Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

25 November 2020

 

Post No. 171

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Health Economics for the Poor (Sanitation Poverty-relieving Project)

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 7 – In Focus for Week Beginning 23/11/2020: Finance for Ecology

• Skills to Cope with Financial and Economic Pressure from COVID-19 and Lockdowns – Skills Focus from Wednesday 25/11/2020: Income-Making and –Saving Skills

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Health Economics for the Poor (Sanitation Poverty-relieving Project)

 

The Project of Sanitation Relief or Health Economics for the Poor, which is part of CENFACS’ Autumn Starting XI Projects, is designed 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.  As the various components of this project will show below, the project seeks to address sanitation poverty not only now, but also in the post-pandemic period. 

Sanitation itself is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal targets (1).  Particularly, Goal 3 target relates to the access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all; and Goal 6 target refers to access to basic sanitation services such as toilets or latrines. 

Additionally, the coronavirus pandemic has made the problem of sanitation to resurface and be at the centre of health and economic development debate and policy making.  To deal with it and following the demand from our Africa-based Sister Organisations, we have developed this project.

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

 

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 7 – In Focus for Week Beginning 23/11/2020: Finance for Ecology

 

Finance for Ecology includes what the banks, other financial institutions, investors and actors can do to drive forward the agenda on the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures.  In this drive, financial markets and instruments are also part of the game.

At practical level of the “A la une” Campaign, this Note No. 7 is about what all the above players did and will continue to do to support the restoration conducted by African Organisations, amongst them are CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs).  This simply means that CENFACS working together with ASOs can continue the organised series of environmental actions under the “A la une” Campaign to gain support for substantial financial resources to be directed or redirected towards the goal of restoration of ecosystem infrastructures in Africa.

It is true that at this challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic, health and economy are the top of priorities.  However, our action on finance to restore the ecosystem infrastructures is not only for this week or now.  It is for the post-coronavirus poverty relief and sustainable development.  In other words, the financial needs to improve the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures will still remain amongst other priorities of the future.

Briefly, undertaking action to finance the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures is relevant now during the coronavirus pandemic time as it will be in the post-coronavirus sustainable development world.  

To support this Note No. 7 and action on the Finance for Ecology, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Skills to Cope with Financial and Economic Pressure from COVID-19 and Lockdowns – Skills Focus from Wednesday 25/11/2020: Income-Making and –Saving Skills

 

Our month of Economics of Education and Skill Formation (or Skills Development) is still on course with attention devoted on Income-Making and –Saving Skills this week.  Let us look at these skills.

 

• • Income-Making Skills

 

Income-making skills are productive capacities that can be turned or converted into an actionable marketable product.  There are lots of skills related to income making (e.g. CV writing, knitting, soap making, making of face coverings against the coronavirus pandemic, etc.).

Of particular importance amongst the skills to make or increase your income is the skill to follow income or financial news and information that may benefit you.  This is because sometimes there is support for those on low income, but some of them may not know this support exists for them, especially at this difficult time of the coronavirus and lockdown in which every of these people is literally looking for financial support to make ends meet.

Challengingly, at this time we are mostly interested in income-making skills that help to break through the double constraint of COVID-19 and lockdowns.  There are many sources of information on internet that give many ways or skills that one can use to make income in order to cope with financial and economic pressure from COVID-19 and lockdowns.

 

• • Income-Saving Skills

 

These are the capacities to set income aside for future use.  One can put aside other items than just money.  One can save on foods, drinks and other household items. 

At this time of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, income-saving skills could be crucial since no one knows when the battle against the coronavirus will be over.  Therefore, the capacity to save on any income to meet basic life-sustaining needs is vital. 

Like for income-making, there are a lot of online and print resources that provide ways of saving income in normal and exceptional time of the coronavirus pandemic.  These resources are easily accessible for everyone.  For those who are having some problems in accessing them, CENFACS can still assist them.

For any queries and or enquiries about this week’s Skills Focus, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Integrating Climate Advocacy and Nature Campaign

 

The 26^th Session of the Conference to the Parties (CO26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was expected to take place from 9 to 20 November 2020 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.   Although these United Nations climate talks have been postponed for next year, this postponement does not mean we should not continue our process of advocating better climate deals for children.

Our Climate Advocacy under the Project Climate Talks Follow-up and sub-project “Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 3” will carry on.  As part of this continuation, we are integrating our Climate Advocacy and our Nature Campaign.  The Climate Advocacy is being conducted through Climate Talks Follow-up Project while Nature Campaign has been undertaken via the theme of the Upkeep of the Nature.

Through the  integration of the two, we are looking at if there are some synergies between the two (climate advocacy and nature campaign).  Using an integrative approach, it is possible to identify some interconnectedness between the goal of the upkeep of the nature and that of keeping global average temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius.     It is as well conceivable to associate the upkeep of the nature and the meeting of the needs for climate protection and stake for children, particularly but not exclusively African children. 

In the context of this year’s “A la une” Campaign, we are analysing if there is any link between the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures on the one hand and climate protection and stake for those in need on the other.  In other words, we are searching on the idea that the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures should not happen at the expense of the need for climate protection and stake for children and generations to come.

For those who would like to find out more about this integration of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy and Nature Campaign, they can contact CENFACS. 

 

 

• 4-week Lockdown 2 Programme: Coronavirus Support Finder

 

Our Four-Weeks-Lockdown-Two Programme is still on course this November 2020.  As part of this short programme, we are offering to the community a basic autumnal service to find support to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

We have noticed that many people have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.  Some of them know where to get support whereas others do not know or simply they are not aware of existing support.  There are those who are accessing the different types of support available now on the market to resolve their problems.  There are also those who are still waiting for the end of lockdown in order to address the problems they have. 

Through the Coronavirus Support Finder, which is part of this programme and our advice services, it is possible to work with those who would like to take action now to deal with their problems.  The Coronavirus Support Finder will help them get or be directed to the right support they need at this challenging time.  Also, this support is jointly giving with our Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Need to find what types of support available for the problem you are experienced in relation to COVID-19, please do not hesitate to CENFACS.   

 

• CENFACS’ Health Dashboard

 

CENFACS’ Health Dashboard, which has been updated on the 25/11/2020, is a graphical user interface giving CENFACS’ performance in terms of projects, services, activities, events and enquiries during this time of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

As far as projects and services are concerned, they are running at reduced capacity and pace as we are complying with travel restrictions and we are not meeting beneficiaries physically.  Also, many of our Africa-based Sister Organisations are experiencing disruption about their activities on the grounds during this challenging time.

As for events, we are not holding any internal physical events, just as we are not attending any external physical events.  We only respond to events held virtually or remotely or even online.

It is important to stress that at this difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic, many of our users need advice.   Our advice is fully functioning, especially in matters relating to the health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.  If anyone needs advice, they can access our advice services via phone, text, e-mail and contact form.

For any other queries or enquiries about this dashboard, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.  

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Health Economics for the Poor (Sanitation Poverty-relieving Project)

 

Before giving you the idea of the components of this project, let us check some facts about sanitation in Africa.  We are going to do it through what is said about the state of sanitation in Africa.

 

• • What is said about sanitation in Africa?

 

• • • The State of Sanitation in Africa

 

The United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation (2) argue the following:

“An estimated 213 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa attend a school in which there is no sanitation facility at all” (p. 43)

“Analysis of data from rural schools in 12 Sub-Saharan African countries revealed that many school toilets did not meet criteria for accessibility, quality or acceptability” (p. 44)

“In the Sub-Saharan African countries with data, 29 per cent of health care facilities had no sanitation service” (p. 47)

The African organisations with whom CENFACS deals are operating in Africa where the above sanitation estimations and data analysis apply.  One can assume that the project beneficiaries of these organisations are also included in these data. 

 

• • • What are Africa-based Organisations arguing about sanitation?

 

Many organisations that CENFACS deal with have acknowledged the issue relating to the lack of safe sanitation facilities in places where they work, especially in rural poor areas where sanitation facilities are sometimes perceived as a luxury.  They have also pointed out the problem of safe drinking water and hygiene.   In this respect, the coronavirus crisis has just exposed what was already known to many Africans for many years.

These data and the testimonials from our Africa-based Sister Organisations working on the grounds have helped us to plan and develop the basic elements that define Health Economics for the Poor (Sanitation Poverty-relieving Project) .

 

• • Basic components of Health Economics for the Poor

 

The following are the key highlights of the Health Economics for the Poor.

 

• • • Project Aim

 

The Health Economic for the Poor (Sanitation Poverty-relieving Project) is a sanitation poverty-relieving initiative that addresses a set of sanitation and hygiene deprivations that may affect poor people or households in the areas of Africa where CENFACS operates. 

As sanitation cannot be tackled without including water and hygiene, the project will have a multi-dimensional perspective.  In other words, the project will consider various elements contributing to sanitation poverty such as lack of access to basic water and hygienic services.

Through this project, CENFACS hopes to work with local people and organisations in Africa to help reduce the lack of standards in health and preserve healthy life and well-being while empowering them to control the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

• • • Objectives

 

The Sanitation Project, which uses the contents and tenets of the Human Right to Sanitation as an approach, has the following key objectives:

√ Tackle multi-dimensional sanitation poverty at people and local levels

√ Reduce the lack of access to an improved sanitation

√ Cut down the health impacts of poor sanitation such as stunting

√ Protect poor people’s essential economy

√ Promote good health amongst local people

√ Prevent the spread of diseases (such as COVID-19 and other ones)

√ Protect the environment from waste disposal

The above are the statements about how the project aim will be achieved.  These objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based.

 

• • • Beneficiaries

 

Generally, the beneficiaries of this project will be the local people making the community that our Africa-based Sister Organisations are working with. 

Specifically, the project will benefit local people without access to improved sanitation facilities (e.g. flush/pour flush latrine), to safe sanitation, to basic hand washing facilities, etc.

 

• • • Activities

 

Under the full project proposals, a number of activities have been planned for a successful implementation of the project.  Amongst these activities are: awareness sanitation campaign, workshop sessions on sanitation, training on sanitation and hygiene, etc.

 

• • • Project average capital cost per beneficiary

 

It is estimated that the average capital cost per beneficiary to gain access to safely managed sanitation is US$28 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project will use this average cost as an indicator for project fundraising and implementation purposes.  Therefore, we would like to ask to any potential supporter or donor who are willing to donate or support otherwise to have this cost in their mind.

 

• • • Impact monitoring and evaluation

 

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

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

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

 

• • • Outcomes

 

The following are the expected measurable positive health changes or indicators that may be achieved from this project:

√ Increase in the number of sanitation facilities

√ Improvement of sanitary conditions amongst local people

√ Raising of the quantity and quality of hand-washing facilities and soaps

√ Boost in the number of people with improved sanitation facilities

√ Enhancement of safety and security of hygienic facilities

√ Reduction of the number of ill persons due to poor sanitation

√ Amelioration of water and hygienic services as indirect effect of this project

√ Progress of project users’ productivity as another indirect effect of this project

Etc.

The full project proposals including budget are available on request.  It is known that this time of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown is a difficult one.  However, for those who may be interested in this project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

________

 

References

(1) http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html

(2) United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization (2020), State of the World’s Sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization, 2020. (State-of-the-world’s-sanitation-2020.pdf)

________

 

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!

18 November 2020

 

Post No. 170

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Peace Appeal 2020 for the Horn of Africa Region

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign, Note No. 6 – In Focus for Week Beginning 16/11/2020: African Organisations’ Restoration Work on Ecosystem Infrastructures

• The 11^th Women and Children FIRST Development Day – In Focus on 19/11/2020: Coronavirus Talk Bubbles

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Peace Appeal 2020 for the Horn of Africa Region

 

This is an appeal to help stop the Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis to draw in other countries making the Horn of Africa region and create further poverty and hardships while reversing the hard won 20 years of peace in the same region.

This November 2020 appeal, which is a variation of Light Projects, will introduce us to the Season of Lights, which is due to start in Mid-December.  More explanation about this year’s Light Projects will be provided in due course. 

For further information about the Peace Appeal for the Horn of Africa Region, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign, Note No. 6

– In Focus for Week Beginning 16/11/2020: African Organisations’ Restoration Work on Ecosystem Infrastructures

 

We are continuing our “A la une” Campaign with the ecosystem restoration work carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations and other organisations in order to re-establish the structure and function of the nature for the damages caused to natural habitat and ecosystems; damages caused either by environmental events or human made behaviour or both.

Although it is quite difficult to get the exact picture about the damages to the nature in Africa during this turbulent time of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, it is worthwhile finding out how our African partners are doing in restoring the structure and function of the nature to close to its original condition in Africa.  To do that, it is better to highlight the types of restoration they do and give some examples of these organisations.

 

• • Types of restoration work carried out by Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

There are ASOs that are involved in activities supporting the restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity as well as their infrastructures in Africa.  These ASOs include:

√ Those that are helping in stopping the cutting of trees for timber or charcoal and wild fires

√ Those that are restoring destroyed or degraded rain forests

√ Those that are trying to reverse the impoverishment of soils and arable lands

√ Those that are running projects such as nurseries and reforestation by working on forest landscape restoration

√ Those that are working on water long term security to mitigate water supply and quality issues

Etc.

Some of these organisations, especially those working on forest landscape restoration, are committed to AFR100, which a continental initiative under the Bonn Challenge which seeks to place 100 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands capes under restoration by 2030.

 

• • Examples of Organisations Working on Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures

 

One of the examples is APAF-Bénin (Association Suisse pour la Promotion des Arbres Fertilitaires de l’Agroforesterie et de la Foresterie).  This is a sister organisation that works on the introduction of fertilizing trees by using natural regeneration techniques.

L’ONG-Centre de Production de Pépinières et de Formation du Togo, which is an organisation that CENFACS dealt with and which produces nurseries and runs training on the matter.

The above is just two examples.  However, there are many organisations that work on similar restoration projects that we have not mentioned here. 

For those who would like to know more about these organisations and their relations with CENFACS, they can contact us.

 

 

• The 11^th Women and Children FIRST Development Day – In Focus on 19/11/2020: Coronavirus Talk Bubbles

 

As we informed you last week, we have changed the formula about the holding of our Development Day for this year.  This is due to the coronavirus pandemic and second lockdown.  To enable those who may be interested in being part of this year’s Development Day, we have put together the following items for them.

 

• • What is a Coronavirus Talk Bubble?

 

The idea of Coronavirus Talk Bubble (CTB) comes from the support bubble.  What is then support bubble?  From the UK government website (1), this is what it says about a support bubble:

“A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult or a household with one adult and one or more people who were under the age of 18 on 12 June 2020 in the home (known as a single-adult household), and one other household of any size.

This is called making a ‘support bubble’.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in a single household with people from the other household. It means you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household.

Once you make a support bubble, you cannot change who is in your bubble.

Continue to follow social distancing guidance with people outside of your household or support bubble. This is critical to keeping you, your family and friends as safe as possible”.

 

• • Forming a CTB

 

From this idea of support bubble, we thought that a household  has women or mothers can follow this model of support bubble and talk about the coronavirus pandemic as we will not hold the Development Day in the way we are used to.  Drawing inspiration from the support bubble, they can form their own CTB.

Everybody knows that discussions about the coronavirus pandemic have transcended all sections and members of society.  Everyone talks about the coronavirus pandemic in the news, at work, at home, in the streets, through the social media platforms, etc.  However, through the CTB the purpose is to formalise or structure these talks in terms of project so that we can together mark CENFACS’ Development Day in different way this year.

 

• • Coronavirus talking-points

 

People can talk about anything that matters to them.  There is no guideline or a suggested model for the points to be made when holding a CTB.  However, where people may run out inspiration, they may think to consider the following points for their discussion: childcare and protection issues, coping and survival strategies, common problems tha women/mothers and children face, recreational activities, work/life balance, health/home economics balance, etc.

 

• • Impact monitoring and evaluation

 

Participants to a CTB can routinely gather information on all aspects of their CTB.  In other words, they can systematically collect and analyse information to keep regular checks on their talks, especially if they choose to meet often after the Development Day. 

Likewise, they can assess what the CTB has achieved in relation to the overall objectives they set it up.  This is to say that the time spent on talking about coronavirus is value for relief from health and economic pressure from COVID-19.

In proceeding in this manner, they will be able to measure the impact or at least the output from their CTB.

 

• • Learning and development

 

It is a good idea to learn and grow from your CTB.  In this respect, CTB will not only be a meet-up or a talking-shop, but also an opportunity to create a learning culture and development process.  Additionally, this would drive engagement for future talks to deal with the life-threatening and destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic or any other disaster or threat. 

 

• • Sharing CTB experiences and outcomes

 

It could be better to share your experience or outcomes of the formation of a CTB in terms of both positive and negative aspects from it.  This sharing exercise can help to get the effectiveness of CTB.  In this respect, CENFACS would want to hear from you about your experience.

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

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

Wishing you a HEALTHY AND SAFE Development Day!

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Skills to Cope with Financial and Economic Pressure from Covid-19 and Lockdowns –

Skills Focus from Wednesday 18/11/2020: Survival, Coping and Transition Skills

 

COVID-19 and the lockdown that is attached to it have forced humans to navigate in their mind sets in the way of living life.  In this navigation, humans (here CENFACS users) may need to develop a set of skills to successfully survive, cope and transition.  However, before dealing with the above named skills focus; let us try to understand the meaning of skills.

 

• • Understanding skills development

 

Our understanding of skills development will be through the following selected definition given by Kenneth King and Robert Palmer (2) who argue that

“skills development is productive capacities acquired through all levels of education and training, occurring in formal, non-formal and on-the-job settings which enable individuals in all areas of the economy to become fully and productively engaged in livelihoods and to have the opportunity to adapt those capacities to meet the changing demands and opportunities of the economy and labour market” (p. 16)

From this definition, it is possible to argue that productive capacities can help us to survive, cope and transition during the unprecedented time of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.  What are those productive capacities or skills which enable us to do that?  Let us look at them one by one.

