possible explain Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households.

• • • • What are Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households?

They are the naturally acquired or developed talents and accomplishments that will allow our project beneficiaries (here households) to tell the stories of their households with data. They are the abilities to craft their narrative by leveraging, contextualising and presenting data to various audiences that are involved in their lives.

The project, which is also an advocacy one, will help families/households to improve their data storytelling and communication skills in the following ways:

∝ to gain sufficient skills and knowledge to tell their stories with data making their lives

∝ to attach value to data storytelling and communications

∝ to tell and communicate their stories behind their data

∝ to capture household data and turn them into storying values and numbers

∝ to create trust in data systems they use to tell stories of their lives

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

∝ to improve family/household limited data communication skills

∝ to keep learning data storytelling and communications skills at family/household level

∝ to empower and inform household data storytellers and communicators

∝ to build the skills of household decision-makers in relation to data storytelling and communications

etc.

From these various ways of enhancing households’ lives through data storytelling and communications, it is possible to have customised types skills to match each household’s specific data needs. Amongst these skills, we can mention hard skills and soft skills.

Key hard skills for data storytellers will include mathematics, statistics, data analysis, essential programming skills, data wrangling and pre-processing skills, data visualization skills, etc.

Key soft skills for data story tellers will consist of communication, creativity, lifelong learning, business acumen, etc.

The households making CENFACS Community would need some of these skills in order to successfully tell and communicate their stories with data. They can choose a data storytelling and communication model that is suitable for them.

In the context of this note, we have selected the definition of ‘lazarinastoy.com’ (op. cit.) to organise our 4-week Highlight on Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households. This selection of definition comes with a choice of four types of data storytelling skills, which are:

a) Data Science Skills (DSS)

DSS are the abilities to extract knowledge and insight from data, to combine different data sources and to manipulate them.

b) Data Visualization Skills (DVS)

DVS are the dexterities to best form a clear mental image of data based on the data type, to promote change and experiment different visualization platforms and tools.

c) Data Narrative Skills (DNS)

DNS are the competences to convey insights and communicate wins.

d) Stakeholder Relationship Skills (SRS)

SRS are expertness to build connections with stakeholders and extract the most important aspects of these relationships and put that in the context of data storytelling and communications.

The above four-mentioned skills make up our Wednesdays’ Skills Focus or Outlook. To each of these skills of our Skills Focus or Outlook, communication skills will be added. It is important to add them for households.

To explain this importance, the website ‘progmaticinstitute.com’ (16) makes this remark for data analysts:

“Beyond the numbers and algorithms lies a skill equally critical but less discussed: communication”.

For ‘progmaticinstute.com’, communication is a skill…

σ to effectively convey your findings

σ to diverse audiences not only have an advantage in the job market but also to shape the future of business with data-driven decision-making

σ to explain your analysis, data models and findings to others

σ and to share justifications for your conclusions.

Therefore, a clear communication will help to align project goals, timelines and deliverables. Households can also use communication to align goals, timelines and deliverables whether it is within or without households.

• • • Wednesdays’ Skills Focus

The following table (table no. 1) summarises our plan (Wednesdays’ Skills Focus) for approaching the above pulled-out skills this month. It highlights a set of skills to focus on from every Wednesday of each week of November 2024 starting from 06/11/2024.

Besides that, there will a weekend homework for those households wanting to indulge in the study of their data storytelling and communications.

After delivering the key notes to DST&CS4Hs, there will be impact monitoring and evaluation of the same DST&CS4Hs.

Let us start with the first area of our Wednesdays’ Skills Focus or Outlook, which is Data Science and Communications Skills for Households.

• • In Focus from Wednesday 06/11/2024: Data Science and Communications Skills for Households

To deal with Data Science and Communications Skills for Households, we are going to briefly explain data science, data science skills in the context of households or families as well as the types of communications skills that can involve when households or families are undertaking data science.

• • • What is Data Science?

To explain data science, let us refer to what ‘ibm.com’ (17) argues about it, which is:

“Data science combines mathematics and statistics, specialised programming, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with specific subject matter expertise to uncover actionable insights hidden in an organisation’s data. These insights can be used to guide decision making and strategic planning”.

The same website ‘ibm.com’ states that a data science project typically undergoes the following stages: data ingestion, data storage and data processing, data analysis and data communication. There are skills that can be associated to each stage. In other words, we can have data ingestion skills, data storage skills, data processing skills, data analysis skills and data communication skills.

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

As argued above, households do not need to be data scientists to handle data science. But, they may be required to have some basic skills in data science to handle their lives. They need to have the skills to extract knowledge and insight from data, to combine different data sources and to manipulate them. In this respect, they need both hard and soft skills.

In the context of data science and communications skills, they need data ingestion skills, data storage skills, data processing skills, data analysis skills and data communication skills.

For example, one can interpret data of their household and come out with actionable recommendations to improve their household wellbeing.

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

Communication skills are critical for data science. They can help in the following ways:

σ to communicate data science results and knowledge

σ to work with others effectively

σ to present data and findings

etc.

Sensible households would like to tell and communicate the findings or stories from their data. The households making the CENFACS Community too want to describe the findings or stories from their data.

• • • CENFACS Working with the Community Members through Data Science and Communications Skills for Households

We would like to emphasise that the purpose of working with the community members on data science and communication skills is to help them as follows:

√ To create trust in data systems

√ To learn and build technical skills like data science skills

√ To enhance a culture of data use and insight generation within household

√ To improve household/family the overall data science and communication skills

√ To attach value to data science and communications

√ To empower and inform household data scientists and communicators

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

√ Above all, to reduce poverty linked to poor data science and communications skills; yet data science and communications skills are necessary to deal with life-saving household/family matters.

As ‘cambridgehealth.edu’ (18) puts it,

“Data is one of the most important assets for any organisation”.

For households and families, data is an asset like other assets.

• • Homework for the End of the Week: Get Basic Health Assistance from Chatbots

The exercise below is a real-world application that comes from ‘coursera.org’ (19). This is the exercise:

“Use AI-powered mobile applications, such as chatbots to get basic health assistance. You can describe your health concerns or ask any health-related questions, and you’ll receive critical information on your health status based on a large network of clinical symptoms and signs. Apps can remind you to take your prescription on time and, if necessary, make a doctor’s appointment”.

This exercise is all part of data science.

Those who have any queries about this homework, they can submit their queries to CENFACS.

For those community members of our community who will be interested in Data Science and Communications Skills for Households, they can contact CENFACS.

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) https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/climate-investment-funds-cif/just-transition-initiative# (accessed in November 2024)

(2) https://www.wits.ac.za/real/events/just-transition (accessed in November 2024)

(3) https://justfair.org.uk/home/blog/guest-blog/this-is-a-human-rights-issue-the-hidden-truth-about-clothing-poverty (accessed in November 2024)

(4) https://www.mongabay.com/2022/05/saving-the-near-extinct-estuarine-pipefish-means-protecting-estuary-health (accessed in November 2024)

(5) https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41030/67621860 (accessed in November 2024)

(6) https://www.ekah.admin.ch/inhalte/ekah-dateien/dokumentation/publikationen/e-Broschuere_Ethischer_Umgang_mit_Fischer_pdf (accessed in November 2024)

(7) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2022) 738181 (accessed in November 2024)

(8) https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199756810/obo-9780195756810-0055 (accessed in October 2023)

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

(10) King, K. & Palmer, R. (2006), Skills Development and Poverty Reduction: The State of the Art, Post-basic Education and Training Work Paper Series – No. 9, Centre of African Studies< University of Edinburgh at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/ (accessed in October 2023)

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

(12) https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-trends/best-practices/data-storytelling (accessed in November 2024)

(13) https://elearning.adobe.com/2022/11/how-to-become-a-data-storyteller-key-skills-career-tips/ (accessed in November 2024)

(14) https://www.lazarinastoy.com/ultimate-guide-to-data-storytelling-for-marketing-and-data-consultants/ (accessed in November 2024)

(15) https://peopleresults.com/why-telling-a-story-matters-most-in-effective-communications/# (accessed in November 2024)

(16) https://www.progmaticinstitute.com/resources/articles/data/5-effective-communication-techniques-for-data-analysts/ (accessed in November 2024)

(17) https://www.ibm.com/topics/data-science (accessed in November 2024)

(18) https://www.cambridgehealth.edu/data-management/become-a-data-manager/what-are-data-management-skills/ (accessed in October 2023)

(19) https://www.coursera.org/gb/articles/what-is-data-science (accessed in November 2024)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Disbursement (Stage 4)

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on October 30, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 October 2024

Post No. 376

The Week’s Contents

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 30/10/2024 to 05/11/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Disbursement (Stage 4)

• African Pension Fund Manager Project

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 30/10/2024 to 05/11/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Disbursement (Stage 4)

Both African Poverty Relief Charity (APRC) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Farming Investor (FI) agreed on APRC’s loan approval steps. In other words, they agreed on how APRC will review the borrower’s application, credit history, income, and other loan determining factors. This agreement means that they can move to the next stage, which is Stage 4.

Stage 4, which is the last one, is Farming Charitable Loan Disbursement. Perhaps, the best way of introducing this last Stage of our Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan is to explain loan disbursement.

Loan disbursement is simply, according to the website ‘financefuturists.com’ (1),

“When you receive the approved loan amount from your lender, allowing you to access the funds you need”.

In the context of our matching programme, the lender is APRC and money receivers or borrowers are those members of APRC who will apply for a loan to APRC.

Knowing what business loan disbursement is, both parties (i.e., APRC and n-f-p FI) are expected to well perform during this last opportunity of the matching talks. Before entering the negotiations, let us restate the aim of this project and recall the key matching points.

• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan

The main aim of this project is to reduce poverty (among local poor farmers, businesses and people) through the provision of small charitable loans to small to medium-sized farming activities or businesses in Africa.

There are guiding or matching principles to achieve the above stated aim.

• • Key Matching Points

The two parties (i.e., APRC and N-f-p FI) need to remember the following key matching points:

σ The loan, that APRC will provide, will be a flexible farming finance in the form of cash injection to small and medium-sized farming activities or businesses for equipment growth, expansion and cash flow

σ APRC’s loans will be flexible ones at concessional/social rates (that is, short-term loans with less interest to pay)

σ Loans, which could be between £100 and £2,000, will help to buy agricultural equipment or investment in a new farming initiative/venture

σ The loan will be made with the view that there will be financial benefit and charitable benefit for APRC while charitable benefit superseding financial benefit

σ The borrower will use the funds for their intended purpose only

σ N-f-p FI would like to see the farming business or activity is a profitable one so that it can achieve its goal of reducing poverty by raising money for it through farming trading.

After recalling the main aim of this project and its essential matching points, APRC and N-f-p FI can start the fourth round of negotiations.

To reach an agreement at the end of this Stage 4, there should not be any stumbling blocks or sticking points. If there is, then there must be resolved. Where the two (i.e., investee and investor) need support, CENFACS will work with each party to fill the gap.

More details about Stage 4 can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

• African Pension Fund Manager Project

To explain this project, let us first define it.

• • What Is African Pension Fund Manager (APFM)?

The starting point in this definition is to explain ‘pension fund manager’. The website ‘lawinsider.com’ (2) explains it by arguing that

“Pension fund manager means the person(s) appointed by the Directors to invest the whole or part of the assets of the scheme in accordance with such terms and conditions of service as may be specified in the instrument of appointment”.

This definition can apply to APFM with similarities and difference. The difference is that APFM will work with African charities based in Africa.

• • What Is African Pension Fund Manager (APFM) Project?

As a project, APFM is an initiative that consists of investing the contributions received, accumulating them, administrating the funds, developing pension policies and pension and benefits packages, reviewing, discussing and agreeing fund strategy and structure with African Charities.

To understand this project, let us briefly present its aim, the role of African Pension Fund Manager (APFM), APFMP outcomes and APFMP funding needs.

• • • The aim of APFMP

The real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end pension poverty or old age poverty amongst African charities’ employees in Africa. To achieve this aim, someone has to carry out the function of African pension fund management.

• • • The role of APFM

APFM will be mainly responsible for managing and investing African charities’ funds in securities and investment policies. He/she will collect money from African charities and their employees to fund employee retirement obligations. He/she will keep an eye on long-term growth of capital to support the needs of future retirees as the cost of living increases over their working lives.

APFM will work across African charities to support them meet and implement their pension fund management strategy and aim, while contributing to their goal of reducing pension poverty or old age poverty among their users and workers. In its role, he/she will undertake some duties such as

σ help increase assets in African charity pension funds which are smaller compared to those of the rest of the world

σ encourage long-term (retirement) savings

σ create facilitative policies to support appropriate deployment and investment of the pension assets into the charity pensions sector

σ work with pension sectors across Africa to resolve common problems in Africa’s charity pension sector

σ run a programme, fund or scheme which will provide retirement income for African charities involved in

σ oversee day-to-day pension fund management and administration of the funds

σ develop pensions policies and pensions and benefits packages

σ review, discuss and agree fund strategy and structure with the boards of African charities, investment and fund managers within the African charity pension sector

etc.

Because there are some aspects of investment and assets management in the definition of pension fund management, our APFM will deal with these aspects in his/her role; aspects like overseeing and making decisions about investments in a charity portfolio or fund.

• • • APFMP outcomes

As a result of the implementation of APFMP, the following changes and effects may happen:

√ An increase in pensions coverage and assets under management of the charity sector in Africa

√ Reduction of pension poverty and old-age poverty amongst African charities employees

√ Better support to pension regulatory and statutory frameworks in Africa

√ Promotion of best-practice pensions and best asset allocation across the charity pension sector

etc.

• • • APFMP funding needs

According to ‘glassdor.co.uk’ (3),

“The estimated total pay for a Pension Fund Manager is £179,264 per year, with an average salary of £109,857 per year. The estimated additional pay is £69,407 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing”.

The above pay package relates to the situation in the for-profit sector. Because we are in the charity sector, the above pay and benefits can be lower. Also, the pay and benefits can be different for those working with African charities.

Nevertheless, this pay package expressed in terms funding needs for APFM is what is required to be raised in order to deliver this project as it is unfunded.

For those who would like to fund this project or to help CENFACS hire a Pension Fund Manager to work with African charities, they can fund it in the region of stated amount or contribute to it. They can also have in their mind the recruitment costs which are part the fundraising of this project.

To support or contribute to APFMP, please contact CENFACS.

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

• Rescuing Children’s Education in Africa

The United Nations Children’s Fund (4) notes that

We would like people who may be interested in our philanthropic mission to join us in this campaign to Rescue Children’s Education in Africa.

We are asking to those who can to support these Educationally Needy Children via this campaign not to wait the Giving Tuesday on 03 December 2024.

They can donate now since the needs are urgent and pressing.

To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 28/10/2024: Preserving Haplochromis Granti

• Nature Projects, Nature-based Solutions to Poverty and the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

• Guidance Service about the Reduction of Pension/Old Age Poverty via Pension Fund Management

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 28/10/2024: Preserving Haplochromis Granti

To help Preserve Haplochromis Granti, we have composed our note around the following headings:

σ What is Haplochromis Granti?

σ The conservation status of Haplochromis Granti

σ What can be done to Preserve Haplochromis Granti.

In addition, we shall provide the themed activity we have planned for this week. This themed activity is a case study on Sustainable Fishing.

Let us look at each of the headings making this note.

• • What Is Haplochromis Granti?

There is more that can be said about Haplochromis Granti. Let us simply refer to what ‘ptes.org’ (5) states about it, which is

“Haplochromis Granti is cichlid fish only only found in Lake Victoria”.

Like other species, Haplochromis Granti is experiencing life-saving conservation issues as its status indicates.

• • The Conservation Status of Haplochromis Granti

According to the same ‘ptes.org’, urgent conservation is needed to save Haplochromis Granti, which is critically endangered species. One of threats to Haplochromis Granti is Nile perch – a piscivorous (fish-eating) fish introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1960s.

There is a need to conserve or preserve Haplochromis Granti.

• • What Can Be Done to Preserve Haplochromis Granti

To preserve Haplochromis Granti, one may need to know what is to preserve a species. To preserve a species is to keep or maintain it in an unaltered condition, according to Chris Park (6)

For example, ‘ptes.org’ (op. cit.) runs a conservation project which includes the following activities:

σ establishment of fish conservation zones

σ keeping genetic diversity of the captive fish population varied

σ increase in the species resilience against the Nile perch

etc.

This project and other ones try to conserve Haplochromis Granti.

Other initiatives could include:

σ Engaging stakeholders on the conversation and preservation matters relating to Haplochromis Granti

σ Designing conservation strategy to protect it

σ Raising awareness or educating people around the issue that Haplochromis Granti faces

σ Promoting better human-fish relationships through sustainable fishing, which could be benefitial for Haplochromis Granti

σ Prevention of water pollution

σ Getting involved in Haplochromis Granti cause or fish causes

etc.

Besides that, one can donate to causes relating to the preservation of Haplochromis Granti.

The above actions are the few ones. There is more that can be done to preserve Haplochromis Granti. To stay within the scope of this note, we can limit ourselves to the above-mentioned actions or steps to Preserve Haplochromis Granti.

• • Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: A Case Study on Sustainable Fishing

The fish themed activity of this week is to provide a case study about Sustainable Fishing or Sustainable Management of Fishes. To introduce this case study, let us briefly explain sustainable fishing.

• • • What is sustainable fishing?

Amongst the explanations of sustainable fishing is the one provided by ‘msc.org’ (7), which states that

“Fishing is sustainable if it leaves enough fish in the oceans and minimises impacts on habitats and ecosystems”.

From this definition, one can check from their own experience what kinds of fishing practices that are unsustainable and what can be done to stop them. Kinds of unsustainable fishing practices could include overfishing, unregulated fishing activities, etc.

This understanding of sustainable fishing can help build a compelling case study.

• • • What is a case study on sustainable fishing?

The case study will be a detailed study on sustainable fishing or any aspects of sustainable fishing.

For example, one could follow the development of sustainable fishing and build their case study. The case study evaluation will help to know what has worked so far with sustainable fishing and what can be changed or improved in the conservation of fishes.

The case study on sustainable fishing will include the following elements:

the synopsis about sustainable fishing, summary of your task, findings about sustainable fishing, the summary of the main issue, conclusion and recommendations to preserve fishes.

Briefly, your case study will be a research project to generate in-depth understanding of the issue of sustainable fishing. This type of case study will help increase understanding not only on sustainable fishing, but in fish conservation.

Do you have a case study on sustainable fishing?

If you do, please do not hesitate to share the story about it.

To find out more about the entire “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities, please communicate with CENFACS.

• Nature Projects, Nature-based Solutions to Poverty and the 16th Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

This week, we are following the work of the United Nations Biodiversity COP16 (8), which is the 16th meeting of the parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The meeting aims to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

This year’s theme of COP16, which is held from 21 October to 01 November in Cali, Colombia, is “Peace with Nature”. The goal of COP16 is to develop an implementation plan for the KMGBF.

We are following COP16 since the new/last version of CENFACS’ Nature Projects derived from the KMGBF. COP16 is important for the next development of CENFACS’ Nature Projects. We are wondering how the plans of action from the delegates (to commit themselves to 30% of land and sea to be safely protected, usage to be reduced and harmful environmental subsidies to be changed) will impact CENFACS’ Nature Projects.

These nature pledges from the delegates can affect CENFACS’ Nature Projects. They can affect our projects on matters such as indigenous communities, biodiversity aid, biodiversity protection, etc.

Additionally, CENFACS “A la une” ((Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities are linked with many of the goals of KMGBF.

Furthermore, following COP16 is not only about Nature Projects or “A la une” Campaign we run. It is also and foremost about its impact on humans. As the ‘globalmanprize.org’ (9) puts it,

“COP16 is about our interconnected relationship with nature. It is about protecting endangered species. Consider the fisheries sector where 60 million jobs globally are tied to fishing and fish farming”.

For those who would like to know more about the relationship between COP16 and CENFACS‘ Nature Projects (and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty), they can contact CENFACS.

For those who are interested in working with CENFACS on this relationship, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

• Guidance Service on the Reduction of Pension/Old Age Poverty via Pension Fund Management

As an extension from the contents of the last Issue (Issue No. 85) of FACS, CENFACS‘ bilingual newsletter, which was titled as ‘Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction in Africa by African Charities‘, we are organising a Guidance Service on the Reduction of Pension/Old Age Poverty. The service is for Africa-based Sister Organisations and their representatives looking for guidance to develop and implement poverty reduction strategies relating to the reduction of pension poverty and/or old-age poverty.

Indeed, pension fund management can help generate additional income and profit by investing in financial securities, government fixed-interest bonds, stocks, shares and property bonds. This income generation can help narrow the wealth gap and build generational wealth to escape from intergenerational pension/old age poverty.

For those Africa-based Sister Organisations that would like to find out how they can align their pension fund management goals with their goals of pension/old age poverty reduction, they can contact CENFACS.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of aligning the two goals with their mission.

We can work with them under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.

Under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service, we can advise them on the following matters:

√ Capacity building and development

√ Project planning and development

√ Poverty reduction within the context of Africa Continental Free Trade Area

√ Not-for-profit investment and development

√ Absorption capacity development

√ Fundraising and grant-seeking leads

√ Income generation and streams

√ Sustainable development

√ Not-for-profit investment and impact investing

√ Monitoring and evaluation

Etc.

Where our capacity to advise is limited, we can refer and or signpost them to relevant international services and organisations. We can as well signpost them to organisations working on charity pension fund management and pension/old age poverty.

This advisory support for Africa-based Sister Organisations is throughout the year and constituent part of our work with them.

To access advice services, please contact CENFACS. To register for or enquire about advice services, go to www.cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities.

Message in French (Message en français)

• Le Service d’Orientation sur la Réduction de la Pauvreté des Pensions et des Personnes Âgées par la Gestion des Fonds de Pension

Dans le prolongement du contenu du dernier numéro (numéro 85) de FACS, le bulletin d’information bilingue du CENFACS, qui s’intitulait «Gestion des Fonds de Pension et Réduction de la Pauvreté en Afrique par les Organisations Caritatives Africaines», nous organisons un service d’orientation sur la réduction de la pauvreté des pensions et des personnes âgées. Le service s’adresse aux Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et à leurs représentant(e)s à la recherche de conseils pour élaborer et mettre en œuvre des stratégies de réduction de la pauvreté liées à la réduction de la pauvreté des pensions et/ou de la pauvreté des personnes âgées.

En effet, la gestion des fonds de pension peut contribuer à générer des revenus et des bénéfices supplémentaires en investissant dans des titres financiers, des obligations d’État à taux fixe, des actions, des actions et des obligations immobilières. Cette génération de revenus peut aider à réduire l’écart de richesse et à créer une richesse générationnelle pour échapper à la pauvreté intergénérationnelle en matière de retraite et de vieillesse.

Les Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique qui souhaitent savoir comment elles peuvent aligner leurs objectifs de gestion de fonds de pension sur leurs objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté des pensions et celle des personnes âgées peuvent contacter le CENFACS.

Le CENFACS peut travailler avec elles pour explorer des moyens d’aligner les deux objectifs avec leur mission.

Nous pouvons travailler avec elles dans le cadre de notre service international de conseils, d’orientations et d’informations.

Dans le cadre de notre service international de conseil, d’orientation et d’information, nous pouvons les conseiller sur les questions suivantes:

√ Renforcement et développement des capacités

√ Planification et développement de projets

√ Réduction de la pauvreté dans le cadre de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine

√ Investissement et développement à but non lucratif

√ Développement de la capacité d’absorption

√ Collecte de fonds et recherche de subventions

√ Génération de revenus et flux de revenus

√ Développement durable

√ Investissement à but non lucratif et investissement à impact

√ Suivi et évaluation

Etc.

Lorsque notre capacité de conseil est limitée, nous pouvons les orienter vers les services et organisations internationaux concernés. Nous pouvons également les orienter vers des organisations travaillant dans la gestion de fonds de pension caritatifs et la pauvreté des pensions/des personnes âgées.

Ce soutien consultatif aux Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique est présent tout au long de l’année et fait partie intégrante de notre travail avec elles.

Pour accéder aux services de conseil, d’orientation et d’information; veuillez contacter le CENFACS. Pour vous inscrire ou vous renseigner sur les services de conseil, d’orientation et d’information; vous pouvez vous rendre sur www.cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities.

Main Development

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 30/10/2024 to 05/11/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Disbursement (Stage 4)

As said in the Key Messages, both APRC and N-f-p FI agreed on how APRC will review the borrower’s application, credit history, income, and other loan determining factors. We have started to look at the Farming Charitable Loan Disbursement process, as part of Stage 4.

To explain how both APRC and N-f-p FI are going to proceed and what is going to happen in this Stage 4, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

∝ What Is a Business Loan Disbursement?

∝ What Is APRC’s Plan for Business Loan Disbursement?

