Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

25 March 2020

 

Post No. 136

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Virtual Support during the Coronavirus Pandemic

• FACS Issue No. 67: Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa

• Climate Action Month, Week Four Beginning 23/03/2020 – In Focus: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Accounts 

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Virtual Support during the Coronavirus Pandemic (VSCP)

 

Last week, we told you that this Spring Relief is a special one as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed us to adapt our activities and services to the on-going health crisis.  This week, we are continuing these adaptation and mitigation by re-organising our virtual support.  We are doing it as many people have been affected by this crisis.

During this exceptional time of coronavirus pandemic crisis, many people are experiencing difficulties in meeting their basic life-sustaining needs and in accessing basic goods to run their daily life.  These difficulties include: shopping to secure basic foods, coping with self-isolation or confinement, managing social distancing, etc.  Other people lost their jobs or closed their business or any useful occupation. Other more have been forced to work from home and online.

This is why we are organising a Virtual Support during the Coronavirus Pandemic to help people manage without pain or with minimal pain this exceptional circumstance.  

 

What is VSCP?

VSCP is about adapting our activities to help users or beneficiaries and our supporters, who have been adversely affected by the increase health risk, to mitigate coronavirus-related problems.  This support, which is part of our contingency plan, is a different way of providing service to help reduce the impact of coronavirus outbreak and crisis. 

VSCP, which is also flexible and supportive, is designed to ensure that needs are met during this unprecedented period.  It has been conceptualised after a coronavirus risk assessment was carried out. 

As the adjective virtual says, users or beneficiaries and supporters do not have to physically move in order to access the support and meet their needs.  In practical terms, VSCP enables people in need to virtually access our advice services and other similar services in order to reduce or avoid sanitary poverty linked to the conditions that coronavirus crisis may cause.

For example to adapt our project known as ‘Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change’ in line with the coronavirus crisis, we have slightly altered it as ‘Consume to Reduce Sanitary Poverty and the Impacts of Health Insecurity’.  Through this specific and circumstantial line of support, we can provide you with basic tips and hints regarding shopping ideas during the coronavirus crisis.

 

What’s on offer through VSCP

You can

√ Talk and discuss together about your poverty or hardship problem or case

√ Seek advice, support, information, guidance, lead, etc.

√ Get signposted or referral if required and where services are open during the coronavirus pandemic crisis

You do not need to physically move as we all required avoiding non-essential activities in order to help slow down and contain the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Accessing VSCP

To access VSCP, you do not need to register with us.  You can either phone or email or text or complete the contact form on this website with your query or enquiry, and send it to CENFACS.  CENFACS will get back to you.

To access or enquire about VSCP, please contact CENFACS.

 

~ FACS Issue No. 67

The next issue of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 67 will be entitled as follows:

Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa

How Africa-based Organisations can bring extractive activities in line with poverty reduction and ecological sustainability

 

This is an interesting Issue in times when the world is struggling in dealing with one of the toughest health crisis of a generation, crisis brought by the Coronavirus Pandemic that has life-threatening impacts of serious magnitude.  It is as well a challenging Issue as Africa may soon head towards a double crisis (sanitary and economic) in the complex contexts of flight of foreign capital abroad, over-indebtedness and fall in revenues from the sale of raw materials and tourism.   

Under the Main Development section of the post, we have provided a short introduction and the key notes that will make the content pages of this Issue No. 67 of FACS. 

 

 

 

~ Climate Action Month, Week Four Beginning 23/03/2020 – In Focus: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Accounts 

 

Our Climate Action has entered its last phase this week with Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR).  Although this last action has been disturbed by the coronavirus pandemic, it is about using natural resources in a sustainable way since their availability for human use is finite.

In practical terms, we are looking at how Africa-based organisations are doing in helping to manage natural resources.  The action will focus on the following areas of work: conservation of wildlife and ecosystems, minimisation of environmental impacts and environmental change. 

The action will as well consider their initiatives in the following matters: avoidance of degradation and destruction of natural resources, solutions to the problem of water balance and the improvement of conditions of resources.

The action goes far in considering the coronavirus pandemic crisis, particularly how this pandemic crisis may be also an opportunity to remind ourselves the need to sustainably and responsibly manage natural resources.

One thing is to say that one is doing something; another thing is to demonstrate this through evidence-based how this action is taken.  So, in order to make sure that this action on SMNR is effective, the publication and availability of their natural accounts related SMNR would help in showing the extent to which they are dealing with the management.  Their accounts can show actions undertaken in sustainably using natural resources, in evaluating their stocks of natural resources, if any, and in measuring environmental degradation.

Briefly, our last climate action of the month will be on the sustainable management of natural resources.  This action will as well look at their handling of accounts related to natural resources.

To enquire about CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Weeks and any of the areas of focus of these actions, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ ReLive Issue No. 12: Coronavirus Spring Project

 

The 12^th Issue of our ReLive Spring Fundraising campaign resource will be about Saving, Rebuilding and Sustaining Lives of the Victims of Coronavirus Pandemic.   This theme has been selected due to the dramatic effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic on our work over this Spring and on our project beneficiaries.  Following the discussion we had, it has been resolved to include the victims of the Coronavirus Pandemic in any of our fundraising appeals for this Spring.

The Coronavirus Spring Project, which is one of those appeals, is about adding value to other similar works and efforts which have been already undertaken so that the poorest people are not left behind during and after the tragic events of coronavirus pandemic.

You can find more details about the Coronavirus Spring Project under the page support us at   http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/  

To support and get further information about this project, just contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

~ ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource, Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2020 Issue: Holiday without Covid-19

 

The next Issue of our ICDP Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ will focus on ways of passing, whether it is forced or voluntary, holiday or break without putting yourself and others at risk of getting Covid-19 during this Spring and beyond.

The Resource will give general and specific advisory tips and hints to nullify or minimise the life-threatening impacts of Covid-19 on ourselves and people around us.

Because of the specific conditions that Covid-19 has created on human habits and social gatherings, the resource will go an extra mile with some advice on adaptation and mitigation in order to manage the health challenge and crisis we are facing today.

The resource does not stop there as it reiterates the advice and measures already given to people for not to spread the virus but to slow it down and contain it as much as one can.  It reiterates them in a different and enriched way so that people can apply them but not think they are burden upon them.

To enquire about the next Issue of Holiday with Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

  

 

~ Covid-19, Sanitation Poverty and Natural Resource Management

 

As Covid-19 crisis continues to grow, we are keeping on thinking and discussing its impacts on our work as well as on the health, safety and well-being of poor people and the world in general.

This week, as part of our thoughts on Covid-19, we are dealing with sanitation poverty and the impacts of Covid-19 on natural resource management.  As we are trying to fight Covid-19, we are as well striving to reduce sanitation poverty and to sustainably use natural resources.

Let us look at its possible links with sanitation and natural resource management.  Before that, let us explain sanitation poverty in brief.

 

What is sanitation poverty?

Sanitary or sanitation poverty is the state of having little or no sanitary equipment and tools or no money to buy them in order to survive and live.  It is indeed the lack of control of physical factors in the environment that can harm human health.  In this unusual time of the coronavirus pandemic, one could be facing a double fight: fight against coronavirus and fight against sanitary poverty.

 

Covid-19 and sanitation poverty

There could be some probable links between Covid-19 and sanitation poverty if people and communities are experiencing difficulties in having sanitary resources to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic.  If this lack of sanitary resources together with the lack of money becomes continuous or repetitive, they could lead to sanitation poverty.  In this respect, there could be a link between Covid-19 and sanitation poverty.  In particular, when people and communities fail to be free from germs (as a result of a lack of sanitary items) and increase the risk of spreading the virus to others.

 

Covid-19 and natural resource management

Covid-19 poses not only a challenge about the reduction of sanitary poverty, but it also raises the debate over natural resource management.  Covid-19 could reveal the typing point and be a perfect case about the concern on natural resource management. 

It poses a natural problem in terms of sustainably and responsibly using and managing natural resources in order to fight a virus disease.  We have so far seen the scenes of people trying to stockpile goods and foods to the detriment of others, let alone the conflicts and price increases to buy those goods and foods.  But, it is also at the expense of non-renewable or natural resources.

It is possible to fight and stop Covid-19 without creating or increasing sanitation poverty as well as without misusing or mismanaging natural resources on which the lives of everybody depend upon.  The Covid-19 thoughts continue…  

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 67

 

The next issue of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 67 will be entitled as follows:

Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa

How Africa-based Organisations can bring extractive activities in line with poverty reduction and ecological sustainability

 

• • What this issue will be about

 

This short introduction gives an idea about it.

The activities related to the removal of natural resources (such as oil, gas , minerals, etc.) from the ground often have impacts on the interrelationships between organisms and their environment, on physical factors that can harm human health, and on the need to reduce poverty. 

Because of this series of harmful impacts on human health and the environment that these activities can create, there is a need to make sure that when these activities are carried out they also help diminish poverty and contribute to a good structure and function of nature. 

Historically speaking, there has been a number of high profile cases whereby these activities undermine the needs of poverty reduction and ecological sustainability.  Many of these activities do produce some benefits in terms of local employment and taxation for States where these activities happen.  However, these benefits may not be enough compared to the return they do get from investments made. 

For example, employing local labour to perform these activities may not be enough if jobs created do not address poverty or if simply the workers become in-working poor.  Likewise, these activities can fall short if they do not improve ecological sustainability from the negative externalities they are creating. 

Reducing poverty and improving ecological sustainability are more a commitment than just doing some symbolic gesture towards the local economy so that to be seen as trying to do something.  Moreover, running some symbolic green projects around extractive activities may not be enough to resolve the ecological damage these activities may create. 

In this context, Africa-based organisations working on poverty reduction and ecological sustainability issues can hold these activities to account.  They can make sure that poverty reduction and ecological sustainability to be at the centre of these activities rather than on the periphery. 

This central position of poverty reduction and ecological sustainability should be conditional to the implementation of these activities.  This is without forgetting sanitation as these activities bring as well sanitary problems.  Taking on board sanitation in the way makes sense as the world of today with the coronavirus pandemic has reminded us the importance of health and sanitation in our lives.

However, Africa-based organisations cannot go alone in this difficult mission.  They need to work together with other players relevant to these activities while adopting a multi-stakeholding approach. 

Additionally, Africa-based organisation should consider economic conditions of the time such as the flight of foreign capital abroad, the fall of revenues from the sale of raw materials and tourism, the over-indebtedness, etc.  Some of these conditions have been caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

So, the 67^th Issue will explore ways that Africa-based organisations can take in order to bring extractive activities in line with poverty reduction and ecological sustainability while considering the new conditions or context of working that the coronavirus pandemic has brought.

 

• • What kind contents will make the pages of this Issue

 

The following key notes will be developed to make the main theme of the 67^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter:

Relationships between mining companies and Africa-based organisations

Do minerals raise finances or increase poverty in Africa?

Advocacy groups and mining in Africa

Foreign direct investment in the natural resources

Equating foreign direct investment in the natural resources and poverty reduction

Natural resource management, ecological management and poverty reduction

Attractiveness of foreign direct investment and ethical investors in the mining sector subject to poverty reduction

Are informal and artisanal miners trying to help themselves in ending their poverty?

Comment peut-on assurer que la plus grande valeur ajoutée minière générée soit retenue localement pour la réduction de la pauvreté?

Comment peut-on faire que l’économie politique de négotiation avec des investisseurs miniers étrangers soit favorable à la réduction de la pauvreté locale?

Comment peut-on plaider pour que le code minier soit aussi celui de réduction de la pauvreté?

Implications of mining activities for sanitary poverty reduction and the protection of the natural environment

What leverage can Africa-based organisations can have in bring extractive activities into line

Africa-based organisations as advocates against health insecurity and sanitary poverty in the mining field

How to hold to account extractive activities in the context of the flight of foreign capital abroad, the fall of revenues from the sale of raw materials and tourism, the over-indebtedness of economies

Advocates against sanitary poverty and unsustainable ecology (Project)

To reserve a copy of this issue or to get further information, 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 furture.

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 March 2020

 

Post No. 135

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Arrangements and Support during the Covid-19 Outbreak and Crisis

• Special Spring Relief 2020: Rebuilding and Health as a Joint Theme

• Climate Actions Month and Weeks – In Focus from Week Beginning 16/03/2020: Climate Change Pledges (Climate Action no. 3)

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Arrangements and Support during Covid-19 Outbreak and Crisis

 

We hope that everybody is keeping well.  For those who may have been seriously affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and crisis, we share all our thoughts and support them at this difficult time for everybody and the world we live in.

During this challenging period, we continue to run our services and projects while applying the relevant advice and guidance given by CENFACS’ Health and Safety Head, the voluntary sector, the UK government, the World Health Organisation as well as the medical and scientific experts on the matter.  Like anybody, we are following these health advice and sanitary precautions given and continuing to monitor the situation, reviews and updates.

During this particularly worrying time, we advise all our contacts and stakeholders (particularly but not exclusively users/beneficiaries) to keep the interaction with CENFACS via online and remotely until further notice.

We are not running any activity that will make people or the community to physically move to the event places during this crisis period.  All our physical events have been postponed until further notice as health and safety of everybody matter the most than everything else.  The above CENFACS’ Health Dashboard provides you with a brief regarding the state of functioning of services and activities.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise if you have expected us to attend any of your events, but we have not been able to do so.  Like everybody, we are following the chronicle of Covid-19 events as well as the advice and guidance regarding the organisation and attendance of events during the Covid-19 crisis.

For those who want to enquire and or access our services, they are free either to phone, text, email us or complete the comments box on our website with their enquiries.  We will respond or advise them accordingly.

For those who may have further support, sources of information and stories to tell and share to help keep everybody healthy and safe, please do not hesitate to tell and share them with us and others.   This is the time to be resilient, perseverant and to adapt our capacities and to come together to confront this deadly virus, Covid-19.

For those who want to find out more about advice, guidance and updates on Covid-19, they can look at the following sources:

https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/information/coronavirus

https://www.who.int/

https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/coronavirus.htm

For any query or enquiry about these arrangements and support, please contact CENFACS.

 

~ Special Spring Relief 2020: Rebuilding and Health as a Joint Theme

 

~~ General Spring theme

 

Generally, the key theme for Spring at CENFACS is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives, Infrastructures and Institutions.  In other words, Spring Relief is the season of rebuilding from what has been destroyed by wars, natural disasters, bad economic management, mistakes of the past, other disasters (like health crisis of Ebola or Covid-19), etc.  We need to rebuild in order to reduce poverty, stop its re-appearance and avoid the emergency of new types of poverty and new generations of poor people. 

The Winter Season of Light, which is ending in three days, gives us an opportunity to bring some lights and hopes to those in most need so that they can find the reasons to believe in life again.  The Season of Light tackles poverty as a lack of hope and expectations.  However, our work does not stop there. 

