Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

08 July 2020

 

Post No. 151

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All-in-one Impact Feedback: Tell It in Your Own Words and Numbers!

• Coming this July 2020: Virtual Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Health Economics

• Rebuilding Healthiness in the Phases of Low Spread and Growth of the Epidemiological Curves of Covid-19 in Africa

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ All-in-one Impact Feedbacks: Tell It in Your Own Words and Numbers!

 

Our July Month of Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics has already started with Impact Feedbacks. 

We are holding two types of feedback: one from individuals as project supporters and users, and another one from organisations, particularly Africa-based Sister Organisations. 

 

(1) Project Supporters’ and Users’ Experiences (Feedback I)

 

This week’s Say by Project Supporters and Users will continue our Analytics Month.  Project Supporters and Users can start to tell us the experiences they have had with the programmes and projects we have selected to conduct monitoring, evaluation, review, assurance and analytics.

We are asking Project Supporters, Users and other stakeholders to provide their views using their own words rather than we asking them to respond to open or close questions.

They can give us a feedback in the form of rating (numbers) and statement (words). This Say is about how they perceived and interacted with the products and services we presented to them over the last 345 days.

 

(2) Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Voices (Feedback II)

 

There are initiatives that we ran in the last financial year; initiatives that directly or indirectly aimed at supporting Africa-based Organisations or just advancing poverty reduction and sustainable development agendas in Africa.  These initiatives were in the form of humanitarian appeals, fundraising and Covid-19 campaigns, advocacy work, etc. 

We would like to hear the voices of Africa-based Organisations so that we can know where things went well and where they did not.  This will enable us to reflect their needs in future programmes and projects development, while improving the way we are working with them in particular and tackling African issues in general. 

Their voices are important to us since we can only help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development unless those who are concerned with these issues own the process by telling us what they want and how they perceive their own problems rather than we telling them what is good for them.

Like for individuals responding to our request, organisations do not need specific questions to provide their feelings about our work.  They can freely give their feedback in numerical and textual statements.

To facilitate this feedback process, we have selected 9 initiatives from which they can pick and choose to provide their feedback.

The selected 2019-2020 programmes and projects for the purpose of feedback making our Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics are listed in the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

 

~ Coming this July 2020: Virtual Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with…

Seven Days of Development in July (7DDJ)

In focus for this year’s 7DDJ: Health Economics

How to make health economics work for the poor and the neediest

 

Since the CENFACS argument about the coronavirus pandemic is that Covid-19 is an economic and health threat, we would like to further explore this argument through our Seven-Days-of-Development-in-July event.  In particular, we shall look at how health economics as part of economics that deals with aspects of health can be used to better help the poor and vulnerable, those in most need of our societies. 

As usual, they will be seven themes for thoughts for seven days, one theme per day, starting from the 22nd to the 28th of July 2020.

The seven days of development in July are the days of thoughts and actions against poverty. The seven themes will be the entry points in order to stimulate thoughts and actions.

We shall soon publish the daily themes and supporting information regarding this year’s Virtual Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions.

 

 

 

~ Rebuilding Healthiness in the Phase of Low Spread of Covid-19 and Growth of Epidemiological Curves of Covid-19 in Africa

 

In our post no. 138 of 8 April 2020, we argued about saving and rebuilding lives in Africa, particularly by saving and rebuilding destroyed lives and the victims of the coronavirus pandemic.  We explained that there would be three waves of advocacy campaigns for saving and rebuilding lives in Africa during Spring 2020.  These waves were saving and rebuilding lives at the times of rise, peak and decline of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa.

At the moment, we are still at the time of rise of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa.  Covid-19 is slowly spreading and the epidemiological curves (“epi-curves”) of the same Covid-19 in different countries of Africa are differently growing.  However, the pandemic has not yet reached its peak in Africa.

After three months from 8 April 2020, we are still in the first wave of our planned campaign and shadowing model.  Yet, we are in Summer and talking about the Season of Happiness in a Summer of Healthiness. 

Given the slow spread and growth of the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 in Africa, there is a need to rebuild healthiness (or the capability of Africans to be or stay healthy) in Africa.  This can be done while still staying resilient and keeping the momentum in the fight against Covid-19.  In other words, it is possible to rebuild healthiness by shadowing the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 in Africa in the above mentioned phase.

To discuss and or enquire about rebuilding healthiness in Africa, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ The Impact Analysis of Covid-19 on CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme

 

We are continuing the process of reassessing CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme to make them adaptable to the new world of the coronavirus pandemic since we are in the situation and era of Covid-19 dominance. 

We have already initiated the adaptation process by protecting the CENFACS Community and others, by following the anti-coronavirus measures and guidance, by cancelling any physical events or activities,  and by producing our own virtual protective tools (such as facial masks, anti-bacterial hand gels, gloves, toilet rolls, etc.).

We also adjusted our advice service to take into account the changing needs of the CENFACS Community and the side effects of Covid-19 on poor and vulnerable people. 

What’s more, we designed a suite of six cubes of protection against the coronavirus pandemic.

We have introduced some elements of protection (such as physical and social distancing rules and protective equipment, etc.) into our All Year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives).

All the above taken steps are meant to adapt ourselves as an organisation and mitigate the negative outcomes from the coronavirus pandemic, while making our systems of poverty reduction and sustainable development Covid-19 compliant.

In these adaptation and mitigation processes, we are now continuing the analysis of the Covid-19 and its impacts on CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme.  After completion of these processes, we hope these upgraded tools, agenda and programme will be Covid-19 secure and compliant.

We will be progressively doing this impact analysis while prioritising the Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics of the last financial year for this month.

To find out about the current progress on the Impact Analysis of Covid-19 on CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Covid-19 ASOs Survey: a Survey for Africa-based Sister Organisations regarding the Impacts of Covid-19 Shock

 

It is known that the Covid-19 Shock is impacting everybody and sector.  In order to be more specific in the way is affecting Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) we are conducting a survey regarding the economic health of these organisations.

The survey is about finding how Covid-19 is impacting each ASO, particularly but not exclusively, those ASOs working on mining, ecological and sanitation issues.  The survey has the following three objectives:

(1) Finding out how (strongly or averagely or weakly) Covid-19 is impacting individual ASO and their users

(2) Development of ways of mitigating issues found and brought by Covid-19

(3) Starting gathering data for the preparation of the post-Covid-19 recovery strategies

As part of this survey, we are questioning ASOs to openly tell us, by using their own words and figures, the way in which the Covid-19 is affecting them.

They can directly answer to CENFACS by using our contact details on this website.

 

 

 

~ The Impact Analysis of the Covid-19 Shock on African Children’s Realisation of Climate and Sustainable Development Goals

 

We are as well pursuing another piece of work on the way Covid-19 is affecting African children, in particular in terms of the realisation of climate change and sustainable development goals.  We are doing it while recognising the issue of lack of data or data poverty regarding the Covid-19 impacts on children.  The lockdown situations and other measures to fight Covid-19 in many African countries do not make easier to get data as well. 

We need to remind our readers that although we are doing this impact analysis, the priority for this month of July remains the Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics of the last financial year.  The Impact Analysis of the Covid-19 Shock on African Children will be done beyond the month of July 2020 as Covid-19 lasts.

To know about the progress of this impact analysis, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

Last week, we said that the name of the July game at CENFACS is Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics.  In other words, July is the month during which we conduct our Impact monitoring, evaluation, review and analytics of the projects and programmes we delivered during almost last 11 months and 2 weeks.

 

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Assurance and Analytics in progress

 

We are still routinely gathering information on all aspects of these programmes and projects related to the above named period.  Likewise, we are assessing what these programmes and projects have achieved in relation to the overall objectives we set up for them.  Also, we are critically examining, reappraising or reconsidering our objectives and policies to achievements, and figuring out whether there is any progress or set back.

Besides the above three activities (monitoring, evaluation and review), we are working to find out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS, as part of the analytics activity.

Once we have completed the July Impact monitoring, evaluation, review and analytics; we shall communicate the findings to our respondents and any vested interested parties.

In meantime, we are inviting supporters and users as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to engage with us in responding and reacting to our poverty relief work in their own words and numbers.  They can rate and or provide a statement about these programmes and projects.

 

• All-in-One Impact Feedbacks: Tell it in your own words and numbers!

 

There are many types or models of feedback.  In this exercise of feedback about the 2019-2020 programmes and projects, we are referring to impact feedback.  The latter is about giving feedback from the perspectives of users and African organisations by describing the programmes and projects delivered by CENFACS from their points of view.  It is an observation, but not an evaluation from their part.  They will try to describe the impact these programmes and projects have on them and what they like to be different. 

The exercise is meant to enable Supporters and Users (you might be one of them) as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to share with us and others the outcomes and learning experiences resulting from the use or application of the projects we have chosen from our Programmes for feedback purpose.

Please seize this opportunity to provide your own lines of thought for improvement, adjustment and development by sharing with us and others the outcomes and/or experiences resulting from the communications we have had with you and or your use/application or participation/support concerning the programmes and projects below.

We would like to know how effective and efficient did you find in these programmes and projects, and what lessons, experiences did you learn and development for the future of our poverty relief work in coming years.

 

• Summer Selection and Collection of 12 Initiatives for Feedback One and 9 for Feedback Two

 

We would like to inform you that some of the projects selected may have the same title like the year before.  However, the focus and contents for this year and each year are completely different.  In other words, what matters is not the title of the project or programme, but what is inside them.

We have selected the following programmes and projects for Feedback I and II.

 

 

 

• • Feedback I: Projects and Programmes for Feedback from Individuals (Supporters and Users’ Experiences)

 

There are 12 selected initiatives for Feedback I as follows:

 

CENFACS Analytics Dashboard (1)

The Great Beasts Campaign (2)

Back-to-relief Programmes and Projects (3)

Making Memorable Difference with a focus on African Health History (4)

Digital and Social Media Campaigns (5)

CENFACS 2020 Poverty Relief Tools (6)

EcoBio Days Event (7)

The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme (8)

Women and Children Projects: Virtual Reflection Day (9)

CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against Coronavirus (10)

Rebuilding Africa by shadowing the “epi-curves” of the Coronavirus Pandemic (11)

Research and Development on Covid-19 (Covid-19 as a cause of poverty; Covid-19 as a delaying or preventive factor from sustainability) (12)

 

 

 

• • Feedback II: Projects and Programmes for Feedback from Organisations (Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Voices)

 

We have selected 9 initiatives for Feedback II as follows:

 

The DRC Happiness Appeal (1)

Support for Children of Conflict and Climate Change-affected Areas in Africa in the New (September 2019) School Year (2)

Making Zero Hunger Africa in the Context of Life-threatening Impacts of Climate Change and of Armed Conflicts (3)

The 3-Frontier Area Appeal to Support the Victims of Insecurity and Displaced Persons in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger (4)

Burkina Faso Appeal 2020: Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks in Burkina Faso and its Neighbourhood (5)

Halving Poverty for and with the Congolese Children (6)

Burkina Faso Appeal (February 2020) for the Support of Human Protection and Humanitarian Relief (7)

Coronavirus Spring Project (8)

Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa (9)

The above selected 2019-2020 programmes and projects may seem a lot for a feedback purpose. However, what we have done is to give to people and organisations the opportunity to choose or pick the one (s) they know or associate with to feedback.  For the effectiveness of the feedback, we suggest that people or organisations to pick only 1 or 2 initiatives to give their feedback.  Also, it is better to be concise when making your feedback.

 

• How do you provide your feedback?

 

There are online feedback collection tools (such as survey monkey, visual feedback, type form, online review, etc.).  For the simplicity of our Impact Feedback, we would very much appreciate if you could provide us your feedback…

a/ via e-mail, text, phone, web comments or reviews

b/ in your own words and numbers.

Please do it by saying the way in which the above named programmes and projects have affected you or the people you recommended to use them or your organisation or sister organisation.

You could rate (by using numbers or percentages or ratios) these programmes and projects or provide a statement (by using words) or even both. This is aptly up to you.

Remember, we can only help reduce poverty and do the changes we all want if you tell us what you think.

Please consider our request for feedback and for your testimonial support.

 

• Need further information about the above programmes and projects before your feedback 

 

Those who have been following the work CENFACS does will be familiar with the above mentioned projects and programmes.  They may not need further details about them.

Those who want to provide feedback and would like to request the details or summaries of the above selected programmes and projects prior to their feedback, they are free to make their request to us.

Thank you for considering our request of feedback and for your testimonial support.

This feedback is due by the end of July 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 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!

01 July 2020

 

Post No. 150

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Analytics Month

• The Next Issue of Summer Financial Updates (Summer 2020 Edition) will be entitled: Managing Nature and Covid-19 Accounts

• Mission Year and Project Tracking

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Analytics Month

 

July is CENFACS’ Analytics month as it is the time of the year during which we conduct the impact monitoring, evaluation and review of our programmes and projects.  Through this exercise, we analyse what we did over the last 345 days, seize the outputs and, if possible, capture the early impacts made.

It is the time we review what worked well, what worked badly and what did not work at all.  We do it by bringing all together the programmes and projects as well as activities that made the preceding financial year.  This is what we usually call All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment. 

It is a feedback because we ask all our stakeholders to give their opinions about our work.  We expect them to provide us with their true and fair reactions and feelings about our work.  From what they feedback and what we have collected as data, we can assess our performance against aims, goals and targets we set up at the beginning of the financial year.  This also guides us to adjust and redevelop our programmes and projects.  In doing so, this gives us the opportunity to predict and plan future activities while rebuilding and reconnecting with stakeholders. 

For more information about All-in-one Impact Feedback or Assessment and CENFACS’ Analytics month, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

~ The Next Issue of Summer Financial Updates (Summer 2020 Edition) will be entitled: Managing Nature and Covid-19 Accounts

How to capture financial information linked to the nature and Covid-19 into your household accounts

 

The 2020 Edition of Summer Financial Updates (SFIs) is a good insight that builds on the relationship between human harmony with the nature and the sanitation measures we need to take in order to protect ourselves against Covid-19.  It deals with two types of accounts at household level which are: natural capital accounts and Covid-19 accounts.

Nature or natural capital accounts are related to the management and preservation of the nature at the level of household.  They can be expressed in terms of expenses and income saving related to natural resources and environmental assets management like water, soil, air, plants, animals and minerals.  They can be translated into expenses and incomes to cover these expenses which can help to build financial statements such as household balance sheets, profit and loss account, etc.  They are interesting since many people and families are adopting nature-based solutions to consume and produce.

The accounts linked to the protection against the coronavirus pandemic can include items dealing with hygiene, cleaning, sanitation, personal protective equipment, etc. to protect and save lives from the life-threatening and destroying impacts of the Covid-19.

The 2020 Edition of SFIs is a foundation for households to familiarise with the kinds of good accounting and management practice of including nature and Covid-19 effects into their family accounts and budgets.

The Issue does not stop there as it contains a few examples of nature and Covid-19 accounts and financial statements while providing some good leads for good management and control of household budgets in terms of comparative approach between ratios.

Finally, the 2020 Edition of SFIs facilitates our understanding of the complex information surrounding the current economic downturn led by Covid-19 while providing some tips and hints to adapt and mitigate the impacts of this downturn.

To find out more about this resource, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Mission Year and Project Tracking

 

It is now almost six months since we kick started our Mission Year and Project.  Mission Year is our dedication of 2020 as the year of poverty reduction mission.  This month, we are doing some tracking in terms of priorities, tasks, deliverables, etc. about this dedication. 

The tracking concerns the following areas of work on which we have reflected our poverty reduction mission: energy, sustainability, climate action, protection, Covid-19 stories and experiences, and creation to help reduce health and sanitation poverty.

Briefly, the tracking will enable to know whether or not our poverty reduction message has helped or started to help people reduce poverty and hardships.  However, it takes time for any message received to be transformed into tangible actions and results. 

Also, we need to acknowledge that our poverty reduction mission has been disrupted by the Covid-19 and its associated devastating impacts.  Therefore, for any tracking we will do there is a need to be cautious in making any interpretations or conclusions.  This is due to the Covid-19 disturbance.

To enquire or make query about CENFACS’ Mission Year and Project Tracking, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Reopening of CENFACS’ Charity e-Store

 

CENFACS e-Store has been reopened following the easing of lockdown and the unlocking of the charity retail sector.

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

For the health and safety of everybody, all goods donations will be quarantined for at least 72 hours.

We have enhanced our sanitation and cleaning methods and practices. 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

~ 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS: Report about Your Say

 

CENFACS has welcomed your views and comments regarding the six areas of campaign consultation which are: leadership, contribution, engagement, support, creativity and vision.

A careful examination will be given to all the points made about the running and organisation of this campaign.  We shall make a judgement on how to reflect useful and helpful comments to the current and remaining phases of this campaign while drawing some learning for future development of the campaign of this nature.

There have been some positive and constructive points made.  In all, there is a consensus that there is a need to move forward and stop Covid-19 negative impacts.  We can work to together to stop Covid-19 adverse impacts to become an impediment against poverty reduction, sustainable development and for future generations.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who responded to the 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS.

We have listened and read your views and comments.  Now, it is time to work together and take forward your messages so that we can together STOP COVID-19 NEGATIVE IMPACTS.

Many thanks! 

 

 

 

~ Happiness and Healthiness Budgets for Poor Children, Young People and Families

 

It is always hard to ask those (like poor children, young people and families) who experience poverty and literally have no income or income below the poverty line, to write a budget about anything, especially for their happiness or healthiness or even holidays. 

Whether or not a poor person is happy or healthy or takes holidays, they need happiness, healthiness, holiday budget or simply a budget to plan their sources of income and ways of meeting their expenses over a particular time of the year (e.g. Summer holiday).  The same person needs to plan how they are going to meet basic life-sustaining health costs. 

Although we have the NHS in the UK, there are other health costs which are not covered by the NHS.  These additional and basic life-sustaining health costs may include: personal hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting costs related to the protection against the Covid-19 and other bacteria.  These additional costs can be included into the happiness and healthiness budgets.

One can as well integrate other items of happiness (like health and life satisfaction) and the metrics of healthiness and well-being into their budget.  They can do it by putting together the items of income per capita (or monetary income) and non-monetary ones into happiness or well-being budget.

The happiness and healthiness budgets, or put it simply holiday and basic health accounts, help to assess where and how much help is needed.  Therefore, poor people and families need to do their income sums and build them into their happiness, holiday and basic health expenses budgets and accounts or simply Summer expenses budgets or accounts.

To discuss your happiness, healthiness and Summer holiday budgets, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics

 

The name of the July game at CENFACS is Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics.  July is the month during which we conduct our impact monitoring, evaluation, review and analytics of the projects and programmes we delivered during almost last 11 months and 2 weeks. 

Before giving the contents of the Analytics Month, let us explain the key words we are using for the purpose of this Analytics month.

 

• • Key Words for the Analytics Month

 

There are five key words we are using which are: impact, monitoring, evaluation, review and analytics.

 

=> Impact

Normally, it takes a considerable time to get the impact of any intervention, project and programme.  However, because we are talking about finding out what projects and programmes have achieved, it makes sense to clarify what we mean by impact. 