∝ Key Areas of the Business Loan Disbursement Process to Be Clarified by APRC

∝ Reaching an Agreement on the Key Areas of the Business Loan Disbursement Process

∝ The Match or Fit Test

∝ Concluding Note on Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan

Let us look at each of these headings.

• • What Is a Business Loan Disbursement?

There are many ways of defining business loan disbursement. The definition we are going to use here comes from Faster Capital (10) which argues that

“Loan disbursement refers to the process of releasing funds from a lender to a borrower after the loan has been approved”.

In the context of our matching programme, the loan disbursement in which we are interested is a business one, not a personal or other ones.

Both parties (i.e., APRC and N-f-p FI) may understand what business loan disbursement means. But, they may have different ways of interpreting or applying it. This is why APRC needs to explain to the N-f-p FI its own plan for loan disbursement.

• • What Is APRC’s Plan for Business Loan Disbursement?

According to Faster Capital (11),

“It [loan disbursement plan or process] involves a series of steps that ensure the funds are transferred securely and efficiently from the lender to the borrower, and it is essential for loan servicers to understand these steps to manage them effectively”.

In its business loan disbursement plan, APRC will ensure that borrowers are given details outlining how the loan will be disbursed and disbursement stages. It will also make sure that the funds will be used as intended. As a result, it will monitor and track the loan disbursement progress.

As a matter of fact, APRC has planned the following:

√ to provide borrowers with loan disbursement documentation for disbursement tracking and documentation

√ to record disbursement dates and amounts for transparency and financial planning

√ to explain loan methods (e.g., direct deposit, business bank account, cheque issuance or electronic transfer) and triggers

√ to specify disbursement terms (i.e., full or partial or direct payment loan disbursement) including the time for disbursement

√ to organize communication channels (such as email, automated SMS notifications, letters by post, etc.)

√ to make provision for risk assessment measures (e.g., identity verification systems and fraud detection tools)

etc.

However, business loan disbursal is a process which involves many steps and elements. These steps or elements must be clarified by APRC in order for N-f-p FI can invest in the APRC’s Farming Charitable Loan project.

• • Key Areas of the Business Loan Disbursement Process to Be Clarified by APRC

These are areas of the business loan disbursement process that APRC will need to clarify in order to get a good match with N-f-p FI’s view on loan disbursal.

From these areas, N-f-p FI would like some clarity about the following points or questions:

σ The efficiency and effectiveness of APRC’s loan disbursement

(e.g., APRC needs to explain the extent to which its loan disbursement will be producing satisfactory results with an economy of effort and a minimum waste, while generating a powerful desired outcomes for borrowers)

σ Enhancement of borrowers’ seamless experience

(that is, Will the loan enhance borrowers’ experience that shows no signs of having been pieced together?)

σ Minimized operational costs

(for example, Whether or not APRC will use digital disbursement methods such as electronic fund transfers)

σ Optimization of operational efficiency and loan disbursement processes

(e.g., Organising direct payment to the supplier of farming equipment on behalf of borrowers)

σ Risk mitigation

(e.g., How APRC will reduce the risk of fraud during disbursement)

σ Borrowers’ complaints

(for example, How APRC will resolve disputes and discrepancies over the loan terms)

σ APRC’s competitive advantage

(for instance, What advantage that APRC will have over rivals running similar projects or services)

σ The impact of loan project on APRC’s cash flow

(that is, Will the loan project improve APRC’s cash flow management?)

σ Streamline and automate disbursement processes

(i.e., Will APRC uses loan disbursement processes that will employ automatic machinery in data-processing and be extremely efficient, with little or no waste of resources, excess staff and unnecessary steps to reduce the time for the disbursement?)

σ Loan approval criteria

(e.g., Will the loan amount for APRC’s members get approved depending on their membership status or their credit score or income?

σ Disbursement options

(for instance, Will APRC offer flexible disbursement options like mobile money wallet, direct deposit, electronic funds transfer and physical check?)

σ Monitoring tools and metrics

(in other words, What are the details for disbursement monitoring tools and metrics?)

etc.

Without undermining the other areas of the business loan disbursement process, let us look at disbursement monitoring tools and metrics.

• • • Disbursement performance monitoring tools, metrics and indicators

APRC will provide useful disbursement monitoring tools or calculations to show that the project will be monitored and its performance will be financially tracked. It can explain the financial ratios or metrics or key performance indicators below.

APRC can, for example, use the following key indicators linked to the performance; indicators which we have selected from the top 10 Key Performance Indicators to measure the efficiency of loan origination process provided by ‘cloudbankin.com’ (12):

a) Pull-Through Rate =

Number of Loans Disbursed / Number of Loan Applications Submitted during the Same Period

b) Cost Per Unit Originated =

Total Expenses Incurred / Number of Loans Disbursed during the Same Period

c) Application Approval Rate =

Number of Approved Applications / Number of Valid Applications Submitted in that Same Period

d) Abandoned Loan Rate =

Number of Approved Loans Not Disbursed / Number of Applications Approved in that Same Period

e) Profit Per Loan =

(Total Revenue – Total Expense) / Number of Loans Disbursed in that Same Period

We can as well add the Key Metrics for Loan Performance Analysis given by Faster Capital (13), metrics which are below.

i) Delinquency Rate

It measures the percentage of loans that are past due.

ii) Default Rate

It represents the proportion of loans that have defaulted.

iii) Recover Rate

It explains how much of the outstanding balance is recovered through asset sales or other means.

iv) Repayment Rate

It is when borrowers pay off their loans early.

To the above suite of metrics and indicators, we can also include customer feedback, risk assessment and data security measures, etc.

To get to the next level of the matching game, APRC needs to demonstrate to N-f-p FI that it has the above mentioned tools to track its performance and will take action to make the business loan disbursement process a success story.

• • Reaching an Agreement on the the Key Areas of the Business Loan Disbursement Process

The two sides (APRC and the n-f-p farming investor) need to reach an agreement on the terms and conditions outlined in the loan disbursement process. If there is a disagreement between APRC and n-f-p farming investor, this could open up the possibility for a match/fit test. The match/fit test can be carried out to try to help the two sides. The match/fit test can also be undertaken if there is a disagreement on any of aspects of the farming charitable loan project.

• • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p FI’s view on APRCs loan disbursement process must be matched with the information coming out of APRC’s business loan disbursement process.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what APRC is saying about its loan disbursement process or loan origination system, between what the investor would like the loan disbursement process to indicate and what APRC’s loan disbursement process is really saying), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this fourth round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

• • • Impact Advice to APRC and Guidance to n-f-p Farming Investor

CENFACS can impact advise APRC to improve the presentation of their loan disbursement process or loan origination system. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p farming investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of loan disbursement process to a format that can be agreeable by potential APRCs. CENFACS’ impact advice for APRCs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p farming investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce or avoid the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

• • • The Rule of the Matching Game

The rule of the game is the more farming investors are attracted by APRCs’ loan disbursement process the better for APRCs. Likewise, the more APRCs can successfully respond to farming investors’ level of enquiries and queries about the loan disbursement process the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., investee and investor).

The above is the fourth stage of the Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a lending scheme/project and n-f-p farming investors looking for organisations that are interested in their giving, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

• • • CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses

The Hub can help to use analysis tools to test assumptions and determine how likely something is within a given standard of accuracy. The Hub can assist to

√ clean, merge and prepare micro-data sources for testing, modelling and analysis

√ conduct data management and administration

√ carry out regression analysis, estimate and test hypotheses

√ interpret and analyse patterns or trends in data or results.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this fourth stage of Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• • Concluding Note on Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan

African charities like other for-profit organisations can set up a lending scheme/project or loan origination system (LOS) to enable them to back up their charitable mission and vision, provided this scheme or project is within the regulatory frameworks of the countries in which they operate and within their constitutional rules. In other words, they can do it within the powers they have been given by their legislators and their governing rules (e.g., articles of association). However, they need to make sure that the newly formed lending scheme/project or LOS can generate enough income so that the more the difference between the sales revenue and the costs of those sales is, the better they can find the financial resources they need to allocate to their worthy causes. They are also required to guarantee that the loan that will be made from the LOS will generate both financial benefit and charitable benefit for them while charitable benefit superseding financial benefit.

There are not-for-profit impact investors who can help them to either to start or develop their idea of having a money lending scheme or project to reduce poverty. Where African charities, we mean CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs) or African Poverty Relief Organisations (APRCs) like in this matching exercise, experience some difficulties in finding these types of investors, CENFACS can work with ASCOs/APRCs to source them.

Equally, for n-f-p impact investors who are looking for Africa-based organisations to invest in but they are not sure which organisation that can be their investee, CENFACS can as well work with these investors so that their investment is channelled to the right organisation, at the right moment and to the right cause. CENFACS can match ASCOs’/APRCs’ need to find an investor and n-f-p impact investor’s desire to get an investee.

The match probability can be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’/APRCs’ needs meet investors’ interests. CENFACS will make sure that this match is the strongest possible one.

CENFACS is available to work with ASCOs/APRCs that are looking for Impact Advice and Not-for-profit Investors who need Guidance with Impact so that the former can find the investment they are looking for and the latter the organisation to invest in, and both of them can realise their respective Autumn dreams.

To work together to make your matching dream come true by finding your ideal investee or investor, please contact CENFACS.

_________

• References

(1) https://financefuturists.com/loan-disbursement-meaning/ (accessed in October 2024)

(2) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/pension-fund-manager# (accessed in October 2024)

(3) https://www.glassdor.co.uk/Salaries/pension-fund-manager-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.html (accessed in October 2024)

(4) https://www.unicef.org/esa/press-releases/unicef-alarmed-continued-attacks-education-conflict-zones-africa (accessed in October 2024)

(5) https://ptes.org/grants/worldwide-projects/restoring-the-critically-endangered-haplochromis-granti-fish-in-lake-victoria/# (accessed in October 2024)

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

(7) https://msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/what-is-sustainable-fishing (accessed in October 2024)

(8) https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024 (accessed in October 2024)

(9) https://www.globalmanprize.org/blog/cop16-what-to-know-about-the-2024-un-biodiversity-conference/ (accessed in October 2024)

(10) https://fastercapital.com/content/Loan-Disbursement-Optimizing-Loan-Disbursement-Strategies-for-Success.html (accessed in October 2024)

(11) https://fastercapital.com/content/Loan-Disbursement–The-Loan-Disbursement-Process-What-Servicers-Need-to-Know.html

(12) https://cloudbankin.com/blog/loan-origination/top-10-kpis-to-measure-the-efficiency-of-loan-origination-process/ (accessed in October 2024)

(13) https://fastercapital.com/content/Loan-Performance-Analysis-How-to-Perform-and-Interpret-Loan-Performance-Data-and-Metrics.html (accessed in October 2024)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction by African Charities

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on October 23, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 October 2024

Post No. 375

The Week’s Contents

• FACS, Issue No. 85, Autumn 2024, Issue Title: Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction by African Charities

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 21/10/2024: Protecting African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 23 to 29/10/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Underwriting (Stage 3)

… And much more!

Key Messages

• FACS, Issue No. 85, Autumn 2024, Issue Title: Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction by African Charities

The 85th Issue deals with pension funds management carried out by African charities, particularly those working with CENFACS – Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs). Essentially, it focuses on the practice of pension funds management done by ASOs. Although it deals with practice, it also considers the theories of pension fund management. In particular, it considers both the financial theory of defined pension schemes and that of capital structure. It reconciles these theories with practices since the knowledge of a particular theory can lead to better choices in terms of investment options.

The 85th Issue mostly puts emphasis on ASOs’ pension schemes while considering pension funding risks in Africa. An example of pension funding risk could be the shortfall in contribution remittances to schemes like it happened during the coronavirus crisis.

The 85th Issue makes some proposals and explores grounds on which ASOs can affect the debate and practice over pension fund management in Africa. For example, some ideas have been explored on ways of improving pension fund management so that poor charity sector employees and other poor pensioners (like those from informal economy) can feel the real helpful difference in their retirement time.

Without providing specialist advice on pension fund management to African charities, the Issue No. 85 is a general advice clinic for those ASOs that would like to take pension fund management seriously to accumulate capital to be paid out as pension to their employees when they retire at the end of their careers.

To get further insights into the Issue No. 85, 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 and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 21/10/2024: Protecting African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)

To help Protect African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert), we have composed our note around the following headings:

σ What is the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)?

σ The conservation status of the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)

σ What can be done to Protect the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert).

In addition, we shall provide the themed activity we have planned for this week. This themed activity is an e-discussion on Fish as Keeper of the Health of Our Ecosystems.

Let us look at each of the headings of this note.

• • What Is the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)?

According to ‘iucnredlist.org’ (1),

“The African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) is a large (to ~ 300 cm total length) shark-like ray which is widespread off West Africa in the eastern Atlantic from Mauritania to Angola. It occurs in coastal and continental shelf waters from close inshore to depths of at least 35 m”.

As its definition indicates, the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) can be found in many parts of Africa. But, what is its conservation status?

• • The Conservation Status of the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)

In the IUN Red List of Threatened Species in 2018, the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) was listed as Critically Endangered under criteria A2d. It means that the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. If this is the case, then the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) needs protection. What is protection in this context?

Protection is, according to Chris Park (2),

“Defence against harm and danger” (p. 360)

From the perspective of Chris Park, Protecting African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) is about conducting any activity that reduces losses or risks, maintains basic conditions and values of the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert).

• • What Can Be Done to Protect African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert)

Within the literature relating to endangered fish species, there are arguments explaining why the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) is critically threatened. Among the arguments put forward are the following ones:

σ the current spate of unregulated fishing activities

σ the susceptibility in diverse fishing gears

σ and the high demand for its products.

Drawing inspiration from these knowledge and arguments, one can possibly develop a strategy to Protect the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert).

Ways of protecting the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) can include the following ones:

σ Engaging stakeholders to instigate the establishment of a locally managed coastal protected area where the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert) is mostly caught

σ Designing conservation strategy to protect it

σ Raising awareness or educating people around this issue

σ Promoting better human-fish relationships through sustainable fishing

σ Prevention of water pollution

σ Getting involved

etc.

Besides that, one can donate to causes relating to the protection of the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert).

The above actions are the few ones. There is more that can be done to protect African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert). To stay within the scope of this note, we can limit ourselves to the above-mentioned actions or steps to Protect the African Wedgefish (Rynchobatas luebbert.

• • Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: E-discussion on Fish as Keeper of the Health of Our Ecosystems

The fish themed activity of this week is an online discussion space on how fishes keep the health of ecosystems that humans depend upon for their lives.

To introduce this e-discussion, let us refer to what ‘thehumaneleague.org.uk’ (3) argues about fishes as indicators of ocean health, which is:

“Fish play a key role in helping us understand how the ocean is responding to our activity. As pointed out by a study appearing in the journal Water, there are numerous reasons why fish are often used as a means of tracking ocean health”.

During our e-discussion, we shall talk about the tracking of ocean health by fish. Ocean is one our ecosystems. People can contribute their answers and respond to other participants by making their agreement or difference, raising issues and sharing evidence, knowledge and data.

Those who may be interested in taking part in this e-discussion or fish themed activity, they can contact CENFACS.

To find out more about the entire “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities, please communicate with CENFACS.

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 23 to 29/10/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Underwriting (Stage 3)

Both African Poverty Relief Organisation (APRC) and Not-for-profit (n-f-p) Farming Investor (FI) scored enough points in the Second Stage of the Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan. They believe that it is useful to continue their talks and move to the third round of negotiations, which is Stage 3. This third round of talks consists of agreeing by the two sides of the matching talks on the underwriting process for the loan to be given to borrowers/debtors by APRC.

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

σ What Is Underwriting?

σ Match Points for APRC

σ Match Points for N-f-p Farming Investor

σ The Match or Fit Test.

Let us look at each of these headings.

• • What Is Underwriting?

Underwriting can be defined in many ways. The website ‘inscribe.ai’ (4) explains that

“It is a lender’s process of evaluating and managing risk… It is the process of providing a careful review of a borrower’s credit history and financial background to determine their eligibility for a loan”.

There are many types of underwriting that lenders can perform. In the context of this Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, we are mostly interested in business loan underwriting. This is because APRC is planning to give micro-loans to its members or project beneficiaries to run a farming income-generating activity or business which can help them to transition away from poverty.

The same ‘inscribe.ai’ explains that

“Business underwriting is the process by which lenders and financial institutions assess the creditworthiness and risk associated with businesses applying for loans or credit”.

In the context of Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, APRC as a business lender will assess the creditworthiness of those seeking finance to start up or growth their farming business or income-generating activity. For the sake of this Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, APRC needs to demonstrate it will handle the underwriting process as it should be. What it needs to demonstrate is given under the heading Match Points for APRC.

• • Match Points for APRC

APRC will need to show that it or its credit underwriter will properly review prospective borrowers’/debtors’ financial statements, business plan, credit history, and the business/activity owner’s personal credit and financial stability. It can also explain if this will be done manually or proceed with automated underwriting. It has to make sure that credit underwriting process is a good match with n-f-p FI’s expectations on this process.

• • Match Points for N-f-p Farming Investor

The n-f-p FI will want to know how APRC’s credit underwriter will assess borrowers’ finances and pass credit decisions to give n-f-p FI an overview of the degree of risk involved. In particular, he/she would like to have some guarantee and to be informed on the following matters: borrowers’ credit report, applicants’ loan repayment ability and collateral; given that most these applicants will be poor people or income poor.

Furthermore, n-f-p FI will ask for insurance on the following negotiating points:

Ο The efficiency of APRC’s underwriting process

Ο Updates on underwriting process as it goes on

Ο Good analytics of applicants’ file

Ο The need to clarify if APRC’s underwriting will use Artificial Intelligence (AI-generated results) or Machine Learning technology

Ο How APRC will deal with document collection problems and fraud detection issues

Ο Will APRC invest in predictive analytics, business intelligence and reporting tools?

Ο Will APRC invest in the underwriting software?

To enable the negotiations to progress and reach an agreement, APRC will need to provide answer to the above-mentioned issues that can be raised by n-f-p FI. N-f-p FI will want convincing answers from APRC as he/she still believes investing in poverty and poor is high-risk. Given project costs, he/she takes this stance since this investment is done with the view to achieve a positive net return – however small it will be – while preserving charitable benefit.

There should be an agreement between APRC’s Plan for Underwriting Process and N-f-p FI’s Approach to Business Underwriting. If there is a disagreement, then the talks/negotiations could be subject to match or fit test.

• • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p farming investor’s enquiries and queries must be matched with APRCs’ underwriting process. In other words, the information about APRCs’ underwriting process must successfully respond to the enquiries and queries that n-f-p farming investor may raise about the micro-loan initiative and model of working with local poor people and communities in Africa, particularly the way in which the loan will be underwritten.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between the questions from the investor/n-f-p FI and the answers from the investee/APRCs), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this third round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise APRC to improve the contents of its underwriting process. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p farming investors with impact to work out their expectations (or enquiries and queries) to a format that can be acceptable by potential APRCs. CENFACS’ impact advice for APRCs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p farming investors, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more n-f-p farming investors are attracted by APRCs’ underwriting process the better for APRCs. Likewise, the more APRCs can successfully respond to n-f-p farming investors’ level of enquiries and queries the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the third stage of the Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a farming charitable loan project to lift their members out of poverty via giving micro-loans to them and n-f-p farming investors looking for organisations that can be interested in their investments, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this third stage of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• CENFACS’ Climate Talks Follow-up Project & International System for Poverty Reduction (World Anti-poverty System)

• Happening on 27 and 28 October 2024: Making Memorable Positive Difference (MM+D) Project – In Focus: History of African Woven Loincloth

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Transition from Informal to Formal Economy in Africa

• CENFACS’ Climate Talks Follow-up Project & International System for Poverty Reduction (World Anti-poverty System)

As we are preparing to follow next month’s global climate talks (COP29), we are joining our Climate Talks Follow-up Project and our Campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction (or World Anti-poverty System). Our Climate Talks Follow-up Project is now in Phase 3.3. which is known as Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level with Initial Implementation Sub-phase.

We are joining them (Climate Talks Follow-up Project and Campaign on World Anti-poverty System) as there are voices like in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (5) that are calling for the modernisation of the old Institutions of Bretton Woods ahead of COP29 to be convened in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024.

Voices are demanding for system reforms to global financial architecture to free funds for climate transitions if the world wants to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050. The developing world, particularly but not exclusively Africa, needs finance on a massive scale to deliver on energy transitions. According to ‘lemonde.fr’ (6),

“Emerging-market and developing economies, excluding China, will need an estimated $2.4 trillion (€2.2. trillion) annually by 2030 for climate- and nature-related investments”.

In order to mobilise this colossal amount of funding, the need to reform the global financial architecture and set an ambitious new goal for international climate finance becomes self-explanatory.

Equally, CENFACS‘ WAS (World Anti-poverty System) Campaign is just about this type of reforms. CENFACS always campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction, which does not exist, to serve the poor and bridge the gap in the institutions of Bretton Woods. An International System for Poverty Reduction is the missing piece from these institutions. System reforms to the global financial architecture will help to mobilise and channel funds for climate transitions in places (like Africa) where these transitions are unaffordable. Much better, an International System for Poverty Reduction will level up the plain field by providing voices and spaces for the poor to win the battle against poverty including poverty induced by climate change.

If you believe in reforming the global financial architecture and in a new International System for Poverty Reduction, you can support our joint work on Following Climate Talks and Setting up a New International System for Poverty Reduction (or World Anti-poverty System).

To support, please contact CENFACS.

• Happening on 27 and 28 October 2024: Making Memorable Positive Difference (MM+D) Project – In Focus: History of African Woven Loincloth

There will be Two Days of the History of African Woven Loincloth as follows:

∝ One day of identifying and profiling African Weavers of the History

∝ One day of assessing the historical contribution of woven loincloth in reducing clothing poverty and in creative economic development industry in Africa.

Let us summarise the contents of each day’s work.

• • Heritage/Patrimony/Weavers’ Day (27 October 2024): History of African Weavers of the Loincloth History

On the first day of our MM+D, we shall remember those talented and skilful African weavers of the loincloth history for their remarkable weaving skills, talents and techniques which were passed on to many generations of weavers. It is the day of learning a brief outline or sketch in terms of their profiles and their historical work.

Through the study of their profiles and weaving work, it will be possible to know the kind of role they played or did not play in the weaving loincloth field. They are part of Africa’s heritage and patrimony as they represent Africa’s historic weaving traditions and Africa’s wealth, that transcends many eras and was passed on to other generations. Their techniques are now inherited by contemporary and today’s weavers.

• • Legacies and Gifts Day (28 October 2024): The Historical Contribution of Woven Loincloth in Reducing Clothing Poverty and in the Creative Economy in Africa

During the Legacies and Gifts Day of MM+D, we shall learn what was handed on to the current generations in terms of woven loincloth knowledge/techniques or what the weavers of the past left. We shall as well recollect in our memory what these past weavers gave to today’s knowledge-based economic activities. In other words, we shall study the legacies and gifts of woven loincloth industry in reducing clothing poverty and creating wealth in Africa, although the weavers of the past time might or might not have thought about reducing clothing poverty.

The day will also assist in uncovering if the weaving of loincloth was income-generating potential at that time or just a cultural activity or both.

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.

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Transition from Informal to Formal Economy in Africa

The informal economy/sector exists in Africa since Africa was Africa. In many African countries, there have been efforts or attempts to quantify or capture the activities making this economy/sector via national accounts and accounting. Some efforts did succeed, other attempts are still far away from success. Since this economy/sector represents a huge percentage of many African economies and since we are in a year of transitions within CENFACS, we would like to e-discuss ways forward in terms of transition from informal to formal economy in Africa.

This is what the World Bank (7) argues about the informal economy in Africa:

“The informal economy in Africa is large and diverse, and is the main source of employment in the region. It is projected to grow and create more jobs. The informal economy is well established in the region, but it also faces a host of development challenges”.

One of the challenges is about finding ways of transitioning from informal to formal for those people in need working or operating in this informal economy/sector. In particular, those who see this transition as a way of transitioning out of poverty and hardships.

To overcome these challenges, they have been some propositions. For example, ‘apec.org’ (8) made some proposals in those terms:

“Given the multidimensional nature of informality, a mix of policies should be considered. They include the need to create a suitable regulatory atmosphere that facilitates businesses, measures to improve governance, institutional quality and rule enforcement, incentives for compliance, and enhancing human capital through education and training”.

CENFACS would like to know your views on transitioning from informal to formal economy/sector. CENFACS wants to know what can be done in terms of much-needed support to informal people or workers lacking social protection to prevent them from continuing slipping into poverty.

For example, what can be done to help those working in the informal economy who have limited avenues to formal financial institutions or risk mitigation instruments to transition away from informal to formal employment.