In Spring, we take the challenge of working with those in need to rebuild their lives, infrastructures, buildings, development of relationships, communities, etc. from the damage, loss and worse change experienced or caused.

So, the key words for the Spring Season are rebuilding and renewing.  We shall come back on these words with our advocacy project about Rebuilding Africa. 

 

~~ Spring Relief 2020 with Health or Sanitary Crisis as Special

 

This Spring 2020 is special in its kind as it is dominated by the health or sanitary crisis brought by the Coronavirus pandemic.  In other words, we are going to help reduce poverty over this Spring within the context of life-threatening impacts of the global Coronavirus pandemic.  This is a new context for our work and everybody.  It is a context of rebuilding and sustaining lives, infrastructures and institutions in the world of health or sanitary crisis.

To reflect this special character of this Spring 2020 in our poverty reduction work, we shall add to our usual Spring theme the theme of health.  It is in the combination of the ideas of rebuilding and health that our Spring Relief season will be organised. 

The announcement of Spring Relief comes with that of projects and programmes making it or the notes making its theme.  We have provided under the Main Development section of this post a selection of projects and programmes which will make this Spring – Spring Relief season. 

As said above, it is a selection.  Therefore, one should expect the introduction of new activities and the continuation of on-going initiatives like our all year round (or triple value) projects.  That is also to say, there will be additional projects and programmes as we progress throughout this Spring season. 

 

 

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks – In Focus from Week Beginning 16 March 2020: Climate Change Pledges (Climate Action no. 3)

 

As it is indicated by its title, Climate Action no. 3 is about the promises made either solemnly or not to reduce the adverse the impacts of climate change.  These promises or commitments, which could be monetary or real (non-monetary), can come from individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 13 (1), which is of taking action to combat climate change and its impacts, there is a target (target 4) that is about jointly (developed and developing countries) mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries  and help mitigate climate-related disasters. 

There are other pledges made by countries as part of the Paris Climate Summit; pledges in the forms of either cutting CO2 emissions by a certain percentage or reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an amount or even lowering their emissions intensity.

In the context this week’s climate action, we are as well looking at actions taken or that can be taken as promises by individuals or organisations to support our Africa-based organisations in their efforts and actions to reduce the impacts of climate change.       

For further details about this Action 3 and to support CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Weeks, please contact CENFACS.

(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

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ End-of-season Reminder!

Only 3 Days to Go for Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children in 2020!

 

We are nearing the end of the Light Season together with the closure of this year’s Halving Poverty Campaign. 

Since this fundraising campaign about the Educationally Needy Congolese Children will be closed in three days, we are again appealing to you to donate or pledge or make a gift aid declaration for this deserving cause. 

You can give a life-kicking educational support to the educationally needy children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We are fully aware that many people are having some pressure with the Coronavirus news and threats.  The measures about the Coronavirus have enormously disrupted the normal running of lives and plans.  It continues to claim many lives while taking us as hostage.  However, for those who can support this educational cause, please do not hesitate to help.

To support and or enquire about this Congolese fundraising campaign, please contact CENFACS.  To find out further details about this campaign, please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

~ Making Zero Hunger Campaign (MZHC) and The Global Sanitary Crisis

 

The Coronavirus pandemic that the world is experiencing has probably led to the current global sanitary crisis.  This sanitary crisis is affecting the distribution and availability of foods from food retailers, let alone the scarcity of sanitary items.  This crisis does not leave untouched our MZHC. 

If there is going to be pressure to access foods and sanitary goods, this could lead to price wars on these items, let alone the possibility of creating or increasing sanitary poverty.  The history tells us in this kind of pressurized context it is always the poor people who pay the price. 

If we are going to make zero hunger Africa and elsewhere, then the sanitary crisis together with the pandemic need to be under firm control.  Otherwise, lives will suffer from the effects of both the pandemic and the lack of availability of foods for poor people. 

Therefore, there is need to take up a decisive action in order to step up and coordinate efforts to combat the Coronavirus pandemic and the lack of foods and sanitary goods on the retail market.  

To enquire and or support MZHC during the global sanitary crisis, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ Covid-19, Health Budget and Fundraising

 

Our thoughts on Covid-19 have moved on this week to consider the health and sanitary budgets of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the aspects of fundraising to finance these budgets.

Indeed, like in many societies where voluntary organisations operate, ASOs, which are the closest economic entities to work with people in need, are also the ones that may not have the funding to face and adapt to the current threats that Coronavirus pandemic is posing.  Their health and sanitary budgets need to be looked at in terms of equipment and tools they need for their self-protection and the protection of other lives, especially the elderly and most vulnerable, from the Coronavirus pandemic.  They are essential and a force in a critical time of crisis of this kind and magnitude, as charities often get involved in dealing with many types of crisis or disaster by their virtue and experience.

Boosting their income and logistics to cover health and sanitary costs will have beneficial effects in delaying the spread of Covid-19 and in containing it.  Setting up a rapid fundraising mechanism to help the ASO budgets to support what governments and the rest of the society can do will have a bonus on what has been done so far and what has been planned to do to combat Covid-19. 

This new Coronavirus-related fundraising strategy is important since economies around the world are slowing down and non-essential economic activities have been temporary closed.  This would allow avoiding a low level of income stream since there could be some signs that the world economy could be leading towards a zero economic growth, without speaking about a recession in the near future.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue…       

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Special Spring Relief 2020: Rebuilding and Health as a Joint Theme

 

• • Spring Relief 2020 – In Focus: Sustainable Health

 

Our poverty relief work depends on many resources.  One of these resources is health.  At the moment, the world is undergoing a health and sanitary crisis.  Our services and users/beneficiaries are not exempt from this crisis. 

Because of the health and sanitary crisis that the world is facing is severe and for a generation, our projects and activities have been organised around the theme of health or sustainable health.

There are many ways of explaining the meaning of wealth.  From the literature we did, we can retain the definition of health as a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing characterised by freedom from illness or pain and that can be renewed over generations or long term without adverse impacts.  One can go further in defining health by integrating the sustainability dimension.

Sustainable health is then about protecting and improving health without simultaneously causing an environmental impact detrimental to human health.    It is the state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, that makes humans’ survival and flourishing being depend on sustaining life-supporting ecosystems in a stable state of equilibrium.

It is through this theme of sustainable health that we are going to engage stakeholders and work over this Spring.  We are going to do it by helping to reduce poverty within the context of life-threatening impacts of the global pandemic (like Coronavirus).

Through this theme, we hope to bring about what is needed to put in place in order to achieve a renewed support and engagement throughout the Spring season and under the new health conditions and circumstances that our users/beneficiaries are experiencing and the world.

Spring Relief 2020 will also take forward our 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme.  In particular, it will deal with one of the seven poverty reduction goals we set up for 2020s; goal which is about relieving situational (or transitory) poverty; characterized by the new type of virus, Coronavirus pandemic (or Covid-19).       

 

• • Special Spring Relief 2020: Projects and Programmes of Rebuilding Lives, Infrastructures and Institutions in the World of Health or Sanitary Crisis

 

CENFACS is delighted to present its new season Spring collection of selected projects and programmes with a choice of relief services.  For each of these projects and programmes, you will find user-friendly and –centred relief.

These projects and programmes are free but we do not mind donations.  The more you donate, the more we can relieve. 

Please find below the selection of Spring Relief projects and programmes. 

 

April: Protection Month

 

Protection against health disaster/risk and insecurity will make the joint protection theme for our April month of protection.  They will be two projects to deal with this joint theme.

 

••• Women and Children projects (3W & PPS Reflection Day):

Reflection on the Protection of Women and Children in Times of Health or Sanitary Crisis (Protection project)

Our Reflection Day will try to think of the best way of protecting people and communities, especially the most vulnerable, in times of health crisis like of Ebola and Covid-19.  As our Reflection Day is about Women and Children, we are going to think about ways of protecting vulnerable women and children in this particular time.

 

••• Self-protection: 2020 Actions on Protection against Insecurity with Poor People taking their own Protection in their own Hands (Protection project)

Ideally, there should be a recognised body to protect people from wars, armed attacks, climate change, disaster, etc.  In places and times of history, where and when poor people have no one to protect them, what can they do to protect themselves?

 

May: Stories Telling Month

 

May Stories – Entries for Stories on Poverty Relief and Development for May 2020 are now open. To tell your story of change for change to CENFACS, contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

 

••• All in Development Stories: Tell your Story of Volunteering in Places of Health Crisis– Tell it! (Volunteer’s & Stories Telling project)

In difficult times of major crisis like of Covid-19, it is unrealistic to expect that all the work to be done should be paid, especially the service provided to the most vulnerable (such as young children , pregnant women, the sick and the elderly).  There are kinds of volunteering that needed to be done to keep them protected and safe in times of crisis.

 

••• Rebuilding Africa: Rebuilding the Health Assets, Structures and Infrastructures for Africa-based Organisations (Advocacy project)

Support Africa-based Organisations to develop their basic health and safety assets, structures and infrastructures can help to overcome health crisis since these organisations are the ones that closely work with those in need.

 

June: Creation & Innovation Month

 

In challenging times like of Covid-19, creation could be the key to manage the crisis during this transitional period.  This is why in June, we try to deal with creative initiatives.   This June, we will expand these creative initiatives by supporting the economies of voluntary organisations.

 

••• Supporting the Economies of Africa-based organisations (Micro-economic project)

The organisations that care for others on a voluntary and charitable basis need their economies (i.e. finances, accounts, services, products, etc.) keep working so that they can keep supporting others.  Supporting their economies make sense.

 

••• Creations and Innovations within the Context of Life-threatening Impacts of the Global Coronavirus Pandemic (or Health and Sanitary Crisis) to Reduce Poverty with Jmesci project (Creation project)

This project will as well feature Similar Creations that deal with Health Crisis.

Managing a crisis is also about using our skills, knowledge and talents to find techniques, technologies and new methods to deal with crisis.  It means there could be a pressing and immediate need to create and innovate to address the crisis. 

To request further information about Special Spring Relief projects and programmes, please contact CENFACS. 

 

Note: 

The above initiatives are only a selection of what we have planned for Spring Relief season.  We may introduce new initiatives and or upgrade the existing ones depending on the circumstances as we have from time to time to respond to emergencies and urgent humanitarian issues like we have done with the current sanitary crisis.  In which case, we shall let you know. 

Also, in every work we do to try to help reduce poverty, there is always a cost to bear.  If you could help alleviate some of our costs, we would more acknowledge your support than just appreciate your gesture.  

 

 

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 furture.

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 March 2020

 

Post No. 134

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme

• Climate Action Month and Weeks – In Focus from Week Beginning 09 March 2020: Disaster Risk Reduction Measures

• Algeria’s Poverty Relief Movements: One Year on!

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme

 

Last year, we started to discuss and think about CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme as the Twenty-tens (2010s) Programme was about to end.  Those discussions, consultations and thoughts were carried out in parallel with the review and evaluation of the Twenty-tens (2010s) programme.  

After considering all the arguments made through those consultations and review processes of the Twenty-tens Programme, we are now in a position to come out with a new agenda and programme that take into account the needs of our users and beneficiaries in the new development landscape.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find the key highlights about CENFACS’ Twenty-twenties Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme.

 

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks – In Focus from Week Beginning 09 March 2020: Disaster Risk Reduction Measures (Climate Action no. 2)

 

The Climate Action 2 revolves around the measures to reduce the likelihoods of situations or events that can lead to disasters.  It is indeed the measures to build the capacity to effectively deal with natural and human–induced events; events that could disrupt the ability of communities to function and cause serious losses.

 

=> What kinds of measures are we talking about?

 

We are interested in those measures taken at organisational level by local based organisations in Africa working with vulnerable people and communities to reduce the impacts of disaster.  They can be for pre-disaster, post-disaster situations as well as those taken while the disaster is in course. 

Organisations can prepare them and their people from the information received and related to natural hazards from early warning systems in places.  Natural hazards (or potential threats to human life or property) are either hydro-meteorological (climatic) or geographical (linked to land) or both.  There are measures to deal with disasters or risk (the likelihood of the effects of disaster on humans) or vulnerable people and communities. 

Let us take measures to deal with risks for example.  According to the United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (1),

“In 2017, compared with average emerging market non-life insurance penetration rate of 1.5%, African premiums accounted for only 0.9% of Gross Domestic Product” (p. 88).

The organisation states that

“… the nature of construction materials, population densities and other elements of structure exposure as modelled for Africa dictate that the true risk of many African countries was not fully revealed” (p.137)

These statements reveal that there is a problem in Africa in terms of risk insurance capacity to cover against natural hazards and human-induced disasters or unexpected severe events (like Ebola or Covid-19).  This problem requires some hard work for our Africa-based Organisations (ASOs) so that they can find ways of helping vulnerable people and communities to deal with their insurance rights and obligations.

 

=> Kinds of actions that ASOs can take

 

As argued earlier, they can prepare their local people from the information received and related to natural hazards from early warning systems in places.  They take the following actions.

They can help vulnerable and exposed people to natural and other risks to build resilience.

They can undertake financial need assessment of the costs of climate protection for the locals.

They can study the fit of finance and insurance packages available on the market for their users.   

They take forward the financial and insurance requests to address and meet the adverse impacts and effects of climate change. 

Briefly, they can help their users to claim insurance compensation or to advocate for their financial cover due to natural disasters or human-induced disasters, especially in some places in Africa where sometimes people do not know their insurance rights and obligations, let alone what to do to cover for disasters.  

For further details about this Action 2 and to support CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Weeks, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Algeria’s Poverty Relief Movements: One Year on!

 

The purpose of this third key message is to look at what the recent movements of protest in Algeria have brought to our understanding of Poverty Relief Movements in Africa (like the previous ones) and to poor people in Algeria since we launched our Peace Appeal for Algeria last year.

We are trying to find out about or answer the following three questions:

Are these movements (here the Algerian one) a move towards a real poverty reduction (and towards social transformation) or simply a way to gain political results?

What really happened in Algeria since we launched our Peace Appeal?  In other words, how the Algerian poverty relief movements have managed to keep the protest and transition processes peacefully?

What historical lessons and experiences can we learn and develop in terms of poverty reduction in the future and for similar popular demands of poverty reduction elsewhere in Africa?

To support CENFACS’ Peace Appeal for Algeria and add your input to Poverty Reduction Movements in Africa, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Making Zero Hunger Africa Campaign (MZHAC) with Good Food for the Climate

 

Our Climate Action continues with MZHAC by integrating action to support food that is good for the climate.  What do we mean by this? 

We are simply advocating for the consumption of foods that help to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, like many other organisations are arguing the same thing in different terms.   

For example, writing about ‘How changes in our diet can help integrate mitigate climate change’, Deutsche Welle (2), a German media organisation, quotes and use the sources from the IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) which say that food system impacts the climate by

Contributing up to 30% of the total greenhouse gas emissions,

Accounting for 80% of global deforestation

and Using 70% of the world’s available freshwater.

