Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

05 June  2024

 

Post No. 355

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2024

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop – Activity 2 (05 to 11/06/2024): Initial Capital 

• Goal of the Month: Poverty Reduction through Entrepreneurship

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2024

 

The key theme for June 2024 is Creations and Innovations to Reduce Poverty and Enhance Sustainable Development.  Within this main theme, there are 3 sub-themes which are Celebration, Transition and Household Spending.  Inside these sub-themes, there are codes.

This June 2024 will be special as we are celebrating CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation.  Besides this celebration, we will be working on the kinds of creations and innovations we need in order to transition to a climate-resilient future, to reset and change our system of poverty reduction, and to handle squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

The plan for June 2024 includes the initiatives below.

 

a) Tricennium and Project 30 

 

Tricennium or CENFACS’ Tricennial Year (1994 to 2024), which is a history and creation project, will be the first creation we will deal with this June 2024.  Project 30 is an initiative set up to deliver CENFACS’ Pearl Jubilee or Tricennial Year.

Besides the Tricennium, we shall have creations and innovations that we need to transition to a climate-resilient development and to reset and change our system of poverty reduction.

 

b) Creations and Innovations to transition to a climate-resilient future and to reset and change our poverty reduction system

 

Forming from nothing ideas or introducing changes to transition towards climate resilient future and continue to move forward together will be the main activity during this month of June 2024.  These creative ideas and innovative ways of working will enable to find the means to meet the level of ambition we have for the kind of sustainable development and future we want, which we hope will be climate-resilient and net zero one.

These creative ideas and innovative ways of working together will be used to reset and/or change systems, like our poverty reduction system.  This is also part of being resilient against any shocks and stresses that may affect systems, our system of poverty reduction.

Using our experience, skills, knowledge and talents to find techniques, technologies and new methods to deal with the currently pressing and immediate needs of the time of squeezed household spending may not be enough unless we create and innovate to prevent or at least to mitigate future crises.  It means there could be another need to bring into existence ideas and introduce changes and new methods to address future crises if they happen when they happen.

 

c) Creations and Innovations to deal with squeezed household life-sustaining spending 

 

Squeeze on household spending means that one needs to find some creative and innovative ways of dealing with this squeeze if one wants to avoid the deepening of consumption poverty.  It also means one may work out to develop an alternative in terms of ideas, skills and new knowledge to meet the basic expenditures of those who are unable to spend enough to avoid consumption poverty.

So, in the context of the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM), we have 3 sub-themes of creations and innovations to offer which are:

 

1) Tricennium: CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation

2) Transition: transition to climate-resilient development and the reset and change of our system of poverty reduction

3) Household Expenses: handling squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

 

During this Month of Creative Economic Development, we are forming responses from nothing and bringing them into existence to deal with the above-mentioned sub-themes.  Equally, we are going to introduce new ideas or methods as well as make changes to what has been tried and tested to deliver these kinds of sub-themes.

In this process of forming proposals and introducing new methods, we are going to work with the community – via the project Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives project) featuring this month – to try to create and innovate so that we are all able to better meet the challenges and cross the hurdles brought by crises or shocks (such as the cost-of-living crisis and falling real household disposable income, natural disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, etc.).

June 2024 is a feature-rich month during which we shall streamline users’ content creation and innovation processes.  In this process of creating and innovating, we shall consider some of the creative and innovative ideas, proposals, metrics, experiences and tools that have been so far put forward to help poor people and households reduce poverty and hardships, or at least to deal with squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

Our work will revolve around the kinds of creation and innovation the CENFACS Community (and alike our Africa-based Sister Organisations) needs in order to find ways of  Building Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further information about this first key message.

 

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop – Activity 2 (05 to 11/06/2024): Initial Capital 

 

The second activity of our 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop is about Matching Charity Shop Founder’s Startup Capital with Charity Shop Investor’s Capital Proposition.  In this episode, we are going to delve into the total amount of money or wealth that a charity shop founder is prepared to put in and what charity shop investor is offering.

Both Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation (ASCO)/charity shop founder and not-for-profit (n-f-p) charity shop investor have decided to move with the matching talks as they scored points each of them during Activity 1.  They agreed to move to Activity 2 while finalising the little bits remaining from Activity 1 of the matching negotiations since these negotiations are a backward and forward process.

To summarise what is going to happen during this Activity 2, we have organised our notes around the following headings:

 

σ ASCO’s initial capital

σ Factors/elements determining initial working capital

σ Ownership control

σ The match or fit test.

 

Let us look at each of these headings.

 

• • ASCO’s Initial Capital

 

ASCO needs to specify how much is putting as initial capital in its charity shop project.  As ‘bizjournals.com’ (1) puts it,

“If you are getting money from investors anywhere, except Silicon Valley, they are expecting you to put your own”.

However, ASCO has to be aware about the reality of funding for startups.  This reality is explained by ‘upcounsel.com’ (2) which argues that

“Typically, startups go through rounds of funding, and with each successive round, the founder’s ownership percentage shrinks.  The process is known as dilution… Depending on the number of funding rounds your startup undergoes, outside investors may end up owning more of the company than your founders”.

The n-f-p investor would like to know where part of ASCO’s initial capital will come from (for example, from banks, venture capitalists, parent charities, crowdfunding, grant makers, charity members, etc.)

ASCO can work out factors that determine the initial working capital.

 

• • Factors/Elements Determining Initial Working Capital

 

The initial working capital (IWC) will depend on a number of factors like premises renovation or the building of new shop, the purchasing of fixed assets (such as cash registers, shelving, furniture, etc.), new technologies, shop space, warehouse, insurance, etc.  These factors or elements can intervene in expenses decision as one-time and/or ongoing expenses.

In trying to assemble the elements making IWC, ASCO is required to make difference between startup expenses, startup assets and operating expenses.  According to ‘bplans.com’ (3),

“Startup expenses (e.g., permits or licences, insurance, and so on) are expenses that happen before you launch and start bringing in any revenue.  Startup assets (e.g., equipment, stock of products, etc.) are assets to get your business off the ground.  Operating expenses (e.g., rent, utilities, office supplies, etc.) are what it is going to cost to keep your doors open until sales can cover expenses”.

Charity shop n-f-p investor wants to know if ASCO has identified and meticulously categorised startup expenses.  And ASCO is likely to get support if it has a well-researched, unambiguous and detailed financial plan.

 

• • Ownership Control

 

At this level of talks, ASCO needs to get outside investors (here n-f-p investor) while keeping ownership control of the charity shop.  ASCO has few options.  It can give a minority stake or give a big (majority) one or simply decide what percentage it wants to control.  However, n-f-p investor can adapt its response to the needs or proposals from ASCO, as he/she wants to see a long-term transaction with value delivered at some point in the future.  The  n-f-p property investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce poverty.  Although he/she is driven by selfless motivations, he/she would like to see the charity shop is a profitable business so that it can achieve its goal of reducing poverty by raising money for it through trading.

To reach a deal at this round of negotiations, they may need a match or fit test.

Briefly, ASCO is prepared to cover some startup costs and investments, but it will need a percent of investments to be provided/covered by the n-f-p investor.  At the moment, it is not sure how much investment coverage it really needs.  The matching exercise can determine it.

The  n-f-p charity shop investor may agree with the level and the structure of ASCOs’ initial capital.  However, if there is mismatch or disagreement between the two sides of matching project, there could be a need to organise a match or fit test.

 

 

• • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p charity shop investor’s view and offer on startup capital must be matched with ASCO’s demand or ask for capital.  In other words, ASCO’s explanation of the capital it needs to start a charity shop must be good enough to push n-f-p charity shop investor to invest in the charity shop.

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between what the investor wants and what ASCO is saying about startup capital), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this second round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise ASCOs (charity shop founders) to improve the presentation of their initial capital.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p charity shop investors with impact to work out their expectations in terms of startup capital to a format that can be acceptable by potential ASCOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p charity shop investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more charity shop investors are attracted by ASCOs’ (charity shop founders’) initial capital the better for ASCOs.  Likewise, the more ASCOs can successfully respond to charitable shop investors’ level of enquiries and queries about initial capital the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., founder and investor).

The above is the second activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop. 

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

For any queries and/or enquiries about this second activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Poverty Reduction through Entrepreneurship

 

Our poverty reduction goal for June 2024 is Poverty Reduction through Entrepreneurship.  It is part of the Creations and Innovations of the month.  To become entrepreneur, it requires a certain level of creation and innovation to bring a new idea or product to the market, here the poverty reduction market.  This new idea can be included in this month and can make our goal of the month.