 

• • Skills to survive, cope and transition

 

(a) Survival skills

 

These are the techniques use to sustain life during COVID-19 crisis and lockdown as they help us to remain alive in spite of a health disaster like COVID-19.  Amongst these skills, they are those…

√ To access foods and drinks

√ To shield or self-isolate to protect our health and of others

√ To find shelter in a COVID-19 secure property

√ To better manage utility bills during the lockdown

√ To stay informed during the lockdown while following the evolution of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic in our own local area, nationally and internationally

√ To access water and medicine

√ To secure income to help us fight COVID-19

√ To seek and earn help during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown

Etc.

   

The above skills depend on whether those in need are based in an urban or rural area.  In an urban area, one may need money to buy electricity from an electricity company whereas in a rural area one may use their human power to get dry wood to make fire.  

 

(b) Coping skills

 

Coping productive capacities are efforts in consciousness or psychological mechanics to solve the health and economic pressure brought by COVID-19 and lockdown in order to reduce stress level and potential conflicts within oneself or with others.  Through these skills, one can successfully manage COVID-19 and the second lockdown.

In the context of COVID-19 and lockdowns, coping skills can involve for example: occupy yourself with activities such as reading, walking, watching TV or movie, playing games, gardening, doing meditation, relaxation, etc.

CENFACS’ Triple Value Recreational activities which we offered during the first shock wave of COVID-19 and lockdown can help to break out the vicious circle of the COVID-19 lockdown.  These activities can support their users to successfully cope with the lockdown pressure.

 

(c) Transition skills

 

They are essential productive capacities to manage change, to move from the situation of an open economy to lockdown, and vice versa.  As skills to navigate transition, they can help to build resilience, self-reflection and self-belief. 

For example, to move from working away (building office) to working from home, one may need transition skills to manage this change.

Briefly, Survival, Coping and Transition Skills can support us to cope with financial and economic pressure from Covid-19 and Lockdowns.

To further discuss this Skills Focus, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• CENFACS Charity e-Shop: OPEN FOR ONLINE PURCHASE BUT CLOSED FOR GOODS DONATIONS

 

CENFACS e-Store is online open for those who would like to purchase goods online.  However, we are not taking any goods donations at the moment due to the coronavirus upsurge and the second lockdown.

We are following the strict restrictions and guidance regarding the control and surveillance of Covid-19 as well as the protection and saving of lives.

We have enhanced our sanitation and cleaning methods and practices as well as we update them following the latest information received.

We hope you are doing the same in the interest of public health.

Please keep your goods donations until the second lockdown finishes or until such time we are able to take them.

Many lives have been threatened and destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic.  Those who managed to survive, they need help.  We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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

 

 

• Essentia Project

 

• • What is Essentia Project?

 

The Essentia Project, which is part of CENFACS Starting XI Projects for this Autumn 2020, is a sustainable development and 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 while connecting them to essential activities and motivating them to use non-polluting solutions to resolve their long standing problems of poverty and hardships. 

Through this essential economic project we can work together with local people to support them in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • How CENFACS can work with the community to develop and apply this project

 

Generally, many people use essential economy in their daily life without realising it until when the coronavirus pandemic broke out and the first lockdown started. 

Through Essentia Project, CENFACS can go deeper with users in their use of the essential economy by focussing on essential needs, products, services and outcomes.  CENFACS will work together with them to create their own Essentia Project to not only cope with the life-threatening and destroying effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, but also to make essential economy as a working model in their daily life.  

Working with the community on essential economic model will bring many benefits to those making our community.  These benefits include:

√ Developing essential household budget

√ Setting up essential expenditure and income accounts

√ Carrying out an inventory or management of essential household assets and liabilities, etc.   

Through this project, we hope to approach poverty reduction from the perspective of essential economy during and in the post-coronavirus and post-lockdown era.

 

• • The balance between essential and non-essential economies via Essentia Project

 

The Essentia Project does not exclude non-essential economy or items.  It just compliments them and works with users in understanding that there is a lot to gain than to lose in keeping and taking the essential economic drive in meeting their basic life-sustaining needs and in mitigating the impacts of the climate change in their daily life.  

In fact, through this project users will be able to measure the weight of essential and non-essential economies respectively in their life.  In doing so, this will enable them to decide which of the two economies provide most value for poverty reduction and the enhancement of sustainable development.

For those users who would like to work with CENFACS in developing their Essentia Project or applying this project, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Peace Appeal 2020 for the Horn of Africa Region …

 to Support the Victims of Insecurity and Displaced Persons

 

• • What this appeal is about

 

It is about supporting the victims of continuing insecurity and displaced persons who are fleeing fighting in Tigray which may expand beyond it to reach other parts of the Horn of Africa Region.  This conflicting situation can lead to a decline of the security in the areas of fighting while increasing instability and ethnic violence in the Horn of Africa region. 

This appeal is about helping to prevent the Ethiopia’s Tigray Crisis to create further poverty and humanitarian crisis for the innocent civilian people of the Horn of Africa Region at this already challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn in the world.

 

• • What is said about Tigray

 

International aid agencies, in particular the United Nations, are saying that 10% of the population in Tigray is already relying on food aid and 7 million people there face food shortages.  If this crisis continues, this can make the situation worse there as there will be an increase in the numbers of people needing assistance, uncontrolled diseases and desert locust infestation could spread in the region with humanitarian fall-out.

At this perilous moment of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, we think that it will be unfair and unjust for the innocent people of Tigray and others of the region to undergo such terrible and miserable life.

 

• • Poverty data that speak for the Horn of Africa with Ehthiopia’s Tigray in it

 

Writing on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, Milorad Kovacevic and Admir Jahic (3) argue that  

“The percentage of the population with a deprivation score of at least 33 per cent (that is, the percentage of population in multidimensional poverty) between 2007 and 2018 was 83.5 in Ethiopia”.  And Tigray is part of it. 

They also contend that

“The percentage of the population living below the international poverty line of $1.90 (in purchasing power parity terms a day) between 2010 and 2018 was 30.8 in Ethiopia”.  Again Tigray is part of it.

Likewise, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and others (4) say that  

“The percentage of the population who cannot afford the cost and affordability of nutrient adequate diet  (that is, the proportion of people who cannot afford the cost of healthy diet) is 47.7 in Ethiopia”.  This percentage includes Tigray as well.

The above data could be self-explanatory to predict the future if the crisis in Tigray is not stopped; a crisis which has started to go beyond control.  Those who know the history of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa Region, they do not need complex data and analysis to understand what may happen if this crisis continues.

 

• • CENFACS’ role in making this appeal

 

Our appeal is not to interfere in people’s and communities’ ways and rights of running their places, affairs, countries or region.   Our role is purely humanitarian one especially where lives have been already taken and a considerable number of people have been displaced.  There is a growing number of risks (such as poor health, sanitation, violation of human rights, humanitarian crisis, etc.) if this situation goes on.  This can expand in the entire region of Horn of Africa.

 

• • What CENFACS wants you to do: Provide a Peace-Giving Gift 

 

CENFACS wants you to create a magic by providing Peace-Giving Gift to the victims of this insecurity without giving money.  How?

We are appealing to you to try to do something about what is happening in the Horn of Africa Region, particularly in Ethiopia’s Tigray, so that the poor civilians can enjoy sustainable peace and internally displaced people can safely return to their homes by the end of this year.

We often argue that there are always some little things one can do to create a BIG change or simply to try to change a very complex situation on the grounds without sometimes giving money, although there is a say that Money is King.  These little things include the following:

√ Talking to someone who has influence on what is happening on the ground can change life

√ Networking, campaigning, responding to a petition, and so on can make a significant impact

√ A phone call or a mobile phone text message or even a tweet or a video can save millions of lives  

√ Raising your voice about the crisis in the Horn of Africa Region at a peace talks or rallies

√ Spreading the news in your social networks and contacts about the issue and the potential threat this may bring to the Horn of Africa

√ Having some thoughts about what is happening in Tigray and on practical ways of helping, as part of coronavirus lockdown activity

Etc.

These kinds of simple things that one can do matter a lot for those whose life is at risk.  It is not surprising if Professor Wangari Maathai said that

“It is the little things citizens do.  That is what will make the difference.  My little thing is planting trees”. (Professor Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner) 

CENFACS hopes you will act upon this humanitarian November 2020 appeal and create the magic of Peace-Giving Gift without giving money so that the sufferers in Ethiopia’s Tigray can rediscover their way to sustainable and inclusive peace. 

 

• • Contacting CENFACS about this Appeal

 

You can contact CENFACS to discuss or talk about this appeal at http://cenfacs.org.uk/contact-us/

Thank you for considering delivering on this appeal.

________

References

(1) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household

(2) Kenneth King and Robert Palmer (2006), Skills Development and Poverty Reduction: The State of the Art, Centre of Post-Basic Education and Training, Working Paper Series-No.9, University of Edinburgh

(3) Milorad Kovacevic and Admir Jahic (2020), Human Development Data Story: COVID-19 AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT – Exploring global preparedness and vulnerability, United Nations Development Programme, 29 April 2020

(4) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO (2020), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020: Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets, Rome, FAO. (https:doi.org/10.4060/ca 9692en

________

 

Appendix

 

• Women and Children FIRST Development Day (WCFDD) Timeline: 2010 to 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2019, We discussed ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

 

• Note: For your information,

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

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

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

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going 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!

11 November 2020

 

Post No. 169

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2020 Edition: Income Deficit – How Not to Carry Forward Income Deficit into 2021

• Skills to Cope with Financial and Economic Pressure from Covid-19 and Lockdowns – Skills Focus from Wednesday 11/11/2020: Financial and Economic Skills

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 5 – In Focus from Week beginning 09/11/2020: Ecosystem Investments

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2020 Edition: Income Deficit – How Not to Carry Forward Income Deficit into 2021

 

The next issue of our Autumn ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) resource, known as Festive Income Boost and which is designed to support Multi-dimensionally Income Poor Children, Young People and Families (MIPCYPFs); will focus on Income Deficit.

This year, our focus will be on ways of Not Carrying Forward Income Deficit into 2021.  It is known that many people, especially but not exclusively MIPCYPFs, have experienced unbearable income pressure from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.  Some of them have hit the bottom of extreme poverty.  

While efforts should be made to work with them and pull them from there, one can as well work on similar projects so that these poor people do not carry on their income deficit into the next year if they want to reduce poverty and hardships amongst them in 2021.  In this respect, the 2020 Edition of our festive resource provides some good tips and hints on way of reducing income deficit.

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

 

 

• Skills to Cope with Financial and Economic Pressure from Covid-19 and Lockdowns –

Skills Focus from Wednesday 11/11/2020: Financial and Economic Skills

 

The focus for November 2020 Skills Development is on enhancing skills to manage health uncertainty and economic hardship threats linked to the coronavirus pandemic and the second lockdown. 

After looking at the Skills to Manage COVID-19 Health and Economic Uncertainty and Threats (that is, skills to protect the community’s health, healthcare systems and the economy) during the lockdowns, we are now dealing with Financial and Economic Skills that one may need during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns in order to cope with financial and economic pressure.

To develop the skills to cope with this type of pressure, it is better to know what financial and economic pressure does or creates to people, especially to those living in poverty. 

 

• • What financial and economic pressure can do or create

 

Financial and economic pressure can cause a number of problems such as anxiety, psychological drain or pain, anger, conflict, illness, etc.   By acquiring or developing skills, it is possible to deal with these kinds of pressure.

 

• • Skills Formation and Development to handle financial and economic pressure

 

Skills can be developed to deal with these issues.  There could be a particular skill or a group of skills.  For example, we can have a variety of skills as follows:

√ Networking skills for anxiety

√ Social skills for psychological problems

√ Anger management skills for anger

√ Peace-building or negotiation skills for conflicts

√ Healthcare skills for ill people (especially to deal with COVID-19)

√ Job search and social intelligence skills for unemployed people

√ Personal skills to seek and earn help

√ Life-changing skills to transform life for a better one

√ Creative skills to manage the vicious circle created by the second lockdown

√ Digital and distance working skills to work from home

√ Socially distancing skills to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Etc.

We can even give a more detailed example. Let’s take conflicts for example.  Developing advocacy, communication and negotiation skills can enable unhappy and deprived people or communities to overcome the idea of resorting to violence to deal with their problems.  They would rather use the tenets of virtuous advocacy, communications strategy and negotiation to bargain their power to change the conditions of their life than using violence.

Besides these skills, they are technical financial and economic skills that could also be considered. 

 

• • Financial and economic skills

 

Like in any financial and economic course of actions, it is better to deal with its causes and develop coping skills or long term strategies.  It means finding the abilities to deal with financial stressors and the causes of the inability to make ends meet on life-sustaining needs. 

These abilities include those to do the following:

√ Deal with accounts

√ Create and understand a budget (e.g. a familiy/household budget)

√ Conduct cost-benefit analysis

√ Understand basic financial literacy and numeracy

√ Manage debt and loans

√ Financially manage household matters, etc. 

So, this week we are looking at ways of enhancing users with skills where they feel they lack financial confidence or relevant skills to deal with the impacts of financial and economic pressure.  One can hope that they can regain the control of their financial and economic situation. 

There are many online and print resources and organisations dealing with ways of coping with financial and economic pressure, especially during this time of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.  We have listed some of these resources in the 2020 paper Edition of our Festive Income Boost.

To support the Skills Development month or this week’s skills focus, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No.5 –

In Focus from Week beginning 09/11/2020: Ecosystem Investments

 

The Note 5 of the Restoration of Ecosystem Infrastructures deals with Ecosystem Investments.  An ecosystem investment is part of committed money or capital to ecology with the expectation of achieving additional income or ecological value. 

 

• • Ecosystem investments as value added to ecology

 

Since CENFACS’ action is on not-for-profit, we are perceiving ecosystem investments from the perspective of adding ecological value rather than making a profit.  From this perspective, ecosystem investments are socially responsible investments made in organisations that support or provide environmentally friendly products and practices or sustainability. 

In the context of Note 5, they are the kinds of investments that have positive effect on the ecology (that is, on the structure and function of nature) and that are oriented towards the common good.  For example, green or renewable energy can be an ecosystem investment.  This is because there are approaches on socially responsible investing that tend to include ecological or ecosystem investments within green investments. Furthermore, ecological or ecosystem investments can be part of different asset classes (such as equities, bonds, hedge funds, real estates, commodities, etc.)   

 

• • Actions on the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures through ecological investments

 

As far as our campaign is concerned, we would like to step up actions on the following investments:

√ Those that add value to the restoration of ecosystem infrastructures

√ Those that bring environmentally friendly products and services

√ Those that restore the damaged the structure and function of the nature

√ Those that keep nature healthy, especially as the world enters the new Age of COVID-19

√ Ecosystem restoration investment projects and actions that move to that direction will be the most wanted within the context of this campaign note.

However, one must acknowledge that at the moment the world is experiencing a difficult time with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and severe economic downturn as a result of the pandemic.  This means that the current situation will affect ecological investments since attention is devoted in COVID-19 investments. 

For example, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (1) argues in its World Investment Report 2020 that

“the COVID-19 pandemic will severely curtail foreign investment in Africa in 2020” (p. 30). 

This could suggest that there could be also the curtailing of ecological investments in Africa as well.  One could hope that after this gloomy time foreign investment including ecological one will bounce back in the post-pandemic economic reconstruction.

In meantime, our campaigning action will continue so that when the economic reconstruction starts ecological investments are not left behind.   

For further information about this Note 5 and actions relating to it, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

(1) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2020: World Investment Report 2020, United Nations, Geneva

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Coming Next Week: The 11^th Women and Children FIRST Development Day – In Focus on 19/11/2020: Coronavirus Talk Bubbles

 

High on the next week’s agenda will be our 11th Development Day.  CENFACS’ Development Day is an additional opportunity to re-communicate its poverty relief message and other messages to support those living in poverty as well as re-engage with our stakeholders.  At this exceptional time of the coronavirus pandemic, there is even a greater need to amplify our voice for the reduction of sanitation poverty bought by COVID-19.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the second lockdown, our Development Day will not be held in the way as it should have been.  Instead, we are advising those who can to hold a Coronavirus Talks Bubble where people can discuss the effects of the coronavirus on child care and women or mothers.  They can as well exchange ideas on coping and survival strategies against the coronavirus and lockdowns.  To the main topic of the day, they can add any relevant issues of concern relating to women and children during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown times.

These talks can be held within their usual coronavirus bubble or they can form new coronavirus bubbles for the occasion of the Development Day.  They can as well be hosted virtually. 

For those who are going to undertake such activities, they need to remember to observe the coronavirus restrictions and rules. 

For example, in England under the new national restrictions from 5 November 2020, there are circumstances in which one is allowed to meet others from outside their household or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes.  Parent and child groups can continue to meet where they provide support to parent and or child, and children under 5 will not be counted within the 15 person limit – meaning parents and carers can attend such groups in larger numbers.

For the effectiveness of the Development Day, it could be a good idea to share with us your experience of Coronavirus Talk Bubbles.  This will be useful for learning and development as well as for future project and programme developments. 

If anybody has any concern about the organisation of the year’s Development Day, please let CENFACS know. 

 

 

• Covid-19 Campaign: 4-Week Lockdown 2 Programme

 

Lockdown can have both positive and negative effects on people’s lives.  Regarding people in most need, it is proven that the distributional effects of the lockdown can be uneven.  Lockdown can have more negative effects than positive ones on them.  In the context of the Covid-19 Campaign, we are working through a 4-week programme to address negative effects linked to both health and economic consequences from the coronavirus and lockdowns.

 

• • What is 4-Week Lockdown 2 Programme?