As the words indicate it, MZHAC is about reducing hunger in Africa.  Here, we are talking about reducing hunger with good food for the climate.  This raises the dilemma between the reduction of food poverty and the reduction of the adverse impacts of climate change for those people who are poor.  Other similar works or campaigns already pointed out this contrast of the twin reduction of poverty and climate change by poor people. 

In our advocacy about MZHAC with good food for the climate, we will try to reconcile this dilemma between the two.  We mean by this, it is possible to reduce at the same time the ecological impact of food production and consumption on the one hand, and poverty on the other.

To support and or help us to reduce hunger in Africa while reducing the adverse impacts of climate change through MZHAC, please contact CENFACS.  

 

 

~ ONLY 10 DAYS TO GO…

for Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children in 2020

 

Our fundraising campaign about the  Educationally Needy Congolese Children will be closed in ten days.  We are again appealing to you to donate or pledge or make a gift aid declaration for this deserving cause. 

You can give a life-kicking educational support to the educationally needy children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

To support and or enquire about this Congolese fundraising campaign, please contact CENFACS.  To find out further details about this campaign, please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

~ Covid-19, Sustainable Development and Disaster Risk Reduction Measures

 

As Coronavirus (Covid-19) does not show any signs of giving up, we are continuing our thoughts about it by including sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on health disaster risk reduction measures. 

Health is also a great component of sustainable development.  Good health and well-being is the United Nations sustainable development goal 3, which is about ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.  

To seize the impacts of Covid-19, let us remind ourselves and perhaps some of our readers, what sustainable development is about.

Using the definition of the World Commission on Environment and Development (3), sustainable development is

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

We can know use this definition to highlight the impacts of Covid-19 on sustainable development.

 

Covid-19 and the needs of the present

 

The needs of the present (particularly but not exclusively of those living in poverty) could include those to access basic life-sustaining goods (such as education, health, food, sanitation, protection, digital technology, etc.). 

If the impact of Covid-19 hits and persists within poor communities, it could mean that these communities could be deprived to access those goods and related services, unless they get support or there is a quick medical technology breakthrough that brings curative and or a vaccine against Covid-19.

 

Covid-19 and the needs of the future

 

Poverty can be intergenerational, just as some types of disease can reappear amongst future generations; if precautionary, preventive and curative measures are not stronger enough to stop the transmission of today’s problems to future generations. 

All will depend on how effective the current generations are stronger enough to combat Covid-19 so that it does not reappear in the future or not being transmitted to future generations. 

If this transmission or reappearance happens, it can compromise the ability of future generations to meet some of their own needs.

 

Covid-19 and Health Disaster Risk Reduction Measures

 

As part of our Climate Action no. 2, we are extending the action about disaster risk reduction to include Covid-19 measures. 

Covid-19, if it becomes a health disaster risk, could be an example on how our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) can work together with every body in order to help and protect their communities and societies from the entry points of Covid-19 and slow down its pace and speed until it gets eradicate for ever. 

ASOs can scale up awareness campaigns and measures to protect their vulnerable community members and the entire society they operate in. 

For example, taking basic sanitation measures (like cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing and sneezing, dispose as soon as this tissue is used in the bin, and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water) within a Coronavirus-threatened or –hit community can be effective to confront Covid-19.  These three basic preventive measures have provided some good results where they have been applied so far in the world.  They can as well engineer their own local responses to Coronavirus outbreak.  The Covid-19 thoughts continue…

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme – Key Highlights

 

• • 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 addrssed 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. 

These issues and challenges could for example include:

 

=> Insecurity and lack of protection

An example of insecurity and lack of protection is in the event we saw in Burkina Faso at the start of 2020 where poor and defenceless civilians have been killed without mercy.

=> Data poverty

It is the lack of data (both qualitative and quantitative) about people living in poor conditions poses an enormous barrier to the reduction of poverty, to the extent there is a bridge gap in data.

=> Demographics

The population of the poor people continues to grow; however the distribution of income towards this population is not growing accordingly, as well as there is a problem of long-term economic growth to support this population trend.

=> Life-threatening impacts of climate change and changing climate

Like anybody else, poor people are trying to be resilient to the distributional negative effects of climate change and changing climate; but they have very limited choices and options in what they can do to adapt and mitigate these impacts or effects in their daily lives.

=> The relationships between political democratisation and poverty reduction or between political democratisation and sustainable development

Even in countries that have already embraced political democratisation processes, it is difficult to spot some clear signs of an improvement of these relationships.

=> Environmental challenges

They notably include land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity, loss and extreme vulnerability to climate change.

=> Fair share of the fruits of economic growth

It does not matter how small or big the economic growth is.  What is important is that the fruits of economic growth are shared or distributed fairly or equitably.  In particular, its share to reduce poverty needs to be enough in order to bring about the results expected from any poverty reduction policy or programme.

=> Institutions of poverty relief and sustainable development

Having institutions that effectively and efficiently deal with poverty reduction and sustainable development really matter.  Many institutions in Africa claim to be democratic and working for people.  The democratic test of these institutions in the 2020s is to see how they will impact poverty and sustainable development.

=> Conflicts reduction

The 2020s should be of armed conflicts reduction and silencing guns, if not end, as any policies and programmes for poverty relief and sustainable development can only genuinely be implemented in the context of peace and security. 

=> Women entrepreneurs

The 2020s should be the year of valuing the work of women entrepreneurs in Africa, of funding their businesses.     

=> Energy transition

The 2020s can be a challenging year for energy transition in Africa in finding sustainable way of consuming energy while still keeping pace with poverty reduction and sustainable development.

=> Climate education

Developing climate skills in Africa in the 2020s will help both to tackle the adverse effects and impacts of climate change and climate induced-poverty.

=> Climate migrants

The 2020s could be the decade of seriously taking this emerging phenomenon of migration because of adverse climate change.

=> Climate finance

The 2020s should also be of mobilising finance for those who cannot bear the cost or bill of adverse climate change reduction in Africa.

=> Health crisis

With the recent devastating impacts of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and other deadly diseases, poor people and countries in Africa could be incapable to protect themselves unless they get support or help.

We can continue to list and discuss a number of challenges that Africa faces in 2020 and in the 2020s.  That is not the point here.  What is important is how we are going to work with Africa-based Sister Organisations in order to improve on the reduction of poverty and in tackling these challenges.  To do that we need a plan of action or poverty reduction programme.

 

• • 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, will be managed by a programme manager in 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.

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.

 

••• Poverty Reduction Goals

 

The programme provides a number of ideas of the future or desired results expressed in terms of goals of poverty reduction.  Following the consultations we had since last year and our own experience and knowledge in poverty matter, it has been agreed the following seven poverty reduction goals linked to different types of poverty that people and communities in Africa and the UK may experience. 

The seven poverty reduction goals are as follows:

1. Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity

2. Consume sustainably to reduce poverty and climate change

3. Tackle energy poverty

4. Support in-working poor people

5. Eliminate (inter/intra)generational poverty amongst women and children

6. Empower the digital and ICT (information and communication technology) poor people and communities

7. Help reduce climate-induced poverty or situational (or transitory) poverty amongst the victims of natural disasters and of destructive wars

In reality, these goals will help reduce either a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional poverty.

 

••• Programme Components

 

Apart from the above goals, the programme has other components such as infrastructure programms, protection programme to support women and children at risk and in poverty, action learning programme, food security programme, individual and organisational capacity development programmes, programme of working together with others, etc.

 

••• Programme Tools

 

The programme uses CENFACS 2020s Poverty Reduction Tools.  Besides these tools, it uses education, advocacy, campaigning, economic development knowledge, income redistribution, etc. to improve the likelihoods of those in poverty and hardships.

 

••• Programme Accountability

 

The programme will provide a model of good practice in strengthening accountability through monitoring, evaluation and review processes following its implementation.  It will be therefore systematically assessed for its potential to help reduce poverty and hardships.

To support this programme and or to get further details (i.e. its budgeted amount or costs, targets, indicators, implementation plans, etc.), please contact CENFACS.

 

(1) United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2019), Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (https://gar.undrr.org/sites/default/files/reports/2019-05/full_gar_report.pdf)  – accessed on 07/03/2020

(2) www.dw/en/world-food-day–how-changes-in-our-diet-can-help-mitigate-climate-change (accessed on 07/03/2020)

(3) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf (assessed on 07/03/2020)

 

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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 March 2020

 

Post No. 133

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Climate Action Month and Weeks

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 3, with Glasgow Steps It Up as a Working Theme

• Week Beginning 02/03/2020: Climate Investment Funds (Key Climate Action No. 1)

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks

 

For those who are familiar with CENFACS’ development calendar, they can remember that March is the Climate Action month at CENFACS.  This year’s Climate Action Month will be a continuing support to the Paris Agreement in our own way and means while working within the contents of this Agreement and in line with similar actions undertaken by other organisations across the world to make it become a reality one day.

The Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015, is an essential step to address climate change.  As we all know, this Agreement has the central goal 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.  Supporting it makes sense.

However, the world has to take action and make it work.  To know what other parts of the world (like Africa) are doing, we are going to include in our Climate Action Month the actions carried out by Africans, and amongst them are young Africans.  This will lead us to closely look at what we can call Climate Action Movements in Africa.

Since we dedicated 2020 as our Mission Year, to impregnate this dedication to our Climate Action Month we are going to work ways of making Climate Action our Mission for March 2020.  We are going to do it through the holding of four weeks of key climate actions this March as follows.

 

⇒ Week beginning 02/03/2020: Climate Investment Funds

⇒ Week beginning 09/03/2020: Integration of Disaster Risk Measures

⇒ Week beginning 16/03/2020: Sustainable Natural Resource Management

⇒ Week beginning 23/03/2020:  Climate Change Pledges

 

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Weeks, please contact CENFACS.

You will find below some notes about the first Key Action scheduled for this week; action which is on Climate Investment Funds.

 

~ Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) – Phase 3, with Glasgow Steps It Up as a Working Theme

 

Phase 3, which is Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level (TCPSACI), of our project known as Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) has resumed this week.  

In our post of 18 December 2019, we told you that the Madrid talks, which were held under COP25, did not deliver on our key demand and many of the elements of CENFACS’ Compendium of Climate Advocacy.

The aim of the Madrid negotiations was to finalise the rule book for the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.  However, Madrid missed the opportunity for the protection and stake for children and future generations. 

Although the agreement reached amongst countries at COP25 in Madrid failed to create the rules for trading carbon emissions credits and help developing countries to pay for climate damages; we said we would continue to follow up these negotiations in 2020.

Phase 3 (that is Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level) is still on course.  The next follow-up and working theme for this Phase 3 is: Glasgow Steps It Up.    

Under the Main Development section of this post you find the notes about Glasgow Steps It Up, this year’s TCPSACI working theme.

 

 

 

 

~ Week Beginning 02/03/2020: Climate Investment Funds (Key Climate Action No. 1)

 

Before looking at the first key action scheduled for this week, let us try to give precision about the kind of climate action we are talking about.  To do that, we are going to refer to what the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says about climate action.  The UNDP (1) argues this:

“Climate action means stepped-up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts, including: climate-related hazards in all countries; integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity with respect to climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.  It requires mobilizing US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries in moving towards a low-carbon economy.”

It is clear from the above definition that in order to take climate action or the above mentioned actions, it requires stepping up investment efforts.    

According to the African Development Bank (2), the Climate Investment Funds, which are a support to developing countries to achieve low-carbon and climate-resilient development, provides these countries with grants, concessional loans, risk mitigation instruments, and equity that leverage significant financing from the private sector, multilateral development banks and other sources. 

As an implementing agency of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the African Development Bank distinguishes four key programmes of Climate Investment Funds, which are: Clean Technology Fund, Forest Investment Programme, Pilot Programme Climate Resilience, and Scaling Up Renewable Energy Programme.

Our action (key climate action no. 1) is to check whether or not these investment funds reach Africa-based Sister Organisations, especially those of voluntary sector.  If these funds reach them, one needs to ask in what proportion or percentage.  If they do not reach them, action needs to be taken.  Taking action in this matter can determine the gap that needs to be filled up and the kinds of advocacy action to take in order to increase their share in the climate funds or find alternative investment funds.

To enquire and or support this first key climate action, please contact CENFACS.

 

(1) https://www.sdfinance.undp.org/content/sdfinance/en/home/sdg/goal-13–climate-action.html

(2) https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/climate-investment-funds-cif

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Climate Action Movements in Africa

 

As introduced above, we are adding to our climate action climate actions taken by Africans in Africa, particularly on how they are shaping up the hearts and minds of people to influence the climate debate.  Climate Action Movements in Africa (CAMA) are this type of environmental activism at local level, at person-to-person, by actions–based organisations working on a voluntary basis. 

They are organisations of different sizes and shapes which can be classified in various forms.  The common denominator to them is that they are grassroots movements that are trying to push the climate agenda forward in Africa and the world from the bottom up in places where sometimes ordinary people are more preoccupied with their daily pressure to economically survive rather than worrying about the changing climate. 

Examples of such organisations or actions include the Fridays for Future Movement, 350 Africa.org, etc.  We are looking at their climate action contributions as well as their efforts in poverty reduction work in Africa.

To add your climate action and or to support our Climate Action Month and Weeks, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Climate Action Mission

 

Our Mission Year is still kept moving on as this March we are linking it with our Climate Action.  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 Climate Action Month, it is about creating or looking at developmental interactions between climate action and poverty reduction mission.  In other words, CENFACS’ Mission Year is a mission to help reduce and end poverty.  In order to reduce and end poverty, we need as well to take action on the adverse impacts of climate change that create or increase poverty.

To support and enquire about the Climate Action Mission, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ Covid-19, Poverty Reduction and Climate Action

 

Our serial thoughts on Covid-19 and its impacts on or implications for poverty reduction continue by bringing in a climate action dimension.  We have brought in this dimension since we are in CENFACS’ Climate Action Month. 

To enable us and our readers to figure out these implications or impacts, we have the following thoughts on how Covid-19 could affect climate action and poverty reduction.

 

Impact of Covid-19 on climate action

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action Goal) aims to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development.  If the impact of Covid-19 is so severe, this could affect the mobilisation of climate funds, which can in return impact on the ability of people and communities to adapt and to invest in low-carbon development. 

We have already heard that many economies around the world have started to revise their economic growth forecasts for this year and next year by reducing their growth rates.  This could as well affect the actions that our Africa-based organisations are taking to curb greenhouse gas emissions in Africa. 

   

Impact of Covid-19 on poverty reduction action

To control and slow down the pace of Covid-19, there are sets of measures that have been taken worldwide including in Africa.  If the impact of Covid-19 lasts longer, this could affect, to some extent, efforts and actions to reduce poverty; let alone its effects on other areas of sustainable development (social, economic and environmental). 