 

• • About Our Goal of the Month

 

This goal stems from Wu (4) in its study which addresses the theoretical weaknesses about the relationship between entrepreneurship and poverty reduction.  His study was based on China’s Yiwu county.  Wu argues that

“There are exogenous (e.g., non-governmental organisations) and endogenous (e.g., people’s own initiative) factors that can give entrepreneurship a push or pull impact on poverty”.

According to Wu, there are both problem-oriented and theory-driven evidences showing that entrepreneurship can help reduce poverty.  However, for poverty reduction to happen, it requires aspiring entrepreneur with appropriate resource entrepreneurship opportunities, and institutional environment conducive to entrepreneurship.  It also demands entrepreneurs’ motivation with sustainability and the use of social networks.

 

• • The Implications of Wu’s Research Work for Our Goal of the Month

 

From Wu’s findings and as part of our goal of the month, it is possible to work with people in need who would like to take entrepreneurship path as a way of navigating their way towards poverty reduction.  They may need support in their role of entrepreneurs to boost their motivation.  This is our goal for June 2024 – goal of the month.

Those who would like to help to make poverty reduction happen through entrepreneurship, they can be supportive of this goal.  We expect our supporters and audiences to support this goal as well.

For further details on this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Activity/Task 6 of the Transitions (t) Year/Project: Work with the Needy to Improve Creations and Innovation Linked to Transition

• Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households – In Focus from Week Beginning Monday 10/06/2024: Identification of Household Resilience Dimensions and Adaptive Strategies

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) and the World Environment Day 2024

 

 

• Activity/Task 6 of the Transitions (t) Year/Project: Work with The Needy to Improve Creations and Innovation Linked to Transition

 

In this Year of Transitions within CENFACS, it is possible to improve creations and innovations in the way people can transition.  This is related to any aspect of transition: economic or social or financial or energy or climate or other.

Indeed, one can create and/or innovate resources, models, tools, metrics, etc. to improve and analyse transition for the poor so that they do not lag behind.  This will enable to avoid a two-speed transition.  One transition for those who can afford and another transition for those who cannot.  To avoid difference or inequality or even dissymmetry in transition, it is better to work with those in need to improve creations and innovations linked to transition.  In this way, transition will be just, equal, asymmetrical and fair.  However, to achieve fairness, equality, symmetry and justice in transition; it may require creations and innovations that respond to the needs of the poor.

The above is what activity/task 6 is about.  For those who need any help before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.

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

 

 

• Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households – In Focus from Week Beginning Monday 10/06/2024: Identification of Household Resilience Dimensions and Adaptive Strategies

 

We will be working with low resilience households to find out what dimensions of resilience that need support.  Depending on the resilience dimensions identified from them, we shall revisit their adaptive strategies with the purpose of working together to improve these strategies.

Let us briefly explain the identification work and strategies.

 

 

• • Identification of Household Resilience Dimensions

 

It is about conducting resilience needs assessment and getting responses about factors that can help a given household to succeed its resilience.  It is also about studying the context-specific resilience frameworks of household and vulnerability factors.

The identification will also enable to find protection tools against vulnerability issues, to find out household’s resilience capabilities, and to analyse household’s resilience data.

This identification will help to obtain primary data about prioritised issue that a given household is experiencing and to specify the way of working together with this household.

Once household resilience dimensions have been identified, we can look at intervention and adaptive strategies.

 

• • Intervention and Adaptive Strategies

 

Concerning the intervention in terms of household resilience, it is about assigning measurement indication, conducting both qualitative and quantitative studies, drawing out dimensions of household resilience, identifying the possibility of overlapping or influence between dimensions and looking at drivers of vulnerability and supporters of resilience.

For example, we will be using RIMA (Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (5), in particular RIMA-II, which estimates household resilience to food insecurity with a comprehensive pack which includes direct measure and indirect measurements as well as long and short term measurement approaches.

With this index, we can

 

∝ know households in need and the area of focus for investing in households

∝ find out the dimensions of resilience that need to be supported

∝ check if interventions have increased or decreased households resilience.

 

As to adaptive strategies, they are about working with households so that they can improve their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to shocks and crises while ensuring that they do not fall deeper into poverty.

For example, we will refer to the fundamental pillars of resilience of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (6) to look at households’ adaptive strategies.  These pillars are access to basic services, assets, social safety nets, sensitivity and adaptive capacity.  This will enable to check food insecurity resilience capacity, resilience capacity and coping strategy in food security.

The above is the second way of working with households on resilience matter.

For those households that need support regarding their resilience matters and in particular to Identify Their Resilience Dimensions and Adaptive Strategies, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) and the World Environment Day 2024

 

Today, the World Environment Day (WED) 2024 is focussing on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.   As part of this worldwide event day, those of our members who are working on any of the TVIs/AYRPs can reflect the theme of the WED 2024 in the application of their initiatives/projects.  They can integrate the protection of the environment into them.

Those who have included or will include the features of this campaign in the TVIs/AYRPs can let us know their experience of this inclusion.

Telling and sharing your TVI/AYRP story of the inclusion experience will help

 

√ contribute to land restoration, desertification and drought resilience

√ improve the environmental aspect within TVI/AYRP

√ know what has worked and not worked so far before  TVI’s/AYRP’s deadline of 23/12/2024.

 

To tell and share your TVI/AYRP story of environmental inclusion and particularly of the inclusion of the theme of WED 2024 , please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Objectif du mois: Réduction de la pauvreté par l’entrepreneuriat

Notre objectif de réduction de la pauvreté pour juin 2024 est la réduction de la pauvreté par l’entrepreneuriat.  Il fait partie des Créations et Innovations du mois.  Pour devenir entrepreneur/se, il faut un certain niveau de création et d’innovation pour apporter une nouvelle idée sur le marché, ici le marché de la réduction de la pauvreté.

• • À propos de notre objectif du mois

Cet objectif découle de ce que Wu (4) a fait savoir dans son étude qui aborde les faiblesses théoriques de la relation entre l’entrepreneuriat et la réduction de la pauvreté.  Son étude était basée sur le comté chinois de Yiwu.  Wu soutient que

«Il existe des facteurs exogènes (par exemple, les organisations non gouvernementales) et endogènes (par exemple, l’initiative des gens) qui peuvent donner à l’entrepreneuriat un impact sur la pauvreté».

Selon Wu, il existe des preuves à la fois axées sur les problèmes et sur la théorie qui montrent que l’entrepreneuriat peut aider à réduire la pauvreté.  Cependant, pour que la réduction de la pauvreté se produise, il faut un(e) entrepreneur(se) en herbe avec des opportunités d’entrepreneuriat appropriées et un environnement institutionnel propice à l’entrepreneuriat.  Cela exige la motivation des entrepreneurs(ses)  en matière de durabilité et l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux.

• • Les implications du travail de recherche de Wu pour notre objectif du mois

D’après les conclusions de Wu et dans le cadre de notre objectif du mois, il est possible de travailler avec des personnes dans le besoin qui souhaitent emprunter la voie de l’entrepreneuriat comme moyen de naviguer vers la réduction de la pauvreté.  Elles peuvent avoir besoin d’un soutien dans leur rôle d’entrepreneur(se) pour stimuler leur motivation.

Ceux ou celles qui souhaitent contribuer à la réduction de la pauvreté grâce à l’entrepreneuriat peuvent soutenir cet objectif.  Nous attendons de nos supporters et de notre public qu’ils soutiennent également cet objectif.

Pour plus de détails sur cet objectif, y compris son soutien, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2024

 

The following points make up the Main Development section of this post:

 

∝ Basic understanding of the creative economic development

∝ What 2024 June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives (Jmesci) project will be about

∝ Theme and Sub-themes of Creative Economic Development Month 2024

∝ The kinds of creative economic development projects we will be dealing with

∝ The method of delivering the Creative Economic Development Month

∝ The calendar and contents of the Creative Economic Development Month

∝ Execution of CEDM 2024 Sub-themes: First Codes (from Week Beginning Monday 03/06/2024)

∝ Creative Economic Development Projects

∝ Featuring other environmental activities or events outside but closer to CENFACS’ work.

 

Let us look at these points one by one.

 

• • Basic Understanding of the Creative Economic Development (CEDM)

 

To grasp the creative economic development is better to start with the understanding of the creative economy.

 

• • • Basic understanding of the creative economy

 

There are many definitions of creative economy.  In this communication, we have selected two of them.