To do that, we are going to borrow the definition of impact from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The OECD (1) differentiates ex ante impact from ex post impact.  This is what it argues.

“Ex ante impact analysis is the needs analysis and planning activity of the policy cycle.  It is a prospective analysis of what the impact of an intervention might be, so as to inform policy making”.

“Ex post impact assessment is the evaluation and management of the policy cycle.  Evaluation aims to understand to what extent and how a policy intervention corrects the problem it was intended to address.  Impact assessment focuses on the effects of the intervention, whereas evaluation is likely to cover a wider range of issues such as the appropriateness of the intervention design, the cost and the efficiency of the intervention, its unintended effects and how to use the experience from this intervention to improve the design of future generations”.

The above definitions help to understand the scope and scale of the impact of most interventions. 

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we will be doing evaluation activities for some programmes and projects; and impact assessments for others.  This is because impact assessment is mostly a theory-based activity and has a narrow and tightly-defined focus.  Where we need to design evaluation questions and use evaluation techniques, we will do evaluation.  Where there is a need for a tightly-defined focus, we will do impact assessment. 

We are as well considering that the initiative for change comes from project users or beneficiaries not from CENFACS’ projects or programmes.  This is because the impact analysis model of change we are using is a non-linear one.  Despite this non-linearity of the theory of change used, our impact analysis will still be based on causality and attribution approach. 

    

=> Monitoring and evaluation

We are going to use the definition of monitoring and evaluation as given by Kersty Hobson, Ruth Mayne and Jo Hamilton (2) in their “A Step by Step guide to Monitoring and Evaluation”.  They define monitoring as

“the collection and analysis of information about a project or programme undertaken while the project or programme is on-going”. (p. 5)

They also define evaluation as

“the periodic, retrospective assessment of an organisation, project or programme that might be conducted internally or by external independent evaluators”. (p. 5)

From these two definitions, it is understood that monitoring is an on-going process whereas evaluation is a periodic or discrete one.

 

=> Review

We have referred to an online source from method123.com (3) for the meaning of this fourth key word.  This online source defines review as

“an assessment of the status of a project at a particular point in time”. 

From this online perspective, we have been performing a project management review at the end of each phase of our projects and programmes.  We have been verifying whether or not we have met the objectives.  If so, then a decision needed to be approved to proceed to the next project or programme phase.

July is the month we put together all these project reviews conducted while doing the last reviews for those projects and programmes pending for a last review.

 

=> Analytics

There are many approaches to analytics.  In the context of our July work, we have selected an explanation from an online dictionary (4) which is as follows:

“the patterns and other meaningful information gathered from the analysis of data”.

This kind of analytics will help us to better deliver a user experience for our projects and programmes.

 

• • The analytical process within CENFACS

 

We have been continuously and at discrete points in time tracking what has been happening within our programmes and projects while using the data collected to inform programme and project implementation and day-to-day management and decisions during the above named period.  However, in July this monitoring exercise becomes more intense.  

Likewise, we have been periodically assessing objectives of our planned, on-going, or completed projects, programmes, or policies.  During these evaluation processes, we have tried to selectively answer specific questions related to the design, implementation, and results of our programmes and projects.

In July, these evaluation activities become further pronounced as we assess what these programmes and projects have achieved in relation to the overall objectives we set up for them.  The results of this evaluation are fed back to improve these programmes and projects, or alternatively to develop new ones.

Still in July, we critically examine, reappraise or reconsider our objectives and policies to achievements, and see if there is any progress or set back.  This review enables us to improve as well.

Throughout the year, we work to finding out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS.  We apply those patterns in our decision making process.  In July, we put extra emphasis on this analytics which becomes very profound.

Briefly, July is the time we do our Summer tracking by reconsidering the value and relevancy of our work, let one the overall state of our charitable work.  It is in this period of the year that we carry out what we call All-in-One Impact Feedback and Assessment.  In other words, we try to listen to our stakeholders while tracking or capturing the early impacts of our work by considering all the pieces together as one.    

One of the key tools we use to do our impact analysis is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard.

 

• • What is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard?

 

CENFACS Analytics Dashboard is an information management tool that tracks, analyses and displays key performance indicators, poverty reduction diagnostics, poverty relief metrics, CENFACS’ poverty relief league, etc. 

It monitors the health of CENFACS in terms of the relationships of support received to outputs and outcomes generated. 

It provides as well charts and summaries about some of the campaigns conducted. 

It enables to discover and identify poverty reduction problems from the examination of symptoms it helps find.

It finally helps to retrieve information from CENFACS repository about the resources to help users and supporters.

For example, during the early stage of the coronavirus pandemic, we used CENFACS Analytics Dashboard to check the health of CENFACS and state of running of CENFACS’ projects and programmes.  This checking enabled us to know the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic affected the running of CENFACS and its services.  Knowing the distributional effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our projects and programmes, this knowledge helped us to reorganise these projects and programmes differently.

For more on CENFACS Analytics Dashboard, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment for July 2020

 

This month, we will be conducting three levels of Impact Assessment.  This Impact Assessment will be ex post.  And the evaluation related to this exercise will aim to understand the extent to which and the way in which our projects and programmes corrected the problems of poverty and unsustainable development amongst our intended beneficiaries.

 

=> Impact monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects we run in the last financial year

As the title of impact indicates, it will about putting together in the form of one piece of work of all the results of monitoring and evaluation activities we have conducted for our programmes and projects run in the last financial year.

 

=> Impact assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on CENFACS

We shall continue to seize the impact of Covid-19 on CENFACS, particularly on CENFACS’ 2020 Poverty Reduction Tools and Programme and Development Agenda.

 

=> Impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme

Like last year, this year’s All-in-One Impact Feedback and Assessment will be extended to include our XX236.3F programme as we are in the month of Monitoring and Evaluation.  

XX236.3F is our 2020 to 2030 to 2063 Follow up Programme.  We are following the implementation of the International Climate Change Agreement (or the Paris Treaty), the Istanbul Declaration, the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, and Africa’s Agenda 2063.  The four of them make up our XX236.3F programme.

We need to acknowledge that Covid-19 has not made and is not making easier to get the impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme.  Despite this difficulty, we are still conducting this impact feedback and assessment.

In brief, we shall conduct a follow-up and examination, look back and analyse data on the overall projects and programmes delivered during the above stated period, while keeping implementing our XX236.3F programme.

We shall soon publish the programmes and projects making this year’s Analytics.  In meantime, for any enquiries about the Analytics month, please contact CENFACS.

 

(1) https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/what-is-impact-assessment-OECDImpact.pdf (accessed June 2020)

(2) https://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/monitoringandevaluation.html (accessed June 2020)

(3) https://www.method123.com/initiation-phase-review.php (accessed June 2020)

(4) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/analytics (accessed June 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 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!

26 June 2020

 

Post No. 149

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Summer of Happiness – In Focus: Healthiness

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days

• Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Summer of Happiness – In Focus: Healthiness

 

CENFACS’ Summer of Happiness will focus on Healthiness, on healthy life expectancy as predicator of life evaluation.  We have chosen to focus on Healthiness because of the prolong impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have given a preview of projects and programme that will make our Summer of Healthiness.

 

 

 

 

~ Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days

 

From 29 to 30 June 2020, we are thanking all our supporters (current and past ones). 

We would like to take the opportunity of the end of June to thank them (and you if you are one of them) for helping CENFACS IN ENHANCING AND SUSTAINING FREEDOMS AND CAPABILITIES BY WORKING IN ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES.

  

What do mean by Thanking Days or Supporters’ Days?

 

These are Special Days of Thank You we would like to dedicate to all those who contributed to our work for any types of support they have given us over this financial year.  This dedication is normally held in the last week of and by the end of June.  For this year, Thank-you Days will be held on 29 and 30 June 2020. 

As we are in CENFACS’ Month of Creation and Mission Year, we shall find all sorts of creative, innovative and communicative ways of thanking our invaluable supporters and backers.  These thanking ways may include the following:

√ Conversing with our supporters over phones

√ Signing and sending thank-you prints or e-cards to them

√ Telling them the stories or outcomes about the people and communities they helped through their support

√ E-mailing and tweeting them with messages of gratitude

√ Telling thank-you stories

√ Playing and listening with them music and songs of thank you

√ Making thank-you videos and films

√ Giving back to them by volunteering our time to the cause they deeply care about

√ Undertaking a free translation service (French to English and vice versa)

√ Reading African poems and poetry

√ Sending to them digital and technologically animated thank-you messages

√ Doing creative and design works symbolising thank you

√ Sending designed and hand crafted made objects and crafts of acknowledgement

√ Making video calls since the coronavirus pandemic and its associated impacts restrict every physical contact, etc.

If you are one of the CENFACS’ supporters, please we would like to let you know the Thanking Days at CENFACS are your Days.  Do not hesitate to get in touch, if you do not mistakenly hear from us.  We will welcome you; reconnect with you and thank you on the occasion for the helpful difference you made to our work and project beneficiaries.

Your invaluable support has meant a lot for our programme and project beneficiaries over this ending financial year.

We would like to express all our sincere gratitude to you for helping us to help reduce poverty.

For further details, contact CENFACS’ Thanksgiving-End-of-June-2020 Team.

 

 

 

~ Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme.  This appeal has been already launched.

The appeal is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs) in places in Africa where healthcare systems are vulnerable and weak, and cannot cope with the mounting pressure and damaging effects of the Covid-19.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks stemming from the economic and health threats that have been caused by Covid-19.  One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future.

 

Yes!

You can help that child to dream and expect for a better life and future. 

You can help stop Covid-19 to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child.

You can help stop Covid-19 to create lifelong impacts on children and young people.

You can help stop children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line.

You can stop the lost generation of Covid-19 to happen in Africa.

 

To make the above happen, support Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa.

Details of this appeal and ways of supporting can be found at: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Arts & Design Project: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the example of Young Creators and Innovators

 

Artists and designers play an active role in helping to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  So, this week we are working on some of the works carried out by artists and designers especially those from small scale and charitable backgrounds, the local arts and design products and services undertaken by local people and communities sometimes to make ends meet. 

These kinds of work can include those carried out by poor families, children, young people and those who are left out of the economic growth or upturn.  Additionally, there are as works carried out by unknown and unnamed artists and designers who may be amateurs or not professionals or not just celebrities. 

All these small pieces of art and design works can help relieve poverty and enhance the process of sustainable development. 

Example of Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers: Young Creators and Innovators

Some Young Creators and Innovators can be classified as unknown and unnamed artists and designers.  They are of all sorts of talents and abilities who can create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  Their works can help reduce Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships while keeping the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.  They could be the finders of the today’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems.   

So, this week we are continuing our Arts and Design project by looking at the contribution that unknown and unnamed artists and designers, and amongst them are Young Creators and Innovators, are making in reducing poverty and hardships as well as in enhancing sustainable development.

 

 

 

 

~ Arts and Design Project: Skills in Art and Design

 

To carry on our Arts and Design project and Month of Creative Economic Development, we are as well dealing with the following three types of skills in art and design:

√ Skills for poverty relief

√ Skills for sustainable development

√ Skills in response to Covid-19 threats 

 

The focus in this activity is on finding out ways of helping people to develop skills in arts and design to communicate their messages about poverty relief, sustainable development and responses to Covid-19 threats. 

The interest in doing it is to explore ways of making Arts and Design Skills that poor people possess to use them in achieving tangible poverty-relieving and sustainable development outcomes, as well as in dealing with the economic and health threats posed by Covid-19.

Developing skills in arts and design can help to overcome poverty, enhance sustainable development and reduce the level of threats brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

# Arts and Design Skills related to poverty reduction, sustainable development and Covid-19 response

 

=> Art and design skills as a poverty fighter

 

Skills in art and design can be a rewarding way of fighting poverty and hardships by giving to the poor an artistic occupation or by buying their artistic makings to raise the funds they need to make ends meet, let alone helping them to make a career in the creative industry.

 

=> Art and design skills as an enhancer of sustainable development 

 

Art and design skills can help to create and innovate products and services that do not pollute, deplete or destroy the nature, while meeting poor people’s needs and reducing carbon prints.

 

=> Art and design skills as a response to the life-threatening and destroying impacts posed by Covid-19

 

To respond to coronavirus and its damaging effects, it requires skills.  In the context of our Campaign for Resilience against Covid-19, these skills could include those of saving lives, protecting healthcare infrastructures and reducing Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships.

These three types of skills could be handled on papers, digitally or physically with objects.

But, what are these art and design skills?

 

# General Art and Design Skills

 

=> Art or artistic skills consist of the following:

 

Drawing, composition, identifying colours, painting, dress making, dealing with shapes, digital art handling, and visual art management

 

=> Design skills can include:

 

Knowledge, observation, visualisation, experimentation, validation, communication, problem-solving and digital design, etc.

Also, as part of the Skills Data Bank run by CENFACS, one can registered their skills in art and design with the CENFACS Community.

For further details about Arts and Design for poverty relief, sustainable development and reduction of Covid-19 threats, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Summer of Healthiness

 

At the beginning of Spring 2020, we argued that Spring 2020 was special because of the Covid-19 and its crippling issues.  Covid-19 has pushed us to adapt our Spring of Life Renewal to that of Life Salvation.  The same special feature of Spring 2020 has moved into Summer 2020.  The same adaptation exercise is happening with our Summer of Happiness which will be of Healthiness.

Generally speaking, Summer is a season of Happiness within CENFACS.  It is the season of happiness from most of our stakeholders after having a long busy period of working and educational activities like everybody.   They look forward to a long period of break which often happens during Summer, in the months of July and August.  Those of our stakeholders living in other parts of the world, this long waiting break can be in different months of the year.  The important thing is there are at least nearly two months of break.

However, Covid-19 has disrupted this habit and threatening human habits of breaks or holidays.  Because of Covid-19 disruptions and its continuing negative impacts, our Summer of Happiness will be centred on Healthiness. 

As the specific medicine and vaccine to eradicate Covid-19 have not yet been discovered, Covid-19 is still around.  This is despite the fact that its threat levels have been reduced in some places.  We still have to live in a physical and social distancing environment while disinfecting our living environment from the Covid-19 strains and maintaining special hygiene and cleanliness.  This is happening let alone the human and economic fatalities that Covid-19 is causing and a considerable amount of non-essential human and economic activities that it has taken in hostage. 

Because of the above, it makes sense to call our Summer 2020 a Healthiness one to reflect the predominance that health has in the last three months and will have during this Summer in our living memory, life and work.  Summer of Healthiness will focus on the physical, mental, social and economic health of our project beneficiaries and community as well as the Covid-19 ramifications in terms of less room for manoeuvre for poverty reduction and sustainable development, let alone the lack of spaces we have to share. 

Additionally, at the beginning and during our Covid-19 Campaign we have argued that Covid-19 is both a health and economic threat.  If this argument is solid, it will be premature to counterclaim that by saying this double threat has now completely disappeared given the devastating human and economic impacts and costs it has caused.  

Because of this enduring character of Covid-19 in terms of economic and health threats it embodies, our Summer 2020 will be of Healthiness.  Therefore, the projects and activities that we are preparing and have prepared for this Summer will reflect the theme of healthiness. 

In fact, our Summer 2020 will still have happiness in it.  When we define happiness, there is an element of health in it.  To be happy is also to be healthy or to have healthy life expectancy.  We shall expand more on this when we will present our Healthiness Projects; projects making the second part of our Summer Programme. 

During this Summer 2020, we will deal with both the freedom from illness or pain, and the freedom from the lack of monetary or material possessions.  Not being medical doctors or healthcare scientists, we will work in our capacity of specialists in poverty reduction and scientists in sustainable development together with local people in need to help them gain or regain their freedoms from illness and poverty while still assisting them to enhance areas of sustainable development within the context and under the constraint of Covid-19.    

To do that, we have planned the following projects and programme for Summer 2020.

 

• Preview of Projects and Programme for Summer 2020

 

• • June 2020

 

# Campaign for Resilience against Covid-19 (or Covid-19 Campaign)

 

We are continuing to implement the phase 2 of this campaign; phase which is about Impact Monitoring and Evaluation.

Depending on the level of threats posed by Covid-19 during this Summer and the evolution of the epidemiological curves of Covid-19, we shall reassess our Covid-19 Campaign and make a judgement whether or not we shall move to phase 3; that is the phase of Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategy.

 

# Thanksgiving Days: 29 & 30 June 2020

 

This year’s Thanksgiving Days will be virtually run on 29 and 30 June 2020.  Because of the coronavirus pandemic and its associated impacts and restrictions, we will not physically running Thanksgiving Days.

We have already released the contents of this year’s Thanksgiving Days; contents which are up within the Key Messages section of this post.

 

• • July 2020

 

# Financial Updates: Managing your nature accounts and Covid-19 accounts

 

The 2020 Edition of Financial Updates (a CENFACS’ Individual Capacity Building and Development resource for Summer) will focus on two sets of accounts: nature and Covid-19 accounts.

Nature accounts (or natural capital accounting) are those any household can run in their budget to keep their relationships with nature in harmony.  One can integrate ecosystems and biodiversity into their household budgets.  This can enable them to take responsibility towards nature or natural resources.

Covid-19 accounts are any items of household budgets related to the protection against the current wave of Covid-19.

Besides these two sets of accounts, the 2020 Financial Updates will update readers about the current financial and economic situation as economies are going into recession, due to the Covid-19 consequences.  The updates will go further in terms of financial and economic advice to resist economic recession and its potential damaging effects.

 

# All-in-one Impact Assessment

 

July, which is the Analytics month within CENFACS, is the month to be at CENFACS for those who are working on project and programme impacts. 

We will be doing two levels of impact assessment as follows:

(1) Our usual July Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review and Analytics for projects and programmes that we run in the preceding financial year

(2) Impact assessment of the Covid-19 Campaign, which is due to continue

 

# Virtual Summer Festival with Seven Days of Development in July

 

In focus for our Summer 2020 Festival will be: Health Economics – How to make health economics work for the poor and the neediest

Since our argument about the coronavirus is that it is an economic and health threat, we would like to further explore this argument through our Seven Days of Development in July (7DDJ).  In particular, we shall look at how health economics as part of economics that deals with aspects of health can be used to better help the poor and vulnerable people, those in most need of societies.

 

• • July – August 2020

 

# Children, Young People and Families (CYPFs) Summer Programme (Part I): Appeal Projects

 

Summer humanitarian Appeal projects are a set of projects to help alleviate multi-dimensional poverty experienced by CYPFs during the Summertime.  Last year, we launched one integrated appeal that brought under one roof these projects.  This year, because of the Covid-19 and its associated impacts, we are going to launch selected appeals for of them with special emphasis on health. 

One of the selected appeals will be about helping CYPFs to be free from distress caused by the coronavirus pandemic and any health poverty associated with coronavirus.  The appeal – Distress-free Life from Coronavirus for CYPFs in Africa (DfLCA) – is also about helping poor CYPFs to boost their capability to be healthy from the coronavirus and other diseases as well as from economic threats created by the same coronavirus. 

Another appeal project that will have a particular attention and that is needed during the current health and sanitation is the Iconic Young Carer for a Coronavirus-free Environment (iYCCfE). 