The above likely impacts tell us that we may start to see the possibility of interrelationships between Covid-19, poverty reduction and climate action as Coronavirus crisis persists.  Although we are still far away to effectively assess the real impacts of Covid-19 on poverty reduction and climate action; there is a need for a swift and rapid action to sensibly reduce the spread of Covid-19 and its impacts in order to keep poverty reduction and climate action works on track and unchallenged.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue…

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) – Phase 3, with Glasgow Steps It Up as our working theme

 

This month, we have started the preparation in following the COP26.  The 26^th Session of the Conference to the Parties (CO26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is expected to take place from 9 to 20 November 2020 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.  We are going to follow it through the working theme of Glasgow Steps It Up.

 

• • What do we mean by Glasgow Steps It Up?

 

Glasgow Steps It Up (GSIU) means that we will be following the climate change talks to be held in Glasgow next November, and we expect the Glasgow gathering to step up and respond to our climate demand.  GSIU is also the mantra or motto for this year’s climate talks follow up.

Glasgow Steps It Up to save the environment is another opportunity to advance on what was achieved in Madrid and at other previous climate gatherings and talks.

GSIU is also a further occasion to try to bridge the gaps within the climate community so that the stumbling points of COP25 can be resolved.

Without anticipating anything about GSIU, let us hope that at these coming climate talks the parties will respond to our climate demand which is and remains:   to give and implement climate protection and stake for African children; the African Children being a sample of our working climate advocacy model.  This demand is undertaking through the follow up of global climate talks like the incoming climate talks (COP26) to be held at Glasgow, Scotland.

As said above, our demand is expressed through our Climate Talks Follow up project.  This project has been implemented under the sub-project entitled Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC).  There have been three phases in this project. 

 

• • Phases of CENFACS’ Climate Talks Follow-up

 

The following are the phases making our Climate Talks Follow-up.

Phase 1: The First African Children Generation of the Millennium Development Goals and the Climate Stake

Phase 2: Climate Protection and Stake for African Children

Phase 3: Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level

Actually, we are in Phase 3, which is the implementation phase and which is about Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level (TCPSACI).

 

• • What else we would like to follow through GSIU

 

We will particularly monitor the following talking and stumbling points:

√ Article 6 of the Paris climate accord; article that governs international carbon markets

√ The need for international financing mechanisms for developing countries to deal with climate change

√ The mechanisms for financing climate change reduction in developing countries

√ The creation of a market-based system to preserve nature

√ The system for paying for climate-linked disasters

√ Inequalities in the mechanisms for financing climate change reduction

√ Financial mobilization to respond to climate impacts in vulnerable countries and for vulnerable children

We will also observe how the disagreements between climate vulnerable and emerging nations, and between rich polluters and developing countries will be resolved on pending issues such as the slashing of greenhouse emissions, the payment for loss and damage, climate emergency compensation, the double counting of climate emergency etc.

We will particularly check how the above mentioned points and issues will help in protecting children.

We will follow the next rounds of the United Nations climate negotiations scheduled in Bonn (Germany) in June before the COP26 in Glasgow in 2020. 

One could hope that new climate pledges (made about curbing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris climate agreement) will be respected by then.

One could also hope that you will continue to support CENFACS’ Climate Talks Follow-up project and the current phase (Phase 3) of this project, which is about Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level.

 

• • The Compendium of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy

 

••• What is the Compendium of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy? 

 

It is a summary of what CENFACS and its beneficiaries would like the climate community (like the one gathering on annual basis to talk about climate change, the COP) to achieve for children, particularly but not exclusively African children, in terms of outcomes.

The Compendium provides several main points shaping our key demand which is as follows.

 

••• Key Points for the Compendium of CENFACS’ Climate Advocacy

 

The campaigning points that we would like to see implemented in the final make-up of climate proposals include the following:

 

⇒ Climate decisions need to be supportive of the protection and stake of children, especially those from poor nations

⇒ The children-friendliness of the package of the climate contents

⇒ The degree of integration of children’s needs and involvement of child protectors and advocates in the facilitative dialogue to support the implementation process

⇒ Climate friendly modern solutions to child protection against climate change

⇒ Support of children especially those from poor nations to transition to a circular economy

⇒ Support to climate neutral projects that are children-friendly

⇒ The fit of finance and insurance packages available on the market for the needs of children from developing countries like those of Africa

⇒ Effective ways of distributing these packages amongst children in need  

⇒ Financial need assessment of the costs of climate protection for children to meet children’s climate protection needs (from the basic to the more complex ones); needs including those to reduce poverty and hardships, financial and insurance requests to meet and address the adverse impacts and effects of climate change

⇒ Climate Change Action plans in the context of local climate action (i.e. activity that looked at the gaps between plans and achievements, between what has worked and what was not working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions)

⇒ Mapping of Climate Change Actions (i.e. activity that helped in identifying good actions taken locally and rating them)

⇒ The need for an increase of climate protection for children

⇒ The way in which an international credit system for carbon emission certificates will work for child protection

⇒ The position of the international climate community on finance climate protection for children abroad (e.g. African children)

⇒ The issue of financial and technical assistance to children affected by climate change

⇒ The percentage of fund that finances climate educational needs of children

⇒ The setting up of climate plans that are children friendly

⇒ The way in which clean air fund is helping children’s health

⇒ Climate protection matters related to children of least developed countries (amongst them some African countries)

⇒ Better climate governance that works for and benefits children’s welfare and well-being

⇒ The political economy of negotiations for child protection against climate-induced poverty

⇒ Green and climate capacity building and education for child protection

⇒ Climate-friendly and children-friendly technologies for poverty relief

⇒ Climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes for children and future generations

⇒ Making clean technology fund (CTF) work for poor children from poor nations

⇒ The equity resulting from converted CTF debt to benefit children from poor nations as well

⇒ The new pledges, if any, for adaptation fund and Least Developed Countries Fund to be mobilised to give a stake to poor children’s needs

⇒ Mobilisation of the climate finance system and architecture to be designed so as to support poor children of poor countries  

Many of these points are still pending.  That is why there is a need to keep advocating and following the climate talks. 

For further details CENFACS’ CPSAC – P. 3 and or any query about this compendium, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you for your support.

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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!

26 February 2020

 

Post No. 132

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Competitive Data Disadvantage

• Week beginning 24/02/2020: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Notes

• CENFACS 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools Box: Tools 5 & 7

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ The African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs) or Generation Global Goals Project (3G) – Reduction of Data Poverty: Competitive Data Disadvantage

 

The ACCSDGs campaign is still moving forward as this week we are looking at competitive disadvantage about data that African organisations may produce or access.  Disadvantage in terms of data can be seen as a sign of poverty in data in itself. 

Like any organisations working with development issues, African organisations do produce primary data and can access secondary data.  However, for various reasons they may or may not have upper hand or advantage on data like other organisations or institutions.  They have a disadvantage on this matter compared to organisations operating in other regions of the world. 

Having a disadvantage is one thing.  However, when that data disadvantage denies one the opportunity to compete, then there is a problem.   Competitive disadvantage in data is about having unfavourable conditions to get or access data.  There are factors that explain this disadvantage, factors on which we are working this week.

So, as part of our work on the reduction of data poverty this week, we are dealing with ways of reducing or mitigating data disadvantage conducible to data poverty.  This work has to be placed within the context of the ACCSDGs campaign.

For further details about the reduction of data poverty and data competitive disadvantage, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ Week beginning 24/02/2020: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Notes

 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 is about sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity (or briefly, the goal is about Life on land).  Within this goal, there is a target (target 9) which is related to Ecosystems and Biodiversity. 

This week, we are looking at this target and its progress in terms of integration of ecosystems and biodiversity values into poverty reduction strategies and accounts.  We are doing it via ecosystems and biodiversity notes.  Under the Main Development section of this post, there are more details about these notes.

 

 

 

~ CENFACS 2020 Poverty Reduction (PR) Tools Box: Tools 5 & 7

Integrating Energy Transition into CRPCC (Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change) Initiative

 

Since we opened our 2020 PR Tools Box, we continue to use the available tools to support those in need.  This week, we are implementing Tools 5 and 7.

Tool 5 is about advocating for social e-commerce and digital trade, while tool 7 is our reformed services.  Let us look at what these tools can do for those in need.

 

=> Advocacy for social e-commerce and digital trade (tool 5)

 

In order to support Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), we are using tool 5 to advocate with them for social e-commerce and digital trade.  As part of this advocacy, we are dealing with market intelligence techniques they need to take on board in order to effectively trade via e-commerce and digitally. 

Market intelligence will enable them to gather information they need for their markets in terms of trends, competition, users, beneficiaries, funders, volunteers, etc.  With this information they can analyse and make strategic decisions to penetrate and grab market opportunities offered by social e-commerce and digital trade. 

As the classical theory of intelligence marketing solutions suggests, the technique will help them to lever out user and beneficiary data while anticipating their next move and improve their journey. 

ASOs that are interested in the tool 5 and the techniques related to this tool, they can contact CENFACS so that we can work together to see what we can do in terms of their e-commerce and digital trade goals. 

 

 

 

=> Reformed services (tool 7): Integrating Energy Transition into CRPCC (Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change) Initiative

 

In order to take into account the realities of today’s life, climate economy and the development landscape of the 2020s, we have reformed our services by integrating energy transition into our CRPCC Initiative. 

Energy transition is a process of structurally changing from fossil-based to zero-carbon or renewable energy.  In practical terms, those of our users who want to move from products/produce using fossil-based energy to those having zero-carbon or renewable contents, can work with CENFACS or ask for advice on energy transition. 

Taking the zero-carbon path could also mean that those who want to progressively replace the composition of their consumption budget products and services to those produced through renewable energy, they are free to enquire to us as well.  We are ready to assist them in their transition process.

For those who are interested in this, we can work out with them a basic energy transition plan or strategy.  By working with us on this matter, they can gradually transition to renewable consumption or mix consumption.  So, reformed services are designed to campaign and help people move from fossil-based to neutral carbon energy and economy should they wish to do so.

Need support with your energy and consumption transition, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ EcoBio Days: 24 to 29 February 2020

 

As part of the last week of our Sustainable Development month, we are running EcoBio (Ecological and biological) Days from 24 to 29 February 2020. 

What EcoBio Days are about

EcoBio Days are the days of works about the interrelationships between organisms (e.g. animals, plants, etc.) and their environment. 

They are as well the days of study about living organisms. 

The days are about how we deal with living things and their environment in order to meet our own needs and goals without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. 

They are the days of humans with their environment as well as humans with things and living organisms.  

To enquire and or support EcoBio days, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Making Zero Hunger Africa Campaign (MZHAC)

 

The aim of MZHAC is to raise awareness on sustainable food consumption and production in order to end hunger and malnutrition amongst those who are food deprived, particularly in Africa where the number of hungry people and families is still on the rise.  It is as well a campaigning response to the challenge of rise in hunger that Africa will face in the forseeable future.

The contents of MZHAC are: End Hunger & Malnutrition Goal, Support Small-Scale Food Producers in Africa, Actions to Support the Food Industry in Africa, Meeting Vulnerable People’s Nutritional Needs, Actions for Sustainable Food Production Systems, etc.

As one of the UN Zero Hunger Goal (Goal 2) target (target 5) is due to be reached by 2020; we will be approaching our MZHA campaign from this perspective; that is how our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are working to reduce and end hunger through this target 5. 

The UN SDG 2 is about ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.  Target 5 of this goal is: 

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed. 

So, we are working with our ASOs on the efforts they are making to achieve this target and the needs of their users.  Briefly, we will be looking at how they are trying to deal with the following: the genetic diversity of seeds, plants, animals and wild species.

To support and or enquire about MZHAC, contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ Covid-19 and Poverty Reduction in Africa

How prepared are Africa-based Sister Organisations to deal with Covid-19 Threats and Risks?  How to avoid the mistakes of the past.

 

Most of our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) work with very vulnerable and deprived people and communities in societies with fragile health systems and infrastructures.  These people and communities are already suffering from many lacks such as education, health, income, renewable energy, protection, housing, sanitation, justice, etc. 

Given the threats and risks that Covid-19 is globally posing, it would wise for ASOs to keep the momentum in their preparation to protect their users and the wider community.

 

The need for an effective awareness health campaign

Because many of these organisations are under resourced and under funded to cope with the challenge and magnitude of Covid-19, it would be wise to step up an effective awareness heath campaign from the health advice received at all levels: community, local, national, pan-african and global.  Such awareness health campaign needs to include cultural elements to avoid mistakes of the past like the ones we saw with other diseases or viruses. 

 

Not to repeat the mistakes of the past

One of the mistakes is the belief in the mystique where people and communities neglect basic health advice and precaution and get refuge in the cultural belief of mystiques to protect them.  The belief that you get a disease because you have been hunted down by witches.  Without undermining the place of mystiques in the African societies, it is life-saving strategy to inform the population as much as possible on Covid-19 and its general impacts on human health and poverty reduction particularly. 

 

Take action

It is expected that those who have been informed about the dangerous impacts of Covid-19 would also act upon the advice received to get the expected outcomes from the advice.  As we all know from the basic theory of advocacy or campaigning, it is not enough for people to know about the problem or disease; they need to take action from the information and knowledge received to stop the problem (here Covid-19). 

The Covid-19 thoughts continue…      

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Week beginning 24/02/2020: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Notes

 

By 2020, integrate ecosystems and biodiversity values into national and local planning development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts (Goal 15; Target 9).

 

Ecosystems and biodiversity notes provide us with the opportunity to look at progress made so far about the UNSDG 15 and its target 9.  The notes also give some indication about the gap that needs to be filled in terms the initial deadline of 2020.

In 2019, the United Nations (1) assessment of the SDG15 recognized that it is off track.  The UN argued this:

The 2020 targets of Sustainable Development Goal 15 are unlikely to be met, land degradation continues, biodiversity loss is occurring at an alarming rate, and invasive species and the illicit poaching and trafficking of wildlife continue to thwart efforts to protect and restore vital ecosystems and species.

Despite this pessimistic view from the UN, let us still deal this SDG15 and Target 9.   We are approaching Target 9 from the perspective of the efforts that ASOs are making or would make to realise this target.  In other words, we are looking at the way in which they are striving to integrate ecosystems and biodiversity values into their poverty reduction strategies and accounts.  To do that, we are going to deal first with ASOs and ecosystems; and secondly with ASOs and biodiversity.

 

=> ASOs and the integration of ecosystems

 

How are ASOs dealing with natural system of living organisms and their environment in order to meet target 9 of SDG 15?

In practical terms, this question helps to find out how they are dealing with or integrating vegetation, atmosphere, animals, soil, carbon emission, waste, etc.; organisms that make ecosystems into their development work, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.   

By poverty reduction strategy, we mean a plan of action to achieve the long term goal of poverty reduction, while poverty reduction accounts being the financial statements of these ASOs that record financial transactions (expenditure and receipts) for a particular period related to any of their efforts designed to decrease the state in which their beneficiaries are experienced in terms of not having money or having little money and few or no material possession.

