Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

10 February 2021

 

Post No. 182

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Making Financial Risk Protection in Health Work for the Poor in the Era of COVID-19 and Lockdowns

• Pushed into Extreme Poverty by Out-of-pocket Health Spending: Share Your Experience

• Triple-value-initiative Start up

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• In focus for week beginning 08/02/2021 of the month of sustainable development is:

Making Financial Risk Protection in Health Work for the Poor in the Era of COVID-19 and Lockdowns

 

Our work on the constituents of Target 8 of Goal 3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals continues with Financial Risk Protection in Health (FRPH).  We are looking at how to make financial risk protection in health work for the poor in the era of COVID-19 lockdowns.   To make financial risk protection in health work for the poor, health protection needs to be built on some features like the following: needs-based solutions, valuable reliable universal health coverage, affordable, accessible by all, sustainable and able to lead to a good health and well-being.

Yet, in developing countries (like those of Africa) many peoples do not have health insurance cover.  This lack of health insurance cover is coupled by the lack of universal health cover (UHC) like the UHC that exists in many industrial developed countries.  Often, poor people are forced to pay from their own pockets for their health costs while making national insurance contribution which they do not often see the benefit.

In face of this situation, there are players in the market which try to do something to support those who are deprived from financial risk protection in health.  Amongst these players are Africa-based Sister Organisations specialised in health matter which are trying to work with their users to make FRPH work for them.  Their work is about how to reduce and possibly end poverty linked to the lack of health insurance cover or financial risk protection in health. 

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

 

 

 

 

• Pushed into Extreme Poverty by Out-of-pocket Health Spending: Share Your Experience

 

As part of the work on financial risk protection in health, we would like to know if anyone of our community members has been pushed into extreme poverty because of out-of-pocket COVID-19-induced health spending.  It is known that the way in which out-of-pocket money is spending on health can impact on poverty for low income people or households.  In relation to that, the World Health Organisation (1) argues the following:

“Out-of-pocket health spending can force people to choose between spending on health and spending on other necessities” (p. 3)

“Out-of-pocket health spending can also push people into poverty” (p. 4)

“Out-of-pocket health spending is also a major driver of economic disadvantage compared with other factors” (p. 4)

Following these arguments, we are looking into the fact whether or not the coronavirus pandemic has similar effects for those in need who are spending their out-of-pocket money to meet the COVID-19 health bill. 

Indeed, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have pushed many people and families to the edge of or into extreme poverty.  They have added health and personal hygiene costs (such as the costs of buying personal protective equipment, sanitation and disinfection products as well as those of cleaning) to their normal expenses budget.  In doing so, these events have perhaps created new poor and or are holding the existing poor still poor.

If you have been pushed into extreme poverty by out-of-pocket COVID-19 induced health spending, we would like to hear your experience.  To share your experience, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Triple-value-initiative Start-up/Planning

 

In order to support those who have decided or may decide to engage with All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives, we are running start up sessions for each of them (i.e. Run, Play and Vote projects).  We are going to deal with different phases of project planning or start up from the idea (of running or playing or voting) to the initiative implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 

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

Aims (changes you plan to achieve), impact (a longer-term effects of your project), inputs (resources you put into your initiative), monitoring (regularly and systematically collecting and recording information), outcomes (changes and effects that may happen from your initiative), indicators (measures that show you have achieved your planned outcomes), budget (income and expenses for your initiative), etc.

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

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

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign

In Focus: Uncut or Irreducible Expenses – How to deal with them

 

When one is poor, almost all their expenses are basic or life-saving.  It is difficult to cut them in order to maintain a zero income deficit policy.  How then can they not cut expenses in order to not create an income deficit that can lead to poverty and its transmission to future generations?    It is dilemma.     

The dilemma is that cutting them you create poverty.  Not cutting them you need to find resources to refinance them.  But, how do you solve this dilemma?

So, this week we are working with income deficit families and others on how to re-purpose their expenses or spending budget so that they are able to address the uncut or irreducible expenses in order to nullify or sensibly reduce income deficit.

Need to cut or manage your income deficit in your household accounts, you can contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• Essential Consumption and Sustainable Development Month

 

Our wintry resource on Consume to Reduce Poverty (with a focus on Essential Consumption for this year) is still relevant in the month of sustainable development.  To highlight this relevancy, we are extending the tips and hints provided in this resource to explore ways of improving our consumption habits to support the month of sustainable development. 

As we are in a situation of the closure of non-essential economic activities, we can seize this opportunity to check if people’s essential consumption habits during the lockdown have improved their contribution to sustainable development.  In other words, it is about finding out how essential consumption is positively impacting sustainable development.     

For those who have anything to argue about the impact of essential consumption on sustainable development during this period of closure of non-essential economic activities, they can let CENFACS know their arguments.

 

 

 

• The CENFACS Community, Financial Risk Protection in Health and COVID-19 Expenses Coverage

 

The theme of financial risk protection in health (FRPH) gives us the opportunity to discuss with the CENFACS Community its understanding and level of tackling this issue.  This is regardless of the fact that one benefits from universal health coverage or not. 

We are putting the issue of FRPH in the context of COVID-19 crisis.  We are trying to examine how the community is financially meeting the daily costs to protect itself against the COVID-19. 

For example, one may try to find out whether the community is using its out-of-pocket money to cover these expenses or they have some sort of risk protection plans to cover from additional expenses generated by the pandemic.   Alternatively, they may or not be getting support to cover the extra health costs brought by the coronavirus pandemic.   

Briefly, this is a basic research or small pilot study on how the CENFACS Community is getting on in meeting the additional health costs induced by the coronavirus pandemic.

For those who would like to support this basic community research, they can feed us with information on COVID-19 induced spending coverage.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Making Financial Risk Protection in Health Work for the Poor in the Era of COVID-19 and Lockdowns

 

The following items will help to understand how to make financial risk protection in health work for the poor in the era of COVID-19 and lockdowns:

(a) Understanding financial risk protection in health

(b) Poorer households and their health accounts and budgets

(c) Household expenditure on health as a share of household total consumption/income for poor families

(d) The impact of COVID-19 on health spending budget for poor families without financial risk protection in health

(e) Africa-based Sister Organisations and their work to help locals’ needs in financial risk protection in health

(f) Actions on health finance and insurance

(g) African Diaspora money remitters and their contribution to health insurance cover in Africa

(h) Impact monitoring of financial risk protection in health of the poor at the time of COVID-19 and lockdowns

Let us look at one by one these selected items.

 

(a) Understanding financial risk protection in health

 

Our understanding of financial risk protection or the absence of a risk of financial hardship as far as health is concerned will be based on the sustainable development goal 3 and target 8 of it.  This will include the context of universal heath cover.  To simplify, we are using the definition of financial risk protection as given by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

From the WHO website (op. cit.), one can read the following:

“Financial protection is at the core of universal health coverage (UHC) and one of the final coverage goals.  Health financing policy directly affects financial protection.  Financial protection is achieved when direct payments made to obtain health services do not expose people to financial hardship and do not threaten living standards”.

“Out-of-pocket payments for health can cause households to incur catastrophic expenditures, which in turn can push them into poverty.  Key to protecting people is to ensure prepayment and pooling of resources for health, rather than relying on people paying for health services out-of-pocket at the time of use”.

After reading the perception of UHC by WHO, one may notice that it is possible for poor people to be exposed to financial hardships and their living standards be threatened in places where there is no or partial healthcare insurance cover.  In time of the COVID-19 crisis, it is even more complicated for those who have never had any health insurance policy to have any basic financial help for health protection if they do not get bailed out by the public authorities.  In this respect, the WHO definition also helps in understanding the role and place of a UHC system based on a sound and practical policy of prepayment and pool of resources.     

 

 (b) Poorer households and their health accounts and budgets

 

One of the problems with health spending is that poorer households cannot afford to pay for their own health insurance (both public and private).  Yet, in many low income countries (like those of Africa), they have to spend out-of-pocket money to do so even if they have not got any money to spend.  This could mean money should come from somewhere else, which could be an extended family, loan, charitable source, etc.  This problem raises the debate over universal health coverage which is one of the health targets for the United Nations sustainable development goal 3 related to good health and healthy well-being.

In time of the health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic crisis, this controversy about financial risk protection relating to health is even bigger.  Like everybody, poorer households have experienced an increase in the amount of items and products they need to access in order to protect themselves and the public against the strains of coronavirus.  This increase has affected their health accounts and budgets as they have (like anybody else) to purchase products to protect against COVID-19.   

If anyone is concerned by what we have just described or have any interest, they can discuss the matter with CENFACS.

 

(c) Household expenditure on health as a share of household total consumption/income for poor families

 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 and Target 8 use two indicators which are: coverage of essential health services (3.8.1) and proportion of population with large household expenditures on health as a share of total household expenditure or income (3.8.2).  The first indicator measures coverage of selected essential health services on a scale of 0 to 100 while the second one helps to track progress towards universal health coverage.

In its World Health Statistics 2020, the World Health Organisation (2) published the following indicators for these African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d’Ivore and the Democratic Republic of Congo) which are part of its member states.

In 2017, the service coverage index for universal health coverage in comparable estimates were 40 for Benin and Burkina Faso, 42 for Burundi, 46 for Cameroon, 39 for Congo, 47 for Cote d’Ivoire and 41 for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Between 2010 and 2018, the percentage of population with household expenditures on health bigger than 10% of total household expenditure or income from primary data were 10.9 for Benin, 3.1 for Burkina Faso, 3.3 for Burundi, 10.8 for Cameroon, 4.6 for Congo, 12.4 for Cote d’Ivoire and 4.8 for the Democratic Republic of Congo.  

Between 2010 and 2018, the percentage of population with household expenditures on health bigger than 25% of total household expenditure or income from primary data were 5.4 for Benin, 0.4 for Burkina Faso, 0.4 for Burundi, 3.0 for Cameroon, 0.7 for Congo, 3.4 for Cote d’Ivoire and 0.6 for the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The above first set of figures tell us that if one needs to make financial risk protection in health work for the poor in the above named countries in the era of COVID-19 and lockdowns, the coverage of health service needs to be improved and expanded to those who do not have it. 

For the second set of figures, the incidence of catastrophic health spending has to be reduced for those who pay out of their pockets.  It also means that one needs to improve the tracking or progress in universal health coverage, particularly but not specifically for poor households.

For those who would like to discuss in depth about household expenditure on health as a share of household total consumption/income for poor families, they can let CENFACS know so that we can plan an activity or a discussion group about it.

 

(d) The impact of COVID-19 on health spending budget for poor families without financial risk protection

 

We have been doing some research on the impact analysis of COVID-19 on the realisation of climate and sustainable development goals for African children.  This kind of analysis can be expanded to the realisation of a particular sustainable development goal and target (like goal 3 and target 8).  To be more specific, this can be done on financial risk protection in  health.  This is what we are trying to do when talking about the impact of COVID-19 on health spending budget for poor families without financial risk protection.

Indeed, apart from the fact that poor people can become COVID-19 patients, they have to spend like everybody else money to cover against COVID-19 strains or germs.  This spending has to be included in their household budget as the example below show (Table no. 1)

 

 

The above figure (Table no. 1) gives us some indication about what could be a COVID-19 expenses budget for an average household.

In places where poor people get support to cover these additional costs to their current spending budget, they will have less trouble in living during this health crisis.   However, where there is no or insufficient support, this can lead them to further poverty and hardships. 

If a household has health protection policy and his policy can cover these additional costs, then there is no problem.  Yet, many of these poor households cannot afford to buy insurance health protection policy to cover these types of expenses.  If there are players (like a Government) who can help them to buy a policy, that is fine.  If not, there could be a possibility of having further poverty in these households.  

Let us take the example of the CENFACS Community.  Like everybody else, many of the members of our community are suffering the impact of COVID-19 on their health spending budget, for those without financial risk protection in health.  Because of COVID-19, their health spending budget has increased while their income has gone down.  Many of them have lost their capacity of earnings without financial compensation as the lockdowns have detrimental effects on them like anybody else. 

If anyone wants to share their experience about the impact of COVID-19 on their health spending budget or has any comment to make about their financial risk protection in health, they can share it with CENFACS.

 

(e) Africa-based Sister Organisations and their work to help locals’ needs in financial risk protection

 

There is always a debate between two ways of financing health risk protection in health which are: people’s out-of-pocket payments for health services and public health purse.  This is found in both developing and developed countries. 

For various reasons, financial risk protection relating to health is not organised in developing countries (like those of Africa) as it is in developed countries.  Because of that, many people in developing countries (including those of Africa) are left without universal health coverage and without financial risk protection by their states.  Some of these people try to get support they can or wonder when support will come to them.  ASOs that work in the field of health try to make an effort to work with those locals who need some help to sort out their financial risk protection.

In the work that ASOs are doing they try to help those in need of financial risk protection in health in various ways such as:

√ Working with them to make an informed decision or decision between health spending and spending on necessities

√ Finding suitable ways of reducing or avoiding extreme poverty caused by health spending

√ Exploring with them alternative sources of financing their health spending

√ Ensuring that health spending does not induce an economic barrier

√ Advising them on how to stay healthy and maintain a good well-being

√ Working with them on how to get value for money in terms of financial risk protection schemes

Etc.

At this time of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, the handling of financial risk protection in health becomes even more important for those in need of health risk protection.  This is because there are still other services or viruses against which they may have to fight while the battle against the coronavirus continues.  Likewise, lockdown and health measures to protect against COVID-19 are not making easy their work.  However, one can hope that with what COVID-19 has revealed in terms of health systems in many places in Africa financial risk protection schemes will be taken seriously.  The work that some ASOs are doing with very limited means will be valued and given support it deserves.  

   

(f) Actions on health finance and insurance for ASOs

 

There are actions that can be undertaken to help those organisations that are involved in working with locals in financial risk protection matter.  There are two levels of actions which are: actions on health insurance cover for the poor and those related to the direct support of ASOs.

 

f.1. Actions on health insurance cover for the poor and vulnerable

 

These actions revolve around the following:

√ Reduction of insurance premiums to improve affordability of health insurance for the poor and vulnerable people

√ Helping poor communities to buy health insurance policies (for example those related to COVID-19 protection) where there is no health insurance cover for them

√ Making risk insurance in health work for the poor

Etc. 

 

f.2. Actions to support ASOs working on health risk protection

 

These actions may include activities undertaken that may help to mobilise finance to cover financial risk protection in health.  These actions could be like the following:

√ Donations and support donor development programme

√ Financial products and services to fund health risk protection work carried out by ASOs

√ Private funds mobilisation

√ Health fundraising activities and events

√ Grant making for health insurance work

√ Income-generating activities to fund health risk protection

√ Online and digital fundraising for risk protection in health

Etc.

Although we are at the moment of health crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, one needs to think as well that after this crisis life will continue.  Therefore, one needs to have a long term perspective in terms of actions to be conducted if they are going to make financial risk protection in health work for the poor.

 

(g) African Diaspora money remitters and their contribution to health insurance cover in Africa

 

It is well documented that African Diaspora’s remittances contribute to Africa’s development and the reduction of poverty.  One area of contribution that Africans in the diaspora make is funding health needs of African family members in Africa who cannot afford health costs.  These costs range from simple medicine like aspirin to more complicated cases of diseases. 

Often, Africans in the diaspora have either to send money or purchase medicine to help those relatives and friends who are ill and do not have the means to buy a health cover policy because the way in which health systems operate in some places in Africa.  Many in the CENFACS Community receive requests from families and relatives for medical and health support.

The positive responses to those demands are indeed an example of how African diaspora is contributing in making financial risk protection for those in need in Africa.  This is despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have detrimental effects on this little but useful contribution Africans in the diaspora are making to health needs in Africa.

For those who want to discuss further about African diaspora’s contribution to the health and wellbeing in Africa, they can contact CENFACS.

 

(h) Impact monitoring of financial risk protection of the poor at the time of COVID-19 and lockdowns

 

In time of deep crisis like of the coronavirus pandemic, there could be confusion in terms of priorities.  Financial risk protection for the poor could be neglected as there could be a tendency to tackle the priority of saving lives and other essential aspects of the economy than dealing with the finances for the poor.

Because of that, it is essential even life-saving to regularly and systematically collect and treat information relating to financial risk protection so that there is no further pressure on the existing health crisis.  This will contribute to the impact of the action taken for good health and well-being.  Also, this will give some evidence that the poor are not left behind as one is trying to save lives and the economy.

For further details about the impact monitoring of financial risk protection in health of the poor at the time of COVID-19 and lockdowns, please contact CENFACS.

________

References

 

(1) https://www.who.int/health_financing/topics/financial_protection/en/

(2) World Health Organisation (2020), World Health Statistics 2020: Monitoring health for the Sustainable Development Goals @WHO2020

________

 

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

03 February 2021

 

Post No. 181

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Sustainable Development Month with Good Health and Well-being

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Generational Impact of COVID-19 Shock Waves

• Leafy Year and Sustainable Development

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Sustainable Development Month with Good Health and Well-being

 

February is our Sustainable Development month, according to CENFACS development calendar or planner.  It is the month during which we revisit our works relating to sustainable development.  In particular, we try to look at again the United Nations’ Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their related 169 targets.  We normally select one of the topics within the set of SGDs and targets; and try to work on it.

Since the coronavirus pandemic is still around and continues to take people and economies hostage, we have selected Goal 3 of the United Nations SDGs in order to tackle the month of sustainability; a selection from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda.  Within this goal, we have chosen Target 8. 

The Goal 3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

The target 8 of goal 3 is to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

How did we plan to work on the target 8 of goal 3?

 

• • Constituents of Target 8 of Goal 3 of the UNSDGs

 

Every week of this month, we will be dealing with each of the elements making target 8 as follows:

 

<>Week beginning 01/02/2021        

Achieve universal health coverage

<> Week beginning 08/02/2021        

Achieve financial risk protection

<> Week beginning 15/02/2021       

Access to quality essential health-care services

<> Week beginning 22/02/2021        

Access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all 

Our work will be about the above issues in the relation to COVID-19 and poverty.

 

 

• • Week beginning 01/02/2021 – In focus: Achieve Universal Health Coverage under the Constraints of COVID-19 and Poverty

 

In this first constituent, our attention will be on what our Africa-based Sister Organisations working on the field of sustainable health are trying to achieve with their users.

Before explaining how they are helping to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), let us define UHC.

 

• • • Understanding UHC

 

To define UHC, we have selected the following definition from the World Health Organisation (1):

“Universal health coverage is ensuring that all people have access to needed health services (including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliation) of sufficient quality to be effective while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user the financial hardship”

Generally speaking, UHC has three pillars which are: service delivery, health financing and governance.  Yet, the coronavirus pandemic outbreak and rebound have disrupted the service delivery in many places including in Africa where CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) work.  Likewise, there have been some adverse effects on health financing as limited health funds have to be diverted to curtail the life-threatening and destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  Health governance is not exempted by the coronavirus turmoil as there has been a rethinking in the way health is governed in many places in Africa where CENFACS’ ASOs are engaged in the management of health coverage.