The two projects fall under the scope of health (for DFLCA) and care (for iYCCfE).

 

# Children, Young People and Families (CYPFs) Summer Programme (Part II): Healthiness Projects

 

Healthiness projects are another set of Summer projects making the second part of our Summer Programme.  The same healthiness theme will apply to the second part of our Summer 2020 programme.  We shall release more details about Healthiness projects in due course.

 

# Summer 2020 Run, Play and Vote to Reduce Poverty

 

Because we are still under the rules and restrictions of lockdowns to protect ourselves and others, this year our Triple Value Initiatives (Run, Play and Vote) will be organised according to the state of progress in the fight against Covid-19.

Depending on the circumstances (related to Covid-19 and level of reopening economies), some of these activities may be held virtually.

Half-year actions and results about these activities will be sought from those who are using them.   

We shall ask those who undertook triple-value initiatives as Covid-19 recreational activities during the lockdowns to report on their actions and results as well.

 

# Integration or Factorisation of Covid-19 Impacts into Le Dernier Carré

 

We will be working on the integration or factorisation of Covid-19 into our four step model of poverty relief; that is the Last Square of Poverty Relief (Le Dernier Carré).

 

# Summer Track, Trip and Trending

 

Track and Trip activities will be run depending on the progress on the protection against Covid-19 and the restrictions which will be in place at the time.

Regarding Trending activity, we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction via “social” and “virtual world”.  In other words, how both social and virtual world can help in reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.

For example, how social media, social networking, social skills, social responsibility, social sciences, social distancing rules, social services, etc. can help in reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.

The above is just an indicative plan of work for our Summer of Healthiness.  Depending on the progress about the fight against Covid-19 and results achieved in the reopening economies, we may review our Summer work plan.

 

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!

17 June 2020

 

Post No. 148

 

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Research and Development for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

• Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

• Boosting Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities by Shadowing the Epidemiological Curves of the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Research and Development for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

In the main screen representing our Creative Economic Development Month, Research and Development as a function is one of the six windows although we have not yet spoken about it.  This week, we would like to explain a bit how research and development contributes to our Creative Economic Development Month. 

At the moment, the research and development work we are conducting is about two spheres of operation.  Our first field of interest is whether or not Covid-19 causes poverty.  The second one is about whether or not Covid-19 causes the delay or prevents the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you find more details about Research and Development for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development within the context of and under the constraint of Covid-19.

 

 

~ Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development

 

As part of the Creative Economic Development Month, we also run Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development as a project.  One of the activities related to this project for this year would be to construct and post cards or objects as an expression of stopping the decline of existing arable land to echo the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.  They are two themes for 2020 card design.

 

# Themes for 2020 Card Design

 

We have two themes for card design this year: (a) Stop the decline of existing arable land, and (b) recycling of Covid-19 personal and protective equipment.

Theme 1: Stopping the decline of existing arable land

 

In order to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, those who wish and want can design a paper card (p-card) or electronic card (e-card) to feature the following:

√ Reduction of desertification

√ Stoppage of land degradation

√ Recovering and restoration of degraded lands

 

Theme 2: Sustainable recycling of Covid-19 protective items

 

You can as well design a p-card or e-card to educate people about a better way of recycling Covid-19 personal and protective equipment (such as disposable face coverings, plastic gloves, empty disinfecting plastic bottles, etc.). 

 

# Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card

 

For those who are trying to design and send a paper card (p-card) or an electronic card (e-card) as a way of participating in the Creative Economic Development month, please make sure that the poverty relief or sustainability message you are conveying is without confusion.

When designing a card, it is better that your art or design … 

 

√ contributes to inclusive and sustainable development goals

√ is a driver and enabler of sustainable development processes

√ is evidence-based as an expression of realities

√ is capable of leading to new pathways for creative economy

√ reflects on creative economic development

√ connects with the different sectors of creative economy

√ is conducive to new opportunities for sustainable development

√ is supportive of learning and innovation for poverty relief and sustainable development

√ opens up a possibility of a model of working together

√ touches climate change issues (such as plastic pollution)

√ deals with sustainability issues (like conservation of the nature)

√ develops culture of poverty relief and sustainable development

√ builds harmonious relationships with the nature

To create and send your card or support CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development month, contact CENFACS.

To support and or enquire about Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Boosting Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities by Shadowing the Epidemiological Curves of the Coronavirus Pandemic

 

Boosting Africa’s healthcare capabilities is the continuation of our Covid-19 Campaign and of our advocacy on Rebuilding Africa.  In the Covid-19 Campaign, we are still in phase 2 of Impact Monitoring and Evaluation, whereas for the Rebuilding Africa advocacy we are in ascending phase in shadowing the epidemiological curses (“epi-curves”) of Covid-19 in Africa.

As Covid-19 spread is accelerating in some parts of Africa, there is a need to keep our Covid-19 Campaign and Rebuilding Africa Advocacy on track by shadowing the “epi-curves” in advocating the boosting of Africa’s healthcare capabilities.

Boosting Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities may not help to stop the acceleration of Covid-19, but it can enable the control of its multi-dimensional impacts while saving lives and African economies.  However, what do mean by healthcare capabilities?  To understand that let us first clarify the notion of capabilities.

 

# Healthcare capabilities

 

We are referring to Amarthya Sen’s Capabilites Approach.  Sen (1) defines capabilities as

“the freedom that a person has in terms of the choice of functionings, given his personal features (conversion of characteristics into functionings) and his command over commodities”.  

He also defines functionings as

“what a person does (or can do) with the commodities of given characteristics that they come to possess or control”.

Through the notion of Sen’s capabilities, we are advocating about finding ways of expanding healthcare choices in African societies and people in order to win the battle against Covid-19.

 

# Boosting Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities

 

It is known that the majority of African countries had weak healthcare capabilities before Covid-19 reached Africa.  Since the preparation against the coronavirus started in Africa, there have been some efforts to build essential capabilities for healthcare or the capability to be healthy for Africans.  This has been done knowing the financial, structural and infrastructural challenges these countries face.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases reported to the World Health Organisation has passed from 155,762 on 12 June 2020 to 181,903 on 16 June 2020.  As this number of confirmed cases of coronavirus is increasing, it makes sense to advocate for a boost in Africa’s healthcare capabilities. 

This boost will help to minimize Covid-19 constraints and cases while avoiding devastating impacts.  It could mean matching the rate of acceleration or growth of Covid-19 spread with the rate of increase in healthcare capabilities.  In that matching exercise, it is better to strive to push Covid-19 spread to a decelerating trend.

May be one can learn from what happened in the past.  In the last 10 years, Africa had enjoyed higher levels of economic growth.  However, very little of these high levels went to health and education.  As development economists argue, economic growth is not development.  None of any of African countries did allocate at least 1% of its Gross Domestic Product to health.  So, to keep tight control over the battle against Covid-19, boosting Africa’s healthcare capabilities could be one of the viable options.

For any queries and enquiries about the Boosting of Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities, please contact CENFACS.

(1) Amarttya Sen, Commodities and Capabilities (Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1985) and Development as Freedom (New York: Knopf, 1999)

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Support the Economies of Africa-based Sister Organisations during the Sanitary Crisis through the Coronavirus-related Organisational Relief Programme (CrORP)

 

Since we launched the CrORP in April 2020 as part of a series of CENFACS’ responses to the economic fallout from the Covid-19 shock and disturbance, we did not undertake any fundraising campaign about it.  As the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases and fatalities keep growing in Africa, there is a need to appeal to those who can to support and work with Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) in order for them to erect adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as capacity to manage the Covid-19 shock and consequences.

CrORP is a programme conceived to provide essential humanitarian assistance to those ASOs affected by the coronavirus by helping them now and after once the coronavirus pandemic crisis is gone so that they can maintain and expand their not-for-profit services.  In this respect, the programme will help them to adjust and remain active and robust in front of the coronavirus pandemic.

In brief, the CrORP is about supporting ASOs to manage the long term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and ensure that they continue their work towards poor and vulnerable people.

CENFACS would like to appeal to those who can to donate, pledge and make a gift declaration so that we can together support the coronavirus-stricken voluntary African organisations during and after this global health.

Your donation or pledge or gift will help to Support the Economies of Africa-based Sister Organisations during the Sanitary Crisis.

To donate or pledge or make a gift, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

~ World Anti-Poverty System (WAS): How Covid-19 Makes the Idea of an International System for Poverty Reduction even more Relevant

 

The international development community does not need Covid-19 to understand the relevancy of an International System for Poverty Reduction (ISPR).  What the world needs is to have an ISPR to avoid the domino effects of a global crisis like Covid-19 on the world’s poor.  The world may not be able to avoid the eruption of unpredicted crisis; but it can have a system designed to deal with global poverty at all times (including at a time of crisis and of peace).

In fact, leaders of the world’s nations (rich or poor, in Africa or anywhere else) have shown that it is possible to deal with economic and health threats and damages posed by the coronavirus pandemic.  If they are able to do so, then they should be capable to deal with poverty and hardships within a collectively designed international framework.  They do not need a gigantic crisis to remind them the necessity to have an ISPR. 

Covid-19 has revealed how economic, health and social systems across the world (and mostly in Africa) were weak or fragile to deal with poverty induced by the same Covid-19, let alone the weaknesses in many healthcare systems that the same Covid-19 has exposed. 

An ISPR would have made easier many responses to Covid-19 regarding poverty and hardships, such as:

√ Communications between Coronavirus-hit developing countries

√ Reduction or limitation of the Covid-19 impacts on the poor quickly and dramatically

√ Facilitation of lockdowns and protection measures (such as physically and socially distancing rules)

√ Smooth transition from lockdowns to reopening of economies

√ Better protection of the poor and vulnerable

√ Reduction of asymmetrical or differentiated effects caused by the lockdowns between people

√ Cutting down of the costs of financial bailout to the poor

√ Easy collection and exchange of data about poverty across the world

√ Minimisation of financial pressure on developing economies

Etc.

All these could have been achieved while still saving lives. 

Indeed, each time a poor economy massively borrows to meet the cost of crisis like Covid-19, it means an additional cost on future generations and poor people of this economy.  Whereas, if there was an ISPR in which poverty is constantly monitored and evaluated; measures would be taken in a coordinated way at international and global levels to better control poverty.  There would be better progress on poverty reduction than it is now. Developing countries, including those of Africa, would have been in a better position to control the life-threatening and -destroying impacts of Covid-19. 

So, Covid-19 makes the idea of an International System for Poverty Reduction even more Relevant today and tomorrow.  The world and Africa in it would have been a better place to fight the far-reaching impacts of Covid-19 on the poor and vulnerable.

To enquire or support the idea of a World Anti-poverty System or International System for Poverty Reduction, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ Covid-19 and Poverty Relief through the Technology of Screens

 

On the agenda for this week is also the discussion within CENFACS’ be.africa about the disputable impacts of display technologies (such as screens) on poverty reduction.

The question that we are trying to answer through our thoughts this week is the following: 

Does the screen (e.g. TV, mobile phone, PC monitor, tablet, laptop, camera, electronic paper, desktop, etc. screens) can help to reduce poverty?

During the lockdowns and in many occasions of life, people stay longer on any screens of devises such as TV, mobile phone, camera, laptop, watch, tablet, monitor or desktop, etc.   Can these screens help to reduce poverty?  If they can, can Africa get more of these screens to help people reduce poverty?

Please tell CENFACS’ be.africa what you think.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Research and Development for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

Before looking at how research and development as a function contributes to our Creative Economic Development Month and to Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development within the context and under the constraint of Covid-19, let us define research and development.

 

• • Basic understanding of research and development

 

We are going to refer to the dictionary definition of research and development as given by Christopher Pass, Bryan Lowes and Leslie Davies in their Dictionary of Economics.  Pass et al (2) define research and development as

“any scientific investigation leading to the discovery of new techniques and products (INVENTION) and their commercial application (INNOVATION), together with the refinement and improvement of existing technologies and products.  Research and development is both an important factor contributing to the competitive strength of the individual firm and, nationally, in promoting a higher rate of economic growth”. (p. 454)

This economic definition can be extended to not-for-profit organisations in which discoveries and applications of discoveries happen.  Research and development can contribute to the strength of charitable organisations and in promoting their work of for example poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

In this particular time of Covid-19 outbreak, charitable and voluntary organisations may need to discover new techniques and products in order to meet the needs of their beneficiaries and stay on the top of the poverty-relieving game or their aims and objectives. 

They also have to do research and development to find alternative and innovative ways to fund their activities and services since economies are undergoing into recessionary period.

They further need to make sure that their discoveries are applicable and can contribute to their own strength and locally in promoting for example poverty reduction, sustainable development, etc.

At this exceptional time of Covid-19, research and development can be any activity of discoveries and innovations that charitable organisations can do to save and protect lives.  Those that are well equipped and take medical issues as their core activity can even discover a new medicine and vaccine against the Covid-19.  The other ones that are not involved in the fields of discovery and innovation of new medicine and vaccine can still discover and innovate solutions to deal with issues related to the negative impacts of Covid-19. 

For example, CENFACS is trying to create and innovate poverty reduction fixes and sustainable development enhancements to respond to the Covid-19 challenge. 

 

• • Research and development at CENFACS

 

The function of research and development (R&D) is important within CENFACS.  This is because we can only help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development if we are able to undertake research and develop solutions together with local people to poverty reduction and to the enhancement of sustainable development.  In this respect, the kinds of research and development work we do are related to the core activities of poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

In the context of this year’s Creative Economic Development Month, we are focusing on research and development related to coronavirus-induced poverty and hardships on the one hand, and the delay or prevention caused by Covid-19 in the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals. 

 

 

• • • Research and development on Covid-19 as a cause of poverty

 

Our R&D on Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships is about finding out whether Covid-19 has caused poverty and hardships or its consequences (like lockdowns and measures such as physical and social distancing rules) have caused poverty or not.  Our R&D is based on the causality and attribution approach as part of the theory of change we are using.

In other words, what cause poverty within the context of and under the constraint of Covid-19?  Does Covid-19 cause poverty or not?  How much poverty can be attributable to Covid-19?  With the outbreak of Covid-19, are we in the new Age of poverty? 

These are the questions our research and development activity is trying to answer, although times and times we speak about coronavirus-induced poverty and hardships.

 

 

• • • Research and development on Covid-19 as delaying or preventive factor of sustainability

 

Since we work on sustainable development, researching whether or not Covid-19 can cause delay or prevent the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals is our additional interest at the moment. 

Covid-19 has far-reaching impacts.  One of these impacts is perhaps the altering or prevention from the poor people to make progress in the realisation of the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals. 

We can even narrow our research to find out which goals amongst the 17 ones have been delayed or prevented at the moment to be achieved.  The impacts and effects of Covid-19 in terms of lockdowns and other security and protection measures (such as physical and social distancing rules to control the virus) have contributed to the slowdown of the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals amongst our beneficiaries.   However, we need data (textual and numerical) to back our research and development. 

Briefly, we are conducting research and development on Covid-19 as both a cause of poverty and as delaying/preventive factor of sustainability.  We are doing it using the causality and attribution approach.  This R&D, which is undertaken during the Creative Economic Development Month and after, is also part of our Campaign of Resilience against Covid-19 (the Covid-19 Campaign).

In both studies of the causality and attribution linked to Covid-19, quantitative and qualitative techniques and methods can be used.  For example, quantitative techniques and methods can be used to test if there is a correlation between Covid-19 and poverty.  The same or similar techniques and methods can also be used to determine the relationships between Covid-19 and the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.

For further details and or enquiries about this R&D activity, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

(2) Christopher Pass, Bryan Lowes and Leslie, Dictionary of Economics, 1988, HarperCollins Publishers, London

 

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!

10 June 2020

 

Post No. 147

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Week Beginning 08 June 2020: Innovations in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a Focus on Projects of Innovation for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

• Returnees’ Project or the “R” Project

• Coronavirus Spring Project (CSP): Only Two Weeks Remaining!

… and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Week beginning 08 June 2020: Innovations in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a Focus on Projects of Innovation for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

Last week, we kicked off our Creative Economic Development Month with Creativity in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats and a focus on Creative Economic Development Projects.  We worked out how creation could lead to happiness. 

This week, we are continuing with Jmesci project by putting an emphasis on Innovations in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a focus on Projects of Innovation for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.  Amongst the innovations we are dealing with, there are:

(a) Innovations to reduce Covid-19-induced poverty and hardship

(b) Innovations to integrate or factorise Covid-19 in the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030

(c) Innovative work carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) to manage the Covid-19 threats and disturbances.

These innovations could help to get the peace that the beneficiaries of these innovations may need amid the Covid-19 battle.

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

 

 

 

 

~ Returnees’ Project or “R” Project

 

Do you need any help to move from lockdown to a reopened economy?

CENFACS can help you to manage the transitional process from lockdown to a reopened economy during this Covid-19 period.

 

How CENFACS can help

 

We can help with the following:

√ Basic transition advice

√ Information

√ Support

√ Essential protection advice against Covid-19

√ Guidance

√ Signposting

√ Advocacy

What’s more, we have a Back-from-lockdown Advisory Pack!

To access the “R” project, please contact CENFACS as follows:

=> Email: facs@cenfacs.org.uk  

=> Textphone: 07534781248

=> Complete the comments form on this website with your needs and submit to CENFACS.

To enable us to get back to you, please make sure that you give us your contact details (e.g. email or phone number or physical address).

 

More about “R” Project

“R” Project is a temporary initiative designed by CENFACS to help people come out poverty linked to economic inactivity caused by the Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown conditions.  The project can help them to start a smooth transition in returning from the situation of lockdown to that of a re-opened economy.

Through this project, they can rebuild confidence and reassurance, reconquer self-motivation and self-esteem, improve their opportunity to start from scratch, and find ways of re-socialising in a new socially and physically distancing environment during the lockdown exit and thereafter.

 

 

Who is eligible for the “R” project?

Those in most need and most vulnerable including the following:

√ People living in poverty and hardships

√ Those going back to education and training

√ Those going back to work

√ Those resuming any essential outside activity that is deemed to be useful for their health and economic wellbeing

For any queries or enquiries, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Coronavirus Spring Project (CSP): Only Two Weeks Remaining!

 

The fundraising campaign about the Coronavirus Spring Project will end this month with the end of Spring season.  For those who have not yet supported this project, there are only two weeks to go until we close this fundraising campaign. 

We fully understand that Covid-19 and the lockdowns it has led have been a challenging experience for everybody.  Many people have lost their jobs, economies have been shut down and many incomes have disappeared, let alone the huge fatalities that Covid-19 has created.

However, for those who can help we are appealing to their generosity to do something.  The Covid-19 and the lockdowns it has led have asymmetrical consequences.  Those who are/were in poverty and hardships may be feeling the damaging effects of Covid-19 more than anybody else.  Particularly, in places where there is no financial bailout or if it exists it does not always reach or help the poorest of these societies, there is a need to appeal to the goodwill of international donors like you to try to assist where and when you can.

It is true we put a deadline for any of our fundraising campaigns.  However, this does not mean after the CSP deadline the devastating effects of Covid-19 on poor people will disappear.  The legacies of Covid-19 on the poorest are still to come.  This is why it makes sense to support now to mitigate or cut down these negative impacts on poor people. 