The first definition comes from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  UNCTAD (7) 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 and development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and TV/radio – are the lifeblood of the creative economy”.

The second definition, which is from ‘rasmussen.edu’ (8), is

“The creative economy is the income-earning potential of creative activities and ideas”.

Clearly, this second definition focusses on the income generation aspect of creative industries and activities.

However, CENFACS looks at the creative economy from the perspective of development or sustainable development.

 

• • • Creative economy from the perspective of sustainable development

 

From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (9), 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.  Since, we are pursuing CENFACS’ Programme of ‘Building Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’; these activities need to be inclusive, clean, green (or net zero), climate-resilient and safe.

 

• • What June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives 2024 Is about

 

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 remember and 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 or dreams 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.  In practical terms, it is the project that features or carries the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM).

This year’s Jmesci will be about 3 Types of Creations and Innovations:

 

a) Creations and Innovations to transition towards a climate-resilient future

b) Creations and Innovations to reset and change our poverty reduction system

c) Creations and Innovations to deal with squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

 

 

• • Theme and Sub-themes of CEDM 2024

 

The key theme of CEDM 2024 is Creations and Innovations to Reduce Poverty and Enhance Sustainable Development.  Within this main theme, we have 3 sub-themes of creations and innovations to offer, which are:

 

1) Tricennium: CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation

2) Transition: transition to a climate-resilient development and the reset and change of our system of poverty reduction

3) Household Expenses: handling squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

 

Let us briefly highlight each of the sub-themes.

 

• • • Tricennium: CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation

 

2024 has been dedicated as a Transition Year within CENFACS.  2024 is also a Tricennial Year for the idea of CENFACS as 2024 is the year during which we are celebrating the establishment of CENFACS as a Tricennial Creation.  In other words, it is now 30 years since the idea of CENFACS was born.

This Tricennial Celebration or the Tricennium kicked off last March 2024.  It is a celebration of the remarkable journey of CENFACS as an idea for good.  We are remembering CENFACS for its four existential features, which are:

 

a) CENFACS as a Sustainable Creation

b) CENFACS as a Unique Creation

c) CENFACS as an Inspiring and Transformative Creation

d) CENFACS as a Creation for Hope and Future.

 

Through Project 30, we will be progressively sharing with our supporters, followers and audiences some information about CENFACS milestones so that they can (re)learn a bit more about CENFACS.  We would like as well those who have recently joined us and those who may want to join us, to learn something about CENFACS on the occasion of this Pearl Jubilee.

 

• • • Creations and Innovations to transition towards a climate-resilient development and to reset and change of our system of poverty reduction

 

To transition to climate-resilient future, one may need a plan.  What is a climate transition plan?

According to ‘epa.gov’ (10),

“A climate transition plan is an action plan where an organisation describes its strategy to transition its processes, operations, and business models to meet its public commitments within a specified timeframe”.

This definition can also be relativized and applied to individuals/people and households.  So, creations and innovations to transition to a climate-resilient future will be those related to

 

σ people’s/households’ transition strategy

σ people’s/households’ transition processes

σ people’s/households’ transition operations

σ people’s/households’ transition model.

 

Additionally, we shall have creations and innovations to reset and change our poverty reduction system.  This is because any reset and change in our system for poverty reduction do not occur by chance, unless one creates and/or innovates to make them happen.

 

• • • Creations and Innovations to handle squeezed household life-sustaining spending

 

Under this sub-theme, we shall deal with the creations and innovations linked to the following:

 

σ spending appraisal

σ meeting basic spending needs

σ organisations and institutions of spending protection

σ consumer protection.

 

• • Kinds of Creative Economic Development Projects Dealt with

 

The types of creative economic development projects that will be considered will be those helping people in need to reduce or end poverty while enhancing sustainable development.  In other words, for any creations and innovations to meet the objectives of the creation and innovation month, they need to address poverty while contributing to the principles of sustainable development; that is development that is inclusive, clean, green (or net zero), climate-resilient and safe.

From the idea or conception to the implementation of these projects, their contents need to have the values of poverty reduction and sustainability (particularly the inclusive, clean, green or net zero, climate-resilient and safe aspects of sustainability).  As we continue to unveil these projects throughout this month, these values will become clear, apparent and self-explanatory.  This will as well determine the manner in which the Creative Economic Development Month will be approached and delivered throughout the month.

 

• • The Method of Delivering the Creative Economic Development Month 

 

The Creative Economic Development Month will be delivered through the composition of notes and a number of activities (such as workshop, focus group or discussion, advocacy or campaign and appeal).

 

• • The Calendar and Contents of the Creative Economic Development Month

 

To deliver on what we have argued so far, we have organised the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM) as indicated in the figure below.

 

 

As shown in the above figure, Sub-theme 2 include both Creations and Innovations to transition to a climate-resilient future as well as Creations and Innovations to reset and/or change our systems, our system of poverty reduction.

 

 

• • Execution of CEDM 2024 Sub-themes: First Codes (from Week Beginning Monday 03/06/2024)

 

Our CEDM Working Weeks and Plan starts with the codes for each sub-theme, which are

 

√ CENFACS as Sustainable Creation

√ Creations and innovations that are related to people’s/households’ transition strategy for a climate-resilient future

√ Creations and innovations to reset our poverty reduction system

√ Creations and innovations linked to spending appraisal.

 

Those who would like to engage with the CEDM 2024 can choose amongst the above-mentioned codes and contact CENFACS.

For example, if one wants to know more about CENFACS as a Sustainable Creation, they can contact.  CENFACS will explain them what it means and discuss with them on how they can learn more about it and participate or support any events linked to CENFACS as a Sustainable Creation.

Likewise, to transition to a climate-resilient future, it requires creations and innovations in terms of transition strategy.  Those who would like to work with CENFACS on their transition strategy, they can let CENFACS know.

Equally, to reset our system for poverty reduction, it demands creations and innovations.  Those who will be interested in working with us to reset our/their system for poverty reduction through creations and innovations, they should not hesitate to communicate with CENFACS.

Finally, to improve the way any household appraises its spending to protect itself from squeezed life-sustaining needs, certain creations and innovations may be needed.  Those households that would like to work with us on creations and innovations to improve their spending appraisal, they can as well contact us/CENFACS.

The above is the first execution of our CEDM 2024 Working Weeks and Plan.  For those who may be interested in any of the first codes of each sub-theme of this plan, they can contact CENFACS.  For those would like to learn more about CEDM 2024, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

• • 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.

To be more specific, let us look at one example, one activity and one competition relating to creative economic development projects.

 

 

• • • Example of Creative Economic Development Project: Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (like Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to handle squeezed household life-sustaining spending.

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development or creative economy project.   Through this project, participants can unlock their creative aspirations to build and develop poverty reduction content-creating objects or materials.  This exercise will provide them with poverty reduction building experiences via objects/materials.

 

 

• • • Creative Economic Development Activity of the Month: Construct and Post e-cards or e-objects

 

One of the activities related to this project for this year will be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects expressing the theme of “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”.  The construction will echo the World Environmental Day’s (11) celebratory theme of today 05/06/2024.

One can as well construct and post the similar cards as expressions or ways of dealing with drought to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (12) on 17/06/2024.  The theme of 2024 Desertification and Drought Day is “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future”.

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience” relating to World Environment Day, and/or the theme of “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future” linked to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

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

 

 

• • • Creative Economic Development Competition of the Month: The Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

The Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development is a one-month’s project of challenge created and run by CENFACS that will enable creators and innovators of the month to showcase their creations and innovations in and for the community; creations and innovations relating to poverty reduction and sustainable development.

As a creator or innovator of poverty reduction and/or sustainable development you can tell and/or share with CENFACS your creation and/or innovation project or experience of creative and/or innovative poverty reduction and/or sustainable development.  Your creation and/or innovation project or experience will be part of this month’s challenge to find the Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.

To tell and/or share your creation and/or innovation project or experience, please contact CENFACS this month.

 

• • Featuring other environmental activities or events outside but closer to CENFACS’ work

 

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

Examples of June world environmental events and days of the month include the following events (we have already mentioned some of them):

 

∝ Croydon Climate Action (13) with ‘Restore Nature Now March’ to be held Saturday 22 June 2024

∝ The United Nations World Environment Day which is being held today 05/06/2024 under the theme of ‘Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience’

∝ The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 to be held on 17/06/2024 under the theme of ‘United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future’.

 

The above notes are for CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month.