 

• • • How ASOs are making universal health cover

 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, ASOs have been doing the following in ensuring that all people (particularly their beneficiaries) have access to needed health services:

√ Dealing with what is an essential health service or a non-essential one

√ Preserving equity in their work

√ Educating the community about the channels of transmission of COVID-19 and reinforcing local health authorities’ message of public health protection

√ Running sanitization campaigns against the spread of COVID-19

√ Caring for the vulnerable people and groups making part of their beneficiaries

√ Improving ways of working together in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic

√ Helping poor locals to access telemedicine and online medical system where they exist

Etc.

In brief, ASOs have been working with local people on find way to cover and achieve their health within the challenging contexts of the coronavirus pandemic and poverty.   

For any queries or enquiries about Sustainable Development Month and how ASOs are helping to make universal health needs cover, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Generational Impact of COVID-19 Shock Waves

 

Normally, the project that carries this month of Sustainable Development is African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACSDGs).  It is also known as Generation Global Goals (3G) project. 

3G project is the impact level in CENFACS’ process of advocating that global goals (like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) work for children and not way around.  It is indeed the testing of the gains that global goals claim to achieve and of their impact on the welfare and well-being of children.  This is regardless whether these children are in spaces and times of peace or lack of peace (like conditions of wars, areas stricken by virus or epidemics and time of natural disasters).   Unsurprisingly, these gains should be materialised even in time of health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic.

For this year, our 3G project will focus on the Generational Impact of COVID-19 Shock Waves.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided more details about this focus.

 

 

 

 

• Leafy Year and Sustainable Development

 

Studies show that leaves play an important role in sustainable development.  To highlight their role, this is what Wiley’s (2) online issue tells us:

“Leaves play a critical role in the Earth’s biosphere, regulating weather, renewing mineral nutrients and maintaining biotic processes to support both flora and fauna”

Indeed, leaves can help in many ways in sustainable development.  One of these ways is through recycling of fallen leaves.  Fallen leaves as mineral-rich organic material can benefit lawn and gardens.  One can recycle the nutrients from the leaves back into lawn and gardens.  For example, shredded or un-shredded leaves can be used for vegetable gardens.   

The above shows us that leaves have a role to play in sustainable development.  Recycling fallen leaves can help to reduce pressure on the environment and to contribute to the circular economy.  This also demonstrates the kind of relationships that our Leafy Year can have with Sustainable Development Month.   

To support CENFACS’ Leafy Year in a month of Sustainable Development, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Triple Value Initiatives, All Year Round Projects: Extra Support

 

Last week, we announced the kick off for our Triple Value Initiatives, initially known as All Year Round Projects.  For those who are interested in engaging with these initiatives, we would like to highlight the following three points.

 

• • Triple-Value-Initiatives Start up

 

It is better to start up early, although people can always join at any time.  The earlier you start the better.  This is because everybody is busy with their lives and has other things to do.  Also, the earlier you start, the earlier CENFACS can help if one encounters any problems.  Briefly, the message is start up early.

 

• • Triple-Value-Initiatives Fundamentals

 

You need to get the fundamentals about All Year Round Projects right from the beginning.  You need to clearly sort out the principles and bases of these projects so that you move to the right direction early without being forced to change course as you progress or repeat from scratch.  Briefly, the message is get the fundamentals right.

 

• • Triple-Value-Initiatives Goals

 

Whether you play or run or vote for poverty reduction and sustainable development, the all exercise is for you to reach your goal of delivering the objectives you set up from the onset.  It means you need to be clear in your mind set about what you want to achieve.  Again, if you have any problems in setting up clear goals and objectives, CENFACS can be of help.  Briefly, the message is be clear about what you want to achieve.  

You can select a theme to run, create your play station game and watch people to vote.  This is what Triple Value Initiatives or All Year Round Projects are all about.  Good luck!

 

 

 

• Halving Poverty for and with Children in Emergency in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

 

Our Halving Poverty campaign continues as well.  As we argued last week, coronavirus pandemic is the biggest health crisis of the 21^st Century so far.  However, this should not let us to forget or undermine other emergencies like the one that is happening in Africa’s Central Sahel. 

Every child matters in anywhere in the world including in the Central Sahel.  It is possible while the world is dealing with the mounting pressure from the coronavirus pandemic to also save children’s lives in other places (like in Central Sahel) from the risk to lose those lives to preventable diseases or disruption in immunisation services and programmes.  It is also possible to rescue children at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse that may be caused by the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19.  This can help to avoid a great number of tragedies among children at risk in Central Sahel.

For those who would like to enquire about this campaign, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.   To support, please go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/.

 

 

 

• One Year On: Coronavirus and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

It is now one year on since we launched our first thought and discussion under CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum about the coronavirus and poverty reduction in Africa.  This discussion was about whether or not the coronavirus would hamper or divert attention from the poverty reduction work in Africa.  One year after, can we argue it did or not?

Those who would like to comment on this or provide their view, they are free to do it by contacting CENFACS. 

 

L’année des feuilles de réduction de la pauvreté avec le CENFACS

Pour plus de détails concernant l’année feuillue, svp contactez le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Generational Impact of COVID-19 Shock Waves

 

Our work on generational economics and the intergenerational transmission of poverty continues with the study of the generational impact of COVID-19 shock waves on children and future generations.  We started this impact analysis last year by looking at how COVID-19 may delay the realisation of aspects of the United Nations Climate and Sustainable Development Goals for children. 

We are continuing our work where we left it by searching on the way in which COVID-19 may have impacted different generations of children.  This generational impact of COVID-19 shock waves will be on children we call as the generation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) or the generation of children thought to be the beneficiaries of the implementation of SDGs. 

Although we are using the word impact, it is clear that the real impact of COVID-19 will be known in the long term as there are still data to be collected and treated quantitatively and qualitatively.  This may take sometimes.  This is why United Nations Children’s Fund (3) argue the following:

“COVID’s legacy will take several years to definitively quantify, but it is already possible to infer some aspects that are especially salient for children” (p. 10) 

It is possible to start inferring the effects of COVID-19 and lockdown.  So far, a number of agencies and individuals have tried to do it.

In this post, we are trying to seize the early outputs or effects of COVID-19 on the realisation of SDGs linked to children’s health, well-being and welfare.  However, one needs to be cautious in interpreting what we have described below since we are carrying on in studying and learning more from COVID-19 scarring effects.  These effects are those on a generation of children.  Which generation are we talking about?

 

• • Children generation of global goals

 

The children generation of global goals are those two generations of children relating to two types of global goals: millennium development goals (MDGs) and sustainable development goals (SDGs).  The generation of millennium development goals will be those children or persons born between 2000 and 2015, whereas the generation of sustainable development goals will be referred to those born from 2015 until now (ideally between 2015 and 2030).  These generations relating to global goals have to be differentiated from the conventional definition of generations which classified them as follows: Generation Z (1995 to present), Millennials (1980 – 1994) and Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964).  

 

• • Generational impact of COVID-19 on children generation of SDGs

 

It is without doubt that COVID-19 has left and will leave some scars and fractures in the realisation of SDGs, particularly but not exclusively those aspects of these goals relating to children.  The study on the following six selected SDGs will show how COVID-19 is impacting or can impact the realisation of SDGs for children (particularly but not exclusively African children):   no poverty (goal 1), zero hunger (goal 2), good health and well-being (goal 3), quality education (goal 4), gender equality (goal 5), and clean water and sanitation (goal 6).  In this study, we have not included the climate impact as this will be a matter of another advocacy which we will deal with at a different time during this year.

 

• • • Possible effects of COVID-19 for children regarding the realisation of SDGs

 

Let us broadly consider the six selected goals out of 17 United Nations SDGs for dealing with the COVID-19 effects.

 

Goal 1: No poverty / End poverty in all its forms everywhere

 

The asymmetrical distributional effects of COVID-19 and lockdown make us to believe that there would be a challenge to end poverty in all forms in Africa for children, especially poor children by 2030.  The following statements or arguments can make one to think of this challenge.

For example, the United Nations Children’s Fund (4) argue that

“Poverty is rising, inequality is growing, and the pandemic is upending the essential services that secure the health, education, and protection of our children and young people” (p. 2)

Similarly, the United Nations Economic Commission (5) points out that

“The COVID-19 pandemic could push additional 5-29 million Africans into extreme poverty and exacerbate existing income inequalities” (p. 21).

The above push into extreme poverty in Africa does not only concern African adults.  It includes African children, especially when we know that the majority of population in Africa is young.

 

Goal 2: Zero hunger / End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

 

There is some growing evidence that travel and transport restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic have made difficult, if not impossible, for many poor people to access food and to create food security.  This has been challenging for many families with children.  This is despite the fact that there were some humanitarian corridors to enable the flow of essential foods, drinks and medicine between African countries.  Although many African countries tried to overcome these restrictions, the problem of hunger up until now persists with African children paying the most price of it.

So, ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition have still a long way to go by 2030 and are even now a nightmare for many African children who often go to bed without food.  COVID-19 has just made is worst for them.  Sustainable agriculture has been confronted with various COVID-19 related problems in terms of travel and transport for supply and outlets.

 

Goal 3: Good health and well-being / Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all

 

The fact that the coronavirus pandemic is still rampant and has new variants is a serious challenge to the goal of good health and well-being, not only for adults but for children as well.  This test is also expressed by the lack of resilient healthcare facilities capable to respond to pandemic’s aggression.  

Additionally, not all children from poor families have been able to access protective equipment (such as sanitizers to clean their hands and their living environment).  Many of those families who are the beneficiaries of our Africa-based Sister Organisations do not have affordable healthcare access and healthcare protection or insurance.  This lack of affordable healthcare access and protection is combined with lack of healthcare facilities. 

Many children of these families live where there are no safe, functioning and accessible toilets; no toilet tissues; no wash hand facilities; no safe drinking water infrastructures, etc.  This is let alone the lack of facilities to protect against mosquitos, tropical diseases such as malaria, etc.  Although these problems were already there, the health crisis brought by COVID-19 has made them worse, including the achievement of universal health coverage.

 

Goal 4: Quality education / Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

 

The COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns have re-exposed the digital divide and the difference in accessing online learning opportunities between children from poor families and those from rich ones.  The COVID-19 and related lockdowns have highlighted the poor studying conditions of children from poor families who continue to work in poorer home studying settings (such as lack of space to study, lack of electricity at home, lack of table and study equipment) and cannot access digital learning tools.

To realise the dream of quality education for poor children will be delayed or at worst not becoming a reality as COVID-19 and the lockdowns have just shown us.

 

Goal 5: Gender equality / Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 

The uneven distributional effects of COVID-19 and lockdowns may have reinforced gender inequality.  In some places in Africa, women have borne the greatest burden of increased domestic and care responsibilities. 

Many studies show that the informal employs more women than men in Africa.  Since many of those women have lost their informal jobs in Africa, this could have a differentiated impact on them and children, especially in households run by women and have only or more girls than boys.

So, the dis-equalising effect of COVID-19 and lockdowns may have left some gender fractures or scars.  This is despite some of CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations are working to address this COVID-19 engendered inequality.

 

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation / Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

 

By definition, the COVID-19 is a health crisis, a crisis featured by many things such as the lack of sanitation and related elements surrounding sanitation like clean water and environmental health.  Before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, sanitation was still a problem for many places in Africa.

For example, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation (6) claim the following:

“An estimated 367 million children attend a school in which there is no sanitation facility at all.  Over half of these children live in two SDG regions: sub-Saharan Africa (213 million children) and central and southern Asia (200 million children)” (p. 43)

Where many of CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations work, many families suffer from the lack of access to safe drinking water and a lack of safe control of physical factors that could harm these families’ health and safety (such as safe toilet and water facilities).  CENFACS worked with some of them in water collection project in Mali and schools to build basic sanitation facilities in Togo.  However, the coronavirus pandemic disruption may have reversed the hard work done on this particular area of health and safety for children.

In all, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic’s wake, poverty reduction is still happening in Africa and for African children like some of the examples given above show. 

CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations are continuing to work with poor families and their children so that they can relieve themselves from the brunt of the pandemic’s lasting scarring impacts or effects. 

The work they are doing with them can make us to believe and hope that these families and their children, the generation of global goals, can navigate their way out of coronavirus-induced poverty and hardships.

For those who would like to hear more about the stories of poverty reduction happening in Africa from CENFACS’ ASOs working with children, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

__________

 

Reference List

 

(1) https://www.who.int/healthsystems/universal_health_coverage/en/

(2) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sres.2487

(3) https://unicef.org/globalinsight/media/1516/file/UNICEF-Global-Insight-5year-Outlook-2021pdf

(4) United Nations Children’s Fund (2020), UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2021 Overview

(5) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (2020), Economic Report on Africa 2020: Innovative Finance for Private Sector Development in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

(6) United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation (2020): State of the World’s Sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies, New York

__________

 

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

 

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

27 January 2021

 

Post No. 180

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Halving Poverty in Africa’s Central Sahel; Halving Poverty for and with Children in Emergency in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

• Leaves that Reduce Consumption Poverty

• Donor and Stewardship Development and Maintenance

 

… and much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Halving Poverty in Africa’s Central Sahel; Halving Poverty for and with Children in Emergency in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

 

There are many crises which are going on in the world.  Amongst them is the health crisis characterised by the coronavirus pandemic which has currently high profile and has more captivated attention than any other ones.  However, this does not mean one should forget or undermine the severity of other crises. 

The other crisis or emergency which is happening is about the life-threatening and destroying conditions of children in Central Sahel of Africa.  There are almost 7 million children there who are in need of humanitarian protection and assistance due to the insecurity, forced displacement, lack of access to basic sanitation services and the socio-economic impacts of COVID.

With and on behalf of these children of Central Sahel of Africa, we would like to ask for the halving of poverty and hardships they are facing.  CENFACS would like to work with those who would like to halve poverty by supporting children who are in emergency in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in order to meet their basic life-sustaining needs and dreams.   

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find some details about halving poverty for and with these needy children of Africa’s Central Sahel.

 

 

 

• Leaves that Reduce Consumption Poverty

 

There are many types of leaves that are consumed or used in order to satisfy human needs in the forms of food, medicine or other use.  This week, we are interested in leaves that are affordable for poor families and that can help to meet their food needs as well as to reduce food or consumption poverty.

For example: Cassava leaves can help any families in some parts of Africa including those on low income to purchase or grow them if they have a garden. This basic commodity can help to meet basic consumption needs of food.  Cassava leaves are rich source of protein, minerals and vitamins as many studies show.  It is the consumption of properly processed cassava leaves that we are talking about.  Detoxified cassava leaves can serve as a safe nutrient source.  They are an important source of protein and micronutrients.  Processed cassava leaves can play a vital role in terms of food security and commercial crop by sustaining the livelihoods of poor farmers.  In this respect, the leaves can help to alleviate malnutrition and reduce stunting amongst poor populations.  

As part of our Leafy Year, we are going to search on how many affordable consumable leaves (like cassava leaves) that make the plates or dishes for ordinary families are sustainable.  In this exercise, we hope to include the sustainability element while taking into account other forms of use or consumption of leaves such as medicine or drugs in natural medicine to cure a variety of illnesses or diseases. 

Those who may be interested in our Leafy Year and Responsible Consumption of leaves, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Donor and Stewardship Development and Maintenance

 

Last year, we continued our solicitation to some of you as donors and /or stewards of poverty relief, particularly those who wanted to build bond and loyalty to CENFACS and CENFACS’ work.  It was an opportunity given to those who wanted to engage and develop their interests in CENFACS’ work.

As a result, we carried on by offering to the donor market a donor status to enable those who want to commit themselves on regular basis to giving or boosting their status as donor to have the opportunity to do so.

This year, we are moving towards the same direction by developing what we created two years ago and in inviting those who want to commit themselves as funder or donor to do so.    You can do it by supporting CENFACS with a silver donation, a great relief and a product booster.

 

• • Free for Supporters: Silver Status

 

Silver status is the legacy of CENFACS’ “Quadranscentennial” Year (2019).  Support our projects as you can or as you choose if you visit them or if you happen to be within the area of them. This will boost your support and help you to win a silver status as CENFACS’ Supporter in a CENFACS’ Leafy Year.  Alternatively, you can fund CENFACS’ Leafy Year to win the same status and continue CENFACS’ legacy.

 

• • Want to provide Great Relief as a Supporter

 

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.  For example, at this challenging time we need those who can provide that sort of relief to keep our action going and out of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.  Many individuals and organisations stepped in to support their good causes during this storming time of the health crisis; you can do the same by supporting CENFACS.

Please contact CENFACS for details about becoming Great Reliever.

 

• • Need to boost your support or stewardship as a Product Booster

 

You can choose a particular sustainable initiative or programme or even CENFACS as your boost product.

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a Project or Programme Funder or a Product Booster

For further details about boosting your support or stewardship, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2020-2021: Ends 31 January 2021

 

Gifts of Peace for Edition 2020-2021 are coming to an end this Sunday.  If you have not yet supported, there is still four days to go.  You can still do something for poverty relief and for healing the scars of coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.  

We know that many supporters of good causes have been affected by the adverse impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.  However, for those who can please do not hesitate to support these good causes of peace since the potential beneficiaries of them are doubly impacted by:

(a) The coronavirus pandemic which has brought economic and social lockdowns

(b) The already extremely poor conditions in which they are living

Every support counts to help reduce and end poverty.  To support, just contact CENFACS or go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/.

 

 

 

• COVID-19 Campaign –

Integrating COVID-19 Mutation into a Shadowing Model of Resilience against COVID-19

 

Our Campaign of Resilience against and Recovery from the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19 Campaign) continues.  As part of this campaign, we are re-purposing our shadowing model against COVID-19 by considering the new COVID-19 variant and its fastest and aggressive impact.

Indeed, as we have been informed by the epidemiologists and medical experts, the new COVID-19 variant is very aggressive.  Besides that, the number of COVID-19 cases does not show any sign of abating since it continues to grow to the extent that many non-essential economic activities are still closed and lockdowns are still in place.  Like last Autumn, this Winter has been sinusoidal with some rises and decreases of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic; the rising trends being the most noticed.  There is even a speculation or thinking about the possibility of a third lockdown.   

In the light of this situation, there is a need to rework our shadowing model of resilience against and recovery from the coronavirus pandemic so that one does not lose ground on the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.  In practical terms, it means that the more and better one applies to letter the COVID-19 health and safety restrictions and measures, the higher the probability of winning the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and variant will be.  This is every things remaining equal and without ignoring the contribution that a COVID-19 vaccine rollout can make. 

This could as well imply that one needs to match the aggression and power of the new COVID-19 variant or any mutation with a bold evolving determined action.  This is all shadowing is about.  It is about matching our level of responses and means to that of the challenges and threats that any COVID-19 mutation will pose.  In brief, this requires integrating COVID-19 mutation into our shadowing model of resilience against and recovery from it.