 

It is a set of projects and activities helping to reduce the negative effects of the coronavirus and the second lockdown experienced by potential beneficiaries in the UK, particularly but not exclusively health and economic pressure.  The fact that people stay home during the second lockdown with restrictions on free movement of themselves and mobility can cause a number of issues such as loneliness, mental pressure, financial problem, isolation, inactivity, etc.  The same people are continuing to deal with the side effects of the first shock waves of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

This programme of work is designed to support the community to stay active and resilient against the coronavirus pandemic during the four weeks of lockdown in England and beyond.   The programme does not replace our Covid-19 Campaign.  Instead, it reinforces it and is part of it.  Although this programme is for four weeks, it can be extended depending on the lockdown and its effects.

 

• • What is inside this programme?

 

There are all the tools (e.g. the Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus Pandemic) we designed during the first shock waves of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.  Triple Value recreational activities which we ran during the same period are also part of this programme of work with the community.  Also are included in this programme: any new project, activity and campaign theme that may be launched in order to deal with the negative effects of the second lockdown. 

For those who may be interested in this programme or who think that this programme may be of help to them or others, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Mission Year, Skills Development and the Second Lockdown

How to carry out a mission of poverty reduction through the development of skills during the second lockdown

 

CENFACS’ 2020 Mission Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  This month, we will be trying to find a room for manoeuvre for our Mission Year to take place in this challenging context of the COVID-19 lockdown 2 so that skills can be developed and maintained by those in need to continue their fight against poverty as well as against life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  This is our mission year task for this month.  

To enquire about CENFACS’ Mission Year in the Month of Skills Development during the second lockdown, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Festive Income Booster – In Focus for 2020 Edition: Income Deficit –

How Not to Carry Forward Income Deficit into 2021

 

• • What this year’s Festive Income Booster is about

 

The Festive Income Booster is CENFACS’ Autumn ICDP (Autumn Individual Capacity Development Programme) and poverty-relieving resource that provides some income generation leads and tips.   The 2020 Edition of this ICDP resource will be on Income Deficit rather than ways of generating income.

 

• • The context of this year’s Festive Income Booster

 

The coronavirus pandemic has threatened and destroyed many ways and skills for earning little extra income for poor people and families on modest incomes.  Many small jobs and income-earning activities have been destroyed or paused by the health emergency posed by the coronavirus pandemic.  There have been disruptions of earnings, inability to save, incapacity to pay household bills, a sharp fall in spending on non-essential items, etc.  The second lockdown in England and in other countries tells the all story about the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Both the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have pushed poor people and families further into poverty and vulnerability.  This situation combined with the restrictions on health and on free movements of persons has made the matter even more difficult for those people, although these measures have been taken in the interest of the public health and the economy.

In these difficult circumstances, it is difficult for many poor people and families to find opportunities (which simply are not currently available on the market, and if there are, only a few of them) to make little extra income.  Because of that, this year’s Edition of Festive Income Boost will focus on the ways and/or skills to reduce the gap between poverty threshold (line) on the hand end, and poor families’ income on the other so that these families can start in 2021 in less troubling situation or with less income deficit.  In doing so, one can help them not carry forward income deficit in the next year.  Reducing income deficit will give them some breathing space and start the New Year on a sound note or improved basis.

So, this is the general context of the 2020 Edition of Festive Income Boost, in which ways or skills to close the gap between income and poverty, between net income and poverty threshold/line will be dealt with for poor people and families, until such a time they can turn their income deficit into income surplus.   

 

• • Who it is for

 

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

 

• • Key Highlights

 

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

– How to reduce income deficit (Income deficit can be reduced either by increasing income or decreasing spending.  This is a basic principle to avoid and reduce income deficit).

– How to keep income deficit manageable or smaller

– End-of-the-year earning opportunities to cover the deficit

– Coronavirus occupational opportunities

– How to earn and save money when you are in lockdown

– Online opportunities since non-essential economic activities are closed

– How to manage spending during the lockdown and COVID-19 time

– Tips and hints to make your lockdown savings

For example, the first coronavirus lockdown showed that it is possible to spend less and save more.  It has changed people’s spending habits and plans as many studies revealed.  

 

• • What other highlights it covers

 

The resource covers some ways of dealing with the following:

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

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

√ Job search engines and leads

√ Guidance on job applications and CV

√ Reference building techniques

√ Job adverts

√ Credit history or score

√ Diary of online job fairs and events

√ Job matching to person specification and profile

√ Online job fraud and scams, etc. 

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

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

The resource does not there as it includes online job scams and job advert scams which sometimes could increase in a period like of crisis as there are always unscrupulous players on the market who try to take advantage of any crisis. 

 

• • What’s more?

 

The resource finally reminds us the areas of law or legal requirements in terms of whatever we do to try to reduce income deficit or raise additional household income to reduce poverty. 

 

• • How to access this resource

 

The resource will be available as a booklet from CENFACS e-Store.  It is normally free of charge but we will appreciate a donation of £5 to help us help reduce poverty and the cost of renewing and producing this resource on an annual basis.  At this turbulent time of the second lockdown, we need financial help like many voluntary and charitable organisations do.

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

 

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!

04 November 2020

 

Post No. 168

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

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

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 4 – In Focus for Week Beginning 02/11/2020: Species of Nature

• The Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic and the Second Lockdown

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

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

 

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

So, our November work on economic issues relating to education in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development has started this week.  This work includes the identification of causal relationships between African organisations’ work and outcomes in educational projects.

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

Skills formation and development will be about forming new skills (that is any abilities to perform an activity in a competent way) to continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the second lockdown and beyond.  Skills formation and development will indeed include skills building to support the CENFACS Community and the Africa-based Sister Organisations in the fight against the economic and health threats and consequences brought by the coronavirus pandemic.  This variety of abilities or skills will make human capital.

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

 

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 4 – In Focus for Week Beginning 02/11/2020: Species of Nature

 

The fourth note, which is the restoration of ecological infrastructures relating to species of nature; deals with ecological species.  The latter is generally defined within the nature literature as a set of organisms adapted to a particular set of resources (an ecological niche) in the environment. 

Under this note, our campaign for the Upkeep of Nature is about restoring ecological infrastructures for those species at risk or at threat of extinction and exploitation.  Endangered, vulnerable and rare species of nature are amongst them.  Through this campaign, we would like actions to be maintained or taken to re-establish the function and structure of damaged ecological infrastructures linked to species of nature.  Areas of campaign action include: habitat loss, poaching and invasive species.

This campaign is also about actions to improve the living space for ecological species of nature while demanding reduction of bad humans’ interference in the life of species of nature.  In this respect, the campaign is against the following: hunting to extinction, dying out of wild plants, pollution that threatens species of nature (e.g. animals), forbidden wild life trade, etc. 

However, the campaign is for the knowledge and discovery of ignored and unknown plants for food and/or medicine, especially at this exceptionally difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic.  The knowledge and discovery of new plants or crops to solve the coronavirus mystery in curing people are highly needed to stop the coronavirus to keep running. 

In brief, this is a campaign for the restoration of ecological infrastructures relating to ecological species of nature.  For any queries or enquiries about this note and the entire “A la une” Campaign, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.  

 

 

 

• The Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19 Campaign) and the Second Lockdown

What would a second lockdown mean for CENFACS’ COVID-19 Campaign?

 

CENFACS’ COVID-19 Campaign is another campaign we are running and a key note for this week.  It is a health and economic campaign.  Let us briefly explain what this second campaign is about.

 

• • What is COVID-19 Campaign?

 

COVID-19 Campaign is an organised series of actions intended to reduce sanitation poverty and economic hardships brought by the coronavirus pandemic while protecting the community from it through the following actions:

awareness raising, information, guidance, support and help about the health and safety measures against it, as well as the economic action needed to deal with it.

The campaign, which promotes sanitation, uses a shadowing model in which the intensity/effort spent on this campaign is inextricably linked to the evolution of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus where it happens.  It has different phases.

 

• • Phases of COVID-19 Campaign

 

The Campaign has three phases which are as follows:

Phase 1: Initial Response to COVID-19

Phase 2: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of COVID-19 on CENFACS

Phase 3: Post-coronavirus Rehabilitation Strategies

 

The Phase 1 of Initial Response to COVID-19 was our initial reaction when we heard about the coronavirus.  Our action was to get as much information as we could about the virus and share them with the community and our services while protecting our users, the members of the public as well as our services and activities against this deadly virus.

The phase 2 of the COVID-19 Campaign (Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of COVID-19) seeks to answer a specific cause-and-effect question about changes directly attributable to COVID-19 during the first lockdown in the UK.  In this phase 2, we looked at the causality and attribution approach regarding the overall impact of COVID-19 on CENFACS’ work and system of poverty reduction. 

Phase 3 is the Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Strategies, which are processes of planning and conducting restoration in order to bring back our programmes, projects, activities, services and products to their original or normal condition.  It is a restoration or build-back campaign.  

 

• • Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategies and the Second Lockdown

 

Since we are heading towards the second lockdown in England, let us explain a bite more about Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategies.

By speaking about Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategies, we do not mean that the coronavirus pandemic is over.  We just mean that in our mind set COVID-19 is a reality but not a fiction.  We have to understand it and live in the COVID-19 environment until a medicine and vaccine are found against it. 

So, the idea of the existence of COVID-19 has been already passed in our mind set.  What we need to do is to develop strategies to restore our work while taking into account the new coronavirus-led environment or reality.  In this respect, we are trying to Build Back Better our lives through a Build-Back-Better Campaign.

There are two strands of thought (or strategies). There are COVID-19 initiatives that we took (and continue to take) that are related to our work in the UK.  One can call it Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Strategy One.  There is a set of COVID-19 campaigning initiatives that have been linked to our work in Africa. This can be considered as our Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Strategy Two.  Since the coronavirus is a global pandemic, there are links between the two strategies.

 

• • Covid-19 Campaign under the Second Lockdown

 

Idealistically speaking, the phase of rehabilitation strategies would have happened once the COVID-19 is nearly over.  It means that when the epidemiological curve of the COVID-19 symptoms and infections is flattening and gearing towards recovery point and stayed parallel with the line of axis or below the recovery point.

Yet, in the current situation of the virus this is not happening.  We are instead witnessing spikes of the coronavirus pandemic to the extent that we are gearing towards new waves of lockdown or local lockdowns in some parts of the world including in the UK and Africa. At the beginning of Autumn, we spoke about sinusoidal Autumn, meaning rises and decreases in the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic.

This situation poses a dilemma which is: how to rehabilitate economies and lives while keeping tight fight against the coronavirus pandemic?

The answer to this question or dilemma could vary.  There are many options available. 

1) One could learn from the mistakes and experiences from the methods and tools applied so far.  Then, one can try to redevelop or develop a clear rehabilitation strategy with new goals and improved tools to continue the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. 

2) One can also have a clever or prudent combination of both smart health restrictions/rules and the implementation of rehabilitation works. 

3) There could be a need to continue applying the shadowing model of following the epidemiological curves (“epi-curves”) of the coronavirus pandemic while undertaking the rehabilitation work as planned in a given rehabilitation strategy.   

The third option or way of proceeding could be about building back better while matching the efforts of building back better to that of rehabilitating the economy and lives in need by using the shadowing framework or model.

In all these options, the human behaviour could be the most determining factor.  One can have the technology to map out or trace the virus; however if humans are still behaving in the way that does not help to reduce the spread of the virus, the technology could be very limited to solve the problem unless a medicine or vaccine is found.

The above suggestions or options are neither a definite process nor an end in itself; as they are only some of the possible ways of approaching or looking at rehabilitation phase of our Campaign of Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic, especially as some places of the world enters the second or third or fourth lockdown.

For more on COVID-19 Campaign by CENFACS and in-depth discussion about our rehabilitation strategy to use during the second lockdown, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Be.Africa Debate: The Hypothesis of Recoverability of the Economy and Health from the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten and destroy lives, there is a disagreement between those who believe that health should come first and those who think that the economy matters the most.  This disagreement has become hot since many places have gone into further shock waves or spikes of coronavirus, which have led to further lockdowns.  This disagreement or discontent has spilled over to reach not-for-profit making organisations as well. 

As a matter of fact, it is known that there should not be a choice between the economy and health.  There should be instead a fair balance between the need to fight the coronavirus pandemic and the necessity to keep the economy functioning and stable.

Yet, there are those who think the economy is recoverable whereas a lost human life is not recoverable.  There are those who argue the opposite. There are those who are in the middle as they support the hypothesis of recoverability for both the economy and health.

In this debate, we do not know what many of our Africa-based Sister Organisations really think.  For those who are interested in this discussion, they can share their views on the hypothesis of recoverability of the economy and health in face of the coronavirus pandemic.

To share your views, just contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

 

• Triple Value Recreational Activities to Manage the Second Lockdown

How to improve the use of Triple Value Recreational Activities during the second lockdown

 

Since many places (including England) are back in the COVID-19 lockdown, it makes sense to e-work with the community to keep it active and engaged at this extremely difficult and worrying time of the coronavirus shock waves. 

 

• • Learning and development from the first lockdown

What did we learn from the first lockdown? 

It may be too early to draw the lessons from the first lockdown in terms of keeping ourselves active and engaged from the health and economic points of view.  It is still possible to remember the activities we suggested; learn from them and develop similar activities to respond to the second lockdown.  In fact everybody has their own experience from the first lockdown.  For those who applied the Triple Value Recreational Activities, they can repeat the previous exercises we provided during the first lockdown and use them for the second lockdown.

 

• • Use (or reuse) of Triple Value Recreational Activities in the second lockdown

The recreational activities we provided for the first lockdown are still helpful and or relevant for this second lockdown.  Where there could be a need to adapt or change them to the new situation, people should not hesitate to do so to stay active, fit and engaged during the re-confinement period. 

When using these activities, it is recommended to stick to the statutory restrictions regarding meeting one other outside (e.g. your support bubble) for Triple Value recreational activities; or doing Triple Value exercises either with household members or one person from another household.

Those who do not remember these activities, they can get in touch with CENFACS so that we can update them on these activities.  Likewise, we shall post any new activities if we develop a new package of support during the second lockdown. 

In the meantime, please STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE!   

 

 

 

• Skills Data Bank

 

As part of our Skills Development Month, we would like to let you know that you can register your skills to our data bank; which is repository containing information about CENFACS and the data of the CENFACS’ Community.  The register is free.  Skills and information are stored on it following the new data protection regulations.

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

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

 

 

Main Development

 

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

 

• • Month of November within CENFACS

 

• • • Month of November in CENFACS development calendar/planner 

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

 

• • • How exceptional is this November 2020?

This year, November is exceptionally a month for skills formation and development in the area of the fight against the health and economic threats and effects posed by the coronavirus pandemic.  It is also the month of the skills to manage the second lockdown.  In other words, besides any skill one needs to use and or acquire, they also have to form and develop abilities to fight the coronavirus pandemic and to manage the second lockdown caused by the continuing adverse effects of the same coronavirus pandemic.

 

• • • November as a training implementation month

November is further the training implementation month during which educationally related projects or projects that involve training, skills development and acquisition of new knowledge to help users and our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) to empower themselves with the educational tools and training resources they need to further help reduce poverty.  One of the skills development project to support ASOs is skills to work from home or distance learning and working skills during the pandemic and lockdown times.

 

• • • Poverty as a lack of skills and knowledge

We all know that poverty is not only material or the lack of monetary income; it is even more the lack of knowledge, skills, knowhow and technologies than anything else.   Therefore, knowing and learning a skill can help to further reduce poverty, particularly but not exclusively sanitation poverty caused by the COVID-19, and set one on the right course of the development process. 

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

The November 2020 focus will be on enhancing skills to manage health uncertainty and economic hardships linked to the coronavirus pandemic and the second lockdown.

 

• • Skills to Manage Health Uncertainty and Economic Hardships

 

This year, for the Skills Development Month, we are going to focus on two areas where difficulties can come from for those in need.  These areas are:

1/ The prolong health uncertainty linked to the coronavirus pandemic and its continuing health and economic threats and impacts

2/ The financial pressure posed by the first and second lockdowns for families on very modest incomes

Although these two are the selected issues for this Skills Development Month, there are other issues that continue to impact the lives of these families; issues such as the exit from a regional economic bloc like in the case of the UK from the EU economic bloc, ways for these families to cover the expenses of the end of the year’s festivities under the constraint of the coronavirus pandemic, extra expenses to follow COVID-19 restrictions, etc.

Nonetheless, the two selected issues require from those in most pressing life-sustaining needs to develop skills to meet them.  Our Skills Development Month will therefore concentrate on the skills and capacities that those living in poverty need in order to less painfully manage health uncertainty and economic hardships linked to the coronavirus pandemic and the second lockdown.  This is our general focus for this 2020 Month of the Economics of Education and Skill Formation (November Skills Development).

Within this general November interest, we have planned weekly skills focus.  In other words, from Wednesday of each week of November 2020, we shall have skills set to focus on.  The following plan is our Wednesdays’ skills focus:

 

Wednesdays’ Skills Focus

All these management, survival, coping and creative skills will make our November Skills Development activities; skills revolving around the need to make ends meet during the health and economic uncertainty and threats as we approach the end of the year.  This is despite the fact we know that there could be a gap between the time people learn a particular skill on one hand, and  the time they apply this skill to solve their poverty and hardship problem on the other.