You can help those people who are in most need and vulnerable to avoid a total economic and human collapse in them.

To support, just go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Triple-value Voting Initiative as a Covid-19 Recreational Activity

How to break out the vicious circle of Covid-19 lockdowns

 

This week’s activity in order to help people manage lockdowns wherever they are is to try to Vote their International Development and Poverty Relief Covid-19 Manager (IDPRCM).

As part of this exercise, one can try to find out an ideal or virtual Covid-19 Manager (International Development and Poverty Relief Covid-19 Manager) who is helping or who helped people and communities to both meet sustainable development goals and reduce poverty within the context and constraint of Covid-19.

 

How to find out your IDPRCM

 

To research your International Development and Poverty Relief Covid-19 Manager (IDPRCM), you need to take some steps before casting your virtual vote.  They include the following:

√ Write down your Covid-19 Manager job description

√ Write down your Covid-19 Manager person specification

√ Watch or observe as many candidates as you can (watch work they are doing)

√ Check their CV, credentials and references

√ Search your ideal/virtual three Covid-19 Managers within potential candidates you have been watching and match the best three candidates (after shortlisting) with job description, person specification, their achievements in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development goals

√ Select one amongst the three who comes on top

√ Vote your IDPRCM

 

Who is your IDPRCM? 

 

He/she is a person who would have met the defined person specification and job description in terms of helping those in most need and most vulnerable to achieve defined areas of sustainable development goals and reduce poverty within the context and constraint of Covid-19.

He/she is a person that can help poor people to meet their utility or welfare under the difficult context and constraint of Covid-19.

Please remember, whatever your ideal/virtual Covid-19 Manager is doing or will do, he/she needs to help people meet sustainable development and poverty reduction goals during the Covid-19 lockdowns or period.

Good luck in search of your IDPRCM!

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

 

 

 

 

~ Protection of Poor People’s Creations and Innovations

 

This second week of June is as well about rethinking ways of protecting poor people’s creative and innovative works.  This is knowingly that poor people do not always have or have enough money to pay for protection of their makings. 

It is not enough for them to create and or innovate; they also need to protect their makings in the form of copyrights and other protection that other creators and innovators do enjoy.  One can think of the use of the internet and online technologies how they made it easier for some people sometimes to violate or infringe on poor people’s creative and innovative works and rights.

So, as part of the Creative Economic Development Month, we would like to work together and find out the best possible and affordable ways of protecting poor people’s creative and innovative works.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ initiative on the Protection of Poor People’s Creations and Innovations, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Covid-19 and Women in Africa’s Essential Care Economy

How to protect women making Africa’s essential care economy

 

Findings from textual data indicate that women make up 70 per cent of the healthcare in Africa as they work as nurses, laundry workers, midwifes, catering assistants, hygienists, etc.  Studying the distribution of nurses, the United Nations Women (1) states 65% of nurses in the African region are women compared to men only 35%.

They are the essential workforce of Africa’s essential care economy.   There is a need for Africa to protect the backbone of its care economy mostly at this exceptional time of Covid-19 disturbance. 

However, before thinking about the protection of African women carers, let’s try to define care economy.  To do that, we have chosen the definition of care economy given by the European Institute for Gender Equality (2), which argues that a care economy is

“part of human activity, both material and social, that is concerned with the process of caring for the present and future labour force, and the human population as a whole, including the domestic provisioning of food, clothing and shelter”.

From this definition, the care economy is more than just the healthcare workers we have mentioned above.  It includes the following as well: unpaid family caregivers, domestic workers, those who care for disable and elderly people, community-based health workers, etc.   They are all essential workers and make Africa’s essential care economy.  This is the economy that Africa is currently in bad need of in order to battle Covid-19. 

Given the essentiality of the care economy and of work African women are doing to fight Covid-19, there is a necessity to protect Africa’s women healthcare workers (WHCW).  This protection can be on a wide range of aspects which include the following.

Income protection: It is about better reward or pay to WHCW so that they can better focus on their work without worrying about how to tie the two ends of the month in their personal or family budget.

Health protection: WHCW have close and prolonged contact with sick (here Covid-19) patients, it is normal that they get the higher level of protection in terms of Covid-19 personal and protective equipment. 

Family protection: The protection of WHCW should not only be at work.  It should be as well where they live as they often live with family members and do another care work at home.  They and their family members need face coverings, water supplies, soaps for hands washing, cleaning products to disinfect homes from Covid-19 strains, etc.

Skills protection: Many of WHCW are skilful enough to deal with viruses since they have experiences or lessons from Ebola, Zika, SARS and HIV viruses.  They have counselling, communication and advisory skills that can help in the fight against Covid-19.

Protection against violence and insecurity:  Covid-19 has brought devastating health, socio-economic and security issues.  Some of these issues are linked to violence and insecurity against women and girls in Africa.  Women and girls need more and better security as Africa battles Covid-19.

Protection against misinformation: Not having access to internet and connectivity, as well as to good information about Covid-19 can mislead WHCW.  To protect them, there is a need to improve access to Covid-19 information.

We do not need to list all the areas of protection for anybody to understand how to protect women making Africa’s essential care economy.  We can instead continue to argue that Africa cannot bypass WHCW in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.  Africa needs to protect and safeguard its essential care economic asset in order to win the Covid-19 battle. 

There should be re-evaluation of women care workers in African societies through better working conditions, pay, voice, medical support and leadership.  More than that, women who are essential healthcare workers can help other women mitigate the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis and avoid a differentiated treatment against Covid-19 between genders. 

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we are encouraging and supporting our ASOs to help their women care workers and beneficiaries who are social care workers so that they can have better protection in all those dimensions we have mentioned.  We also demand them to promote some of the jobs of the care industry (like domestic workers, laundry workers, unpaid family caregivers, cleaners, etc.) which are not highly regarded in some places; whereas they are very essential in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.   The Covid-19 thoughts continue… 

(1) https://data.unwomen.org/features/covid-19-and-gender-what-do-we-know

(2) https://eige.europa.eu./thesaurus/terms/

 

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Week beginning 08 June 2020: Innovations in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a Focus on Projects of Innovation for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

One thing is to create in times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats; another thing is to implement those creations.  In this second week of our creative and innovation activities, we are going to focus on three types of innovations as follows:

(a) Innovations to reduce Covid-19-induced poverty and hardships

(b) Innovations to integrate or factorise Covid-19 in the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030

(c) Innovative work carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) to manage the Covid-19 threats and disturbances.

 

• • Types of innovations making the focus for this week’s Jmesci

(a) Innovations to reduce Covid-19-induced poverty and hardships

These first types of innovations are the introduction of new ideas and methods to help alleviate poverty and hardships that may have been caused by or as a result of Covid-19. 

In normal times when there are no threats, it is straightforward to routinely handle new ideas and methods.  However, in threatening moments, innovations can become a matter of life and survival, especially if these innovations touch the lives of those who feel more the pain of threats than anybody else.  Many of these innovations related to Covid-19 outbreak would be for example about saving lives or protecting the economy or safeguarding health infrastructure.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we have gone beyond our normal advice service to innovate by putting in place an innovation project called: Advisory Support for Coronavirus Rescue Income (ASCRI) project.

ASCRI, which is part of CENFACS’ Cube or Protection, is a non-face-to-face advice, support and information project to help those who lost their earning capacity or potential because of the destructive impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on their incomes and lives. 

The ASCRI project has a double objective:

1/ Helping deprived and vulnerable people impacted by Covid-19

2/ Supporting them through the alleviation of the associated social and economic hardship caused by the coronavirus crisis

To access and or gain the benefits of this project, one needs to contact CENFACS.

Innovating for poverty relief in times of life-threatening and –destroying impacts of Covid-19 could be a matter of saving lives as argued above.  It could as well be about developing new services and activities or upgrading existing services and activities that can help poor and vulnerable people to reduce or end the threats and destructions posed by the same factor, here Covid-19.  This is what CENFACS did by innovating through its advice service.

So, in difficult times of Covid-19 lockdowns and economies are shut down, innovations for those organisations (like CENFACS) involved in the work of poverty relief are crucial for them and their users to save their lives, survive, sustain and possibly thrive after the crisis.    

 

(b) Innovations to integrate or factorise Covid-19 in the realisation of sustainable development goals and Agenda 2030

 

Developing in a way of meeting the needs of both current and future generations does not happen itself.  For it to happen, humans need to work and innovate.  Innovations to integrate or factorise Covid-19 are about supporting sustainable initiatives from people and communities in need in adding value to their efforts so that they can come out poverty and hardships.  It is as well investing in initiatives that facilitate the development of sustainable initiatives and activities. 

However, in trouble times like of Covid-19 there could be mixed effects or reactions.  The lockdowns have partially contributed to the environmental sustainability with a decrease in CO2 emissions, less pollution from cars and factories, less noise, improvement in clean air, etc. 

On the contrary, there could be attitudes or mindsets that could feel the price to pay for sustainability could be higher at this time of Covid-19 than at any other time, since people are already paying the price through the lockdowns.  They may tend to psychologically abandon the virtues and practice of sustainable development or just be reluctant in doing sustainable development (for example in accepting energy transition or saving energy since the lockdown forces them to consume much household energy/electricity). 

Additionally, people have been forced to live in a physical and social distancing way while following the rules about hygiene and disinfection to control the virus.  All these types of demand can put psychological pressure on people and make them to feel a bit confused about measures to protect and save lives compared to the requirements of sustainable living.  Yet, there is no confusion between sustainable living on one hand and life-saving and protection on the other.  

One way to avoid this confusion is to integrate the consumption of Covid-19 products (e.g. plastic gloves, face coverings, other disposable items etc.) into sustainable consumption and use to see how people are meeting the realisation of sustainable development goals.  This is why during our May 2020 Stories Month, we brought into discussion the stories about the environmental impacts of Covid-19 in terms recycling or circular economy.

With innovations adapted to deal with Covid-19 threats, innovations to integrate or factorise Covid-19 could be a response to threats, uncertainty and difficulty rather than be problematic.  These innovations of new products only become an issue for the realisation of sustainable development goals when for example there are used plastic gloves and face masks that are disposed on the streets, in the seas and oceans without a proper recycling plan.  This means there should another type of innovation to recycle the Covid-19 waste.

Regarding CENFACS, the circular economic tips and hints which we provide as part of one of our projects known as “Consume to Reduce Poverty” can help people to find innovative ways to consume in era of Covid-19 without putting extra burden on the environment while developing harmonious relationships with the nature. 

For those who want to integrate or factorise Covid-19 into their consumption model but are having some problems to do that, they can e-work with CENFACS.

 

(c) Innovations carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) to manage the Covid-19 threats

 

The month of Creative Economic Development is also of highlighting innovations conducted by CENFACS’ ASOs.  There is a variety of African innovations in Covid-19 response.  They are home-grown innovative solutions, a wealth of innovations in talents in Africa, without ignoring the research and development carried out in the fight against Covid-19. 

The innovations that we are talking about are not only about introducing a new medicine or vaccine to cure Covid-19 although it is very important.  But, these are efforts undertaken by our ASOs to innovate poverty reduction solutions within the context and constraint of Covid-19.  Among these innovations, we can highlight the health awareness campaign regarding the channels of transmission of the coronavirus pandemic; campaign designed to dispel or demystify the local or tribe beliefs on the mystique causes of Covid-19 in the Democratic Republic of Congo like it happened with the Ebola virus.

The above is just one of the many examples of innovative ways of working to develop sustainable initiatives by our ASOs.  They are trying to find and introduce new ideas and methods to tackle old, current and new problems that themselves and their users face. 

Whether we speak about innovations related to the reduction of Covid-19-induced poverty and hardships or innovations to integrate/factorise Covid-19 in the realisation of sustainable development goals and Agenda 2030 or innovations carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations to manage the Covid-19 threats; all these innovations can be translated into specific projects development and appraisal.  It means they can be planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated.  We can summarise them as innovation projects for poverty reduction and sustainable development.  What do we mean by innovation projects for poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Age of Covid-19?

 

• • Projects of Innovation for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

They are that are going to innovate current systems or practices with new things or bringing something to replace existing ones within a given scope.  They are designed to tackle poverty and meet the needs of current and future generations.  In this respect, innovation projects are instrumental in reducing poverty induced by Covid-19 and in reducing the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the realisation of sustainable development goals.

An example of these projects of innovation for poverty reduction and sustainable development is our Advisory Support for Coronavirus Rescue Income (ASCRI) project; example which we have already mentioned.

To support and or enquire about the week of innovations to tackle life-threatening and -destroying impacts of Covid-19, please contact CENFACS.

To become a CENFACS’ Creation and or Innovation Supporter, please contact CENFACS as well.

 

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!

03 June 2020

 

Post No. 146

 

 

 

 

What’s on at CENFACS in June 2020?

 

The following selected initiatives are amongst those which will make the end of this year’s Spring of Life Salvation and Renewal, and the start of Summer of Happiness at CENFACS.

• World Anti-poverty System (WAS): How Covid-19 Makes the Idea of an International System for Poverty Reduction even more Relevant (Global advocacy project)

• Support the Economies of Africa-based Sister Organisations during the Sanitary Crisis (Fundraising project)

• Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

• Thanksgiving Days (Supporters’ project)

• 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS (Survey)

 

Note:  The above initiatives are only a selection of what we have planned for June 2020.  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 did it with Covid-19.  In which case, we shall let you know. 

                            

Also, in every work we do in order 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. 

 

The above is our indicative plan for June 2019.  Within this plan, what is on at CENFACS for this week?

 

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• June 2020 Message to Africa-based Sister Organisations to Build Back Better Africa

• Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

• 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS

 

   … and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ June 2020 Message to Africa-based Sister Organisations to Build Back Better Africa

 

Our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa by shadowing the epidemiological curves (“epi-curves) of the coronavirus pandemic is still on course.  While it is going on, we are also pleading for you to Build Back Better Africa when the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 move to their descending trends and after.

Build Back Better Africa is indeed a message of encouragement and hope to our Africa-based Sister Organisations, especially at this challenging time of the Covid-19 disruption and lockdowns.  One could hope that the work they are doing in the different phases of the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 will be rewarded at the recovery stage and beyond.

We all know that Covid-19 won’t be there forever.  It is just an episode in mankind and Africa’s history.  The history of human beings is full of stories of virus and disease outbreaks.   Although Covid-19 is specific in its kind as it poses both devastating economic and health threats; however sooner or later, pandemic lockdowns will be eased and economies will be fully functioning again.

There is a high possibility to build back better Africa, to return much stronger to the business of the poverty relief, to recover economically and sustainably, to regain the losses made and to refocus to address beneficiary immediate pressing needs.  Believe it or not, you can turn the tears of pain into those of joy and happiness.  

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we shall continue to advocate and support you in this battle against Covid-19, battle we think could be winnable if we keep working together and supporting each other.

As part of this mutual support, we are conducting a survey (the Covid-19 Survey) about the Impacts of Covid-19 Shock.

It is known that the Covid-19 Shock is impacting everybody and sector.  In order to be more specific in the way is affecting Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), we are conducting a survey regarding the economic health of these organisations.

The survey is about finding out how Covid-19 is impacting each ASO, particularly but not exclusively, those ASOs working on mining, ecological and sanitation issues.  The survey is an opportunity for engagement renewal in order to meet unmet health and humanitarian needs. 

The survey has the following three objectives:

(1) Finding out how (strongly or averagely or weakly) Covid-19 is impacting individual ASO and their users

(2) Development of ways of mitigating issues found and brought by Covid-19

(3) Start gathering data for the preparation of the post-Covid-19 recovery strategies

As part of this survey, we are questioning ASOs to openly tell us, by using their own words and figures, the way in which the Covid-19 is affecting them.

They can directly answer to CENFACS by using our contact details on this website.

To get involved and or full access to the survey, please contact CENFACS.

For any queries and enquiries regarding this message, please contact CENFACS.

After reading this message, please pass it onto a person who may be interested or around your network.

Many thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

~ Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

 

Individual and collective creations, in the ways of improving lives through the conception of fresh ideas and the implementation of practical ideas to escape from poverty and hardships as well as foster a better environment and sustainability, are CENFACS’ area of interest.   We create all over the year and life; however June is the month for us to acknowledge our environmental and sustainable makings. 

June is the month of Creative Economic Development at CENFACS with creation and innovation on the main menu: creation for researching and developing fresh ideas to reduce poverty, particularly extreme poverty; innovation for making these ideas come true, transformable into practical environmental and sustainable initiatives and actions. 

Put it simply, Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives) is just about finding out ways of engineering creations relating to the environment and sustainability in order to further reduce poverty and improve the quality of life.

This year’s Jmesci is special since we are continuing to live with the challenge and damage that the coronavirus pandemic has posed to all of us.  There is a need to create and innovate to overcome these health and economic threats that Covid-19 has brought to us and to CENFACS’ work.

At the level of CENFACS, we are not going to invent a medicine or vaccine to cure Covid-19.  However, we can together create and innovate to mitigate Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships.

We have already started these creation and innovation processes since we kicked off the Covid-19 Campaign.  As this month is about creation and innovation, we are going to deepen these processes.  To know how we are going do it, please read the Main Development section of this post.

To support CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development month, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

~ 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS

 

The 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS (100 Days of CCC) is a request by CENFACS to you to freely tell us your feelings about the Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (the Covid-19 Campaign) which started on 18 March 2020 and which will reach its 100 days on 26 June 2020.

The aim of this campaign is to protect and save lives within and around CENFACS against the life-threatening and destroying impacts of Covid-19, while reducing sanitation poverty that may be caused by the economic and health threats posed by the same virus.  In this respect, the Covid-19 Campaign project is line with the UK and global efforts made to fight the coronavirus pandemic, while intending to make sure that those living in poverty and who are vulnerable are not left behind during the Covid-19 battle.

Given the fact that we are engaged in this campaign project since March 2020, it is normal to start to ask your views or comments the way in which this campaign has been conducted.  The campaign covers the two areas of our operation which are: the UK and Africa (Francophone Africa).  The campaign project beneficiaries are CENFACS stakeholders and those who are directly and indirectly linked to them as well as the wider community and the public.

The campaign has three phases: Initial Response to Covid-19 (phase 1), Impact Monitoring and Evaluation (phase 2), and Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategies (Phase 3).  At the moment, we are in phase 2 of this campaign project.

From now on to the 26^th of June 2020, we are asking to those who can to tell us what they think about the 100 Days of CCC.  One can give their feelings and views about the general conduct of this campaign.  One can as well be more specific in raising some questions or highlighting points to consider about this campaign.  In particular, we would like some true feelings or comments on the following:

=> CENFACS’ leadership in terms of the Covid-19 campaign (for example: Has CENFACS shown any leadership since it started its own campaign?)

=> CENFACS’ engagement to the community (for example: Has CENFACS engaged enough with the CENFACS community throughout this campaign?)

=> CENFACS’ support to the Africa-based Sister Organisations (for example: Has CENFACS been supportive to these organisations in their effort to fight Covid-19 and its far-reaching impacts?)

=> CENFACS’ contribution to the on-going effort to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic (for example: What kind of impact the campaign has made or will make compared to similar efforts undertaken?)