To support and or engage with CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and or  the project Jmesci 2024, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/funding/2015/10/10-reasons-to-bring-in-investors.html (accessed in June 2024)

(2) https://www.upcounsel.com/how-to-determine-percentage-pf-ownership-in-a-company# (accessed in June 2024)

(3) https://www.bplans.com/start-a-business/finances/startup-costs/calculate/ (accessed in June 2024)

(4) Wu, J., Si, S. Poverty reduction through entrepreneurship: incentives, social networks, and sustainability. Asian Bus Manage 17, 243-259 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1057/s41291-018-0039-5  (accessed in June 2024) 

(5) https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitsreams/0b55901e-7961-4b87-b31a-4a45a9306bf6/content (accessed in June 2024)

(6) https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/c61.a9a8c-feb4-4199-8cb1-7085c84908c8/content (accessed in June 2024)

(7)  https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx (accessed in May 2023)

(8) https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/design/blog/what-is-the-creative-economy/ (accessed in June 2023)

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

(10) https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/climate-transition-planning# (accessed in June 2024),

(11) https://www.worldenvironmentday.global (accessed in June 2024)

(12) https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024 (accessed in June 2024)

(13) https://www.croydonclimateaction.com/about-5 (accessed in June 2024)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

29 May  2024

 

Post No. 354

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during This Spring Giving Season

• Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects and Activities

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

 

We have a new project for our Matching Organisation-Investor Programme, which is part of CENFACS’ Guidance Programme to not-for-profit impact investors.  The new project is an extension of some of the points we made this Spring 2024 about charity trading in the Issue No. 83 of FACS.  This Issue is titled as Charity Trade, Investment and Poverty Reduction in Africa.

The new project is about matching an African charitable organisation’s project to set up a charity shop and a prospective investor who may be interested in impact investing in charity shops.  The charitable organisation is planning to sell goods by opening up a charity shop as ancillary or non-primary trading outlet to raise money for its good cause while a potential investor is looking to invest in the charity shop.

The matching process will be run for four weeks, between 29 May and 26 June 2024.  To better understand this project, let us re-explain it and its aim.

 

• • What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop?

 

It is a set of four activities designed to arrange the match/fit test between an Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation planning to set up a charity shop and a prospective not-for-profit impact investor.  This project of CENFACS’ Matching Programme will enable the former to find a suitable investor, and the latter to gain an investee in which they can impact invest in.

 

• • The Aim of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

 

The main aim of this project is to reduce poverty through the setting up of a charity shop.

The shop will help raise much-needed funds to help keep the Charitable Organisation’s services and support the local community via the reduction of local poverty.  In this respect, the charity shop will be an opportunity to increase support to fight poverty and hardships amongst the Charitable Organisation’s users and beneficiaries.  All money raised via this shop will help people in crisis and poverty in their community.

Through this project, it is hoped that the Charitable Organisation will meet its dream not-for-profit (n-f-p) impact investor.  It is as well expected that the n-f-p impact investor will find the right organisation to invest in for impact.  Where the two parties experience difficulties  in matching their project proposals, CENFACS will organise the match test for them.

More details about this Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during This Spring Giving Season

 

CENFACS e-Store is opened for your Spring goods donations and goods purchases.

At this time, many household expenditures have been squeezed by the cost of living pressures mostly driven by the hikes in prices of basic life-sustaining needs (e.g., food, transport, housing, council tax, phone, etc.).  This is despite the rumours that inflation is now low (almost around 2.3%) compared to last Spring’s figure (around 8.7%), and the reduction of energy price in the UK.

The impacted of the cost of living pressures need help and support as prices and bills do not match the real disposable incomes of those living in poverty.

Every season or every month is an opportunity to do something against poverty and hardships.  This May too is a good and great month of the year to do it.

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods to CENFACS’ Charity e-Store, the zero waste shop built to help relieve poverty and hardships.

You can as well buy second hand goods and bargain priced new items and much more.

CENFACS’ Charity e-Store needs your support for SHOPPING and GOODS DONATIONS.

You can do something different this Season of Goods Donations by SHOPPING or DONATING GOODS at CENFACS Charity e-Store.

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

√ DONATE unwanted Preloved GOODS, GIFTS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS Zero Waste e-Store this May and this Spring.

√ SHOP at CENFACS Zero Waste e-Store to support noble and beautiful causes of poverty relief this May and this Spring.

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships brought by the cost of living pressures.

This is what the Season of Giving is all about.

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

Many lives have been threatened and destroyed by the cost of living pressures. 

We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by these pressures.

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

 

 

• Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects and Activities

 

Our systemic resilience rebuilding agenda continues with Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects and Activities (SRRPs & SRRAs).  It continues with a new initiative for SRRPs, which is Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households (SRCRP4Hs).  It also carries on with some activities, that is Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities (SRRAs).  Both SRRPs and SRRAs are a follow-up after the Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRP4Hs) we organised last month.  FRP4Hs is just an iceberg of the resilience issues that many households face.

Let us look at SRRPs and SRRAs.

 

 

• • Systemic Resilience Capacity Rebuilding Project for Households (SRCRP4Hs)

 

SRCRP4Hs, which is designed to improve the welfare and wellbeing of our community members, helps to provide early warning systems and identify cost-effective solutions for strengthening the resilience of our members, particularly households, and their system to systemic risks.

Its aim is to provide practical solutions to manage shocks with the potentials for major and prolonged economic disruption, severe human or economic impacts, and contagion.

SRCRP4Hs uses the concept of family resilience.

 

• • • What is family resilience?

 

This concept is used by Froma Walsh (1) who refers to it as

“The capacity of the family, as a functional system, to withstand and rebound from adversity”.

Walsh argues that

“A basic premise in family systems theory is that serious crises and persistent life challenges have an impact on the whole family, and in turn, key family processes mediate adaptation (or maladaptation) for individual members, their relationships, and the family unit”.

Walsh uses ecosystemic and developmental perspectives to explain family resilience. 

Referring to Walsh’s definition of family resilience and resilience oriented family approach (op. cit.), SRCRP4Hs will look at positive adaptation to adversity, instead of negative one.

 

• • • What does SRCRP4Hs consist of?

 

SRCRP4Hs consists of four activities to support households.  These activities stem from ResilientAfrica Network (2) tool to analyse community resilience in Africa.  The resilience framework of ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) is made of the following four elements: context analysis, identifying resilience dimensions and adaptive strategies, designing resilience interventions, and assessing outcomes.

From the above-mentioned elements, we organise ourselves to work with households on resilience matter as follows:

 

From Week Beginning Monday 03/06/2024: Context Analysis of Household Resilience

From Week Beginning Monday 10/06/2024: Identification of Household Resilience Dimensions and Adaptive Strategies

From Week Beginning Monday 17/06/2024: Design of Resilience Interventions for Households

From Week Beginning Monday 24/06/2024: Household Resilience: Outcome and Evaluation.

 

Context Analysis of Household Resilience

 

• • From Week Beginning Monday 03/06/2024: Context Analysis of Household Resilience

 

To kick off the resilience work with households, we will be analysing the context of households’ resilience.

 

• • • The purpose of analysing the context of households’ resilience

 

Using the resilience framework of ResilientAfrica Network (op. cit.), the context of analysis will enable to assess the causes and effects of shocks and stresses, vulnerability factors, and coping strategies.  Our unit to focus on is households making the CENFACS Community.

 

• • • Working with households to analyse the context of their resilience

 

To work with them, we are going to proceed with following:

 

√ Conduct with them a resilience needs assessment

√ Identify contextual issues

√ Determine stresses and stressors

√ Prioritise resilience tasks.

 

The above is the first way of working with households on resilience matter.

For those households that need support regarding their resilience matters and in particular to understand the Context Analysis of their Resilience, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities

 

Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities (SRRAs) are the tasks to be undertaking to help people to be able to recover from setbacks and adapt to challenging circumstances.  These activities could be any of the following four ones:

 

∝ Activities to end the bad past (or bad systems and structures) that led to the current crises (activities to manage endings)

∝ Activities to manage just and sustainable transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

∝ Activities to manage new beginnings

∝ Activities to manage the future.

 

For this week, we have selected the activities highlighted below.  This selection came about what ‘positivepsychology.com’ (3) explains as resilience activities or exercises.  The website ‘positiveppsychology.com’ argues that

“Resilience, which is required to thrive and flourish, is a foundational psychological tool that empowers us to feel effective and capable of handling uncertainty”.

To support community members in their efforts to empower themselves and  to feel effective and capable of handling uncertainty, we suggest them to try the following activities:

 

σ Storytelling Activity as a Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activity

 

Storytelling Activity can be a resilience tool to start our journey of rebuilding resilience within our system for poverty reduction.  Therapeutic writing can help enhance our wellbeing, happiness and resilience.