If you have answer or argument to make about this matter, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

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

Message in French (Message en français)

• Initiatives à Triple Valeur pour le Père Noël: Collecter des fonds tout en jouant, en courant et en votant pour la réduction de la pauvreté pendant la longue période des fêtes

Vous pouvez aider le CENFACS à collecter des fonds vitaux dont il a besoin pour ses nobles et belles causes en incitant les participant(e)s ou les parties intéressées à des initiatives à triple valeur (ou projets tout au long de l’année) à s’habiller comme le Père Noël.

Les participant(e)s et les parties intéressées peuvent ensuite faire un don ou parrainer vos initiatives à triple valeur de jouer, de courir et de voter pour la réduction de la pauvreté.

Les revenus qui seront récoltés à ces occasions peuvent être reversés au CENFACS. Ces revenus aideront à soutenir les personnes qui en ont le plus besoin afin qu’elles puissent sortir de la pauvreté et des difficultés.

Cependant, pour lever des fonds via Initiatives à Triple Valeur pour le Père Noël, il faut d’abord discuter de la question, de votre plan/idée avec CENFACS. Ensemble avec vous, nous pouvons mieux planifier votre/notre campagne de collecte de fonds et aider à la réaliser de manière fluide et sans tracas tout en suivant les règles du jeu.

Pour collecter des fonds pour les Initiatives à Triple Valeur pour le Père Noël afin d’aider CENFACS et ses nobles et belles causes de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable, veuillez contacter CENFACS.

N’oubliez pas d’enregistrer et de rapporter vos scores, résultats et rencontres concernant vos initiatives à triple valeur (ou projets tout au long de l’année). Vous pouvez les partager avec nous pour présenter l’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes 2024.

À la fin du processus de projets tout au long de l’année et d’ici la fin de l’année, on devrait être prêt à annoncer les résultats de l’action 2024 pour l’un ou l’autre des projets: Courir ou Jouer ou Voter.

Les résultats finaux consisteront à découvrir et à révéler les éléments suivants pour cette année:

√ Les meilleurs pays africains de 2024 qui auraient le mieux réduit la pauvreté

√ Les meilleurs coureur(se)s africain(e)s des Jeux Mondiaux de 2024

√ Les meilleurs gestionnaires africains du développement et de la lutte contre la pauvreté de 2024.

Si vous n’avez pas encore pensé à cette découverte ou à cette révélation, commencez à réfléchir dès maintenant et donnez votre avis à ce sujet d’ici le 23 décembre 2024!

Main Development

• FACS, Issue No. 85, Autumn 2024, Issue Title: Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction by African Charities

The contents and key summaries of the 85th Issue of FACS are given below.

• • Contents and Pages

I. Key Terms Relating to the 85th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Key Theories Used in the 85thIssue of FACS (Page 2)

III. Charities Fund Management Practices in Africa (Page 3)

IV. Charities and Assets under Management in Africa (Page 3)

V. Charities and Informal Sector Pensions in Africa (Page 3)

VI. Charities’ Investment Options and Pension Liabilities in Africa (Page 4)

VII. Africa-based Sister Organisations and Pension Fund Regulations (Page 4)

VIII. Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Contribution des Fonds de Pension en Temps de Crise (Page 5)

IX. Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Pensions de Vieillesse Contributives (Page 5)

X. Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Pools de Pension Locaux/Institutions d’Épargne Contractuelles (Page 6)

XI. Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Marchés Internationaux de Capitaux pour les Fonds de Pension (Page 6)

XII. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Charity Pension Fund Management (Page 7)

XIII. Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Pension Fund Management (Page 8)

XIV. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Charity Pension Fund Management and Poverty Reduction (Page 9)

XV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

• • Key Summaries

Please find below the key summaries of the 85th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

• • • Key Terms Relating to the 85thIssue of FACS (Page 2)

There are five terms used in the context of this Issue of FACS. These terms are pension fund management, pension/old age poverty reduction, African charities and defined pension schemes. Let us briefly explain these key terms.

• • • • Pension fund management

To understand the term pension fund management, one may need to know the meanings of pension and pension fund.

A pension is, according to Omollo et al. (9),

“A predetermined sum paid by an individual as an amount he will be entitled upon retirement”.

For the website ‘cfg.org.uk’ (10), pension is

“A form of savings and investment, designed to provide income in later life”.

A pension fund is defined by ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (11) as

“A fund that accumulates capital to be paid out as a pension for employees when they retire at the end of their careers”.

The same ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ explains that pension funds typically aggregate large sums of money to be invested into the capital markets such as stock and bond markets, to generate profit (returns).

Pension fund management is the management of pension funds. It is the process of organising and directing the pension funds within an organisation so as to meet defined objectives. It involves planning, control, coordinating and motivating the process of accumulating capital to be paid out as pension for employees on their retirement. It means both use the monies to make day-to-day disbursements to pensioners and generate additional income and profit by investing in financial securities, government fixed-interest bonds, stocks, shares and property bonds.

The pension funds in which we are interested are those managed by charities (African charities). In the UK, pension funds managed by charities are not part of the charity’s assets. The funds are held as investments by the scheme until the scheme recipients reach their chosen retirement age.

• • • • Pension/old age poverty reduction

The definition of old age income poverty used in this Issue comes from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD (12) gives the relative concept of old age poverty by arguing that

“Old age income poor are individuals aged over 65 having an income below half the national median equivalised household disposable income”.

The same OECD considers that

“The yardstick for poverty depends on the medium household income in the total population in a particular country at a particular point in time”.

Old age poverty can be reduced or ended. Likewise, pension poverty can be reduced or ended.

Pension poverty reduction is any measure or effort to decrease this state in which resources are lacking for pension or pensioners. It can be viewed from various angles.

Looking at poverty reduction from the monetary perspective, Y. A. Bununu (13) thinks that

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

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

Taking a historical and intertemporal view of poverty reduction, the website ‘borgenproject.org’ (14) argues that poverty reduction is evolving concept. It evolves from a simple to complex concept throughout the time to mean the following:

σ financial contributions to governments of poverty-stricken nations

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

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

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

In short, the possibility of pension to reduce old age poverty depends on many factors as well as methodology used to treat data.

• • • • African charities

To explain African charities, let us first explain the word ‘charity’. Our explanation of this word comes from ‘howcharitieswork.com’ (15) which provides three statements, which are:

“a) A charity’s aims have to fall into categories that the law says are charitable b) It has to be established exclusively for what is known as public benefit c) Charities can’t make profits (that is; all the money they raise has to go towards achieving their aims; a charity can’t have owners or shareholders who benefit from it)”.

The term African charities relate to charities from Africa. We presume that our African counterpart charities would share the above-mentioned rules for charity. We also assume that the law in African countries would classify the African charities we are talking about as charitable as it is in the UK.

• • • • Defined pension schemes

This 85th Issue considers two defined pension schemes: a defined benefit pension scheme and defined contribution pension scheme.

According to ‘assets.publishing.service.gov.uk’ (16),

“The most common form of defined benefit pension scheme is also known as a final salary pension scheme. Under these schemes employee members are entitled to a particular level of benefit depending on their length of service and the level of their salary when they retire”.

The same ‘assets.publishing.service.gov.uk’ explains that

“A defined contribution pension scheme is known as a money purchase scheme. These are pension schemes into which an employer pays a regular contribution fixed as an amount or percentage of the employee member’s pay. The employee may also make contributions into the scheme”.

Regarding the two schemes, ‘ifc.org’ (17) notes that

“The shift from defined benefit to defined contribution has been gaining momentum across the region [Africa] over the past decade and a half under pension system reforms that allow a large role for privately managed pension fund administrators that have targeted growing middle classes”.

The 85th Issue reconciles these schemes with the practice of pension by African charities.

The above-named definitions shape the contents of the 85th Issue of FACS.

• • • Key Theories Used in the 85thIssue of FACS (Page 2)

The 85th Issue refers to the financial theory of defined pension schemes as explained by Cj Exley et al. (18). In particular, it focuses on the application of market-based approach to pension fund management in charity practical situations.

It also considers financial theories on pension fund portfolios as suggested by Omollo et al. (op. cit.) In this respect, the 85th Issue is concerned with financial theory practices interventions in terms of asset allocation in regard to equity.

Finally, the Issue takes into account capital structure theories in pension economics that the custodians of African charities’ pension funds or pension fund managers apply.

• • • Charities Fund Management Practices in Africa (Page 3)

Their practices are those that can be found elsewhere in the charity world. They include the following:

σ complying with the legal and regulatory frameworks in countries they operate in Africa

σ having good governance and transparency

σ caring about tax framework which is important factor for investing pension funds

σ networking and collaborating on pension fund management matters

σ keeping good human capital policies

etc.

They try to build best practices in the above-mentioned areas which benefit their drive on pension fund management.

• • • Charities and Assets under Management in Africa (Page 3)

The development of pension assets for African Charities is important to provide for their employees’ retirement. Charities operating in Africa’s top ten pension pools can learn how they can use pension fund management skills to boost their pension assets. According to ‘brightafrica.riscura.com (19), the top ten pools in Africa include Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Botswana and Ghana.

This pension fund boost can generate additional income. African Charities can as well maintain a careful balance between their immediate liquidity needs and long term investment returns in the portfolios.

• • • Charities and Informal Sector Pensions in Africa (Page 3)

It is about the development of schemes to attract pension savings for and from workers in the informal sector in Africa; workers who tend to be poor. In this respect, African Charities try to carefully choose suitable investment instruments for poor informal household savers to help these informal workers implement long-term savings and open pension accounts. In other words, they help provide some form of social protection for the informal economy workers through a service on savings and pension accounts for the informal sector. ASOs can help in any work to cover the need of the informal sector workers who literally represent 95% of the private sector.

• • • Charities’ Investment Options and Pension Liabilities in Africa (Page 4)

There is a growing funding risk as pension liabilities grows with uncontrollable events (such as health and natural disasters). This growth of pension liabilities quite often outpaces assets. In addition, higher life expectancies amongst African Charities’ workers can mean more contribution .

In their pension fund management, African Charities are forced to include these two factors (uncontrollable life events/disasters and increase in life expectancies). These factors have led to the mismatch between pension liabilities and assets. This mismatch could only result in pension crisis, which a good pension fund management can help prevent or reduce.

An example of this mismatch is the lingering effects of the coronavirus crisis that led to a shortfall in contribution remittances to pension schemes which negatively impacted the funding needs.

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations and Pension Fund Regulations (Page 4)

Most African countries have pension fund regulations. CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) operating in those countries will normally follow these regulations when it comes to dealing with pension funds and pension fund management. ASOs can also negotiate on behalf of their members and staff so that these regulations can be softened.

For example, they can demand relaxation on employer contribution requirements in case of fund member job losses and unpaid leave.

• • • Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique (OSBA) et Contribution des Fonds de Pension en Temps de Crise (page 5)

Les OSBA ont eux-mêmes des politiques pour faire face aux crises et aux chocs de multiples formes (comme les catastrophes sanitaires, les événements naturels, les guerres, etc.). En ces temps difficiles, elles peuvent s’arranger pour que leurs politiques reflètent ces crises et ces chocs.

Par exemple, en temps de crise, le rendement des fonds de pension peut être utilisé pour réduire l’impact d’une crise, à condition que les fonds de pension et les gestionnaires d’actifs soient d’accord sans compromettre l’objectif principal des fonds de pension.

Elles doivent adapter leur réflexion et leurs pratiques en matière de risque d’investissement pour faire face à l’augmentation des risques et des chocs systémiques.

• • • Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Pensions de Vieillesse Contributives (page 5)

Les OSBA peuvent travailler dans les pays africains qui ont réformé leurs systèmes de sécurité sociale pour étendre la couverture des pensions de vieillesse aux groupes difficiles à atteindre. Parmi ces pays figurent la Côte d’Ivoire, l’Égypte, le Maroc, le Nigeria et la Zambie.

Pour être plus précis, les OSA peuvent travailler avec les groupes suivants: les travailleurs du secteur informel comme ceux de la Côte d’Ivoire, de la Zambie et de l’Égypte; les travailleurs indépendants aux revenus faibles et irréguliers, les travailleurs non salariés des professions libérales au Maroc, les indépendants et les travailleurs des micro-entreprises comme au Nigeria, etc.

La contribution de retraite qui sera collectée peut être investie pour augmenter les paiements de pension pour ces groupes pauvres. Cela peut être intégré dans les plans de gestion des fonds de pension des OSBA.

• • • Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Pools de Pension Locaux/Institutions D’épargne Contractuelles (page 6)

Les actifs des fonds de pension africains sont encore relativement faibles au niveau mondial, bien que l’Afrique du Sud ait le plus haut niveau d’actifs sous gestion en Afrique. Pour expliquer ce faible niveau d’actifs sous gestion en Afrique, fsdafrica.org (20) fait valoir que

«Les actifs des régimes de retraite de l’Afrique représentent moins de 1 % des actifs mondiaux, avec une couverture de retraite de seulement 9,6 %, ce qui expose un pourcentage important de personnes âgées au risque de pauvreté des personnes âgées. »

De même, le site web ‘pensionfundsafrica.com’ (21) énonce que

«Le marché africain des retraites est très fragmenté et, dans la plupart des pays, le secteur est minuscule – sur ce chiffre, 90 % sont concentrés au Nigeria, en Afrique du Sud, en Namibie et au Botswana, souligne le rapport Making Finance Work for Africa».

En revanche, le site web ‘pensionfundsafrica.com’ (op. cit.) note que

«Les fonds du secteur des retraites du continent s’accumulent de manière impressionnante, atteignant plus de 1 billion de dollars. »

Les OSA peuvent saisir cet élan pour développer la gestion de leurs fonds de pension.

• • • Organisations Sœurs Basées en Afrique et Marchés Internationaux de Capitaux pour les Fonds de Pension (page 6)

Les OSBA peuvent élaborer une stratégie internationale de fonds de pension tout en examinant les fenêtres d’opportunité offertes par le marché international des capitaux pour les régimes de retraite, afin de renforcer leurs départements de gestion de fonds de pension.

En effet, le site web «wtwco.com» (22) rapporte que

«En 2023, les actifs sous gestion des 300 premières caisses de retraite ont enregistré une augmentation de 10 % pour atteindre 22,6 billions de dollars, contre 20,6 billions de dollars à la fin de 2022, alors que les marchés se sont quelque peu stabilisés par rapport au niveau élevé d’incertitude économique mondiale de l’année précédente».

Les chiffres ci-dessus indiquent qu’il existe un potentiel que les OSBA peuvent essayer d’exploiter en élaborant une stratégie ambitieuse de gestion des fonds de pension.

• • • Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Pension Fund Management (Page 7)

• • • • Survey on the role of charity pension fund managers

Charity pension fund managers can help increase assets in African charity pension funds which are very small compared to other charities in other regions of the world; in doing so enabling African charities to achieve their mission.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our Africa-based Sister Organisations and community members regarding their perception on charity fund managers.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

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

Q: Are charity pension fund managers the best option for African charities looking to improve their assets and portfolios instead of trustees handling this role or is it better to have both charity pension fund managers and trustees to handle this role?

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

• • • • Testing hypotheses about causal relationships between pension fund management and the reduction of pension/old age poverty

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into the impact of pension fund management on the reduction of pension/old age poverty, we have some educational activities for them. They can test the inference of the following hypotheses:

a.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): The type of pension fund management chosen has an effect on the effect of capital structure on growth of pension funds in Africa

a.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): The type of pension fund management chosen has not an effect on the effect of capital structure on growth of pension funds in Africa

b.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): There is a correlation between African charities’ style of pension fund management and the probability of reducing pension/old age poverty amongst their workers

b.2) Null hypothesis (Ho): There is not a correlation between African charities’ style of pension fund management and the probability of reducing pension/old age poverty amongst their workers

The above tests are for those of our members who would like to dive deep into charity pension fund management and pension/old age poverty reduction. In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on a particular African charity.

• • • • E-question on your view about pension funds

Pension funds aggregate large sums of money to be invested into the capital markets such as stock and bond markets, to generate profit (returns). Yet, charities exist to delivery public benefit not profit. This can raise the following question:

Q: Is charity pension fund management helpful in furthering charity’s purposes or simply moving charities away from their founding mission?

Any of our readers and users can answer the above-mentioned question. You can provide your answer directly to CENFACS.

For those answering any of this question and needing first to discuss pension fund management matter, they can contact CENFACS.

• • • • E-discussion on preference between today’s cash and tomorrow’s pension

The e-discussion is about what people prefer in terms living with their cash today or saving for late life. This is because some people within the community argue that they want to live today as they do not know if they will live tomorrow. The e-discussion is on whether they want cash today or save with the promise of pension tomorrow.

For those who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard to this matter, they can join our e-discussion to exchange their views or thoughts or experience with others.

To e-discuss with us and others, please contact CENFACS.

• • • Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Pension Fund Management (Page 8)

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Guidance regarding the reduction of pension/old age poverty via pension fund management

Pension fund management can help generate additional income and profit by investing in financial securities, government fixed-interest bonds, stocks, shares and property bonds. This income generation can help narrow the wealth gap and build generational wealth to escape from intergenerational pension/old age poverty.

For those ASOs who would like find out how they can align their pension fund management goals with their goals of pension/old age poverty reduction, they can contact CENFACS.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of aligning the two goals with their mission.

We can work with them under our International Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service. We can as well signpost them to organisations working on charity pension fund management and pension/old age poverty.

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

• • • • Tools and metrics of the 85th Issue of FACS

The 85th Issue of FACS is concerned with seven types of tools or metrics which are: pension assets to GDP, pension calculator, old age dependency ratio, return on investment, surplus margin, earned income and poverty gap ratio.

Let us briefly explain these tools or metrics.

• • • • • Pension tools and metrics

The Issue 85 uses three pension metrics, which are pension assets to gross domestic product, pension calculator and old age dependency ratio.

a) Pension Assets to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The website ‘brightafrica.riscura.com’ (op. cit.) explains that Pension Assets to GDP is a common measure to determine the significance of pension assets to a country’s economy.

For example, although Nigeria and Egypt are among the 10 top pension pools in Africa, they have the lowest pension assets to GDP percentage at 6.77% and 1.51%, respectively.

b) Pension Calculator as a tool

One of the tools we find that could be useful for our community members is Pension Calculator.

A pension calculator (23) tells you how much money you need in retirement and the way of having it.

Those who would like to discuss the relevancy of this tool and its application, they can feel free to contact CENFACS.

c) Old Age Dependency Ratio

The old age dependency ratio is a measure of the burden of supporting the elderly population on the working-age population. The ‘data.oecd.org’ (24) speaks about the old-age to working-age demographic ratio which it defines as

“The number of individuals aged 65 and over per 100 people of working age defined as those at ages 20 to 64”.

The old-age dependency ratio is calculated as:

([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) x 100

• • • • • Investment tool and metrics: Return on Investment

The 85th Issue utilises as tool Return on Investment since pension fund involves investing. This return on investment (ROI) does not necessarily to be financial (income). It can be capital growth, social or environmental return, happiness and so on.

If one chooses financial ROI, then they need to explain what it means and how to measure it. Definitions of ROI tend to overlap.

For example, ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (25) defines ROI as

“A performance measure used to evaluate the returns of an investment or to compare the relative efficiency of different investments”.

Another definition comes from ‘forbes.com’ (26) that states

“ROI is a metric used to understand the profitability of an investment”.

There is also online ROI calculator for those who will be interested in it.

Because charities exist to delivery public benefit not profit, the 85th Issue is also interested in non-financial ROI.

Furthermore, the 85th Issue considers the impact of your investments on poverty reduction. In other words, it deals with impact investing. According to ‘renewcapital.com’ (27),

“Impact investing allows you to invest in Africa in a way that makes a positive social or environmental difference while seeking a financial return on investment”.

• • • • • Other suite of tools and metrics

They include surplus margin, earned to unearned income ratio, and poverty gap ratio.

• • • • • • Surplus margin

The 85th Issue also uses Surplus Margin as metrics. What is it?

It is the following measure:

(Net income/Total income) x 100

The website ‘cranfieldtrust.org’ (28) explains that

“Generating a surplus allows a charity to invest in the improvement/expansion of charitable activities. If the surplus marginal overall is positive, you have made a surplus and your reserves will be boosted”.

For example, this measure can be used to find out the surplus margin of ASO investors and their investment portfolios, particularly for investments made through pension fund management.

Additionally, one could consider the number of charitable organisations that are pension fund investors and the types of their investments or assets under management.

Alternatively, one could try to find answers to the following questions:

Q1: Do they invest in mixed assets funds or national equity funds or global equity funds or fixed interest funds or property and cash funds or green bonds?

Q2: What do their investment portfolios look like (the structure of their portfolio or capital)?

Q3: Do they achieve a surplus margin?

Q4: What is the profile of their margins?

• • • • • • Earned to unearned income ratio

The 85th Issue also employs the ratio of earned to unearned income. This ratio can be written as follows:

Earned Income / Unearned Income

The website ‘cranfieldtrust.org’ (op. cit.) argues that

“The ratio of earned to unearned income helps to show that the charity has developed diversified income as it has evolved. It is useful for donors and funders”.

For example, our ASOs that would like to invest can utilise this ratio to compare income earn from investments to incomes from unearned sources. Their pension fund managers can compare the contributions they received to the capital they accumulate via investment.

• • • • • • Poverty gap ratio

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

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (29) explains that

“The poverty gap ratio or poverty gap index is the average of the ratio of the poverty gap to the poverty line. Economists and statisticians express it as a percentage of the poverty line for a region or whole country…The poverty gap ratio considers how far, on the average, poor people are from poverty line”.

ASOs can use it to compare how far the pension/old age poor are from the poverty line.

The above tools and metrics can be used in dealing with pension fund management and pension/old age poverty reduction in Africa.

For example, one can use the poverty gap ratio to measure the average shortfall of the income of the pension/old age poor women in Africa from the poverty line.

• • • • Information and guidance on pension fund management and pension/old age poverty reduction

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

a) Information and guidance on pension fund management and pension/old age poverty reduction

b) Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing and pension/old age poverty reduction.

• • • • • Information and guidance on pension fund management and pension/old age poverty reduction

Those Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are looking for information and guidance on pension fund management and that do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment conducted under CENFACS’ International Advice Service) or provide them with leads about other organisations, institutions and services that can help them.

• • • • • Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing and pension/old age poverty reduction

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about impact investing queries, we can direct them to the relevant services and organisations.

More tips and hints relating to the matter can be obtained from CENFACS‘ Advice-giving Service and Sessions.

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of charity pension fund management, although the Issue 85 does not list them. Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations they are looking for.

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

• • • Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Charity Pension Fund Management and Pension/Old Age Poverty Reduction (Page 9)

• • • • Mini themed workshop on pension fund management skills to reduce pension/old age poverty

Although pension funds are better managed by those specialised in this role, those who run African charities, especially the smaller ones, can learn some skills on the way pension fund management work. This is also true for those organisations that cannot afford to hire pension fund managers.

They can boost their knowledge and skills about the reduction of pension/old age poverty via pension fund management skills with CENFACS.

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about pension fund management skills and knowledge while improving the quality of their pensioners or future pensioners. The workshop will provide recommendations for actions with options and opportunities for the participants.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

• • • • Focus group on impact investing

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

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

• • • • Autumn 2024 activity: Consulting Pension Fund Managers

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

Q1: Do you consult an pension fund manager or fund/asset manager for your pension or investment decisions?

Q2: Do you have an investment account with a pension fund manager?

Those who would like to answer these two questions and participate to our Consulting Pension Fund Managers Activity, they are welcome.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

• • • Giving and Project (Page 10)

• • • • Readers’ giving

You can support FACS, CENFACS bilingual newsletter, which explains what is happening within and around CENFACS.

FACS also provides a wealth of information, tips, tricks and hacks on how to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can help to continue its publication and to reward efforts made in producing it.

To support, just contact CENFACS on this site.

• • • • African Pension Fund Manager Project (APFMP)

APFMP is an initiative that consists of investing the contributions received, accumulating them, administrating the funds, developing pension policies and pension and benefits packages, reviewing, discussing and agreeing fund strategy and structure with African Charities.

The real aim of this project is to reduce and possibly end pension poverty or old age poverty.

APFMP will work across African charities to support them meet and implement their pension fund management strategy and aim while contributing to their goal of reducing pension poverty or old age poverty among their users and workers.

To support or contribute to APFMP, please contact CENFACS.

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

The full copy of the 85th Issue of FACS is available on request.

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

_________

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(27) https://renewcapital.com/newsroom/charitable-investment-options-for-benevolent-investors (accessed in August 2024)

(28) https://www.cranfieldtrust.org/articles/top-10-financial-ratios-forcharities (accessed in April 2024)

(29) https://marketbusinessnews.com/information-on-credit/gap-ratio–definition-meaning (accessed in August 2023)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on October 16, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 October 2024

Post No. 374

The Week’s Contents

• Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 14/10/2024: Conserving Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 16 to 22/10/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Application Processing (Stage 2)

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Funga, Communities and Organisations in Africa are Asking for Your Support!