=> CENFACS’ creativity during the Covid-19 crisis (for example: Has CENFACS established any ability to produce anything new or original in the fight against Covid-19?)

=> CENFACS’ post-Covid-19 vision (for example: Has CENFACS demonstrated the ability of perceiving what is likely to happen after Covid-19, and start wisely planning for it?).

One can pick up any of the above six selected areas and tell us what they think.  You can use your own words and numbers to tell us what you think.  If you are going to give your views or comments, please do it by the 26/06/2020. 

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Triple-value Playing Initiative as a Covid-19 Recreational Activity

 

As part of breaking out the vicious circle of the Covid-19 lockdown, you can play the CENFACS’ League for Poverty Relief and Development (CLPRD) while still respecting the anti-coronavirus restrictions and measures.

For those who are familiar with the matrix game and the fundamental theorem of game theory, they can use them to play.  You need to be at least two players.  Below, it is shown briefly how this can be done.

Problem

Using the criteria of food security, determine which country making the CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction and Development is doing well to maintain food access and reduce food poverty under the current constraint of Covid-19 and social distancing restrictions.  Obviously, you need data on food security for your two countries chosen.

Clues for answer

a/ Find one person to play against each other

b/ Choose each one country (country A or country B) of the CLPRD in Africa that are ranked as low human development countries

c/ Decide which game strategies you want to use (e.g. optimal mixed strategies) to get the best outcome

d/ Check their performance in terms of poverty reduction and food security to determine how well they are doing

e/ If a country (A or B) scores a good result in food security, a positive value of 1 is given to it.

f/ If a country (A or B) scores a bad result in food security, a negative value of is given to it.

You can use a game matrix containing numerical data giving information about the results of poverty reduction achieved during the Covid-19 outbreak by each chosen country for each player.

Play until you find which of your team country reaches the Last Square of Poverty Reduction (Le Dernier Carré).

For your information, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (1) defines food security as

“ a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

Countries making the CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction and Development are:  

Papua New Guinea, Comoros, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritania, Madagascar, Benin, Lesotho, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Sudan, Djibouti, Malawi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and Niger.     

You can choose 16 team countries from the above.  The 16 team countries chosen from the Poverty Reduction and Development League will play 32 matches or games each against the other.

Should anyone needs more information or support, please contact CENFACS.

 

(1) www.fao.org

 

 

 

 

~ CENFACS’ Mission Year in the Month of Creation

 

CENFACS’ 2020 Mission Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  At this particular time of Covid-19 outbreak, this mission is about the reduction of health and sanitation poverty linked to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. 

To reduce poverty, it requires a number of initiatives.  One of these initiatives is creation; that is bringing into existence ideas, products, services, projects, proposals and so on to help reduce poverty.    In its Mission Year, CENFACS undertakes to produce new proposals to help reduce poverty and hardships.  It is particularly vital to do it since we are in the extremely difficult time of health and economic crisis led by Covid-19.

For example: in the context of Covid-19 health and economic threats, bringing new ways of relieving sanitation poverty could help many people who are lacking sanitary products and facilities.  Likewise, forming poverty-relieving products from nothing can help reduce the lockdown-induced poverty and hardships.  These types of poverty-relieving creations are commendable at this particular time; time during which lockdowns have started to be eased in some places.

The above is what we mean by CENFACS’ Mission Year in the Month of Creation.  However, should anyone has any queries or enquiries about the link between CENFACS’ Mission Year and Month of Creation, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

~ Poverty Environment Programme (PEP): Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment

 

June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives (jmesci) is also a month to revisit our Poverty Environment Programme.  We are revisiting it this time through the message that Covid-19 brought to us in terms of healthy environment and poverty reduction.

The Covid-19 lockdowns have pushed some multilateral and bilateral organisations to bail out poor countries (in Africa for example).  The same lockdowns have helped to reduce the cost that humans put on the health of the environment (for example through pollution, noise, CO2 emissions, etc.)

That essential message is a wake-up call for all of us.  It is also a message for our PEP, programme in which poverty reduction and healthy environment go hand in hand.  In this respect, the lack of sanitation (characterised by sanitation poverty) can be inextricably linked of unhealthy environment. 

So, it is in the twin reduction of poverty and unhealthy environment that this special relationship between poverty reduction and healthy environment makes CENFACS’ PEP.  Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment has reinforced or enlightened this link.  

This week, we are working on this essential message to echo another message, the message from the United Nations World Environment Day on 05 June 2020.  The World Environment Day message is “It is time for nature”.  We will be living up to this essential message of Covid-19 while supporting the Environment Day.  

For details about the PEP, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/development-programmes/

For further information about the Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and innovation project)

 

• • 2020 Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives)

 

The context of life-threatening and –destroying impacts of Covid-19 is a framework of the dominance of the coronavirus pandemic with many things happening such as:

people are infected by the coronavirus pandemic, markets and societies are shut down, there are lockdowns everywhere, there has been a decline in progress made for the sustainable development goals, there is an increase of extreme poverty, millions of people have lost their jobs, there is an exposure of economic and societal weaknesses, there is a reversal of gains made about economic growth, there will be a loss of generations, there are lacks of essential health services in many places, an unknown and uncertain future is hanging, etc.

In times of economic and health threats as well as of uncertainty and inability to accurately know or predict the future like the time brought by Covid-19, creating and innovating are the keys to continue to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  This is because in these kinds of times, some needs change, other ones emerge and other more remain unchanged.

In uncertain and threatening times like the Covid-19 crisis time, people in most pressing needs could find themselves in a situation which denies them any ability to meet basic life-sustaining needs, therefore to reduce poverty.  Likewise, they could have their purchasing power reduced or increased.  So, creating and innovating in difficult times like of Covid-19-led economic and health threats are keys to continue to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

As said above, we may not invent the medicine and vaccine to cure the coronavirus pandemic; but we could create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in times of coronavirus-induced economic and health threats and uncertainty.

Finding out ways of engineering creations and implementing innovations to deal with the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of coronavirus pandemic in order to further reduce poverty and improve the quality of life, will be the focus for 2020 Jmesci. 

 

• • How to deal with economic and health threats and uncertainty posed by Covid-19? 

 

Since our argument is the coronavirus pandemic is an economic and health threat, we are going to deal with this threat in two ways.

 

⇒ Week beginning 01 June 2020: Creativity in times of economic and health threats

⇒ Week beginning 08 June 2020: Innovation in times of economic and health threats

 

• • Week Beginning 01 June 2020: Creativity in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a Focus on Creative Economic Development Projects

 

At this time of the coronavirus-led economic and health threats, creative economic development could be one of the possible ways of mitigating the multidimensional effects of Covid-19 on poor people and the creative economy.  It can respond to these effects in the reopening phase of economies.  This is despite the fact that some of the activities forming the creative industries have been declared as non-essential.  However, what is a creative economic development?

 

=> Understanding the creative economic development

 

To understand the creative economic development is better to start understanding the creative economy.

There are many definitions of creative economy.  In this communication, we have selected the definition given by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  UNCTAD (2) argues that a creative economy

“essentially… is the knowledge-based economic activities upon which the ‘creative industries’ are based”.

The UNCTAD goes on by claiming that

“The creative industries – which include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research & development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and TV/radio – are the lifeblood of the creative economy”.  

However, CENFACS looks at the creative economy from the perspective of development or sustainable development.  From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (3), definition which is:

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

So, the knowledge-based economic activities – upon which the creative industries are supported – need to be sustainable; that is capable of being continued over the long term without adverse effects.

 

=> Creative Economic Development Projects

 

There are areas of creative economic industries upon which we (together with those in need) draw inspiration to develop projects to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These areas include: advertising, arts and crafts, design, video, research and development. 

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development project.   One of the activities related to this project for this year would be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects as expressions of Time for Nature to echo the World Environmental Day’s celebratory theme, as well as ways of sustainably managing land to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.   So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “it is time for nature”.

To support and or enquire about Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, contact CENFACS.

As the lockdown eases, Creative Economic Development Projects could be that missing piece in the reopened economic system to carry the recovery through and to provide additional impetus.  CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (such as Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to start making their transition from the lockdown to a reopened economy to a fully functioning economy. 

 

• • Including other environmental activities into 2020 Jmesci

 

Our month of creation (of thinking up new things) and innovation (of converting our thoughts into tangible outcomes) revolves around global, national, local and sustainable issues and events of the month as well. 

However, due to the Covid-19 and the lockdown it has led, many of the contact or physical environmental events have been postponed or cancelled.  There are other online or virtual events that may take effect.

Examples of June world environmental events and days of the month include: 

The United Nations World Environment Day to be held on 05/06/2020 under the theme of “Time for nature”

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020, which is to be held on 17/06/2020 and hosted by Korea Forest Service for this year, will take place online.  The 2020 Desertification and Drought Day will focus on links between consumption and land (with a slogan of Food .Feed .Fibre).

To support and or engage to Jmesci, contact CENFACS.

(2)https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx

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

 

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!

27 May 2020

 

Post No. 145

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• End-of-May 2020 Message to the CENFACS Community

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus for Week Beginning 25/05/2020: Home Staying Stories

• Monitoring and Evaluating the Effects of Covid-19 and Exited/Transitional Economy on CENFACS’ Extended Community Support Services

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ End-of-May 2020 Message to the CENFACS Community  

      

We would like to re-inform you that we are continuing to follow the anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions as the lockdown continues.  The health and safety of the public and of the CENFACS Community come first in whatever we do to help relieve poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Like everybody, we hope that you too are continuing to look out each other in the interest of the public health and protection as well as for the quintessential good of our Community of Value Chains. 

As the economy has started to gradually and segmentally re-open, some of you may be soon resuming their activities and/or starting a new occupation if the new opportunities come with the economic re-opening.  We would like to be on your side in your journey and plan to return from the lockdown to restart your outside life which you badly missed since the lockdown began. 

To be on your side, CENFACS will be setting up a temporary service to support the return from the lockdown and the new and emerging needs which may come with it.  This service, which is part of supporter engagement policy over the Covid-19 period, will be starting from June 2020 and will be called “the Returnees from the Lockdown”.

 

# What is the service for the Returnees from the Lockdown will be about?

 

The Returnees from the Lockdown or Returnees’ Service is a temporary initiative of bridge between the lockdown and resumption of economic activity. 

The initiative aims at reducing poverty linked to inactivity caused by the Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown conditions, so that the project beneficiaries can start a smooth transition and return from the situation of lockdown to that of a re-opened economy.

In doing so, the service can assist them so that they can effectively and efficiently manage the far-reaching impacts of Covid-19 and the space provided by a reopened economy in meeting their life-sustaining needs. 

The service will enable them to rebuild confidence and reassurance as well as to re-socialise in a new socially distancing environment during the lockdown exit process and thereafter.

It is believed that many of those making our CENFACS Community may need this service at this uncertain and anxious time of the coronavirus pandemic.  CENFACS will be pleased for you/them to access and use the service.

Additionally, we would like to take this opportunity to update you about the Covid-19 campaign.

 

# Covid-19 Campaign Update

 

Our Campaign for Resilience against Covid-19 (or the Covid-19 Campaign) is still in phase 2 (Phase of Impact Monitoring and Evaluation).  In this phase, the focus is the causality and attribution approach regarding the overall impact of Covid-19 on CENFACS’ work. 

As part of this impact analysis in phase 2, we are now working on the way it could affect our Halving Poverty Campaign; campaign which stemmed from the following up of the Istanbul Programme of Action.

For those who want to get further details about this follow-up, they can read below.

To finish this message, we would like to thank you for your resilience during the coronavirus pandemic time and for your unwavering commitment to the CENFACS Community, our Community of Value Chains.

Please stay healthy and safe.

For any queries or enquiries about the content of this message, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus for Week Beginning 25/05/2020: Home Staying Stories

 

The last episode of our series of All in Development Stories Telling programme is on the stories about staying at home to control the virus and save lives during the lockdown period caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

These are the stories about the experiences or anedoctes of everyday at home as the lockdown lasts.  Everybody has a story to tell and share. 

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will fund further details about this key message.

 

 

 

 

~ Monitoring and Evaluating the Effects of Covid-19 and Exited/Transitional Economy on CENFACS’ Extended Community Support Services

How to factorise Covid-19 and Exited/Transitional Economy into Extended Community Support Services

 

This week, we are continuing the impact analysis of Covid-19.  We are doing it by reconsidering the Extended Community Support Services, which is the 6^th tool of our 2020 Box of Poverty Reduction Tools.

Community Support Services, which are a package of services to help those in need, were extended in February 2020 to include circular economic solutions.  Through the Extended Community Support Services (ECSS), CENFACS undertook to work with those who want to reduce poverty and hardships while improving their lives through a circular economic model.

 

# Causality and attribution as a result of Covid-19 and Exited/Transitional Economy

 

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a new developmental reality to this extended package of services to the community.  Covid-19 is a new causal factor in the way we need to deliver services to the community.  The other causal factor being a transitional factor is expressed by the UK’s exit or transition from the European economic integration model.

The cofactors (that is, Covid-19 and exited/transitional economy) can have causal effect to some degree in the way in which our ECSS would have been run and delivered.  In other words, part of the shape and content of the ECSS can be attributable to or regarded as produced by these cofactors. 

However, this does not necessarily imply that the cofactors will be the determinant or deciding ones of the ECSS outcomes.  The outcomes will be determined by what we planned for this services support and our performance to meet the targets set.  What is true is that the two factors will lead to key changes.

 

# Key Changes to the ECSS

 

To take into account the impact of Covid-19 and the reality of the new world it has created, we have made some key changes to our ECSS. Particularly, we have included in it basic health protection advice against Covid-19, physical and social distancing rules, and other Covid-19 measures.  This process of introducing change into our ECSS will continue as we get new updates regarding the exited/transitional economy. 

 

# What these key changes mean for project users

 

They mean that besides the initial elements of Community Support Services, there are now two additional ones which are circular economic guidance and basic health protection advice on Covid-19.  People can make enquiries or queries about these two if they have any problem which needs solution or support.

For example, one can call or mail CENFACS to discuss the items of their budget related to Covid-19.  Likewise, one may want to find out how the fact that the UK has left the EU can affect their personal situation.

The all monitoring and evaluation processes of the Covid-19 impact on ECSS will still carry on as the clear picture of Covid-19 becomes available and the UK completely leaves the European economic integration model.

To access ECSS, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Covid-19 and Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

Impact on CENFACS’ 2011-2020 Follow-up of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries

Another piece of work on Impact Monitoring and Evaluation activity continues this week is about our follow up of the 2011 Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action. 

 

# What are Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action?

 

This is what the UN-OHLLS (United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States) says about Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action (1): 

“The Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 was adopted, along with the Istanbul Declaration, by the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in Istanbul, Turkey, on between 9 and 13 May 2011.

The Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) charted out the international community’s vision and strategy for the sustainable development of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for the decade 2011-2020 with a strong focus on developing their productive capacities.

The overarching goal of the IPoA is to overcome the structural challenges faced by the LDCs in order to eradicate poverty and achieve internationally agreed development goals, with a special focus on Millennium Development Goals.  It specifically aims to enable half of the LDCs to meet the criteria for graduation.”

Since the IPoA is reaching the end of its life span in 2020, we are conducting a monitoring and evaluation activity regarding its follow-up.  This impact monitoring and evaluation will continue until the fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries which will take place in 2021.

 

# Monitoring and evaluating child poverty in Africa’s Least Developed Countries

 

One of the areas of this programme was to halve the number of poor countries through its graduation system.  In relation to this, we established Halving Poverty campaign for children.  Since then, it is interesting to carry out an impact analysis in relation of the Istanbul Programme of Action.

There are 33 African countries listed amongst the 47 least developed countries.  It makes sense since we have been following this programme to find out how poverty, especially child poverty, has been reduced in these 33 countries. 

 

# Africa’s Least Developed Countries under the Covid-19 Constraint

 

Since these 33 African countries are living under the constraint of Covid-19, it is also interesting to see how Covid-19 could affect efforts already made in terms of poverty reduction. 

In our impact analysis and the theory of change that we are using, we shall use the causality-and-attribution approach to explain the key changes that may have happened.

Briefly, we are conducting two levels of impact analysis:

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

(b) How Covid-19 is impacting progress made so far in halving child poverty in the 33 African countries which are part of the listed Least Developed Countries    

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

(1) http://unohrlls.org/about-ldcs/istanbul-programme-of-action/

 

 

 

~ Capacity Rebuilding of Africa-base Sister Organisations (ASOs) beyond what comes to hand

 

The World Health Organisation (2) reported that there have been 83,044 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Africa as of 6:45 pm CEST on the 26^th of May 2020.  As the case of confirmed cases of Covid-19 keeps growing in Africa despite the fact that Africa has so far managed to avoid the human calamity initially speculated at the start of Covid-19, it is paramount for our ASOs to rebuild and redevelop their capacities.  They need to do that in order not only to stay in the frontline in the battle against Covid-19, but also against poverty. 

We are continuing shadowing the epidemiological curves of Covid-19 in Africa through our model of rebuilding Africa.  As part of this process, we are advocating for the rebuilding or redeveloping the capacity of ASOs beyond what comes to hand.  They can try to redevelop or rebuild their capacities while this battle against Covid-19 is on. 

To successfully withstand the systematic shocks of Covid-19 and its far-reaching effects, it requires a certain level of capacity that is beyond the means of what is available.  In the long term, this limited means may not be viable.  ASOs need to be a bit ambitious if they want to entirely or drastically curb the Covid-19 effects.

Briefly, it is not sustainable in the long run to fight the shock of this magnitude (like the Covid-19) and poverty with only the means that is available.

To enquire this capacity rebuilding of ASOs beyond the available means, please contact CENFACS.

(2) https://covid19.who.int

 

~ Covid-19 and the Access of Africa’s Charities to Funding International Markets

 

The impacts of Covid-19 are far-reaching and can be found in many places. One of these impacts is the one on the funding markets for poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

Since Covid-19 stroke, there has been a number of funding schemes launched by various players around the world (such as governments, private and public funding organisations).  However, what is not known is the data about the total Covid-19 available funding and also what is available as finance for poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Yet, to fight the crippling effects of Covid-19, it requires funding or financial resources.

For example, in the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is a humanitarian fund through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; fund that supports non-governmental organisations.  However, there is still a shortage of funds as the needs are pressing and many.

 

# Share of Africa’s charities in the international funding markets

 

When it comes to the way funding (except overseas development funding) is allocated or distributed, the charitable sector does not weigh much in the funding basket.  Perhaps, further and deep research work needs to be done on the matter.  If the research finds that their share is so low, then there could be a need for this share to be increased in the funding markets regarding projects and programmes related to the reduction of poverty and sustainable development.