The November 2020 skills are as well the ones that can be used beyond these two specific circumstances, particularly in other conditions of life and work when they are required to meet the challenge of poverty and of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

• In Focus from Wednesday 04/11/2020: Skills to Manage COVID-19 Health and Economic Uncertainty and Threats

 

• • Skills to Manage Health and Economic Uncertainty and Threats during the First Lockdown

 

Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out and during the first lockdown, the majority of people managed to develop or applied some forms of ability to deal with the coronavirus-related health issues to stop the spread of the virus.  The majority of people also tried to use some economic skills to respond to the economic challenges it has posed.  Additionally, other people tried to use both health and economic skills to handle both the health and economic threats posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

• • Skills to Manage Health and Economic Uncertainty and Threats during the Second Lockdown

 

Although we are in the second shock wave of COVID-19 and lockdown, people can still apply the same skills that worked for them so far.  They can as well add new health-related skills or improve their skills to continue the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.  Likewise, they can reuse economic skills of the first lockdown, just as they can redevelop new ones to respond to the economic pressure brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we shall support the CENFACS’ Community, particularly those who want to develop their skills to manage the health and economic uncertainty and threats of the moment.  However, one should bear in mind that due to the lockdown and limitations on our capacity, our skills support will be mostly done by distance or online.  Like everybody, we are only handling essential support and service at this turbulent time of the coronavirus shock wave and second lockdown.   

In addition to this essential service for the second lockdown, we developed a lot of resources during the first shock wave of the coronavirus and lockdown.  People can still use these resources for the second lockdown. 

As said above, those who would like to register their skills on CENFACS Skills Data Bank, they are welcome to do so.  This regsitration can help in matching the skills suport and the needs in the community.

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

 

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!

28 October 2020

 

Post No. 167

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 69, Autumn 2020: Post-Coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring

• “A la une” Campaign, Note No. 3 – In Focus for Week Beginning 26/10/2020: Restoration of Marine Ecosystems

• Happening this Week: Making Memorable Difference Project, In Focus: African Sculpture and Representation of Historical Figures of the pre-1960s Era

 

… and much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 69, Autumn 2020: Post-Coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring

 

The 69^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter, is about the Post-Coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring.  It deals with the changes that may need to be carried out in the components of poverty reduction systems or structures in the post-coronavirus time.

The key message in this Issue is that it is possible to reorganise the elements contributing in alleviating the state of people having little or no money or no material possessions in the light of the current health and economic threats brought by the coronavirus.  This re-organisation can be done during and even after the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.   

An abstract regarding this Issue was already released at the beginning of this Autumn.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided key summaries making this Issue.

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign, Note No. 3 –

In Focus for Week Beginning 26/10/2020: Restoration of Marine Ecosystems

 

Our third note of the “A la une” campaign for this year is on Marine Ecosystems.  Marine ecosystems are constitutive elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is Life below water.

Marine ecosystem is defined in the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation (1) as

“A saltwater aquatic ecosystem that includes estuaries and coastal areas, along with the open sea and oceans”

Due to extreme weather events and human behaviour, marine ecosystem infrastructures can be damaged or altered.  Where damages and alterations become a serious issue for the upkeep of the nature, then action needs to be taken in the interest of nature’s heath and balance as well as for the benefits of all living beings including humans.

Our campaign on the restoration of marine ecosystems is revolving around three areas which are:  restorations of open oceans, of deep-sea oceans and of coastal marine ecosystems. 

The campaign is about restoring degraded marine ecosystems and of marine habitats, the stopping of illegal fishing, etc.  In this respect, some marine ecosystem restoration projects (e.g. projects in Southern Africa) are being looked at in our action.

This is the pitch for the third note.  For those who want to take action with us and or share actions on the restoration of marine ecosystems, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Happening this Week: Making Memorable Difference Project

In Focus: African Sculpture and Representation of Historical Figures of the pre-1960s Era

 

The 12^th Event of Making Memorable Difference Project is in progress as scheduled.  It is a celebration of African Abilities, Talents, Skills and Gifts to Africa and the world.

For those who want to make contribution to our Virtual Two Days of African History, they are welcome to do so.  They can contribute to the understanding of African Sculptures and or to the Legacies and Gifts in terms of the Representation of Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (that is, before the 1960s).

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

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Crossing the Monetary Threshold of US $1.90 a Day

How to end extreme poverty in the post-coronavirus era

 

At the beginning of October 2020 (see post of 07 October 2020), we tried to have some look and feeling from those who crossed the line of extreme poverty for the first time in going into more poverty.  We did it as an element of the Goal 2 of CENFACS 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme.

This week, we are building on this activity about the line of extreme poverty (still in the context of the same Goal 2) since the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have continued to push many people and families to the edge or to cross the line of extreme poverty.  They have added health and personal hygiene costs to their normal expenses budget.  In doing so, these events have perhaps created new poor and or are holding the existing poor still poor.

Despite that there are people and families (even if they are few) who have managed to come out of deep poverty by crossing the monetary threshold of US $1.90 a day.  Although many economists would argue that crossing the monetary threshold of US $1.90 a day is not enough to end poverty; we would like to hear from those who have crossed the international poverty line of US $1.90 a day if extreme poverty has ended for them or not.

If you did cross the monetary threshold of US $1.90 a day in the direction of going out of extreme poverty, we would like to hear your experience of crossing this threshold.

To share your experience of crossing the international poverty line, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

As part of Art and Design Project for poverty relief and sustainable development, we are asking supporters to illustrate their ideas of Africa’s Sculpture into artwork.  You can post your artwork related to African Sculpture and Representation of Historical Figures of the Pre-1960s to CENFACS to share and make memorable difference in your own way.

 

 

• Micro-Volunteer doing Smart Tasks with Smart Tools for Smart Relief

 

We have started to use micro-volunteering by doing smart tasks with smart tools and techs (such as smart phones, tablets, development of gadgets, tech fixes, etc.) to re-engage with our supporters. 

Smart tasks are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound tasks and activities to generate and increase support towards our good and deserving causes.

These tasks briefly include the following: prospecting potential supporters, running questionnaires, recruiting new supporters, engaging with supporters, sending and receiving messages from supporter, following the leads, etc.

By doing smart tasks with smart tools, one can achieve smart relief, that is a sustainable life support and saver that one can electronically (online technology-based) provide to help people to come out poverty and hardships, especially at this exceptionally difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic.

To enable us to continue our work, we are asking to those who can, both individuals and organisations, to support us with smart tools to enhance our micro-voluntary work.

To support CENFACS with Smart Tools and techs to Micro Volunteer doing Smart tasks to achieve Smart relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 69, Autumn 2020: Post-Coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring

 

The contents and key summaries of the 69^th Issue of FACS, which is the sole development of this post, are given below.

 

• • Contents

 

• Understanding the idea of “Post-coronavirus” (Page 2)
• Post-coronavirus Restructuring Models: Example the Neo-Schumpeterian Theories (Page 2)
• Needs Assessment for Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring (Page 3)
• The Post-coronavirus Sustainable Development (Page 3)
• The Place and Role of Africa-based Sister Organisations in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring World (Page 4)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Work (Page 4)
• Les organisations africaines face aux mutations structurelles et relationnelles des systèmes de réduction de la pauvreté dans la période du post-COVID-19 (Page 5)
• Le financement des dépenses de restructuration pour les organisations africaines (Page 5)
• Le numérique au service de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique dans le cadre de restructuration des organisations africaines (Page 6)
• Comment peut-on prolonger l’économie essentielle et l’économie de la santé dans le monde du post-COVID-19 restructuré? (Page 6)
• Restructuring Poverty Reduction in the Post-coronavirus World (Page 7)
• How Africa-based Organisations can continue to meet climate needs of project beneficiaries in a post-coronavirus poverty restructuring environment (Page 7)
• Post-coronavirus Restructuring Survey (Page 8)
• Restructuring of Poverty Reduction and History Month (Page 8)
• FACS Question of the Month (Page 8)
• Selected Poverty Data about Sub-Saharan Africa (Page 8)
• FACS Testimonies and Reviews (Page 8)
• The Future of the Essential Economy in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring World (Page 9)
• Meeting the Needs of Poor People in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exited Economy (Page 9)
• Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Projects (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Understanding the idea of “Post-coronavirus” (Page 2)

The coronavirus pandemic is there and continues to claim its economic and health victims across the world.  When we talk about post-coronavirus, we just mean that the idea of coronavirus is in general mind set and is no longer a new phenomenon. 

Because this idea of coronavirus is already settled in humans’ minds, humans can intellectually and mentally move on from it and start to think about life after it or sequence of events.  One has already travelled in their minds.  In that travel or trajectory, one is now beginning to think about the next sequence and the work/life to be carried out/on knowing the coronavirus is there.

So, the idea of post-coronavirus should be understood as a state of mind in which the coronavirus is no longer a strange idea.  This is despite the fact that there is a lot of epidemiological work that needs to be done to understand the coronavirus as a virus and to discover a medicine and vaccine.  Nonetheless, the idea of a virus is in people’s minds, including its life-threatening and –destroying impacts.  They can now move on to the post-coronavirus area while continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating effects. 

 

Post-coronavirus Restructuring Models: Example the Neo-Schumpeterian Theories (Page 2)

Given what happened so far in terms of health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, there are questions about the model or framework of analysis on the changes in the constituent parts of any economy (national, local, international, household, organisation, community levels, etc.).  If one needs to make strides in terms of poverty reduction, they cannot ignore the coronavirus pandemic or the current health crisis.  If they want to bring any useful contribution to their work of poverty reduction or change lives in need to better ones, they need to have a theory or theoretical representation of what they are going to do to serve as a guide in the construction of the changes.  With their theory or framework of analysis, they can explain how they are going to harness the new changes that are badly needed to continue to improve on poverty reduction.

There are many theories of restructuring which include: flexible specialisation, neo-Schumpeterian perspective, regulation theory, etc.  In the context of the current Issue of FACS, the neo-Schumpeterian conceptual approach could be one of them to use in order to tackle the post-coronavirus restructuring poverty reduction and development.  By referencing to this approach, it can help to recognize new knowledge and innovations as key driving forces of poverty reduction as well as of economic and sustainable developments.  Neo-Schumpeterian theories could help to justify the importance of holding innovative restructuring of the economy and poverty reduction.

By using this approach, one can develop guiding principles with hypotheses or premises and relations, etc.  In this exercise, there could be many restructuring models as long as they can provide the basis for explaining the kinds of changes they are up to.  Their representation of the changes they can bring will be clarified by their restructuring process; meaning that one can upgrade in the improvement of poverty reduction processes towards a more sustainably viable model of poverty reduction.

On can hope that the above will be enough to introduce economic theories that may be used in this Issue and understand the issues discussed in this Issue.  However, for further details about post-coronavirus restructuring models or theories or frameworks of analysis, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Needs Assessment for Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring (Page 3)

In order to undertake post-coronavirus restructuring, one may need to carry out a needs assessment.  In carrying out it, a distinction can be done between short term disturbance and long term one.  Depending on whether the disturbance is short term or long term, transitory changes or permanent changes may be initiated. 

Since studies on the coronavirus pandemic continue, it is difficult at this point to determine if it is transitory disturbance.  However, to be on safe side it could be a good idea to undertake structural changes or adjustments in order to be prepared and avoid future similar health crisis.  In this respect, there could be a need for technological innovations to drive post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring or structural changes. 

In terms of poverty reduction and poor people, in order to have restructuring that really benefits the poor it has to contain a long term vision.  Because there could be differences in the geographical aspects of restructuring; it could be wise to argue that the effects and benefits of post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring could different or uneven. 

Regardless of this unevenness or difference, a needs assessment for post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring needs to be conducted.

If anyone wants to carry out or is conducting this sort of needs assessment or analysis, it will be a good idea to share their findings with CENFACS.

 

The Post-coronavirus Sustainable Development (Page 3)

In the Brundtland Report (2) written under the auspices of the World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development is defined as

“a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

From the above definition, it is possible to argue that if one wants to seriously consider sustainable development in the Age of the coronavirus and post-coronavirus restructuring, they may need to take into account that part of the sustainable development, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; that deals with health, particularly sanitation.  They may need to make some changes in the constituent parts of sustainable development so that the protection and the quality of human health together with those of other living beings and the environment are preserved. 

Briefly speaking, sustainable development and its components can be reorganised in the light of the COVID-19 on-going crisis so that the needs of the generations to come are not undermined. 

 

 

The Place and Role of Africa-based Sister Organisations in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring World (Page 4)

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) have a place and role to play in the changes of the constituent parts of the post-coronavirus poverty reduction and sustainable development landscapes. 

As organisations working with people on the ground, they have the following features:

√ They are the closest entities to local people and local needs

√ They have experience and history of dealing with people searching for poverty reduction solutions via essential economy and health economics

√ They have expertise, legacy and local knowledge in matter of poverty reduction with local poor

√ They are the legitimate representative of their communities and or places in need in Africa

√ They are the reliable and appointed channels of transmission or linking organisations between CENFACS and end-users of our programmes and projects in Africa

√ They are countable piece in the value chains development of poverty reduction in Africa

√ They are the ones closely working with coronavirus-induced poor to help them survive the COVID-19 shock waves and come out poverty and economic hardships

For instance, they are helping coronavirus-induced poor and vulnerable people to access health facilities, safe drinking water, sanitation, income, food, security, distance learning resources and education, information about the coronavirus protection measures, especially in places where there has been little or no financial bailout at all for the poorest.

Because of the above work and attributes of ASOs, any changes in the makeup of poverty reduction systems need to be done by including ASOs.  They and those in need being part of this restructuring process will make the process owns by its beneficiaries.

For any queries or enquiries about the place and role of ASOs in the restructuring process, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.        

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Work (Page 4)

The distinction between essential and non-essential activities, between healthy and unhealthy ones cannot leave ASOs silent.  These divisions should lead to some thoughts about the re-organisation of the components of their activities so that they can restructure, externalise, delocalise and re-localise them.  In re-organising their activities in this way, they can improve on the work of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

In the light of the experience we have so far with the coronavirus pandemic, this re-organisation or restructuring could be self-explanatory if these organisations would like to stay on top of the poverty-relieving game.   They have the potentials or capabilities for favourable re-organisation of their activities and systems of poverty reduction in different and improving way; a way that could make essential activities and health economics for the relief of poverty a driving force within the development sector.

The kind of restructuring we are talking here is slightly different from business restructuring since it is centred round the value of poverty relief and sustainable development rather than profit making or maximisation.

For any further thoughts or enquiries about ASOs’ Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Work, please contact CENFACS. 

 

Les organisations africaines face aux mutations structurelles et relationnelles des systèmes de réduction de la pauvreté dans la période de post-COVID-19 (Page 5)

D’aucuns disent que le coronavirus a exposé les faiblesses des économies et systèmes sanitaires un peu partout, y compris en Afrique.  Des faiblesses qui sont tant structurelles que relationnelles, mais aussi de positionnement sur des marchés internationaux et africains.  Ces faiblesses sont en plus celles de technologies et de ressources financières.  Des faiblesses qui se traduisent surtout par le financement des besoins locaux par le biais de l’aide internationale et d’envois d’argent par la diaspora africaine, pour n’en citer que ces deux méthodes de financement parmi tant d’autres.

Devant ces faiblesses, il y a lieu de faire des ajustements nécessaires sinon indispensables en terme de mutations.  Car, il faut aller au-delà des aspects conjoncturels pour amorcer des vraies transformations ou restructurations des systèmes de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique tant sur le plan structurel que relationnel.  Les organisations africaines du secteur associatif ne sont pas épargnées de ces mutations si elles ne veulent pas rester derrière dans la course contre la précarité et la pauvreté extrême en Afrique.  Cela veut dire, elles doivent penser sur les modalités de reorganiser ou restructurer les pans entiers ou partiels de leurs systèmes de réduction de la pauvreté et de la précarité en Afrique.  Elles peuvent se décider si elles doivent définir une nouvelle structure, une nouvelle organisation leur permettant de continuer à remplir les besoins de leurs usagers tout en restant performantes face à la nouvelle donne économique and sanitaire qu’est la pandémie du coronavirus. 

Grosso modo, la crise de la pandémie du coronavirus a sonné une nouvelle alarme pour nos partenaires africains pour qu’ils commencent à envisager un autre modèle de réduction de la pauvreté qui s’adaptera aux exigences du moment, celles de la période de post-COVID-19.

 

Le financement des dépenses de restructuration pour les organisations africaines (Page 5)

Tout processus de restructuration ou réorganisation des activités et services demande des moyens tant physiques (ou matériels) que financiers ou autres (administratifs, technologiques, humains, évaluatifs, etc.) pour sa réussite. 

Dans le cadre de la restructuration post-coronavirus, il y a lieu d’élaborer un plan de financement avec nos partenaires africains; un plan qui contiendra aussi bien les sources de financement que les modalités du financement sans oublier le contrôle, le suivi et l’évaluation de ce plan de financement.  Des responsabilités financières seront établies en amont comme an aval.

Pour s’y atteler, notre service-conseils sur le plan international sera un outil adéquat qui travaillera la main dans la main en accord avec nos organisations soeurs africaines pour qu’ensemble nous déterminions le niveau de financement requis et les modalités de gestion de ce financement à travers une politique de financement transparente et responsable.  Cela permettra de mieux assurer l’exécution des plans financiers individuels de chaque organisation qui s’embarquera sur la restructuration post-coronavirus.  

Pour des organisations qui seront intéressées à notre service-conseils en matière financière dans le cadre de restructuration post-coronavirus, s’il vous plaît n’hésitez pas de contacter le CENFACS.

 

Le numérique au service de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique dans le processus de restructuration des organisations africaines (Page 6)

Le processus de restructuration repose sur des nouvelles connaissances et technologies du moins si on se référe à la théorie néo-schumpeterienne.  Puisqu’on est à l’ère de percée fulgurante des technologies du numérique et en ligne, on peut y recourir pour continuer de réaliser des résultats sur la réduction de la pauvreté.  Ces technologies en ligne (par exemple, les appels sur vidéo) ont d’ailleurs fait leur preuve pendant des périodes de confinement contre le COVID-19.  Elles ont permis d’atteindre ceux qui souffrent et travailler ensemble avec eux pour qu’ils sortent du gouffre de la pauvreté.