This appeal is about supporting needy people, flora, fauna, funga, communities and organisations in Africa. It includes the following five selected projects:

1) Informal Cross-border Poor Traders’ Skills

2) Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects

3) More Poverty Reduction for Women and Youth in Africa

4) Rescuing Children’s Education

5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga Projects.

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 are available should any of the potential donors or funders make 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 trying to find ways of coming out of multiple crises (food, energy, climate change, geo-economic crises, etc.). This struggle affects the ability of people to support good and deserving causes.

However, the effects of these crises are even stronger in places where there is a high level of poverty like in Africa. This is why we have launched this seasonal appeal to help not only to reduce poverty but also to save lives from these crises.

Therefore, we are inviting those who can, to donate £4 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans, 1 benefit for other natural livings and 1 shared benefit between humans and nature) or any amount starting from £4 or more as you wish or can.

You can gift aid your donation as well as support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, status, circumstance, budget, capacity and willingness.

To donate, gift aid and support otherwise; please contact CENFACS.

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities – In Focus for Week Beginning 14/10/2024: Conserving Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)

To compose the note relating to Conserving Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis), let us briefly explain the following:

σ What is Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)?

σ The conservation status of Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)

σ What can be done to Conserve Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis).

In addition, we shall provide the themed activity we have planned for this week. This themed activity is about the role of fish in the food chain.

• • What Is Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)?

On the website ‘inaturalist.org’ (1), it is stated that

“Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis) or simply Treur barb is a species of cyprinid fish. It is endemic to northern Mpumalanga, South Africa”.

There is more that can be said about the definition of Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis). Because we are only giving the key message, we would like to limit ourselves to the above brief explanation of Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis).

• • What Is the Conservation Status of Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)?

According to the assessment made in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (2), Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis) is critically endangered under criteria B1 as (iii). In other words, Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis) is a fish species that is in danger of extinction if existing pressures on it continue and is likely to disappear if it is not offered adequate protection. Its situation relates to a crisis. Because of that, it needs conservation. What do we mean by conservation?

There are many ways of explaining conservation, let us refer to the explanation of Chris Park (3), which is:

“Conservation is the planned protection, maintenance, management, sustainable use, and restoration of natural resources and the environment, in order to secure their long-term survival” (p. 95)

There are two types of conservation: ex situ and in situ. This note is about in situ conservation, that is the conservation of Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis) in its natural habitat.

• • What One Can Do to Conserve Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis)

To conserve the Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis), there are actions to be taken. Amongst these actions are the following:

σ Protect and restore their habitat to help maintain their population

σ Control invasive species

σ Monitor and regulate fishing in the Blyde and Treur Rivers to prevent overfishing

σ Reduce existing pressures on Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis) like over-harvesting and habitat change.

The above actions are the few ones. There is more that can be done to Conserve Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis). To stay within the scope of this note, we can limit ourselves to the above-mentioned actions or steps to Conserve Treur River Barb (Enteromius treurensis).

• • Add-on Activity of This Week’s Campaign: A Focus Group on the Role of Fish in the Food Chain

The fish themed activity of this week is on working in a small group on the role of fish in the food chain. The group will contribute to an open discussion about the role that fishes play in the food chain.

Perhaps, the best way to introduce this discussion is to understand the expression food chain.

• • • What is food chain?

According to ‘bio.libretexts.org’ (4),

“In ecology, a food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass: primary producers, primary consumers, and higher-level consumers are used to describe ecosystem structure and dynamics”.

Knowing what food chain is, it is possible to find out the role that fishes play in the food chain. The results from literature about this role indicate that fish plays the following roles:

σ Primary consumers: some fishes feed on plants (phytoplankton and algae)

σ Secondary consumers: larger fishes prey on smaller fish and crustaceans

σ Tertiary consumers: top ocean predators, such as large sharks and whales, feed on other fish and marine organisms.

Those who may be interested in taking part in this focus group are invited to contact CENFACS.

Briefly speaking, the above is our second note of the “A la une” Campaign for this year.

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

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan – Match Period 16 to 22/10/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Application Processing (Stage 2)

Both African Poverty Relief Charity (APRC) and not-for-profit (n-f-p) farming investor (FI) have decided to move with the matching talks as they scored points each of them during Stage 1. They agreed to move to Stage 2 while finalising the little bits remaining from Stage 1 of the matching negotiations since these negotiations are a backward and forward process.

The second stage of this 4-week Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan is about Matching African Poverty Relief Charity’s Loan Application Processing File with n-f-p Farming Investor’s Expectations from Application Processing. In this episode, we are going to delve into the potential agreement or disagreement on APRC’s plan to process loan applications/data and n-f-p FI’s view on application/data processing.

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

σ What Is a Loan Application Processing?

σ APRC’s Loan Application Processing File

σ N-f-p FI’s Approach to APRC’s Loan Application Processing File

σ The match or fit test.

Let us look at each of these headings.

• • What Is a Loan Application Processing?

It is a set activities that consists of verifying the documents submitted by potential borrowers via a completed application form furnished by a lender/creditor or their representative. It is a series of operations of treating raw data provided by prospective borrowers/debtors. The documents submitted include income statements, bank statements, tax returns, identification proofs, etc. These activities are about checking the authenticity and accuracy of these documents as well as conducting credit evaluation.

In the context of Stage 2 of our Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, loan application processing includes documentation verification and credit evaluation. The information about documentation verification and credit evaluation will make up APRC’s Loan Application Processing File.

• • APRC’s Loan Application Processing File

APRC’s Loan Application Processing File is a folder or box in which APRC keeps all the information provided by potential borrowers/debtors. If APRC uses computer or digital or cloud technology, loan application processing file will be an organised collection of data that is stored in the memory of a computer or online or in the cloud. The file can also contain loan application processing policies and procedures.

In this file, APRC needs to explain how it intends to process loan applications. Within this process, it has to specify how it is going to proceed with credit evaluation. The evaluation is about finding out the borrower’s creditworthiness. Credit evaluation is a process for APRC to determine whether or not to grant a loan to its members or applicants considering the level of risk involved. In this respect, APRC needs to indicate in its file if it intends to carry out Minimum Risk Assessment Criteria (MRAC) process. In other words, it may clarify if it has or will have MRAC tools and Loan Origination Software (LOS) as loan application processing tools.

• • N-f-p FI’s Approach to APRC’s Loan Application Processing File

N-f-p FI’s Approach to APRC’s Loan Application Processing File will be mostly about whether or not this file contains convincing elements to process a loan application. He/she will be keen to know how APRC will process applicants’ requests considering the contents of this file. He/she needs to be assured that APRC will put its attention to detail. There are many points or questions that he/she may raise and that need answer.

For example, he/she wants clarification on the matters below:

σ Will APRC use local credit bureaus to check or assess the creditworthiness of borrowers or will APRC use its own algorithm and scoring system?

σ N-f-p FI will check if APRC has credit department or unit to streamline the lending application process

σ Will APRC undertake loan application manually or automatically with automating routine?

σ If a borrower has missing information, what APRC will do.

σ N-f-p FI will want to know if APRC has or will have a loan information processing team to verify borrowers’ information

σ APRC’s lending criteria and standards and how potential borrowers will meet them

σ N-f-p FI would like to to find out if APRC has a system to eliminate high risk cases in the very beginning

σ N-f-p FI may want to be sure that APRC will use credit score factors such as credit repayment history, credit utilisation history, current loan portfolio, time period of credit lines, credit inquiries made

σ N-f-p FI will be keen in finding out if APRC will check other factors like negative cash flow, bounced cheques, loan defaults and negative customer feedback, etc.

To express their mutual interest in this Stage 2 of the matching talks, APRC and N-f-p FI can meet in person and negotiations will be facilitated with the support statements from both parties. Where in person meeting is difficult, online meeting can be arranged. At the end of their discussions, the final terms of Loan Application Processing Terms and Conditions are determined and mutually agreed upon.

There should be an agreement between APRC’s Loan Application Processing File and N-f-p FI’s Approach to APRC’s Loan Application Processing File. If there is a disagreement, then the talks/negotiations could be subject to match or fit test.

• • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p farming investor’s enquiries and queries must be matched with APRCs’ lending application processing file. In other words, the information to be contained in APRCs’ lending application processing file must successfully respond to the enquiries and queries that n-f-p farming investor may raise about the micro-loan initiative and model of working with local poor people and communities in Africa, particularly the way data from these people and communities will be processed.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between the questions from the investor/n-f-p FI and the answers from the investee/APRCs), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this second round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise APRCs to improve the contents of its lending application or data processing file. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p farming investors with impact to work out their expectations (or enquiries and queries) to a format that can be acceptable by potential APRCs. CENFACS’ impact advice for APRCs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p farming investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more n-f-p farming investors are attracted by APRCs’ lending application or data processing file the better for APRCs. Likewise, the more APRCs can successfully respond to n-f-p farming investors’ level of enquiries and queries the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the second stage of the Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a farming charitable loan project to lift their members out of poverty via giving micro-loans to them and n-f-p farming investors looking for organisations that are interested in their investments, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this second stage of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to 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

• CENFACS’ be.africa Forum e-discusses Ways of Improving Community-based Financial Systems to Further Reduce Poverty in Africa

• Online Micro-volunteering Activities with CENFACS

As well as supporting CENFACS and its noble and beautiful causes with donations made without directly giving cash, people can add 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 (5), 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 enduring 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 doing 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, Artificial Intelligence enabled tools, 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 with impact.

• • Online Micro-volunteering to Achieve Smart Poverty Relief

This additional way of working and engaging with our audience and supporters via online micro-volunteering action 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 noble and beautiful 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 and beautiful causes of poverty reduction and sustainable development, 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). You can share them with us to feature the 2024 State of Play, Run and Vote.

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 2024 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 2024 which would have best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2024

√ The Best African Development and Poverty Relief Managers of 2024.

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 2024!

• CENFACS’ be.africa Forum e-discusses Ways of Improving Community-based Financial Systems to Further Reduce Poverty in Africa

In Africa, many people would prefer to use the services of community-based financial systems instead of formal banking systems. Often, these services are provided by community-based financial organisations.

Community-based financial systems or trust-based transactions or even community-based savings groups play a vital role in mobilising financial resources between members of the same group or system. These community-based infrastructures, which rely on social bonds and mutual trust, exist for hundred years. It is possible to improve their results so that they can increase their contribution to poverty reduction. To improve their contributions, it is better to understand them. Their understanding could be done through organisations that run them.

• • What Is a Community-based financial organisation (CBFO)?

According to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (6),

“The term CBFO covers a wide variety of entities that provide a range of financial products and services. CBFOs typically operate in remote areas that lack access to the formal financial services, and often without government regulation and oversight”.

The International Fund for Agriculture Development also provides three types of CBFO, which are:

Ο small community-based, time-bound savings groups

Ο small community-based accumulating savings groups

Ο large community-based cooperative groups.

The World Economic Forum (7) explains that these community-based savings groups rely on social bonds and mutual trust rather than formal contracts. They also rely on informal economies where trust-based transactions are more common than formal banking as they align with local realities and specifically cater for local needs and cultural practices.

Examples of these community-based financial structures include Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) like ‘esusu’ in Nigeria or ‘stokvels’ in South Africa or ‘clama’ in Kenya.

They can be improved to increase their results in poverty reduction in Africa. Our e-discussion is about ways of improving these community-based financial infrastructures so that they can pull more people out of poverty in Africa.

Given their popularity amongst local people compared to formal banking, how can one help improve community-based financial systems so that they can lift more people out of poverty in Africa?

The above question is what we are trying to answer to this week’s discussion. CENFACS would like to know your answer. If you have answer or argument to make about this question, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

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

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

Message in French (Message en français)

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne sur les moyens d’améliorer les systèmes financiers communautaires pour réduire davantage la pauvreté en Afrique

En Afrique, beaucoup de gens préféreraient utiliser les services des systèmes financiers communautaires plutôt que des systèmes bancaires formels. Souvent, ces services sont fournis par des organisations financières communautaires.

Les systèmes financiers communautaires ou les transactions basées sur la fiducie ou même les groupes d’épargne communautaires jouent un rôle essentiel dans la mobilisation des ressources financières entre les membres d’un même groupe ou système. Ces infrastructures communautaires, qui reposent sur le lien social et la confiance mutuelle, existent depuis cent ans. Il est possible d’améliorer leurs résultats afin qu’elles puissent accroître leur contribution à la réduction de la pauvreté. Pour améliorer leurs contributions, il est préférable de les comprendre. Leur compréhension pourrait se faire par le biais d’organisations qui les gèrent.

• • Qu’est-ce qu’une organisation financière communautaire (OFC)?

Selon le Fonds International de Développement Agricole (6),

«Le terme OFC couvre une grande variété d’entités qui fournissent une gamme de produits et de services financiers. Les OFC opèrent généralement dans des zones reculées qui n’ont pas accès aux services financiers formels, et souvent sans réglementation ni surveillance gouvernementales».

Le Fonds International de Développement Agricole offre également trois types de OFC, à savoir:

σ petits groupes d’épargne communautaires assortis d’un budget limité dans le temps

σ petits groupes communautaires d’épargne accumulatrice

σ grands groupes coopératifs communautaires.

Le Forum Économique Mondial (7) explique que ces groupes d’épargne communautaires s’appuient sur les liens sociaux et la confiance mutuelle plutôt que sur des contrats formels. Ils s’appuient également sur des économies informelles où les transactions basées sur la confiance sont plus courantes que les banques formelles, car elles s’alignent sur les réalités locales et répondent spécifiquement aux besoins locaux et aux pratiques culturelles.

Parmi ces structures financières communautaires, citons les associations tournantes d’épargne et de crédit (connues par l’appelation ROSCA) comme «esusu» au Nigeria ou «stokvels» en Afrique du Sud ou «clama» au Kenya.

Ces systèmes financiers peuvent être améliorés pour accroître leurs résultats de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique. Notre discussion en ligne porte sur les moyens d’améliorer ces infrastructures financières communautaires afin qu’elles puissent sortir davantage de personnes de la pauvreté en Afrique.

Compte tenu de leur popularité parmi les populations locales par rapport aux banques formelles, comment peut-on aider à améliorer les systèmes financiers communautaires afin qu’ils puissent sortir davantage de personnes de la pauvreté en Afrique?

La question ci-dessus est ce à quoi nous essayons de répondre à la discussion de cette semaine. Le CENFACS aimerait connaître votre réponse. Si vous avez une réponse ou un argument à faire valoir à cette question, n’hésitez pas à le faire savoir au CENFACS.

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

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

Main Development

• Autumn 2024 Humanitarian Relief Appeal

Needy People, Flora, Fauna, Funga, 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 – data from individuals and multilateral agencies working on poverty matter.

Example 1

In the the report “Cross-border is our livelihood. It is our job”, ‘amnesty.org’ (8) notes that

“Informal cross border trade (ICBT), valued at USD 17.6 billion in 2018 and constituting 30-40% of total trade in Southern Africa, is predominantly led by women”.

According to the ‘amnesty.org’, the report sheds light on human rights violations against women in ICBT in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Example 2

Writing on inequality, the United Nations Development Programme (9) in its Human Development Report 2023-2024 provides the following information:

a) Population living below monetary poverty line (at PPP $2.15 a day) between 2011-2021 was 37.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa (p. 299)

b) Inequality in income was 39.4% in 2022 in Sub-Saharan Africa (p. 286)

c) Gender inequality index in terms of labour force participation rate (% ages 15 and older) was 63.9 for female and 76.4 for male in 2022 in Sub-Saharan Africa (p. 296).

Example 3

Studying the situation of young people in Africa, ‘blogs.lse.ac.uk’ (10) explains that

“Over 80 million young Africans live in extreme poverty, this is more than three-quarters of the global youth population who live in such conditions… Many also experience a critical shortage of urban housing, forcing large numbers to live in informal settlements without access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation”.

Example 4

Reporting on the disproportionate impacts of the escalating conflict for Sudanese women and girls, ‘unwomen.org’ (11) notices that

“The number of people in need of gender-based violence related services has increased by 100 percent since the beginning of the crisis, up to 6.7 million by December 2023, and this figure is estimated to be even higher today”.

Example 5

Reporting on educational situation in Africa, ‘reliefweb.int’ (12) writes on the highlight made by the Norwegian Refugee Council on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack that

“In West and Central Africa, more than 14,000 schools have been forced to close due to violence and insecurity as of June 2024, impacting learning of hundreds of thousands of children across the region”.

The ‘reliefweb.int’ adds that

“Across the Sahelian countries of Burkina Faso and Mali as well as Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, school closures affected millions of children in 2023 and continue to do so this year”.

Example 6

Analysing the kinds of threats and dangers that species face in Africa, ‘the International Fund for Agriculture Development’ (13) listed in February 2024 twenty of the most endangered animals and wildlife in Africa, which are

Black Rhinos, Gorillas, Elephants, Atlantic humpback dolphin, Geometric tortoise, Addax, African wild donkey, Golden bamboo lemur, Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, Riverine rabbit, São Tomé grosbeak, White-winged flufftail, Madagascar pochard, Newton’s fiscal, Bizarre-nosed chameleon, Krokosna squeaking frog, Liben lark, Table Mountain ghost frog, Long-billed forest warbler, and Bale Mountains tree frog.

Likewise, in its State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report, ‘kew.org’ (14) provides five key extinction risks facing the world’s plants and fungi, which are as follows:

extinction of three in four unknown plant species; the detrimental impacts of climate change on fungi; plants are extinct 500 times faster than before humans existed; known fungi species have the risk of extinction for less than 1%; and nearly half of flowering plant species are under threat.

In addition, the State of the World’s Migratory Species jointly produced by UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (15) in February 2024 explained the deteriorating status of migratory species that are categorised as critically endangered and endangered. It raised the need to prevent this extinction to happen.

What do the above-mentioned examples, pieces of information and facts tell us? They indicate and help draw the conclusion below.

Whether it is about informal cross border trade or inequality between the two sexes or the impacts of violence on women and girls or youth conditions or attack on education, the above data just highlight the underlying problem of extreme poverty in Africa.

One part of the above-mentioned figures and facts also points out the continuing threats to wildlife and the lack of skills in some situations to transition 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, fauna and funga 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 as well as those from individual researchers 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 the effects of geo-economic and insecurity crises.

• • The projects

Five projects to help reduce poverty and meet the needs of the local people, animals, plants, fungi and organisations this Autumn and beyond

1) Informal Cross-border Poor Traders’ Skills Project (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 those running income-generating activities through cross-borders in Africa. The project is designed to support growth and decent way of generating income for those poor people trading between borders of African countries in order to reduce poverty.

The project is not only about specialising in a particular way of generating income. It is also or even more about carrying out structural transformation in the way poor traders and small producers are trying to respectively trade and produce. The project will help in the development of skills for cross-border trade and trade diversification. The skills are the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to better trade and diversify.

2) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga Projects (Environmental Projects)

These are wildlife preservation, conservation and protection initiatives which help to advance justice and equity for flora, fauna and funga, and which include three areas of action:

a) Life-saving actions against new forms of exploitation and trafficking of animal, bird and plant species

b) Life-saving action against the cost-of-living crisis on flora and fauna

c) Life-saving actions to reduce the impacts of climate change on fungi.

The first action is an action to protect animal and bird 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.

According to the Director of Parks, Estates and Reserves of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (16),

“The park Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo has lost 50% of its animal population due to the rebellion in North-Kivu province”.

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.

The third action is about lowering the risk of extinction facing fungi.

3) Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects (Equality Projects)

Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects can be of various kinds within CENFACS. The first wave or generation of symmetry projects was to address the unfair distributional effects of the coronavirus. This first wave or generation of Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects was implemented during the period of the coronavirus (from Autumn 2019 to Autumn 2021).

The second wave or generation of Symmetry Poverty Reduction Projects was about projects of working with local poor people in parts of Africa where there has been uneven impact of the cost-of-living crisis and poverty reduction in order to establish equal right and address the historical roots and causes of this type of asymmetry or inequality in a sustainable way.

This Autumn’s Symmetry Projects, which are the continuation of the previous Autumn’s Symmetry Projects, are sustainable development initiatives aiming at reducing the difference in the distributional effects of conflict and violence that have been asymmetrical or uneven. The disproportional impacts of conflict for women and girls in the cases of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as somewhere else in Africa are part of Symmetry Projects. In those cases, women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted by the lack of safe, easily accessible, and affordable water, sanitation, and hygiene as noted by the ‘unwomen.org’ (op. cit.)

4) More Poverty Reduction for Women and Youth in Africa (Empowerment Project)

Many studies found that the number of women and youth in poverty in Africa is high. Yet, youth makes more than 60% of the population in Africa and Africa’s development depends on the development of women in Africa. The International Labour Organisation (17) notes that youth unemployment rate was 8.9% (p. 86) while women unemployment rate was 9.7% (p. 86) in 2023 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Also, women and youth make up the large percentage in the informal economy in Africa.

More Poverty Reduction for Women and Youth in Africa tries to address the poverty of the historically excluded (here women and youths) from the formal economy for various reasons (be it income or gender or customs or age or level of financial literacy and numeracy or tribe, etc.). The project will try to more reduce poverty and discrimination linked to exclusion towards the contribution that women and young people, particularly young girls, are making or can make in their own development as well as the development process in Africa.

5) Rescuing Children’s Education (Educational Hardship Reduction Project)

There are two aspects in this project which are maintaining school momentum in places where there is no crisis and rescuing education in crises-stricken places.

a) Maintaining school momentum

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. Rescuing Children’s Education 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.

To maintain school momentum, 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.

b) Educational rescue or Protection of children’s education from attack

This second aspect is about rescuing the education of children whose curriculum has been disrupted because of the consequences of conflicts and natural disasters.

To rescue education for children victims of conflicts and natural disasters, support can be given to help them learn and engage with school by distance if their school is closed because of the consequences of wars and / or natural disasters. For those children where schools have been reopen after conflicts and natural disasters, they need support too.

In total, 5 projects to donate £4 to create 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 (children), flora, fauna and funga 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 (like the elephants, gorillas, rhinoceros, etc.), plant species (such as maize, potato, bean, squash, chilli pepper, vanilla, avocado, husk tomato and cotton crops), bird species (e.g., African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, African Green Broadhill, etc.), fish species (like African Wedge Fish, Treur River Barb, Bagrus Meridionalis, Sandfish, etc.) and fungi species (e.g., mushrooms, moulds, mildews, and yeasts)

• Wildlife crime through illegal harvest of and trade in wildlife and forest products as well as derived products

• Lack of skills for trade and for income diversification, 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 the disproportionate impacts of conflicts on women and girls

• lack of means for women and youths to transition out of poverty; yet women and youths are great asset for Africa’s sustainable development

• Absence of support for informal cross border traders and workers (women and youth are amongst them)

• Shortage 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

• No supply of support in places where school infrastructures and educational premises have been destroyed by wars and natural events.

• • The beneficiaries

This Autumn 2024 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 animal, bird, plant and fungus 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, funga, communities and organisations need your support.

CENFACS is appealing to you to donate £4 to create 3 benefits (1 benefit for humans; 1 benefit for animals, birds and plants; and 1 shared benefit for both humans and nature) as you wish to achieve penultimate relief. Donating for shared benefit will help improve human-nature relationships while avoiding human-wildlife conflicts.

• • What your donation can achieve

If you donate £4 to create 3 benefits, we can anticipate the following use and relief impacts that these amounts can help

⇒ To implement Skills for Informal Cross-border Poor Traders by…

√ identifying gaps in trade capability and enhancing beneficiaries’ knowledge and application skills to better trade as well as strengthening advocacy and bargaining power for supportive environment for these poor traders

√ creating a shift toward a more varied structure of beneficiaries’ income generation drive and production to make ends meet.

For example, £4 can help provide a tablet or phone to help beneficiaries run their income-generating activities, acquire high street digital trade skills, learn cross-border legislation and increase their voices in poverty reduction issues.

⇒ To deliver Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects by…

√ running wildlife protection awareness campaign to address illicit trafficking in wildlife and to keep advocacy on wild animals’, birds’, fishes’, plants’ and fungi’s rights and welfare

√ buying or developing software or apps on protection and care of animal, bird, fish, plant and fungus species in Africa.

For example, £4 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 Poverty Reduction Projects by…

√ running online and virtual equality workshops on the reduction of asymmetrical adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis between people and ethnic groups

√ training people to tackle inequalities of poverty reduction or treatment induced by the cost-of-living crisis within their communities.

For example, £4 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 further reduce poverty amongst women and youth in Africa by…

√ helping the unbanked women and youths to access the documentation required to open a financial account and build their financial health

√ supporting African voluntary organisations to advocate for further support for women and youths as well as help deploy empowerment services and products towards them.