 

σ All Year Round Projects as Ways of Rebuilding People’s Systemic Resilience

 

CENFACS’ All Year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives can help those in need of resilience to develop their own strengths or resilience through them.  This is despite the fact that these projects/initiatives are designed to help reduce poverty in Africa.

 

σ Volunteering for Good Causes

 

Giving your time for free to deserving causes, like CENFACS’ noble and beautiful ones, can provide to volunteers and/or those benefiting from volunteers’ actions to find way to recover from life setbacks and adapt themselves to challenging situations.

 

σ Performing Acts of Compassion or Positive Influence

 

Being compassionate to others’ misery and/or giving your positive influence to those in need of help to come out of poverty can boost happiness and resilience to others.

 

The above-selected activities can help rebuild resilience in ourselves and or in other people.  They can either help end the bad past (or bad systems and structures) or manage just and sustainable transition (by turning endings to new beginnings) or run new beginnings or even oversee the future.

For those who need support regarding their resilience rebuilding activities, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• End-of-May 2024 Stories: Impact Story

• ReLive Issue No. 16, Spring 2024: Will You Help The Conflict-related Acute Food Insecure in Africa to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives?

• Strategies to Deal with Holiday Budget Restrictions

 

 

• End-of-May 2024 Stories: Impact Story

 

On the last day of the Month of Stories, people and ourselves will ask this: what is the impact your story leaves to us?  In other words, what is the force or effect or even impression your story will leave after telling and sharing it?

 

• • What is the Impact of My Storytelling?

 

One can answer the above question by referring to the impact story model of Laura Meagher and David Edwards (4) who used building blocks to tell their impact story.   According to them, there are five types of impact that could be the legacy of your story; types which are:

1) instrumental 2) conceptual 3) capacity building 4) enduring connectivity 5) culture/attitudes towards knowledge exchange, and research impact itself.

Depending on the type of impact your story will generate, your story could be on the Top Three Stories of the May 2024 Stories Challenge organised by CENFACS.  It is also a way to evaluate your story.

 

• • Evaluating Your Impact Story

 

On the site ‘linkedin.com’ (5), it is stated that

“Storytelling is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, conveying your message, and inspiring action”.

During this month of May, we have tried as much as we could to engage with our audiences, users and supporters through this tool.  Now, it is the time to evaluate the impact of our and your stories.

To measure or evaluate your storytelling impact, the same ‘linkedin.com’ suggests the following steps:

 

σ define your communication goals

σ collect feedback about your communication

σ analyse results or indicators that show how well you have achieved your communication goals.

 

Evaluating Your Impact Story ends our notes on May 2024 Stories.

Those who have not yet donated their stories, we would like to remind them 30 and 31 May 2024 are the last days.  They can submit their stories by the 31st of May 2024.

For those who have donated their stories, CENFACS thanks them for their storying gift.

For those who would like to know more about or to catch up with any of the series of our All in Development Storytelling Programme of this year or month, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• ReLive Issue No. 16, Spring 2024: Will You Help The Conflict-related Acute Food Insecure in Africa to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives?

 

This Spring, we are running 14 Gifts in a world of 20 Reliefs or Helpful Differences.  What does this mean?

It means donors or funders have 14 Gifts of Renewing Lives to choose from and 20 Reliefs to select from to make helpful differences to the food insecure.

In total, our Spring Relief campaign is providing to potential supporters 14 GIFTS of rebuilding lives in the three African Countries (i.e., Central African Republic, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 20 RELIEFS to make this happen.

For this renewal to happen, support is needed towards Life Rebuilding Projects.

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

 

 

• Strategies to Deal with Holiday Budget Restrictions

 

As the summer holiday approaches, some of our community members who have or will have restrictive budgets are or will be asking questions about what they can do.  They should be informed that there are ways or strategies that can be used to manage holiday budget restrictions and bans, particularly when these restrictions come from holiday funders or donors.  These ways or strategies of handling holiday budget restrictions include the following:

 

√ Amending your holiday budget and getting it approved by your holiday sponsor

√ Making your holiday project expenditures not to exceed the budget agreed

√ Offering a choice of designation for a restricted holiday fund to be used to your holiday funder or donor

√ Asking a donor to reconsider their restrictions if and where possible

√ Seeking flexibility to your holiday donor about the allocation funds to your holiday, whether for temporary or permanent restrictions

√ Suggesting alternative use of unused or unspent holidays funds or grants

√ Rejecting holiday donation with restrictions you cannot comply with

√ Bringing your own restrictions direct to holiday donor

Etc.

 

The above-mentioned strategies or techniques show that it is possible to manage restrictions, whether temporary or permanent ones, in the context of holiday restricted budget.  It all depends on they types of restrictions, whether they are tough or soft, the value of the holiday donations, the level of flexibility of donor or funder as well as the flexibility your have in your own holiday budget.

For more details on how to manage vacation budget restrictions, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Façons de gérer les restrictions du budget vacances

Comme les grandes vacances estivales s’approchent, certains membres de notre communauté qui ont ou auront des budgets restrictifs se posent ou poseront des questions sur ce qu’ils peuvent ou pourront faire.  It convient de les informer qu’il existe un certain nombre de moyens ou de stratégies qui peuvent être utilisés pour gérer les restrictions et les interdictions du budget des vacances, en particulier lorsque ces restrictions proviennent de bailleurs de fonds ou de donateurs des vacances.  Ces façons ou stratégies de gestion des restrictions budgétaires pour les vacances sont les suivantes:

√ Modifier votre budget des vacances et le faire approuver par votre parrain (ou marraine) des vacances

√ Faire en sorte que les dépenses de votre projet de vacances ne dépassent pas le budget convenu

√ Offrir un choix de désignation pour un fonds des vacances restreint à utiliser à votre bailleur de fonds ou donateur/rice des vacances

√ Demander à un(e) donateur/rice de reconsidérer ses restrictions si possible

√ Demander à votre donateur/rice de vacances de faire preuve de souplesse quant à l’allocation des fonds pour vos vacances, que ce soit pour des restrictions temporaires ou permanentes

√ Suggérer une autre utilisation des fonds et des subventions de vacances inutilisés ou non dépensés

√ Refuser un don de vacances avec des restrictions que vous ne pouvez pas respecter

√ Apporter vos propres restrictions directement au donateur ou à la donatrice des vacances

Etc.

Les stratégies ou techniques mentionnées ci-dessus montrent qu’il est possible de gérer des restrictions, qu’elles soient temporaires ou permanentes, dans le cadre d’un budget restreint pour les vacances.  Tout dépend de types de restrictions, qu’elles soient strictes ou douces, de la valeur des dons des vacances, du niveau de flexibilité du(de la)  donateur/rice ou du(de la) bailleur/eresse de fonds ainsi que de la flexibilité dont vous disposez dans votre propre budget des vacances.

Pour plus de détails sur les façons de gérer les restrictions du budget de vacances, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

 

The following items explain this activity:

 

σ What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop?

σ The Aim of This Project

σ What Is a Not-for-profit Charity Shop Investor?

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

σ Matching Guidelines

σ Benefits of Matching Organisation and Investors via Charity Shop

σ Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

σ Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

σ 29/05/2024 to 04/06/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor Activity 1

 

Let us highlight each of the above-mentioned items.

 

• • What Is Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop?

 

Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop is part of CENFACS’ Matching Organisation-Investor Programme.  The latter is the process by which organisations (here Africa-based Sister Organisations) are matched against not-for-profit (n-f-p) investors (here charity shop investors).  The programme uses n-f-p investors’ description of their requirements to fit organisations’ needs via a fit test.

Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop is yet another exercise to keep active and engaged Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations (ASCOs) and n-f-p charity shop investors for the last weeks of Spring Season until early Summer Season 2024.  The exercise is meant to keep their respective dreams alive and to awake their potentials to grab any existing opportunities within the n-f-p market.

For those ASCOs and n-f-p charity shop investors willing to realise their Summer dream of winning an investment for the former and a share for the latter, there should not miss this matching opportunity.

 

• • The Aim of This Project

 

The aim of this Spring/Summer 2024 Project is to reduce poverty through the setting up of a charity shop in Africa by ASCOs.

The shop will help raise much-needed funds to help keep the Charitable Organisation’s services and support the local community via the reduction of local poverty.  The shop will be an opportunity to increase support to fight poverty and hardships amongst the Charitable Organisation’s users and beneficiaries.  All money raised via this shop will help people in crisis and poverty in their community.