Pendant la période d’après COVID-19, il y a une grande probabilité qu’on continuera de recourir à ces technologies, à celles du numérique.  Des organisations qui s’efforceront pour investir dans le numérique auront plus de chances d’augmenter, pas seulement le niveau et le taux de leurs activités, mais aussi la qualité de leurs services.  Ce qui leur permettra de survivre et vivre tout en suivant de plus près les transformations des besoins de leurs usagers.

Pour terminer, disons que le numérique continuera  d’assurer sa place dans la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique dans le processus de restructuration des organisations africaines.   C’est aux organisations africaines de continuer à avoir le contrôle sur le numérique si elles veulent continuer à avoir la main sur leurs services de réduction de la pauvreté après la pandémie du coronavirus.

 

Comment peut-on prolonger l’économie essentielle et l’économie de la santé dans le monde du  post-COVID-19 restructuré? (Page 6)

L’économie essentielle et celle de la santé ont fait leur preuve pendant la crise du coronavirus.  L’économie essentielle a permis de découvrir, du moins pour le commun des mortels, cette partie de l’économie qui n’est pas essentielle pour résoudre le problème de réduction de la pauvreté en terme de revenu, d’emploi, de consommation, d’éducation, de salubrité, du logement, d’information, ainsi de suite. 

De même, l’économie de la santé a révélé la démarche économique que ceux qui sont pauvres peuvent faire afin de réaliser une allocation des moyens et ressources limités et rares entre les besoins illimités pour maximiser leur utilité.  Dans cette recherche de l’utilité maximale, elle a démontré que les pauvres ne maximisent pas la leur en matière de santé durant la crise sanitaire du coronavirus et même avant cette crise.

Ces révélations qui vont de soi et qui ne demandent pas des chiffres pour le prouver nous poussent à penser sur la manière de prolonger ces deux économies dans un monde du post-COVID-19 restructuré et restructurant.  Il y a donc lieu de faire en sorte que ces économies deviennent des vraies économies de résolution et de réduction de la pauvreté et précarité.  Cela veut dire qu’elles ne doivent pas être aperçues comme des économies circonstancielles ou accidentelles, mais plutôt comme des véritables économies sur lesquelles on peut compter pour résoudre l’épineux problème de la pauvreté qui a sévi l’Afrique depuis plusieurs années.  Néanmoins, le prolongement de ces économies dépendra de la manière dont on sortira de ce maux qu’est le coronavirus; c’est-à-dire si on sort par le haut ou par le bas de cette crise sanitaire.

Pour ceux ou celles qui veulent en savoir plus sur cette question du prolongement de l’économie essentielle et de celle de la santé, s’il vous plaît n’hésitez pas de contacter le CENFACS.

 

Restructuring Poverty Reduction in the Post-coronavirus World (Page 7)

Poverty reduction has always changed depending on the circumstances, conditions and events of the time.  When there is a health and economic shock of the magnitude like of the coronavirus, poverty reduction cannot remain the same.  Poverty reduction work can be restructured to deal with the kind of the crisis of the time. 

However, there could be need of evidence on the causes of any restructuring.  In the context of the coronavirus, there have been far-reaching consequences like the following: jobs destruction, mass redundancies, high levels of financial bailouts with furlough schemes, disappearance of many informal jobs on which many poor people depend upon, high upsurge of the levels of poverty and hardships, soaring indebtedness, local and national lockdowns, closed economies, etc.  Additionally, market economy has been pushed away by state economic intervention to save the economy and health systems.  In this kind of context, the work of poverty reduction cannot be the same as in the pre-coronavirus time. 

So, poverty reduction may need to be reorganised in order to better deal with the impoverishing impacts and legacies of this kind of mega crisis like the coronavirus.  It needs to be re-contextualised and re-conceptualised to save lives and economies as we are in a completely new situation. 

At CENFACS, we are working on these re-contextualisation and re-conceptualisation of poverty reduction.  If anybody is doing similar work, this is the time to exchange ideas about it.

 

 

 

How Africa-based Organisations can continue to meet climate needs of project beneficiaries in a post-coronavirus poverty restructuring environment (Page 7)

The needs to adapt and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change will continue to exist within the framework of post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring.  For this framework to have any useful meaning, poor people’s climate needs must be considered.

Poverty-relieving organisations like Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) may have to tirelessly work with their users so that the requirements of limiting rising global temperature within the context of the Paris Climate Treaty are respected in any post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring proposals or projects.  It means that post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring needs to be carbon free or zero.  Likewise, ASOs would consider the climate needs of their users in adapting and mitigating adverse impacts of climate change in the post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring landscape. 

By taking into account the needs to adapt and mitigate the adversity of climate change and other linked elements to the Paris Climate Treaty; ASOs would be in a position to match the climate needs of their project beneficiaries in a post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring world.

Those who are interested in finding more about how ASOs can meet climate needs in the restructuring era, they are welcome to talk to CENFACS.

 

Post-coronavirus Restructuring Survey (Page 8)

We are conducting a survey about “HOW POST-CORONAVIRUS RECONSTRUCTING WILL AFFECT MY ORGANISATION” in the context of Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring.  As part of this survey, there is a questionnaire that we are running which can be accessed on request.

For those who willing to take part in our survey and complete the questionnaire, CENFACS will contact them.

 

Restructuring of Poverty Reduction and History Month (Page 8) 

As a portion of October history month, we can look back on some of the historical elements that can help us to understand what past restructurings in Africa can teach us in order to carry out today’s and tomorrow’s restructurings.  This exercise of looking back is within the framework of FACS newsletter and an add-up to the two days of Make Memorable Difference Project which is on African Sculpture and Representation of Historical Figures of the Era before the 1960s.

Those who are interested in looking back history of restructurings in Africa, they can contact CENFACS.

 

FACS Question of the Month (Page 8) 

Restructuring: Do you agree to the changes in the constituent parts of your economy while the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is on?

Selected Poverty Data about Sub-Saharan Africa (Page 8)

We have selected the following data about extreme poverty from the World Bank for the readers of FACS.

According to the World Bank (3),

“Today, COVID-19 and the economic crisis are already reversing hard-won gains against global poverty, ending more than two decades of continuous progress”

“Sub-Saharan Africa would be the next most affected region after South Asia, with between 26 million and 40 million additional people predicted to be pushed into extreme poverty” (p. 5)

Poverty here is defined as living on less than US $1.90 a day or measured as the international poverty line of US $1.90 a day.

Although the above is a single figure/information, it could however help to generate more thoughts about the needs of post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring.

For those who would like to argue more about extreme poverty data, they can let CENFACS know. 

 

FACS Testimonies and Reviews (Page 8)

It will be a good idea for those who will provide their views as testimony or review to stick to the topic of Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring.  In proceeding in this way, they will effectively contribute in getting better the impact of the current Issue amongst our audience and the public by enlarge.

To provide your testimony or review, just contact CENFACS with your views.

 

The Future of the Essential Economy in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring World (Page 9)

As we argued it in the 68^th Issue of FACS, the essential economy is the absolutely necessary and careful management of available and scarce resources that can help to solve the basic economic problem of poverty and hardships.  It is indeed a revived economic paradigm which is deep-rooted in a sustainable vision of development and which deals with the problem of scarce resources to be allocated to unlimited wants via essentialist approach.

In order for the post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring finds its expression amongst its users, essential economy may need to be perceived and practised as the economy of everyday life and of the future life.  It should not be seen as a circumstantial or exceptional case used during the coronavirus crisis and be abandoned after the crisis.

Essential economy has to be given the place and weight it deserves in the fight against poverty and in the enhancement of sustainable development.  In this respect, the post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring should prolong and render essential economy as an economy for all lives, all times and all generations including the generations to come.

For further details about essential economy, please read CENFACS’ 68^th Issue of FACS Newsletter.

 

Meeting the Needs of Poor People in the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exited Economy (Page 9)

No one knows the shape that post-exited economy will take as the UK has left the EU regional economic integration model.  Likewise, no one has the idea about the framework of the incoming post-coronavirus poverty restructuring landscape. 

However, what is sure is that the needs of poor people have to be met within the two contexts.  Meeting those needs would require post-restructuring and post-exiting environments and projects that really care and protect the interests of the poor and vulnerable people.  Any projects and programmes that will move away from this reality will have less scope for achieving poverty reduction goals.

The coronavirus and exiting economy have posed enormous challenges in the realisation of poverty reduction goals.  Those challenges are even unbearable for those who do not have any savings, assets and other collaterals in order to cover themselves from the crippling effects of these events. 

One can hope that projects, programmes and policies as well as their practices will be on the side of those who always get left behind and told to stay away.  One can also expect that the post-restructuring and post-exiting times to be the ones that will genuinely addressed poverty and vulnerability.

To further discuss ways of meeting poor people’s needs in the post-coronavirus and post-exited economy eras, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Projects (Page 10)

Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring Projects (PCPRRPs) aim at reducing poverty and hardships via income generation and opportunities creation activities during the post-coronavirus poverty reduction restructuring time in Africa.  After developing a Coronavirus-related Organisational Relief Programme and a Coronavirus Rehabilitation Programme for African Organisations, we are now working on setting up PCPRRPs as a means to help African organisations and their locals to start building back better.

For further details (proposals) about these projects and to support, please contact CENFACS.

For a paper copy of the 69^th of FACS, please contact CENFACS.

______

(1) Chris Park (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford & New York

(2) Brundtland et al. (1987), Our Common Future, World Commission on Environment and Development (The Brundtland Report), Oxford University Press, London

(3) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/the World Bank (2020), Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune, Washington, D.C.

______

 

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!

21 October 2020

 

Post No. 166

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities, Note No. 2 – In Focus for Week Beginning 19/10/2020: Restoration of Inland Waters

• Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature

• Coronavirus Rehabilitation Programme for African Organisations

 

… and much more!

 

Can you tell CENFACS who will win this trophy of the pandemic year?

 

Key Messages

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities, Note No. 2 – In Focus for Week Beginning 19/10/2020: Restoration of Inland Waters

 

Inland Waters prolong the “Blue Spaces” theme we developed and campaigned for last month.  As part of this extension and this October 2020 “A la une” Themed Activities, we are working on restoration of inland waters, that is the process of re-establishing inland waters (in Africa) to close to their original condition. 

Restoring Inland Waters is indeed the rehabilitation of the structure and function of damaged inland waters.  This restoration is itself part of the sub-theme of the Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures (in Africa) as explained last week.

For the purpose of the main theme of the Upkeep of the Nature, the Restoration Inland Waters will be approached from a socio-ecological point of view.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further information about this second note and the said approach to it.

 

 

 

• Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature with…

Actions to Reduce and or Stop Rising Temperatures during the Post-coronavirus Recovery

 

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

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

√ Temperature

√ Sea levels

√ Wildlife population

√ Greenhouse gas emissions during the post-coronavirus recovery

 

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

However, do these good results suggest the decreasing pattern of temperatures in relation to the climate goal of reducing the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius or it was just an exception due to the Covid-19 confinement? 

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

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

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

 

 

• Coronavirus Rehabilitation Programme for African Organisations

 

In the process of rehabilitating lives and economies, one should not forget our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) which are tirelessly working to support those in most need at this perilous time of the coronavirus bubbles.  To work with them, we have developed a coronavirus rehabilitation programme as part of the Rehabilitation Strategies phase of our Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (in short, the Covid-19 Campaign).

 

• • What is a Coronavirus Rehabilitation Programme for African Organisations (CRPAO)?

 

Like we did it with the Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus Pandemic, the CRPAO is a series of planned projects and activities to be undertaken with ASOs in order to reduce poverty and hardships induced by the coronavirus pandemic while supporting them in bringing back into good or better condition the services and activities they were offering in the pre-coronavirus period. 

The programme, which is a follow up from the Coronavirus-related Organisational Relief Programme which we set in Spring 2020, is about exploring the possibility of developing new and improved services and activities to cope with the changing reality on the grounds while incorporating the health (Covid-19) element into the programme. 

One can hope that through this programme and model of working together, ASOs will be able to return coronavirus-disturbed projects and activities to their original or renovated conditions so that they can save and preserve the lifeline of those in need.

 

• • Scope of the rehabilitation programme

 

As said earlier, CRPAO is part of the Rehabilitation Strategies phase of the Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (the Covid-19 Campaign) by CENFACS.  We have two rehabilitation strategies: one with the community in the UK and the other with ASOs in Africa. 

 

• • • Rehabilitation Strategy with the CENFACS Community

 

This level of rehabilitation is part of our Individual Capacity Development Programme where we are trying to work with those making our community to restore their capacities and capabilities damaged or lost because of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns.   In this respect, rehabilitation is defined in accordance to the World Health Organisation (1) as

“A set of interventions needed when a person is experiencing or is likely to experience limitations in everyday functioning due to ageing or health condition, including chronic diseases or disorders, injuries or traumas”.

In the context of our rehabilitation strategy, these conditions are the legacies of the coronavirus in terms of its health and economic threats and effects.

 

• • • Rehabilitation Strategy with our ASOs

 

The phase 3 of the Covid-19 Campaign (that is Rehabilitation Strategies) is extended to ASOs so that they can maximise or optimise their potentials and restore their damaged or lost capacity (because of the coronavirus pandemic) and deliver again their services and activities while the pandemic lasts and after it.

There is more information about the CRPAO within CENFACS’ Covid-19 Hub for Poverty Reduction which is a portal that centralises all the work and data about Covid-19.  For those who want to find more about this programme, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• African Sculpture and the Upkeep of the Nature

 

Our tasting of a slice of African history is still much on track this October 2020.  This week, this tasting is happening through some learning about African Sculpture and the Upkeep of the Nature.

The slice tasting in the lead up to the two days (27 and 28 October 2020) of Making Memorable Difference Project with its focus on African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era; is indeed a pre-heat activity.

The pre-heat activity about sculpture and nature links the history month and our nature campaign “A la une”.  This link finds its essence as Africans draw resources from nature and environment in order to produce sculptural products.  There could be an impact on nature in terms natural resources exploitation and extinction.

So, this pre-heat activity is meant to connect us to the main feature of the history month, that is African Sculptures and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (era before the 1960s).

For any enquiries and or queries about the pre-heat activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• All year-round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives): Play, Run and Vote Projects in the Phase of Rehabilitation Strategies

 

The three components of our all-year round projects (that is Run, Play and Vote) are back this Autumn.  As we are heading towards the end of the year 2020, one can hope progress has been made for these projects; records have been taken since these projects started in January 2020.

However, like our other projects Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs) have been disturbed by the current social and economic development in relation to the coronavirus bubbles.  Lockdown pressed pause on our TVIs.  This is despite the fact that we integrated the Covid-19 factor in them and made them Covid-19 secure.

As a result of the Covid-19 integrations into Triple Value Initiatives, we suggested to those who were interested to undertake some recreational activities to break out the vicious of the coronavirus pandemic and to stay active during the social distancing rules and general lockdown in Spring and Summer 2020. 

As the Covid-19 bubbles continue, we are working on similar forms of exercises or activities to engage CENFACS’ audience and nurture the CENFACS Community by helping it, where we can, to take steps to return these initiatives to their original conditions.   These new forms of exercises or activities will be done under the Phase of Rehabilitation Strategies of our Covid-19 Campaign and in the context of our Individual Capacity Development Programme.  What does it mean for our Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)? 

It means that we have started the process of restoring them to their initial or original condition while still fighting the coronavirus and its far-reaching consequences.  It also signifies we keep shadowing the coronavirus pandemic in the work of restoration.

The restoration process is a learning curve since we are trying to restore the normality in our TVIs while we have integrated the Covid-19 as a new normal.  In doing so, we are making sure that the fight against the coronavirus which is not yet over finds a room in our TVIs.

Because of the unprecedented time we are in at the moment, the need to work together is even greater than ever before.  For those who have their own rehabilitation strategies, it will be a good idea to share them (online or in-person) within the community.    

Just remember, at the end of the process of All year-round Projects and by the end of the year, one should be ready to announce the 2020 Action-Results for either of the project: Run or Play or Vote.

The final Action-Results will consist of finding out and revealing the following for the pandemic year:

√ The Best African Countries of 2020 which best reduced poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2020

√ The Best African Development and Poverty Relief Managers of 2020

If you have not yet thought about this finding or revelation, please start thinking now and have your say about it!

 

 

 

• Micro-Volunteer doing Smart Tasks with Smart Tools for Smart Relief

 

Last week, we provided you with No Direct Cash Donations as ways of adding value to our traditional ways of getting support.  The coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent impacts have pushed us to go out of our way to innovate in increasingly using distance working technologies and means as physical or in-person activities were banned in order to protect the public health and keep the fight against the coronavirus in control.

This additional way of working and engaging with our audience and supporters has brought some opportunities.  We shall continue to use distance working and online technologies in our campaigns to reach out to our supporters.  As a result, we would like to enhance the use of micro-volunteering by doing smart tasks with smart tools (such as smart phones, tablets, video calling etc.) to re-engage with CENFACS audience and supporters. 

Smart tasks are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound tasks and activities to generate and increase support towards our good and deserving causes, which we badly need at this bubbling time of the coronavirus pandemic.

These tasks briefly include the following: prospecting potential supporters, running questionnaires, recruiting new supporters, engaging with supporters, sending and receiving messages from supporter, following the leads, etc.

To enable us to continue our work, we are asking to those who can, both individuals and organisations, to support us with smart tools to enhance our micro-voluntary work.

To support CENFACS with Smart Tools to Micro Volunteer doing Smart tasks to deliver Smart Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities, Note No. 2 –

 In Focus for Week Beginning 19/10/2020: Restoration of Inland Waters

 

The message through our second note of the “A la une” Campaign is about how we can help the Upkeep of the Nature through the Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures particularly Inland Water. 

In order to get our message across, we are going to explain inland water, clarify the approach used, expand on inland water as ecological infrastructure and identify good examples of water restoration projects in Africa.

 

• • What is Inland Water?