For any further details about the match/fit of our shadowing model against COVID-19 aggression; please do not hesitation to contact CENFACS.   

 

 

 

 

• 2021 All Year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives, the All Year Round Projects, are now back for this year.  You can play, run and vote to reduce poverty this year again.

The 2021 Edition of All-year Round Projects has kicked off.

You can Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2021. 

You can Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief.

You can Vote your 2021 African Poverty Relief Manager.

Before proceeding with one of the All Year Round Projects, it is good to speak to CENFACS.  We can discuss together your plan or the way you want to participate or engage with these initiatives.

 

• • How CENFACS can help you to engage with Triple Value Initiatives

 

The following examples show what we can discuss together before you start.

 

Example 1: Run Themes

For example, let’s take Run to Reduce Poverty.  There are Run Themes.  You can Run alone or Run as group or even Run for fun.  You can do Seasonal Run or Run to raise money or even Run to raise awareness.  However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, there are health and safety restrictions that everyone who will be involved in this Run activity must follow.  

There are ways of making your Run event simpler.  To do that, you can contact CENFACS before you plan your event.  CENFACS can help you to select your theme.  You need to confirm the date and time with CENFACS.

There are other things to consider as well such as: location, engagement in activities, prizes (rewards for participants), COVID-19 health and safety issues, child protection policy if children are involved, insurance cover, budget, etc.

 

Example 2: Play station Game

Let’s take another example: Playing CENFACS’ League for Poverty Relief

You can create your own play station game with CENFACS’ League and run your own tournament and matches.  You can even involve colleagues, friends and families sharing the same passion about how the selected African countries are working to reduce poverty.  You can group or rate these countries according to poverty reduction performance (showing which one comes on top, middle and bottom).  You can as well use game theories. Like for Run activity, you must include the coronavirus pandemic health and safety measures and guidance.

 

Example 3: People to Watch

Let’s take the last example: Voting your Poverty Relief Manager

You can create your own list of 21 Top People to Watch throughout the year.  One or two of them will be potentially the best managers of 2021.  You can collect data and facts about them, follow their annual performance and vote the best between the two at the end.

After running or organising a run activity, playing the CENFACS’ League and voting your Manager of the Year 2021; we would like you to share with us and others your news, events, experiences, stories and reports regarding these projects.  The end product of your share will be a kind of Action-Results report 2021.

 

• • What we would like to hear at the end of this process

 

We would like to hear from you the following three bests

√ The Best African Countries of 2021 which will best reduce poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2021

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2021

The deadline to tell us your bests is 23 December 2021.

As we progress throughout the year, further information will be released for CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives.

For more information about these projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

Vous pouvez commander et lire ce dernier numéro (no. 70) du FACS.

 

Pour commander ce numéro du FACS (en version française), simplement contactez le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• Halving Poverty in Africa’s Central Sahel; Halving Poverty for and with Children in Emergency in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

 

The following summarises data, needs, request, use and outcomes that briefly make the case for halving poverty for and with children in emergency in Central Sahel of Africa.

 

• • Data telling the story of children in emergency situation in Central Sahel of Africa

 

Various organisations working on this issue have come up with the following data.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (1) argue that

“The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented global health, humanitarian, socio-economic and humanitarian crisis, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of affected children… Across the Central Sahel some 13.5 million people (7.2 million children) are in need of humanitarian assistance due to insecurity, forced displacement, lack of access to basic services and the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19” (p. 6)

Taking the same line of argument, the United Nations Population Fund (2) point out that

“The conflict in the Central Sahel region…, has created a protection crisis for women and girls.  Escalating violence and displacement have heightened the risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices and disrupted access to basic services.  Of the 13.4 million people who require humanitarian assistance, 6 million are women of reproductive age and adolescent girls” (p. 10)

Likewise using a statistical approach to the impact of the COVID-19, the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (3) state that

“Children already left behind will likely bear the brunt of the pandemic’s impact, whether through missing out on life-saving vaccinations, increased risk of violence, or interrupted educated” (p. 54)

Furthermore, in its last economic report on Africa the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (4) predicted in general terms the following:

“The COVID-19 pandemic could push additional 5 to 29 million Africans into extreme poverty and exacerbate existing income inequalities” (p. 21)

Although the figure from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa is not directly linked to a situation of emergency for children, it nonetheless gives some indication on what may happen if nothing is done to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic on Africans and African children of Central Sahel who are part of those people who could be in extreme poverty.

We can finally argue that the above numerical and text data provided indicate the life-threatening and destroying conditions in which children are in the Central Sahel (particularly but not exclusively in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger).

 

References

 

(1) United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2021 Overview, Dec. 2020

(2) United Nations Population Fund: Humanitarian action 2021 Overview, Dec. 2020 (www.unfpa.org)

(3) Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (UNCTAD): How COVID-19 is changing the world: a statistical perspective, 2020 (https://unstats.un.org/unsd/ccsa/)

(4) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Report on Africa 2020: Innovative Finance for Private Sector Development in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 

 

• • The Needs

 

There are almost 7 million children in need of emergency support as well as adolescent girls amongst 6 million women of reproductive age who are in protection crisis and at risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices.

Like anywhere in the world every child matters in Central Sahel of Africa where children are looking for an end to life-threatening and destroying conditions they are in due to the insecurity, COVID-19 adverse impacts, extreme natural weather events, armed conflicts, etc.  They need health and economic protection not only to end poverty but also to fulfil their potentials and ambitions like any child in a free world.

 

• • The Asks

 

CENFACS is asking to those who can to donate whatever they can to help HALVE POVERTY FOR AND WITH THE PROTECTION NEEDY CHILDREN OF AFRICA’S CENTRAL SAHEL.  Any support will be welcome.

Your support will help to save children’s life, reduce child poverty and assist early childhood development and fill the gaps in protection funding needs of children in Central Sahel of Africa, specifically in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

 

• • The Uses and Beneficiaries

 

Your support will help to protect and save children’s lives as they are suffering from disruption from access to basic services, civil insecurity, displacement, interruption of their education because of insecurity and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, etc.

Amongst the beneficiaries, we can count or list the following children in need who are:

√ At risk of losing life to preventable diseases

√ Displaced

√ Impacted by mobility restrictions

√ At risk of violence, exploitation and abuse

√ Experiencing interruption of education because of COVID-19, civil insecurity and natural events

√ Frontline responders to COVID-19

√ Vulnerable living in informal settlements and conflict settings

√ Girls at risk of gender-based violence

√ Excluded from social protection

√ Orphaned as a result of civil conflicts

Etc.

 

• • The Outcomes

 

One can hope that the following results will be achieved through their giving:

√ Stopping of children’s displacement and organising the return to where they come from or belong to

√ Resumption of education for children in a coronavirus-safe environment and or the organisation of distance learning courses with them

√ Improvement in children’s physical and mental health conditions

√ Reduction of violence, exploitation and abuse towards children

√ Increase peace, security and economic contribution of these children

√ Decrease or end of child trafficking, labour, or soldier

In brief, one can hope to have children who will be happy, healthy and safe through this initiative.

To enquire and or support CENFACS’ Halving Poverty for and with Children in Emergency Situation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, please contact CENFACS.

Many thanks!

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

20 January 2021

 

Post No. 179

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 70, Winter 2021: Generational Economics and Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty 

• 2021 as Leafy Year

• The Objective of Ensuring that Poor People Consume Sustainably, Safely and Healthily

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 70, Winter 2021: Generational Economics and Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty

How to avoid and reduce the transmission of poverty to future generations

 

The 70^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter, looks at poverty reduction from the intergenerational perspective or an intergenerational approach to poverty.  The Issue uses economic theories of the household or family while drawing inspiration from the work carried out by CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations in order to help reduce intergenerational poverty.  The Issue also considers some elements of basic generational accounting at family level.  In doing so, the Issue deals with intergenerational transmission of disadvantages and risks that may induce poverty.

Far from being an account on intergenerational transmission of poverty, it provides some basic recipes for those working with intergenerational poor in order to explore ways of helping them to reduce or escape from intergenerational and life-cycle poverty.  Amongst these recipes, there are: the improvement of the socio-economic mobility and earnings capacity, mobility of intergenerational poor, the intergenerational transmission of well-being and wealth, etc.   

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have given Key Summaries making the contents pages of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 70.

 

 

• 2021 as a Leafy Year

 

2021 has been dedicated as a leafy year or a year of leaves of poverty reduction.  Indeed, leaves and herbs can help to relieve from illnesses or pains.  As we are in a global situation of a challenging pain brought by the coronavirus pandemic, we thought it could be a good idea to focus on leaves as ways of relieving us from pains. 

In fact, many medicines come from natural plants, herbs and leaves.  One can think of medicinal plants in traditional medicine.  Plants, herbs and leaves have some curative or healing power.  They can heal from illnesses or ill health or health poverty.  Ourselves, we use a leaf as our logo, a leaf of poverty relief.

This 2021, we will be celebrating what leaves can do for those living in poverty.  Leaves are the main organs of photosynthesis and transpiration.  Leaves can have many functions to play in human lives such as they can help to manufacture food through the photosynthesis process. 

Since we are in January month of Responsible Consumption, we would like this month to be of responsible and sustainable consumption of leaves.  It means whether we consume leaves for manufacturing our food or healing ill body and mind, consumption of natural leaves need to be responsible and sustainable.  This is our way of keeping harmony between our consumption of leaves and nature.

2021 will be a year that we would like to turn over a new leaf; a year of resolve covered with poverty reduction leaves to do better for and with those in need.  As we go along the year, we shall release more activities and events that will make our year of leaves of poverty reduction, a Leafy Year.

For further details about CENFACS’ Leafy Year, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• The Objective of Ensuring that Poor People Consume Sustainably, Safely and Healthily

 

This week, we are as well revisiting our Poverty Reduction Goals Project, particularly its Goal No. 2 and Objective 5 of Ensuring that Poor People Consume Sustainably, Safely and Healthily.  We are doing it to echo our month of Responsible or Sustainable Consumption.

Indeed, it is possible to decrease or end the state of lacking money and or material possessions in order to use available resources to satisfy one’s wants or needs.   In simple terms, consumption poverty can be tackled, reduced and ended.

Consumption poverty can be tackled like any other types of poverty.  It is possible to work with consumption poor to create ways for them to consume sustainably, responsibly, safely and healthily.  We will be working with them to achieve this objective 5 as part of the implementation of our Poverty Reduction Goals project and related Goal No. 2.

For those who may be interested in this implementation, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Gifts of Peace: Only 11 Days to Create Life-Changing Magic of Peace

 

Our Gifts of Peace highlighting the Season of Giving will soon reach the deadline.  We continue to appeal to those who did not have the opportunity to donate by telling them that there are only eleven days remaining to create a Life-Changing Magic of Giving something for Sustainable Peace. 

We understand that at this time of the COVID-19 shock and adversity it is difficult for people to donate.  However, for those who can we are appealing to them to donate since the need is still urgent and pressing for those who need both health and economic peace to mitigate the distributional and differentiated effects of the COVID-19 and lockdowns.

We hope you will keep these Gifts of Peace in your minds and help us reinvigorate the giving season (which has been tarnished by COVID-19 and lockdowns) through your donation or Gift of Peace.

 

 

 

• Transitional Development Programme, Africa-based Sister Organisations and African Continental Free Trade Area

 

This week, we are also looking at how Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are preparing or have prepared themselves in order to embrace the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) despite the COVID-19 and lockdown handicaps.  

The AfCFTA could be much the story of businesses that are looking for market niches and opportunities.  However, this does not stop organisations from the voluntary and community sector to explore ways of gaining some not-for-profit benefits within the AfCFTA.

Our work (in the context of Transitional Development Programme) about this preparation is on anything that the ASOs are trying to do in order to be part of this new experience or process of delivering service to continental market or users.  This preparedness could include things such as training, seminars, webinars, online discussions and forums, conferences, etc.

It is indeed about making sure that ASOs are not lagging behind any new developments in Africa, especially at this time when most economies in the world have moved towards regional economic trading blocks.  This trade integration shift has some consequences in the way organisations like ASOs can deliver their services to their local and national beneficiaries.  It could mean that ASOs can start to prepare for transition in catering for a wide market of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

For further details about how ASOs are reacting to stay on top the poverty relief game and agenda, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• COVID-19 News from the Field

 

We have good and bad news from some of our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) which are carrying out work to support those who have been severely affected by the health and socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdowns in Africa.

The bad is that COVID-19 is still rampant in Africa even if it is spreading at a lower rate.  The good news is that there are ASOs that are trying to support those who have been severely affected by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, they are helping in places like Congo Brazzaville where there has been food shortage and insecurity, in the Central African Republic where there is still insecurity regarding the outcome of election and adverse effects of COVID-19, etc.  ASOs are still working in places where there have been natural events (e.g. torrential rains that caused life-threatening and destroying floods) in countries like Madagascar to assist flood-impacted people and communities to come out the natural disaster.

All the above is happening under the background of COVID-19 and lockdowns.  The above are what we call Poverty Relief Happening, simply meaning that poverty reduction is still happening despite the mounting pressure of the coronavirus pandemic on poor and most vulnerable people.

The above is just the news from the field we have so far.  For those who have been doing fieldwork or visited projects in Africa, if you have any news; we would be grateful if you could share it with us.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 70, Winter 2021: Generational Economics and Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty

 How to avoid and reduce the transmission of poverty to future generations

 

The contents and key summaries of the 70^th Issue of FACS, which is the sole development of this post, are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

Key Concepts – page 2

Africa-based Sister Organisations and the Allocation of Non-renewable Resources between Different Generations – Page 3

The Gender Dimension of Intergenerational Transfers of Poverty – Page 3

Intergenerational Vulnerability to Wealth Transfer as Key Driver of Intergenerational Poverty in Africa – Page 4

Excessive Feeling of Immediate Living Well as a Contributing Factor to Intergenerational Poverty in Africa – Page 4

Comment les organisations africaines peuvent-elles travailler avec des familles africaines pour endiguer ensemble la pauvreté intergénérationnelle? – Page 5

La contribution des organisations africaines à la réduction des inconvénients corrélés – Page 5

Comment les organisations africaines peuvent-elles encourager des politiques de pré-distribution et de distribution des ressources économiques pour juguler la pauvreté la transmission de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle? – Page 6 

La réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle passe aussi par la restructuration des structures familiales – Page 6

The Dilemma in Investing in Current Consumption and Children’s Future by African Parents – Page 7

Strategies to Avoid and or Reduce Intergenerational Transfers of Poverty – Page 7

Distributional Effects of COVID-19 on Intergenerational Poverty Transfer – Page 8

Continuous Income Deficit as a Source of Intergenerational Poverty – Page 8

Survey on Global Goals, African Children and Intergenerational Poverty Transfer – Page 9

African Voices on Generational Shift:  How African Diaspora’s Money Transfer is Complementing Intergenerational Well-being Transfer in Africa – Page 9

Question about Intergenerational Advantages and African Continental Free Trade Area – Page 9

Well-being and Wealth Transfer Project – Page 10

 

 

 

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 70^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.  These key summaries start with the clarification of the economic jargons used in this Issue since not all our readers and followers understand them. 

Before moving on to other key summaries, we are going to define the key concepts of the Issue which are: generational economics, intergenerational poverty and intergenerational transmission of poverty.

 

• • • Key Concepts (page 2)

 

What is generational economics?

Generally the dictionary definition (1) of economics refers to economics as

“the study of the problem of using available factors of production [e.g. natural resources, labour and capital] as efficiently as possible so as to attain the maximum fulfilment of society’s unlimited demands for goods and services” (p. 153). 

Generational economics is part of economics or economic knowledge and thoughts that explains us how resources are allocated between different generations at a point in time and analyses how this is done.  It is that part of economic theories that is relevant in interpreting patterns in intergenerational transfers.  Generational economics tends to deal with the best use of the resources between current consumption and investment in future generations.  In this respect, there could be competing needs between current and future ones.

From the above conceptual clarification, the 70^th Issue of FACS is about dealing with the limited availability of economic resources that parents or families may possess to fulfil their unlimited needs while meeting the needs relating to the development of their children’s human capital.    

  

What is intergenerational poverty?

To understand intergenerational poverty, we have selected the following online definition given by a Commission on Poverty of Hong Kong (2):

“Intergenerational poverty refers to the poverty induced by the socially/economically challenged background of a person’s parents.  It therefore follows that tackling intergenerational poverty would involve the provision of support and opportunities essential to a person’s sound, balanced and sustainable development but which support and opportunities would, if not for the intervention, be beyond reach as a result of the socially/economically challenges his/her parents face.  Since life cycle development is cumulative, the earlier the compensatory intervention takes place, the less will be the impact of deprivation on the development of a child/youth”. (p. 1)

From this intergenerational perspective of poverty, the 70^th Issue examines at a practical level how for example Africa-based Sister Organisations are trying to work with local parents in order to establish a compensatory mechanism and avoid the repeat of poverty to their children and grandchildren. 

 

What is intergenerational transmission of poverty?

Briony Smith and Karen Moore (3) point out that

“Intergenerational transmission of poverty can be defined in terms of the type of transmission, the type of poverty, its irreversibility, and the individual/household/contextual factors which enhance or interrupt transmissions” (p. 4)

From the points made by the above named authors, we can now borrow the definition of intergenerational transmission of poverty from Kate Bird and Kate Higgins (4), who argued the following:

“The intergenerational transmission of poverty can be described as the private and public transfer of deficits in assets and resources from one generation to another.  Poverty is not transferred intergenerationally as a package; but as a complex set of positive and negative factors that affect an individual’s chance of experiencing in the present or at a future point in their life-course” (p. 9)

In terms of the 70^th Issue of FACS, we are talking about private intergenerational transfers of these deficits in assets and resources.  We are as well working on poverty transmitted from parents to children and grandchildren, but not the one transmitted from young generation to old generation.

 

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations and the Allocation of Non-renewable Resources between Different Generations (Page 3)

 

One of the concerns when the topic of generational economics is raised is about the allocation of natural resources that cannot be replaced when they are used up; allocation between current and future generations.  In this matter, we have Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are striving to work with local people so that the allocation of resources can happen in a fairly balanced way.  This is despite the fact that those who are in urgent and pressing need may not immediately see the benefit of a fair distribution or use of these resources.

For further details about this work of ASOs on resources allocation, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • The Gender Dimension of Intergenerational Transfers of Poverty (Page 3)

 

Poverty can be transmitted from mother to girls and granddaughters.  For example, early pregnancies for young girls or early marriages (child marriages) can increase the probability of intergenerational transfer of risks that induce poverty and gender inequality.

To back the above statement, Kate Bird and Kate Higgins (op. cit.) argue that

“Women and girls who lose out in asset inheritance are not always compensated through higher investments in human capital.  This limits their agency, capabilities and livelihood options, making it more likely that they will be poor.  This has implications for their children and their intergenerational transfers of poverty” (p. 23)

For those who would like to dip into the gender dimension of intergenerational transfers of poverty, they can request the full article about this from CENFACS.