For example, £4 can help pay for childcare and other care services so that young girls can study and engage in the financial sector in Africa in a gender-aware and inclusive way.

⇒ To realise back-to-school support, maintain school momentum and rescue needy children’s education by…

√ supporting the recovery of learning losses, teacher training and extra health service for the children traumatised by the effects of conflicts and natural disasters on their education and well-being

√ 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, £4 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) https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/549746-Enteromius-treurensis (accessed in October 2024)

(2) https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2572/100159826 (accessed in October 2024)

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

(4) https://bio.libretexts.org/courses/Lumen_Learning/Fundamentals_of_Biology_/_(Lumen)/18%3A_Module_15_Ecology_and_the_Environment/18.20%3A_Food_Chains_and_Food_Webs (accessed in October 2024)

(5) 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 2023)

(6) https://www.ifad.org/documents/d/new-ifad.org/community-based-financial-organisations.pdf (accessed in October 2024)

(7) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/10/financial-inclusion-african-financing-models/ (accessed in October 2024)

(8) https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr03/7792/2024/en/ (accessed in October 2024)

(9) https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/document/global-report-document/hdr2023-2024reporten.pdf (accessed in October 2024)

(10) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2024/10/03/youth-and-women-are-shaping-africa-future/ (accessed in October 2024)

(11) https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/press-release/2024/09/sudan-humanitarian-crisis-has-catastrophic-impact-for-women-and-girls-with-two-fold-increase-of-gender-based-violence (accessed in October 2024)

(12) https://www.reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/west-and-central-africa-alarming-rise-school-closures (accessed in October 2024)

(13) https://www.ifaw.org/international/journal/20-most-endangered-animals-wildlife-africa (accessed in October 2024)

(14) https://www.kew.org/science/state-of-the-world’s-plants-and-fungi (accessed in October 2023)

(15) UNEP-WCMC (2024), State of the World’s Migratory Species. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, United Kingdom

(16) https://actualite.cd/2024/10/15/rdc-le-parc-des-virunga-perdu-plus-de-50-de-la-population-animale-suite-aux-activities-du (accessed in October 2024)

(17) International Labour Organisation (2024), Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024: Decent Work, Brighter Futures, Geneva: International Labour Office, 2024@ILO

_________

• 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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

“Mbisi” Project

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on October 9, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

09 October 2024

Post No. 373

The Week’s Contents

• 2024 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Mbisi” Project

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan – Stage 1: Loan Application Submission

• Making Donations Not Directly with Cash

… And much more!

Key Messages

• 2024 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Mbisi” 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 Saving the Endangered Fish Species. This sub-theme will be delivered or conducted via “Mbisi” Project.

As said, this year’s campaign is about the upkeep of endangered fish species. It is an action to reduce and stop extinction risk and threat that fish species like

Bagrus meridionalis, Treur River barb, Sandfish, Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri, Haplochromis granti, Basking Shark, African Wedgefish (Rynchobatus Luebbert) and Barbel spp

are subject to.

These fish species are just a few examples of many more that are threatened and at risk of extinction.

Five of the above-mentioned examples of critically endangered fish species (that is, Bagrus meridionalis, Treur River barb enteronius treurensis, African Wedgefish Rynchobatus Luebbert, Haplochromis granti, and Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri) 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 Saving Bagrus Meridionalis; themed area which kicked off from the 7^th of October 2024.

For further information about this first note, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan – Stage 1: Loan Application Submission

Last week, we explained what Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan is about. In particular, we provided the following briefs:

Matching Project Statement, the Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, Charitable Loan to Small to Medium-sized Farming Businesses/Farmers, What Is a Not-for-profit Investor in Farming Activities/Businesses? and What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Loan?

This week, we are continuing with the presentation of 4-week Matching Activities, which starts today 09/10/2024. We shall then deal with the note relating to Stage 1 of this matching process, which is Loan Application Submission. But, before that let us briefly highlight the matching guidelines, the type of loan involved in this matching process, and what the loan will be used for.

• • Matching Guidelines

To carry out Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan, one needs to know the profile of the organisation that is looking for not-for-profit investment, the specification or description of the not-for-profit farming investor, and identification of possible ways of matching organisation’s profile and investor’s specification.

• • What Is the Type of Loan APRCs Will Provide?

It is a flexible farming finance in the form of cash injection to small and medium-sized farming activities or businesses for equipment growth and cash flow. APRC is planning to provide flexible loans at concessional/social rates (that is, short-term loans with less interest to pay) to be used for the following:

σ Expansion and growth of farming activities or businesses

σ Equipment (like soil cultivation equipment, seed drills, tractor-pulled transplanter, utility vehicles, etc.) and machinery purchase

σ Farming stock

σ Coverage of one-off business cost

etc.

• • What the Loan Will Be Used for

Loans, which could be between £100 and £2,000, will help to buy agricultural equipment or investment in a new farming initiative/venture. They can help smallholder farmers buy the following: a tractor, harrow, transplanter, trailer, rake, backhoe loader, machete, shovel, small farm truck, etc.

• • Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

As part of CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, we are running a 4-week matching activities to support both African Poverty Relief Charities (APRCs) and not-for-profit (n-f-p) farming investors. It is a 4-week work about Impact Advice Service for APRCs and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit farming investors.

To deliver Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, we shall refer to the lending or loan life cycle. By definition, a loan cycle is the period from which a borrower applies for a loan to time it is paid off with interest to the lender. In other words, the lending life cycle consists of all activities that begin the loan application stage and culminate with the final repayment.

There could be more than four steps or stages in any lending process. Within the lending literature and jargon, it is said that the average loan cycle consists of five stages.

Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this project in four weeks, we have chosen a four-stage model of working with both APRCs and not-for-profit farming investors (n-f-p FIs). As a result, we have decided to follow the four key stages model of the lending process provided by ‘datagardener.com’ (1); model which includes application submission, application processing, underwriting stage and disbursement. These stages are included in our Plan for 4-week Matching Activities.

The following is our action plan.

Notes to table no. 1:

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

(**) Match stages are the four stages lending process at which CENFACS can provide advice to APRCs and guidance to n-f-p FIs in order to maximise their chances to reach an agreement.

If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit farming investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, starting from 09 October 2024.

If you need guidance to outsource charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under the same 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, starting from 09 October 2024.

These matching activities are a great opportunity for charities to realise their Autumn dream of getting an investment they badly need and an investor who can stand alongside their mission. They are also a grand aspiration for not-for-profit farming investors to find Autumn fresh peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to invest in Africa.

Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, please contact CENFACS.

• • 09/10/2024 to 15/10/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan –

Stage 1: Matching Organisation-Investor via Loan Application Submission

This is the first stage of the loan processing whereby the potential borrower/debtor will fill out the application form to be furnished by APRCS. After filling out his/her application, he/she will submit it to the lender (here APRCs).

The application will include the following details:

∝ Personal information (that is, proof of identity, full name, contact information, address history, etc.)

∝ Financial statements (i.e., balance sheets showing potential borrower’s assets and liabilities, income statements providing insights into revenues and expenses, cash flow statements measuring the amount of cash the borrower’s will generate and spend over a period of time like 6 months to one year)

∝ Credit history (that is, a record of a borrower’s past payment behaviour, credit utilisation and credit inquiries)

∝ and other details for the purpose of the loan application submission.

At this stage, which kicks off the matching talks or negotiations, both APRCs and n-f-p FIs are required to well performed in terms of their pitches and facts.

• • • What APRCs need to Do at this stage

APRC needs to demonstrate that it has in place an organised system and structure of collecting information from the borrower via an application form; whether this information will be directly collected by APRC (e.g., online software form to be furnished with aid by APRC or paper form) or a third party (an agency). Even if the information is collected by a third party or software/paper form, APRC is required to show that it has control over the lending information collection system. It also has to provide evidence that it has infrastructure and capacity to carefully and professionally review the information provided to assess borrower’s/debtor’s eligibility and affordability.

Although some the borrowers could be members or project beneficiaries of APRC, the latter needs to prove that it will professionally act according to international lending or credit processing standards when collecting personal information from them. Failure to do so will provide some doubt from n-f-p FIs in terms of APRC’s competency to deal with lending application submission process.

• • • What N-f-p FIs want to know

N-f-p FI will check that the way in which APRC will collect facts from potential borrower/debtor and how APRC will assess borrower’s/debtor’s creditworthiness. In technical parlance, n-f-p FI would like to know whether or not the information to be collected will be relevant, accurate and complete in the context of loan application processing. N-f-p FI will want to be sure that APRC will check the information collected if they are true and accurate. It may also anticipate the process by trying to know if APRC will conduct a proper credit analysis in terms of creditworthiness of the borrower in order to mitigate the risk of repayment default. In this respect, n-f-p FI will want some guarantee on how APRC gather information relating to financial ratio analysis, risk assessment and creditworthiness.

N-f-p FI also would like to be sure that the way credit history information will be collected by APRC will enable a better checking of the key components of credit analysis such as financial statement analysis, credit history evaluation, farming industry and market analysis, other monetary information and records.

There is another reason why n-f-p FI will want to be sure. This reason is that the micro-loan to be offered by APRC is for the borrower/debtor to produce or run a farming activity/project, not to consume to meet their personal needs. The micro-loan is indeed a form of borrowing for commercial purposes. It will be used to start up or support the farming activity or business. Borrower/debtor will agree to pay it back including interest attached to it over the agreed period of time.

So, the contents of lending application submission form proposed by APRCs need to be approved by n-f-p FIs. If the latter disagree on any of the information to be collected or contained in this form and the way of collecting them, there could be mismatch between the two (i.e., between application submission form contents and what investor is looking at). If there is a mismatch, this can open more talks or negotiations or CENFACS‘ intervention.

If these talks result to nothing, then there could be a need to organise a match or fit test. This scenario could happen if APRC decide that in certain situations borrowers/debtors may not required to go through an established credit history process because of high level of poverty where they live or where the farming charitable loan project will be implemented. N-f-p FI may or may not agree with APRC as he/she may think that it is very risk to do so. N-f-p FI may want to see that there is a commercial rate of return on investment in relation to the risk to be taken by APRC. This is because APRC will be making a loan as an investment.

APRC can challenge n-f-p FI’s argument. However, APRC will need to prove that it will take reasonable steps to limit its exposure to risk. If n-f-p FI disagrees, then the talks/negotiations could be subject to match or fit test.

• • • The Match or Fit Test

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p farming investor’s enquiries and queries must be matched with APRCs’ lending application submission form and process. In other words, the information to be contained in APRCs’ lending application submission form must successfully respond to the enquiries and queries that n-f-p farming investor may raise about the micro-loan initiative and model of working with local poor people and communities in Africa.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement. If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between the questions from the investor/n-f-p FI and the answers from the investee/APRCs), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this first round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise APRCs to improve the contents of its lending application submission form and process. CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p farming investors with impact to work out their expectations (or enquiries and queries) to a format that can be acceptable by potential APRCs. CENFACS’ impact advice for APRCs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p farming investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more n-f-p farming investors are attracted by APRCs’ lending application submission form and process the better for APRCs. Likewise, the more APRCs can successfully respond to n-f-p farming investors’ level of enquiries and queries the better for investors. In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the first stage of the Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to set up a farming charitable loan project to lift their members out of poverty via giving micro-loans to them and n-f-p farming investors looking for organisations that are interested in their investments, they can contact CENFACS to arrange the match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

For any queries and/or enquiries about this first stage of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• Making Donations Not Directly with Cash

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 as well as to its noble and beautiful causes. This is all part of improving the way in which you can make an 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 make donations not directly with cash for CENFACS and CENFACS’ noble and beautiful causes. Those who would like to assist CENFACS by using other means than directly giving cash, they can think of the following.

15-themed 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

11) If you are a gaming fundraiser, help CENFACS raise money it needs through your gaming fundraising capability

12) Help in online fundraising events (e.g., online or digital tickets selling)

13) If you are gaming as a good causes and fundraising livestream donor, you can also support CENFACS

14) If you are running gaming and livestreaming campaigns, you can remember CENFACS in your campaigns

15) Give cryptocurrency donations or the proceeds of sales of non-fungibles tokens to streamline CENFACS‘ processes of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.

The above fifteen-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. Of course, they can and if you choose to donate cash, CENFACS will happily accept your cash donations.

To support CENFACS without directly giving cash and or by directly donating cash, just contact CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• Shop at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Store for Your Autumn 2024 Goods Donations and Buys

• The State of Play, Run and Vote 2024

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses Housing Dilemma in Africa: Housing as a Basic Need for Some versus Housing as Wealth Accumulation for Others

• Shop at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Store for Your Autumn 2024 Goods Donations and Buys

Every season is an opportunity to do something about the environment and poverty. This Autumn too is a great period to save the environment and relieve poverty.

You can recycle or donate your unwanted or unused goods and presents to do something about the environment and or poverty.

You can also buy goods to meet the same ends.

This Autumn you can shop at CENFACS Zero-waste e-charity store to help the environment and poverty relief.

To support the environment and the poor, you can either shop or supply us with products or goods you no longer want or use so that we can sell and raise the money for the noble and beautiful cause of poverty relief, at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/.

• The State of Play, Run and Vote 2024

• • What Is the State of Play, Run and Vote?

It is an annual report on the situation of CENFACS’ three All Year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives (that is; Play, Run and Vote Projects). This situation is normally provided by all those who are using these projects or initiatives through the information or data they give on how their individual project is doing. It is more than just telling us your 3 bests of the year in terms of Play, Run and Vote Projects.

• • How to Contribute to This Year’s State of Play, Run and Vote

If you are playing CENFACS’ Poverty Relief League as part of your Play project, you could let us know the teams that are in the league, the points each has scored so far, their performance, the top performer, etc. You could as well update us about any upcoming events relating to your play or reveal any new games/tournaments you have in mind.

If you are Running for Poverty Reduction, you could share with us you state of running which could contain things such as the number of race runners, the popularity of your Run project, out/indoor activities you undertook, your running statistics, the fastest runners for your Run project, etc. You can mention the benefits of running and running participation as well.

If you are in the process of Voting Your International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager of 2024, you could mention the number of voting intentions, the course of actions you are taking to choose among several possible alternative options and competing candidates. You could also inform us if your votes are rational or irrational, if you use social choice theory, your voting system, the rules of voting and how you will reach your decision on International Development and Poverty Reduction Manager of 2024.

If you use blue, brown, green and grey spaces as social prescribings in your Play or Run or Vote project; you could also share this information with us to make the State of Play, Run and Vote 2024.

The above exemplifies how one can contribute to this year’s State of Play, Run and Vote. To share your contribution, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses Housing Dilemma in Africa: Housing as a Basic Need for Some versus Housing as Wealth Accumulation for Others

The perception of housing is not the same for everybody in Africa. For those who badly need a home, they see housing as a basic need. For others, they perceive it as a way of accumulating wealth.

• • Housing as a Basic Need

To understand housing as a basic need, one needs to know what is basic need.

There are many definitions of basic need. One of them comes from ‘lawinsider.com’ (2), which explains that

“Basic needs means the essentials needed to run a household, including food, housing, transportation, child care, utilities, health and dental care, taxes, rental and life insurance, personal expenses, and savings.”

The ‘basic needs’ concept is also an approach to measuring absolute poverty in terms of absolute minimum resources required for long-term physical well-being through goods consumption.

So, housing or shelter is among the bare necessities of life for anyone’s survival. The other necessities are food, water, clothing, sleep, education, etc.

• • Housing as Wealth Accumulation

What is wealth accumulation? The website ‘smartasset.com’ (3) explains that

“It is the process of increasing your assets and investments over time, with the goal of attaining financial security”.

According to ‘fca.org.uk’ (4),

“Broadly speaking, wealth accumulation (or savings) is the sum of all the assets minus the liabilities of the individual”.

It could be about preparing for financial emergencies, ensuring better retirement, buying a dream home, leaving a legacy for your children, etc.

Examples of wealth accumulation include the contribution to retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs, investing in stocks and real estate, and managing debt.

What this e-discussion is concerned about is property wealth accumulation. It is about those who use property to accumulate wealth, that is to increase the value of their property assets and investments. In some situations and contexts, this property wealth accumulation can conflict with the needs of others to access housing ladder to meet their basic needs, particularly if this accumulation is done at the expense of others. It is a dilemma. This is the case in some parts of Africa.

• • What Is the Housing Dilemma in Africa?

Wealth accumulation can be a problem in many places in Africa where there is large scale poverty and where there is dissymmetrical distribution of the number and quality of housing or accommodation compared to the number of population. This poses a dilemma if the large majority is poor and is looking for housing as basic need while others are accumulating property wealth. In other words, you have the vast majority of population looking for housing/accommodation to meet their basic need of shelter while there is a minority who already got accommodation but using housing market to accumulate wealth. This situation can pose a problem or conflict, which needs to be addressed.

The above is the argument for this week’s discussion. There could be counterarguments. CENFACS would like to know what you think. If you have argument about Housing Dilemma in Africa, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

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

Message in French (Message en français)

• L’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes 2024

• • Qu’est-ce-que l’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes?

Il s’agit d’un rapport annuel sur la situation des trois projets tout au long de l’année ou des initiatives à triple valeur du CENFACS. Cette situation est normalement fournie par tous/toutes ceux/celles qui utilisent ces projets ou initiatives à travers les informations ou les données qu’ils/elles donnent sur la façon dont leur projet individuel se déroule. Il ne s’agit pas seulement de nous dire vos 3 meilleurs vainqueurs de l’année en termes de projets Jouer, Courir and Voter.

• • Comment contribuer à l’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes de cette année

Si vous jouez à la Ligue de lutte contre la pauvreté du CENFACS dans le cadre de votre projet Jouer, vous pouvez nous faire savoir les équipes qui sont dans la ligue, les points que chacune a marqués jusqu’à présent, leurs performances, etc. Vous pouvez également nous tenir au courant de tout événement à venir lié à votre jeu ou révéler les nouveaux jeux/tournois que vous avez en tête.

Si vous courez pour la réduction de la pauvreté, vous pouvez partager avec nous votre état de course qui pourrait contenir des éléments tels que le nombre de coureurs/ses, la popularité de votre projet de course, les activités de plein air que vous avez entreprises, vos statistiques de course, les coureurs/ses les plus rapides pour votre projet de course, etc. Vous pouvez mentionner les avantages de la course à pied et de la participation à cette course.

Si vous êtes en train de voter pour votre directeur/rice du développement international et de la réduction de la pauvreté de 2024, vous pourriez mentionner le nombre d’intentions de vote, le plan d’action que vous prenez pour choisir parmi plusieurs options alternatives possibles et des candidat(e)s concurrent(e)s. Vous pouvez également nous dire si vos votes sont rationnels ou irrationnels, si vous utilisez la théorie du choix social, votre système de vote, les règles de vote et comment vous parviendrez à un accord sur le directeur/la directrice du développement international et de la réduction de la pauvreté de 2024.

Si vous utilisez des espaces bleus, bruns, verts et gris comme prescriptions sociales dans votre État des Jeux, Courses et Votes; vous pouvez également partager ces informations avec nous pour faire l’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes 2024.

Ce qui précède illustre comment on peut contribuer à l’édition de l’État des Jeux, Courses et Votes de cette année. Pour partager votre contribution, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

Main Development

• 2024 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Mbisi” 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)?

∝ “A la une” Campaign Sub-themes

∝ ‘Mbisi’ (that is, Maintaining Bagrus In Situ Inhabitation) as a Focus of Our ‘A la Une’ Campaign 2024

∝ “A la une” Campaign Calendar

∝ Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 07/10/2024 by Focusing on Saving Bagrus Meridionalis

∝ Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: Workshop on Humans’ Material Dependency on Fishes

Before starting the first themed area of this year’s “A la une” Campaign, let us remind those who may not know or remember what is “A la une” Campaign.

• • 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 about gaining support for species for the benefits and gifts they provide to the nature and in the different areas of human life.

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 positively transforming our relationships with nature while 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.

• • “A la une” Campaign Sub-themes

Since we started this campaign, there have been many sub-themes or themed activities or projects. We can mention the four latest ones:

∝ Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures in 2020

∝ Safeguard of Crop Wild Relatives in 2021

∝ Mbulu (Mobilising for Birds’ Useful Life for Us) Project in 2022

∝ Niamankeke (Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment) Project in 2023.

We are still working on these four ‘A la Une’ Campaign sub-themes or projects.

For example, we are looking at the Banana plant diseases (e.g., banana bunchy top disease and Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4) which are posing a serious threat to economic growth and sustainable development as well as poverty reduction in Africa.

Those who would like more information about ‘A la Une’ Campaign sub-themes or projects, they can contact CENFACS.

Those who would like support them (that is, these four ‘A la Une’ Campaign sub-themes or projects), they can also contact CENFACS with their support.

This year, the sub-theme we have selected to deliver “A la une” Campaign is “Mbisi“.

• • ‘Mbisi’ (that is, Maintaining Bagrus In Situ Inhabitation) as a Focus of Our ‘A la Une’ Campaign 2024

‘Mbisi’ is an advocacy for the endangered fish species. ‘Mbisi’ is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered fish species and keep them up in their natural habitat in Africa. The above-named fishes are endangered species because of environmental threats and unregulated fishing activities. To help protect these fish species, we have drawn up a calendar of work.

• • “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 the decline and extinction threat that some types of Fish Species are facing. It will also help in the fight against the contributing factors to this decline or extinction threat.

As outlined earlier, the sub-theme of “A la une” for this year is Saving the Endangered Fish Species delivered via “Mbisi” 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 are in fact actions that can be taken to Save Endangered Fish Species.

• • • “A la une” Campaign Composed Notes or Themed Areas for Action

There are five fish themed names and five activities to back this campaign. During the following periods within this Autumn and “A la une” season, CENFACS’ advocacy on environment will focus on the following fish themed names and activities from the beginning of every Mondays (starting from 07 October 2024 to 10 November 2024).

Note to “A la une” Campaign calendar: (*) WBM means Week Beginning Monday

In total, there are five fish themed names which make areas of work and action starting from the 07^th of October 2024 and thereafter every Mondays until the 10th of November 2024. From the 11th to the 17th of November 2024, we shall carry out Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Review of the “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities conducted.

The above-mentioned fish themed titles and 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.

As you can notice, besides each of these fish themed names, there are activities to be carried out. The activities are about how fishes diversely contribute to human life and society than just food. They are about exploring the intricate web of human-fish relationships.

There are three qualitative activities (i.e., workshop, focus group and e-discussion) and two quantitative ones (i.e., case study and survey) which will be on the gifts that fishes give to the nature and to humans.

The notes are supposed to guide our action since “A la une” Campaign is about actions, not words. During the run and at the end of these notes and actions, we shall pull impact 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 “Mbisi“.

To engage with “A la une” Campaign and themed areas as well as to act for a healthy and wealthy nature, please contact CENFACS.

• • Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 07/10/2024 by Focusing on Saving Bagrus Meridionalis

• • • What is Bagrus Meridionalis?

According to ‘speciesconservation.org’ (5),

“Bagrus Meridionali, a catfish in the family Bagridae, is one of the large fish species endemic to Lake Nyasa”.

• • • Is Bagrus Meridionalis Critically Endangered?

From the assessment made on 23 May 2018 in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (6), Bagrus Meridionalis was classified as critically endangered. Equally, on the websites ‘rufford.org’ (7) and ”speciesconservation.org’ (op. cit.), there is the same recognition of the critically endangered status of Bagrus Meridionalis. Recognising this fact is one thing, but doing something to change the status of Bagrus Meridionalis is another.

• • • What can be done to save Bagrus Meridionalis

There is a number of projects set up to save Bagrus Meridionalis, like those run by ‘rufford.org’ (op. cit.) and ‘speciesconservation.org’ (op. cit.). Amongst the initiatives stemming from these projects, we can list the following:

∝ Reduction of overfishing in the southern part of the lake (i.e., in Malawi and Mozambique)

∝ Restoration of fishery sustainability

∝ Monitoring of fishery and sustainable management of the fish species in this part of lake

∝ Reduction or ending of unsustainable agricultural practices in the lake

∝ Reduction of anthropogenic pollution that affects the population of Bagrus Meridionalis

∝ Improving the quality of its ecological habitat

∝ Promotion and prioritisation species conservation

∝ Spread of conservation education to empower communities on Bagrus Meridionalis

∝ Reduction and end of human activities that threaten biological integrity of the lake’s aquatic species

∝ Removal of poison and forbidden fishing nets in the lake

∝ Improvement of a better understanding between fishermen

∝ End of uncontrolled and illegal fishing in the lake Nyasa in southern Tanzania that enhance the extinction risks of Bagrus Meridionalis

∝ Conducting the inventory of the number of Bagrus Meridionalis harvested by fishermen

∝ Assessment of ecological habitat of Bagrus Meridionalis

∝ Setting up real conservation policies and mechanisms to check the application of these policies to reduce Bagrus Meridionalis extinction danger.