So, this note is about how ASOs are doing to carry out this integration.  It is about how they are valuating ecosystem and running the natural capital accounting for the nature-based projects.  In other words, it is about getting the measurement and valuation in monetary and non-monetary terms of the ecosystem in the service they provide.

 Although we have not provided in these notes some experiences of our ASOs and the ways in which they are handling this integration, we would like to ask to those who want further details to get in touch with us on this matter.

 

=> ASOs and the integration of biodiversity values

 

What is said about ASOs and the integration of ecosystems can also be said about ASOs and the integration of biodiversity values.  This second note is about how ASOs are integrating the variety of plants and animal species into their plans, development work, poverty reduction strategies and accounts to meet the UNSDG 15 and its target 9. 

In the real world, it is about getting the extent to which our ASOs are making this integration happened since there are reports on the on-going extinction of plants and animals.   It also means carrying out natural accounting for biodiversity conservation through measuring the stocks of natural resources (both renewable and non-renewable) and the flows of benefits they provide. 

To find out how our ASOs are working on this integration, please contact CENFACS.

Briefly, these notes are about how ASOs are making progress in getting SDG15 and target 9 to be reached by 2020, although the UN’s last year assessment was a pessimistic one. 

The week is also of a reminder for ASOs in setting up SMART (i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) goals and targets achievable within the life span scheduled in project planning and development work, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.

To enquire and or support our month of Sustainable Development and this week’s notes, please contact CENFACS.

(1) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg15

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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!

19 February 2020

 

Post No. 131

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Support Human Protection and Humanitarian Relief in Burkina Faso

• Week beginning 17/02/2020: Chemicals and Waste

• Poverty Reduction Networks and Nature’s Network

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Support Human Protection and Humanitarian Relief in Burkina Faso in 2020

 

After conducting an in-depth review of 2019 Light Appeals and Projects, it has been resolved to renew our call for the support of the peoples of Burkina Faso who are still suffering from violence and insecurity despite the Silence-the-Guns policy in Africa.

The aim of the in-depth review was to identify the nature, severity and criticality of the situation in places and countries on whose behalf we made appeals last year; with respect to armed conflicts, natural disasters and other unexpected life-threatening events.  

The data and news we got from local people on the grounds and from multilateral agencies suggest that there is a need to ask for support for security-deprived and displaced people in Burkina Faso.

In practical terms, it means that our Light Season and Projects continue with an appeal to support the victims of armed attacks in Burkina Faso.   The Burkina Faso is part of our second wave of appeals (or In-life Blaze of Hope) making our Light Appeals and Projects.

The appeal is about Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks and Conflicts in Burkina Faso.

We always advocate for preventive development and we do not seek for destructive events to happen.  However, when events like the one in Burkina Faso happen, CENFACS can advocate in helping to reduce any adverse effects and impacts erupting from events like this. 

CENFACS is looking forward to your support to deliver this Wintry Appeal.  Thank you!

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find further details about this appeal.

 

 

 

~ Week beginning 17/02/2020: Chemicals and Waste

Minimizing the adverse impacts of chemicals and all waste throughout the cycle, on human health and environment (Goal 12; Target 4)

 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) 12 is about Responsible Consumption and Production.  Within this goal, there is a target (target 4) which is related to Chemicals and Waste.  This week, we are looking at this target and its progress in terms of shift towards a more sustainable consumption and production patterns in Africa than ever before, since this target has to be reached by the end of 2020. 

In particular, we are looking at the extent to which there has been reduction of material footprint in Africa; material footprint being defined within the sustainable development literature as ‘the total amount of raw materials extracted to meet final consumption demands’. 

We are examining the reduction of material footprint as the population in Africa continues to grow while economic output is not growing at the same rate.  In fact, we are studying together African population, material footprint and gross domestic product growth index.  We are as well working on the domestic material consumption in Africa.  Domestic material consumption is defined within the sustainable development literature as ‘a measure of the total amount of materials directly used by an economy to meet the demands for goods and services from within and outside a country’.

All these concepts or jargons enable to get the extent to which Africa is minimizing the adverse impacts of chemicals and all waste throughout the cycle, on human health and environment.

Still as part of our work on chemicals and waste, we are studying the results of the Third Conference of the Parties to the Bamako Convention, which took place from 12 to 14 February 2020 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. 

The Bamako Convention prohibits the dumping or incinerating of hazardous waste in inland water and oceans, promotes the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste within Africa and seeks to ensure that waste disposal is conducted in an environmentally sound manner.

The theme of this February Conference was: “From Decisions to Action: Working for Africa with a Safe Chemicals and Waste Future”.

It is a good news to learn that the Third Conference of the Parties (COP 3) to the Bamako Convention adopted a set of decisions reaffirming the Parties’ commitment to strengthen the Convention in order to prevent African countries from receiving unwanted hazardous waste in their territories as well as promoting sound management of chemicals and waste produced within the continent.

One can hope that the decisions taken and actions which will follow will enable Africa to reach the UNSDG 12 and target 4 by the end of 2020 as planned.

 

 

 

~ Poverty Reduction Networks and Nature’s Network

 

We are still in CENFACS month of Sustainable Development.  As part of it, we are discussing poverty relief networks and nature’s network, and trying to understand how both networks work and why the first type of network should refrain themselves from upsetting the second.

A poverty reduction network is an interconnecting group of people having a set of values in terms of dealing with poverty and poverty reduction.  It is a group of people making sure they live above the poverty line; meaning as well they have a voice, access to productive assets and economic opportunities; women’s empowerment; connections to resources, etc.    A poverty reduction network can build and maintain healthy relationships with nature’s network for mutual benefits.

Nature’s network is a group or system of interconnecting natural things such as animals, plants, water, air and weather systems.  They can interact and exchange information while developing natural contacts.  As Peter Wohlleben (1) puts it in his book:

‘The natural world is a web of intricate connections, many of which go unnoticed by humans.  But, it is these connections that maintain nature’s finely balanced equilibrium’.

So, humans in their activities and approach to reduce poverty need to take into account nature’s network or finely balanced equilibrium as argued by Wohlleben.  In order to meet their poverty reduction aim and goals, poverty reduction networks run by humans do not need to destroy or upset or adversely affect nature’s network.  They should try to avoid interfering in the ability of the nature to restore itself.

Briefly, a sustainable development approach to poverty reduction requires that human poverty reduction networks do take care of the needs of nature’s network.  This is because human networks depend as well on the health of nature’s network and natural resources.

(1) Wohlleben, P. (2018), The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things, Random House

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Energy Connections Project: Donate, Gift Aid and Make a Pledge

 

You can donate; make a gift aid declaration or a pledge so that your action can bring energy to those in need in Africa. 

Energy Connections Project (ECP) is a contemporary sustainable renewable energy solution to energy poverty and the poor.  Your donation or gift or pledge will help to achieve triple benefit as follows:

(a) Reduction of poverty, particularly but not exclusively energy poverty

(b) Helping poor people transition to clean or renewable energy

(c) Reduction or mitigation of the adverse impacts of climate change

You can be one of the energy connectors for the energy poor in helping them to meet their basic life-sustaining needs of energy.

Please bring that helpful energy difference they desperately need to run and save their lives.

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

~ Circular Economic Solutions to Poverty

 

In this post, we are also talking about our Extended Community Services Support; particularly our service related to Circular Economic Solutions to Poverty from our 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools Box.

Indeed, a linear economic model of take, make and throw away has shown us its limits.  The circular economic approach helps to overcome these limits as it curbs pollution and mitigates global warming.  It helps us to decouple our household economy and natural resource use in order to reduce poverty or simply meet our basic life-sustaining needs.

For those who want to work with us by adopting circular principles to reduce poverty, CENFACS will welcome them with their circular economic needs.  Through advice, tips and hints; we can together with them find ways of

√ Recycling resources and items

√ Reducing waste and energy loss

√ Creating circular economic opportunities and resources for their needs

√ Saving money, assets and resources

√ Cutting down their carbon footprint, etc.

We can as well work with those who want to make circular economy investments.

If anyone needs circular economic solutions to their problems or poverty, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

~ Implications of Covid-19 for Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

Because of the seriousness of the Covid-19, we continue to discuss its implications for poverty reduction in Africa.  As mentioned in one of our previous posts, China was Africa’s largest investor in terms of foreign direct investment until 2018 from the available data.  As Covid-19 has affected China and does not show any sign of calming, this could impact Africa’s poverty reduction work both on short and long terms.

There are many factors and hypothesis that need to be considered.  If China reduces its investment in Africa and there is no substitute to China’s investment in the areas it is intervening in Africa, there could be a vacuum to fill.  Although, there are already many African countries that start to assess the coronavirus threat to their own health systems regardless of what China could bring to their economies, thoughts are still going on about the effects of Covid-19 on other sectors of African economies.  All will depend on the speed of recovery from China and the world as well the global control of this deadly disease.

Let’s hope that Covid-19 will be put under firm control and its effects will be nullified on poverty reduction work in Africa before it is too late.  The thought on Covid-19 continues…  

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Support Human Protection and Humanitarian Relief in Burkina Faso

 

Our Season of Light Appeals and Projects continue with this new appeal for the peoples of Burkina Faso who are experiencing waves of armed attacks on their daily lives.

Before looking at this support, let us recap on last year’s appeals for Burkina Faso, in particular the February 2019 Burkina Faso Appeal and the 3-Frontier Area Appeal of November 2019.

 

=> The February 2019 Burkina Faso Appeal

 

In our post of 13 February 2019, we launched an appeal to bring Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks in the Burkina Faso and its Neighbourhood.  They were some initiatives taken to stop these attacks.  Notably, the collaborative initiative taken by the G5, which is the group of five countries made of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad; is a project of working together to stop and end atrocities on the ordinary peoples of Burkina Faso and their region.  Following this initiative and other ones, the situation stabilised a bit.

In November 2019, we conducted a review of our 2019 humanitarian appeals, we found that the Burkinabe problem of insecurity and violence still persisted.  We even realised that those insecurity and violence were not only in Burkina Faso; but in the borders with its two other neighbours (Mali and Niger) in what is called the 3-frontier area.

This new situation led us to make an inclusive appeal under the umbrella of 3-Frontier Area to deal with the worrying developments regarding the insecurity situation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.  In some parts of these three countries, civilians were killed and displaced and there was no sign of peace. 

 

 

=> 3-Fontier Area Appeal of 20 November 2019

 

The 3-Frontier Area Appeal to Support the Victims of Insecurity and Displaced Persons in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

3-Fontier Area is geographical area made of parts of three West African countries (which are Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) where there were some high levels of insecurity and threats to human life.

3-Fontier Area Appeal was about supporting the victims of continuing insecurity and displaced persons in some parts of the above named three countries.  In these three countries, there were continuing armed conflicts between local armies and security forces on the one hand, and armed groups on the other.

As a result, there was a decline of the security situation, an increase in instability and ethnic violence.  According to local sources, more than 1,500 civilians were killed in Mali and Burkina Faso, and more than 1 million internally displaced people.

There were some peace processes or initiatives that took place in the region to reduce and end insecurity and violence.  However, many of these processes or initiatives were unsuccessful.  This has resulted in violence and insecurity resuming in the Burkina Faso, this year.

 

=> Support Human Protection and Humanitarian Relief in Burkina Faso in 2020

 

After recently conducting an in-depth review of the Light Appeals and Projects, we found that the data and facts indicated that there was very little, if no, progress at all regarding the situation in Burkina Faso.  This last review was an analytical study by CENFACS aiming at identifying and assessing how critical and severe the situation was in these countries in relation to armed conflicts, natural disasters and other major events.  The review has found that there has been a worsening violence against civilians in the provinces of Soum, Sanmatenga, Seno and Sourou.  Therefore, there is need to Protect and Relieve people in Burkina Faso.

 

==> Data that speak for the victims of violence and insecurity in Burkina Faso

 

According the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2), there are

 

<> 948,000 people who need protection in 2020 in Burkina Faso

<> 2.2 million people are relying on humanitarian aid and lacking access to healthcare in 2020

<> 318,000 pupils lacked access to education in January 2020

<> 2,410 schools were closed because of insecurity

<> 614,000 people were forced to flee their homes because of violence

<> Around 56% people were internally displaced and live without shelter

 

(2) https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/burkina-faso/infographic/burkina-faso-aper%C3%A7u-de-la-situation-humanitaire-au-06-f%C3%A9vrier

 

 

==> What CENFACS wants you to do

 

CENFACS wants you to create a magic by providing life-saving gift to the victims of this insecurity without giving money.  How?

We are appealing to you again to try to do something about what is happening in Burkina Faso so that the poor civilians can enjoy peace and internally displaced people can safely return to their homes.

We often argue that there are always some little things one can do 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 may 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 Burkina Faso at a peace talks or gatherings

√ Spreading the news in your social networks and contacts about the issue

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 Wangari Maathai said that “It is the little things citizens do that is what will make the difference” (Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner). 

CENFACS hopes you will act upon this humanitarian February 2020 appeal and create the magic of life-saving gift without giving money so that the sufferers in Burkina Faso can rediscover their way to sustainable and inclusive peace. 

Thank you for your readership and for considering delivering on this support.

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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!

12 February 2020

 

Post No. 130

 

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Energy Connections Project

• Sustainable Development Goal 8 and Target 6: Substantially Reduce the Proportion of Youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)

• Data Poverty in African Countries Confronting or Emerging from Conflicts

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Energy Connections Project (ECP)

 

ECP is the continuation of the main theme of the 66^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter; issue entitled as ‘Energy for the Poor’ and sub-entitled as ‘How to Meet Poor People’s Renewable Energy Needs in a Changing Climate’.  ECP is a practical response in the form of project planning, development and implementation regarding the energy issues raised within the 66^th Issue of FACS.

As a practical answer, ECP is a contemporary sustainable energy initiative that helps to connect local people and communities in Africa to the world and wealth of renewables while reducing energy poverty or precariousness amongst them.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have further presented this initiative.

 

 

 

~ Week beginning 10/02/2020: Sustainable Development Goal 8 and Target 6 – Substantially Reduce the Proportion of Youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)

 

The reduction of the proportion of youth NEET is one of the selected areas of work for our month of Sustainable Development.  This area of work is scheduled to start from week beginning 10 February 2020 as indicated above.

The proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) is used as an indicator for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015 – specifically for target 8.6, which calls for the proportion of youth with NEET status to be substantially reduced by 2020.

In its World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2020, the International Labour Office (1) states that “in 2019 the youth unemployment rate was 30.2 per cent in North Africa, compared with an aggregate unemployment rate of 12.1 per cent (i.e. for all workers aged 15 and older); and 8.7 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 59 percent on aggregate”.  (p.44)

The Office argues that “In North Africa in particular, 36.1 per cent of young women had NEET status in 2019, as against 18.1 per cent of young men. In sub-Saharan Africa, the female NEET rate in the same year was 23.5 per cent, while the male rate was 14.5 per cent”. (p.44)

A number of factors have been found to causing the NEET in North and Sub-Saharan Africa.  They include: mismatching of skills and education, lack of wide coverage of vocational and technical training, shortage of both hard and soft skills that young workers need, low productivity and lack of entrepreneurial opportunities in some places, etc.