 

# What can be done to boost Africa’s charitable organisations?

 

Africa’s charities need to access those markets to better benefit from the financial products that are on these markets.  There are some initiatives they can take.  They include the following:

√ Keeping a fruitful dialogue with international funders

√ Addressing the funding pressure together and creating funding incentives

√ Developing innovative funding solutions including financial bonds and other financial instruments for poverty reduction and sustainable development

√ Building funding value chains with other international charitable organisations

√ Ameliorating their credit scoring and history at the international level

√ Improving their standing in order to stop continuing marginalisation of Africa’s charities in the international funding markets

The above financial initiatives are just a few examples of what can be done to increase the financial profile of Africa’s charities as well as mitigate the consequential impacts of Covid-19 and similar crisis in the future.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue… 

 

 

 

Main Development 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus for Week Beginning 25/05/2020: Home Staying Stories

 

Home Staying Stories are the experiences or anedoctes of each individual from the lockdown and confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

Rich or poor or middle class, we all have some personal experience of the Covid-19 lockdown and where there has been lockdown.  However, because of the asymmetrical distribution of the impacts of Covid-19, we do not live the lockdown in the same way or intensity. 

Due to this asymmetry and the nature of CENFACS’ work which is about working on poverty and sustainable development issues, we would be primarily interested in stories of those in most need and vulnerable in the way they are living or lived the home staying experience during the lockdown.

 

• • Asymmetrical distribution of the lockdown effects

 

The distributional effects of the impacts of Covid-19 (such as the lockdown it has generated) are asymmetrical depending on how much space one has to shield themselves and how much comfort they have in their home, let alone the other financial means they have to mitigate the lockdown effects.  The propensity of managing the lockdown experience will vary depending on these means and assets.  This also means that the story related to them would be different from other people’s story.

 

• • Story providers of home staying experience due to the lockdown

 

As said above, we are firstly taking the confinement stories of those living in poverty and who are experiencing hardships.  Their stories are of those without or with least capacity to respond to the Covif-19 lockdown. 

We are as well considering the stories of those who are well-off and trying to help those in poverty and being ordered to stay home to control the coronavirus pandemic during the lockdown period.  Their stories need to be about how they are helping those deprived and needy people to manage the confinement or lockdown imposed on them to comply with the urgency and emergency of Covid-19.

Briefly, we are dealing with two types of story providers:

(a) Stories from those who normally find difficult to make ends meet

(b) Stories from those who comfortably make ends meet and are trying to support those in poverty and deprivation and who are staying home during the lockdown

 

 

• • Types of staying at home stories during the lockdown

 

There is a trillion of stories that are related to the confinement and lockdown experience under the Covid-19 constraint; stories that one can list.  However, to make it easy the following types of stories are taken under the AiDS Telling Progamme:

Gardening, recycling at home, DIY, home disinfection and decontamination from Covid-19, cooking from scratch, meditation, art and design at home, tools used at home to work remotely, helping a child to follow up a distance learning course, remaking family habits, helping someone who is self-isolated with food and medicine, Covid-19 new shopping habits or experiences, fitness at home, virtual run to help reduce poverty, using CENFACS’ triple-value initiatives (Play and Vote), experience with mail delivered (e.g.  mail quarantining), writing or singing for poverty reduction, reading books to children at home, circular economic solutions, poverty reduction non-contact and virtual events, teaching a child poverty-relieving skill, following a video on how to wear personal protective equipment against Covid-19, women in harshisps (stories to be told by women), new sanitary habits, etc.

The above are the types of stay-at-home stories we can expect from our All in Development Stories Telling and Sharing Programme. 

In our previous posts for this month, we have already told you about ways of submitting your story.  One of these ways includes an integrated stories telling and sharing screen which we have provided above at the beginning of this post.  One can tell and share their story on their screen during a call with integrated screen sharing.  

Please remember: we are not telling or suggesting to the people what kinds of things or activities they can do while staying home during the coronavirus pandemic.  We are simply clarifying the kinds of real-life stories we may consider for the purpose of our AiDS Telling Programme.  These stories may need to be optimistic and the best of one’s confinement.

To enquire and/or donate your story or pitch or even script, 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!

20 May 2020

 

Post No. 144

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus for Week Beginning 18/05/2020: Essential Volunteering Stories

• Integrating the Covid-19 Anti-coronavirus Measures into Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects)

• Covid-19 and Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

… and much more!

 

 

Win this Virtual Trophy of Poverty Reduction this Pandemic Year!

 

To win it, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus for Week Beginning 18/05/2020: Essential Volunteering Stories

 

Our May Stories Telling Programme is now entering its third week with Serial 3.  Serial 3 is about stories related to volunteering situations, particularly but not solely the kinds of voluntary work that one is doing or can do during the coronavirus pandemic time.  It is called Essential Volunteering.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided the types of Essential Volunteering Stories we are expecting and taking.  Please read this section to get the idea of what we are talking about before submitting or donating your volunteering story. 

 

 

 

~ Integrating the Covid-19 Anti-coronavirus Measures into Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects)

 

In our post no. 142   of 6 May 2020, we briefly exemplified the way in which one can break out the vicious circle of Covid-19 lockdown while still respecting the anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions.

This week, we are going further with the integration of the anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions into Triple Value Initiatives.  We would like to use the example or initiative of Run to Reduce Poverty to do that.

Problem

Let say, we have a scenario of two people who decide to physically run outside as part of triple-value running activity.  They want to do it while respecting the anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions.  They are wondering how to undertake this triple-value running activity.  What can they do?

Answer

They can essentially running while staying alert, controlling the virus and saving lives.  How?  The answer is given by the above sketch or drawing.

It is possible to continue this integration process with the other two triple value initiatives (Play and Vote), although it will be completely different.  Anyone who is having some problems in doing this integration, they can contact CENFACS for support.

For any query about the integration of Triple Value Initiatives, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Covid-19 and Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

This week, we are continuing with the analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on CENFACS’ 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme.  Because we are talking about impact monitoring and evaluation, we are also looking at the impact of Covid-19 on our 2020-2063 Follow up Programme. 

We are working on their impact monitoring and evaluation.  Before giving you the idea of our impact monitoring and evaluation, let us briefly explain what we mean by monitoring and evaluation.  We are going to borrow their definitions from the World Bank.

The World Bank (1) argues

“Monitoring is a continuous process that tracks what is happening within a program and uses the data collected to inform program implementation and day-to-day management and decisions…

Evaluations are periodic, objective assessments of a planned, on-going, or completed project, program, or policy. Evaluations are used selectively to answer specific questions related to design, implementation, and results. In contrast to continuous monitoring, they are carried out at discrete points in time and often seek an outside perspective from technical experts.” 

Referencing to this perspective from the World Bank, monitoring is a continuous process whereas evaluation is discontinuous and carried out at discrete timely points.  So, by applying these definitions we are going to monitor and evaluate the impact caused by the Covid-19 disruption to CENFACS’ work.

 

=> Impact on CENFACS’ 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme

Covid-19 impact assessment is about changes in CENFACS’ 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme, as well as structures of our other projects and programme as a result the Covid-19 outbreak.

The focus will be on measurable changes while not ignoring the causality of changes.

To guide our assessment work on the Covid-19 Impact, we will identify the following:

√ Key changes that happened or will happen to our tools, agenda, programme and beneficiaries

√ Key changes in our other projects, activities and events

√ How cost-effective CENFACS has been in dealing with these changes and in capturing the Covid-19 impact in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development

As said above, the focus is not to ignore the causality of changes.  Therefore, the impact evaluation (causal effect) of Covid-19 seeks to answer a specific cause-and-effect question and changes directly attributable to Covid-19.  

This question could be this one: what is the causal effect of Covid-19 on CENFACS’ performance or application of the 2020 (s) tools, development agenda and poverty reduction programme?

This is the basic evaluation question we can ask and try to answer since our focus is on causality and attribution.  This is the impact evaluation method we have chosen.

 

=> Impact on 2020-2063 Follow up (XX236.3F) Programme

It is the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Climate Change Reduction, Having Poverty, Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda under the Constraint of Covid-19.

The 2020-2063 Follow up (XX236.3F) Programme is a CENFACS’ programme of monitoring and evaluation of aims, goals and targets set up to achieve in the context of:

– climate change reduction by the Paris Treaty on Climate Change

– Having Poverty by 2011 Istanbul Declaration of Least Developed Countries

– United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2030

– and Africa’s Agenda 2063 by the African Union.

 

We are taking the opportunity of this week’s monitoring and evaluation activity to look at two things:

√ How Covid-19 has impacted CENFACS’ 2020-2063 Follow up (XX236.3F) Programme

√ How Covid-19 will impact the progress made so far regarding the implementation of these global and African goals and agendas since some of them affect our work and are related to the issues we constantly advocate.

To enquire the Covid-19 Impact Monitoring and Evaluation, please contact CENFACS.

(1) https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/25030/9781464807794.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y (accessed May 2020)

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Stories of environmental impacts of Covid-19

 

It is already known that the lockdown has brought some positive common effects on the environment such as less noise, less car and factory pollution, reductions of CO2 emissions, clean air in major cities, reduction of non-essential polluted production and consumption, reduction of electricity used etc.  We have already stories with these effects; stories and news which we have heard so far.

Besides these general and collective environmental benefits and their stories, there are other stories linked to other changes.  This second nature of stories could be of various types as follows.

 

=> Environmental stories linked to protective items against Covid-19

These are the stories stemming from the growing production and consumption of some types of items made to delay the spread and slow the pace of Covid-19.  For example: the production and consumption of non-reusable facial masks, plastic gloves, anti-bacterial hand gels, other personal protective equipment, etc. 

The story behind them is: how humans are recycling these products.  Are they simply thrown away in the nature after use or are they properly collected and recycled?

 

=> Stories related to stocked items to be recycled

What about all those recycling stores which are closed?  Is the lockdown piling the stock of all recycling items from each household?  This is another story to tell and share.

 

=> Stories concerning Covid-19 cleaning products

One should not forget the story of all these new types of cleaning products to disinfect (human bodies, buildings, places, properties, transport system, cars, etc.) against the Covid-19.  What is their impact on the environment?  Are those ways of disinfecting the strains or traces of Covid-19 environmentally friendly?

 

=> Stories of the relationships between humans and the nature

What can you say about the way in which Covid-19 has transformed humans’ relationships with the nature?  Is the lockdown made humans much friendly towards the nature than at any time of any other crisis?  Is there any transformation at all?  Or, after the Covid-19 crisis, business will be as usual in the way humans treat the nature and environment?   

The above are all sorts of stories that one can tell and share about the environmental impacts of Covid-19.  If you have them, please do not hesitate to share with CENFACS your story of environmental impact of Covid-19.

To tell and share your story of environmental impacts of Covid-19, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ What else inside CENFACS’ Covid-19 Campaign?

 

It is the return from the lockdown.

Our Covid-19 Campaign or the Campaign for Resilience against Covid-19 is still in phase two.  There are three phases in this Campaign:  Initial Response to Covid-19 (Phase 1), Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Covid-19 on CENFACS (Phase 2) and Post-coronavirus Rehabilitation Strategies (Phase 3).

The phase two of the Covid-19 Campaign seeks to answer a specific cause-and-effect question about changes directly attributable to Covid-19.  While we are conducting the monitoring and evaluation of the Covid-19 impacts, the lockdown starts easing and the UK economy begins to be reopened. 

Because of that, we too are starting to prepare a bridging service to support some of our supporters and users who will be returning from the lockdown as the lockdown eases and the UK economy is being reopened. 

The service will be a bridge between the lockdown and the new normal situation.  The bridging service (we call it Support for the Returnees from the Lockdown or the Returnees’ service) will be activated as soon as the return from the lockdown becomes real for potential beneficiaries and the returnees seek the service.

For further details about this incoming service (that is the Returnees from the Lockdown), please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Covid-19 and Stories of Coping and Survival Tactics in Africa

 

The be.africa (better Africa) forum of thoughts is including in its thoughts of the week the tales of survival and coping tactics from those in most need in Africa, especially at this perilous time of the coronavirus pandemic.

The stories that we are thinking about are those of access and meeting the essential life-sustaining needs in order for those in most need try to save, sustain and rebuild their lives and of those around them. 

There are many stories to tell and share about poverty and how those living it are trying to survive and cope.  The stories we are thinking of are those of accessing water, food, sanitation and of developing skills to reduce the life-threatening and destroying impacts of Covid-19.  However, what are those tactics that have produced the stories we are thinking of.

 

Survival and coping tactics to reduce poverty and the Covid-19 impacts in Africa

Survival and coping tactics are a set of coordinated means used to reach a result or deliver a strategy.  If the tactics are about continuing to live and exist despite the Covid-19 risky and preventive conditions, they could be called survival ones.  If the tactics are to deal with the Covid-19 situation in a way that can be said acceptable, then they can be coping ones.

 

What survival and coping tactics try to achieve in the context of reducing the Covid-19 impacts

Those in most need and most vulnerable may use them to secure the basic necessities of life like the following:

√ Water at water points with the hope of storing enough quantity of water to survive against the shortage of water during the lockdown

√ Basic staples or commodities (such as bags of cassava flour or corn flour or rice) to face the Covid-19 food crisis

√ Local soaps and plants to help wash their hands and sanitise themselves and their homes against the Covid-19 germs

√ Basic skills in craft making to produce their own gloves and face coverings to fight Covid-19, especially in places where there is no or very little support from statutory bodies

√ Local medicinal plants and drugs to combat the early symptoms of Covid-19

All these ways of responding to the Covid-19 could help make up stories for both paid labour and volunteers.

 

Survival and coping tactics as a way of relieving poverty and hardships during the Covid-19 period

These tactics may not be enough to deal with the scale and scope of the economic and health crisis brought by Covid-19.  Although these survival and coping tactics may be of limited scope, they nevertheless help to reduce some symptoms of poverty and hardships even if they may not eradicate them entirely.

To add value to the efforts made by some of people working Africa-based Sister Organisations to their poverty reduction tactics, CENFACS is appealing via its Coronavirus Spring Project for support to help them reduce the life-threatening and destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  The details of the Coronavirus Spring Project are given at http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

The extra or essential message to take from this story line is as follows.  Covid-19 has revived the imagination and ingenuity of local people and communities, particularly but not exclusively the poor ones who do not have any financial bailout to rely on, across Africa. 

They can find their own way to temporarily calm the terrible impacts of Covid-19 through survival and coping tactics.  Although what they are doing is great, it is not enough in front of the scale and deepness of the Covid-19 crisis.  They need some backing to sustain their relief action.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue…

 

 

  

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus for Week Beginning 18/05/2020: Essential Volunteering Stories

 

Before listing the types of stories falling under Serial 3, let us define essential volunteering.

 

• • What is essential volunteering?

 

First of all, let us try to understand the word volunteering.  To understand it, we are going to take the definition of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).  The NCVO (2) defines volunteering as

“any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives.  Central to the definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual.”

From this definition, one can argue that essential volunteering is an absolutely or extremely important activity involving volunteering or voluntary work.  This activity can be undertaken at any time including of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

During this Covid-19 outbreak, there are many types of voluntary work that one can do and which can lead to various experiences or stories during and at the end of this work.  Let us consider some of these stories.

 

 

 

• • Types of essential volunteering stories

 

In the context of CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3, we are expecting and keen to hear the following types of stories:

√ Stories of helping out in your community during the Covid-19 time

√ Stories of keeping services or the economy running

√ Stories of befriending people in isolation or quarantine during the lockdown measures

√ Stories of shopping and delivering domestic items (e.g. food, medicine, cleaning products, etc.) to those in most need and most vulnerable

√ Stories of helping organisations in this difficult time

√ Stories of supporting local communities under the business volunteering scheme

Etc.

 

• • How to make your stories to reach CENFACS and others in the community

 

There are many means or ways in which you can submit or donate your story.  In the context of this Serial 3, there are ways that one can use to do it, which are:

=> Written text options

You can write your story in a textual format.  You can use email, mobile phone, text messing system and CENFACS’ contact form; and send your story in the form of text.

=> Phone calls

You can call CENFACS and give your story via phone.

=> Audio storytelling and listening

You can use the capacity of audio to tell your volunteering story.  Audio storytelling (with short digital narratives, podcasting, social media and online streaming) can help create and share the impact of the change you made or have made.

=> Short film experiences

You can make short films to support your storytelling experiences and create a social impact.   You can make film on your smart phone with a video content.  Shooting interviews with project participants can also help to create experiences that maximize social media and essential volunteering contents.

=> Video options

You can use audio High Definition video calling (for example Skype video calls or Google Meet for video conferencing options) to tell and share you story with CENFACS and others.

If you are going to use video options, it is better to use a free option and non-profit programme, as they are accessible to everybody to join in with at home or wherever they are, especially at this time of the coronavirus pandemic.   

Some of our users and members may not be able to afford to pay for some types of video options on the market.  That is why it is better to use something which is accessible by the majority of people.

For the purpose of data protection, please use the security tips attached to your chosen option.

If you know you are going to tell your story via video calling or conferencing option and you want CENFACS to participate or join in, you need to let us know at least three days before your story calling or conferencing start so that we can plan ourselves.  You need as well to inform us about the date, time and possibly participants.  You can email, phone, text or complete the contact form to let us know as we are busy like you.   

If you have a story, you can tell and share with us and others.  And if you do not mind, we will circulate your stories within the CENFACS Community.

 

(2) https://www.ncvo.org.uk/policy-and-research/volunteering-policy (accessed May 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 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!

13 May 2020

 

Post No. 143

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Message of Support to the CENFACS Community during the Coronavirus Pandemic Time

• FACS Issue No. 67: Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa in the Era of the Coronavirus Pandemic

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Life-caring Stories (Week Beginning 11/05/2020)

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Message of Support to CENFACS Community during the Coronavirus Pandemic Time

 

We would like to reiterate our support to everybody making the CENFACS’ Community – our Community of Value Chains – and others related to our community during this challenging time of the Covid-19.

Like everybody, we too at CENFACS are closely following and applying anti-coronavirus restrictions, measures and guidance.  In this respect, we are seriously taking the UK Government’s message of STAY ALERT, CONTROL THE VIRUS and SAVE LIVES.

As we informed you in our communication of 18 March 2020 about the arrangements we have made during the Covid-19 crisis, we are not running any events involving physical contacts at the moment. 

To keep CENFACS essentially running, we are only e-working; which means that anyone who needs to access our service, they can do it remotely or online by contacting us via e-mail, phone and contact form.

As the above axis line of CENFACS’ response to the coronavirus pandemic shows, we have virtually produced a number of resources to contribute to the on-going effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic and help each other.  These resources include: virtual protective facial masks, gloves, anti-bacterial hand gels, toilet rolls, etc.

We had as well to introduce to some of our activities and projects measures to protect everybody; measures such as physical and social distancing rules into our Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects).

To stay on track and at the frontline in this battle against Covid-19, our Covid-19 campaign has not stopped to find new tools and munitions.  As a result, we have developed six cubes of protection to protect people and our community against the life-threatening and destroying impacts of Covid-19.

The coronavirus has pushed the frontiers of our knowledge, our resolve for action and the way we deliver services to the community.  We had to expand our digital and online services by finding new and innovative ways of keeping you engaged while making these new means available to you.  It has been a learning curve for us.  In this learning journey, we did not leave you behind as we invited you to participate to our first Virtual Reflection Day.

We have expanded our advice service to consider additional provision to cope with the side effects from Covid-19 impacts on people, especially for those who lost their earning capacity or status in our community. 