Besides the above-mentioned actions, there are other initiatives one can take to help save the Bagrus Meridionalis population. One of these other actions is to support the good causes working on Bagrus Meridionalis matter.

The above actions will help to reduce extinction risks and threats to Bagrus Meridionalis, which is endangered fish species in Africa.

• • Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: Workshop on Humans’ Material Dependency on Fishes

This workshop is about exploring the complex web of human-fish relationships. It is a course of study or work for a group of our members on the material dependency of humans on fishes. It is also about the contribution of fishes to the spectrum of areas of human life.

Documented studies show that fishes contribute to various areas of human life, such as manufacturing and industry sectors, healthcare, technology, musical instruments, tools, weapons, inspiration of human imagination, recreation, etc.

Although the workshop is not directly linked to Bagrus Meridionalis, it will help participants to learn the different contributions that fishes make to human life than just food.

The workshop could also help to explore the extent to which fishes can help us to reduce food poverty and other types of poverty.

Those who may be interested in taking part in this workshop, they can contact CENFACS.

Briefly speaking, the above 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://www.datagardener.com/blog/four-stages-of-the-lending-process/# (accessed in September 2024)

(2) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/basic-needs (accessed in October 2024),

(3) https://www.smartasset.com/investing/wealth-accumulation (accessed in October 2024)

(4) https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/research/research-note-accumulation-of-wealth-in-britain.pdf (accessed in October 2024)

(5) https://www.speciesconservation.org/case-studies-projects/Kampango/33815# (accessed in October 2024),

(6) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Bagrus meridionalis-published in 2019.http:dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T60856A155041757.en (accessed in October 2024)

(7) https://www.rufford.org/projects/farida-mayowela/conservation-initiative-protect-critically-endangered-kampango-bagrus-meridionalis-lake-nyasa-through-community-education-and-empowerment-tanzania (accessed in October 2024)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

History of African Woven Loincloth

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on October 2, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

02 October 2024

Post No. 372

The Week’s Contents

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of African Woven Loincloth

• Activity/Task 10 of the Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project: Share the History of Poverty Transitions

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan

… And much more!

Key Messages

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of African Woven Loincloth

This year’s Making Memorable Positive Difference (MM+D), which is the 16th one, will remember Woven Loincloth made in Africa by Africans.

Indeed, the history of woven loincloth in Africa goes back very far in the history. The website ‘britannica.com’ (1) reports that

“From about 3000 BCE Egyptians wore a loincloth (schenti) of woven material that was wrapped around the body several times and tied in front or belted”.

Additionally, ‘afrihepri.org’ (2) explains that

“The word loincloth comes from the Spanish Pãno (pagno), which means ‘piece of cloth’ or piece of fabric. It is mainly used in Sub-Saharan Africa and among Indians who cover themselves in different ways for example from the belt to the knees or from the torso to the ankles”.

The website ‘afrhepri.org’ also notes that in Africa many kinds of loincloth coexist with materials from the forest, in beaten bark with M’buti motifs by the Pygmies of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As part of MM+D 2024, we will remember the history of woven loincloth in Africa and the contribution made by skilful weavers in reducing clothing poverty in Africa. We shall reminisce skilful weavers’ technique of tapa which came from the Pygmies of Central Africa.

MM+D 2024 will therefore provide opportunity to learn about Africa’s weaving techniques and those who inspired these techniques.

We shall look at the history and the technique of making woven loincloth with the view of reducing clothing poverty, although the weavers of the time may or may not have thought about weaving for clothing poverty reduction. We shall undertake the following two tasks:

a) study the skills, techniques and profiles of African weavers of the loincloth history

b) assess of the historical contribution of the woven loincloth industry and weavers in reducing clothing poverty as well as in clothing and creative economy in Africa.

Our historical reference point or period of remembrance is from about 3000 BCE when Egyptians wore a loincloth (schenti) of woven material.

Briefly, the focus for this October History Month will be on the History of African Woven Loincloth and how woven loincloth lifted people out of clothing poverty, although at that time weavers of loincloth might not have thought about reducing clothing poverty. Our work for this year’s MM+D will be about identifying the historical weavers of Africa, their talents, skills and techniques, as well as their contribution to the creative industry and clothing economy in Africa.

For further information on this acknowledgement about the History of African Woven Loincloth, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

• Activity/Task 10 of the Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project: Share the History of Poverty Transitions

Our Transitions (‘t’) Year and Project has progressed to Activity/Task 10, which is ‘Share the History of Poverty Transitions’. Indeed, people can transition into and/or out of poverty. The history of transition into and out of poverty is of poverty transitions. To share this history, one may need to understand poverty transitions.

• • Basic Understanding of Poverty Transitions

Poverty transitions can be understood in many ways. One of its explanations comes from An Huff Stevens (3) who argues that

“There are two key factors that drive poverty transitions: changes in household structure and changes in labour market attachment at the individual or household level”.

An H. Stevens also adds that

“The number of weeks worked annually by the household head is important determinant of poverty exit, entry, and re-entry probabilities”.

Without being an expert in poverty transitions or economic historian, it is possible for those who might be interested in the Activity/Task 10 of the Transitions (‘t’) Year/Project to work with those in need and share their own experience or what they know about poverty transitions.

• • Supporting This Activity/Task

Those who would like to proceed with this activity/task by themselves can go ahead.

Those who would to be part of a working group helping in the realisation of this activity/task can let CENFACS know.

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

• Goal of the Month: Reduction and End of the Historical Causes of Poverty Induced by Higher Living Costs

Our work on ending higher living costs continues as we are focussing on the historical causes or root causes of poverty induced by higher living costs.

• • Researching on the Historical Causes of Poverty Induced by Higher Living Costs

The historical causes of poverty induced by higher living costs can be found in what make living costs higher. If one focus on the relation between living costs on one hand and earnings and incomes on the other hand, one can clearly notice that when living costs are very higher to the point that some people have no choice than to live below the poverty line, we can start talking about poverty induced by higher living costs. One can use the international poverty line or any poverty line.

For example, the UK poverty line is, according to ‘trustforlondon.org’ (4),

“Households are considered to be below the UK poverty line if their income is below 60% of the median household equivalised income after housing costs for that year”.

If a typical household income is below the above mentioned 60% compared to living costs, then the given household could be experiencing poverty.

If higher living costs influence or cause poverty to happen or appear, then there could be a need to reduce or end what makes living costs go higher than earnings and incomes to the point that some people live below the poverty line.

The fact that living costs are higher than wages and incomes is not the problem. It becomes an issue when these costs push people to live below the poverty line or exacerbate poverty. In which case, the root causes or historical reasons of this type poverty need to be tackled.

• • What Make Living Costs Go Higher

What make living costs go higher than earnings and incomes, especially for ordinary households and families, is rising prices of products and services while real household disposable incomes can not keep pace or same speed with rising prices. It is not a surprise if the Faculty of Public Health (5) in the UK argues that

“Rising prices for food, essential utilities and other consumables, compounded with sub-inflationary wage growth will substantially increase poverty and material deprivation”.

• • Reducing or Ending the Historical Causes of Poverty Induced by the Higher Living Costs

Historically speaking, there have been many initiatives to root out the historical causes of poverty. Some of them succeeded while others failed. In our goal of the month, we are dealing with the historical problem of why widespread price increases of goods and other services often outstrip the price of labour (i.e., wages) or inflation outstrips wage increases. In other ways, why the price of labour (i.e., wages) cannot be higher all time than widespread price increases of goods and other services in such way of stopping poverty induced by higher living costs to happen? Resolving this question or issue is our goal of the month.

The above is our poverty reduction goal for this month, which is part of our Autumn 2024 Starting XI Project ‘Help End Higher Living Costs’ and which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.

Extra Messages

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Concentration on Critically Endangered Fish Species

• Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Brown/Blue/Green/Grey Prescribings

• Autumn Matching Organisation-Investor Programme via Farming Charitable Loan

This Autumn, we have an exciting project from our Matching Organisation-Investor Programme; programme which is part of CENFACS’ Guidance Service to not-for-profit impact investors. The project makes up our Autumn 2024 Starting XI Campaign. What is this exciting project about?

• • Matching Project Statement

The project is a matching opportunity between an African Poverty Relief Charity (APRC) and a prospective investor who may be interested in impact investing in APRC’s plan. The project is the following one:

APRC is planning to make small charitable loans to small to medium-sized farming businesses/farmers in order to help reduce poverty in Africa while a potential investor is looking to invest in farming activities in Africa via APRC.

The above project statement is also APRC’s business model. To better understand this project, let us explain APRC’s plan (charitable loan) and not-for-profit investor’s motivations.

• • APRC’s Charitable Loan to Small to Medium-sized Farming Businesses/Farmers

It is an approved charitable loan to be made to beneficiaries of the charity, and made in the course of carrying out the purposes of the APRC. The loan will be made with the view that there will be financial benefit and charitable benefit for APRC while charitable benefit superseding financial benefit. In other words, the loan or investment will be made to generate a flow of income or capital appreciation to enable APRC to deliver its charitable objects. There will be an acceptable level of benefit to the charity for the amount to be invested.

To be able to move forward its plan, APRC is looking for a not-for-profit investor to join in by investing with a capital. APRC is particularly seeking investment from a not-for-profit investor interested in farming activities or businesses.

• • What Is a Not-for-profit Investor in Farming Activities/Businesses?

A Not-for-profit Investor in Farming Activities/Businesses is a person investing in farming activities or businesses by lifting them out poverty and hardships. The n-f-p investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce poverty. Although he/she is driven by selfless motivations, he/she would like to see the farming business or activity is a profitable business so that it can achieve its goal of reducing poverty by raising money for it through trading.

As part of CENFACS‘ model of Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, the n-f-p investor’s selfless motivations will be match with APRC’s plan.

• • What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Loan?

It is a set of four activities designed to arrange the match/fit test between an APRC planning to provides charitable micro-loans to farming activities or businesses in Africa and a prospective not-for-profit impact investor’s interests in farming activities in Africa. This project of CENFACS’ Matching Programme will enable the former to find a suitable investor, and the latter to gain an investee in which they can impact invest in.

• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan

Through this project, it is hoped that the APRC will meet its dream not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact investor. It is as well expected that the n-f-p impact investor will find the right organisation to invest in for impact. Where the two parties experience difficulties in matching their project proposals or ambitions, CENFACS will organise the match test for them. To enable the two parties to reach an agreement, there will be four weeks of talks or negotiations or matching activities.

• • 4-week Matching Activities Starting from 09/10/2024

As part of CENFACS‘ Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, we are running a 4-week matching activities to support both APRC and not-for-profit farming investors. It is a 4-week work about Impact Advice Service for APRC and Guidance Service on Impact Investing for not-for-profit farming investors.

As already said, the matching process will be run for four weeks, starting from Monday 09 October 2024.

• • • How the Matching Process Will Be Run

This talking process is based on loan life cycle. There are various types of loan life cycle with their own steps or stages. In the context of this project of our matching programme, we have limited ourselves to a four steps/stages model of loan life cycle.

One of these models is provided by ‘datagardener.com’ (6). The model by ‘datagardener.com’ includes four key stages of the lending process, which are: application submission, application processing, underwriting stage and disbursement.

From the perspective of ‘datagardener.com’, application submission is the initial step, application processing is the attention lenders put to detail, underwriting stage is the assessment of the risk involved in giving loan, and disbursement is the finalising aspect of the loan agreement. In other words, loan applications need to be submitted, processed, registered and issued.

To deliver Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Loan, we shall follow the above-mentioned four steps of the lending process.

The above is the key note of the Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan.

Those potential organisations seeking investment to realise their farming loan project and n-f-p farming investors looking for organisations that are interested in their capital can contact CENFACS to arrange the talks and match or fit test for them. They can have their fit test carried out by CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses.

For any queries and/or enquiries about the Matching Organisation-Investor via Farming Charitable Loan, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Concentration on Critically Endangered Fish Species

“A la une” takes Save Fauna, Flora and Funga advocacy to the next level of CENFACS‘ environmental communications and awareness raising. It will be concentrated on Critically Endangered Fish Species. We shall focus on saving endangered fishes through our new initiative called ‘Mbisi’. 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 (7) 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)

As said above, we shall focus on saving endangered fishes through our new initiative called ‘Mbisi’.

• • ‘Mbisi’ (that is, Maintaining Bagrus In Situ Inhabitation) as a Focus of Our ‘A la Une’ Campaign

‘Mbisi’ is an advocacy for the endangered fish species. ‘Mbisi’ is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered fish species and keep them up in their natural habitat in Africa. Fishes like Bagrus Meridionalis, Treur River barb, Sandfish, Estuarine Pipefish Syngnathus Watermeyeri, Haplochromis granti, Basking Shark, African Wedgefish (Rynchobatus Luebbert) and Barbel spp are endangered species because of environmental threats and unregulated fishing activities.

In the coming weeks, we are embarking on a campaign to help save critically threatened fishes by extinction in Africa. It is a campaign to help save the above-mentioned fish species and similar species threated by extinction.

This Autumn campaign to help save fishes 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 five of the above-mentioned fishes.

They are endangered species. The ‘Mbisi’ project will help to advocate for a safe life for these fishes.

To support “A la une” campaign and “Mbisi” project, please contact CENFACS.

• Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Brown/Blue/Green/Grey Prescribings

Our work on brown, grey, green and blue spaces continues as we are trying to get the views of those of our members using Triple Value Initiatives as brown or blue or green or grey prescriptions. CENFACS is looking into the possibility of how their undertakings of these initiatives can be fitted into brown, blue or green or grey 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), water-based (blue prescribing), grey-based (grey prescribing), and brown-redeveloped (brown prescribing).

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (8) 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 or grey or brown 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/grey/brown 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/grey/brown prescribings, please let us know your personal experience on Triple Value Initiatives in terms of health and well-being results.

Message in French (Message en français)

• Activité/Tâche 10 de l’Année des Transitions (‘t’) et Projet: Partager l’histoire des transitions de la pauvreté

Notre année et notre projet Transitions (‘t’) sont passés à l’activité/tâche 10, qui est «Partager l’histoire des transitions de la pauvreté». En effet, les gens peuvent basculer dans la pauvreté et/ou en sortir. L’histoire de la transition vers et hors de la pauvreté est celle des transitions de la pauvreté. Pour partager cette histoire, il faut comprendre les transitions de la pauvreté.

• • Compréhension de base des transitions de la pauvreté

Les transitions de la pauvreté peuvent être comprises de plusieurs façons. L’une de ses explications vient d’An Huff Stevens (3) qui soutient que

«Deux facteurs clés sont à l’origine des transitions vers et loin de la pauvreté: les changements dans la structure des ménages et les changements dans la participation au marché du travail au niveau individuel ou du ménage».

An H. Stevens ajoute également que

«Le nombre de semaines travaillées chaque année par le chef de ménage est un déterminant important des probabilités de sortie, d’entrée et de réintégration de la pauvreté».

Sans être un expert en transitions de la pauvreté ou un historien de l’économie, il est possible pour ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par l’activité/la tâche 10 de l’année/du projet Transitions (‘t’) de travailler avec ceux ou celles qui en ont besoin et de partager leur propre expérience ou ce qu’ils/elles savent des transitions de la pauvreté.

• • Soutenir cette activité/tâche

Ceux ou celles qui souhaitent poursuivre cette activité/tâche par eux(elles)-mêmes peuvent aller de l’avant.

Ceux ou celles qui souhaiteraient faire partie d’un groupe de travail aidant à la réalisation de cette activité/tâche peuvent le faire savoir au CENFACS.

Pour ceux ou celles qui ont eux(elles)-mêmes besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS. Pour s’adresser au CENFACS, ils/elles sont tenu(e)s de planifier à l’avance ou de se préparer aux questions qu’ils/elles souhaitent soulever.

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

Main Development

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of African Woven Loincloth

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)?

∝ What Is This Year’s MM+D?

∝ MM+D Days

∝ MM+D Timeline

Let us look at each of these contents.

• • 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, Techniques, Gifts and Legacies to Africa and the world.

• • What Is This Year’s MM+D?

This year’s dedicated two days (27 and 28 October 2024) are days of historical study, analysis, skill recognition and celebration of the legacies left by Africans in Woven Loincloth in Africa.

Historically speaking, Woven Loincloth in Africa is the fabric of the great opportunities and grandiose ceremonies as well as being part of beauty and elegance. Woven fabrics are cultural symbols used for traditional ceremonies and occasions such as weddings and other celebrations. For some African customs, loincloths can be a means of payment as they represent part of dowry.

This year’s MM+D is a celebration of …

√ traditional skills of loincloth weaving, weaving techniques and raw materials used in the context of woven loincloth

√ teamwork between men and women (women for designing the grounds and men for beating the grounds; women weaving the unleashed cotton by hand and men decorating the fabric with wooden spatulas and natural paints like in the case of the Benufo communities in Côte d’Ivoire)

√ the specificity of ethno-linguistic groups through their weaving techniques

√ the history of fashion via woven loincloth

√ inspired work of loincloth patterns by rituals and religious ceremonies

√ the input of textile fibres like cotton, silk, raffia and wool in woven loincloth and dress making

√ the reduction of clothing poverty

√ any contribution made by woven loincloth to the clothing and creative economic development industry in Africa.

So, this year’s MM+D is a celebration of African Abilities, Talents, Skills, Techniques, Gifts and Legacies to Africa and the world in terms of Woven Loincloth.

• • MM+D Days

There will be Two Days of the History of African Woven Loincloth as follows:

∝ One day of identifying and profiling African Weavers of the History

∝ One day of assessing the historical contribution of woven loincloth in reducing clothing poverty and in creative economic development industry in Africa.

Let us summarise the contents of each day’s work.

• • • Heritage/Patrimony/Weavers’ Day (27 October 2024): History of African Weavers of the Loincloth History

On the first day of our MM+D, we shall remember those talented and skilful African weavers of the loincloth history for their remarkable weaving skills and techniques which were passed on to many generations of weavers. It is the day of learning a brief outline or sketch in terms of their profiles and their historical work.

• • • Legacies and Gifts Day (28 October 2024): The Historical Contribution of Woven Loincloth in Reducing Clothing Poverty and in the Creative Economy in Africa

The day will also assist in uncovering if the weaving of loincloth was income-generating potential at that time or just a cultural activity or both.

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

2022: We acknowledged the gifts left by Africans in Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty, particularly the Management and Maintenance of These Infrastructures.

2023: We remembered Cottage Industries in Africa or Household-based Industries in their capacity and capability of lifting people out of poverty.

For further details about these past MM+D events, please contact CENFACS.

_________

• References

(1) https://www.britannica.com/topic/puttee (accessed in September 2024)

(2) https://www.afrihepri.org/en/origin-and-history-of-the-loincloth/ (accessed in September 2024)

(3) Stevens, An Huff, ‘Poverty Transitions’, in Philip N. Jefferson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Poverty, Oxford Handbooks (2012; online edn, Oxford Academic, 28 Dec. 20120), available at https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195393781.013.0016 (accessed in September 2024)

(4) https://www.trustforlondon.org/data/poverty-thresholds/# (accessed in September 2024)

(5) https://www.fph.org.uk/media/3578 (accessed in September 2024)

(6) https://www.datagardener.com/blog/four-stages-of-the-lending-process/# (accessed in September 2024)

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

(8) https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/about-us/what-is-socialpresscribing/ (accessed in October 2023)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

End Higher Living Costs

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on September 25, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

25 September 2024

Post No. 371

The Week’s Contents

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2024 Edition: End Higher Living Costs

• Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

• Evaluation of 2023 Libya-Morocco Joint Influence Appeal

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2024 Edition: End Higher Living Costs

To facilitate the reading and understanding of 2024 Edition of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, we are going to briefly explain Help and Resources for a Fresh Start as well as the focus for this year’s Fresh Start. Fresh Start and End Higher Living Costs are key words and contextual framework of CENFACS‘ Autumn poverty reduction work.

• • Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources

Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources 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 turn endings of Summer to new beginnings, to manage new beginnings and plans for the future.

Our advice- and guidance-giving month of September continues as planned and will end next month. Advice- and guidance-giving services are 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 and Resources comes with a bundle of Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) Resources and Setup Services. The highlights of the 2024 Edition of FAS, which are given below, take into account and focus on Ending Higher Costs of Living. The resources provided in FAS are non-financial help to end higher living costs and poverty. 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 end higher living costs and the effects of these costs on them.

• • End Higher Living Costs as a Focus for This Year’s Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources

End Higher Living Costs is basically a process of making it easier or possible – via support and setup services – for CENFACS members and project beneficiaries to stop higher living costs happening or impacting them. To end higher living costs, one may need a plan of action to achieve the overall goal of ending higher living costs.

However, CENFACS does not have the power to stabilise prices, costs and bills for its members or members of the public. CENFACS has rather a voice to speak and can help through its voice so that those who can influence the economic factors and indicators (like inflation, interest rate, wages, etc.) do their best to stabilise prices, improve the welfare system and raise wages to match prices.

Also, there are people who are succeeding in their fight against the adverse effects of higher living costs or the cost-of-living crisis. There are others, who could be the majority, who are failing to win this battle.

For those who are not winning the fight against higher living costs, they may need to rethink or improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis, especially as many experts believe that the cost-of-living will last until real household disposable incomes increase and inflation drops back to meet the UK Government’s 2 per cent CPI (Consume Prices Index) inflation target.

For those failing this battle, they may need help to improve the way they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis. In this process, those who are failing in their fight against the cost-of-living crisis are not left alone. They will receive help and support. That is why we call it Autumn Help to End Higher Living Costs. Autumn Help will assist them to start freshly, to reset or change the systems or ways they are trying to end higher living costs or the impacts of these costs on them.

Autumn Help to End the Higher Costs of Living is a resource containing new information, tips, tools and hints to help the community find ways of ending higher living costs or the impacts of these costs on them.

So, to end higher living costs, they need to freshly start or reset or change their settings. There is a say that every day is a fresh start. In this Autumn of the enduring cost-of-living crisis, fresh start is even more relevant than at any time to restore life. They need to freshly start since they could be still dealing with the lingering socio-economic effects of the cost-of-living crisis. They need to freshly start to end higher living costs or their effects on them.

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 and Setup Services to End Higher Living Costs, please contact CENFACS.

• Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living, which started in October 2022, is one of CENFACS Starting IX Projects for this Autumn 2024. 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 cost-of-living poverty is linked to the fall in living standards. The campaign tries to address the root causes of the cost-of-living crisis. Amongst the causes is the mismatch of highly rising prices and slow wage/income growth of the cost-of-living poor.

The cost-of-living crisis 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 costs of living, it is better to define the cost of living. The website ‘ben.org.uk’ (1) 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, fares, etc. In economic parlance, it is the rise of headline inflation (that is, all the changes in the values of things). At the moment, inflation has decreased to nearing the UK Government target of 2%, But, prices are still slowly growing. Wages cannot keep pace with this slow growth of prices; let alone prices which were already fast increased.

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 Higher Costs 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 cost-of-living crisis to end. Normally, this crisis ends when real household disposable incomes are able to match the level of headline inflation in the economy. 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.

Since this campaign was launched in October 2022, we had short-term or immediate actions (from October 2022 to until March 2023) and medium-term actions (from October 2022 to October 2024). At the end of October 2024, medium-term actions will be totally covered while we are still the long-term horizon or actions of this campaign. The long-term actions are explained below.

• • • 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.

On 2 November 2022, we put in place a long-term service or a programme between 2 and 10 years to accompany our community members for the duration of the cost-of-living crisis. The current cost-of-living crisis may not last for 10 years. However, we organised this service because we thought that even if the cost-of-living crisis ends, its effects will be still around for a while. Depending on service beneficiaries’ experience, some of them may need the service, others may not. There is at least a provision or service for the community should anyone needs it.

Furthermore, 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 there are phases or steps in any campaign, 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.

• Evaluation of 2023 Libya-Morocco Joint Influence Appeal

• • What This Evaluation Is about

This evaluation is on the influencing appeal that CENFACS made in September 2023 for the Earthquake-stricken Peoples of Morocco and Floods-affected Populations of Libya.

The appeal was about asking to those who were in the position of power to put their influence on those who had the keys in the humanitarian operations and life-saving mission so that every victim of these two crises could get help and support they needed in the short, medium and long term (including the reconstruction and restoration efforts or phases of these crises).

One year on, one could ask if the victims of these two crises had the support they needed or need. These actions to be taken were those to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintaining human dignity during and after these two crises.

• • What We Are Looking at through This Evaluation

We are looking at if the Positive Influence donated contributed to the provision of assistance (such as food, healthcare and shelter) and the protection of the victims from earthquake-induced poverty in Morocco and poverty caused by floods in Libya.

Besides that we are evaluating some of the humanitarian projects or actions or programmes supported or conducted by CENFACS‘ Africa-based Sister Organisations during these crises and their outcomes so far.