 

Without getting into complex definition about inland water, let us simply argue that it is any water space that is inside land territory.  In other words, inland water is an area of water does it not sea (e.g. lakes, canals, rivers, etc.) which is part of ecosystem infrastructures.

 

• • What is Restoration of Inland Water?

 

The restoration of inland water is the activity or act of re-establishing inland water (for example a river or canal or lake) to close to its original condition with the aim of improving the quality of water and resources it contains while protecting it from the adverse impacts of climate change. 

The restoration of inland water is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 (2) which is about Life on land.   The first target of this goal is stated as follows:

“By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and dry lands, in line with obligations under international agreements”.

For instance, in Africa the Lake Chad was damaged by drought (an adverse impact of climate change) and human insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin.  Restoring the Lake Chad and its natural capacity in terms of resources it contained and the quantity and quality of water it had is still a matter of ecosystem infrastructure and poverty reduction until today for those living in and around the basin.

 

• • Approach to the Restoration of Inland Water

 

There are many approaches or ways of dealing with the restoration of water.  In this campaign, inland water will be approached from the socio-ecological perspective, particularly in its function and ability to reduce poverty and economic hardships while providing a blend of other benefits in society, the African societies.  

We are looking at the socio-ecological dynamics that lies in human exploitation of inland water which made many valuable natural species to disappear or diminish.   We are as well dealing with the state of inland water infrastructure at this pressurised time of the coronavirus where many people are searching for safe inland water for drinking and cooking in many places in Africa.

 

• • Campaign Areas of Focus

 

As argued above, this note deals with the restoration of the function of inland water particularly its function to reduce poverty and hardships in water.  Our campaign is for keeping drinking water safe and saving wildlife.  As part of this campaign, we are dealing with the elements which impact the quality and quantity of inland water.  Amongst them are pollution, population growth and climate change.

 

• • • Pollution

Inland water is polluted by sewage, animal waste, dissolved chemicals and fertilizers.  Our campaign is against water pollution, but for the restoration of inland water infrastructure if damaged by chemicals dumping or any other forms of pollution.

• • • Population growth versus available inland water

Rivers, lakes and wells may not meet the growing needs of growing population like in Africa.  Our campaign on this matter is about the protection of inland water infrastructure while equating water distribution with population pressure

• • • Climate change

It is said in the United Nations World Water Development Report 2020 (3) published by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) that

“Impacts of climate variability on Africa’s water resources are already acute, as exemplified by the recent decrease in rainfall in Southern Africa” (p. 7)

“Such impacts will also increasingly interact with multiple non-climate-related drivers of water scarcity and water pollution such as growing population, economic development, and conflict and fragility, which are posing serious challenges for meeting not only the water targets but also the other development targets defined in the 2030 Agenda and the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063” (p. 132)

In response to the above impacts, our campaign is about mitigating and adapting to the climate change adversity while protecting inland water infrastructure from this adversity.

 

• • Inland Water Restoration Projects in Africa

 

Our campaign is looking at good examples of water damage restoration projects at local level in Africa.  There are numerous examples about water restoration projects developed and run by our Africa-based Sister Organisations. 

Those who are interested in these examples, they can let CENFACS know their interest. For example, water restoration infrastructure project for the Lake Chad is one of them.

For further details about this second note of “A la une” Campaign and the sub-theme of Restoration of Ecosystem Infrastructures, please contact CENFACS.

_______

(1) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rehabilitation

(2) http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html

(3) UNESCO, 2020: the United Nations World Water Development Report 2020, WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE (www.unwater.org)

________

 

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!

14 October 2020

 

Post No. 165

 

 

The Week‘s Contents

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities

• Giving No Direct Cash Donations

• Climate Protection and Stake in the Post-pandemic Development

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities or Areas of Work

 

Our environmental campaign “A la une” has already started and is going to last for seven weeks.  The main theme of this campaign is still the same, which is Upkeep of the Nature; the sub-theme for this year being Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures.  The latter is the action of returning the natural or semi-natural structural ecosystem services to their former conditions.

The selected composed notes or themed areas of work that would work together to shape the central topic or theme of “A la une” Campaign this Autumn have been given under the Main Development section of this post.   We have as well provided the periods and titles of these composed notes or themed areas of work.

The first themed area of work is Restoration of Degraded Terrestrial Ecosystems; themed area which kicked off from the 12^th of October 2020.  Restoration of Degraded Terrestrial Ecosystems is about the action of returning to close to original condition the land-based ecological system relating to forest, desert, grassland or cropland where organisms (such as animals, plants and other organisms) live as habitat in a particular physical environment.  

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

 

 

• 8 No Direct Cash Donations

How to support CENFACS without directly giving cash

 

Ways of supporting charities have continued to change.  We at CENFACS have been implementing these new ways of giving and generating incomes.   There are many ways that one can use to support CENFACS without directly given cash.  One can unlock barriers to no direct cash donations for CENFACS. 

Those who would like to support CENFACS by using other means than directly giving cash, they can consider the following.

Eight ways of donating to consider this Autumn and in the lead up to the end of the year

(1) Giving unwanted goods and items to CENFACS e-charity store at  http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

(2) Sign up for a Gift Aid declaration from which CENFACS can earn an extra 25p for every £1 you give

(3) Nominate CENFACS for a donation at charity fundraising and donation events

(4) Select CENFACS as your preferred charity for donation from advertising revenue

(5) Raise free funds for CENFACS with your online shopping or choose CENFACS as a donation recipient of some of the profits raised from online shopping

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

(7) Name CENFACS as your favourite deserving cause if it happens that you have the opportunity to click the online option “donate cashback to charities”

(8) Donate any unwanted excess points of your loyalty card from apps that may give support to good causes

The above donations are just the few examples of ways of helping that one can think off or come across with to support CENFACS without having to directly give cash.  However, this does not mean one cannot donate cash.  They can and if you choose to donate cash, CENFACS will happily accept your cash donations. 

To support CENFACS without giving directly giving cash and or by directly donating cash, just contact CENFACS. 

 

 

• Climate Protection and Stake in the Post-pandemic Development

 

The priority for our Africa-based Sister Organisation (ASOs) during the post-pandemic development is to work together with them so that they can better come out the heavy and dreadful consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak and start to build back better.  In this challenging task, one should not forget the climate change issue.

This is why we are carrying on and out the work on climate protection and stake despite the fact that the climate talks that were scheduled in Glasgow for this year have been reported by the end of next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

We are particularly looking at areas of work with ASOs that need to be adapted to deal with the Covid-19 reality and mitigate its currently standing impact in terms of climate change and other climate issues.  The aim here is to protect poor people from adverse impacts of the climate change while advocating with them so that they can have a stake in any climate dividend during the post-pandemic development.

For any enquiries or queries about Climate Protection and Stake in the Post-pandemic Development, please contact CENFACS.  

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Africa’s 33 Least Developed Countries and the Programme of Action for them

 

Last May, we conducted an Impact Monitoring and Evaluation on CENFACS’ 2011-2020 Follow-up of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Our follow up work was related to the 33 African countries listed amongst the 47 least developed countries.  We noticed that since these 33 African countries were living under the constraint of Covid-19, it was in one’s interest to see how Covid-19 could affect efforts already made in terms of poverty reduction. 

 

• • May 2020 Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

In our impact analysis and the theory of change that we applied, we used the causality-and-attribution approach to explain the key changes that could have happened.

Our findings from the two levels of impact analysis conducted are as follows.

(a) Covid-19 impacted CENFACS’ Follow-up of the 2011-2020 Istanbul Programme of Action

However, one must be careful about this finding since the global health crisis started only by the end of 2019 whereas the Istanbul Programme was set up since 2011.  Therefore, many of the results from this programme would not be attributed to the coronavirus pandemic.  This is the same for the outcomes of our follow up.

(b) Covid-19 impacted progress made so far in halving child poverty in the 33 African countries  

It is probably possible to argue that some of the progress made about halving child poverty could have been affected by the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. 

For details and contributions to this impact analysis, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Findings from the UNECA’s Review

 

This week and October 2020, we are working on the findings from the 2020 Review of Progress made on the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (1) recognises that there have been noteworthy achievements in indicators (such as child and maternity mortality rates, literacy rates, access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation services) for the LDCs.    The UNECA concludes that

“In total, the progress being made against the Programme of Action is not entirely positive”.

In addition to the above findings, Covid-19 may have hampered these efforts made.  No-one exactly knows by how much, unless one produces data.  This is why we are working on the possible impact of Covid-19 on the users of this programme of action.

For any discussion about or further details about the work on the UNECA’s findings, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Covid-19 Campaign – Phase 3: Rehabilitation Strategies

 

Idealistically, the phase of rehabilitation strategies would have happened once the Covid-19 is nearly over.  It means that when the epidemiological curve of the Covid-19 symptoms and infections is flattening and gearing towards recovery point and stayed parallel or below the recovery point.

Yet, in the current situation of the virus this is not happening.  We are instead witnessing spikes of the coronavirus pandemic to the extent that there are discussions about new waves of lockdown or local lockdowns in some parts of the world including in Africa.  This situation poses a dilemma which is: how to rehabilitate economies and lives while keeping tight fight against the coronavirus pandemic?

The answer to this question/dilemma could vary.  There are many options available. 

One could learn from the mistakes and experiences from the methods and tools applied so far.  Then, one can try to redevelop or develop a clear rehabilitation strategy with new or improved tools to continue the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. 

One can also have a clever or prudent combination of both smart health restrictions/rules and the implementation of rehabilitation works. 

Furthermore, there could be a need to continue applying the shadowing model of following the epidemiological curves (“epi-curves”) of the coronavirus pandemic while undertaking the rehabilitation work as planned in a given rehabilitation strategy.   This way of proceeding could be about building back better while matching the efforts of building back better to that of rehabilitating the economy and lives in need by using the shadowing framework or model.

The above suggestions or options are neither a definite process nor an end itself as they are only some of the possible ways of approaching or looking at rehabilitation phase of our Campaign of Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic.

For more on Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS and in-depth discussion about our rehabilitation strategy, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Revisiting the Appeal about the African Sahel and Lake Chad Basin

 

Last September, we carried out a review of the situation in the African Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.  As a result of this review, we launched an appeal to reduce extreme poverty in the African Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.

Last week, we discussed the situation of people crossing the line of extreme poverty for the first time.  We tried to find out from the consumption poor what it looks and feels like crossing the line of extreme poverty for the first time. 

Following on this discussion, we are revisiting the African Sahel and Lake Chad Basin Appeal in order to search on how people are dealing with extreme poverty and what has been done so far to work with them to come out this extreme poverty.  We are as well assessing how our appeal went down in terms of effectiveness about working with the peoples of these two areas to reduce extreme poverty.

We are therefore revisiting and discussing the above mentioned appeal in the light of the current difficult moments that ordinary and civilian people in these two areas are undergoing in terms of extreme poverty.  

To enquiry about this appeal revisiting and discussion, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Themed Activities or Areas of Work

 

• • Seven Weeks of Campaign for the Upkeep of the Nature

 

As announced earlier, we have started our 7-week campaign work for the Upkeep of the Nature.  It is our well-known household campaign for nature in the autumnal season; a campaign which is happening against the background of the continuing economic and health threats from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Keeping this nature campaign alive at this difficult time could mean that one is trying to make an effort to maintain healthy relationships between humans and nature so that future health crisis can be prevented and/or further damage to our health systems and economies could be limited.  It could also signify that one is trying to keep their hands on the fight against the adverse impacts of climate change while still dealing with the mounting health and economic challenges brought by the coronavirus pandemic.    

Since we are acting in the context of Autumn of Acceptance and Integration in order to Build Back Better our lives and economies, the sub-theme of “A la une” will be about Restoration of Damaged or Degraded Ecological Infrastructures while the “A la une” theme remains the same which is: Upkeep of the Nature; as outlined earlier.

Within these theme and sub-theme, we have composed seven notes excluding monitoring and evaluation of the “A la une” Campaign.  These notes can be found below.

 

 

 

• • “A la une” Composed Notes or Themed Areas of Work

 

During the following periods within this Autumn and “A la une” season, CENFACS’ advocacy on environment will focus on the following areas from the beginning of every Mondays (starting from 12 October 2020 to the rest of November 2020).

 

Periods                                 Titles of notes or themed areas of work

12/10 to 18/10/2020              Terrestrial ecosystems

19/10 to 25/10/2020              Inland water

26/10 to 01/11/2020              Marine/aquatic ecosystems

02/11 to 08/11/2020              Nature species

09/11 to 15/11/2020              Ecological investment

16/11 to 22/11/2020              African organisations’ restoration work

23/11 to 29/11/2020              Finance for ecology

30/11/2020                             “A la une” monitoring and evaluation

 

In total, there are seven themed areas of work starting from the 12^th of October 2020 and thereafter every Mondays until the end of November.  These activities will help us to re-communicate our environmental message for the upkeep of the nature in existence as well as triggering better changes with our leaves of action.  At the end of these notes, we shall carry out monitoring and evaluation.

To engage with “A la une” themed areas, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

• • In Focus for Week Beginning 12/10/2020: Restoration of Degraded Terrestrial Ecosystems

 

Before tackling the note about terrestrial ecosystems, let us explain some key concepts for this year’s sub-theme.  In particular, we are going to explain the following concepts so that readers and supporters know what we are talking about: ecological restoration and infrastructures.

 

• • • Understanding ecological restoration

 

According to Nature Education (2), ecological restoration

“aims to recreate, initiate, or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been disturbed. Disturbances are environmental changes that alter ecosystem structure and function. Common disturbances include logging, damming rivers, intense grazing, hurricanes, floods, and fires. Restoration activities may be designed to replicate a pre-disturbance ecosystem or to create a new ecosystem where it had not previously occurred.”

This definition will be used for our “A la une” Campaign.  This does not mean that it is the only one within the literature review.  We have just selected it for our work as we notice that it is a bit comprehensive.

 

• • • Interpreting ecological infrastructure

 

Ecological infrastructure can be explained in many ways. In the context of our campaign, we have selected the definition given by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Ipbes) (3) which says that

“Ecological infrastructure refers to the natural or semi-natural structural elements of ecosystems and landscapes that are important in delivering ecosystem services. It is similar to ‘green infrastructure’, a term sometimes applied in a more urban context. The ecological infrastructure needed to support pollinators and improve pollination services includes patches of semi-natural habitats, including hedgerows, grassland and forest, distributed throughout productive agricultural landscapes, providing nesting and floral resources. Larger areas of natural habitat are also ecological infrastructure, although these do not directly support agricultural pollination in areas more than a few kilo-meters away from pollinator-dependent crops.”

The Ipbes definition will be one of the working terms we shall use in this campaign since it covers many aspects related to the ecological infrastructure.

Both ecological restoration and infrastructure are important in the restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems as the following elements of this first note shows.

 

• Restoration of Degraded Terrestrial Ecosystems

 

This is what the FAO and UNEP (4) said in their joint publication:

“We must build on this momentum to catalyse bold actions to prevent, halt and reverse the loss of forests and their biodiversity, for the benefit of current and future generations”.

From this saying, one can try to explain the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems.

 

• • Explaining the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems

 

One of the reasons that restoration of terrestrial ecosystems or land happens is because of degradation.   The website www.frontiersin.org (5) defines land degradation as

“the loss of functions and services provided by ecosystems”.

This website further explains that

“these include climate regulation, the provision and retention of water, conservation of biodiversity, the cycling of essential nutrients, and food security”.

From the above explanation, one can argue that Restoration of Degraded Terrestrial Ecosystems is the action of returning to close to its original condition the land-based ecological system relating to forest, desert, grassland or cropland where organisms (such as animals, plants and other organisms) live as habitat in a particular physical environment.

From the above perspectives, our “A la une” Campaign is about voicing for the return of land-based ecological system close to its original condition.  It is about working together with local people to re-establish the structure and function of a damaged habitat or ecosystem.

 

• • Restoration of degraded land as a global goal

 

Restoration of degraded land is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 of Life on land (6), which is about sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reserve land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

Target 3 of this Goal 15 states that

“By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world”.

For example, according to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) and the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (4),   

“Africa had the highest net loss of forest area in 2010–2020, with a loss of 3.94 million hectares per year … Since 1990 Africa has reported an increase in the rate of net loss” (p. 11).

Additionally, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic may not be neutral to the conditions of land in Africa.  There could be a need to reassess the state of the land in Africa in terms of the Covid-19 effects.

 

• • The focus in the restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems

 

Our Restoration campaign focuses on the plan, cost and benefits of restoration projects dealing with aspects of ecological infrastructures related to terrestrial ecosystems.  In other words, any restoration of terrestrial ecosystems will need a plan and will incur cost and will involve finance.  The advantages or disadvantages of restoration will need to be properly assessed so that the campaign can reach its main aim of the upkeep of the nature in existence.

Finally, to materialise the context of Autumn of Acceptance and Integration, one may need to integrate the coronavirus effect in their restoration projects or any project of building back better terrestrial ecosystems.

Briefly, this is our first note of the “A la une” Campaign for this year.

To find out more about this first note and/or the entire “A la une” campaign, please contact CENFACS.

____

(1) https://www.uneca.org/publications/2020-review-progress-made-programme-action-least-developed-countries-decade-2011%E2%80%932020 (accessed 10/10/2020)

(2) https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/restoration-ecology-13339059/ (accessed on 10/10/2020)

(3) https://ipbes.net/glossary/ecological-infrastructure (accessed on 10/10/2020)

(4) FAO and UNEP, 2020: The State of the World’s Forests 2020 – Forests, biodiversity and people, Rome.  https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en

(5) https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/14001/restoration-of-degraded-terrestrial-ecosystems (accessed on 10/10/2020)

(6) http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html

____

 

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!