 

• • • Intergenerational Vulnerability to Wealth Transfer as Key Driver of Intergenerational Poverty in Africa (Page 4)

 

The inability of poor families to withstand what hinders wealth transfer within a family line can be the main reason that poverty is passed down to future generations.  Withstanding the handicaps of wealth creation and transfer would help them to reduce intergenerational poverty.

Those who would like to go beyond this summary on this subject, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Excessive Feeling of Immediate Living Well as a Contributing Factor to Intergenerational Poverty in Africa (Page 4)

 

Vulnerability to exposure to attacks and arms is one thing.  The other thing is when parents would like to live very well for themselves without seeing the benefits of investing in future or the future of their children.  Most parents would not do that.  However, this narrow thinking can be found amongst the few. 

For example, some of the work carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations found this type of behaviour amongst some small raw materials traders and diggers in places where diamonds and gold are dug and traded in the Eastern provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Many of those who behave like that fail to pass down their wealth to their children.  

 

• • • Comment les organisations africaines peuvent-elles travailler avec des familles africaines pour endiguer ensemble la pauvreté intergénérationnelle? (Page 5)

 

La pauvreté intergénérationnelle a des causes multiples et complexes.  Malgré cela, les organisations africaines peuvent s’organiser avec leurs bénéficiaires et les locaux pour la réduire.  Elles peuvent par exemple procéder à des actions concrètes suivantes pour réduire le mécanisme de transmission de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle:

√ Développer le capital humain des enfants des familles pauvres ou nécessiteuses

√ Informer ces familles et améliorer leurs capacités de gagner de revenus élevés

√ Améliorer ou réduire des mauvaises ou peu productives connexions des parents pauvres

√ Rendre meilleur leurs conditions de logement, de voisinage, d’éducation, d’alimentation et autres

En gros, il s’agit de parvenir à une répartition équitable et équilibrée entre la dépense de consommation courante et l’investissement dans l’éducation et la formation de leurs enfants afin d’éviter et de réduire la pauvreté intergénérationnelle.

L’ensemble de ces initiatives aura des effets bénéfiques sur les ressources économiques que ces familles ont ou pouront avoir accès.

Pour ceux ou celles de lecteurs ou lectrices qui voudront aller dans les détails de ces initiatives ou ce que les organisations africaines font sur le terrain concernant la réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle, ils/elles peuvent contacter le CENFACS.

 

• • • La contribution des organisations africaines à la réduction des inconvénients corrélés (Page 5)

 

L’une des caractéristiques fondamentales des familles pauvres est l’accumulation des inconvénients corrélés et multiples.  Pour réduire la pauvreté intergénérationnelle dont ces familles font l’objet, il faut diminuer ou anéantir ces inconvénients corrélés et multiples qui les entourent. 

La réduction de ces inconvénients corrélés et multiples passe par le travail avec ces familles ou parents pauvres pour améliorer leurs circonstances et leurs ressources réelles et non-monétaires.  On peut y arriver par les moyens ci-après: la formation des adultes, l’aide pour améliorer leurs conditions d’emploi et à trouver des occupations mieux rémunérées ou au-dessus du seuil minimum.  S’ils ou elles sont des pauvres agriculteurs ou agricultrices, il faut les aider à avoir des prix rémunérateurs de leurs produits.

Grosso modo, il s’agira de rehausser le niveau et la qualité des ressources réelles et occupationnelles qui sont à l’origine de la transmission de la pauvreté aux générations futures, c’est-à-dire leurs enfants et grands enfants.

 

• • • Comment les organisations africaines peuvent-elles encourager des politiques de pré-distribution et de distribution des ressources économiques pour juguler la transmission de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle? (Page 6)

 

Loin d’être un problème de moyens seulement, la pauvreté intergénérationnelle est aussi un choix de politique familiale.  Un choix de politique familiale parce que nous parlons de la transmission privée, mais pas publique, de la pauvreté.

Pour encourager des familles pauvres à réduire la pauvreté intergénérationnelle, les organisations africaines peuvent travailler avec ces familles afin de les sensibiliser sur le bien-fondé d’une politique familiale basée sur une pré-distribution et redistribution équitable and équilibrée entre les besoins actuels de la famille et ceux des générations à venir de cette même famille.  Cela peut demander une remise en cause de certaines valeurs de consommation immédiates pour des valeurs d’épargne futures pour le bien-être de ses progénitures futures.

Pour y arriver, cela demandera une ouverture de dialogue franc entre ces organisations et des familles concernées sur des choix et sacrifices à faire en matière d’élaboration et d’application d’une telle politique afin de créer des conditions nécessaires et favorables à la préservation du bien-être familial.

 

• • • La réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle passe aussi par la restructuration des structures familiales (Page 6)

 

Quelque soit le choix fait sur le plan culturel ou structurel entre la polygamie ou la polygénie, il y a lieu d’oeuvrer pour faire en sorte que le mode de famille découlant de ce choix culturel ou structurel ne constitue pas un handicap majeur pour des progénitures issues de ce choix.  Cela étant, des organisations africaines peuvent travailler avec des familles au sein des structures et cultures que sont les leurs pour que la pauvreté ne se transmet pas à des générations futures.

L’une des conséquences de ce genre des travaux est que cela peut demander de bouger les lignes traditionnelles si vraiment on veut empêcher que la pauvreté atteigne les générations futures de ces structures ou cultures familiales.  D’ores et déjà, la plupart des organisations africaines travaillant avec des familles ont perçu un changement de valeurs familiales avec la modernisation et les exigences économiques actuelles.

Pour conclure, tout en respectant la culture et structure de chaque famille, il y a moyens de travailler ensemble afin que la pauvreté ne soit pas intergénérationnelle pour la famille concenée.    

 

• • • The Dilemma in Investing in Current Consumption and Children’s Future by African Parents (Page 7)

 

Most sensible parents including the poor ones value the investment in their children’s future.  However, because of the level of poverty is so higher for some of them (like the ones working with CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations), investing in their children’s human capital could become a challenge if not a distant prospect.  The poverty challenge is so unbearable that some of the children of these families had to work as child labour.

Nonetheless, no one of them does lose sight about the need to maintain a fair balance between parents’ current consumption and investment in children’s human capital.  The only and main problem these African poor parents have is the lack of means to finance current consumption and to save at the same time for the needs of their children in future.  There is some support which often falls short as the need is big and complex.

One could hope that the work that CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations are carrying out with them will enable some of these parents to find solutions to the long standing problem of investing in their children’s human capital.   

 

• • • Strategies to Avoid and or Reduce Intergenerational Transfers of Poverty (Page 7)

 

Although intergenerational poverty is very complex and multi-dimensional one, it is possible to work with those who are being affected by this in order to avoid, reduce and end it.  To do that it requires a clear strategy with projects and well defined realistic goals to be achieved within a specified time frame.  Africa-based Sister Organisations can improve their work in this matter by raising awareness about this type of poverty and developing a strategy to mend it even if this is going to take time. 

In the development of this strategy, they need take into account the new factors such as COVID-19, the African Continental Free Trade Area, economic downturn in which many African economies are in because of the COVID-19 and lockdowns, etc.  They also need to figure out how they can mobilise African resources inside Africa before appealing to outside donors or funders.

 

• • • Distributional Effects of COVID-19 on Intergenerational Poverty Transfer (Page 8)

 

COVID-19 has already shown what impacts it can have on health and the economy.  From what we have seen so far, it can as well impact poor families in terms of intergenerational transfers of wealth and well-being.  The more poor families become poor because of the effects of any disaster (like COVID-19), the more likely they can pass down poverty to their children and grandchildren.  Poverty could become hereditary and a life-cycle one in future.  That is why eliminating the intergenerational impacts of COVID-19 to poor people and families should not be undermined by just simply arguing that COVID-19 is just like another health crisis.

Those who would like to discuss further about the intergenerational transmission of COVID-19 in terms of poverty, they can do it with CENFACS.

 

 

 

• • • Continuous Income Deficit as a Source of Intergenerational Poverty (Page 8)

 

Poor people or families who often experience income deficit year after year may not have any other alternative than to build and pass down intergenerational poverty to their children and grandchildren.  There could be various factors that could be at play and beyond their own control especially if they are poor, vulnerable and living below poverty threshold. 

However, whatever the reason about the continuing income deficits, the fact of matter is that this could create an irreversible situation that could become a way of feeding intergenerational poverty for their future generations.  This is why through CENFACS’ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, we are trying to work with income deficit families to help them control the level of their income deficit or turn them into a surplus.  We know it is not easy knowing the circumstances of these families and the threats and risks brought by the coronavirus pandemic to ordinary families.  But, one must try if they want to see an end to poverty on their children and grandchildren.

Interested in CENFACS’ Zero Income deficit Campaign, please let us know.

 

• • • Survey on Global Goals, African Children and Intergenerational Poverty Transfer (Page 9)

 

The 10^th African Economic Conference (5) held in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 2015 argued that

“the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals may have a significant impact on eliminating intergenerational poverty and inequality in Africa”.

In the light of this argument and as part of our work on generational economics and the reduction of intergenerational poverty, we are conducting a survey on the effects of global goals (such as the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] and Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]) between different generations. 

The survey is about how MDGs did or SDGs can affect different generations and intergeneration poverty (here poverty between two generations).  These two generations are: the generation of children born during the UN Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) and those of generation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030).

We are specifically studying if there is any intergenerational mobility or change has occurred between the generation MDGs and the generation SDGs.

For those who are willing to take part in this survey and / or to complete the questionnaire designed to that effect, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

 

• • • African Voices on Generational Shift:  How African Diaspora’s Money Transfer is Complementing Intergenerational Well-being Transfer in Africa (Page 9)

 

It is known that COVID-19 and lockdowns have disrupted money remittances from African Diaspora to Africa.  Despite that Africans are still remitting money to help families and relatives to get out poverty.  How this transfer is contributing to intergenerational well-being in Africa. 

Those who would like to add or raise their voices about this, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Question about Intergenerational Advantages and African Continental Free Trade Area (Page 9)

 

Do you think that African Continental Free Trade Area will provide more opportunities than challenges for intergenerational advantages for those in need?

 

 

 

• • • Well-being and Wealth Transfer Project (Page 10)

 

Well-being and Wealth Transfer Project (WWTP) is a project of intergenerational poverty reduction that consists of working with poor families in order to identify the barriers to wealth creation while setting up strategies and building skills that will empower them to develop wealth transfer policy and practice.  Through this project, users will learn techniques and skills on how to save income, build inheritance and resources transfer so that their future generations do not inherit poverty and hardships.

WWTP is indeed about how to build generational wealth and well-being which involves the following: investing in children’s human capital, saving for future generations, creating an income earning capacity to pass down to children, financial literacy skills and how to handle resources and assets.

For details including full project proposals and budget for WWTP, please contact CENFACS.

The full copy of the 70^th Issue of FACS is available on request.  For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

References

(1) Christopher Pass, Bryan Lowes & Leslie Davies (1988), Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publisher, London & Glasgow

(2) https://www.povertyrelief,gov.hk/archive/2007/en/pdf/TFCYPaper4_2005E.pdf

(3) https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/128111/WP59_Smith_Moore.pdf

(4) Kate Bird & Kate Higgins (2011), Stopping the intergenerational transmission of poverty: research highlights and policy recommendations, Working Paper No. 214, Chronic Poverty Research Centre (www.chronicpoverty.org), https://assets.publising.service.gov.uk/media/57a08ae6e5274a27b2000827/WP214.pdf

(5) https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/the-sdgs-can-help-to-eliminate-intergenerational-poverty-and-inequality-in-africa-14973

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

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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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

13 January 2021

 

Post No. 178

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Translation to Reduce Poverty

• Essential Consumers’ Experience about Substitution Effect

• Poverty Reduction Happening Despite COVID-19 Rebound

 

…. and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Translation to Reduce Poverty

How to reduce poverty by putting one piece of text into another language

 

The first key message of this week’s post is about the Translation Service that CENFACS offers.  Although this service is still the same, the way of consuming it may change as the needs and development landscapes are changing.

Indeed, the poverty relief and development environment is mutating with the economic exit of the UK from the EU and the new African Continental Free Trade Area.  Because of these new developments, CENFACS is adapting its translation service to cope with the new reality, a new way of delivering poverty reduction work while still staying at the front of the campaign for the resilience against and recovery from COVID-19 outbreak and rebound.

For further information about this first key message, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• Essential Consumers’ Experience about Substitution Effect

How many of poor consumers are attracted by essential consumption goods?

 

As part of the month of Responsible Consumption and of Essential Consumption, we are looking for essential consumers’ experiences of substituting non-essential consumption goods to the purchase of essential consumption goods in their shopping basket.

We are precisely working on the elasticity of technical substitution between non-essential consumption goods and essential consumption goods.  In other words, our work is on the substitution of one non-essential consumption product for an essential consumption one resulting from a change in their relative prices.   We are trying to find out the substitution effect of these two types of goods whether or not they are economically interchangeable by poor consumers in order to reduce poverty. 

The result of this work will help us to determine how many of poor consumers are attracted by essential consumption goods or a particular one.  In doing so, we can improve our perception about essential consumption goods and the support we give through the Consume-to-Reduce-Poverty project/resource.

To take part in this study or to tell us your experience of the use of essential consumption goods in relation to non-essential consumption goods, please contact CENFACS.  Also, anyone who has reliable data on this matter; it will be good to let CENFACS know.

 

 

 

• Poverty Reduction Happening Despite COVID-19 Rebound

 

Poverty reduction is happening despite the difficulty that people and organisations are having with the coronavirus pandemic and other factors hindering the realisation of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

This 2021, we are going to work with local people and Africa-based Sister Organisations to share more cases, news and examples of poverty reduction that has happened and continues to happen despite the challenge posed by COVID-19.

Through this sharing exercise, we hope to build a better picture of these cases with features, similarities, differences and patterns for learning and development experience of our system of poverty reduction.

To tell or share your experience on how poverty reduction has happened to you or those you know despite the mounting pressure of COVID-19 and lockdowns, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Challenges and Opportunities for Africa-based Sister Organisations in 2021

 

2021 could be a year of uncovered opportunities for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs); opportunities from the challenges they face from the coronavirus pandemic, financial uncertainty, economic impact of lockdowns and global economic downturn.

Amid of the challenges they face in 2021, ASOs can still have a window of opportunities and play a significant role in the spheres of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  There are opportunities or market niche they need to seize.  They can proceed with the following in order to stand out for poverty reduction and sustainable development:

√ Intervene in any efforts to reduce or end the disruption of supply chains as the legacies of COVID-19 and related lockdowns

√ Work with local people and communities to reduce misinformation and end mystique surrounding COVID-19

√ Campaign for an increase or upgrade of logistics and infrastructures for coronavirus vaccines

√ Help in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

√ Assist in food security and distribution

√ Be a supportive force for women informal cross-border traders

√ Advocate for the repair of unequal distribution of the effects of lockdowns

√ Conduct sensitization campaigns about the COVID-19 vaccines

√ Support the conflict-impacted and climate change-stricken communities

√ Help create opportunities and develop talent initiatives for the African Continental Free Trade Area

Etc.

The above are just the few opportunities that ASOs can seize in order to continue to work with local people to reduce poverty, especially health and economic hardship that has been brought by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. 

CENFACS will continue to work ASOs in the above mentioned areas of opportunities where they need our support and advice.  CENFACS is willing to partner with them to mitigate the challenges of the 2021.  Those ASOs that would like to raise their level of ambition and start or continue the work of poverty reduction in 2021 with us in the above named areas; CENFACS is ready to go ahead.    

In all, ASOs have assets and a role to play in the post-pandemic recovery period as highlighted by the listed opportunities. 

 

 

 

 

• Support the Severely Socio-Economic and Health Impacted of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

 

The majority of the countries in Africa have been affected by COVID-19 and related lockdowns.  Humanitarian relief supporters are not exempt by the effects of COVID-19 and linked lockdowns.  However, there are differences in the distributional impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns.  There are areas of countries and communities that have been affected severely, others moderately and others more lightly.  This differenctiation can require humanitarian relief responses, especially where people have been severely affected.

In this first wave of appeal under the Light Projects, we would like to send a message of hope to those vulnerable people, communities and livelihoods in Africa that have been severely affected by the socio-economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our first wave of action via a Blaze of Hope will go to areas of countries that have been severely affected by the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19.  Amongst them are the severely food insecure local people in countries such as Burundi, Central African Republic, Madagascar and Congo.   

One can hope that every effort will be made by those who can help so that logistics and channels for food assistance will be put in place so that those in need can have access to food and other essential commodities.  Likewise, one can as well expect that effort will be made to support locally grown food to meet the recovery need on the ground.

The above is our Blaze of Hope or Light Appeal for post-life following the coronavirus disaster.  For any query or enquiry about this Light Appeal, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign –

Level 4: Distance Working and Learning Technologies

 

In the progression of our Digital and Social Media Campaign, we would like to take into account the deprivations experienced by many of our users and members in accessing distance working and learning technologies, especially at this time of the COVID-19 rebound and lockdowns. 

At this challenging time of COVID-19 rebound and lockdowns, many projects, services and programmes have been moved to online infrastructures since non-essential activities are close and physical contacts are subject to COVID-19 restrictions and rules.  For example, at the moment online schooling or home-schooling is now an essential way of learning for children. 

Yet, many of our members and volunteers have not these technologies (like laptop, tablet, smart phone, video calling device, etc.) to respond to the challenge that COVID-19 and lockdowns have posed as well as to participate to online activities.  The lack of these technologies include what is required for these technologies to be effectively run, in particular reliable internet subscription, software (e.g. running security software, Microsoft Office Applications, etc.), and meant to provide the service they need.

Moreover, many ICT places (like public library, internet hubs, etc.) that enable public access to Information Communication Technologies (ICT) are close as they are not considered as essential while the ratio of distribution of distance working and learning technologies per capita is very low. Not every poor person or family can afford to buy or is being offered these remote technologies, let alone the skills to handle them. 

Because of these issues that have been experienced by our members and volunteers in terms of distance working and learning technologies, we are undertaking this campaign for the support of online technology-deprived people and families to access or have access to them.  This problem has also been experienced by our volunteers who do not have this equipment to keep essential poverty reduction services (such as Advice Service) running to help people stay home, protect the NHS, save lives and support people’s essential economic occupations during lockdowns.

One could hope that every effort will be made to reduce the asymmetrical distributional effects of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns as far as the distance working and learning technologies and the means to run them are concerned.

To support the level 4 of our Digital and Social Media Campaign, just contact CENFACS. 

      

 

 

Main Development

 

• Translation to Reduce Poverty

How to reduce poverty by putting one piece of text into another language

 

Before looking at how translation to help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development, let us briefly give you the idea about CENFACS’ Translation Service.

 

• • What is Translation Service at CENFACS?