The population of Africa is expected to continue to remarkably grow in the years to come. Amongst this population, young people aged between 15 and 24 are expected to number 283 million by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa alone.  There is a need to tackle the underlying issues that cause young people to be not in employment, education and training.

There is a need to reduce mismatching of skills and education to employment for young workers.  Likewise, there is a need to develop vocational, technical training to meet the employment needs of young workers.  Finally, there is a need to develop both soft and hard skills to prepare young workers for the employment market.

To enquire or add your input to this selected goal target, please contact CENFACS.

________

(1) International Labour Office, World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2020, Geneva

 

 

 

~ Data Poverty in African Countries Confronting or Emerging from Conflicts

 

Our work about the reduction of data poverty continues by taking a closer look at the data problems that African countries confronting or emerging from conflicts still face.

Indeed, it is known that when countries are in armed conflicts or wars, often infrastructures, structures and other ways of life are destroyed or damaged.  This destruction or damage often affects the availability of data, data infrastructures and institutions as well.  African countries do not make any exception from this problem of data availability or poverty.  Recently, countries like Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and Niger are going through this data availability issue.

To reach out to all those in need in these countries, there is a need to get the real picture of their data.  So, reducing data poverty allows knowing for example the extent of rebuilding work for these countries, whether or not people are on track or off track in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development and related targets, etc.

To enquire about or support our work about the reduction of data poverty in African countries confronting or emerging from conflicts, please contact CENFACS.    

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Poverty Reduction and 2020 African Elections

 

Last week, we went out of our way in asking you to think and discuss, via CENFACS’ be.Africa Think-together Initiative, the implications of Coronavirus disease (newly named as Covid-19) for poverty reduction in Africa. 

This week, we are again going above and beyond in our efforts to ask for poor people’s needs meet in 2020 electoral projects in Africa.

It is known that elections are seen as something of hope by many people, especially by the poorest ones.  The elections that are due to take place in Africa this year will not escape from this feeling or dream from ordinary people.  However, for this dream to materialise, electoral projects need to include poor people’s aspirations, requests and needs.  Also, there should be balances and checks following the electioneering period and results. 

In recent years, we have seen how democratic transitions in Africa have been still struggling to provide for the poor.  Whether it is in the context of democratic transitions or of continuing democratic processes, the building and development of poverty reduction institutions and administrations are keys to the delivery of popular hopes and expectations, especially when these hopes and expectations come from poor people.  In this respect, one can expect that the incoming African elections (in countries such as Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger and so on) will seize the opportunity to go along this path to meet the request of ordinary people by converting their electoral projects into real actions to reduce poverty.

To add your input or to enquire about the 2020 African elections and their impacts of poverty reduction, please contact CENFACS.  

 

~ In-depth Review of 2019 Light Appeals or Projects

 

We are still carrying out an in-depth Review of 2019 Light Appeals or Projects as we continue to receive more information and updates about what is happening in the areas and countries for which we launched appeals in 2019.  We are as well following the development on the grounds of some of the places in Africa that are experiencing insecurity or are potentially at risk of either of conflicts or natural disasters or any other events that may disrupt their ways of life. 

As previously thought, the in-depth review is meant to provide us some credible information and data about the gaps that needed to be filled up or unmet needs that require further advocacy.  Should be any need for additional advocacy, we shall not hesitate to conduct it. 

 

 

 

~ Transitional Needs Assessment

 

Since we opened our 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools Box, we are conducting a needs re-assessment of the community as the UK economy entered a transitional phase following the country’s process of exiting from the EU Regional Economic Integration model.   

If anyone in the community feels that their needs or situation have been affected or will be affected as a result of this exiting process, we would be pleased to hear from them to tell us how this process has affected them or will affect them.  They can as well tell us the type of support they may need.  It is safe to move with the transition and incoming changes as they happen rather than wait late. 

All they need to do is to contact CENFACS by telling CENFACS three things as follows:

(a) What has changed or will change in terms of their circumstances as a result of the exiting process

(b) Their current or future needs or situation in relation to the exiting process

(c) The type of support they may seek with regard to the exiting process

They can text CENFACS or email or fill the comments box on our website with their contact details so that we can get back to them.

Thank you.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Energy Connections Project (ECP)

Please find below the aim, objectives, planned activities, potential beneficiaries, anticipated results, monitoring and evaluation about the ECP.

 

ECP Aim

ECP is a low carbon-intensive project that aims at reducing renewable energy poverty and hardships amongst poor people and communities in Africa by helping them to gain access to a network and development of renewable energy support (such as tools, skills, knowledge, capacity development, etc.) in order to reduce pressures on natural resources (forest resources and exploitation) and biodiversity.

 

ECP Objectives

To achieve the above intended result, the following steps have been identified:

√ Facilitate people and communities access to solar, water and wind energies

√ Educate and train people to understand that renewable energy is nearby them

√ Help people and communities to progressively transition from fossil fuels to renewables

√ Undertake cultural preparation for a smooth cultural shift to embrace renewable energy, if possible, in everyday life

√ Support local design and initiatives about low carbon intensive economy

√ Reduce pressures on forest resources and exploitation

√ Protect local biodiversity

 

The above objectives show how the aforementioned aim will be achieved.  They are SMART (that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound).

 

ECP Activities

The specific actions to be taken in order to deliver the ECP will include the following:

√ Run local awareness campaign about renewable energy

√ Organise local workshops or working community sessions about renewable energy (e.g. the use of energy mix made of solar and wind power)

√ Leafleting (distribute leaflets to a target audience) about renewable energy

√ Deliver digital messages for those who have access to a mobile phone about the benefits of renewable energy

√ Local volunteering and outreach by local energy connectors or people to own the process and the project

√ Run neighbourhood meetings and attend local events to engage local people about renewable energy

√ Communicate information and resources about renewable energy prior to events

√ Help people and communities to write down their renewable energy budgets and plans, and so on.

 

ECP Beneficiaries

The project targets poor people and communities as well as community facilities as follows:

√ Women using woods to cook and carry out other household duties

√ Local farmers, villagers, sheep breeders

√ Health centres, schools

√ Local African voluntary organisations

√ Poor households greenhouse gas emitters

 

ECP Outcomes

The user-perceived benefits in terms of results or consequences of the implementation of the ECP are as follows:

√ Reduction of the carbon footprint for ECP end users

√ Protection and restoration of local biological diversity (biodiversity)

√ Preservation of forest resources and values

√ Improvement in women’s health and protection, especially those exposed to fire and smoke

√ Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within and outside households

√ Improvement in the quality of air locally

√ Gaining of better skills, knowledge and capacity about renewable energy

√ People and communities will become better informed and have an increased access to energy solution problems

√ Reduction of energy poverty and precariousness

The long term impact or the desired result about ECP will be to bring change to the lives of people and communities to better.

 

ECP Monitoring & Evaluation

In collaboration with local people and our Africa-based organisations, we will be systematically collecting and analysing information which will allow keeping a regular check on what will be done about ECP.

In terms of evaluation, one can hope that ECP will meet its terms of reference or contract, deliver value for money, and bring about organisational learning and development.

On a concluding note, the overall goal of ECP is to connect poor people and communities to a wealth and network of information, services support and resources (including skills, knowledge and capacities) so that they can make informed decision and choice to transition from fossil fuels to renewables while preserving their cultures, ways of life and values.  In this respect, ECP is an orderly  and people-friendly energy transition project.

For an enquiry about full project proposals including budget, project approach and time schedule of events, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going in 2020.

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

One could consider a recurring donation to CENFACS as a New Year’s resolution.

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!

05 February 2020

 

Post No. 129

 

 

The Weeks’s Contents

 

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Reduction of Data Poverty

• Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Target 9: Substantially Expand the Number of Scholarships Available to African Countries

• 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools Box: Extended Community Services Support (Tool 6) and Transition Leads (Tool 4)

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Reduction of Data Poverty

 

Sustainable Development Month with the Reduction of Data Poverty

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

To tackle the month of sustainability, we have selected four targets from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda; targets that were initially meant to be reached by the end of 2020.  We will be dealing with each of the selected targets every week throughout this month.  Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find these selected areas of work.

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

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

For this year, our 3G project will focus on the Reduction of Data Poverty.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided more details about this focus.

 

 

 

 

~ Week beginning 03/02/2020: Substantially Expand the Number of Scholarships Available to African Countries (Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Target 9)

 

Substantially expand the number of scholarships available to African countries, is one of the four selected SDG targets we are working on this week.

In order to build capacities and develop sustainably, African countries need well trained and educated human resources.  There is a relationship between educational development for any country (here African ones) and sustainable development.

Yet, it has been noticed that the generations of Africans of the 20^th Century benefited from scholarships and grants whereas the generations of the 21^st Century of Africans have been forced to take loans with high interests and pay high educational fees in order to educationally develop themselves.   In some fields, grants and scholarships do no longer exist for Africans.  There are even in the scholarships market, organisations that claim to be scholarship- or grant-giving organisations, but they simply do not give any scholarships or grants, or give it to a very tiny number of students.  Yet, there is a high number of well qualified Africans who are searching for scholarships and grants.

In order to tackle this type of poverty in scholarships given, there is a need to get all the facts and data right regarding the substantial expansion of the number scholarships to Africans.  So, this week we are starting our Sustainable Development month by looking at the number of scholarships to African countries.

 

 

 

~ Poverty Reduction Tools Box: Extended Community Services Support (Tool 6) and Transition Leads (Tool 4)

 

We have already opened our box of 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools.  This week, we are extending our community services support, and continuing to provide leads to deal with economic transition.

As previously said, CENFACS provides basic community support which is a package of services to help those in need.  From 2020, we are including circular economic solutions to work with those who want to reduce hardships and improve their lives through a circular economic model.  They can choose to reuse, recycle and save natural and household resources.  This will enable them to use their little money to cope or meet with other life-sustaining needs.

As the UK’s intention of exiting the European economic integration model has become clear, we are in the process of re-assessing the needs of the community in this transitional phase.  A transitional needs re-assessment will be conducted to find out the changing and emerging needs of the community as well as new and improved tools to meet both changing and existing needs in a new setting of a transitional economy.  For those who want to volunteer by telling us how the transitional economy has affected their circumstances and will change their needs, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS and or to reply to our needs re-assessment request.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Poverty Reduction Mission in a Sustainable Development Month

 

Our poverty reduction Mission continues in the month of Sustainable Development.  Indeed, in trying to meet needs to reduce poverty, humans often use natural resources.  If that use does not deplete natural resources that future generations may need, it is fine.  If the use does compromise future generations to meet their needs, then there is a problem. 

In our Mission, we need to make sure that people do not overexploit or exhaust or waste resources.  In this respect, there is a link between sustainability and poverty reduction.  As some of you are aware, CENFACS works with local people to develop sustainable initiatives to help reduce poverty.  As such, we need to ensure that the link between sustainability and poverty reduction is a healthy one. 

Since we are in a year of Poverty Reduction Mission and in a month of Sustainable Development, we need to preserve this healthy relationship between sustainability and poverty reduction.  Therefore, all we are demanding from our users and supporters is anything they do to reduce or help to reduce poverty should be bound with the underlying principles of sustainable development.

To support CENFACS’ Year of Poverty Reduction Mission in a month of Sustainable Development, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

=> Triple-Value-Initiatives Start up

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

 

=> Triple-Value-Initiatives Fundamentals

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

 

=> Triple-Value-Initiatives Goals

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

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

 

 

 

~ Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children

 

Our Halving Poverty campaign continues as well.  It is often argued that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development.  In this month of Sustainable Development at CENFACS, supporting the Halving Poverty campaign means backing progress in achieving the target of universal primary education, especially for ordinary children in educational need (like those the Democratic Republic of Congo); children who are from poor households and in vulnerable situations.

For those who want to support this campaign, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS with your support.  This project is open to any levels of support as there is no limit as to what people can give.  Supporting the ordinary Congolese Children through this campaign means that you value the place of education in children’s lives regardless of their backgrounds and origins.  It also means that you enhance CENFACS’ Mission Year of Poverty Reduction in a month of Sustainable Development. 

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

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (Generation Global Goals Project): Reduction of Data Poverty

 

Before working on the focus of this year’s African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs), let us recap what happened last year about this project.

 

• • Last Year February’s work on SDGs: 2019 ACCSDGs (3G) Advocacy: In Search for New Forms of Data

 

In 2019, our 3G project was still at the impact level.  Our advocacy work about the impacts of global goals (here climate and sustainable development goals) on the welfare and well-being of children, particularly but not exclusively on African children; focused on the new types of information to capture this impact.  This information could be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (words) or both to test these impacts.   It was about capturing New Forms of Data regarding the application of Sustainable Development Goals.   

Capturing data regarding the coping and survival strategies as well as spatial and temporal activities of people and communities for their use of SDGs was the main 3G focus.  Spaces and times are important factors in data collection and analysis.  These users’ datasets about SDGs and their dynamics were used for our further advocacy work on this matter.  

Particularly, we searched new forms of data regarding for example the victims of wars and armed conflicts as well as for the sufferers of climate change in terms of their uses of SDGs.  Among them were children.  Data were about displaced children (displaced because of wars and natural disasters), street children, orphan children, children soldiers, children living in safety camps for humanitarian reasons etc.  Our new data work consisted of finding out whether these children were meeting SDGs or SDGs were failing them.  In some places, they were meeting them while in other they were not (like health data in places where Ebola virus struck).     

 

• • This February’s work on SDGs

 

This February’s work on SDGs will be mainly about the Reduction of Data Poverty.  Through this, we will try again to find out answers to the following. 

Are global goals (here CSDGs) working for children?  Are they positively impacting (strongly, weakly and averagely) child poverty or on children?  The answers to these two questions will feed our Better Impact advocacy in the context of 3G project, advocacy which is to demand not only an impact but a better impact from CSDGs on children

Besides that we have selected four Sustainable Development Goal Targets amongst others scheduled to be reached by 2020.  We shall as well bring about the problem of data for children in places of democratic transitions.

 

=> 2020 ACCSDGs (3G) Advocacy: Reduction of Data Poverty

 

This year, we are interested in the reduction of data poverty which should not be confused with poverty data.  The reduction of data poverty is in itself the continuation of our work on search for new forms of data.  The only difference is that it includes all types of data, old and new ones.  In this sense, there is a problem in getting data about poverty.  It is possible to produce primary data, but secondary data is still a problem as many data services and institutions in developing countries of Africa are still ill-equipped to produce reliable and robust datasets.  Many development organisations also raise the issue of data related to the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The lack of quality and reliable data about poverty or people living in poverty, we call it data poverty, continues our work on new forms of data for children living in places of wars and environmental disasters.  There is a need to reduce data poverty in order to better reduce poverty itself.  In both cases (of data poverty and new forms of data), we are relating them to children.  In this sense, we need new forms of data about poverty regarding people living in difficult places like of wars and natural disasters to measure how they are meeting SDGs.  Likewise, we need to reduce the lack of data (or data poverty) in order to capture the effects of SDGs.