07 October 2020

 

Post No. 164

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Difference Project – In Focus: African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Special Attention to Restoration of Ecological Infrastructure in Africa

• Just Been Launched: Autumn 2020 Humanitarian Relief Appeal in the Period of a Post-pandemic Recovery 

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

  

· History Month with Making Memorable Difference Project – In Focus: African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era 

 

This week, the lead story line of poverty relief and sustainable development at CENFACS is about Making Memorable Difference in October.  October is the History month in CENFACS development calendar.  We normally remember the African history through Making Memorable Difference (MMD) project. 

This year’s MMD, which is the 12^th one, is about African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (period before the 1960s).

The 12^th MMD or MMD 2020 will be about acknowledging African Legacies in terms of carving or modelling skills to represent in human form historically well-known African people; people known for their historical contribution to Africa. 

Since our work is about poverty reduction, MMD 2020 will focus on those types of African sculptures that represent those who showed exceptional talents in helping others to come out poverty during the pre-independence epoch.  We shall extend our interest to those who are drawing inspiration from these sculptural legacies in order reduce poverty in today’s world.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak and its spikes, the 12^th MMD Event of two days of work will be held virtually.  Like everybody, we are required to follow Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing rules to protect ourselves, the CENFACS Community and the public health.

For further information on this acknowledgement, read under the Main Development section of this post.  

Besides the main history theme of October, we are also running our environmental campaign “A la une” as planned. 

 

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Special Attention to Restoration of Ecological Infrastructure in Africa

 

“A la une” campaign has already started with our work on the GREAT BEASTS and the “Blue Spaces” theme.   During these October and November 2020, we shall continue these two areas of advocacy while dealing with our work on Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature where we left it.  In this campaign about the upkeep of the nature, we shall pay a special attention to Restoration of Ecological Infrastructure in Africa. 

Restoration comes at the right moment since we are dealing with the process of building back better Africa from the coronavirus pandemic disaster.  Restoration is also part of the Rehabilitation Strategies making the third phase of our Covid-19 Campaign, a Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

As we mentioned it in our previous communications, in the process of building back better Africa, one should not forget flora and fauna.  Likewise, one should not leave behind ecological infrastructure in Africa.

Furthermore, last year we were in a situation of urgency of taking a bold climate action to keep under control the trajectories of rising temperature.  This year, there is a new urgency brought by the health crisis with the coronavirus pandemic.  This new urgency has been added to the last year’s one as the climate urgency has not been yet resolved. 

Because of these two urgencies, our work on the nature will take on board both of them.   By taking into account the two of them, we shall include the dilemma about how to help meet life-sustaining needs while handling life-threatening impacts of climate change and Covid-19.  In this respect, “A la une” campaign will integrate life-sustenance and life-treat.    

An outline of the contents of Restoration work that will make this year’s “A la une” campaign will be given in our future communication.

For any more information about this year’s “A la une” campaign, please contact CENFACS and or continue to read our posts over this Autumn season.

Before closing this chapter about “A la une”, we would like to just let you know that the environmental campaign known as “A la une” and humanitarian appeal are both part of our Autumn programme.

 

 

 

• Just Been Launched: Autumn 2020 Humanitarian Relief Appeal in the Period of a Post-pandemic Recovery 

 

The 2020 Edition of Autumn Humanitarian Relief Appeal is now live on the page Support Us at cenfacs.org.uk/support-us/

This appeal is about improving the quality of poor people’s lives and welfare by helping them to help themselves.  It is also about enhancing the quality of protection for the nature.

This appeal is not an ordinary humanitarian relief request like the one we launch every autumnal season.  It is an extraordinary one dealing with the problems that poor people, organisations and wildlife are facing in the contexts of life-threatening and destroying impacts of the coronavirus in a post-pandemic recovery period.  For people who are already poor and wildlife that has been continuously threatened, the current contexts of Covid-19 threat and economic restructuring make life even more difficult for them compared to other contexts.

In launching this appeal, we are mindful of the current difficult global health and economic contexts in which many of our supporters are.  Due to these conditions, the ability of many of them to support good and deserving causes has been reduced.   For those who can support, we are imploring to them to do something in the forms of donation, gift aid and other helpful support.

You can …

√ donate £2 to create 2 benefits (1 benefit for humans and 1 benefit for other natural livings) or any amount starting from £2 or more as you wish,

√ gift aid your giving,

√ and support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, capacity and willingness.

Support has no limits at CENFACS.  You can donate as much as you can.

To donate, gift aid and support otherwise to help poor people, flora, fauna, communities and organisations in Africa; please contact CENFACS at cenfacs.org.uk/support-us/.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Crossing the Line of Extreme Poverty for the First Time

 

As part of the implementation process of Goal 2 of our 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda, we are dealing with the number of people who have crossed the line of extreme poverty for the first time, in particular the line of extreme consumption poverty.

Before going further, let us explain extreme poverty.  The United Nations (1) defines extreme poverty as

“a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information.  It depends not only on income but also on access to services”.

During any severe crisis, it happens that many people and or families can be forced to cross the line of extreme poverty as defined above.  For those who are already poor and/or have experienced extreme poverty before, they know what is like to be extremely poor.  They know the struggle to pay for or access food, energy, water, health, housing, education, information, transport, equal rights, etc. 

This week, we are dealing with the poverty elements of Goal 2 since the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have push many people and families to the edge or to cross the line of extreme poverty.  They have added health and personal hygiene costs (such as the costs of buying personal protective equipment, sanitisation and disinfection products as well as the cost 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 did cross the line of extreme poverty for the first time to move to full extreme poverty area, we would like to hear your experience of crossing the line of extreme poverty for the first time.

To share your experience of crossing the line of extreme poverty for the first time, just contact CENFACS.

(1) United Nations, 1995: The UN 1995 Report of the World Summit for Social Development

 

 

 

• Covid-19 History and Poverty History

 

It may be too earlier to talk about the history of the Covid-19 since this type of virus in a family of coronaviruses has just been known recently.  In fact, researches have been still conducted to understand the nature and pattern of Covid-19.  However, as part of the October History Month and due to the continuation of battle against Covid-19, we are doing some history learning and development about it. 

We are studying the evolution of the epidemiological (epi-curves) curves of the Covid-19 since its outbreak, and its implications for and consequences on poverty and poverty reduction.  We will be looking at the evolution of poverty since Covid-19 outbreak began to see if there could be any correlation between the epi-curves of Covid-19 and poverty curves in the specific area of our operation in Africa.

This kind of work requires reliable data as well as good methodology and modelling technics (e.g. quantitative or statistical ones like econometrics).  If anyone is doing similar study or research within the community, it will be a good idea to share these findings with CENFACS.

For further details about Covid-19 History and Poverty History, please contact CENFACS.  

 

 

 

• Mission Year and History Month

 

Our Mission Year continues in this October 2020 of history learning and development. Likewise, the projet dealing with the Mission Year is still being implemented.  As part of this implementation process, we are applying this projet to the History Month.

Indeed, besides our Making Memorable Difference Project with its 2020 focus on African Sculptures and Representation of African Historical Figures, we are carrying on to learn the history of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa.  This history learning and development echoes our Mission Year and Project.

CENFACS’ Mission Year and Project is about embarking on poverty reduction charitable endeavour by working with and being on the side of those who are poor, especially at this exceptional time of the coronavirus pandemic and economic uncertainty. 

One can attempt to draw from the above that there could be a link between the contents and activities of our Mission Year/Project on the one hand and our desire to continue to learn and develop from the history of poverty reduction in Africa on the other.  There is an area of intersection between the activities of Mission Year/Project and those of History Month.   There is an area of common interest between our poverty reduction mission on the one hand and poverty reduction through African sculptures and the representation of African historical figures of the pre-independence era on the other. 

Briefly, poverty reduction can be looked at as a mission to accomplish and as a history subject to learn and develop.

To discuss and or enquire about CENFACS’ Mission Year/Project and History Month, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development  

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Difference Project – In Focus: African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (i.e. Period before the 1960s)

 

• • What is MMD? 

 

MMD is

∼ a two-day event of Awareness, Thought and Recognition set up by CENFACS in 2009 to celebrate the Black History Month in our own way and feeling while preserving the tradition linked to this remembrance and standing on the shoulders of similar celebrations

∼ a historic project of collective memory about works carried out, heritage and legacies left by Africans

∼ all about collectively telling, acknowledging, studying and learning that every day Africans wherever they are (in Africa) or elsewhere (in the UK-Croydon and the world) are striving to improve the quality of their lives and of others. Through their historically valuable works, they are making memorable difference and the world a better place for everybody, including the generations to come.

∼ a celebration of African Abilities, Talents, Skills and Gifts to Africa and the world.

This year’s dedicated two days (27 and 28 October 2020) are virtual days of historical study, analysis and skill recognition and celebration of the legacies left by Africans in Sculpture and Representation of Historical Figures. 

So, our sharing and engaging content this October is on how the carving and modelling skills, abilities and knowledge of Africans helped in representing historical figures, while reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.

 

• • Two Virtual Days of African History: One Day for Sculptures and One Day for Representation of Historical Figures

 

Understanding Day (27 October 2020): Understanding of African Sculptures

In the first day of MMD will be about looking at how the art or act of carving or modelling with clay, wood, stone, plaster, etc. has so far helped in understanding African history and in relieving people from poverty and hardships.  During this virtual day, we shall look at some examples or patterns of sculptural work done by African sculptors while trying to identify or pick up any messages of poverty reduction in some of these historical works.

 

Legacies and Gifts Day (28 October 2020): Representation of Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (i.e. period before the 1960s)

During the Legacies and Gifts Day of MMD, we shall deal with the best sustainable and non- conflicting way of representing Historical African Figures of the Pre-independence Era (i.e.  a period before the 1960s).

This treatment of African history will be done in a way that avoids or minimises conflicts between previous and future generations, between the past and current worlds.  In other words, efforts will be made to find ways of best representing African historical figures while avoiding conflicts between generations, between ethnic groups, between civilisations.  In doing so, we shall try to build bridges between generations.

Briefly, the overall purpose of the MMD materials from African Sculpture and Figures Representation will be to extirpate the historical legacies and foundations in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa.  They will be about finding out sculptural messages about how African sculpture and figures representation have helped to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development during the above defined era.  

To engage with this year’s MMD theme and or support this project, please contact CENFACS on this site. 

 

• • Making Memorable Difference Timeline

 

2009: CENFACS recognised environmental sustainability.

2010: We acknowledged and honoured sports contributions and history in relieving collective poverty and improving community lives beyond fitness and beyond individualistic achievements.

2011: We recollected, remembered and revered caregiving talents and legacies of young carers in enhancing human development (their own development and other people’s development) by reducing the burden of poverty.

2012: We dedicated our historical recognition to Africa’s Global Game Runners and the Science of Running.

2013: Our two days were about the Memorable Difference Made and brought by Working Poor (Miners & Factory Workers) in relieving poverty. We consecrated them to the historical study of The Role of Working Poor Miners and Factory Workers of Natural Resources and Extractive Industries in the Poverty Relief in Africa since the Berlin Conference (1884-5).

2014: We celebrated the place of the African Music and Dance in the pre– and post-colonial eras, the late 1950s and the early 1960s. This celebration focused on the African History of Singing and Dancing and their Impacts on Liberation and Freedoms.

2015: Making Memorable Difference focused on African Negotiators of the History. 

2016: We remembered the Protectors and Guardians of the African History and Heritage. 

2017: We acknowledged the Communicators of the African History 

2018: We learnt about African Communications and Oral History

2019: We searched on the African Health History

For further details about these past MMD events, please 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!

30 September 2020

 

Post No. 163

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• To be Launched this Autumn 2020: Autumn Humanitarian Relief Appeal 2020

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project – Goal No. 2: Reduction of Consumption Poverty

• Coming this October 2020: Making Memorable Difference Project

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• To be Launched this Autumn 2020: Autumn Humanitarian Relief Appeal 2020

 

Our humanitarian appeal for Autumn 2020 will be soon launched this October 2020 and will be live on the Support Us page of this website at cenfacs.org.uk/support-us/

This appeal is about supporting needy people, flora, fauna, communities and organisations in Africa.  It will include the following five selected projects: 

1/ Skills for Building Back Better

2/ Symmetry Project

3/ Gender into Covid-19 Economic Recovery in Africa

4/ Back-to-School Support

5/ Save Flora and Fauna projects

A brief summary of these projects will be posted on the same page Support Us (http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/) of this website. 

The full project proposals of each project making this appeal will be available should any of the potential donor or funder makes a request. 

Donors and funders can directly and respectively donate or fund these projects. 

A message about this appeal can also be passed on to a person who is in a position and willing to support.  Many thanks to those who will be passing this message!

We understand that the world is experiencing an extremely difficult time with the coronavirus pandemic which has enormously disrupted the functioning of many economies, including the ability of people to support good and deserving causes. 

The effects of this health crisis are even stronger in place where there is a high level of poverty like in Africa.  This is why we will be launching this seasonal appeal to help not only to reduce poverty but also to save lives from the coronavirus disaster.

Once this appeal is live, we are inviting those who can to donate £2 to create 2 benefits (1 benefit for humans and 1 benefit for other natural livings) or any amount starting from £2 or more as you wish. 

You can gift aid your donation as well as support these projects in a way that is the most suitable and related to your situation, capacity and willingness.

To donate, gift aid and support otherwise; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project – Goal No. 2: Reduction of Consumption Poverty

 

This week, we are starting the implementation process of our 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.  We are doing it through Poverty Reduction Goal 2, which is Reduction of Consumption Poverty.

Indeed, poverty comes in all shapes and sizes.  One of the types of poverty that people experience is the one related to the lack or insufficient consumption both in quality and quantity.  In our 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda, we will be working with local organisations and people to improve ways of reducing poverty linked to consumption while taking stock about the work which has been undertaken so far. 

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided more information about Goal 2 of our 2020s Programme and Agenda; information which we are inviting you to read and share.

 

 

 

• Coming this October 2020: Making Memorable Difference Project

In Focus: History of African Sculpture and Representation of Historical African Figures of the Pre-independence Era (Period before the 1960s)

 

Let us first start by defining sculpture in order to make sense of what is the focus of Making Memorable Difference (MMD) Project.  Using Chambers’ Concise Dictionary (1), it says that sculpture is

“the art or act of carving or modelling with clay, wood, stone, plaster, etc.” (p. 1108)

Sculpture can help in understanding history or just the past.  It can as well help us to build imagination and represent better those who made the African world in which many Africans are living in today. 

Through the MMD Project, we shall try to identify history makers or historical figures of the pre-independence era in Africa.  Some of these people, who could be called historical figures and have their recognised place in our memory for the difference they made in their time and for the legacies they left which are being celebrated today, will be remembered during the two days of the delivery of MMD Project.   

So, as part of our Season of Autumn of Building Back Better Africa, we will be working on way of building back better the African sculpture and the Historical African Figures of the Pre-independence Era.  To do that one may need to reassess the contribution of these figures while comparing the pre-independence to post-independence/democratic periods of the 21^st Century.  

The above is just a brief about the theme of this year’s MMD Project.  For any enquiries about this brief or any other information, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Individual Capacity Development Activity: Application of the Model of Change Curve

 

As part of our Individual Capacity Development Activity in this Autumn of Acceptance and Integration, we are asking to those who can to apply the model of change curve by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (2) at their personal and individual level. 

The purpose of this exercise is to use the two stages (acceptance and integration) from her 5 stages model to try to look at the possibility of accepting and integrating the effects of the coronavirus shock into their work/life balance. 

One can hope that by doing the exercise this can help them in the process of building back better from the ill or side effects of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. 

We are as well asking to those who may have done or will do this acceptance and integration exercise to share their outcomes or experiences. 

To discuss any issue regarding these requests related to the Individual Capacity Development Activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Back to the Upkeep of the Nature with the Theme of “Blue Spaces”: What to take away

 

Our three weeks activity on the “Blue Spaces” is now over.  However, we shall continue to work and campaign on issues related to the “Blue Spaces” as part of our conservation and heritage areas of work.

Following on the “Blue Spaces” theme, we would like to share with you these three takeaways:

(1) There is a need to develop or improve the model of working together with local people through the “Blue Spaces”

(2) Both poverty reduction and sustainable development can be blue

(3) Maintaining healthy relationships between any human efforts to reduce poverty and “Blue Spaces” can help to conserve the blue biodiversity.

As part of the monitoring and evaluation process of the “Blue Spaces” theme, we would like you to give us your views on the three notes related to this theme and your own experience of the “Blue Spaces” in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Thank you for your support.

 

 

 

• Virtual Open Day and Hours (VODHs) End but Advice Service Continues…

 

Our September Month of Advice-giving Sessions (of VODHs) ends today.  However, our advice service will continue as advice is part of the service we provide. 

For those who need advice and who could not contact us on the day (every Fridays of September 2020) and hours (between 10am and 2pm), they can still seek advice online, 24 hours and 7 days a week.

 

To request advice and or any other services (such as Basic Community Support, Consume to Reduce Poverty, Bridging Financial Information Gap), please have a look at http://cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities/

 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who contacted us for advice and or made enquiries about our other services. 

Need advice; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Poverty Reduction Goals Project – Goal No. 2: Reduction of Consumption Poverty

 

Reduction of Consumption Poverty is one of the seven goals making CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.  Before looking at this second goal of our 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda, let us define those who are called consumption poor.

 

• • Who is consumption poor?

 

Referring to the resource provided by the website www.borgenmanagerial.com (3), it is possible to argue that consumption poor are

“those who live or may be living above the income poverty line but spend the majority of their income on food or health care, rendering them unable to afford proper housing”.

Bearing in mind that the value of the international standard is $3.20 a day, this definition could be disputable.  However, it provides some insights to the understanding of consumption poor as well as it can help to measure consumption poverty at individual and household levels.  

Consumption poverty can as well be better understood by using various quantitative and qualitative measures.  One of the many measures or indicators used multilateral agencies is the Prevalence of Undernourishment. 