 

Translation Service is one the first services since CENFACS’ registration in 2002.  Translation, which is a text-based service of knowledge of two languages (here French and English) consisting of putting one piece of text into anyone of these languages, was designed to support both the French-speaking people and those related to them in the UK as well as our Africa-based Sister Organisations in Africa.  We had and have as well interpretation service for spoken language service. 

This was done with the aim of reducing poverty due to the language and communication barrier.  Since then, translation has always been at the centre of our poverty reduction work and action as we believe the better those in need can have their needs better translated the better chance they may have to find services, activities and projects to meet their needs.  It is not an accident if the 59^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual (French and English) newsletter, focussed on Language of Poverty Relief in Africa.  In this Issue, we explained the relevancy of translation in our work with those in need.

For further details about the 59^th Issue of FACS, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Language Translation as a Means to Reduce Poverty

 

Both computerised and digital translations and human translation can be used to help reduce and end poverty.  In particular, we are talking about translation (e.g. CENFACS’ Translation service) for the community in need of a language to fully function in the UK society and those of our Africa-based Sister Organisations wanting their needs to be properly expressed. 

Translating works for those people from communities who find difficult to express their needs in English are proved to be effective in addressing the need of these communities.  This is the case of the translation conducted by CENFACS to help French-speaking people and families.  

Although the aim of the languages projects at CENFACS is to empower people in need to communicate their needs and aspirations by themselves in their chosen languages; where they fail to do so because of language barrier, CENFACS works with them through the learning of the English language.  This enhances their integration and participation as economically active members of the UK society.  The same applies to our Africa-based Sister Organisations needing their voices to be heard and appeals for support to be considered.  However, needs do change as new events appear.  When they change, we need to respond to them with our translation service or any other service if one wants to stay on track in their work of poverty reduction and sustainable development.   

 

• • Translation Service to Meet the Changing Needs and New Development Landscape

 

As the community in the UK has grown and become more able to help themselves in English language than before, and also as online translation has expanded, we had to refocus our translation on our internal or in-house needs while still retaining the original role of translation service to the community and be ready to serve the members of the community in need.

As the UK exited the EU and the Africa Union has embraced the African Continental Free Trade Area, we thought that there could be a new dynamics to provide more translation service to those in need whether in the UK or in Africa.   Due to these two changes or factors, we are again delighted to expand and present to those in need of translation our language service.  For those who are looking for translation service (French to English and vice versa), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Who is for?

 

CENFACS’ Translation Service (French to English and vice versa) is designed for those in need of translation to reduce poverty and hardships they are experiencing.  Translation request can come from those living in the UK or in Africa.  We can translate as well for Non-Governmental Organisations, international development community and voluntary organisations, charities and other organisations that have texts to be translated from French to English and vice versa.

 

• • Areas of Translation

 

They include the following:

Campaigning/advocacy, Debt, Economics, Health (Coronavirus Pandemic), Human Rights, Education, Trade Integration, Sustainable Development, Aid, Gender Development, Social Justice, International Migration, Black and Ethnic Minority and Refugees, Child Protection, Labour, Orphanage, Neighbourhood Renewal, Climate Change Issues, Environmental Disaster, Emergency Relief, etc.

In brief, we can translate documents or texts relating to local and international development issues.

 

• • Services provided

 

They include both general and specific translation in plain French or English where documents to be translated are submitted with Microsoft Office Word Application for Windows (7 or 10)

We can provide the following:

√ Translation and revision of documents from English to French and vice versa

√ Post-editing of machine-translated contents from English to French and vice versa

√ Re-examination of online translated texts or phrases

√ Review and approval of any translated documents

√ Feedback on translated texts (in the form of quality score) if required

Etc.

 

• • Formats of the Finished Documents

 

The finished product is sent to the beneficiaries as a standard computer file in the form of Word document via an e-mail or attachment.

 

• • Voluntary Donation

 

We welcome a voluntary donation to continue to run the translation service as this service is not funded.

Those who would like a translation service (French to English and vice versa), they should not hesitate to enquire about CENFACS’ Translation Service terms and conditions. 

To have your documents to be translated from French to English and vice versa, please contact CENFACS. 

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

 

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

06 January 2021

 

Post No. 177

 

 

The New Year’s Contents

 

• What is New at the Start of the New Year and What is on this January 2021?

• The 9^th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty, in Focus: Essential Consumption

• Coming up this Winter: The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 70^th Issue) to be entitled as Generational Economics and Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

The New Year’s Key Messages

 

• New Year, New Hope & New Relief

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development in 2021!

 

• What is New at the Start of the New Year and What is on this January 2021?

 

We have got the following initiatives making this January 2021 calendar at CENFACS:  

√ Consume to Reduce Poverty (Issue No. 9) with a Focus on Essential Consumption

√ Zero Income Deficit Campaign

√ COVID-19 Campaign in 2021

√ Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit Economic Development Projects (New)

The above mentioned initiatives are amongst the ones we have selected to kick-start 2021.  We shall soon unveil the other selected initiatives making the Season of Light at CENFACS.

 

 

 

• The 9^th Issue of CRP (Consume to Reduce Poverty), in focus: Essential Consumption

 

January is the month of Responsible Consumption for CENFACS.   The initiative featuring this month is our resource entitled Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change.  The 9^th Issue of this resource will be on “Essential Consumption”.

 

• • January as a Month of Responsible Consumption within CENFACS

 

Some of you are aware that January is our month of Responsible Consumption following CENFACS development calendar.  It means that the theme for January is Responsible or Sustainable Consumption and the monthly project carrying this theme is Consume to Reduce Poverty.   

It is the month we act against consumption-based poverty and we deal with measures of poverty reduction through consumption.  It is also an opportunity to act to preserve a good relationship between the way in which and products we consume on the one hand and the reduction of climate change on the other.  In particular, January is a climate reminder month as it is the month in which we raise awareness of the relationships between humans and the nature through sustainable consumption; that is consumption that does not destroy the nature.

This January we will go further miles by exploring the relationship between humans and essential consumption since the coronavirus and related lockdowns have made the non-essential economy to shut down; meaning that humans need to rely on essential consumption as the fight against the coronavirus continues.  

Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) is our users’ New Year supporting information and accompanying booster that focuses on Buying and Consumption elements conducive to the reduction of poverty and hardships.  It is indeed a complimentary support to our Autumn Festive Income Boost resource.

The Festive Income Boost is an income-generating resource while CRP brings in a consumption-led look in our fight against poverty.  The next issue (issue no. 9) of CRP will be on Essential Consumption as mentioned above.

For further details about CRP project, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities/

 

• • The 9^th Issue of CRP (Consume to Reduce Poverty), in focus: Essential Consumption

 

We will be working on Essential Consumption. Since there is a surge of coronavirus pandemic with a new COVID-19 variant which forced decisions to be taken for a further lockdown of the non-essential economy, we thought that it could be a good idea to focus on Essential Consumption in this year’s issue of CRP.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have given some highlights about this Issue.

 

 

 

• The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 70^th Issue) to be entitled as …

Generational Economics and Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty –

How to avoid and reduce the transmission of poverty to future generations

 

Poverty can be transmitted between different generations.  In the 70^th Issue of FACS, we will be exploring ways of reducing this transmission.  The Issue will show that it is possible to avoid and or reduce the transmission of poverty to generations to come.

In order to do that we shall refer to the generational economics which is that part of economic knowledge and theory that explains how resources are allocated between different generations at a point in time and analyses how this is done. 

Through this study, we shall apprehend that a better allocation of resources, especially non-renewable ones, between different generations at any point in time can help to reduce even to eradicate intergenerational poverty that many income deficit people and families face, particularly but not exclusively in Africa.  In this respect, the 70^th Issue will deal with the intergenerational poverty and the intergenerational transmission of poverty. 

The 70^th Issue will therefore extend the topic of income deficit which featured our last Festive Income Boost resource while putting into practice Goal no. 5 of our Poverty Reduction Goals Project.

More details about this Issue will be given this Winter.  However, for those who would like to enquire about it before it appears, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.    

 

 

 

The New Year’s Extra Messages

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations in 2021 of Africa’s Free Trade Area

Can Africa-based Sister Organisations find any room for poverty-relief creation from the new African Continental Free Trade Area?

 

As African countries are starting to trade in the context of the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we will be discussing how Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) can reap off the benefits from the new space provided by the AfCFTA in order to further up poverty reduction.  This discussion is a continuation of the discussion which we started last year about the implications of AfCFTA for poverty reduction.  This time, the focus is on ASOs, on how they can benefit from this new trading space. 

The main aim of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market for goods and services with free movements of persons and investments while laying down the foundations for the establishment of a continental customs union. 

From this aim, it is clearly true that AfCFTA is an economic and profit-making or driven integration area in the meaning of the neo-classical theory of trade and regional economic integration.  However, this does not stop not-for-profit and voluntary organisations like ASOs to search for windows of opportunities in order to find new ways and or markets of poverty reduction. 

Likewise, ASOs can use this new platform to form and build poverty-relief alliances or improve the links with other organisations of similar aims in order to better deliver cross-border poverty relief outcomes, especially in the post-coronavirus era. 

Furthermore, they can together develop and or improve poverty relief value chains across Africa.  This kind of chains will enable to deliver more and better poverty reduction results to those in need. 

Briefly, it is for them to make happen or make sure they get poverty-relief creation effects or gains, if any, from the new trading space.   It means they need to be prudently active and intelligently engaged with this new space if they want any continental poverty-relief creation to happen; otherwise they may face poverty-relief diversion effects from the new space.

To discuss poverty-relief creation or diversion effects of AfCFTA for ASOs, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Zero Income Deficit Reports and Campaign

 

In December 2020, we ran a campaign on how not to carry forward an income deficit into 2021.  As we are now in 2021, we would like to share together income deficit experience from those who managed not to carry it forward in 2021.

This sharing is about supporting each other in any effort to maintain a zero income deficit or income surplus policy so that one can reduce the level of poverty transfer to future generations, especially for those who have children. 

Our work on this matter is about how to pursue this zero income deficit or income surplus policy without adversely affecting other areas or items of expenses/consumption budget.

For those who may have any experience to share or report in this area of zero income deficit or income surplus practice, please do not hesitate to do it with CENFACS.

 

 

• Campaign for Resilience and Recovery from the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

Due to the persisting life-threatening and –destroying situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are stepping up our COVID-19 Campaign.  We are doing it since we are again in a national lockdown in England and it is taking much time for the country and the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.  Our COVID-19 campaign, which was about resilience, is now and also about recovery from it.

In Summer 2020, we argued about a sinusoidal Autumn 2020 where there would be rises and falls in the coronavirus trend.  Unfortunately, the sinusoidal effects of the coronavirus still continue and apparently we are back where we were in March 2020.  Yet, we thought that at this time of the year 2021 we would have been at the phase of Rehabilitation Strategies, phase 3 of our COVID-19 Campaign.  Instead, with new COVID variants in the UK and in Africa, there is urgency to step up the COVID-19 Campaign in all its three phases and dimensions. 

As result, we are bringing back all the tools we have so far developed to fight coronavirus, tools that can be found in a new CENFACS COVID-19 Poverty Relief Station.  We are continuing to follow to letter the coronavirus rules and restrictions as requested by the UK Government, the World Heath Organisation, the NHS and the charity sector.  We hope that everybody is doing the same in following COVID-19 guidances and restrictions for their interest and of the public health.  Our shadowing model of following the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus is still in place and in application.

Because of the current challenging situation, many of our projects and programmes have been scaled down or postponed until such time we are able to implement them.  However, because of the new and changing needs that the coronavirus has brought there are services that are still running and even they have been re-organised to meet  the current challenge.  One of them is the Advice service to help during this very difficult time.  Those who need coronavirus-related services, they can check with CENFACS’ COVID-19 Poverty Reduction Station.

We hope you will keep looking after each other as you did it during the first national lockdown.  Please do not hesitate to remotely contact CENFACS, should you need any help.      

 

 

 

 

The New Year’s Main Development

 

• The 9^th Issue of CRP (Consume to Reduce Poverty)

In focus: Essential Consumption

 

Key highlights, Tips & Hints

 

• • What is Essential Consumption?

 

Essential consumption is the fundamental or indispensable fulfilment to meet basic life-sustaining needs of food, health, housing, information, shelter, education, etc.   Generally, these needs are met via essential consumption goods that enable us to fulfil the basic requirements of life.  For example, consumption of food productions that is essential for good health.  In time of the coronavirus outbreak, face masks are essential consumption to protect against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Essential consumption can also be sustainable. It is sustainable consumption when one consumes or uses products, materials and energy that have minimal impact on the environment.  Generally, these kinds of consumption and uses will meet sustainable development goals and principles.

 

• • Essential Consumption Shopping Basket

 

Using the internet, e-mail, social networks and other communication technologies; it is possible to get enough information about products and services that meet essential consumption while reducing poverty at the same time.  It is as well possible to find resources and websites that compare these kinds of products, services and prices.  People can then choose products and services that are good value for essential consumption and add them to their online shopping basket.

 

• • Reducing Poverty through Essential Consumption

 

Individual and family strategies of reducing the state of having little or no money or even no material possessions can be implemented via essential consumption or use.  Individuals and families (including the poor ones) can consume essential products and services that do not have negative waste, but that help to reduce or even end poverty.  People and families can leapfrog poverty reduction to essential consumption. 

 

• • Essential Consumption and Circular Economic Model

 

Embracing the recipes of the economic model that decouples (bad) exploitation of natural resources and the desire to meet human needs and wants (circular economy), can help improve consumer behaviour via essential consumption.  It is said that all processes create waste.  However, the circular economic model helps to direct consumption towards what is essential to maintain human life; in doing so it benefits humans to fix, reuse, reduce and save resources through their consumption. 

 

• • Essential Consumption and the Growing Climate Economy

 

The process of using resources in a frugal way to satisfy human wants and needs can goes hand in hand with an organised system for the production, distribution and use of goods and services that takes into account the changing weather conditions.  In other words, consuming anti-wasteful and essential products and resources can help reduce adverse climate change.  As climate economy continues to grow, it can bring new climate educational opportunities, economic savings and improved well-being for the poor.  These attributes of the Growing Climate Economy can help them consume goods and services that are essential and have less or no harmful wasteful materials.

 

• • Essential Consumption in the Context of Changing Climate and Life-threatening Impacts of Climate Change

 

Maybe enough has been said about the impacts of changing climate.  If not, then one area of work could be for humans to rethink about the negative waste that their consumption can create.  If there is such harmful waste for some types of consumption, then there could a need to reduce it and shift to essential consumption for the sake of the environment and the nature on which we all depend.

 

• • Essential Consumption as Means for Fighting COVID-19 and Surviving Lockdowns

 

The coronavirus and lockdowns have forced many economies to close non-essential retail.  Since the coronavirus has threatened and destroyed many lives and economies, many economies have resorted to essential economy to survive.  Likewise, people are now reconnected with essential consumption as means to keep the fight against COVID-19 and manage lockdowns.

 

• • Poor Consumers and their Affordability of Essential Goods

 

Essential consumption is not always the cheapest one.  Not everybody can afford to buy essential goods as many of them may even lack access to affordable essential goods and services.  Since the first COVID-19 lockdown, many low income people and families are struggling to access even essential goods and commodities.  The asymmetry in the distributional effects of the lockdowns has denied to many of them even the access to essential consumption goods.  Their expenses budget has gone up with the new coronavirus-related health items.

Giving them advisory support in terms how to increase their income, to make some changes in their expenses budget and find affordable essential consumption goods and services should be a priority amongst other ones.  In this respect, a list of where to find affordable essential consumption goods in this CRP resource is essential to save and protect lives at this challenging time of the coronavirus surge.

 

• • Essential Consumption Good Practices within the Community

 

Despite the problem of affordability of essential goods for low income poor people and families, there are nonetheless essential consumption good practices within our community.  To back up these practices, the 9^th Issue of CRP highlights some cases of essential consumption good initiatives undertaken by the CENFACS Community that underpins essential consumption accounts as part of every day’s human life.

In this respect, those who have cases of essential consumption practices and who may find them worthwhile to share and be added to this issue of CRP, they can let CENFACS know.

 

• • Demonstrative Projects of Essential Consumption

 

In essential consumption economy, like the one in a close non-essential economy and lockdown where only essential economic activities are allowed to operate, every shopper demonstrates the ability to follow the rules of essentially consuming.  Within the forced pattern of COVID-19 close non-essential economy, there could be those consumers who do more by taking a proactive action to consume essentially.

Likewise, there could be local projects (for example, local artists, local soap and face mask makers to fight COVID-19) that could display demonstrative talents and skills in promoting essential consumption goods, services and habits as a way of living rather than as an accident caused by the COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns.

For those members of our community who have developed this kind of demonstrative projects of essential consumption, it could be a good idea to let us know so that we can add them to this CRP resource.

 

• • Barriers to Achieve Essential Consumption Goals

 

There could be some handicaps for people and families to achieve essential consumption goals.  One of the barriers is the lack of income that extremely poor people experience that could push them out of reach of essential consumption products.  Despite that in charitable world and economy in which no one is left behind there could be still access for everybody to essential consumption goods and services.

However, people and families do not like essential consumption to happen to them in this way since they would like to work and pay for their essential consumption.  Because of the barriers they face in finding opportunity to work and earn decent income, their prospect for meeting their essential consumption goals becomes remote.

As part of tackling these barriers, the current resource provides some leads in terms of print and online resources that users can further  explore in order to respond to some their essential consumption problems.

 

• • Budgeting for Essential Consumption

 

It is a good idea for users to budget for essential consumption goods and services as part of the overall of household budget.  This kind of preparation in terms of financial statement for any planned incomes and expenses for a particular period can help to maximise the use of resources and reduce wasteful spending in terms of what is essential and non-essential consumption.  It can as well provide alternative to essential consumption to reduce poverty and hardships due to waste.

 

• •  Essential Consumption Indication on Products for Verification, Identity and Authenticity

 

It is a good idea for any consumer, rich or poor, to check essential features on their buys and other specifications and read other people’s testimonies, reviews or comments about it.  In this respect, selling the positive idea of essential consumption could be helpful for essential consumers.

 

• • Essential Security and Guarantee 

 

When buying essential consumption products and services (whether using online or a physical store), one needs to check, compare and contrast products, terms and conditions of business, buying terms, prices, etc.  There is a need to check as well guarantees and safety policies for essential features in terms of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you are buying online, before you sign up, add to your essential consumption shopping basket and purchase an item; you need to read, discuss and check what you are agreeing on.  You may even take more precautions when selecting items, filling up buying forms to enter your personal, financial information and sensitive details.

You should also be aware of scams and illegal and malicious practices.  For own online security, use the e-safety tools and advice.

To support Essential and Responsible Consumption and get the full issue 2021 of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change, please contact CENFACS.

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 December 2020

 

Post No. 176

 

 

The New Year’s Eve Contents

 

• Year in Review Recap

• End of year Fundraising Campaign

• End of Year Advice-giving Service

…. and much more!