Reducing poverty through the setting up of a charity shop could mean having the best match or fit between ASCOs’ needs and not-for-profit charity shop investors’ interests.

Where the needs of the ASCOs best meet or match the vested interests of not-for-profit charity shop investors, there could be high probability to reduce poverty amongst the beneficiaries of ASCOs.  The match probability could be high or average or low depending on how much ASCOs’ needs meet investors’ interests.  Although investors’ interest may not be profit for themselves, they want to see the profitability of the business idea of the charity shop and decide whether or not to invest in.

 

• • What Is a Not-for-profit Charity Shop Investor?

 

A Not-for-profit Charity Shop Investor is a person investing in a shop/retail outlet that sells goods and services to raise money for good causes.  The  n-f-p property investor, who is driven by selfless motivations, would invest to reduce poverty.  Although he/she is driven by selfless motivations, he/she would like to see the charity shop is a profitable business so that it can achieve its goal of reducing poverty by raising money for it through trading.

As Muhammad Yunus and Karl Weber (6) put it

“In a social business an investor aims to help others without making any financial gain himself” (p. xvii).

Our n-f-p charity shop investor would like to help ASCOs without making any financial gain him/herself.  But, he/she would like to know if the charity shop will be a profitable enterprise which will raise enough money to meet its goal of reducing poverty.

Like any investor, our n-f-p charity shop investor will consider the following three points:

 

~ understanding the n-f-p investment market

~ ability to find n-f-p investment deals

~ finding resources to make n-f-p investments.

 

He/she will consider them by matching his/her poverty reduction goals with the goals of the organisation that will accept their investment.

 

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

 

The matching happens through the two main components of this project, which are Impact Advice to ASCOs and Guidance to Not-for-profit Charity Shop Investors for Impact.

 

• • • What Is Impact Advice to ASCOs?

 

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

Impact Advice to ASCOs is about

 

√ Working with ASCOs to overcome their project planning problems

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

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

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

Etc.

 

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

 

• • • Guidance to Not-for-profit Charity Shop Investors for Impact

 

This is a service we offer to those n-f-p investors who would like to not-for-profit invest for impact in Africa’s not-for-profit organisations and charitable causes.   To understand this service, one needs to know “What is a Not-for-profit Investment?” (7)

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

However, if it happens that the not-for-profit organisation achieves a profit, this profit will be reinvested in the organisation without distributing it to shareholders as it may happen in for-profit organisations.  The reinvested profit will help the organisation to continue its not-for-profit mission.

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

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

According to ‘evpa.ngo’ (8),

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

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

 

• • Matching Guidelines

 

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

 

• • Benefits of Matching Organisation and Charity Shop Investors throughout This Project

 

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

 

√ Cost-effectiveness as the project reduces the costs for both parties: ASCOs (for instance, the costs of looking for investment) and charity shop investors (e.g., the costs of finding the right organisation in which to invest)

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

√ Creation and sustenance of relationships between organisations and investors

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

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

√ Qualitative feedback about Organisation-charity shop Investor and background knowledge

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

√ Saving time and money for both parties

Etc.

 

• • Outcomes of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop

 

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

 

• • • Outcomes for Not-for-profit Investors

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

• • Plan for 4-week Matching Activities

 

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

To learn to set up a business or engage in a business start-up course, it can take many months even a year, which may include several steps or elements to consider (like business founding team, market research, competition, legal requirement, business structure, promotion, etc.) .  Without undermining the validity of any of the steps that intervene from a business idea to turning this idea into a  running business, we are going to limit ourselves to the following four points to match the above-mentioned two parties:

 

Point 1: The Business Idea Model of ASCO’s Charity Shop

Point 2: Capital Needed to Start a Charity Shop

Point 3: Charity Shop Financial Forecast

Point 4: Charity Shop Business Plan.

 

As argued above, there could be more than four points in any process of setting up a new business (here charity shop).  Because we set up some boundaries by limiting ourselves to deliver this project in four weeks, we choose a four-point model of working with both ASCOs and not-for-profit charity shop investors.

The following is our action plan.

 

Notes to table no. 1:

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

(**) Match points are the four selected areas of charity shop investing that CENFACS can provide advice to ASCOs and guidance to n-f-p investors in order to maximise their chances to reach an agreement.

 

If you want advice, help and support to find not-for-profit charity shop investors; CENFACS can work with you under this 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop, starting from 29 May 2024.

If you need guidance to outsource charitable organisations and causes in Africa; CENFACS can work with you under the same 4-week Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop, starting from 29 May 2024.

These matching activities are a great opportunity for a charitable organisation to realise their Summer dream  of getting an investment they badly need.  They are also a grand aspiration for a not-for-profit charity shop investor to find Summer peace of mind through a suitable organisation in which to invest in Africa.

Need to engage with Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • 29/05/2024 to 04/06/2024: Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop –

Activity 1: Matching Organisation-Investor via the Business Idea Model

 

There are many scenarios in which a investor can invest in an organisation.  In our scenario or model of matching organisation-investor programme, we are trying to bring a n-f-p charity shop investor in an Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisation and/or Cause through the business idea of setting up a charity shop.  We are trying to match ASCOs’ business idea with what the investor’s response to this idea.

In order to match organisation’s business idea with investor’s enquiries and queries about this idea, one needs to understand the meaning of business idea.

 

• • • The meaning of business idea

 

According to ‘definitions.net’ (9),

“A business idea is a concept that can be used for financial gain that is usually centred on a product or service that can be offered for money.  An idea is the base of the pyramid when it comes to the business as a whole”.

This definition can apply to any type of business.  However, ASCOs need to specify their business idea model.

 

• • • ASCOs business idea model

 

The business idea model here is to set up a charity shop where a variety of items will be sold; items such as preloved clothes, books, furniture, wedding dresses, vintage products, ethically sourced gifts, etc.  Most of these items will be donated to the charity shop where shoppers can find local labels as well as international ones.  The charity shop will be an ancillary or non-primary trading outlet to raise money for ASCOs’ good causes.

All money to be raised will help people living in poverty where the charity is based and around the local area.  The charity shop can sell these items in-person and or open an online store where people can go online browse the charity shop’s collection of products.  The charity shop will be located where people could easily do sustainable shopping, find ethical recycled and bargain items.  The shop will be run by local volunteers from the local community.  If the business model of idea is successful, ASCOs can attempt to expand  it to specific locations and specialised shops.

 

• • • N-f-p Investor’s enquiries and queries about ASCOs business idea

 

Our n-f-p charity shop investor is not looking to realise profit for him/herself.  However, he/she wants to see the profitability of the business idea and decide whether or not to invest in ASCO’s charity shop project proposals.

Our n-f-p charity shop investor would like to understand ASCO’s business idea model to familiarise with it.  He/she may want to know ASCO’s entrepreneurial goal and journey they will take, particularly if the charity shop will be implemented in poor area where local people do not possess many items to donate and recycle or do not have money to buy what the charity may offer as discounted products.

As part of enquiries and queries, he/she may question the marketing plan to carry this idea forward, the feasibility study of the project, the worthiness of this idea, potential turnover of a charity shop, its long-term growth and the sustainability or viability of this business model.

ASCOs’ business idea model may provide responses to some of the  n-f-p charity shop investor’s enquiries and queries.  However, if there is mismatch between the two (i.e., between the model and what investor is looking at), there could be a need to organise a match or fit test.

 

 

• • • The Match or Fit Test

 

As part of the match or fit test, n-f-p charity shop investor’s enquiries and queries must be match with ASCOs’ business proposals.  In other words, ASCOs’ explanation of the business idea model must successfully respond to the enquiries and queries that n-f-p charity shop investor may raise about the business idea model. 

The match can be perfect or close in order to reach an agreement.  If there is a huge or glaring difference between the two (i.e., between the questions from the investor and the answers from ASCO), the probability or chance of having an agreement at this first round of negotiations could be null or uncertain.

However, CENFACS can impact advise ASCOs to improve its business idea model.  CENFACS can as well guide n-f-p charity shop investors with impact to work out their expectations (or enquiries and queries) to a format that can be acceptable by potential ASCOs.  CENFACS’ impact advice for ASCOs and guidance on impact investing for n-f-p charity shop investor, which are impartial, will help each of them (i.e., investee and investor) to make informed decisions and to reduce the likelihood of any significant losses or misunderstandings or mismatches.