To closely monitor the behaviour of Covid-19, we set up a model of rebuilding lives which is technically based on shadowing the epidemiological curves of the pandemic.  In doing so, it provides us with the necessary data to build the picture and appropriately respond to the patterns of Covid-19 behaviour and threats.   

To adapt and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19, we are currently conducting an impact analysis of Covid-19 on CENFACS’ 2020s Tools Box, Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme; impact analysis which you are all invited to take part.

We will carry on adapting our Covid-19 campaign depending on updates about the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic and on the progress about easing of lockdown measures.

We shall continue to support and engage with you during the coronavirus pandemic crisis.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for patience and commitment to the CENFACS’ Community, our Community of Value Chains.

For any query or enquiry about this message, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ FACS Issue No. 67: Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa in the Era of the Coronavirus Pandemic

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

 

The 67^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter, is now out.  In this Issue, we have considered the Covid-19 impact, particularly the need to take into account efforts that Africa-based Sister Organisations need to deploy in order to step up their response to the pandemic while keeping extractive activities in line with poverty reduction and ecological sustainability.

In our previous web post no. 136 of 25 March 2020, we provided readers with a short introduction and the key notes making the content pages of the Issue no. 67 of FACS.  In this post, we have summarised the page contents of this Issue.  These summaries are under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

~ Week Beginning 11/05/2020: All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Life-caring Stories

 

In the context of Covid-19, there are many situations in which one can take care of others.  These varied situations can include: professional healthcare, care home, applying the UK Government and NHS guidance on Covid-19, volunteering to keep the economy working, looking after poor and vulnerable people during the Covid-19 crisis, etc.

=> Professional health carer

One can be working as a professional health carer.  As such he/she is taking care of patients. 

=> Social carer

One can be working as a key worker in a care home for the elderly people.

=> Applying Covid-19 restrictions and measures

One can as well take or look after others by applying to letter the anti-coronavirus measures and guidance to control the virus, save lives and protect the healthcare system (the NHS).

=> Essential volunteering

One can essentially volunteer to keep the economy working for everybody during the coronavirus pandemic

=> Looking after poor and vulnerable people

One can take care of poor and vulnerable during this health and economic crisis in order to protect them from total economic and social collapse as human beings.

As the above shows, there are many ways in which one can care for and protect lives during the coronavirus pandemic and after it.  We have just mentioned a few of them.  When any of these caring situations happen, there is always a story with them; a story that can be told and shared.

This week, we are taking these kinds of caring stories to make up our All-in-Development Story telling Series. 

Those who have Life-caring stories, they can donate their stories to CENFACS.  To do that they can refer to CENFACS’ Story Telling Terms as published on this site last week.

For those who still have Life-saving Stories and were not able to share them with CENFACS and others, they can as well give their stories whenever they are ready.  They need to do it before the deadline of story submission, which is 31/05/2020.

To donate your story, just contact CENFACS.      

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Africa-based Sister Organisations and Evidence-based Covid-19 Stories

 

This week, we are expanding the scope of our AiDS Telling Programme to consider the stories or experiences that our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are having with local people regarding the Covid-19 impacts.

We had reports of local people struggling to access life-sustaining basic needs (such as food, water, sanitation and financial support) in order to fight the economic threats and social disruptions from Covid-19; let alone the threat it poses to lives in Africa. 

As we are in CENFACS’ Stories Month, we would like to include their tales or experiences of poverty induced by the coronavirus pandemic.

For any of ASOs that wish to submit or donate their Covid-19 related story, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ The impact Analysis of Covid-19 on CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme

 

In the implementation of CENFACS’ 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools Box, Development Agenda and Programme; we cannot ignore the Covid-19 shock.  When these tools, agenda and programme were designed; we did not anticipate the global impact of Covid-19.  Now that we are in the situation and era of Covid-19 dominance, it is normal for us to reassess these tools, agenda and programme to make them adaptable to the new world of the coronavirus pandemic. 

As said above, we have already started this adaptation process by protecting the CENFACS Community and others, by following the anti-coronavirus measures and guidance, by cancelling any physical events or activities,  and by producing our own virtual protective tools (such as facial masks, anti-bacterial hand gels, gloves, toilet rolls, etc.).

We also adjusted our advice service to take into account the changing needs of the CENFACS Community and the side effects of Covid-19 on poor and vulnerable people. 

What’s more, we designed six cubes of protection against the coronavirus pandemic.

We have lastly introduced some elements of protection (such as physical and social distancing rules and protective equipment, etc.) into our All Year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives).

All the above taken steps are meant to adapt ourselves as an organisation and mitigate the negative outcomes from the coronavirus pandemic.

In this adaptation and mitigation processes, we are now embarking on the next phase which is of the analysis of the Covid-19 and its impact on CENFACS 2020 (s) Poverty Reduction Tools, Development Agenda and Programme.  After completion of this phase, we hope to upgrade our work on Covid-19 campaign from the initial response we gave to it.

During this impact analysis, we may run a number of consultations or discussions with stakeholders (including beneficiaries) so that any changes we may initiate reflect the needs of our beneficiaries.  This process of consultations has started with Covid-19 ASOs Survey.

To enquire or support CENFACS’ Impact Analysis of Covid-19, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

~ Covid-19 and the Prospects of Double Contraction of Income for Africa’s Charitable Organisations

 

The prospects for a deep global recession are now looming.  So do, the prospects for income contraction for Africa’s organisations working on charitable and voluntary issues.  By income contraction, we mean a decline in incomes as measured by overseas aid (from non-governmental organisations, grant-making trusts, individual donors and public administrations) or domestic funding (either from statutory bodies, companies and individuals) or even charity store sales. 

Africa’s charities will face the prospects of an increased demand of services and support from those in most need and most vulnerable.  However, under the constraint of the Covid-19 impacts, it will not be easier for these Africa’s charitable and voluntary organisations to respond to this exponential demand.  There are reasons that work against these organisations to meet this huge demand.  One of the reasons is the double contraction of income: contraction from overseas line of support and contraction from domestic financial support.

 

Income contraction from overseas line of support

Many of overseas development charities and non-governmental organisations on which Africa’s charities and voluntary organisations get financial support have been seriously hit by the Covid-19 impacts.  Their incomes have been seriously reduced and some of them have been forced to close some of their services and stores to comply with the lockdown measures.  This is the same for various companies and individuals who fund these not-for-profit organisations.  Also, there are some opinions in the wealthy nations that demand to offset foreign aid budget to their own Covid-19 budget.  This situation will have a knock-on effect on the income of Africa’s charities and voluntary organisations.

 

Income contraction from domestic financial support

It is not clearly known where there has been financial bailout in Africa whether or not this public money has reached the charitable and voluntary sectors in Africa.  Also, most of the coronavirus-related bilateral and multilateral financial backing tends to be in the form of loans.  There are very limited concessional loans and grants that Africa’s charities and voluntary organisations can tap into. 

Africa’s charities and voluntary organisations need to reinvent themselves in order to have the financial foot they need to meet their own expenses while keeping their essential and valuable services alive.  The months and year to come will be determinant in deciding the finances of Africa’s charities and voluntary organisations while hoping the true picture of Covid-19 will by then be revealed.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we shall continue to work with our Africa-based Sister Organisations so that we can together further up their case for funding and fundraising for the valuable services they provide and maintain their place in the fight against Covid-19 and poverty in Africa.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue…

   

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 67: Extractive Mining Activities, Ecology, Sanitation and Poverty Reduction in Africa in the Era of the Coronavirus Pandemic 

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

 

The 67^th Issue of FACS deals with 12 areas of advocacy that Africa-based Sister Organisations can use to make a poverty-relieving case about mining activities undertaken in Africa so that poor people and the nature are properly treated.  These areas include: foreign direct investment, natural resources, poverty reduction, ecological management, informal economy, poverty-relieving value added, political economy of negotiation, mining code, advocacy, health insecurity, sanitary poverty, and coronavirus pandemic.

Please find below the key summaries making the body of the 67^th Issue of FACS.

 

• • Page Summaries

 

Page 2

What leverage can Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) have to bring extractive activities into line?

Generally speaking, extractive activities which are owned and run by multinational corporations have a massive influence and marge of manoeuvre in the way they want to run their extractive activities.  However, with the growing trend of democracies, freedoms and civil society voices in Africa; it is possible for ASOs to gain some spaces to increase their influence and bargaining power to lobby, advocate and campaign to achieve more and better outcomes in terms of poverty reduction and ecological sustainability. 

For example, ASOs can continue to press for the issue of the mining industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to renegotiate, revoke or cancel the disadvantageous mining contracts that the DRC signed during the two waves of war and transition in the 2010s.  This is because these contracts were unfair and signed under warfare pressure.

The situation of unfair contract terms can also happen with the Covid-19 crisis; situation in which African countries are searching for finances to cover the breathtakingly high costs of the current health and economic crisis.  They could be forced to sign unfair trade or mining contracts to secure the finances they badly and desperately need. 

In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, ASOs can use the limited levers or powers they have to make a strong case for the contribution of these activities to the reduction of sanitation poverty and the improvement of health conditions linked to negative externality generated by those activities.   

  

Page 3

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

According to the International Labour Organisation (1),

 “Informal employment is the main source of employment in Africa, accounting for 85.8 per cent of all employment, or 71.9 per cent, excluding agriculture” (p.29)

Informal and artisanal small-scale miners are also part of this percentage in the informal employment.  In the economic context where there is no much or any support for poor and small people, these people are often forced to find ways of making a living.  Informality and temporality could be for them a way of earning some income to survive and live. 

Informal and artisanal miners (like the ones who dig or search for diamond, gold and other minerals), who are vulnerable from informal economy, could be just trying to reduce the level of poverty they are in.  However, this could raise the debate over illegal or illicit mining activities.  With Covid-19, they could be even more vulnerable if there is no financial support or bailout for them.

(1) International Labour Organisation (2018), Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture (3^rd Edition), Geneva

 

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations as advocates against health insecurity and sanitary poverty in the mining fields

The coronavirus pandemic does not only expose the fragility of African economies; it does as well reopen the debate over the working conditions in the mining fields in terms of health, safety, sanitation and security.  

ASOs can use this window of opportunities that Covid-19 has provided to continue to make a case or proposals for a better protection and working conditions for African miners.  These proposals could cover areas of protection against Covid-19 (such as personal protective equipment and protection of miners’ families). 

They can as well further up their advocacy work on health insecurity and sanitary poverty to be eliminated.  They can ask for compensation for affected mining communities, defend environmental degradation, apply to become part of the drafting of any mining codes or contracts, campaign for better mining contracts under the constraint of Covid-19, etc.  ASOs should continue to put pressure to ensure that mining contracts and mining codes address ecological, sanitation and poverty reduction issues.

 

Page 4

Foreign direct investment in the natural resources and poverty reduction in Africa

Opinions amongst ASOs are divided regarding the impacts of foreign direct investments (FDI) on natural resources and poverty.  There are those ASOs that see FDI as being a positive thing for local employment creation and valorisation of natural resources.  On the contrary, there are other ASOs that think that ASOs bring little compared to what they take while neglecting poverty issues.  The views of the two sides of the argument depend on what really FDI can produce regardless of any affiliation of theoretical doctrine or ideology. 

 

Equating foreign direct Investment in the natural resources with poverty reduction investment

It is possible to make equal foreign direct investment (that is, overseas investment by private multinational corporations) in the natural resources and investment in poverty reduction in Africa.  It all depends on what is perceived as the goal of FDI in natural resources and what is the aim of poverty reduction. 

If the goal of FDI is limited to the maximisation of profit, then there is no equivalence between the two.  If the FDI in natural resources takes poverty reduction as part of its overall goal in places where these investments are implemented, then there is a possibility to speak of equivalence or equality of goals between poverty reduction and other areas of investments.

 

 

 

Page 5

Comment les organisations associatives africaines peuvent-elles assurer que la plus grande valeur ajoutée minière générée soit retenue localement pour la réduction de la pauvreté?

Pour répondre à cette question, définissons d’abord la valeur ajoutée.  Pour le faire, nous avons emprunté la définition du site comptafacile.com (2), définition qui est celle-ci:

“La valeur ajoutée est un indicateur financier qui exprime la création de richesse brute d’une entreprise ou l’accroissement de valeur qu’elle a générée du fait de ses activités courantes.  Elle représente donc une traduction de l’activité de l’entreprise: difference entre le chiffre d’affaires et les consommations intermédiaires. 

La valeur ajoutée sert à rémunérer les acteurs de l’entreprise, c’est-à-dire ceux qui participant à son fonctionnement: les salariés (rémunérations), les apporteurs de capitaux (dividendes) et les administrations (impôts, taxes et cotisations sociales).  Le reliquat contribuera à enrichir l’entreprise elle-même.”

Cette définition nous montre clairement que la valeur ajoutée a peu à avoir avec la pauvreté.  Elle vise à enrichir les acteurs de l’entreprise.

Néanmoins, il est possible de repenser cette définition et sa pratique pour que la valeur ajoutée tient compte de la pauvreté.  En particulier, on peut oeuvrer pour que la part de la valeur ajoutée allant aux travailleurs locaux pauvres soit au-delà du seuil de pauvreté. 

De même que les entreprises d’extraction minière peuvent ouvrir leur capital pour que les pauvres aient un pourcentage non moins négligeable dans leur capital, si vraiement elles sont intéressées à la réduction de la pauvreté.

Les organisations associatives africaines peuvent plaider pour une augmentation significative de la part salariale des salaires les plus bas et pour l’attribution d’un pourcentage juste du capital aux pauvres. 

C’est en procédant à ce changement que l’on peut faire en sorte que la valeur ajoutée ainsi générée soit grandement retenue pour les objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté.  C’est ce partage équitable des fruits de l’extraction minière qui fera réduire sinon éliminer la pauvreté et assurera la justice financière.

 

Page 5 & 6

Comment les organisations associatives africaines peuvent-elles faire pour que l’économie politique de négociations avec des investisseurs miniers étrangers soit favorable à la réduction de la pauvreté locale? 

Pour qu’elles en arrivent là, il y a d‘énormes travaux à faire.  Elles doivent comprendre que l’économie politique est la science des lois qui régissent les relations économiques en matière de production et de répartition.  L’économiste Jean-Baptiste Say définissait l’économie politique comme “l’exposition de la manière dont se forment, se distribuent et se consomment les richesses”.  C’est aussi la recherche des moyens d’enrichir une nation comme le disait Adam Smith.

En comprenant le rôle de la négociation dans l’économie politique, les organisations associatives africaines peuvent utiliser leurs pouvoirs de négociation, quels que soit limités,  pour faire en sorte que le problème de réduction de la pauvreté soit au coeur de négociations minières, mais pas à la périphérie.  Si elles ne le font pas, l’enrichissement des activités minières peut se réaliser par une grande pauvreté locale. 

Dans chaque négociation, il y a ce qui est à gagner et ce qui est à perdre; de même il y a des compromis à faire entre les parties en négociation.  Ceci peut faire que la négociation soit un jeu à somme nulle.  Ce qui n’est pas admissible est que dans des négociations minières la réduction de la pauvreté ne soit pas une enchère importante. 

Les organisations associatives africaines peuvent travailler pour qu’elles gagnent une place dans les négociations minières et qu’elles utilisent leur participation dans ces négociations pour soulever les enjeux de réduction de la pauvreté.   Elles peuvent aussi mettre sur pied les modalités et critères clairement définis de suivi et d’évaluation de ces négociations concernant leurs impactes sur la réduction de la pauvreté.

C’est en agissant de cette manière que les organisations associatives africaines pourraient faire que l’économie politique de négociations avec des investisseurs miniers étrangers soit favorable à la reduction de la pauvreté locale ou nationale.

 

Page 6

Comment les organisations associatives africaines peuvent-elles plaider pour que le code minier soit aussi celui de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique à l’ère de la pandémie du coronavirus? 

Pour y arriver, définissons d’abord ce qu’on entend par code minier.  Nous avons emprunté la définition liée au code minier français, définition que nous allons extrapoler et appliquer dans nos analyses.  Elle est la suivante:

“Le code minier français régit l’ensemble des usages du sous-sol (hors aménagement).  Il précise les conditions dans lesquelles une exploration et une exploitation de mine peuvent être réalisées mais aussi les dispositions relatives à l’arrêt des travaux miniers (« après-mine »)…

Ce code est pour l’essentiel un code de procédure: il précise davantage les processus de décision que les décisions elles-mêmes.  Néanmoins, les relations entre exploitants, propriétaires et voisins de la surface minière sont encadrées par ce code tout comme les dispositions sociales “. (3)

On peut faire que ce code de procédure régisse aussi bien les dispositions en matière de réduction de la pauvreté qu’à celle du développement durable.  De même, on peut adhérer la participation des représentants des couches pauvres et des organisations associatives africaines dans ce code de procédure et de processus de décisions minières et de leur élaboration.

Aussi, avec ce qui se passe actuellement avec la crise sanitaire amenée par le Covid-19, on peut y inclure des dispositions sanitaires, écologiques et environnementales.  Ces considérations dans le code minier permettront de sauver et protèger des vies humaines et naturelles contre les menaces et risques du Covid-19.

Les organisations associatives africaines peuvent faire que le code minier ne soit pas seulement un dispositf techniquement minier, mais aussi un processus d’engagement holistique sur des questions de pauvreté, d’environnement, d’écologie et de santé publique.     Elles peuvent demander l’adaptation du code minier au droit à l’environnement, à l’écologie et à la santé liée au coronavirus.

Les organisations associatives africaines peuvent ainsi plaider pour que le code minier soit aussi celui d’éradication de la pauvreté, de réduction de la dégradation de l’environnement, de l’amélioration écologique, et du progrès de l’hygiène en Afrique à l’ère de la pandémie du coronavirus.

(2) https://www.compta-facile.com/valeur-ajoutee-va-definition-calcul-interet/

(3) https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/qu-est-ce-que-le-code-minier-francais-130612

 

Page 7

Do minerals raise finances or increase poverty in Africa? 

The experience with mining activities in Africa shows that minerals can be a viable source of earning incomes when the prices are rewarding.  This earning can help public finances and people.  It is even helpful when poor people are allowed to get a share of return from the sale of minerals.    They can get it through direct transfer payments or indirectly through public spending in education, housing, health, social protection, transport, etc. 

Minerals can increase poverty if their exploitation is done in such a way to denying ordinary people access to a decent pay, healthcare, environmental protection and any other material possession.  This is why ASOs need to continue to advocate for the reduction or even eradication of the deficiencies of mineral markets and companies if they create or exacerbate poverty.  They can keep advocating for the support of local poverty reduction projects and transparency (and accountability) for incomes from mining activities to reach poor people or its destination (end-users).      

 

Natural resource management, ecological management and poverty reduction in Africa in relation to mining activities

Normally, natural resource management (NRM) is the management of natural resources in a sustainable way in order to meet objectives (such as wildlife conservation, ecosystems, etc.) and to reduce the negative environmental impacts and change.

As to the ecological management, it is the management of interrelationships between organisms and their environment. 

Regarding poverty reduction, it is any measure or effort that helps improve monetary and material conditions of those who do not have or have very little. 