For instance, in a collective publication by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and other multilateral agencies (4), they argue that

“By 2030, the projected rise in the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) would bring the number of hungry people in Africa to almost 433 million, 412 of whom would be in Sub-Saharan countries” (p. 10)

They further claim in the same publication that

“Africa has the highest PoU and the second highest number of undernourished people, accounting for 36.4 per cent of the global total” (p. 15)

With the current health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the PoU could increase just as the number of consumption poor in Africa could be higher than what any estimate may provide.

Once one understands or defines consumption poverty and its measures, they can then try to do something about it.  One way of doing something is to tackle or reduce it.

 

• • Reduction of consumption poverty

 

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.

Tackling any types of poverty (including consumption poverty) implies dealing with its root causes, improving way of measuring it through consumption-based poverty index or indicators and developing a strategy or plan of action to deal with it. 

In the case of CENFACS, we have developed the 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme in terms of framework of action.  

 

• • • CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda

 

The 2020s Development Agenda is a series of processes and tools defining the 2020s development framework that will enable CENFACS deliver its poverty reduction goals.

It is indeed a summary and coherent list of the issues and challenges that poor people are facing in 2020 and will face throughout the 2020s; issues and challenges that need to be addressed in order to reduce and end poverty in Africa.  These issues and challenges will shape the kind of poverty reduction work CENFACS will do with its Africa-based Sister Organisations and local people. 

 

• • • CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme (C2020sPRP)

 

C2020sPRP, which is a group of related projects and activities organised in a coordinated way to reduce and possibly end poverty, aims at identifying and reaching out to extremely poor and help them out of poverty through sustainable development means.

The programme, which has a ten year vision to change lives, has a long term poverty reduction commitment and various phases or tranches while aiming at achieving collective benefits or outcomes of the projects and activities making it. 

The programme, which is a collection or package of projects and activities, has been under the responsibility of a programme manager inside CENFACS to ensure that the overall goal of poverty reduction is delivered and preserved.

The programme, which reflects our knowledge and experience of poverty in Africa and the UK, is not an end itself but an open dialogue with those in need and CENFACS’ stakeholders in continuing to search for solutions about the current, new and emerging problems of poverty in the era of a changing climate and in the new Age of the coronavirus pandemic.

The programme, which is a renewed commitment with CENFACS’ stakeholders, plans to share good practice in poverty reduction and sustainable development in innovative ways while seeking to develop knowledge, research and skills within the CENFACS community.

In order to achieve the overall aim of the programme, the programme has been equipped with some goals, targets and indicators so that we know the direction of travel we are taking, whether or not we are reaching our fixed objective and how we can measure what we are doing.

In practical terms, it means breaking down this programme and each goal into specific targets or objectives.  This is what we are trying to do with Goal number 2 of this programme, which is the “Reduction of Consumption Poverty”.

 

• • Objectives related to the goal of reduction of consumption poverty

 

This goal covers the following objectives:

√ Improvement of access to anti-poverty programmes in the area of consumption for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and their beneficiaries

√ Tackling the lack of ownership of durable goods that many of their users are experiencing

√ Enhancement of access and availability of resources for consumption poor people

√ Developing means for them to create their own savings while making better use of these savings

√ Ensuring they consume sustainably, safely and healthily

The above are the kinds of targets or objectives that stemmed from the consultations we had with our ASOs and local people; targets that everyone invested in these consultations wish them to reach by the end of the 2020s. 

However, due to circumstances and factors that may be uncontrollable (like the coronavirus pandemic and climate change), it is better to be moderate and cautious in terms of any ambition to reach these objectives.  Also, ten years or so are so many years to go and many things can happen. 

Nonetheless, if one wants to reduce poverty and do development, they need to have a plan of action on how they are going to go about it.  It could be a one month, one year, five years or ten years, etc.  They must have something beforehand. 

One could hope that by the end of the 2020s, these objectives could be reached.  Like in any agenda and programme of action, there will be monitoring, evaluation, reviews and progress assessment as we go along to make sure that this goal 2 is on track as well as the entire 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.    

For any enquiries or queries about this programme and or the Goal 2, please contact CENFACS.

_________

(1) Chambers Concise Dictionary © Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd 2009 (www.chambers.co.uk)

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

(3) https://www.borgenmagazine.com/the-best-way-to-measure-poverty/

(4) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2020: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 – Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets.  Rome, FAO (https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9692en)

 

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!

23 September 2020

 

Post No. 162

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Autumn Help to Build Back Better

• Build Back Better Fauna and Flora

• Back to the Upkeep of the Nature, In Focus for Week Beginning 21/09/2020: The Place of the “Blue Spaces” in Sustainable Development in Africa

 

… and much more! 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Autumn Fresh Start Help and Resources

 

Autumn Fresh Start Help normally strikes or kicks off our Autumn programme.  It is our Autumn project striker.  Autumn Fresh Start Help and Resources are made of fresh start skills, tips, hints, tweaks, hacks, etc.  These are help and resources designed to overcome poverty and hardships. 

However, we explained last week that this year’s Autumn within CENFACS may not be about Freshness or Fresh Start due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.  Instead, it would be about Acceptance and Integration to Build Back Better.

Despite that the title of our Autumn ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) resource known as Fresh Autumn Start will remain unchanged.  But, the focus for this year’s Issue of this resource will be on Building Back Better.  For this year, our Autumn project striker is Autumn Help to Build Back Better.

 

• • Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) resources

 

Autumn Help to Build Back Better comes with Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) resources.  The highlights of the 2020 Edition of FAS is within the context of the Pandemic Year. 

Our keywords for this Autumn are acceptance and integration to build back better.  The context in which we will be using these key words is of the dominance of the coronavirus pandemic over 2020.

Further details about these key words and contextual framework are given below under the Main Development section of this post.

 

• • Advice-giving as part of Autumn Fresh Start Help and Resources

 

Our advice-giving month of September continues as planned and will end next month.  Advice-giving is also part of our Autumn Fresh Start Help and Resources.  Although we put particular emphasis on advice-giving activity in our September engagement, other aspects of Autumn Fresh Start or striker are also important and will continue beyond September.

To ask for Help to Build Back Better and or access Fresh Start Resources, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Build Back Better Flora and Fauna (BBBFF)

 

In the process of Building Back Better from the Covid-19 disaster, one should make sure that the other living beings are not left behind.  This attention to other beings (like plants and animals) should be done; although during lockdowns some positive data have been recorded showing, for example the reduction of pollution in some cities, the decrease in noise and human traffic (including motor traffic, aircraft, etc.).  

BBBFF is one of our Starting XI Projects.  Through this Starting Project, we are continuing to advocate for the protection of animals in Africa and elsewhere in developing world whereby animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some species are at the brink of disappearing. 

Our fauna advocacy aims at dealing with ways of tackling the threats to survival in the wild facing by the world’s big cats (such as lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, clouded leopard, etc.), the world’s majestic animals and symbols of power and courage.

Animals such as jaguars, tigers, elephants, snakes, alligators, rhinoceroses, etc. are under threat.  There are several reasons about it which include: hunting, illicit and illegal trade, over-harvesting, habitat loss, climate change, poaching, etc.

CENFACS’ Build Back Better Animals or Fauna advocacy is to advocate for the enhancement of protection of endangered, threatened and vulnerable species. 

In this process, we are as well interested in efforts made to protect animals from diseases including the coronavirus.  For example, people can still remember how tuberculosis killed elephants in South Africa, a few years ago. 

We are as well extending our advocacy to other species in danger like trees, plans and flowers (flora).  It is a two scopes campaign of Building Back Better Fauna and Flora.  This year’s advocacy for flora and fauna will include two actions:

(1) Action to integrate Covid-19 restrictions into the flora and fauna advocacy

This action is about following and applying to letter the health advice and restrictions with regard to plants and animals as far as Covid-19 is concerned.

(2) Actions to recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction  

This action is about making sure that, plants and animals regain, restore and rebuild their lives.

Building Back Better Fauna and Flora is only an iceberg of the wide natural creature protection campaign. 

CENFACS’ Build Back Better Fauna and Flora is run this week until the last week of September 2020 and will be soon after followed by our Autumn environmental umbrella campaign, “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action to Upkeep the Nature in Existence) project. 

“A la une”will take Build Back Better Fauna and Flora advocacy to the other level of environmental communications.  It will focus on the Restoration of Ecological Infrastructures in Africa.

To advocate and raise your voice to build back better endangered species, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Back to the Upkeep of the Nature, In Focus for Week Beginning 21/09/2020: The Place of the “Blue Spaces” in Sustainable Development in Africa

   

This is the last note of our “Blue Spaces” theme.  In this last note, we are dealing with the Place of the “Blue Spaces” in Sustainable Development in Africa.

The “Blue Spaces” have a role to play and a place to occupy in sustainable development.  Indeed, many people and communities depend for their livelihoods on the biodiversity from the “Blue Spaces” and their surrounding environment.  Also, the “Blue Spaces” can absorb carbon dioxide. 

In the above circumstances, it is pointless to argue that the “Blue Spaces” play a vital role and have an important place in sustainable development in Africa and elsewhere.  It is not a surprise that the United Nations made life below water as its sustainable development goal no. 14 as part of the Agenda 2030. 

To maintain the place and role of the “Blue Spaces” in sustainable development in Africa and elsewhere, there is a need to protect them from land-based pollution and unsustainable use of resources from them.  This protection should be in times of peace and war. 

It is possible to aim at a model of poverty reduction and development that is non-polluting and not reliant on unsustainable use of natural resources from the “Blue Spaces”.  It is as well possible to work together to make sure that Blue Sustainable Development is preserved in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic; a sustainable development model that is “Blue Spaces” friendly. 

To support this note and/or the all “Blue Spaces” theme or to get information about it, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Capacity Development in Building Back Better

 

Some people can easily restart life after a shock like the coronavirus pandemic.   Others can manage their working life and take new initiatives at the start of a new season and after returning from the Covid-19 lockdown.  Other more may struggle or find it difficult to resume their activity or simply may take such a long time to restart since they had a long period of economic inactivity during the lockdown.

 

• • Capacity is needed to build back better from the Covid-19 disaster

 

As part of back-to-relief programme, we are looking forward to working with people in need to redevelop their capacity to build back better.  To build back better, it requires a certain level of capacity, especially as we are in a situation whereby certain capacities have been destroyed and some people are coming from economic inactivity due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.  Likewise, more people can go back to economic inactivity if the coronavirus spikes increase.

To enable them to have a smooth return or transition as the economies are starting the work of rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction, it makes sense to have their capacity maintained and redeveloped.

 

• • What is capacity development to build back better?

 

This is a set of Autumn support made of fresh start essentials.  It is a process through which their capacity (that is their ability to perform functions of fresh start life is re-established or redeveloped) is recreated.  This process includes fresh start skills, knowledge and resources.  This redevelopment of capacity will go beyond their specific area of work to include capacity in some areas of health protection since the world is still battling against Covid-19. 

To enquire about Capacity Development to Build Back Better, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• African Poverty Reduction Movements in the Era of Covid-19

How African Poverty Reduction Movements can identify themselves in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic

 

Under CENFACS’ be.africa Forum, we are discussing the future development of poverty reduction movements (like the protest movements in Algeria).  Our discussion is about the link between poverty reduction movements, poor people and African organisations in Africa.  During this week’s discussions, we shall revisit the current and previous poverty reduction movements while having an outlook in terms of their prospects in terms of their contribution to poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa.

This week, we are working on the interaction between the three entities, particularly on how the link between them can reshape outcomes about poverty reduction and sustainable development for poor people, where these movements take place in Africa in the era of the coronavirus pandemic.  Our discussion will indeed be about how these movements identify them in the battle against Covid-19 while keeping the integrity of their agendas about poverty reduction and sustainable development working according plans.      

To join and or add your input to this Autumn discussion, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Mission Year and Advice-giving Month

 

CENFACS’ 2020 Mission Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  In the context of Advice-giving Month, it is about linking this mission with the need to work together with vulnerable people and communities so that they can access life-protecting and –saving advice during this Autumn and beyond.

Working with local people to have appropriate choice of activities to reduce poverty and hardships will be the kinds of Mission we are having this month.  It is about working with them to find advice service and activities that are relevant to their needs of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  This is because not all types of advice can gear towards poverty reduction and sustainable development.   

The link between the Mission Year and Advice-giving Month is finally expressed in our efforts to help people and communities to help themselves to reduce poverty while working with them to access relevant advisory recipes to build back better from the adverse impacts caused by the Covid-19.

To enquire about how CENFACS will implement its mission and advice service at the same time, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development 

 

• Autumn Help to Build Back Better

            

• • What is Fresh Autumn Start (FAS)

 

FAS is a continuation of our Summer Support projects into the Autumn season.  It is a building block or additional back up of useful survival tips and hints to embrace Autumn as smoothly and trouble-freely as possible. 

It includes real life situations that users may face when and as they return from their Summer Break or season on one hand, and possible leads to proffer solutions to their arising Autumn needs on the other hand.

This FAS resource is not exhaustive or an end itself.  It has to be completed with other resources.  It is a good basic insight into a Fresh Start as it provides helpful advisory tools for a Fresh Start and confidence building for the rest of the Autumn season.  It could also be used as a reference for users to engineer their own idea of Fresh Start and the sustained management of autumn needs. 

The focus for this year’s FAS is on Building Back Better.  This focus was carefully chosen after considering what happened during this Summer with the coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns.  It has been agreed to focus on supporting beneficiaries to build back better after the effects of Covid-19 and lockdown rather than just expecting them to come back from the lockdown to freshly start as if no major crisis happened during Summer 2020.

At the end of this resource, there are some websites addresses or directories for help and support.  These sources of help and support are not exhaustive.  We have mainly considered third sector organisations and service providers as well as social enterprises. 

For further or extended list of service providers for your Autumn needs, one can contact their local authorities and service directories (both online and print).

 

• • The Focus of Fresh Autumn Start 2020 Edition

 

This Autumn, we are approaching Fresh Start Help from the perspective of building back better.   We know that Covid-19 is not over and the battle against it continues.  There is a probability for coronavirus spikes.  This is why we argued a case about a Sinusoidal Autumn, whereby there could be rises followed by decreases (and vice versa) of the epidemiological curves (epi-curves) of the coronavirus during this Autumn. 

However, since the economies are doing the work of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction; we too are trying to find our way to help those in need in starting to build back better while prudently shadowing the stages of coronavirus outbreak or the evolution of the epi-curves of the coronavirus pandemic.    

Throughout this Autumn, we will try to work with beneficiaries in helping them to meet their basic life-sustaining needs of building back better in the context of the sinusoidal Autumn due to the persisting effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  We will as well work with them on the model of change they may embrace in terms of acceptance and integration of the effects of the coronavirus shock.  This will mostly be at individual level to meet individual needs after the first shock of Covid-19 while keeping an eye on any erupting effects of any probable shock waves of the Covid-19 during this Autumn.

So, Fresh Autumn Start will deal with the needs to build back better from the first Covid-19 shock, subsequent lockdown and any potential shock waves from Covid-19 this Autumn and beyond.

 

• • Key summaries of the contents of FAS 2020 Edition

 

The contents for 2020 Edition of Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) include:

• Autumn scenarios and actions to take

• Examples of Summer Break Expenses Track Record and Autumn Build-Back-Better Budget

• People needs and Autumn leads

• Integration of threats

• What you can get from CENFACS

• Autumn online and digital resources

 

• • • Possible Autumn Scenarios and Possible Actions

 

When returning from Summer Break and/or season or coronavirus-induced lockdown, people can find themselves in a variety of situations depending on their own individual circumstances and life experiences.  This variety of situations may require or be expected to be matched with a diversity of responses in order to meet people’s Autumn needs.  These variable circumstances and diverse responses or a course of actions can take the different shapes as well as can be framed in order to take into account the adverse impacts of climate change.

 

• • • Examples of Summer Break Expenses Track Record and Autumn Build-Back-Better Budget

 

Tracking down and reassessing summer break/season expenses is a positive step to put one through a positive start for the Autumn season.  As part of this positive step, FAS is packed with an example of Summer Break Expenses Track Record.

Budgeting Autumn items and needs is also good for a Fresh Start and for overall control over the start and rest of autumn season expenses.  Since our focus is on build back better, one can write a build back better budget.  Such a budget will help in costing the activities planned in the process of building back better.

To support this financial control, FAS contains two examples of budgets: Autumn build back better budget and fresh start budget.   

 

• • • People’s Needs and Autumn Leads 

               

Variable circumstances can obviously result in multiple needs.  One of these circumstances is the exceptional conditions of Covid-19 and lockdowns.  To meet those needs, we may have to gather resources, tools and institutions to guide us.  The 2020 Edition of FAS provides a table that gives an idea of the likely leads to satisfy people’s needs or just to guide them.

 

• • • Integrating the threats from the adverse impacts of various factors into FAS

 

The particularity of FAS 2020 edition is that it integrates the life-threatening impacts of the coronavirus and the probable adverse impacts of climate change.  This integration is at the levels of possible Autumn scenarios, Autumn budget and arising needs.  It is the integration of both life-sustaining needs and life-threatening impacts of the coronavirus and climate change. 

 

• • • What You Can Get from CENFACS in Autumn under Autumn Help to Build Back Better

 

The set of help provided in the FAS 2020 to Build Back Better is part of CENFACS’ UK arm of services and additional services we set up to overcome the negative effects of the coronavirus and lockdown.  Besides that it further takes into account specific needs of people that may require specialist organisations and or institutions to deal with them.  In which case CENFACS can signpost or refer the applicants to those third parties.

We hope that the basic tips and hints making the contents of FAS 2020 Edition will help you in some aspects of your Autumn needs.

Wishing you a Safe and Healthy Autumn season, and good work of Building Back Better!

 

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.