The rule of the game is the more charity shop investors are attracted by ASCOs’ business idea model the better for ASCOs.  Likewise, the more ASCOs can successfully respond to charitable shop investors’ level of enquiries and queries the better for investors.  In this respect, the matching game needs to be a win-win one to benefit both players (i.e., organisation and investor).

The above is the first activity of the Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop. 

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

For any queries and/or enquiries about this first activity of Matching Organisation-Investor via Charity Shop and/or the programme itself, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Walsh, F. (2021). Family resilience: A dynmic systemic framewok. In M. Ungar (Ed.), Multisystemic resilience: Adaptation and transformation in contexts of change (pp. 255-270). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190095888, 003.0015 (accessed in May 2024)

(2) https://www.ranlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/State-of-African-Resilience-Report.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(3) https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-activities-exercises/ (accessed in May 2024)

(4) https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialscience/2020/09/18/how-to-to-tell-an-impact-story-the-building-blocks-you-need/ (accessed in May 2023)

(5) https://www.linkedin.com/advice/o/how-do-you-measure-impact-storytelling (accessed in May 2023)

(6) Yunus, M. & Weber, K. (2010), Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs, Public Affairs, New York

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

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

(9) https://www.definitions.net/definition/business%20idea (accessed in May 2024)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

22 May  2024

 

Post No. 353

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Basic Trading Skills Development Project

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Building Connections and of Forming Systems (From Wednesday 22/05/2024)

• Conflict- and Natural Disaster-related Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Need Your Influence Now!

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Basic Trading Skills Development Project

 

Basic Trading Skills Development Project (or Trading Skills Project) takes to a practical level some of the information we provided in CENFACS’ Issue No. 83 of FACS this Spring 2024, which is titled Charity Trade, Investment and Poverty Reduction in Africa.  It takes it at the level of people and communities working with our Africa-based Sister Organisations and who would like to engage in trade or to improve the way they are trading in order to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  To understand how it takes at their level, it is better to explain what Trading Skills Project is.

Trading Skills Project is an initiative that will help to reduce poverty by providing new skills to or reskilling or skilling up those who are looking forward to trade to make ends meet or to improve their enterprising model in the African context.

Trading Skills Project is as well a systemic resilience response to some of the issues that prospective poor traders and those poor people who would like to join the world of trading to reduce poverty may face in a case there is a crisis or shock from a trading ecosystem they are part of.

Trading Skills Project will deal with skills that those who would like to engage with trade in order to make ends meet as it will provide them with the skills and algorithm they need to trade confidently and consistently.

As ‘mytradingskills.com’ (1) puts it

“Trading is like any skill, it takes time, effort, and commitment to get good enough at it to deliver the outcomes new traders want”.

Trading Skills Project will help tackling skills gap in trade in Africa by providing beneficiaries with critical skills to scale up trade to deliver poverty reduction on a large scale.

Briefly speaking, Trading Skills Project will be achieved through the development of trade capacity and capability building to trade and reduce poverty.  As it stands, the project is not only about developing trade skills, but also reducing poverty through the skills acquired or at least putting project beneficiaries in the right direction to reduce poverty.

More details about Trading Skills Project can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Building Connections and of Forming Systems (From Wednesday 22/05/2024)

 

The last series of our two-story programme is on Stories of Building Connections and of Forming Systems.  What are these stories?  Let us explain each of these sets of stories.

 

• • Stories of Building Connections

 

Giving these stories is more than just listing them.  It is about understanding connection and knowing the goal in building connections.

 

• • • Understanding Connection and the Goal in Building Connections

 

Connecting is about learning to develop better relationships with others.  According to ‘betterup.com’ (2),

“Connecting is about more than socializing – it is a transferable skill that can help you grow professionally and personally”.

The same ‘betterup.com’ provides 10 tips to help you build and strengthen connections with people.

However, connections cannot happen without goal.  The goal in building connections is, according to ‘berkeleywellbeing.com’ (3),

“To find the people that make us feel really good about ourselves, less lonely, and well-supported”.

So, understanding connections and the goal in building connections can lead to Stories of Building Connections.  What are these stories?

 

• • • What are Stories of Building Connections?

 

Stories of Building Connections are the tellings of building genuine connections to reset systems – our poverty reduction system. 

By referring to the argument of ‘berkeleywellbeing.com’ (op. cit.), Stories of Building Connections are those of

 

√ building personal connections

√ making family connections

√ forming other healthy connections

√ interpersonal communications

√ activities to build connections

√ constituting your networks

√ creating meaningful relationships

etc.

 

By drawing from the 10 tips provided by ‘betterup.com’ (op. cit.), Stories of Building Connections are those of

 

1) being your authentic self

2) respecting people’s boundaries

3) staying focused

4) moving past the surface level

5) sharing the conversation

6) being genuine with your admiration

7) being a good listener

8) scheduling your time

9) maintaining eye contact

10) offering a smile.

 

If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Building Connections, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Stories of Forming Systems

 

Perhaps, the better way of understanding these stories is to know what a system is.

 

• • • What is a system?

 

The website ‘madlymused.com’ (4) states that

“A system is a series of steps that you go through the same way every time you do a task.  This standardized process help you reach the same result every time.  It ensures quality and efficiency”.

The same ‘madlymused.com’ explains that

“Systems can be complex processes you use in your business, or they can be simple routines that you use in your daily life.  We develop many of the systems we already have in our lives so naturally that we don’t even notice them”.

Systems can be created.  At the beginning of our two-story series (i.e., System Reset and Change Stories), we argued that systems can be reset.  However, if a system is no longer fit for resetting purposes, it can be changed.  If the system is failing the people it is supposed to serve and is no longer fit for resetting purpose, then change may be required.  In other words, one can create or form a new system to replace the broken or unfit one.

As part of system change, CENFACS has been advocated for years for a New International System for Poverty Reduction (or World Anti-poverty System) to modernise the old institutions of Bretton Woods.  Taking the same line of reasoning, Africa asked for systemic financial reforms to the global financial architecture.  CENFACS‘ advocacy and Africa’s ask are the demand to form new systems.  In CENFACS‘ case, it is about a new system to serve the poor and bridge the gap in the institutions of Bretton Woods.  In the case of Africa, it is about expressing the argument for systemic reforms to a global financial architecture that is not fit for the need of the poor.

Knowing what systems are and making a demand for a new system provide stories to tell and share.

 

• • • What are Stories of Forming Systems?

 

Stories of Forming Systems are the reports of forming a new system.  They are also those of creating systems.  If you refer to simple 4-step model of creating systems as provided by ‘madlymused.com’ (op. cit.),  Stories of Forming Systems are those of

 

√ making a list of tasks needed to create a new system

√ writing down the steps required to complete those tasks

√ writing on a detailed description of each step

√ incorporating checks and balances into the systems to add accountability.

 

Briefly speaking, Stories of Forming Systems are those of creating a set of interconnected parts to form a complex whole.

If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Forming Systems, please contact CENFACS.

Let us conclude these All in Development Stories Telling Series of May 2024 by saying that stories can motive others on the road of reducing or ending poverty.  And System Reset and Change Stories do not escape from this attribute about what stories can do to their listeners.  In other words, your pieces of System Reset and Change Stories can motivate others to improve their lives.  If you have these stories, please do not hesitate to tell and share them.

 

 

• Conflict- and Natural Disaster-related Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Need Your Influence Now!

 

Conflicts and natural disasters continue to displace peoples and communities in Africa.  According to this month’s report by the ‘api.internal-displacement.org’ (5), African countries with the most internal displacement in terms of conflict (and violence) and disasters during 2023 were the ones mentioned on the following table:

 

As table 1 shows, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded the second-highest figure in terms of displacement triggered by conflict and violence.  According the same ‘api.internal-displacement.org’ disasters also triggered six million displacements across Africa.

Yet, it is possible to reduce the rise in displacements, the causes of both new and older wars and drawn-out conflicts.  It is feasible to help the internally displaced persons in Africa (IDPA) to start returning home.  It is not impossible to prevent new crises of this kind to happen.  It is even probable to strengthen resilience capacity building of peoples and communities in Africa by promoting durable solutions to displacement.

 

• • The Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Need Your Positive Influence

 

Because of these possibilities and probabilities, the Internally Displaced Persons need your positive influence to act on the forces that are leading to human displacement in Africa.  You can use your influence on those who hold the key to conflicts in Africa.  You can as well put your influence on the man-made factors that contribute to natural events like droughts, storms, earthquakes, wildfires and other geophysical events.  These events continue to cause displacement in Africa.