By putting together the three of them, it is possible to find some links or balances between the way in which natural resource and ecology are managed.  Also, the manner in which natural resource and ecology are handled can impact the direction of poverty reduction.  In other words, poverty can increase or decrease depending how humans manage natural resource and the balance between organism and their environment. 

Because of these interlinks, mining activities need to find the fine balance between human health, ecological disruptions and poverty reduction. 

For example: with regard to poverty reduction, poor people in Africa may not have means to buy soap and access safe water to wash their hands.  Yet, hand-washing is an important element in the process of eradicating the Covid-19.

So, mining activities need to be respectful of human-ecological balance as well as the balance between extraction of natural resource and human wellbeing.

 

Page 8

Relationships between mining companies and Africa-based Sister Organisations in the context of Covid-19

Historically speaking, mining companies have more relationships with States and other economic agents than African-based Sister Organisations (ASOs).  However, since Africa has returned to democratic path, one can noticed that ASOs tend to highlight from their advocacy work different issues which were neglected or were in the domain of overseas development non-governmental organisations.  These issues can include human rights, child labour, environmental pollution, poverty, etc. surrounding the quality of mining activities.

From time to time, ASOs do raise their voices regarding the impacts of mining activities.  Currently, ASOs can re-examine the relationships between miners and mining companies under the constraint of Covid-19 to protect poor miners so that miners are treated safely and healthily at work, review of working mining conditions in relation to Covid-19.

 

Page 9

Covid-19 ASOs Survey: a Survey for Africa-based Sister Organisations regarding the Impacts of Covid-19 Shock

It is known that the Covid-19 Shock is impacting everybody and sector.  In order to be more specific in the way is affecting Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), we are conducting a survey regarding the economic health of these organisations.

The survey is about finding how Covid-19 is impacting each ASO, particularly but not exclusively, those ASOs working on mining, ecological and sanitation issues.  The survey has the following three objectives:

(1) Finding out how (strongly or averagely or weakly) Covid-19 is impacting individual ASO and their users

(2) Development of ways of mitigating issues found and brought by Covid-19

(3) Start gathering data for the preparation of the post-Covid-19 recovery strategies

As part of this survey, we are questioning ASOs to openly tell us, by using their own words and figures, the way in which the Covid-19 is affecting them.

They can directly answer to CENFACS by using our contact details on this website.

To get involved and or full access to the survey, please contact CENFACS.     

 

Page 10

Project of Advocates against Sanitary Poverty and Unsustainable Ecology

The overall aim of this project is to help reduce sanitation poverty and adverse effects on the structure and function of the nature; poverty and effects that may have been caused by mining activities.  This help will be achieved by working together with local people and organisations where mining activities are taking (or took) place in Africa and where there have been negative impacts from these activities on sanitation, ecology and poverty. 

To support and for further details (including full project proposals, budget and implementation time schedule), please contact CENFACS.

For a full copy of this Issue or query about it, 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!

06 May 2020

 

Post No. 142

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories: Volunteering Stories from Places of Health and Sanitation Crisis – Tell it!

• All in Development Story Telling Series

• Rebuilding Health Resources, Structures and Infrastructures of Africa-based Sister Organisations

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ May Stories – All in Development Stories: Volunteering Stories from Places of Health and Sanitation Crisis – Tell it!

 

Story telling is our main content for the month of May.  It is the month and time of the year we dedicate ourselves to telling and sharing poverty relief and sustainable development stories.  Why? 

This is because in whatever we do to help reduce poverty and appeal for support to development process, there is always a story to tell and share from various places we intervene and from different individuals and communities or organisations involving in our work.

How do we tell and share these stories?  We do it through All in Development (AiD) Stories project.  This year, AiD Stories project will be about Volunteering Stories from Places of Health and Sanitation Crisis.

There are three criteria we would like to highlight about this AiD Stories project.

Firstly, AiD Stories project is about stories by volunteers or people who are giving their stories not for money or not being paid for their experience they had in relation to the story theme.  However, this principle does not stop anybody to provide a story even if what they are saying come from their paid position.

Secondly, for this year’s AiD Stories project we are mainly interested in stories from places of health and sanitation crisis related to the coronavirus pandemic.  In other words, we are primarily taking stories of those who volunteered or are volunteering in the coronavirus-hit places or environments.  We are secondarily registering people’s personal experiences of health and sanitation crisis related to Covid-19 since all of us have something to say about Covid-19 in the way we are experiencing it in our daily lives.

Thirdly, the Volunteering Stories from Places of Health and Sanitation Crisis that we are dealing with for this year’s AiD Stories project are those related to Life-saving, rebuilding and sustaining ones with reference to the Covid-19.

To facilitate and organise ourselves in the way of telling these stories, we are going to do it through a series or programme.  There is more information about this series below.  

For more on AiDS project and this year’s storytelling focus, read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

~ All in Development Story Telling Series

 

The 2020 series of AiDS Telling Programme starts from the 4th of May 2020, every Monday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2019.  These series, which are part of May stories, are a set of notes arranged in line to tell stories of Life-saving, rebuilding and sustaining.

There is no unique logic or model of organising a story.  We thought that to make it easier, our storytelling series will follow these four sequences: saving of lives against the coronavirus pandemic; caring and protection of lives; essential volunteering and home staying as measure to reduce the spread and speed of the coronavirus pandemic.

The four sequences are in some form or other linked each other.  Indeed, saving lives will involve a great deal of aspects of care.  In a crisis of magnitude and scale like of Covid-19, it is unrealistic to expect all work to be paid.  There would always be a proportion of essential volunteering that is needed to overcome the crisis.  To have a fast recovery from Covid-19 outbreak, people have been requested to stay home.  So, there could be some links between saving and caring for lives, volunteering and staying home.      

For further details about these sequences, please continue to read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

~ Rebuilding Health Resources, Structures and Infrastructures of Africa-based Organisations (ASOs)

 

Throughout the month of May, we shall continue to advocate about the Rebuilding of Africa, particularly the rebuilding of ASOs’ health and safety assets, resources, structures and infrastructures so that they can effectively respond to the Covid-19 shock and poverty reduction in Africa. 

 

Rebuilding Africa together

In this project of Rebuilding Africa, there will be a question which is: who should rebuild Africa?  Obviously, Africa should be rebuilt by Africans with the support of Africa’s allies or partners.  Since the impacts of Covid-19 started to be real, Africa has tried to mobilise its allies to be on its side.  Let us to be more specific by looking at the rebuilding of ASOs.

 

Rebuilding of ASOs’ Health Resources, Structures and Infrastructures

CENFACS will continue to advocate so that ASOs of charitable and voluntary sector could have the means, organisation and equipment they need in order to play their poverty relief role during and after the Covid-19 crisis. 

The above area of advocacy requires establishing ways of working together with them to develop capacities in health and safety within and outside these organisations.  For those ASOs that are working on health issues, there is a need to boost their resources, structures and infrastructures so that they can effectively respond to the enormous challenge that Covid-19 has posed, and to new and emerging needs of their users.  In doing so, they can turn Covid-19 to impetus to achieve a better healthcare for their people.

To support CENFACS’ advocacy about Rebuilding Africa, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Breaking the Vicious Circle of Covid-19 Lockdown via CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives

 

CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects), which consist of Play, Run and Vote; should be running during the coronavirus pandemic.  In fact, Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs) can help to occupy people’s minds and communities during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  Let us see how one can apply them during the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

# Run activities under Run for Poverty Relief Initiative in 2020

 

Due to the anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions, it is not possible to group people and organise a physical run activity.  However, one person can essentially run alone while respecting physical and social distancing measures. 

## Doing physical running alone

Even if you are physically running alone, you need to follow the other anti-coronavirus rules linked to hand washing, the use of anti-bacterial hand gels, wearing of gloves and facial masks; briefly you need to wear personal protective equipment suitable for running to protect yourself and others.

## Doing virtual running

If you are doing indoor or virtual running at home, you also need to follow the guidance about protection against Covid-19 at home, particularly with regard to disinfection of the traces or strains of Covid-19 and the other rules to protect yourself and others within and outside your household. 

 

# Play and Vote Activities under CENFACS’ Initiatives of Poverty Relief League and Vote African Poverty and Development Manager of 2020

 

Play and vote can only be done at home or indoor.  Being at home or indoor under the conditions of Covid-19 lockdown, one can play and vote using online and distance resources and devise (such as a computer, mobile phone, tablet, laptop, PS4 etc.).  They can interact via these online and distance learning and working technologies. 

For examples:

With the Play or Gaming activities, people can use their own imagination and run their own play station and competitions for poverty relief.  One can as well try to find out which African country will be best to come on top of the CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League in reducing poverty under the constraint of Covid-19.

With Vote activities, people can watch and search 20 top people who are helping or working to pull other people out of poverty during the coronavirus pandemic.  One of them could be selected by 23 December 2020 as the Poverty Relief and Development Manager of 2020.

By essentially using CENFACS’ Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects), project users can find alternative ways of reducing personal pressure related to the lockdown and confinement; while still doing something for poverty reduction.

 

# What we would like to hear from your Running, Gaming and Voting Activities

 

We would like to hear from you the best three: 

√ The Best African Countries of 2020 which best reduce poverty under the constraint of the coronavirus pandemic

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2020

√ The Best African Poverty Reduction and Development Managers of 2020

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

 

 

~ CENFACS’ Mission Year and May Stories

 

CENFACS’ 2020 Mission Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  At this particular time of Covid-19 outbreak, this mission is about the reduction of health and sanitation poverty linked to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. 

CENFACS’ May Stories are about the tales of change for better change by the change makers.  They bring change to those living poverty and hardships.  When this change from poverty to poverty reduction happens, there is a story to tell, share and even to celebrate.

Therefore, there is an area of link between CENFACS’ Mission Year and CENFACS’ May Stories via poverty reduction achievement and the story it generates.  This link is also found throughout the different episodes of this month story telling programme. 

For further information about the relationship between CENFACS’ Mission Year and May Stories, please contact CENFACS and or follow the All-in-Development Stories Telling Series this month.      

 

 

~ Covid-19 and the Development of Sustainable Development Initiatives in Africa

 

The coronavirus pandemic together with the restrictions and measures put in place to fight it have increased the challenge to conduct and develop sustainable development initiatives in Africa.

In many places where we have projects and local partners, there were already difficulties to work on poverty reduction issues.  Now, with the confinement and lockdown due to Covid-19, this challenge has increased.

 

# Covid-19 as an increased challenge for Sustainable Development Initiatives

 

In Africa, where CENFACS’ partners or local African organisations are based there is a lack of basic infrastructures and capacities such as medical and health staff (e.g. physicians, nurses and midwifes), technological connectivity (telephones and broadband facilities) and social protection.

We had reports how people are struggling to get access to foods and supplies of essential medical drugs which are not coronavirus-related.

To highlight this increased challenge, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recently published two dashboards regarding the unpreparedness and vulnerability of Africa to Covid-19.  In one of the dashboards, the UNDP (1) has mentioned the following lacks in Sub-Saharan Africa:

“Fixed broadband subscription per 100 people was 0.4 between 2017 and 2018.

The population living below income poverty line stood at 43.5% at $1.90 a day (parity purchasing power) between 2010 and 2018.

63.1% of total employment was working poor at $3.20 a day (parity purchasing power) in 2018.

79.4% of population was without any social protection and labour programmes between 2006 and 2016.”

Although most of these figures are for the 2010s decade, they nevertheless highlight two things:  the lack of fresh data (which is a story of data poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa), and the difficult context of working with our African partners in the development of sustainable development initiatives.

 

# Covid-19 as a confirmed factor of Africa’s vulnerability

 

This vulnerability of Africa to Covid-19 has been confirmed by both textual and numerical data.  A second wave of data given for Sub-Saharan Africa by the same UNDP states the following:

“The number of physicians per 10,000 people was only 2.1 between 2010 and 2017.

The number of nurses and midwifes per 10,000 people was 10 between 2010 and 2018.

The number of hospital beds per 10,000 people was 8 between 2010 and 2018.”

Again, these numbers show how vulnerable Africa is to Covid-19 outbreak.   The numbers also indicate the challenge in developing sustainable initiatives in the area of healthcare, let alone the travel and transport restrictions imposed in many countries in Africa. 

However, one should not stop here and become pessimistic or alarmist about Africa.  In fact, Africa has not done badly so far in flattening the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the early prediction of human calamity in Africa if the pandemic reaches there. 

Covid-19 has shown that it can reach the wealthiest economies of the world, not only Africa.  Without being complacent, Africa needs to take this opportunity to rebuild its self from its weaknesses.  Africa has many trumps it can use to turn the Covid-19 shock to impetus to achieve the kinds of sustainable development initiatives it needs in order to keep reducing poverty and stay on track of its development and destiny.  The thoughts on Covid-19 continue…

(1) https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/covid-19_and_human_development.pdf (accessed April 2020)

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• May Stories: Life-saving, rebuilding and sustaining Stories

 

• • What is ALL in DEVELOPMENT STORIES project?

 

All in Development STORIES (AiDS) is a life story developing, telling, sharing and learning project set up by CENFACS in 2009 in order to give opportunities to volunteers, interns and other development supporters to inspire others and spread the good news and will of better change to the community.  The project, which is run during the month of May, has three dimensions as follows:

1) AiDS is a telling and sharing story

It is about telling and sharing with us your experience and achievements made in the fields of local (UK) and International (Africa) developments.

2) AiDS is a learning and development process

It is also about learning from volunteers and interns how they improved their own life, changed deprived lives and reached out to the needy communities.  After learning, one can try to develop strengths and better practices to solve problems.

3) AiDS is an inspirational and motivational support network

After all, the project seeks to inspire and motivate others on the road of change for change, especially for those who might prepare and use their summer break or any other occasions (like the Covid-19 outbreak) to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

4) AiDS finally is a state-of-the-art project as it enables us to get up-to-date information, knowledge and thinking in the fields of poverty reduction and sustainable development from those who went on the grounds to learn and experience real-life development works.  They return with volunteering stories to tell and share.

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Saving, Rebuilding and Sustaining Lives. 

 

• • The Covid-19 Impact on CENFACS’ May Stories

 

We have chosen to continue this theme for this Spring because of the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  CENFACS’ work is not exempt from this impact.  We had to come out our way and initial plan to consider the disproportional impacts of Covid-19. 

As a result of this reconsideration of our plan, we are interested in stories of human, economic and social impacts of Covid-19; stories which will make our general theme of saving, rebuilding and sustaining lives.

Besides this main reconsideration, we have added stories related to the environmental impacts of Covid-19 shock.  These are the tales related to the use of let say plastic gloves, facial masks, anti-bacteria gels, toilet rolls, etc.  How the lack of good recycling scheme of these items can affect the environment.  This is let alone the lockdown which has led to the decrease in traffic and noise.

This addition to our May menu makes all our stories for this year as being of sustainable development as they involve human, economic, social and environmental impacts of the Covid-19 Shock.

Getting and exchanging with people stories on sustainable life is a great way of sharing the fruits of sustainable development work and change, and of supporting one another. 

 

• • May 2020 STORIES: Life-saving, rebuilding and sustaining Stories

 

We have slightly altered our Stories month to be topical by taking into account the coronavirus pandemic.  As a result, we are dealing with stories of saving, rebuilding and sustaining lives from the coronavirus pandemic.

To reflect this slight alteration, we are running 4 series of AiD Story Telling programme during this month of May, programme that will revolve around the impacts of Covid-19.

For those who want to tell their stories of saving, renewing and sustaining lives; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories. 

 

• • Types of 2020 Stories and Story Telling Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting 04/05/2020 and after every Monday until the end of May 2020.

The following series have been planned from our lightly altered renewal process for this month of storytelling (May Stories).

 

Serial 1: Week beginning 04/05/2020: Life-saving stories during the coronavirus pandemic

These are the stories of voluntary work done in in helping to save another person’s life.

Serial 2: Week beginning 11/05/2020: Life-caring and protecting stories

They include tales of voluntary work carried out in providing care service to vulnerable people (such as young children, pregnant women, the sick and elderly, etc.)

Serial 3: Week beginning 18/05/2020: Essential volunteering stories during the Covid-19 crisis

These are accounts of voluntary work done at any phases of the epidemiological curve of the Covid-19 to support healthcare effort or keep the economy running during the Covid-19 period.

Serial 4: Week beginning 25/05/2020: Home staying stories

They are the experiences or anecdotes of each individual from the lockdown and confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

• • Serial 1: Week beginning 04/05/2020: Life-saving stories during the coronavirus pandemic

 

In this serial 1 of AiDS Telling programme, one can enter a story that describes any action or experience undertaken to save another person’s life during this current health and sanitation crisis brought by Covid-19.  For example, one could tell a story or personal experience of providing essential medical drugs or sanitary items to help save lives.

In asking you to enter your story, we would like as well to remind you that CENFACS does not create or make up stories.  People donate their stories which make the series keep going.  The stories that we are talking about are real and would normally come from those who spare their time in the things they are talking about and live or witness that life.

Generally, they are from those who would participate to the AiDS Volunteering Scheme.  However, we can also accept stories from outside this scheme as long as they are real and are about poverty reduction and sustainable development.

To donate, tell and share your story of saving lives, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • 2020 Story Areas of Interest

 

We take stories that cover any areas of poverty reduction and local and international sustainable developments.

 

• • Contexts of Stories

 

Stories could come from any level of project/programme cycle (i.e. planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review) as long as it is to do with poverty reduction and sustainable development.  They could also be a result of research and field work activities or studies.  They could finally be an experience of everyday life. 

  

• • Call for 2020 Entries 

 

The 2020 Edition of AiDS has already kicked off.  For those who want to enter their stories of life renewal, please note you are welcome to do so.  Just read below the annotated timetable for story submission and CENFACS’ storytelling terms and conditions.

We await your responses to our call.

 

• • Annotated Timetable for Story Submission in 2020

 

<> Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2020)

<> Story submission deadline (31/05/2020)

<> Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2020)

<> Submission of revised stories (01/05/2020 to 31/05/2020)

 

• • CENFACS Story Telling & Sharing Terms

 

To tell and/or share your May story, please let us know who you are, where and when your experience took place and of course the story itself.  You could also text, twit and send some forms of supporting materials/resources to back up your story.  Should you wish not to be named, please let us know.  Please see below our story telling, sharing and learning terms.

1/ We welcome both told and untold stories

2/ Inside, witness, news, behind the scenes & case stories are eligible

3/ We only take real life stories, not fiction stories or fake news

4/ Tell true and evidence-based stories only, not lies

5/ If possible, back up your stories with facts and data (numerical or textual)

6/ Mention location, dates and names of events in the story

7/ We accept photos, images, pictures, videos, infographics, audios and other forms of resources (e.g. digital or e- technologies) to support, capture and communicate the impact of your story 

8/ Plagiarism, prohibited, offensive, violation of copyrights and unlawful/illegal materials are not accepted

9/ Hacking, flaming, spamming, ransom ware, phishing and trolling practices are not accepted as well.

For further clarification, contact CENFACS

 

Tell and share your story of change for change by communicating the impact you make!

 

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.