 

=> Selected Sustainable Development Goal Targets to be reached by 2020

 

We will be working over this month on the following SDG Targets initially planned to be reached by the end of 2020.

 

Week beginning 03/02/2020        

Substantially expand the number of scholarships available to African countries (Goal 4; Target 9)

Week beginning 10/02/2020        

Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (Goal 8; Target 6)

Week beginning 17/02/2020       

Minimizing the adverse impacts of chemicals and all waste throughout the cycle, on human health and environment (Goal 12; Target 4)

Week beginning 24/02/2020        

Integration of ecosystems and biodiversity values to poverty reduction strategies and accounts (Goal 15; Target 9)

 

Our work will be about what data say about these issues and in the relations with poverty.

 

~ Data for children in places of democratic transitions

 

Last week, when we made the case of ordinary Congolese children, we told you we had some problems in getting the full picture of their educational needs since there has been a lack of robust and wide data.  As we are discussing data poverty, let’s take this opportunity to include in our working model of the reduction of data poverty, the problem of data for children living places of democratic transitions (like in the Democratic Republic of Congo). 

This lack of data provides us another compelling evidence of the need to reduce data poverty.  So, there is a problem to find data for children in places of democratic transitions.  We hope the work we are doing on this matter with organisations on the grounds will help to resolve data poverty in the future so that needs are properly assessed and met.

To raise the issue of data poverty in places of democratic transitions and to support us with data about children in need in those places, please contact CENFACS.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ Sustainable Development Month, 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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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 in the New Year and New Decade as well.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

29 January 2020

 

Post No. 128

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children

• Making Wasteful Consumption our Mission

• Donor and Stewardship Development

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children

 

In this 2020, children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue to suffer the draconian effects of austerity and structural adjustment policies of the 1980s, the long DRC post-cold wars and mismanagement of previous administrations.  Since last year, DRC moved into liberal democratic transition processes. 

However, the benefits of these processes are taking time to materialise in the educational lives of ordinary Congolese children, let alone other sectors of the economy.  Schools and ordinary parents are still struggling to make educational ends meet.  There is a need to help ordinary Congolese people to help themselves in reducing or halving educational poverty. 

CENFACS would like to work with those who would like to halve poverty by supporting ordinary Congolese children to meet their educational needs.   

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find some details about halving poverty for and with the educationally needy Congolese children.

 

 

~ Making Wasteful Consumption our Mission

 

Our month of Responsible Consumption will end this week.  We cannot end it without reflecting to it the theme of this year’s dedication, our Mission Year.  In particular, how can we work together with people living in poverty to embrace together a poverty-relieving mission in helping themselves in consuming responsibly? 

We can do it by working together with them to understand that poverty reduction goes hand in hand with responsible consumption.  By using the theme of this year’s edition of CENFACS’ Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change; we can together build on our Mission.  We can build it through the reduction of negative wasteful and unneeded consumption. 

People can eliminate negative waste in their ways of consuming goods and services while doing something positive to save the environment and reduce the adverse impacts of climate change (or their carbon print).  It is in this way we can make wasteful consumption our mission; that is working together to develop ways of reducing consumption that creates and sustains negative waste for humans and the nature.   We can together save resources and create peace with the nature and everything in it.

To enquire and support the CENFACS’ Mission Year and this particular mission, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Donor and Stewardship Development

 

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

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

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

 

=> Free for Supporters: Silver Status

 

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

 

=> Want to provide Great Relief as a Supporter

 

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.

Please contact CENFACS for details about becoming great reliever.

 

=> Need to boost your support or stewardship

 

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

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a project or programme funder or a product booster

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

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~  In-depth Review of 2019 Light Appeals/Projects

 

This week, we are also conducting an in-depth review of 2019 Light Appeals or projects.  We have already done the annual review of 2019.  In our annual review, we briefly included some of the appeals we made in 2019 including Light Appeals.

The current review is different in its aim, scope and scale as it is in depth and detailed.  It is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of our Light Appeals in terms of what changes happened since we launched these appeals.  Changes may have happened in those countries and peoples on whose behalf we made an appeal.

If changes happened, we should not always say because of our appeal.  Likewise, if they did not happen we should not simply argue that our appeal did not change anything.  We should instead find out what progress has been made on the grounds regarding the previous situations and how we could still help and move things forward.

In this respect, the in-depth review is meant to provide us some credible information and data about the gaps that needed to be filled up or unmet needs that require further advocacy.

To enquire and or support us in this review, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

~ Gifts of Peace, Edition 2019-2020: Ends 31 January 2020

 

Gifts of Peace for Edition 2019-2020 are coming to an end this Friday.  If you have not yet supported, there is still two days to go.  You can still do something for poverty relief.  Every support counts to help reduce and end poverty.  You want to support, just contact CENFACS or go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/ .

 

 

 

~ 2020 All Year Round Projects: Play, Run and Vote for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

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

The 2020 Edition of All-year Round Projects has kicked off.

You can Run or Organise a Run Activity to Reduce Poverty in 2020. 

You can Play the CENFACS League for Poverty Relief.

You can Vote your 2020 African Poverty Relief Manager.

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

 

=> How CENFACS can help you to engage with Triple Value Initiatives

 

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

 

Example 1: Run Themes

For example, let’s take Run to Reduce Poverty.  There are Run Themes.  You can Run alone or Run as group or even Run for fun.  You can do Seasonal Run or Run to raise money or even Run to raise awareness.

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

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

 

Example 2: Play station Game

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

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

 

Example 3: People to Watch

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

You can create your own list of 20 Top People to Watch throughout the year.  One or two of them will be potentially the best managers of 2020.  You can collect data and facts about, follow their annual performance and vote the best at the end.

After running or organising a run activity, playing the CENFACS’ League and voting your Manager of the Year 2020; we would like you to share with us and others your news, events, experiences, stories and reports regarding these projects.  The end product of your share will be a kind of Action-Results report 2020.

 

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

 

We would like to hear from you the following three bests

The Best African Countries of 2020 which will best reduce poverty

The Best African Global Games Runners of 2020

The Best African Development Managers of 2020

The deadline to tell us your bests is 23 December 2020.

 

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

For more information about these projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development 

 

• Halving Poverty for and with the Educationally Needy Congolese Children

 

In the years 1980s, draconian austerity measures were imposed on the DRC by international financial institutions to put back its economy on track.   In order to reduce public spending to comply with structural adjustment policies, there were budget cuts.  In those cuts, some sectors were targeted such as health, education, transport, etc.  

These measures were followed by three decades of economic and political instability characterised by one of the longest African wars (two waves of wars in DRC where many foreign armies were involved) and processes of democratic transition.  These processes led to presidential and parliamentary elections last year.  The newly elected administration has reinstated free primary education for all the Congolese children.  

Although primary education is now free, the new administration has not got the resources to pay for its policy as the Congolese State was impoverished.  The dividends of democratic transition are taking time to materialise and bring expected benefits to the primary education of Congolese children.  Yet, there are acute and urgent needs to be fulfilled and educational requests to be responded.  There are data that tell the story of Congolese children.  There are as well results or outcomes that are expected for any support given. 

The following summarises those data, request, use and outcomes that briefly make the case for halving poverty for and with the educationally needy Congolese children.

 

Basic data for primary education in DRC

It is difficult to get a considerable and accurate amount of data about primary education in DRC.  The data we have used refer to only part of the DRC.  Research from the United Nations Children’s Fund (1) found that attendance in early childhood education is still low in DRC and children have less learning material (such as books) at home. 

According to the United Nations Development Programme (2), inequality in education was 28.5% (p. 311) in 2018 in DRC, while the mean years of schooling making the gender development index was 5.3 years for female and 8.4 years for male for the same year (p. 314)

In its Global Education Monitoring Report 2019, the UNESCO (3), argues that in terms of education opportunities the Gender Parity Index in gross enrolment rate was 0.99 in DRC in primary while Gender Parity Index in completion rate in primary was 0.88 still in DRC.

(1) https://www.unicef.org/media/63016/file/SOWC-2019.pdf

(2) United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2019: Beyond Income, beyond average, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21^st Century, New York, USA

(3) United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation, Global Education Monitoring Report 2019

 

The needs

Although the new administration has made primary education free, there is still a gigantesque challenge to meet primary educational needs, which are as follows:

<> Extra 4 million children joined primary education since September 2019

<> Almost 200,000 teachers are unpaid and some of them had to walk 4 km from their homes to their work places to teach as they do not have money to pay for the local motorcycle taxi to carry them

<> In a class of 50 pupils, children share 2 books only to read amongst them

<> In some classes, half of the children are following lessons standing up

<> There are lacks of benches, desks, school supplies, cabinets for books, etc.

<> Besides these lacks, there are as well problems with sanitation and health facilities in some of the schools.

 

The request

CENFACS is asking to those who can to donate whatever they can to help HALVE POVERTY FOR AND WITH THE EDUCATIONALLY NEEDY CONGOLESE CHILDREN.  Any support will be welcome. 

Your support will help to reduce child poverty, assist early childhood development and fill the gaps in education funding needs of children in democratic transitions like the DRC.

Many thanks!

 

The use and beneficiaries

Your support will help

√ To buy educational books for children

√ To build new classes and increase absorption capacity of schools to cope with the high number of children who are standing to follow lessons

√ To support unpaid teachers

√ To cut down the ratio teacher/pupils, which is about 1 to 50 in many classes

√ To equip deprived primary schools

√ Where appropriate, to introduce digital learning facilities to cope with this huge educational demand and market, etc.

 

The outcomes

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

√ Reduction of educational books shortage

√ Reduction of the ratio teacher to pupils from (1 to 50) to (1 to 25)

√ Doubling of literacy and numeracy skills amongst children

√ Introduction of digital learning skills

√ Improvement of working conditions for teachers and support staff

√ Halving the number of children following lessons standing up

 

To enquire and or support CENFACS’ Halving Poverty for and with Educationally Needy Congolese children, please contact CENFACS.   Thank you!

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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 in the New Year and New Decade as well.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

22 January 2020

 

Post No. 127

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Key Summaries of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 66 entitled as Energy for the Poor

• Digital and Social Media Campaigns – Level 3: Digital Infrastructure, Security and Defence

• Gifts of Peace: Only 9 Days to Create Life-Changing Magic of Peace

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Key Summaries of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 66 entitled as…

Energy for the Poor –

How to help poor people help themselves in meeting their sustainable energy needs in a changing climate

 

The 66^th Issue of FACS, which is about Energy for the Poor (How to help poor people to help themselves in meeting their renewable energy needs in a changing climate), is now ready for your readership.

In our post no. 124 of the 1^st of January 2020, we introduced this 66^th Issue.  In this week’s post, we have summarised the key contents making the pages of this Issue.    Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find the key summaries of the Issue.  For those who would like to learn more about the Issue and beyond these key summaries, please free to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Digital and Social Media Campaigns – Level 3: Digital Infrastructure, Security and Defence

 

As part of level 3 of digital and social media campaigns, we are working on affordable budget to help people build basic digital infrastructure, security and defence.

Digital infrastructure is understood as the permanent services and equipment needed to be able to function digitally.  They include: computers, laptops, internet connections and networks, software and hardware, tablets, phones, etc.

Digital security is the protection from digital harms; against attacks, threats and theft of any kinds (such as hacking, spyware, etc.).

Digital defence is equipment or method or even means to protect against attacks and threats of any kinds.

The above three areas of the level 3 of our Digital and Social Media Campaigns can be translated into a budget; that is plan specifying the way money will be coming and spent or allocated for these three areas.  In the context of this budgeting exercise, we have provided an example of a basic personal expenses budget for digital infrastructure, security and defence (Figure 1).

  

 

~ Gifts of Peace: Only 9 Days to Create Life-Changing Magic of Peace

 

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

We hope you will keep these Gifts of Peace in your minds and help us reinvigorate the giving season through your donation or Gift of Peace.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Transitional Development Programme and Africa-based Sister Organisations in Democratic Transitional Places of Africa

 

This week, we are also looking at how Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) operating in democratic transitional places (like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria) are doing.  As part of this exercise, we are trying to find answers about the following questions:

Is democratic transition working for them and their project beneficiaries?

What obstacles are they facing and is there any new space or window of opportunities for their work since the process of transition began?

How can we support them in their difficult mission of helping to reduce poverty, especially as we are in Mission Year at CENFACS?

As everybody knows, every process (like democratic transition) comes with opportunities and threats.  It can work some people and organisations; just as it may not work for others.    This is what we are trying to find out through our Transitional Development Programme. 

For those organisations working in places that are undergoing democratic transitions in Africa, we would be more than pleased to hear from them their experiences of democratic transitions so far, especially on how it has impacted their work.

If you have experience to share from democratic transition places in Africa, please do not hesitate to share it with CENFACS.

 

 

~ News from the Field

 

Some of our Africa-based Sister Organisations are arguing that democratic transition in Africa is a long process in order for it to be translated into tangible benefits on the grounds.  Places or countries which are in transition (like the Democratic Republic of Congo), they still need institutional change and some fresh or retrained human resources.  The institutions and administrations of poverty reduction need to be rebuilt and resourced. 

While the rebuilding is going on, the dividends from democratic transitions may take time to be translated into concrete poverty reduction on the grounds.  However, this does not stop ASOs to continue their work in supporting those in need. 

ASOs also admitted as governing systems open up to the public and public scrutiny, the box of poverty Pandora is opened as well; that is the scale and magnitude of poverty problem become more visible as dictatorial administrations were tried to hide these problems.

They finally highlighted some other issues such as the disruption of transition and poverty relief work by the eruption of sectarian conflicts and climate change issues, the rebuilding of poverty reduction infrastructures and structures, governance issues as some administrations continue to behaviour like in the past, the longer the democratic transitions take the more delay in poverty reduction work (in countries like Algeria). 

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

 

 

~ Mission Year and Energy for the Poor

 

As we announced at the start of this year, 2020 is CENFACS’ Mission Year and we shall reflect this missionary feature on most of the work we will carry out this year.

As an example of the application of the Mission Year, we are going to reflect this year’s dedication to the general theme of the 66^th Issue of FACS newsletter, theme which is energy poverty.  In this respect, we can work with energy poor to help them come out energy poverty.

Apart from other works we have scheduled for this week, we have embarked on a mission to help relieve energy poverty.  To do that we need to understand what energy poverty means. 

To understand it, we are going to borrow its definition from the European Commission (1) that uses the “Grenelle II” Act which defines energy poverty as

“a situation in which a person has difficulty obtaining the necessary energy in their home to meet their basic needs because of inadequate resources or living conditions”.