 

 

 

The New Year’s Eve Key Messages

 

• Year in Review Recap

 

The first New Year’s Eve Key Message of this year-end post is about covering the events of the year 2020 from the perspective of recapping the year for CENFACS’ followers and supporters as well as from the point of view of CENFACS’ contribution to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Under the Main Development section of this post you will find CENFACS’ year-end review.

 

 

• End of year Fundraising Campaign

 

Our End of Year Fundraising Campaign continues until the last day and hour of 2020.  For those who would like to donate to our End-of-year Support, Festive Gift Set and any other festive projects or campaigns or even causes before 2020 ends, please do not hesitate to donate.   You can still make a helpful difference before 31/12/2020.

To donate, just contact CENFACS with your donation by any of these means of communications: text, phone, email and contact form on this website.

 

 

 

• End of Year Advice-giving Service

 

As we informed you in our last post on this platform, we are in holiday break until the 5^th of January 2021.  However, some of our projects and campaigns are either self-running or designed to run throughout the holiday season like the festive holiday.  One of these holiday projects is the Advice-giving one. 

Indeed, during the festive period not everybody or member of our community can afford to celebrate on the New Year’s Eve.  There are people who still need accommodation, food, income, guidance, support against the new COVID-19 variant, help against loneliness, etc.  They may also need life-saving support of various kinds to cope and survive while other people, the lucky ones, are busy preparing themselves for the New Year’s Eve festivities.

Because of this on-going need and demand within the community, we have maintained a minimum level of advice-giving service to e-work with those who desperately need advice to reduce poverty or any type of hardships they are facing and do not have anywhere else to ask for help and advice, especially at this time of the tier four of COVID-19 system of restrictions.

If you are one of our members and facing serious hardship during the festive period, you can e-contact CENFACS for advice, guidance and support.  If you are not one of our members and would like to discuss this year-in-review project, please still e-contact CENFACS.   

 

 

 

The New Year’s Eve Extra Messages

 

• Charity e-Store: Recycle and or Give away your Unwanted or Unneeded Presents

 

You can recycle and or give away your unwanted or unneeded presents during this festive period.  In doing so, one will not only support the good cause of poverty reduction, but also will contribute to the Upkeep of the Nature while maintaining a fair balance between nature and festive presents, between climate and the season’s gifts.

To recycle and or give any unwanted or unneeded festive presents, please talk to CENFACS to discuss the reuse of your items since we are under the constraint of tier four of COVID-19 system of restrictions.

 

 

 

• Help for your “Year in review” Accounts

How to successfully close your end-of-year personal or family accounts and get prepared for the New Year accounts before the end of financial year

 

It is theoretically known that the financial year closes in April and the State budget starts in April of each year.   For example, the 2020-21 tax Year will end on 5 April 2021 in the UK.  Understandably, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns may have impact on everybody’s financial calendar and deadlines.  Despite that it is a good practice to use the opportunity of the end of the civil year to start to work out the balances of one’s personal or family accounts.

To help those who are struggling to close their year-end accounts of 2020, we will be looking at from the start of January 2021 when we return on how to successfully close your personal or family financial accounts and prepare your new accounts in the New Year.

It is always a good practice to start early before the deadlines of the financial year!

It is wise to work out your year-end accounts early so that you could enter the New Year with a good understanding of your financial position while keeping financial control on accounts.  In doing so, one can know areas of financial improvement to sort out their financial situation in the New Year.

This year-end financial control project or exercise includes income boost and other elements making our campaign to reduce and end income poverty.

For those who may be interested in this year-end financial control project, they can contact CENFACS in the New Year.

 

 

 

• COVID-19 Campaign over the Festive Holiday

COVID-19 Floor Signs and Symbols for Coronavirus-induced Poverty Relief in 2021

 

Following the floor signs and symbols of protection against the coronavirus pandemic can help to reduce coronavirus-induced poverty now and in 2021.   The problem is that not many people do follow the signs and symbols that meant to guide and help them.  As we move into 2021 and there is a new COVID-19 variant, how do we make sure to follow the signs and symbols that are meant to protect us and others, especially if you are in need of relief from health and economic hardships?  

It is life-saving to follow the floor markings designed to protect everybody against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.    This issue of COVID-19 floor signs and symbols is part of our COVID-19 Campaign, which is still active during the festive holiday.

For any enquiries and or queries about this part of our COVID-19 Campaign, please e-contact CENFACS.  

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Year in Review Recap

 

This review is about telling the story about what went on within and around CENFACS from the beginning to the end of 2020.  To be fair with readers of this review, we did not plan from the onset some of the events and campaigns which occurred and shaped the running of the year 2020.  Amongst these events is the coronavirus pandemic which in fact changes the year for us to becoming almost a pandemic year. 

In 2020, there have been many episodes that made these year-end review events which are: the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, the reconnection to the essential economy, the revalorisation of health economics, the growing uncertainty linked to the UK’s changing trade ties with the EU, the progress in African continental free trade integration, transitional democratic process in Africa, etc.

Amongst the above mentioned events or factors, the coronavirus pandemic has been a dominant one and continues to dictate the performance of many of our actions.  It carries on in shaping up the poverty reduction agenda and policy.  In face of this dominance and disturbance of the COVID-19, we had to react and find creative and innovative ways to meet users’ needs in this development landscape.  Before going further in this review, let us start from the beginning to the end of the year 2020.

 

• • How did we start the year 2020?

 

We started the year 2020 with Energy for the Poor and energy projects to deal with energy poverty.  It was about how to help poor people to help themselves in meeting their sustainable energy needs in a changing climate.  This starter was part of the discussions we had with stakeholders and of the debate to reduce the adverse effects of climate change.  In addition to this, we dedicated year 2020 as a “Mission” Year.  As a result of this dedication, we set up a “Mission” Project to deliver this mission.

As the coronavirus pandemic broke out and influenced our direction of travel, we had to adjust our plans and thinking to deal with this health emergency and urgency which has become the dominant feature of 2020.  2020 which was supposed to be partly of sustainable energy has entirely become a pandemic year for us.  This dominant feature has been coupled with other features as the following shows about how the year 2020 went for CENFACS.   

 

• • How did the year 2020 go through within and around CENFACS?

 

To underline the way in which the year 2020 went within and around CENFACS, we are going to highlight the essential features of 2020 and the contributions we made.

 

• • • Year 2020 in features

 

There are several features in the way 2020 went for CENFACS which are as follows.

 

• • • • 2020 as a “Mission” Year

 

CENFACS “Mission” Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  CENFACS “Mission” Year is a sequence of tasks and activities undertaken as monthly operations in order to deliver the year 2020 dedication.  It is finally a specific task of the year 2020 or way of putting into practice poverty reduction.  In total, we had 12 acts to accomplish and fuel our “Mission” Year campaign.

 

• • • • 2020 as a pandemic year

 

The most dominant feature of 2020 is of a pandemic year.  Due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, we had together with stakeholders to respond in developing projects, programmes and activities to deal with life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  Amongst these projects and programmes include the Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus Pandemic; cube which has many projects in it to protect the community.   We also set up a Campaign of Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

We had to deal with the implications of COVID-19 for poverty reduction work.  One of the implications was altering the contents of projects (for example our Happiness projects became Healthiness projects).  Briefly, we worked to adapt to COVID-19 environment while continuing to help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • • 2020 as an economic lockdown year

 

Over 2020, we experienced two lockdowns of the non-essential economy.  During the lockdowns, the help of supporters for us to adjust and develop e-services and e-activities to deal with the situation has been instrumental.  They motivated us to distance work and redevelop our advice-giving service to cope with new demand of advice and the unprecedented challenge we faced in the COVID-19 lockdowns.

 

• • • • 2020 as a year of essential economy

 

2020 has been a year of recognition of essential economy as an economy that serves the poor and does not leave anyone behind since it is an economy for everybody.  Essential economy has the capacity to pull out people out of poverty.

To put into practice essential economy, we set up CENFACS “Essentia” Project, which is an example or model of working together so that no one is left behind.  The “Essentia” project is indeed a poverty-relieving initiative that uses the tenets and attributes of the essential economy in order to help people and communities in need to escape from poverty and hardships.  The project connects these people and communities to essential activities while motivating them to use non-polluting ways of resolving their long standing problems of poverty and hardships.

 

• • • • 2020 as a year of health economics

 

2020 has been as well of the study of the supply and demand of healthcare resources and the impact of healthcare resources on a population, especially the poor and vulnerable ones. 

As far as CENFACS is concerned, it has been about how this study can be correlated with measures to reduce the state of this population having little or lacking money or material possession.  Through our virtual festival of thoughts on health economics, participants tried to learn how to make health economics work for the poor and the neediest.

In order to execute health economics from our perspective, we designed the Project of Sanitation Relief or Health Economics for the Poor to help improve the cost-effectiveness of healthcare provision to the poor in terms of positive health outcomes at the level of organisations that implement this project. 

This project reflects the circumstances of the time of the coronavirus pandemic.  From its various components, the project seeks to address sanitation poverty not only now, but also in the post-pandemic period. 

 

• • • • 2020 as a year of economic uncertainty linked to exit economy

 

What we do as an organisation depends on the economic environment in which we operate.  Since the economic uncertainty around changing nature of trade ties of the UK with the EU was pending, we had to work with many assumptions or models revolving around or between trade deal and no trade deal.  This economic uncertainty meant that we had to be cautious in taking any commitments in terms of resources and capacities until this uncertainty will be resolved. 

 

• • • • 2020 as a year of transitional development programme

 

Our Africa-based Sister Organisations did continue to work with those places in Africa where democratic transition was happening like in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Together with them through a transitional development programme we gave our hands in helping the happening transition to mature and work for those in most need.

 

• • • • 2020 as a year of impact monitoring and evaluation

 

2020 has been the year that we have tried to monitor and evaluate the causal effects of COVID-19 and the exited/transitional economy on CENFACS’ system of poverty reduction.  In other words, we looked at causality and attribution on CENFACS, if the cofactors (that is, COVID-19 and exited/transitional economy) could have causal effects on CENFACS.   

Besides the above features of 2020, there are some achievements that we would like to mention.

 

• • • 2020 Key Achievements/Contributions

 

2020 has also been a year of accomplishments.  After doing a round-up of all efforts we made to support the causes of those in need, we could name the following contributions:

√ Further to advice received from some of our followers and supporters, we brought and lighted a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks and Conflicts in Burkina Faso.

√ Through an open dialogue, consultation and inputs of stakeholders, users and supporters we were able to develop CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme.

√ To help reduce poverty in 2020, we developed together with the community a Box of Poverty Reduction Tools.  Thanks to the eight tools that it contains, we were able to use some of them to reach out to those in need before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

√ To support children in Africa, we asked for the halving of poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese children.  As a result of this ask, a number of children received some support until the COVID-19 broke out to change the educational dynamics there on the ground where support is still mostly needed.

√ We could not be insensitive about what was happening in the African Sahel where innocent lives were unnecessary taken since armed attacks and violence were mounted against civilians.  Together with our supporters, we launched the African Sahel Peace Appeal to end insecurity and violence there in 2020.

√ Likewise, to raise awareness about the effect of COVID-19 on the African Sahel, we advocated through the African Sahel Humanitarian Corridors Appeal to end food insecurity, water shortage and income decline exacerbated by COVID-19.

√ We carried out a Peace Appeal 2020 for the Horn of Africa, and the African Sahel and Lake Chad Basin Appeal against Extreme Poverty to support those in need in these two regions of Africa.

The above are just the few selected accomplishments we wanted to share with readers and stakeholders in this year in review campaign.  However, for those who would like get more insights into them and other achievements of the year 2020, they can still let us know.

 

• • How the year 2020 has ended

 

In the process of ending the year 2020, there was a need since Autumn to accept and integrate the coronavirus pandemic factor in our mind set and work with others in order to build back better by the end of the year and from the New Year.  This need has led to a build back better campaign for both our work in the UK and Africa.

Additionally, there is no a better way of ending any year than by appealing for peace and wishing hope for those living in poverty and hardships; as well as  by thanking all those who produced poverty reduction with us and those who made poverty reduction possible for those in need and for us throughout 2020.

2020 was a memorable year for CENFACS for those who inspired us in responding to local needs at the challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic.  We could not do it without their support. 

To end this year-in-review report, we would like to continue to thank them as we did in last week’s post.  We thank them for making possible 2020 as another year of poverty reduction and of sustainable development.

For further information or a full story of 2020 and to discuss any issues regarding this essential review of 2020, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2020 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 December 2020

 

Post No. 175

 

 

Festive Week’s Contents

 

• Thanking 2020 Poverty Relief Makers and Enablers

• Festive Season’s Arrangement

• Peace, Hope and Charity e-Store

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Festive Messages

 

• Thanking 2020 Poverty Relief Makers and Enablers

 

As the end of year 2020 is nearing, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who produced poverty reduction with us and those who made poverty reduction possible for those in need and for us.  Amongst them are those who supported the work for relief in this pandemic year.

For more information about this first key message, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Festive Season’s Arrangement: from 24 December 2020 to 5 January 2021

 

The following is the arrangement we have made for the above stated period.

 

• • Queries and enquiries

 

During the festive holidays and the new tier 4 of COVID-19 restrictions in London, we will only handle online queries and enquiries until the 5th of January 2021.  However, our All-in-Development Winter e-discussion on Post-coronavirus Volunteering is still on until the 5th of January 2021 as planned.

 

• • Opening hours and days

 

We are open online 24 hours and 7 days of week.

 

• • Visits

 

You can only visit us online.

 

• • Festive donations

 

Our festive campaigns highlight not only the projects and activities that are related to CENFACS’ demand, but also and mostly to the needs of those living in poverty around this time of the year and of the coronavirus turbulence.

Those who want to donate to our fundraising campaigns and projects (such as Gifts of Peace and End-of-Year 2019 Support); they are welcome to do so. 

With their festive support or donations, these will help bring a Blaze of Hope and Peace to those in need, particularly at this turbulent time of the new coronavirus pandemic variant.

As well as donating, there are other ways one can support from spreading the message about CENFACS’ work and campaigns to visiting our online store for shopping goods.

All the above initiatives can create magical reliefs during this Festive Season and disturbing moment of tier 4 of COVID-19 restrictions.

 

• • Season of Light

 

Our Season of Light continues as planned.  However, some of our services and activities (such as advocacy, physical fundraising events, etc.) as well as development campaigns are scaled down until the 5^th of January 2021.  Also, they are even more reduced than the previous festive periods and years because of the coronavirus pandemic and the latest new COVID-19 variant.

 

• • What’s on from 24 December 2020 to 5 January 2021!

 

We are breaking for the festive holidays while following the new COVID-19 restrictions in the tier four.  However, there are projects that are essential in exceptional times like of the coronavirus pandemic and of the festive break.  One of them is advice-giving one which will still be run online. 

This is because evidence shows that in any moments of human history and crisis, the poorest always suffer.  They do not have festive celebration as such, just as they could be the ones bearing the most negative socio-economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and post-lockdown tiers.  Many of them need support which includes advice at any time.     

The above figure shows what is on between 24/12/2020 and 05/01/2021.  For those who want to get a further picture about what has been happening at CENFACS during the remaining days of December 2020, we recommend them to read our three last posts on the Blog page of this site.

People should expect delay from us in responding to their calls and e-mails.  We heavily rely on volunteers for most of our services, who are sharing the Winter e-discussion with us during this Festive Time.  Some of them are already on holiday.   Also, the coronavirus pandemic and new tier systems of restrictions do not make things easier.

 

• • Emergency and exceptions

 

In case of emergency or exceptional circumstances, please do not hesitate to text, phone, e-mail and complete the contact form on CENFACS’ website.  We will respond to your message as soon as we can. 

We apologize for any inconvenience or upset this may cause. 

We thank you all for your invaluable and sustained support during 2020 and look forward to your continued and further support in the New Year.

We wish you a Very Healthy, Safe and Peaceful Festive Season!

 

 

 

• Peace, Hope and Charity e-Store

 

• • Peace and Hope

 

Our celebratory theme for the Season’s Reliefs is Peace and continues to be alive to the end of this season.  Our theme for the Season of Light is Hope and is still featuring what we have planned to achieve over this season.   

 

 

• • Charity e-Store

 

Following the new COVID-19 variant and the current restrictions which have led to the tier four, CENFACS’ Charity e-Store is opened for Click and Collect only.  We are not taking goods donations at the moment, just as we do not have a Drop and Go policy.  Under exceptional circumstances and our Recycle and Give policy, we can however arrange for goods to be safely collected at an agreed location, day and time.   

Every time you shop at CENFACS’ Charity e-Store, you make a helpful difference to people in need over this festive time, amongst them are those who are trying to fight the coronavirus-induced poverty.  

The above are the Season’s Triple Reliefs.  We can only help reduce and possibly end multi-dimensional poverty as well as coronavirus-induced poverty if you help us to do so.   And this time of the year is a unique opportunity for you once a year to change lives through your invaluable support however small it may be.  

Please, don’t miss this marvellous opportunity of the pandemic year and the end of the year.  There is a high demand for poverty reduction.

To click and collect, go to please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

Extra Festive Messages

 

• Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19 Campaign) during the Festive Season

 

How to Integrate the New COVID Variant in the Shadowing Model of Fight against COVID-19

Our COVID-19 Campaign is also active and trending during the festive period and the new tier four of COVID-19 restrictions since the coronavirus is taking a sinusoidal shape as we thought it at the beginning of Autumn 2020.  The campaign is still in its Phase 3 of Rehabilitation Strategies for our work in the UK and in Africa. 

 

• • What is the COVID-19 Campaign by CENFACS during the festive season?

 

The COVID-19 Campaign by CENFACS during the festive period is about finding ways of integrating the new COVID variant or mutation in our shadowing model of fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. 

So far, our campaign has been on the COVID-19 as originally named by the World Health Organisation.  Now that COVID-19 has mutated, there is a need to adapt our campaign and model of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

 

• • Keeping the momentum in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic

 

To keep and win the battle against the coronavirus, it is advisable to maintain a healthy relationship between hands, faces and space as we have been told by the health authorities and experts on COVID-19 matter.  It is better not to give up the basic healthcare principles and any life-saving advice during the Festive Season.

During this Festive Time, we are continuing to advocate for the community to stay resilient and vigilant against the coronavirus pandemic if one wants to win the fight against this deadly COVID-19 pandemic.  In this respect, it is in the best interest of everybody to act in a way that does not increase the health and economic threats and risks of the coronavirus pandemic and its variants on their and people lives. 

 

• • Breaking out the vicious circle of the new tier four and economic inactivity

 

As many members of our community are living in the areas of the new tier four of COVID-19 restrictions, there could a need for some of them to find way to break out the vicious circle of the new tier four and economic inactivity.  The exercises we provided during the Summer lockdown are still relevant and can be applied to manage the new tier four.  