• • What the Evaluation Will Help to Achieve

The evaluation will help to know if the victims had the support they needed/need. The evaluation will also assist in drawing out lessons with the broader view of improving policy, practice and responses/appeals for future crises. It will briefly contribute to the prevention and preparation of any future humanitarian action and response by influential donors or persons while enhancing our donor development and stewardship programme.

For those influential donors or persons who have not yet shared with us their influencing work or contribution they made or are making and their outcomes on behalf of the peoples of Libya and Morocco, this is the time to share.

To share the story of your influencing work or contribution to the peoples of Libya and Morocco, please contact CENFACS.

To engage with this evaluation, please also communicate with CENFACS.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to participate in this evaluation.

Extra Messages

• Financial Plan Updates for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 25/09/2024: Retirement Planning

• Brown Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 25/09/2024: Integration between the Redevelopment of Brown Spaces and Other Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

• Save Flora, Fauna and Funga

• Financial Plan Updates for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 25/09/2024: Retirement Planning

Our 4-series of Financial Plan Updates for Households reaches its last serial of these updates. This last or fourth serial is planning for retirement or Retirement Planning. To start this last serial, let us explain the meaning of retirement planning.

• • What Is Retirement Planning?

A retirement planning can be defined in many ways. According to ‘financestrategists.com’ (2),

“A retirement planning is the process of learning about, selecting, and executing financial solutions that will allow you to prepare sufficient funds for a comfortable and secure retirement”.

Another definition comes from ‘smartasset.com’ (3) which argues that

“A retirement plan is a financial strategy that combines both savings and investments and plans for distributions to pay for retirement”.

In both definitions, there is need for those planning to retire to save and invest in their retirement plans or projects. To do that, they need to identify the retirement plans that are suitable for them.

• • Retirement Plans

Within the literature and practice about retirement planning, there are many options. In the context of the brief notes, we would like to limit ourselves to two commonly known pension plans: defined contribution plan (or employer-sponsored retirement plan) and defined benefit plan.

Whatever the retirement plan chosen, it is better for households to bear in mind the retirement factors and steps.

• • • Retirement planning factors

Factors to include in planning your retirement include retirement spending needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, investment goals, after-tax rate of investment returns, estate planning, etc. With the knowledge of these factors, one can use their retirement plan to assess the income they will need during retirement and properly invest their retirement funds.

• • • Retirement planning steps

There are many steps one can take to plan their retirement. Briefly, one can limit themselves by following these four steps: determination of your retirement goals, calculation of how much you need to save, setting up a retirement savings plan and investing your money in your retirement plan.

There are households capable of doing this planning. There are other ones needing help of a retirement specialist or financial advisor. Although CENFACS is not a charity specialised in retirement matter, we can however work with households in the context of these Financial Plan Updates to guide them.

• • Working with Households on Retirement Planning

CENFACS can work with those households interested in the following:

√ how they can save and invest a portion of their salary for retirement purposes

√ estimating and checking together if households are on track to meet their retirement goals

√ identifying their sources of their retirement incomes

√ determination of their retirement number (e.g., 80% of their current income)

√ checking with them which retirement programmes or pension schemes (e.g., defined benefit, defined contribution) suit them

√ development of savings programme

√ set up a policy to manage their assets and risks (e.g., inflation, market volatility)

√ how to build their own retirement portfolio and how much portfolio to draw their money

√ briefly how they can support their post-retirement needs.

Those who may be interested in updating their Retirement Plan can contact CENFACS for further details.

If you do not have a financial advisor but need support with your Retirement Plan Updates, please do not hesitate to communicate with CENFACS.

• • Last Word on 4-series of Financial Plan Updates for Households

Financial Plan for Households covers many aspects, although we limit our to four updates (of household financial action plan, investment planning, estate planning, and retirement planning).

The other aspects of these updates could include financial goals; net worth statement; cash flow projections; short-, medium- and long-term budgets; debt management plan; insurance plan; children’s future planning; education planning; tax planning; etc.

To be consistent with themselves, households need to monitor, review and update their financial plan. They can do it every six months or on a yearly basis. Alternatively, they can choose a particular time or event to do it (for instance, change of season, beginning of a new year, life event like moving into a new home or having a new baby or a new job, etc.).

For those households needing to dive deep into any of the above-mentioned aspects of Financial Plan Updates, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For any other queries and/or enquiries about any of the aspects of the Financial Plan Updates presented this September 2024, please let CENFACS know.

• Brown Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 25/09/2024: Integration between the Redevelopment of Brown Spaces and Other Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

The Redevelopment of Brown Spaces can be integrated with other spaces (Grey, Green and Blue Spaces) in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development. Before looking at how this integration can help in poverty reduction, let us briefly explain these spaces.

• • Understanding Brown, Grey, Green and Blue Spaces

Let us start with brown space, also known as brownfield. According to ‘gosolve.co.uk’ (4),

“Brownfield land refers to previously developed sites that have become underutilised or abandoned, often due to changing industrial practice or contamination from former use”.

Adversely, the website ‘eli.org’ (5) argues that there could be benefits deriving from the redevelopment of brown spaces.

Our understanding of grey space comes from Oren Yiftachel (6) who argues that

“The concept of ‘gray space’ refers to developments, enclaves, populations and transactions positioned between the ‘lightness’ of legality/approval/safety and the ‘darkness’ of eviction/destruction/death. Gray spaces are neither integrated nor eliminated, forming pseudo-permanent margins of today’s urban regions, which exist partially outside the gaze of state authorities and city plans” (p. 243)

Our notion of green space is given by what Abigail Isabella McLean (7) argues about it, 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’ (8) 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”.

The above-mentioned definitions can be served as basis for exploring integration between the four spaces in the process of poverty reduction.

• • Spaces Integration and Poverty Reduction

When looking for ways of reducing poverty, it could be useful to work out how each space (brown, grey, green and blue) can be a more or less contributing factor to poverty reduction. Taking this integrative approach can be worthwhile in judging each of spaces on their own merit.

The merits of green and blue spaces in enhancing health and wellbeing are already known and even undisputable. Those who are suffering from poor health can use the opportunities of green and blue spaces to improve their health.

As grey space provides the bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment; its merit for poverty reduction can depend on its capacity to help people to move from darkness to lightness. This is despite many studies recognise that the development of grey space could result in harmful impact on health and the wellbeing of those living in and around this space.

Concerning brown spaces, Joseph W. Dorsey (9) explains that

“Brownfield initiatives are deeply intertwined with community economic development and job creation, and they are also important aids in health and safety issues, neighbourhood restoration, and the reuse of urban space to counter suburban sprawl into green, open spaces”.

It would be useful in search for solutions to poverty to consider the four spaces. For example, Yaella Depietri and Timon McPhearson (10) suggest a hybrid approach which combines both blue, green and grey approaches for reducing hazards in the urban context. They argue that

“Cities should rely on a mix of grey, green and blue infrastructure solutions, which balance traditional built infrastructures with more nature-based solutions” (p. 106)

However, they warn against turning easily to grey infrastructures as the default solution.

Writing a note about the above-mentioned integration is not the end of the theme of the redevelopment of brown spaces. The real aim here is how CENFACS can work with the communities in the UK and in Africa to empower these communities to use the merits of each space to escape from poverty.

• • Working with Communities to Access the Benefits Provided by Brown, Grey, Green and Blue Spaces through Their Integration

There are ways of working with communities to make the integration between the redevelopment of brown, grey, 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 via for example access to a river, lake, stream, etc.

Additionally, if grey space can be a principle on which an agreement can be based or made, we can work with those members of our community who are suffering from the effects of grey space to engage grey space to negotiate while empowering them.

As to brown space, after the clean-up process, there is a need to ensure that the Redevelopment of Brown Spaces does not bring injuries, liabilities or additional hazards. It does not pose any health and safety risks to the community.

In short, if one of our members needs brown, grey, 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 brown space which we hope you have enjoyed. We also expect that through this theme, one will be able tackle brown spaces-induced poverty and -threats to sustainable development.

Saying that the above is our last note does not mean that we stopped working on brown spaces or space framework. We are still working on it even though we will not produce any further note for the rest of the days of September 2024. We are continuing with the brown, grey, green and blue frameworks to analyse poverty reduction and sustainable development.

For those who would like more information about any of the notes developed throughout this month about brown spaces as well as those who need a brown, grey, blue or green prescription; they are free to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to support the theme of brown spaces and our work on poverty reduction using space analysis, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS with their support.

• Save Flora, Fauna and Funga

Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects will continue our advocacy work on the protection of plants, animals and fungi while we are carrying on to implementing new ways of working with local people and organisations in Africa to help save flora, fauna and fungi.

• • What is Save Flora, Fauna and Funga?

Save Flora, Fauna and Funga as an initiative is one of our Starting XI Projects. Through this Starting XI Project, we are continuing to advocate for the protection of animal, plant and fungi 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.

• • 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 monkey, 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. Birds like African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, African Green Broadhill, etc. are endangered species as well. Insects like Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, etc. are endangered species.

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 . 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 (11) 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.

• • Save Funga

This year, we have added fungi since they comprise a separate kingdom. Examples of fungi like mushrooms, moulds, mildews, and yeasts are also threatened.

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, Fauna and Funga for this Autumn.

• • This Autumn Advocacy about ‘Save Flora, Fauna and Funga’

This year’s advocacy for flora, fauna and funga 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. Those who exploit and traffic animal and plant species try to change their strategies and tactics. It makes sense to adjust our actions to deal with their new exploitative strategies and trafficking tactics.

2) Life-saving action against the cost-of-living crisis on flora, fauna and funga

The enduring cost-of-living crisis has put enormous pressure on humans, particularly the poorest ones. One could be afraid that fauna, flora and funga 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, animal and fungi 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 , fauna and funga crises since we depend on them in order to come out of the cost-of-living crisis.

• • Save Fauna, Flora and Funga to “A la une” Campaign

Save Fauna, Flora and Funga is only an iceberg of the wide campaign for the protection of nature run by CENFACS. CENFACS’ Save Fauna, Flora and Funga is run this week and will be soon after followed or taken over 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, Flora and Funga advocacy to the other level of environmental communications and awareness raising. It will focus on Critically Endangered Fish Species. We shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Mbisi’ (that is, Maintaining Bagrus In Situ Inhabitation). It is an advocacy for the endangered fish species.

Mbisi is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered fish species and keep them up in their natural habitat in Africa. Fishes like Bagrus, Boyoma Falls Upside Down Catfish, the Ruwenzori Lampeye, the Line-spotted Ufipa Barb, the Arnegard Electric Fish, the Kunungu Air-Breathing Catfish, African Wedgefish (Rynchobatus Luebbert) and the Angel Squeaker are endangered species because of environmental threats and unregulated fishing activities.

The above is our highlights for Save Flora, Fauna and Funga. To advocate and raise your voice to save endangered plant, animal and fungi species, please contact CENFACS.

Message in English-French (Message en anglais-français)

• End-of-Month Special Offer with Translation Day on 30/09/2024

• Offre spéciale de fin de mois avec Journée de traduction le 30/09/2024

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 30/09/2024 in French to English and vice versa.

Dans le cadre du Service de traduction du CENFACS et de la Journée Internationale de la Traduction des Nations Unies, les traducteurs (rices) bilingues internes du CENFACS offriront un service de traduction spécial le 30/09/2024 du français vers l’anglais et 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.

Si vous avez des textes, des documents, des projets et des histoires à traduire de l’anglais vers le français et vice versa, saisissez l’occasion unique de la fin du mois et du début de la saison d’automne de faire traduire votre travail.

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.

La traduction est un service gratuit que nous offrons à notre communauté. Cependant, nous ne sommes pas contre un don volontaire ou un cadeau pour maintenir ce service et l’appareillage du CENFACS.

Should anyone need translation; they can let us know before the Translation Day so that we could plan ahead.

Si quelqu’un a besoin d’une traduction; ils peuvent nous le faire savoir avant la Journée de la Traduction afin que nous puissions planifier à l’avance.

Please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS beforehand should you need translation, and we hope you will join us on the Translation Day.

N’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS à l’avance si vous avez besoin d’une traduction, et nous espérons que vous vous joindrez à nous lors de la Journée de la Traduction.

Main Development

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2024 Edition: End Higher Living Costs

The following two items cover the presentation of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources:

∝ Making Autumn Start and Season Easier

∝ Key Summaries of FAS 2024 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 handy 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. In this post, we have not included these websites addresses/directories. Those who would be interested in them, they need to request them from CENFACS. 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 Slow Rising Costs of Living

This Autumn, we are approaching Fresh Start Help from the perspective and context of Rising Prices at a slower pace. It is the context in which prices of goods and services are slowly rising and sometimes going up and down in a sinusoidal way. Yet, incomes are not still in position to catch up with slow rising costs or prices.

It is still the context of cost-of-living crisis since real household disposable incomes have not really increased although inflation is nearing the UK Government target of 2%. In this typical context, the most sufferers are those living in poverty as they cannot afford any rising prices and bills whether they are small or slow.

A context like the one we have depicted needs a response so that our users and members can meet their needs and navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis and poverty. Our users and members need help and support to improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis. Our users and members would like to see the end of higher living costs happening. We can work with them so as they can get the help they need 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 ending higher living costs or their impact. The second line of support is Fresh Start Resources.

• • Key Summaries of FAS 2024 Edition

The key summaries of FAS 2024 Edition can be found under the contents below.

• • • Contents for FAS 2024 Edition

The contents for 2024 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

∝ Ending Higher Living Costs

∝ What you can get from CENFACS

∝ Autumn online and digital resources.

Let us briefly explain each of these contents.

• • • • Imaginable 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 the enduring cost-of-living crisis. 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 ending higher living costs, one can write a budget that deals with the shape and direction of the rise of the 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 improving ways and coming out of the cost-of-living crisis.

One of the precautions to take in your Autumn budget is to check affordability of your budget. In other words, you need to make sure that any budgeted outgoings match budgeted incomings, any actual outgoings balance with actual income. A positive difference means your budget is affordable, while a negative one signifies it is unaffordable.

To support this financial control, FAS contains two examples of budgets: Autumn budget adjusted for the cost-of-living index and fresh start budget.

• • • • People’s Needs and Autumn Leads

Variable circumstances can obviously result in multiple needs. One of these circumstances is the enduring cost-of-living crisis. To meet those needs, we may have to gather resources, tools and institutions to guide us. The 2024 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 2024 edition integrates the damaging impacts of economic factors or variables such as interest rate change, inflation, the cost-of-living index, policy changes, geo-economic tensions, etc.

It also considers the probable evolution of these factors or variables in the medium term. 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 other factors (like economic, social, climate, geo-economic, etc).

• • • • Ending Higher Living Costs

It is about making it easier or possible – via CENFACS‘ support and setup services – for CENFACS‘ members to stop higher living costs happening to them or the impacts of these costs. Perhaps, the best way of understanding this is to explain what is the cost of living, the importance of ending higher living costs, what causes higher living costs and responses to higher living costs.

• • • • • What is the cost of living?

There are many explanations of the cost of living. According to ‘britannica.com’ (12),

“The cost of living is a monetary cost of maintaining a particular standard of living, usually measured by calculating the average cost of a number of specific goods and services required by a particular group. The goods and services used as indexes may be the minimum necessary to preserve health or may be what is considered average for a given income group, depending on the purpose of the index”.

The same ‘britannica.com’ explains that

“Measurement of the cost of a minimum standard of living is essential in determining relief payments, social-insurance benefits, family allowances, tax exemptions, and minimum wages. Measurements of change in the cost of living are important in wage negotiations. It is difficult, however, to make precise comparisons over time, because consumer tastes and the availability of products change”.

For instance, on 25 August 2024 the website ‘kanan.co’ (13) provided the measure of the cost of living in the UK as follows:

“The cost of living in UK per month for a family of four in UK is $3,135 (£2,268) without rent and for students in UK is $900 (£651) without rent”.

Living costs can go up and down or remain stationary. In recent years, they tend to go up than the other way. For example, according to ‘statista.com’ (14),

“As of July 2024, 45 percent of households in Great Britain reported that their cost of living had increased in the previous month, compared with 51 percent in late June”.

What the 2024 Edition of FAS is concerned about is higher living costs (or living costs going or staying up). Living costs are higher when they exceed the real household disposable incomes (RHDI). The latter measures the total household earnings (like wages and benefits) after tax and accounting for inflation.

When living costs stay higher than RHDI for a long-term period, one can start to speak about the cost-of-living crisis, like it is happening now.

• • • • • Why ending higher living costs matters

It matters because increasing living costs can exacerbate poverty and create a cycle that keeps people trapped in hardships. Higher living costs can become a crisis in the long run. When higher living costs settle in for the long term, they can pose systemic and structural issues to ride off them. If they exacerbate poverty, exacerbated poverty can lead to intergenerational one if higher living costs continue through different generations. There are factors that cause higher living costs.

• • • • • What causes higher living costs

Living costs remain high because high inflation led to the average price of goods and services increasing faster than people’s wages and income.

For example, in the UK the ‘commonslibrary.parliament.uk’ (15) notes that

“The UK inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, rose almost continuously from under 1% in early 2021 to 11.1% in October 2022. The inflation rate then declined, dropping to 2.0% in May 2024”.

Although inflation is nearing 2% (as per the UK Government target), bills and costs are still growing slowly. Higher living costs are still felt from previous record inflation and slowly growing prices of food shopping, energy, housing, rent, mortgage costs, etc. There are and have been responses to higher costs of living.

• • • • • Responses to higher living costs

These responses came and are coming from the people victims of higher living costs, charities and voluntary organisations/churches, the National Government and local authorities.

The people who are the victims of the higher living costs responded by taking a number of initiatives like spending less on non-essential items, shopping around before buying, using less energy at home, etc.

Charities, voluntary organisations and churches stepped up their support in various ways like food banks, debt advice, all sorts of giving to back those in most need.

The National Government took a number of steps or measures to deal with the higher costs of living. For example, the elements of tax credit were thought to be inflation-linked via the household support fund.

Some local authorities made discretionary payments to people in most need to help with rising cost of food, energy and water bills.

Are all these responses ended the impacts of higher living costs? It is difficult to answer this question.

• • • • • What it takes to end higher living costs

If one looks at the living cost equation, to end living costs being higher it requires equalising costs and earnings/incomes. Because we live in a market economy, it will be unlikely possible to fix the prices of goods and services; although in some strategic sectors like energy there is cap. Because of that, actions can be taken to deal with the other side of the equation, that is earnings/incomes. Actions are needed for wage growth and welfare state system that feels the gap.

Regarding these actions on earnings/incomes, there have been some proposals in the UK – from mostly charities, non governmental organisations, social enterprises and churches (16) – to improve earnings and incomes so that they can match increasing living costs. Among the proposals are the following:

√ Reforming the welfare system in the UK

√ Essentials guarantee to enable people to afford the basics they need to live on

√ Increasing wages across the board

√ Reforming the rental market

√ Transitioning away from means-tested benefit system to needs-tested system as a way of meeting basic needs

√ Essential occupation as insurance for transfer payments to meet basic needs

etc.

These proposals or propositions are also what can be done in order to end poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis. However, arguing about these proposals it does not mean one should abandon the efforts undertaken so far to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and poverty. One should continue to improve their ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

• • • • • Improving ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty to end higher living costs

It is about making better the means or manner of dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and poverty. To make it better, it could imply proceeding with the following initiatives:

σ conducting a brand refresh used or taking a process of adjusting the brand in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis

(if you are one of our members, your brand will be the make you are using to tackle the cost-of-living crisis)

σ getting updates with the latest information, data and knowledge about this crisis

(for example, knowing the current index of the cost of living can help in improving one’s way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty)

σ fixing projects, activities and programme areas which are not working or where there are bugs

(for instance, users can review their Autumn budget 2023 and decide whether or not to keep any of the non essential expenses)

σ reviewing some of the fundamentals

(e.g., reassessing factors such as Ukraine-Russia conflict, market power of companies, wage growth, productivity growth, the evolution of inflation and interest rates, etc. can help)

σ refreshing values from an improved perspective

(e.g., if your accounting value is any expense has to comply to the spending limit you set up, you can re-evaluate this limit/value)

σ taking refresher training to close the gaps in knowledge in the way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis

(any crisis comes along with it with new jargon and tools to deal with it. If there is a need to learn these jargon and tools, then a refresher training can be required)

σ ameliorating your leadership abilities in whatever you do as the cost-of-living crisis endures

(any crisis can change the way one leads their life or household as well as it can provide the opportunity to improve one’s leadership skills)

σ enhancing the culture of your household or community

(to better deal with the cost-of-living crisis and poverty, it may require some improvements or adjustments in one’s household culture or simply way of doing things)

etc.

All the above means will help in improving ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

• • • What You Can Get from CENFACS in Autumn under Autumn Help to End Higher Living Costs

The set of helps provided in the FAS 2024 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, climate crisis, etc.). In this respect, FAS 2024 include ‘Fresh Start‘ activities or services that can be aligned with the typical phases of crisis after the crisis phase. These typical phases include de-escalation, stabilisation, post-crisis and resolve phases. What are these activities?

There are three activities we would like to mention, which are:

a) activities to turn endings to new beginnings

a) activities to manage new beginnings

b) activities to manage plans for the future.

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Turn Endings to New Beginnings

These are the activities to return to where people were before the living costs increased with changes rather than against them, this Autumn. People can now move on with change and transition. They include:

√ tasks to manage transition (from Summer to Autumn, from when living costs started to increase to where they are now)

√ tasks relating to wellbeing economy, inclusiveness and safety to manage the process of ending higher living costs.

• • • • 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 enduring 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 improve and 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 2024 Edition 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 2024 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 2024 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 End Higher Living Costs and Their impacts on You!

_________

• References

(1) https://www.ben.org.uk/how-we-help/for-me/articles/reduce-your-living-costs/ (accessed in September 2024)

(2) https://www.financestrategists.com/retirement-planning (accessed in September 2024)

(3) https://www.gosolve.co.uk/brown-grey-green-field-land-development (accessed in September 2024)

(4) https://www.eli.org/brownfields-program/brownfields-basics# (accessed in September 2024)

(5) https://smartasset.com/retirement/what-is-a-retirement-plan (accessed in September 2024)

(6) Yiftachel, O. (2009), Critical Theory and ‘gray space’ Mobilisation of the Colonized at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248930381_critical_theory_and_’gray_space’_Mobilisation_of_thecolonized (accessed in September 2023)

(7) 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)

(8) https://environmentagency.blog.go.uk/2021/08/04/blue-space-the-final-frontier/ (accessed in September 2022)

(9) Dorsey, J. W. (2003). Brownfields and Greenfields: The Intersection of Sustainable Development and Environmental Stewardship. Environmental Practice, 5(1), 69-76, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1466046603030187 (accessed in September 2024)

(10) Depietri, Y. & McPhearson, T., (2017), Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas, Theory and Practice of Urban Sustainability Transitions, N. Kabisch et al. (eds.), DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56091-5_6

(11) https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.10225 (accessed September 2022)

(12) https://www.britannica.com/money/cost-of-living (accessed in September 2024)

(13) https://www.kanan.co>blog>cost-of-living-in-uk (accessed in September 2024)

(14) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1300280/great-britain-cost-of-living-increase/ (accessed in September 2024)

(15) https://www.commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9428/ (accessed in September 2024)

(16) https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/uk-poverty-the-facts-figures-effects-solutions-cost-living-crisis/# (accessed in September 2024)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Permalink

Starting XI Campaign 2024

Posted by ctsh@in2015 on September 18, 2024 in Uncategorized

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

18 September 2024

Post No. 370

The Week’s Contents

• Autumn 2024 Fresh Start: With a Focus on Finding Ways of Ending the Cost-of living Crisis

• Starting XI Campaign 2024

• Financial Plan Updates for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 18/09/2024: Estate Planning

… And much more!

Key Messages

• Autumn 2024 Fresh Start: With a Focus on Finding Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis

• • What Is Autumn about for CENFACS and Its Community?

It is about Freshness. Autumn is the time of natural recycling process of plants and trees. Leaves change colour and fall. Without reinventing the wheels, we can say that Autumn of Freshness at CENFACS is the season after the long sunny weather and break of Summer; season during which our body and mind naturally recycle and engage in renewed energy, strength and thoughts.

Autumn of Freshness is the season of

∝ making fresh start after returning back from Summer to resume our life routine, work, education and voluntary work, particularly poverty relief one

∝ restarting after having some life and/or work experience (e.g., voluntary work or experience over the Summer, project visits, holiday trips, family sojourns, tourism, travel/expeditions of all kinds, etc.)

∝ beginning to apply or introduce and share those new experiences, ideas and discoveries we had during the Summer break or holiday

∝ slowing down some types of things while slowly setting up new ones from small to big sizes

∝ novelty, creativity and innovation to try to resolve the old, new, challenging and emerging issues of poverty and hardships.