From this definition, our poverty-relieving mission would revolve around finding out answers to the following two questions:

Who is energy poor within our community?

How can we work together with energy poor and help them to help themselves to meet their sustainable energy needs in a changing climate?

The above is the kick start of our Mission Year and Project.

(1) https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/content/possible-approach-define-energy-poverty-inability-keep-home-adequately-warm

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Key Summaries of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 66 entitled as…

Energy for the Poor –

How to help poor people help themselves in meeting their sustainable energy needs in a changing climate

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

• African People and Access to Electricity (Page 2)
• The Price of Woods on African Forests and Biodiversity (Page 2)
• Women, Health, Energy and Carbon Print in a Changing Climate in Africa (Page 3)
• Energy Choices by Poor People (Page 3)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations, Solar Resources and Poverty Reduction (Page 4)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations, Production of Energy Technologies, Energy Transition and Poverty Reduction (Page 4)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations, Less Carbon-intensive Poverty-relieving Path and Poor People (Page 4)
• Comment réduire les pressions sur l’exploitation forestière aux besoins en énergie en Afrique (Page 5)
• Comment faire que l’abondance africaine de ressources en énergies renouvelables atteigne les pauvres (Page 6)
• Comment assurer un développement moins carboné qui répond aux besoins énergétiques des pauvres en Afrique  (Page 6)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations and the Development of Basic Affordable Renewable Energy Infrastructures to Combat Climate Change and Poverty (Page 7)
• Africa-based Sister Organisations and the Development of Local Energy Technologies to Combat Poverty and Precariousness (Page 7)
• Integrating Renewable Energy and Mobile Money Payment for the Poor (Page 8)
• Redrawing the Map of Poverty in Africa through Investment in Biofuel Energies (Page 8)
• Natural Resources, Renewable Energy Technologies and Poverty Reduction (Page 9)
• Energy Transition is a Key to Poverty Reduction in Africa (Page 9)
• Energy Connections Project (Page 10)

 

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 66^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

African People and Access to Electricity (Page 2)

It is argued that half of African population has no access to electricity.  For example the World Bank (2) argues that

“Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the largest access deficit… 573 million people – more than one in two – lack access to electricity”. (p.4)

The same institution says that

“In 2030, around 40% of the access-deficit population will reside in Sub-Saharan Africa”. (p.67)

If this is the case, then there is a need to meet the electricity needs of the electricity-deprived people in Africa.  However, if they are using an alternative source of power to cover the lack of access to electricity, then these poor people may have problem to transition from those sources to electricity.  This could require energy projects or schemes that make electricity affordable for them (e.g. electricity access token scheme for basic needs of cooking).

 

The Price of Woods on African Forests and Biodiversity (Page 2)

Research found that 2/3 of African population depends on coal from wood to cook at the expense of forests and biodiversity.  In other words, woods have been cut in forests and biodiversity has been altered in order to make human needs of energy for cooking.  If this is done at a rate and pace that do not destroy the environment or lead to further increase in greenhouse gas emissions, that is fine! 

At the moment, this is not the case and does not solve the problem of poverty.  In reality, the way in which woods are cut, forests have been exploited and biodiversity has been treated continue to put an heavy price on the African environment and on the future generations, let alone natural events such as forest fires because of heat due itself to climate change.

 

 

 

Women, Health, Energy and Carbon Print in a Changing Climate in Africa (Page 3)

In rural and urban areas of Africa woods are often used as source of energy to make fire to cook and heat.  There is a tendency to use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking.  For example, the Word Bank thinks that

“In Sub-Saharan Africa, around 900 million people would still rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking in 2030”. (p.105)

Amongst those who use woods for household purposes are women.  They use it cook since cooking is part of women’s role in most African societies.   Often these women are exposed to smokes from the fire.  This exposure can even be worst when the meal is prepared for a large number of family members who include extended families.  It is as well worst when the meal is cooked for a family or community event. 

Regular exposures to smokes can cause breathing (respiratory diseases) and eye problems.  Besides this human health issue, there is also the environmental health issue linked to greenhouse gas emissions because of regular smokes.  This does not create a carbon neutral place for those living in this type of environment.

In the context of changing climate and life-threatening impacts of climate change, it is possible to improve the source of energy used by these women so that they can cook by using non-polluting fuels and technologies.  It is possible to support those populations through various forms of renewable energy so that they can transition to a less carbon way of cooking their meal.

 

Energy Choices by Poor People (Page 3)

Whether we speak about fossil fuels or carbon neutral energy, it is all about choices.  Those who are poor and difficult-to-reach may not have choices, but to take the option dictates by their conditions of life.  Amongst them are the peoples without access to clean cooking solutions.

However, there are things that can be done to create a number of choices or options for them.  These choice-creating initiatives could include things such as boosting their incomes, energy education of the poor, income-generating activities geared towards energy choices, raising awareness of energy choice to help them to access energy mix, etc.

We can continue to list these initiatives, but at the end of the day, one needs to develop a clear inclusive strategy that gives energy choices for poor people while making sure that this strategy is deliverable.

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), Solar Resources and Poverty Reduction (Page 4)

It is well known that Africa is rich in solar resources.  It is also a matter of fact that poverty is higher in Africa compared to other regions of the world.  Given the two facts, ASOs need to continue to work with beneficiaries and interested people and communities so that they can match the richness of solar resources to the high level of poverty within these communities.  They can align their outputs with their efforts to reduce poverty via solar projects or activities (that use energy from the sun) within those communities in need.  For example, communities can invest in solar cooking through solar oven.

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), Production of Energy Technologies, Energy Transition and Poverty Reduction (Page 4)

It is said that Africa has the potential to produce critical technologies for energy transitions.  As a home to these technologies, Africa also faces the challenge of reducing poverty.  ASOs can continue to work with local people and communities to produce those critical technologies needed for energy transitions.  These technologies are also required to reduce poverty within the same communities. 

They can set up energy transitions projects to that effect.  To keep track on that direction, resilience and close cooperation are needed between these organisations and the community they serve or work with.

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), Less Carbon-intensive Poverty-relieving Path and Poor People (Page 4)

Less carbon-intensive path for the reduction of poverty is one of the campaigns many would like to see in the work of our ASOs.  ASOs could keep helping poor people reduce poverty by using a path or scheme that involves less the use of carbon. 

Many organisations are already engaged in this kind of work or path.  We hope many others will follow suit.   Those who are already engaged in this model of poverty reduction would recognise that poor people try and find difficult to adjust to this model as the means do not always justify the ends. 

For example, switching from charcoal to solar energy is not always obvious.  This effort requires as well energy education of the local population while developing some incentive initiatives to motivate them.  One of these incentives could be to create local heroes in clean energy or a voucher system to encourage people to use clean energy.

 

Comment réduire les pressions sur l’exploitation forestière aux besoins en énergie en Afrique (Page 5)

Pour des populations qui ne sont pas aussi industrialisées comme les autres et qui dépendent largement de l’agriculture, l’exploitation naturelle ou  forestière représente le moyen primordial de remplir les besoins de première nécessité tels que ceux d’énergies, d’aliments, de vêtements, etc. 

L’approvisionnement en énergie pour ces populations tente d’être basé sur l’utilisation ou l’exploitation naturelle.  Ce qui est le cas en Afrique là où il y a des forêts immenses et des richesses forestières.  L’exploitation forestière en soi n’est pas mauvaise.  Cette exploitation devient un problème quand ces mêmes populations commencent à exercer des pressions sur des richesses forestières pour remplir des besoins énergétiques, et si ces pressions créent des problèmes sur l’environnement;  problèmes tels que l’effet de serre ou les feux de brousse ou le dérèglement climatique.

Dans ce cas là, il y a lieu de réduire ces pressions sur les ressources et réserves forestières en développant des solutions alternatives en matière d’énergie pour subvenir à ces mêmes besoins énergétiques.

Aujourd’hui avec des recherches et la montée des technologies énergétiques nouvelles, il y a un éventail d’alternatives pour assurer les besoins énergétiques.

 

 

 

Comment faire que l’abondance africaine de ressources en energies renouvelables atteigne les pauvres (Page 6)

L’afrique regorge pas mal des ressources énergétiques renouvelables telles que hydro-électriques, biomasses, géothermiques, solaires, etc.  Le barrage hydro-électrique d’Inga dans la République Démocratique du Congo est un exemple parmi tant d’autres qui constitue un cas frappant de cette abondance.

Néanmoins, ces énergies n’atteignent pas toutes les couches de populations, et en particulier les pauvres; ressources que contient l’Afrique.  Cela étant, pour effectivement réduire la précarité ou pauvreté énergétique en Afrique, il faut faire en sorte que la distribution ou répartition des énergies atteigne les couches des populations les plus démunies d’énergie.

Dans le siècle passé, il y avait des projets et discours sur cette question.  Néanmoins, la plupart de ces travaux ou tentatives sont restés letter morte ou ont abouti à des échecs.  D’aucuns peuvent penser que la nouvelle décennie peut être celle non seulement de la transition énergétique en Afrique, mais aussi celle des énergies renouvelables et durables pour tous et toutes en Afrique.

 

Comment assurer un développement moins carboné qui répond aux besoins énergétiques des pauvres en Afrique  (Page 6)

Il y a plusieurs modèles de développement.  A l’heure des inquiétudes des effets néfastes des changements climatiques, la majorité des économistes de l’environnement se tourne vers un développement moins carboné, c’est-à-dire à un processus de changement meilleur qui implique de moins en moins l’utilisation des produits et activités créant l’effet de serre.

Assurer que ce type de développement se réalise est une chose et non pas une fin en soi.  Une autre chose, c’est de faire en sorte que ce processus répond aux besoins et attentes, particulièrement mais pas exclusivement, énergétiques des pauvres.  Autrement dit, point n’est besoin d’embrasser un modèle de développement de-carboné qui ne répond pas aussi bien aux besoins de la nature qu’à ceux de ceux qui souffrent.

Pour y parvenir, il faudrait que ce modèle intègre la dimension réduction de la pauvreté.  Cette intégration se fera sur des bases saines en ayant clairement défini ses prémices, fins, prémisses, régime ou mode de fonctionnement, objectifs et buts finaux.  Car, c’est seulement en adoptant une approche intégrative ou holistique que le développement moins carboné répondrait aux attentes des générations humaines d’aujourd’hui et d’avenir. 

    

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the Development of Basic Affordable Renewable Energy Infrastructures to Combat Climate Change and Poverty (Page 7)

To fight the adverse impacts of climate change and to reduce poverty, it requires the development of infrastructures.  While major infrastructures (such as hydroelectric powers and plants) could be the domain or responsibility of governments, small scale infrastructures and capacities could be done by individuals, small organisations and local communities. 

ASOs could work together with local people and communities to set up basic renewable energy infrastructures and structures that can help these energy-deprived communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to the type of energy they use.  This can as well help to reduce energy poverty and other types of poverty (such as income, consumption, multi-dimensional, etc.).  This is because in the fight of climate change and poverty, small initiatives but well planned and better implemented can make a big difference to those living in poverty and being the victims of the negative impacts of climate change. 

It is in the development of this kind of infrastructures and structures that sustainable energy needs of these poor people can be met in a changing climate.

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the Development of Local Energy Technologies to Combat Poverty and Precariousness (Page 7)

To combat poverty and hardships, it requires an arsenal of tools, strategies or solutions.  One of them is the creation of new ideas and technologies at local and people levels to help reduce poverty. 

Developing local energy technologies can help to respond to some of the energy challenges.  So, ASOs that are working together with local people in the development of sustainable and renewable energy micro-projects can help alleviate poverty. 

Working with locals on energy matters could make energy cheaper as energy products and services are made and run by locals, local organisations and from local resources.  This is even obvious when local energy has a competitive and comparative advantage.

 

Integrating Renewable Energy and Mobile Money Payment for the Poor (Page 8)

There are countless problems that poor people face in Africa.  In this article, we would like to highlight two of them which are: money and the way of the paying for renewable energy.

The mobile money account or system can help alleviate this as it facilitates the transfer of money to poor people while enabling to pay for renewable energy if they can afford and have money in their account.  An example of this integration scheme or process is with solar panel.

 

Redrawing the Map of Poverty in Africa through Investment in Biofuel Energies (Page 8)

Investing in biofuel energies can help to get the picture of poverty and those experiencing it.  It can allow having more data about poverty, especially fuel poverty.  It can help to find out those who have access to clean fuels and technologies and those who do not have. 

This kind of investment can signal the level of poverty that some people may face.  For those of our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that want to take that path, it will be interesting through this kind of investment to draw a map showing those who receive or not this investment and measure the chance or probability that each of them has to come out from poverty or at least energy poverty.

 

Natural Resources, Renewable Energy Technologies and Poverty Reduction (Page 9)

It is possible to reduce poverty by drawing on rich natural resources and advances in renewable energy technologies to meet the energy demand of the poor in Africa.  The revenues from the sales of natural resources (such as oil, gas and minerals) can help to develop or acquire renewable energy technologies to reduce poverty.

Those working on poverty reduction can advocate for a fair share of revenues from the sale of natural resources to be allocated to the development of renewable energy technologies.  African organisations can step up a case for this to happen, especially in places where this is not seen as priority. 

This matter provides an opportunity to campaign and prioritise the fair share of revenues from the sale of natural resources to be allocated to new and improved renewable energy technologies conducive to the reduction of poverty.  In doing so, one can begin to see the causal link between revenues from natural resources, renewable energy technologies and poverty reduction in Africa or elsewhere.

 

Energy Transition is a Key to Poverty Reduction in Africa (Page 9)

Energy transition is the move from fossil fuels (i.e. non-renewable resources such as coal, oil and natural gas) to renewable energy (that is, materials and energy sources that can be used over and over again).

Moving from fossil-based to zero-carbon economy can help to reduce poverty in Africa.  Indeed, by restructuring the way in which energy is produced, consumed and distributed (especially in shifting to renewable and sustainable forms of energy); this can enable to create a balanced energy that could reach poor people.  However, this move requires a preparation to avoid both cultural and psychological chocks, even social conflicts like the ones we are seeing in France with the so-called yellow vests. 

African voluntary organisations can take the lead on this and set up a model of energy transition projects to help move in that direction.  In any transition, there are opportunities and challenges.  African organisations need to take these opportunities.  In the long run, may be the benefits resulting from opportunities used will overweigh the threats and risks linked to challenges.

 

Energy Connections Project (Page 10)

This is a low carbon-intensive project that aims at reducing renewable energy poverty and hardships amongst poor people and communities in Africa by helping them to access to a network and development of renewable energy support (such as tools, skills, knowledge, capacity development, etc.) in order to reduce pressures  on natural resources (forest resources and exploitation) and biodiversity.

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

The full copy of the 66th Issue of FACS is available on request.  For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

(2) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/2019_tracking_sdg7_reportpdf

 

 

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 as a New Year’s resolution.

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 in the New Year and New Decade as well.

With many thanks.