For those who are looking for new types of activities including tips and hints, they can still let us know so that we can together e-work to come out with some proposals to manage this challenging situation of COVID-19 changing faces and spikes which occur during the Festive Season. 

Additionally, there are a lot of resources both print and online that can be used and accessed to deal with the socio-economic effects of the new tier four.

Need support to break out the vicious circle of the post-lockdown tiers, please e-contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Festive Income Boost, All year round Projects and The CENFACS Community

 

• • Festive Income Boost

 

For children, young people and families in need on whose behalf we relentlessly advocate; we can expect that they have managed to generate some little extra incomes they need to cover the extra expenses of the Season’s financial pressure.  More importantly than anything else, they will manage to stay healthy and safe while exercising their basic human right to some forms of festive celebrations despite the coronavirus restrictions.  Equally important, everybody in the community is doing what they can for not to carry forward income deficit into 2021.

 

• • All Year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives)

 

As our All Year-round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives (i.e. Play, Run and Vote for poverty relief and development) come to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to thank those who responded to our call for Action-Results 2020.

 

• • The CENFACS Community

 

We would like as well to express our gratitude to those who replied to the Community Value Chains, the CENFACS Community, by adding their talents and skills to our register.

 

 

 

• Natural and Climate Balances in Festive Celebrations

 

It is possible to offset one’s carbon foot print and to have a positive effect on the nature and climate by the way one will celebrate their Festive Season.  Already, COVID-19 lockdowns had beneficial effects on nature and climate to a certain extent last Summer.  This benefice can be increased in the way one may want to pass their Festive Season.

In this respect, our nature and climate campaigns continue as we are carrying on advocating about the maintenance of healthy balance between festive celebration and nature, between the season’s festivities and climate.  In other words, it is possible to have a festive celebration that is climate-friendly and that preserves the wealth and health of the nature.

Briefly, this extra message, which reinforces our commitment to the development of sustainable initiatives, can be translated into action at individual level.  The message is indeed about natural and climate balances by the way of approaching and celebrating the special days of the Festive Season (e.g. the New Year’s Eve).

For more details and support about natural and climate balances in one’s festive celebrations, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.     

 

 

 

 

Main Festive Development

 

• Thanking 2020 Poverty Relief Makers and Enablers

 

The work and produce of CENFACS are collective endeavour.  The end of the year gives us an opportunity of the many to thank all those who directly and indirectly contributed to the year 2020, either as poverty relief maker or enabler or even both.

Perhaps, the best way of thanking could be to do it individually by naming every contributor.  There could be a risk of forgetting some supporters.  To avoid this risk, we are thanking them collectively although we may have mentioned here and there some names. 

Year 2020 has been a historically challenging one for CENFACS and many people/organisations in the world as the world is battling against the coronavirus pandemic.  Despite this unparalleled challenge of the pandemic year, the commitment of various individuals and organisations to what we are trying to achieve has been undisputable and will be unforgettable. 

In particular, we would like to mention the following contributors: users, volunteers, web readers and commentators, web reviewers, local people and families, Africa-based Sister Organisations, charitable organisations, non-governmental organisations, community groups, third sector organisations, recycling organisations, individuals, etc.

Year 2020 has been dedicated as a “Mission” Year, a mission of poverty reduction.  During this year, we have tried as much as we can to reach out to those in need of relief from poverty and hardships.  As it has been as well as a pandemic year, we have deployed our efforts and resources to help and work with the community and our Africa-based Sister Organisations to protect themselves and others from the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

We would like to thank all those who have helped and worked with us in our COVID-19 Campaign to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and its destructive health and economic effects including the consequences of lockdowns.

Without undermining the other valuable and traditional sources of support we normally receive, we would like to thank, particularly but not exclusively, WordPress.com, Easily.uk and Twitter.com.  We thank them for providing us again with the opportunity to bring our ideas and work of poverty reduction to life to our audience and a global audience.

WordPress.com, Easily.uk and Twitter.com with their platforms have continued to give us as a charity a tremendous opportunity and learning experience to engage the public and other supporters as well as to enable us to re-communicate our anti-poverty messages and undertake our work on sustainable development. 

Small charitable organisations do not always have the financial means to put their messages across.  Having the possibility of using free or sometimes affordable means of communications can enormously impact the work of these charities.   Free or cheap is not always poor quality or option, just as heavily paid option is not always the best one.  All depends on what you get and what it achieves.

2020 will be remembered by many including CENFACS as a pandemic year.  The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have forced us to shield ourselves as well as to remotely or distance work in order to achieve our mission and aims.  This has meant we had to go out our normal way and means to reinvent ourselves in order to deliver the same and new services in exceptional circumstances.  Thanks to the support we have received from some of you we have been still able to punch above our weight in delivering poverty reduction outcomes for those in extreme and urgent need.

This year, we would like to extend our gratitude to other living things.  To advocate for the peaceful relationship with the nature, the preservation of the biodiversity, the reduction of adverse impacts of climate change, the protection of endangered species of the fauna and flora and so on; we had to use images and pictures from the flora and fauna.  We would like to say thank you to those beautiful creatures of the nature that helped us to put our messages across.

To sum up, we are using the opportunity of the end of year to thank all those who made and enabled the year 2020 work for CENFACS, its beneficiaries and other deserving causes related to ours.

We would like to express all our feelings of thank you and best wishes of the Season’s Greetings to all our 2020 Poverty Reduction Makers and Enablers.

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this Festive Season.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

 

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2020 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 December 2020

 

Post No. 174

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Season of Light: Starts 21 December 2020

• Festive Trends

• Festive Gifting

 

… and much, much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• The Lights Season: Starts 21 December 2020

 

Autumn Fresh Start to the Season of Light

The Autumn season officially ends this weekend.  The momentum we have built from the beginning and throughout Autumn Fresh Start season continues to galvanise our poverty relief action and is taking our relief journey into the Season of Light, which will start on the 21^st of December next week.

This weekend is thus the end of Autumn Fresh Start projects and programmes, and the beginning of the Season of Light; season during which we light up a Blaze of Hope for people and communities suffering from the effects and impacts of destructive wars and natural disasters in Africa. 

This Season of Light, our Blaze of Hope will be extended to those who are still struggling against the adverse health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdowns.  The Season of Light comes with the Lights Appeal, which is the project that features the Season of Light, while the Gifts of Peace keep on giving the Festive Season. 

At CENFACS, the theme for the Season of Light is Hope which we try to bring through a Blaze, while the theme for the Festive Season’s Reliefs is Peace.  In the case of Gifts of Peace, we try to reduce poverty as a lack of peace, whereas in the context of the Season of Light we are working to relieve poverty as a lack of hope.  Those who feel themselves hopeless need some hope.

Under the Main Development section of this post, there is more information about the Season of Light.

 

• Festive Trends

 

December and End of Autumn 2020 Updates and Trends 

The following updates and trends cover three initiatives: All in Development Winter e-Discussion, Gifts of Peace and Community Value Chains.

 

• • All in Development Winter e-Discussion: Volunteering in the Post-coronavirus and Post-exit Economic Era

 

All in Development Winter e-Discussion is currently trending as planned amongst CENFACS’ December products and services.  This e-Discussion is in its second week.   So far, the items e-discussed are the following:

♦ The state of volunteering 2020 within CENFACS

♦ The 2021 volunteering budget

♦ Quantitative effects or legacies of COVID-19 disturbance and exited economy on our volunteering action

♦ Forecast about volunteering opportunities for the next year

To e-discuss volunteers’ matters relating to Volunteering in 2021, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• • Gifts of Peace

 

Our Wintry fundraising appeal, known as Gifts of Peace, has now been launched and is trending over this Season’s Reliefs.  It is run in parallel with our Autumn 2020 Humanitarian Relief Appeal which is due to officially close by this coming weekend.

For those who could not support our Autumn fundraising appeal, they can still support and their donation will be welcome, although this appeal is not live on this website. 

For those who are looking for fundraising appeals or projects to fund as festive gifts over this festive time, Gifts of Peace as an appeal is a valuable proposal they could consider.

To enquiry about and or fund the Gifts of Peace, please contact CENFACS and go to Support Causes at http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

• • Community Value Chains, the CENFACS Community –

CENFACS as a Community with Poverty Reduction Mission, which is the Closing Act of the 2020 Year, is being prepared and trended. 

 

• • • What is CENFACS’ Community Value Chains (CCVC)?

 

It is a community value control, inspirational and motivational project of end-of-year celebration introduced by CENFACS in 2009.  The project is based on a basic idea of development which is as follows. 

What a member of our community best does which well works for them can have an underlying good value.  If there is a good value, it is desirable to share such value so that other members of our community could be aware of it and build a sort of chains of beliefs and community spirit/principles within our support network.

It is all about improving lives and outcomes of community members as well as enlivening capacities by sharing good practices, values and achievements; while learning from past mistakes.

In doing so, we can pull together as one community, strengthen our links and bonds, learn our differences and harness transformative changes we all want amongst us and beyond our self-interests. 

CENFACS’ CVC or the CENFACS Community is our voluntary local and non-profit making arm inside which all our projects and activities carried out in the UK are grouped and delivered; the other two domains being CENFACS International and CENFACS Fund for Poverty Relief and Development.

 

• • • What are those Shared Values? 

 

Good practices and good values do not need to be big or exceptional or even spectacular.  They are the simple good little things we do every day, which may have worked for us and could work for others as well.  

They could be life and work learning experiences, lifestyles, helpful differences, social responsibilities and principles that underpin them.  At this time of the coronavirus disturbance, they could be all the little initiatives one has taken to care each other in order to stay safe and healthy. 

 

• • • In focus for CVC 2020 Celebration/Sharing:

CENFACS as a Community with Poverty Reduction Mission (or the Closing Act of the “Mission” Year)

 

This celebratory theme for CVC’s 11^th Celebration of CENFACS as a Community with Poverty Reduction Mission is the Closing Act of the “Mission” Year and Project.  However, we will not call it celebration since many of supporters and users have been affected by the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus disaster and related lockdowns.  Instead, we shall call it end-of-year sharing.

It will be a virtual sharing of how the 2020 went on in everybody’s life in terms of the positive takeaway from it in order to build better in 2021.  In this virtual sharing, the positive experience of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns will be welcome. 

We want our community ends the 2020 on a positive note or sharing despite the ups and downs of this end year, especially with the disturbance that the coronavirus pandemic has caused and is continuing to cause on many of us.

 

• • • Share, Spread & Tweet the message

 

To enable us to build chains with you and others and to keep our support network alive and networked CENFACS, please spread the message to/pass it on around you.

If you feel that you need first to talk to us before responding to this invitation of en-of-year celebration/sharing, please let us know. 

If you prefer to respond via e-mail, you are free to do so at facs@cenfacs.org.uk. 

Whichever way or means you choose to enter this sharing project, please reply by the 23rd of December 2020 so as to ease the end-of-year 2020 celebration/sharing and the start-of-year 2021 preparatory activities, projects and programmes.

For further details about this Closing Act of the “Mission” Year and Project as well as the previous Acts of 2020 as a “M” Year, please contact CENFACS. 

For the timeline of the themes that made the Community Value Chains so far, please contact CENFACS. 

As part of the closure of 2020 and preparation of 2021, we are as well doing an inventory of skills and are registering the talents and skills of the CENFACS Community. 

If you have not yet registered your skills to CENFACS’ Skills Data Bank, this is the opportunity to do it over this festive period.

To register or add your skills to the CENFACS Community’s Skills Register or Database, just contact CENFACS.    

 

 

• Festive Gifting

 

As part of the season of gifts and of the response to the continuing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on vulnerable and poor people, we are asking supporters to go extra miles in responding in these two fundraising appeals which are: Festive Gift Set and End-of-year Support.

 

• • Festive Gift Set

 

The remaining two weeks of this year starting from tomorrow are those of the last legacy of the Year 2020 as a “M” Year at CENFACS.  To mark the end of and the Closing Act of our “M” Year and Campaign, we are appealing to you to support of CENFACS’ year 2020 through a “Mission” (“M”) Gift.  Such a gift will help to cover the cost of efforts made to help reduce poverty, to knowledge CENFACS’ work and to keep its momentum over the festive period while carrying us in the New Year and future.

With the “M” Gift plus the Gift of Light plus the Gift of Peace; the three of them give you a Gift Set of £5 or more.  What do these gifts express?

The “M” Gift represents the 12 Acts about poverty relief and bond with poor people, especially during this challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Gift of Light symbolises hope for the victims of coronavirus, wars and natural disasters.

The Gifts of Peace create long lasting relationships in a world without conflicts between humans as well as between humans and the nature (other living beings and things).  At this time of the coronavirus pandemic, the Gifts of Peace will enable to re-conquer the lost peace and get new form of peace from the COVID-19 led poverty.

All these initiatives represent some great ways of helping to reduce poverty at this special time of the year.  They give indeed more opportunities to supporters to do something for those in need. 

By donating £5 or more for this Gift Set, you will help people in need to leave poverty and hardships behind and may be for ever.

To donate and or enquire about this Gift Set, just contact CENFACS with or without your donation. 

 

 

• • End-of-year Support

 

As 2020 is coming to an end, we would like to ask you to donate as a legacy towards CENFACS’ efforts to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can donate to support CENFACS’ anti-poverty campaign and to help reduce poverty and hardships this festive season and in the New Year. 

Your support can make helpful differences to CENFACS and to those in need, the people and communities that CENFACS serves. 

Make a One-off Festive Donation of £5 or more this festive time…

as a way of helping poor people via CENFACS and / or support CENFACS’ work on poverty relief and sustainable development

You can also support one of the CENFACS projects and programmes if you wish.

 

Make a Monthly Donation of £5 or £10 or £15 or more per month…

as a legacy for CENFACS’ work

Please make an end-of-year contribution today to help us continue to deliver the work of CENFACS in 2021 and beyond.

This End-of-year Support is an inclusive relief sending a never-ending message from the giver that they are part of what we have achieved in 2020 and will do in the coming year and decade.

To make a donation and or enquire about this End-of-year Support, just contact CENFACS with or without your donation. 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project, Goal No. 1: Reduction of Income Poverty and of Poverty in Earning Capacity

How to remove obstacles blocking people’s efforts to escape from income poverty

 

Our help for income generation by poor people to make ends meet continues this week.  We have brought in the first goal of our 2020s Poverty Reduction Goals, which is the Reduction of Income Poverty and of Poverty (or weaknesses) in Earning Capacity.

Income poverty is just an iceberg of the all spectrum of the income problems that many poor people face.  Income may not be enough to meet poor people’s needs because people’s earning capacity may be limited or they may be experiencing the lack of opportunities. 

In those circumstances, our help for income generation is about working together with them so that they can improve or create new capacity to boost the earning potentials as well as explore any windows of opportunities for income generation.  It is about working with them so that they can find ways of removing obstacles blocking their efforts to escape from income poverty.  This help will enable them to mitigate the spending challenge they face on their daily life.  

To make more understandable what we are arguing about, let us explain income poverty, essential income and the kind of work that CENFACS can do with income poor people.

 

• • What is income poverty?

 

There are many money metric measures of poverty or definitions (both in relative and absolute terms) of income poverty.  Most of them revolve around the statistical notions of average or median of standards of living.

For example, the European countries use a line at 60% of the median of standards of living in order to measure poverty in relative terms or approach.  Likewise, the UK Government provides a yearly survey of income poverty in the UK known as Households Below Average Income.  From this provision, a household is absolute poor if its income is less than 60 per cent of the median as it stood in 2011.

Besides the above ways of approaching income poverty, we can add the following online generative definition from Development Initiatives (1):

“A person (or household) is considered poor if the person’s (or household’s) income cannot acquire the basket of goods and services used to define a threshold for poverty.  The monetary value of the basket is poverty line and the population of people and households whose incomes are below this line, is then derived through a head count”.

 

• • Essential income

 

As we are in the time of the coronavirus pandemic and essential economy, we would frame our definition of income poverty around essential income.  Essential income is needed to reduce income poverty.  It is the level of income that enables to meet essentials to live as human beings in a dignified way.

 

• • Removing obstacles blocking efforts to reduce income poverty

 

Through Goal No. 1 of our Poverty Reduction Goals Project, we are trying to advocate and work with income poor people to reduce deprivations that exacerbate income poverty.  These deprivations can include: lack of access to basic infrastructure, education, health services, etc.  In doing so, they can break the poverty circle and progressively come out it.  This is a long process that may take the all life of our Poverty Reduction Goals Project.

We shall come back from time to time to the Goal No. 1 during the life time of the 2020s Poverty Reduction Goals and Development Agenda.  In meantime, if anyone has any issue regarding this Goal No. 1, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

(1) https://devinit.org/wp-contents/uploads/2016/07/definitions-and-measures-of-poverty.pdf

 

 

 

 

• Income Generation Leads/Advice: Income Generators and Creators of the Month

 

Our advisory service on leads for income generation is still on.  Through this festive advice service, we are trying to explore the different leads or avenues that those in need can use, depending on their personal circumstances; to find the appropriate means to generate little extra income.  This is done bearing in mind that we are in exceptional time of the coronavirus pandemic which itself considerably restricts the scope for generating income.

In this income generation to reduce poverty, we are as well trying to enlist those who could be named as Income Generation Models or Income Generators and Creators under the COVID-19 constraint.  We are looking at their models or ways of generating little extra income.  We are assessing whether or not their models of generating income are generalizable or just are exceptions to the general rule and to the CENFACS Community.

If anyone has managed to generate little extra income and finds that their way of doing it has an underlying good value that can be shared with the CENFACS CVC members, please do not hesitate to talk to CENFACS.

  

 

• All year round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives): 2020 Verdict

 

The week is finally an occasion to remind the need to report on All-year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives) which are:  Play, Run and Vote projects for poverty relief and development.   

As we are reaching the end of year 2020, it is now the time to report on our three All-year Round Projects – which are Play, Run and Vote. 

We know that this pandemic year has been challenging for some of you to run some types of activities.  However, for those who have managed to undertake and complete the above named projects, we would like them to share with us and others their experiences, stories and reports regarding these projects.

 

• • The Action-Results of 2020: Tell it!

 

You can feedback the outcomes or Action-Results of your…

… Run if you ran for poverty relief over the year 2020 (or organised a Run activity)

… Play if you played the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief

… Vote if you have already voted your 2020 African Poverty Relief and Development Manager.

 

We would be more than happier to hear your Action and Results to feature and conclude CENFACS 2020 Year as “Mission” Year.  Tell it!

 

• • What or who we want to hear

 

We would like to hear from you about one of the following Three Bests of the Pandemic Year:

 

√ The Best African Country of 2020 which best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runner of 2020

√ The Best African Poverty Relief and Development Manager of 2020

 

If you have not yet told us, have your say by 23 December 2020!  The Verdict is yours!

 

 

Main Development

 

• The Lights Season: Starts 21 December 2020

 

The Lights Season at CENFACS kicks off with the theme of Hope as said above.  We are going to deliver this Hope with Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit Economic Development Projects. 