Will this Autumn be same as the previous ones?

• • Autumn of Freshness 2024

This Autumn 2024, we are going to try find ways forward to end the cost-of-living crisis. It is not easy. One can even think it is overambitious. However, the cost-of-living crisis cannot keep indefinitely going on with its damages on poor people.

Finding ways of ending the cost-of-living crisis is also about answering these questions: How does economic crisis end? Does it end itself following the business or trade cycle model or fluctuations in the level of economic activity (that is, depression, recovery, boom, recession and so on)? Does it end through an intervention in the form of economic policy response?

There are different responses to these questions. For instance, the website ‘econofact.org’ (1) argues that

“History suggests two ingredients are needed to stanch the acute phase of an economic crisis: a resolution of the underlying cause and a dramatic economic policy response that mitigates the economic damage and causes a shift in the sentiment”.

Although the cost-of-living crisis is not comparable to the economic shocks of 1929 and 2008 or the 2019 coronavirus disaster with its economic ramifications, it is possible to find ways of ending the cost-of-living crisis. Economically speaking, it will be possible when real disposable incomes match the level of prices. One needs to find new ways forward for this match to happen.

To find new ways forward, we may need to keep refreshing the methods, approaches, theories, systems, practices and tools we have been using to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Why do we need to find ways of ending the cost-of-living crisis?

Many economic analysts and expert bodies (like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Resolution Foundation, chief economists at World Economic Forum, etc.) think that the cost-of-living crisis will last until the end of 2024, when household real disposable incomes will increase and inflation drop back. Although, the inflation in the UK is nearing government target of 2%, prices are still slowly rising and wages are still failing to meet them. Some even predict that the cost-of-living crisis will carry on up to 2027/2028.

If this is the case or scenario, one may need to find way of ending the cost-of-living crisis or refreshing their autumnal way through which they are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis. Let alone the economic theory they are using. Ways forward to end the cost-of-living crisis and refreshing are needed within CENFACS, between CENFACS and its community for the following reasons:

σ to conduct a brand refresh used or take a process of adjusting the brand in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis

σ to update with the latest information and knowledge about this crisis

σ to fix projects, activities and programme areas which are not working or where there are bugs

σ to review some of the fundamentals

σ to refresh values from an improved perspective

σ to take refresher training to close the gaps in knowledge in the way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis

σ to stay in tune with changing project beneficiaries’ tastes and technological innovation causing new services to emerge which may supersede existing ones

σ briefly to keep control on the life cycle (that is launch, growth, maturity and decline) of CENFACS‘ products/services while finding a new way forward to end the cost-of-living crisis.

All these reasons will help find new way forward to end the cost-of-living crisis, which has been tackled since inflation went far ahead wages. They will also assist in dealing with other enduring polycrises like climate crisis.

However, we have to admit that CENFACS does not have the capacity to end the cost-of-living crisis. CENFACS can however work with those affected by the lingering effects of the cost-of-living crisis to reduce or end these harmful effects on them. As the ‘verywellmind.com’ (2) puts it when referring to trauma:

“Fortunately, there are healthy ways to cope with a crisis and get to the other side”.

CENFACS will continue to work with those stricken by the cost-of-living crisis and its lingering effects so that they can get to the other side of the crisis.

So, the key words and phrases for our sharing and engaging contents over this Autumn are Finding or Refreshing or Reviving Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis; words and phrases which will underpin all our work over this period.

• Starting XI Campaign in 2024: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Find Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis

Autumn of Freshness is about working together with our users, project beneficiaries, members and stakeholders through a helpful bundle of Fresh Start projects blended together to give a contemporary and targeted relief, thanks to a good knowledge of users’ and members’ needs and expectations.

These projects will help implement new and improved ways of working with local people to meet changing needs mainly led by the lingering effects of the last crises (e.g., the coronavirus disaster) and the enduring cost-of-living crisis in the Year of Transitions; a year of transitionary skills to meet poor people’s needs in a new era and landscape of poverty reduction and development policies. These projects make up our Autumn 2024 Fresh Start Programme.

• • What Is Included in the Autumn 2024 Fresh Start Programme?

The Autumn 2024 Fresh Start Programme is made of

(a) Skills, tips, hints, tweaks, tools and hacks to find ways to end or refresh ways of ending the cost-of-living crisis

(b) Transformative and transitionary experiences

(d) A Slice and feast of Africa’s history

(e) A Campaign to end the stubborn cost-of-living crisis

(f) A Spatial analysis of poverty via brown, blue, green and grey spaces

(g) Blue and green realignments of initiatives to the principles of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets

(h) Thoughts and inspirations to finish the unfinished work of building forward from previous crises.

All this is flavoured with hopes, dreams and reasons to believe in the future; a poverty-free, sustainable, net zero and crisis-free world.

So, the line-up for CENFACS’ Starting XI Projects and Campaign to find ways forward to end the cost-of-living crisis and other crises for this Autumn is as follows:

(1) Women, Children and Transitionary Skills to Transition from Ways of Tackling to Ending Crises – NEW

(2) Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households – UPGRADED

(3) African Charities’ Investment Management Project – NEW

(4) Making Memorable Difference through Africa’s Woven Loincloth

(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga

(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact

(7) “A la Une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) with a Focus on Critically Endangered Fish Species

(8) Advice for Africa-based Sister Organisations and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa

(9) Autumn Help to End the Higher Costs of Living

(10) Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising the Costs of Living

(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals.

For more on these projects, please read below under the Main Development section of this post.

• Financial Plan Updates for Households – In Focus from Wednesday 18/09/2024: Estate Planning

Our 4-series of Financial Plan Updates for Households continues this week as we are working on the third serial of these updates, which is Estate Planning. Before going any further, let us explain the meaning of estate planning.

• • What Is Estate Planning?

According to Smart Assets (3),

“Estate planning is the series of preparation tasks that dictate how your assets will be dispersed upon your incapacity or death”.

Smart Assets also explains that

“Estate planning entails for more than just creating a will. It may include: assigning a power of attorney and healthcare proxy to make decisions on your behalf, creating trusts, establishing guardians for living dependents, appointing or updating beneficiaries on life insurance plans and retirement accounts, making funeral arrangement, preparing for estate taxes, potentially by scheduling annual gifting”.

Many of CENFACS users and members, especially those living on low or modest income may think that the above-mentioned areas of estate planning do not matter for them. Yet, they do matter. This is why CENFACS is running this initiative to work with them. Also, CENFACS runs planned gifting as a giving option for potential donors/funders who may be interested in inserting a giving aspect in the estate planning.

• • Working with Households on Estate Planning

CENFACS can work with those households interested in the following:

σ Creating their estate plan (which will include the inventory of their assets, potential beneficiaries of their assets)

σ Drawing their will and testament (CENFACS can signpost or refer them to appropriate services catering for will and testament matters)

σ Assigning powers on their health and financial decisions

σ Choosing an executor to administer their assets and final wishes

σ Dealing with aspects of their life linked to estate and inheritance taxes, etc.

Estate planning is important for all members making the CENFACS Community. As Smart Assets (op. cit.) puts it,

“Estate planning is crucial no matter your age or level of wealth. You want to have a say in where your assets end up and ensure your loved ones are adequately cared for should something happen to you”.

There are households capable of creating their own estate planning. There are others needing support on this matter. CENFACS can work with those needing support. Where CENFACS‘ capacity is limited, CENFACS can signpost them to agencies or professionals on estate planning (e.g., estate planners, financial advisor or attorney) offering the services they are looking for.

Those who may be interested in updating their Estate Plan can contact CENFACS for further details.

If you need support with your Estate Plan Updates, please do not hesitate to communicate with CENFACS.

Extra Messages

• Brown Spaces-focused Note for Wednesday 18/09/2023: Bringing New Opportunities

• Summer 2024 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Four Days to Go!

• Starting or Renewing Your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work This Autumn 2024

• Brown Spaces-focused Note for Wednesday 18/09/2023: Bringing New Opportunities

Our understanding of sustainable planning and redevelopment of brown spaces in terms of their benefits continue this week. It carries on as we are looking at how some of the interventions to revitalise brown spaces in a sustainable way can socially, economically and environmentally benefit people, particularly end-users. One of the benefits is the creation of new opportunities.

• • New Opportunities to Be Brought by the Redevelopment of Brown Spaces

Where brown spaces have been successfully redeveloped, there could be new opportunities for local people in terms of employment, education, housing, health, business, recycling, etc. It could be even desirable if these new opportunities lift local people out of poverty.

Speaking about benefits from redeveloped brown spaces, the website ‘epa.gov’ (4) notes that

“Revitalising brownfields provides new economic and social benefits to communities, in addition to improving environmental conditions”.

The website ‘epa.gov’ also argues that there are steps to take in order for any redevelopment can bring benefits. Additionally, the community has to position itself to successfully reap the benefits from brown spaces redevelopment. In other words, there is no direct link between what brown spaces redevelopers would bring in terms of new opportunities and the benefits that people (where this redevelopment is taking place) would grab from the window of opportunities brought. People have to do something to capture these opportunities.

• • Working with the Community on New Opportunities Stemming from the Brown Spaces Redevelopment

It is about supporting our community members in the following ways:

> how to grab new opportunities arising from any redevelopment of brown spaces

> how not to be left behind of any opportunities created by the redevelopment of brown spaces

> how they can better position themselves to embrace the new opportunities to be created

> how they can back or not back brown space projects with their favourable or unfavourable opinions

etc.

For those of our members who would like to work with us on new opportunities stemming from the redevelopment of brown spaces, they are welcome to work with us.

For those members who would like to share their experience in terms of new opportunities resulting from the redevelopment of brown spaces and how they seized them; they are also invited to share it with us.

For those who would like to further discuss with us any other matters or insights relating to the the New Opportunities from the Redevelopment of Brown Spaces, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

• Summer 2024 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Four Days to Go!

There are only four days to go before our Summer Humanitarian and Fundraising Campaign ends.

All poor, unprotected children, undervalued young carers and those poor suffering from the lack of opportunities in sport development and sustainable development; they all are asking for support to reduce and or end the type of poverty they are experiencing.

Their requests are summarised inside the 2024 Edition of CENFACS’ Summer Humanitarian Appeal Projects.

The projects making this appeal include the following:

√ Cover Basic Spending for the Distressed Children in Africa

√ All Gifts for All Poor

√ International Networking and Protection against Crises

√ Iconic Young Carer

√ ELCLASSICO International.

The above five projects require donation or funding or influence.

You can donate money and / or give in kind or influence.

Please remember, the fundraising and influencing campaign for these projects will end by 22 September 2024.

CENFACS will accept any support given during and beyond the duration of this campaign.

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

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

Thank you for your generosity.

• Starting or Renewing Your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work This Autumn 2024

The beginning of every season is an opportunity either to continue to do the things we always do as they work or to think of taking on new initiatives in the new season or to do both. Likewise, in time of enduring cost-of-living crisis there are not only worries and stresses; there are as well new opportunities and possibilities to do things differently. One can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis to review or change things. One way of doing is to start or continue to look forward. There are many ways in which one can look forward this Autumn.

For example, one can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis and rethink on the types of organisations and projects they support. One may find appropriate to start or increase or even reduce their support to a particular development or poverty relief cause. One could also think of getting involved in CENFACS’ work or renewing their commitment to it if they have ever got involved in it before. The decision is theirs.

We have spelled out below various ways in which one can enhance CENFACS’ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction, and make a useful impact on poverty reduction with us.

• • Getting the Most of Your Involvement with CENFACS into Poverty Reduction Work from Autumn 2024 and Beyond

The following points provide ways through which one can get involved with CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction.

• • • Where to start: Sign up!

√ Register with us and or update us with your contact details

√ Respond to our communications and communicate with us when occasion arises

• • • Stay in touch with our…

√ Newsletter and other paper and free-paper communication materials

√ Regular updated and upgraded resources (e.g., fact sheets) and supporting information

• • • Involve us in raising awareness of the poverty relief issue

√ Advertise with us for helpful good and deserving causes

√ Pass our relief messages on to interested third parties

• • • Share your transformative experience

√ Tell us what you think and or your development story

√ Help us improve with your voices, comments, reports and feedbacks

• • • Boost your support

√ Support us according to your means and limits as every support counts

√ Add value to your support, if you can, by improving your support to us to support you and or others

• • • Get noticed to go further with your involvement

√ Register and keep up to date with information about your event, project, activity and so on

√ Join up our network of poverty relief and development work

• • • Stay ahead of the game with us

√ Communicate with us before hands and when the needs arise

√ Often read our news alerts, tweets and switch to our new developments

• • • Deliver on your promises

√ If you promise to do something for or with CENFACS and others, please do it

√ If you can’t do it, please let us know. Don’t just stay silent!

• • • Make our communications with you to be a two-way process and multi-channel approach

√ Talk to CENFACS and CENFACS will talk to you as well and vice versa

√ Help us improve the flow of information on poverty relief and development using a variety of channels and platforms

• • • Be contactable and present via

√ E-mail, (tele or mobile) phones, physical address and social media platforms

√ Word-of-mouth recommendations, outreach and other means of contact (like video calls)

• • • Get the word out on your communication channels

√ Spread words about CENFACS’ work on your social media links

√ Promote CENFACS’ work in what and where you think we can fit in

• • • Keep your involvement with CENFACS digitally and on papers

√ Up-to-date information on to your mobile by our free text alerts and messages

√ Check CENFACS’ website and make enquiries online 24 hours 7 days a week

• • • Act upon information received from us

√ Don’t just read or hear them and do nothing about them. Please react and be vocal!

√ If they are irrelevant to you, please pass them onto an interested and committed party

• • • Build and protect standards of trust in CENFACS

√ Correct inaccuracies and misinformation, stop the spread of false information about CENFACS and its community/network

√ Tackle with us the pollution of information, disinformation and distrust about our poverty reduction work and initiatives

• • • Ask for help and support

√ Seek help if you need it before getting involved with CENFACS

√ Find support when you need it in order to get involved with CENFACS

• • • Continue the legacy of CENFACS’ work

√ It is now 22 years and two months that CENFACS has been working on poverty relief and sustainable development since it was registered in 2002. You can continue this legacy with us.

√ You can be the face of CENFACS to those who are looking for a lifeline of support from us.

The above ways of getting involved in CENFACS’ work may not be exhaustive. Should you have any other way, please let us know.

To get involved with CENFACS into poverty reduction work, just let us know.

Message in French (Message en français)

• Mises à Jour du Plan Financier pour les Ménages – Point de mire à partir du mercredi 18/09/2024: Planification Successorale

Notre série de 4 mises à jour du plan financier pour les ménages se poursuit cette semaine; semaine pendant laquelle nous travaillons sur la troisième série de ces mises à jour, qui porte sur la planification successorale. Avant d’aller plus loin, expliquons le sens de la planification successorale.

• • Qu’est-ce que la planification successorale?

Selon Smart Assets (3),

«La planification successorale est la série de tâches de préparation qui dictent la répartition de vos actifs en cas d’incapacité ou de décès.»

Smart Assets explique également que

« La planification successorale ne se limite pas à la création d’un testament. Il peut s’agir de l’attribution d’une procuration et d’une procuration en matière de soins de santé pour prendre des décisions en votre nom, de la création de fiducies, de l’établissement de tuteurs pour les personnes à charge vivantes, de la nomination ou de la mise à jour des bénéficiaires des régimes d’assurance-vie et des comptes de retraite, de l’organisation des funérailles, de la préparation des droits de succession, éventuellement en planifiant les dons annuels.

De nombreux bénéficiaires et membres du CENFACS, en particulier ceux qui vivent avec un revenu faible ou modeste, peuvent penser que les domaines de la planification successorale mentionnés ci-dessus n’ont pas d’importance pour eux. Pourtant, ils comptent. C’est pourquoi le CENFACS mène cette initiative pour travailler avec eux. De plus, le CENFACS demande des dons planifiés comme option de don pour les donateurs/rices ou les bailleurs/resses de fonds potentiels qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s à intégrer un aspect de don dans la planification successorale.

• • Travailler avec les ménages sur la planification successorale

Le CENFACS peut travailler avec les ménages intéressés par ce qui suit:

σ Création de leur plan successoral (qui comprendra l’inventaire de leurs biens, bénéficiaires potentiels de leurs biens)

σ Rédiger son testament

σ Attribuer des pouvoirs sur leurs décisions sanitaires et financières

σ Choisir un exécuteur testamentaire pour administrer ses biens et ses dernières volontés

σ Gérer les aspects de leur vie liés aux droits de succession, etc.

La planification successorale est importante pour tous les membres qui composent la communauté CENFACS. Comme Smart Assets (op. cit.) le dit,

« La planification successorale est cruciale, peu importe votre âge ou votre niveau de richesse. Vous voulez avoir votre mot à dire sur l’endroit où se retrouvent vos actifs et vous assurer que vos proches sont pris en charge de manière adéquate si quelque chose vous arrive.

Il existe des ménages capables de créer leur propre planification successorale. Il y en a d’autres qui ont besoin d’aide à ce sujet. Le CENFACS peut travailler avec ceux qui ont besoin d’aide. Lorsque la capacité de CENFACS est limitée, CENFACS peut les orienter vers des agences (par exemple, des planificateurs successoraux, un conseiller financier ou un avocat) offrant les services qu’ils recherchent.

Les personnes qui pourraient être intéressées à mettre à jour leur plan successoral peuvent contacter le CENFACS pour plus de détails.

Si vous avez besoin d’aide pour la mise à jour de votre plan successoral, n’hésitez pas à communiquer avec le CENFACS.

Main Development

• Starting XI Campaign 2024: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Find Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis

The following two items provide the main idea of our Starting XI Campaign 2024:

∝ What Is Starting XI Campaign?

∝ Starting XI Projects to Find Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis

Before highlighting the projects making the Starting XI Campaign 2024, let us explain this campaign.

• • What Is Starting XI Campaign?

It is an organised series of actions and operations designed to help achieve the goal of poverty reduction during the autumnal season. Normally, there are eleven projects that make these actions to gain support for poverty reduction and build up opposition to practice that keeps poverty. The list of eleven projects will help work with the communities here in the UK and Africa to freshly start Autumn. These projects are our Fresh Start ones, which will help beneficiaries to cope with the lingering effects of the cost-of-living crisis. What are these projects?

• • Starting XI Projects to Find Ways of Ending or to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

The XI projects we are talking about will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign. This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.

11 PROJECTS TO FIND WAYS OF ENDING THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS: 11 WAYS OF HELPING TO REDUCE AND END POVERTY THIS AUTUMN 2024

Please find below key highlights of projects making CENFACS’ Autumn 2024 of Finding Ways of Ending the Cost-of-living Crisis, including the month each of these projects is supposed to start.

• • • Key Highlights of Starting XI Projects

September 2024

(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects (including the Big Beasts sub-advocacy)

These projects will continue our advocacy work on the protection of plants, animals and fungi, while we are carrying on to implementing new ways of working with local people and organisations in Africa to help save flora, fauna and funga. (Advocacy)

(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact

It is a step forward within the framework of the advice service we provide to the community. The leaves element within our local advice package, which marked CENFACS’ 2021 Year of Leaves, will continue to feature the advisory process of helping the community to reduce poverty. In 2023, we included impact to this package. Advice with impact means that advice will be given with an impact strategy to maximise outcomes for the beneficiaries. (Advice)

(7) A la Une (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)

‘A la Une’ will include our sub-advocacy work on nature, which is Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature. This year, A la Une project will focus on Endangered Fish Species.

In the last week of September 2024, we shall focus on saving endangered fish through our new initiative called ‘Mbisi’ (that is, Maintaining Bagrus In Situ Inhabitation). It is an advocacy for saving the endangered fish species.

The ‘Mbisi’ project, which has already kicked off, will help us to advocate for a safe life for fish species. (Campaign)

October 2024

(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals

These appeals are a renewed engagement with supporters via appeals to deal with the exacerbation of poverty by climate change, the enduring cost-of-living crisis and any spotted lingering effects of coronavirus as well as the emergence of new threats brought by Mpox and other diseases in Africa. These humanitarian relief and emergency appeals, which will help people and communities in most desperate situation, will include as well

~ short-term environmental strikes and disasters linked to climate change cycles (like in the cases of Morocco-Safi earthquake and Libya deadly floods and landslides in 2023)

~ long-term environmental storms and catastrophes (e.g., the risk of freshwater sources to be contaminated in some parts of Africa by viruses, germs, parasites and pollutants creating water scarcity)

~ short-term crises and armed conflicts and disputes (e.g., the probable intensification of violence and worsening of humanitarian crisis in the African Sahel)

~ wars linked to economic trends and business cycles (e.g., the geo-economic tensions between Africa’s trading bloc and other economic blocs)

~ and long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare (e.g., the deterioration of the security situation in African countries where there have been military coups d’état like in Niger, Guinea with the possibility of long-running civil wars). (Humanitarian appeals)

(4) Making Memorable Difference (MMD)

The focus for this October History Month will be on Africa’s Woven Loincloth in lifting people out of poverty. Our work for this year’s MMD will be about identifying the historical figures (and families) of Africa in Woven Loincloth making. (History project)

(10) Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of the Living

It 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 the cost-of-living poverty. The latter is now a barrier for many poor.

We shall continue our alignment of this campaign with the typical phases of crisis (i.e., crisis, de-escalation, stabilisation, resolve and post-crisis) as set it up in October 2022. We shall as well continue to offer the three services (short-, medium- and long-term services) linked to this campaign. (Poverty-relieving campaign)

November 2024

(9) Autumn Help to End the Higher Costs of Living

CENFACS does not have the power to stabilise prices, costs and bills for its members or members of the public. CENFACS has, however, voice to speak and can help through its voice so that those who can influence the economic factors and indicators (like inflation, interest rate, wages, etc.) do their best to stabilise prices and raise wages to match prices.

Also, there are people who are succeeding in their fight against the adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis. There are others, who could be the majority, who are failing to win this battle.

For those who are not winning this fight, they may need to rethink or improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis, especially as many experts believe that the cost-of-living will last until real household disposable incomes increase and inflation drops back to meet the UK Government’s 2 per cent CPI (Consume Prices Index) inflation target.

For those failing this battle, they may need help to improve the way they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis.

Autumn Help to End the Higher Costs of Living, which will be a resource, will contain new information, tips and hints to help the community transition out of the cost-of-living crisis. This initiative or resource could start or be published before November 2024. (Resource)

(1) Women & Children FIRST Development Day

This year, our Development Day will still be about skills that can be learnt and developed in order to freshly start Autumn 2023. It will be about Women, Children and Transitionary Skills to Transition from Ways of Tackling to Ending Crises.

In the last four years, the Development Day has been designed to resonate with the November month of Skills Development within CENFACS. This year’s Development Day will too reverberate with the Skills Development Month within CENFACS. (Thoughts)

(8) Advice to Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa

Our support to Africa-based Sister Organisations via advice will continue to operate to help these organisations to overcome many challenges they face such as changing climate, the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis. We have added to the advice service the guidance we give to those who would like to not-for-profit invest with impact in Africa.

Under CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we run a programme to support not-for-profit investors in Africa. For both ASOs and not-for-profit investors, we have planned to conduct more activities this coming November 2024. (Advice & Guidance)

(2) Data Storytelling and Communications Skills for Households

The initiative will aim at empowering user households with skills to tell and visualise data (i.e., words and numbers) as well as get explained information that run their life. It will help them to have control over their data and life. (Data and Insight Advocacy & Skills)

(3) African Charities’ Investment Management Project (ACIMP)

ACIMP is an advisory management project designed by CENFACS to work together with Africa-based Sister Organisations looking to plan and manage their investments so that they can realise their mission with peace of mind without to worry to much about investment issues. The project will help to avoid investment mistakes while tolerating risk at fairly acceptable level.

Through this project, organisations will build generational investment management capacity and wealth that will help them and their beneficiaries to escape from intergenerational poverty. (Support and Resource)

Note:

As said earlier, the above XI projects will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign. This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.

Although they are scheduled for Autumn 2024, we may slightly alter our initial plan and or introduce occasional initiatives to cope with the reality of the unpredictability and complexity of development situations (e.g., side effects of the cost-of-living crisis, humanitarian and emergency situations), in which case we shall let you know as early as we can.

________

• References

(1) https://econofact.org/how-do-economic-crises-end (accessed in September 2024)

(2) https://www.verywellmind.com/cope-with-a-crisis-or-trauma-3144525# (accessed in September 2024)

(3) https://smartasset.com/retirement/estate-planning (accessed in September 2024)

(4) https://www.epa.gov/sites/2019-06/documents/final_community_actions_that_drive_brownfield_development_6-3-19_508_compliant.pdf# (accessed in September 2024)

_________

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.

One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE AND BEAUTIFUL CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2024 and beyond.

With many thanks.

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