The 2020-2021 Season of Light is about how we can implement structural changes to deal with poverty and any new COVID-19 waves since new COVID-19 vaccines have already been given to people and the new COVID-19 vaccination campaign is under way. 

The 2020-2021 Season of Light is also a transitional period since the UK will theoretically cease from the 31 December 2021 to apply the EU trade rules.  This situation requires Hope to manage the post-exit economy and trade rules since our action depends as well on the health of the UK economy and its trade ties with others.

The two developments (post-coronavirus and post-exit economy) will shape our 2020-2021 Season of Light.  In the light of these events, CENFACS will approach 2021 with a set of post-projects, which are:  Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Projects and Post-exit Economic Development Projects.  We started this approach a few years ago with Post-exit Economic Development Projects since the process of exiting economy began.  Next year, we will deepen our action on this approach. 

So, we will be developing Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Projects and Post-exit Economic Development Projects to help reduce post-coronavirus poverty and post-exit economic hardships.

  

• • Two themes to bear in mind this Festive and Lights Time: Peace and Hope

 

While the theme of Peace will be dominant over the festive celebrations period, the theme of Hope is the overall theme of the Season of Lights.  The theme of Hope is made of notes or pieces of restructuring and economic development.   In this sense that we shall bring a glimmer of hope through restructuring and economic development over this Wintry season.

The Gifts of Peace are included in the Season of Light.  Peace is the festive theme we choose to spread the joy of Season’s Reliefs to those in need.   We try to help their wishes of poverty relief become true through the Gits of Peace that put a smile on their faces with relief notes while hoping their faces will become again uncovered in the post-coronavirus time.

 

• • The Gift of Light that Keeps on Giving this Winter

 

• • •  A gift of light for every person in need everywhere!

 

The Lights season is the season during which we try to bring light or shine light to impoverished lives. We try to bring clarity, brightness to people who need to see clearly and accurately about their life.  It is about helping them see the light of relief so that they can see the world in a new relieved light or version.

 

• • • A gift of light that ignites and sparks the life of those in need!

 

This is why we have the Lights project at CENFACS; projects which enable us to bring lights to those in need.  Like the last Winter, this Winter 2020-2021, our Lights projects will focus on two parts or two waves of action: 

1/ post-coronavirus, post-war and post-natural disaster developments

2/ current and emerging armed conflicts and environmental catastrophes as well as new waves of coronavirus

 

• • • A gift of light that helps people to find their own way out poverty with pride!

 

The Gift of Light is about helping people to help themselves.  By using the light, they can find their own way out poverty and hardships, out of darkness instead of we telling them what do.  They can act with self-esteem and self-respect.  In this respect, the Gift of Light is a blessing of empowerment.

 

• • • A Blaze of Hope for post-life following coronavirus, armed conflicts and natural disasters

 

When there are environmental disasters and armed conflicts, there are pledges and commitments to end the effects of wars and disasters.  For various reasons, some of these pledges do not always materialise.  The post-war and post-disaster developments are sometimes left without support even until the conflicts and disasters return and or strike again. 

The same situation can happen with the coronavirus disaster if pledges made are not carried out by those who made them while letting the return of coronavirus-induced poverty to happen.

As we cannot wait the return or repeat of the same coronavirus, wars and disasters; our first Blaze of Hope will go this Winter to the unfinished business of previous destructions and disruptions brought by coronavirus, wars and natural disasters.

 

• • • A Blaze of Hope for the eruption of any coronavirus, armed conflicts and natural disasters

 

We always advocate for preventive development and we do not seek for destructive events to happen.  However, our preparedness and readiness made us to assemble as quickly as possible advocacy tools should any effects and impacts erupt from new COVID-19 waves, wars and natural disasters in Africa. 

So, our second wave of intervention or Blaze of Hope will go this Wintry season to erupted effects of coronavirus, armed conflicts and natural disasters in the areas of our interest in Africa. 

With these two waves of action over this Wintry Season, we hope to enlighten the lives of those in pressing and emergent need.

 

• • • Examples of areas where a Blaze of Hope may be needed

 

For this December 2020, we have selected four areas that may need lighting a Blaze of Hope, which are as follows:

∗ Areas of countries severely affected by the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 like in Madagascar, Cameroon and Burundi

∗ Areas of vulnerable countries affected by or prone to torrential rains and cyclones that could cause enormous food insecurity such as in Djibouti, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

∗ Areas of countries devastated by killing diseases like in North Cameroon with cholera and malaria in DRC

∗ Areas of countries that are the victims of a high level of persisting civil insecurity such as in Burkina Faso,  Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Niger

The selection will help to start our Light advocacy.   We know that many of our supporters have been affected by the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus and the prolonged impacts of lockdowns as well as restrictions on travel and free movements.  For those who can support Light project, we can count on them to move forward this advocacy.  And we would like to thank them in advance.

For any queries or enquiries regarding the Season of Light, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going in 2020.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

 

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2020 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

09 December 2020

 

Post No. 173

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• “Mission” Year / Project – The 12^th Act: Help for Income Generation

• Income Deficit Reduction as Festive Activity

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project, Goal No. 5: Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• “Mission” Year / Project – The 12^th Act: Help for Income Generation

Working with Poor People to Make Little Extra Income

 

The last Act of our “Mission” Year / Project is about conducting a specific task to work with and help poor people to generate little extra income to enable them tackle poverty, particularly coronavirus-induced poverty.  This task is highly needed at this testing time of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Many income poor people are facing enormous financial and economic difficulties to cope with the financial pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.  To conclude our “Mission” Year, we thought it will be a deserving task to work with them so that they can find their way out income poverty and constraint.

The details of this 12^th Act together with the previous Acts of the “Mission” Year / Project can be found in the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• Income Deficit Reduction as Festive Activity

 

In the context of Income Deficit Reduction and How Not to Carry Forward an Income Deficit in 2021, we have planned to have two types of activities: activities to increase income and those to reduce spending.  In real world, these two activities can be conducted at the same time.  This is the basic principle to avoid and reduce income deficit.

As far as the increase of income is concerned, this could be difficult to achieve for many income deficit households and families at this challenging time of the coronavirus disturbance since many opportunities and capacities to earn some extra income have been threatened or simply destroyed.  However, our work on the matter is not only for now.  It is also for the future.

Concerning the reduction of spending, one must recognise that those on income below the international poverty line of let say US $3.20 a day may find extremely difficult to cut expenses.  However, we can still work with them on the possible best way of reprioritising their expenses in order to avoid a strong negative impact and any other cumulative damaging effects from their spending cuts. 

In these two activities, the aim is to reduce intergenerational poverty by not carrying forward income deficit in the next year.  This is because often carrying forward yearly income deficits can result in the future in cumulative deficit which can be translated in further poverty and hardships.  In simple mathematical terms, the sum of many years of income deficits could become equals to intergenerational poverty.

For those who are interested in these festive activities for income deficit reduction, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project, Goal No. 5: Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty

 

Since we are dealing with Income Deficit particularly How Not to Carry Forward an Income Deficit in 2021, we have included the 5^th Goal (that is, Reduction of Intergenerational Poverty) of our Poverty Reduction Goals Project.    Not carrying forward income deficit is in itself not transmitting poverty if one refers to income poor families or households.

Through this Goal No. 5, we are dealing with the intergenerational transmission of poverty.  To do that, we are going to undertake some basic generational economics which explains us how resources are being allocated between different generations at a point in time and analyses how this is done.  In this respect, we are going to include economic theories of the family as explained by Ronald D. Lee and Andrew Mason (1) in their article entitled ‘Generational Economics in a Changing World’.

In this inclusion, we are involving economic resources model of the intergenerational transmission of poverty.  In particular, we are referring to Kate Bird (2) who explains the five models or theories of intergenerational transmission of poverty in the United States, which are: economic resources, family structure, correlated disadvantages, welfare culture and social isolation. 

She refers to Becker and argues about the allocation of limited resources between current consumption and investment in children’s schooling.  She says that poor parents are on constant state of economic crisis and must concentrate on survival.  

 

    

Through Goal No. 5, we are going to raise awareness about inter-generationally-transmitted poverty from poor families and parents to their children and grant children since many of those in need may not be aware of this fact.  Part of this awareness work will be on investing and developing children’s human capital or earnings potential.

This awareness raising work on intergenerational poverty this festive time is just the beginning of the implementation of the Goal No.5 of CENFACS 2020s Poverty Reduction Goals.  In other words, we shall continue this work in the life of these Goals since intergenerational poverty takes many generations to be eradicated. 

For further discussions about Goal No. 5 relating to the reduction of intergenerational poverty, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion: Volunteering in the Post-coronavirus and Post-exit Economic Era

 

• • Volunteering in the Post-coronavirus and Post-exit Economic Era 

 

As the 2020 will come soon to an end at the end of this year, we need to start thinking about our voluntary work in the light of the coronavirus pandemic legacies.  We have started from 05 December 2020 to think of it since CENFACS is a volunteering-involved and based organisation, meaning that CENFACS relies much on volunteers in order to deliver its services and programmes.  It also means we need to start planning for this next year in terms of the way we would like to volunteer so as to continue to achieve CENFACS’ vision, mission, aim, objectives and charitable objects.  This planning process is even important as we are moving towards a post-coronavirus and post-exit economic era. 

Indeed, the scale of the health and economic damages caused by the coronavirus disaster is enormous and will be still felt even after the coronavirus vaccine becomes effective and operational.  These damages will be mostly felt by those who have not got any capacity and means to deal with them.  Amongst them, there are poor people.

It will be difficult to pay for the cost of this damage in the short and medium terms.  Volunteering will be much needed to help deal with some of the legacies of the coronavirus disaster.  

Likewise, the economic impact of the UK’s exit from the EU regional economic model of integration is still yet to come.  The cost of changing economic ties with the EU may require some forms of adjusted volunteering for us to continue the work of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

In order to get ready, some preparations must be done.  We already started these preparations (especially those relating to post-exit economy) and are continuing these preparations and discussions through our All-in-Development Winter e-Discussion.  These Winter e-volunteering discussions, which already began since the 5th of this month, are briefly on the following:

(a) The effects of COVID-19 legacies and exited economy on our voluntary work

(b) The volunteering opportunities in the post-coronavirus and post-exit economic era

(c) Rethinking volunteers’ roles, tasks and activities in the light of these events and poverty relief and sustainable development architectures (For example: What the messages and signals of international calendars of events and forecasts or outlooks published by other organisations are sending to us in terms of poverty relief and sustainable development)

(d) The needs of users in 2021: (How can we anticipate them, plan and develop services and activities to meet them?  What the evidence and data especially the big data are telling us)

(e) The 2021 volunteering budget and other resources

Etc.

The above points are some of those issues we have identified so far which are being discussed and put to all our supporters to help us in providing their inputs.

To add your views about Volunteering in the Post-coronavirus and Post-exit Economic Era, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Supporting All in Development Volunteer Scheme (AiDVS) 

 

It is possible to support CENFACS and its AiDVS from wherever you are (at home, work, away, online, abroad, on the go and move etc.). 

It is true that many people are still suffering from the health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic which have also affected the way in which they support good causes. 

However, supporting us does not need to be magical and majestic.  One can still support deserving causes like CENFACS while trying to recover from the health and economic effects of the coronavirus. 

Also, your support will help us to support others, who may be like you, who have been affected by the same coronavirus crisis and effects. 

One can still enjoy a great festive season while they are supporting us. 

There are many simple helpful and useful ways of adding value to our voluntary work.

Here are some suggestions on ways of supporting with wintry and festive news, information and products:

√ Gift ideas for the best ways of monitoring, evaluating and reviewing projects and programmes in the New Year

√ Savings and scrimping for AiDVs

√ Festive deals, packages, coupons and vouchers for AiDVs

√ Distance working technologies for volunteering to make the world a better place for a low-carbon, COVID-19 free and sustainable future we all want

√ Low carbon economic products to protect the environment

√ Digital and media support to better volunteer for a climate-friendly   and sustainable world

√ COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment gifts for healthy and safe volunteering in the New Year

√ Wintry and festive giveaways for volunteering for a better world

Etc.

To e-discuss Volunteering in the Post-coronavirus and Post-exit Economic Era, please contact CENFACS or just forward your comments, views and experiences to us.

 

 

 

• Autumn 2020 Humanitarian Relief Appeal: Only 1 week and half remaining

 

Our Autumn 2020 Humanitarian Relief Appeal will end soon.  You can support poor people, flora, fauna, communities and organisations in Africa before the official end of Autumn 2020.  Your support can make data change their lives.

CENFACS is appealing to you to donate £2 to create 2 benefits (1 for humans and 1 for the other living beings) as you wish to achieve one last benefit or relief.

To support and or enquire about this appeal, please go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

• African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Poverty Reduction

 

As African countries continue to ratify the AfCFTA agreement which is scheduled to start trading on the 1^st of January 2021, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is discussing the future implications of the implementation of this agreement on poverty reduction in Africa. 

 

• • What is the AfCFTA?

 

In simple terms, the AfCFTA is free trade area created by the AfCFTA agreement amongst 54 of the 55 African Union nations.  It is a single continent-wide market for goods and services as well as to promote the movement of capital and natural persons.  It is about deepening continental integration through trade.

More on this agreement can be found online and on the Africa Union website at https://au.int/

 

• • What are the discussions on the AfCFTA within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum about?

 

It is expected that the AfCFTA will boost intra-african trade.   Amongst the benefits to be considered from Africa’s continental trade integration are: job creation, promotion of industrialisation, competitiveness, improvement in the regional value chains, etc.  These anticipated benefits derive from the general theory of regional economic integration. 

However, will all these trade creating advantages result in poverty reduction across Africa?  Let take for example job creation.  Will jobs to be created as a result of AfCFTA go to the poor or divert to the well-off or go to both of them?  This is because poverty reduction is more than just about trading together.  It is possible to trade together without reducing poverty; just as trade can lead to poverty reduction or poverty increase.  It all depends on the trading conditions and environment.  In other words, trade more and together may not be enough to reduce poverty.  There must be perhaps a safeguard or conditional trade; that is trade to reduce poverty.

The above are the exchanges of ideas about the impacts of the AfCFTA on poverty reduction in Africa.  There are about answering questions about the relationships between continental trade integration and poverty reduction; questions such as:

√ Do the expected trade creation advantages result in poverty reduction outcomes?

√ Meeting the needs of consumer goods as a result of the implementation this agreement will it lead to the eradication of poverty in the African continent and if so by how much?

√ What are the provisions inside the AfCFTA for poverty reduction and the poor?

√ Would a fully functioning AfCFTA better address the coronavirus-induced poverty?

√ Will the implementation of this agreement be to simply give a further opportunity to multinational corporations to freely move across the African continent in search of lucrative advantages and deals but at the expense of poverty reduction or will African nations better protect their national and natural resources from uncontrolled exploitation at the expense of ordinary people?

√ Do really poor African people have any stake in this agreement, if not how can the agreement be made poor people-friendly in its imlementation?

The above are the few questions we are discussing about the AfCFTA.  There could be many.

You can tell CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum what you think.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• “Mission” Year / Project – The 12^th Act: Help for Income Generation

Working with Poor People to Make Little Extra Income

 

CENFACS dedicates every year to a particular subject or remembrance.  This ending year was and has been dedicated as a “Mission” Year.  As a result of this dedication, we set up a project to enable us to formalise and implement this “Mission” Year; project that is called “Mission” Project.  The following will help to explain our “Mission” Year and understand what went on throughout the year of this dedication.

 

• • What is a “Mission” Year?

 

CENFACS “Mission” Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.

CENFACS “Mission” Year is a sequence of tasks and activities undertaken as monthly operations in order to deliver the year 2020 dedication.

It is finally a specific task of the year or way of putting into practice poverty reduction.

 

• • CENFACS “Mission” Year as a Project

 

CENFACS “Mission” Year has all the attributes or components of a project which are: aim, objectives, activities, inputs and outputs, monitoring and evaluation, review and performance.

 

• • CENFACS “Mission” Year and Community Value Chains

 

CENFACS “Mission” Year (CMY) can be associated with CENFACS Community Value Chains (CCVCs).  CCVCs is a community value control, inspirational and motivational project of end-of- year celebration introduced by CENFACS in 2009.  It is the Closing Act of the year before we move to the next year.  The theme for this year’s celebration is: CENFACS as a Community with Poverty Reduction Mission.  As some of you can notice, this theme is inextricably linked to CENFACS “Mission” Year of Poverty Reduction.  This link is via poverty reduction which can be found in both CMY and CCVCs.

 

• • CENFACS “Mission” Year as part of CENFACS Mission Statement

 

As an essential component or product or service to our desirable outcome, it connects us to CENFACS Mission Statement which is:

TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR AFRICANS IN AFRICA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

In doing what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction, we are trying to enhance the wellbeing and quality of life for Africans in Africa and the UK.

 

• • The 11 Acts performed so far of CENFACS “Mission” Year as a Project

 

Since we started the delivery of CENFACS “Mission” Year as a Project, the following eleven activities have been conducted so far:

Act 1: Reduction of negative wasteful and unneeded consumption

Act 2: Preservation of healthy relationships between sustainability and poverty reduction

Act 3: Taking action against adverse impacts of climate change that create or increase poverty

Act 4: Protection of poor people and communities against the coronavirus-induced poverty

Act 5: Telling the story of poverty reduction achievement for those in need of inspiration and motivation

Act 6: Production of poverty-relieving creations and innovations to reduce sanitation poverty like the coronavirus-induced poverty

Act 7: Tracking priorities, tasks and deliverables of our CENFACS “Mission” Year as a Project

Act 8: Conducting Mission Activities about social distancing running and online searches

Act 9: Helping beneficiaries to access life-protecting and –saving advice service and activities

Act 10: Learning the history of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa

Act 11: Enabling skills development and maintenance in the fight against poverty and COVID-19

More details about the above Acts can be requested from CENFACS.

 

• • The 12^th Act: Helping Poor People to Generate Little Extra Income

 

As it stands, Act 12 helps poor people to generate little extra income in order to overcome income poverty.  In doing so, this Act …

√ Addresses the root causes of poverty in all its dimensions

√ Helps poor people to get basic needs

√ Ensures poor people to have access to productive resources

√ Promotes people-centred approach to poverty eradication

√ Facilitates the productive use of an asset for income generation

All these elements contribute to the increase of income for multi-dimensionally poor children, young people and families to ensure their financial sustainability and address income poverty during the festive time and beyond.  Briefly, there are about helping them to help themselves in generating some little extra income in the fight against poverty and hardships.

For further information about CENFACS “Mission” Year and Project as well as the 12^th Act, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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References

 

(1) Ronald D. Lee and Andrew Mason, Generational Economics in a Changing World at https://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143474/ (accessed December 2020)

(2) Kate Bird (2007), The Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty: An Overview, Overseas Development Institute, UK at k.bird@odi.org.uk (accessed December 2020)

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Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going in 2020.

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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

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 2020 and beyond.

With many thanks.