Because of the impacts of these events, the IDPA who are bearing the brunt of this crises or events need your Positive Influence to end their suffering.  Your Positive Influence can deliver meaningful tangible and life-saving outcomes than what you may not think.

 

• • What Your Positive Influence Can Achieve for them

 

Your Positive Influence can help

 

√ To support the Humanitarian Response Plan for IDPA 

√ To stop violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law

√ To encourage the return of displaced persons

√ To end gender-based violence (e.g. violence against young girls) amongst IDPA 

√ To enhance the implementation of life-saving responses

√ Briefly, to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable IDPA.

 

• • Who Your Positive Influence Will Benefit

 

The beneficiaries of your Positive Influence or Influencing Donation will be

 

√ Those who are bearing the brunt of this continuing conflicts and natural disasters

√ Those who are experiencing the life-threatening effects of violence and insecurity

√ Those who are without or with limited access to basic services such as water, sanitation and hygiene

√ Those who are the victims of gender-violence such as young girls

√ Those who are suffering from increased vulnerability and eroded livelihoods

√ In brief, the IDPA because of conflicts and natural disasters that threatened their lives.

 

You can donate your Positive Influence to reduce poverty in Africa where displacements are happening because conflicts and natural disasters.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the life-threatening effects from the continuing displacement crisis that the African countries are suffering from and make these influential persons reduce or end these damaging effects on them.

You can as well influence the things or factors that play in the continuity of this displacement crisis in order to create lasting favourable conditions for a return to life normality.

Please also let CENFACS know about your influencing work or contribution  you are or will be making and its outcomes on behalf of the people of Africa.

To let us know, you can contact CENFACS as follows:

 

*over phone

*via email

*through text

*by filling the contact form on this site. 

 

On receipt of the outcome of your influencing donation, CENFACS will contact you for record and thank you for any influencing donation made.  However, should you wish your influencing support to remain anonymous; we will respect your wish.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give your Positive Influence to alleviate the suffering that the IDPA are facing from the continuing displacement crisis.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of System Reset and Change

• Activity 4 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Art and Design about Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms (From Week Beginning Monday 27/05/2024)

•  Fundraising and Journaling Your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during This Event Season

 

 

• Volunteers’ Stories of Actions across All Fronts of System Reset and Change

 

These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need in four ways of resetting the system to

 

a) Change their mindset

b) Create new metrics

c) Design new incentives

d) Build a genuine connection.

 

They could also be actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of the four strategies or tips for changing a system, which are

 

a) seeing the whole system rather just its parts

b) looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots

c) understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems

d) forming a new system (e.g., a new system of poverty reduction).

 

Both system reset and system change stories from volunteers respond to our model of two-story sequences. 

To tell, share and provide opportunity for learning development through your story of volunteers’ actions across all the fronts of system reset and change; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity 4 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Art and Design about Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms (From Week Beginning Monday 27/05/2024)

 

Like the previous activities, Activity 4 falls under the scope of target 19 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (6) adopted at the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.  Before highlighting it, let us explain benefit-sharing mechanisms.

 

• • What Are Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms?

 

According to ‘cifor-icraf.org’ (7),

“Benefit-sharing mechanisms are a broad term that encompasses all institutional means, structures and instruments for distributing finance and other benefits from REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries)”.

The website ‘cbd.int’ (8) goes further  by explaining that

“Access and benefit-sharing refer to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and how the benefits that result from their use are shared between the people or countries using the resources (users) and the people or countries that provide them (providers)”.

Knowing what benefit-sharing mechanisms mean, we can now state the aim of this activity.

 

• • Aim of Activity 4

 

This activity aims at the creation of works of beauty and making drawing/model showing how the sharing of benefits derived from biodiversity conservation can be beneficial for indigenous and other local peoples.

Because it is about creating the works of beauty and making drawings/models, let us speak about benefit-sharing images.

 

 

• • Images of Art and Design about Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms

 

Participants to Activity 4 will look at and share the images of benefit-sharing mechanisms, as well as discuss how these shared images can help in understanding biodiversity conservation and nature issues.  They will draw their own images, compare them and choose the best ones responding to the benefit-sharing theme.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 4, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

To conclude the fourth series of Nature Projects, let us repeat ourselves by saying that to implement biodiversity strategy and action plans, it requires financial resources.  The notes produced for the four activities give some clues and tips on how having a financial dimension inside biodiversity can be useful to protect it.  

The next series (fifth series) of our work on Nature Projects will be announced in due course.  In meantime,  for those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

•  Fundraising and Journaling Your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during This Event Season

 

Let us start with fundraising aspect of your Run Project, then writing aspect of it – its journal.

 

• • Introducing a Giving Feature in the Run Activity

 

For those who are running events in the context of Triple Value Initiative of ‘Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2024’, they can use the opportunity of the event season to introduce a giving feature in their Run activity.  They can ask those who are involved in the run with them to support good causes, including CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful ones.  This ask for support concerns both in-person and virtual runs.

 

 

• • • Keeping Run Activity Cost-effective with a Fundraising Feature

 

They can make their Run activity cost-effective with a fundraising feature while running with or without others.  Once the fundraising element has been inserted, it is wise to evaluate their fundraising drive.  To evaluate it, they can proceed with the evaluation steps suggested by ‘classy.org’ (9), steps which include analysis of fundraising data, tracking of numbers and performance, staying focused on the mission of their Run project, evaluation of fundraising results and to be forward thinking.

However, they must remember that the aim of the CENFACS’ Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa is to select or find the African best runner of poverty reduction in 2024, rather than raising money.

 

• • • Having Problems in Installing or Inserting a Fundraising Feature

 

For those who may be having or are experiencing some problems in installing or inserting a fundraising feature in their runs, there are resources both online and in print on how to organise a fundraising event for a Run Project.  Amongst the resources is the one provided by ‘donorbox.org’  (10).  It is worthwhile looking at this resource as it provides eight steps to realise your fundraising event.

For those who would like to involve or talk to CENFACS about their Run Project, they can speak to CENFACS.

 

 

• • Journaling the Run Project

 

They can as well journal and develop a story about their Run activity.   They can share the contents of their journal and story of run with us and others.

Journaling their Run Project can have benefits.  To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.

 

• • • Benefits of Journaling your Run Project

 

The journal will help you to capture the moments of your Run Project via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring their progress on Run Project, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of your Run Project.  They can even show their style and express their feeling or character through their writing.  Another good thing of journaling their Run Project is that it makes things easy when it comes to report to CENFACS and others before the deadline of 23 December 2024.

 

• • • Journaling the Goal of Run Project

 

The goal is basically to explore and enrich one’s Run Project through creative writing.  This goal does not stop users of Run Project to have their own journaling goal.  Besides their journaling goal, they need to add what their journal can help achieve.

 

• • • What one’s Journal of Run Project can achieve

 

It can achieve many things including the following:

 

∝ Solve problems encountered in the cycle of your Run Project

∝ Enhance one’s health and wellness via Run Project

∝ Improve Run Project outcomes.

 

For those who are undertaking a Run Project and would like to write a journal about their activity, they can do it.  There are many online and print resources available on the matter.  Please select resources that are concise and have some links with your Run Project.

For those who would like to approach CENFACS for help and support to write a Journal of Run Project or to select appropriate resources, they are welcome to do so.

To discuss your progress regarding your Run Project, the fundraising feature and Journal of your Run Project or any other issues relating to All Year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Les personnes déplacées intérieurement par les conflits et les catastrophes naturelles en Afrique ont besoin de votre influence maintenant!

Les conflits et les catastrophes naturelles continuent de mettre en évidence les peuples et les communautés en Afrique.  Selon le rapport de ce mois-ci du ‘api.internal-displacement.org’ (5), les pays africains ayant enregistré le plus de déplacements internes en termes de conflits (et de violence) et de catastrophes en 2023 étaient les suivants: le Soudan, la République Démocratique du Congo, la Somalie, l’Éthiopie et le Burkina Faso.

Ces pays ont respectivement enregistré les chiffres suivants en termes de personnes déplacées par un conflit et de personnes déplacées par des catastrophes naturelles:

~ le Soudan: 6 039 000 et 58 000

~ la République Démocratique du Congo: 3 772 000 et 133 000

~ la Somalie: 673 000 et 2 043 000

~ l’Éthiopie: 794 000 et 618 000

~ le Burkina Faso: 707 000 et 24 000.

Comme les chiffres ci-dessus l’indiquent, le Soudan et la République Démocratique du Congo ont enregistré le deuxième chiffre le plus élevé en termes de déplacements déclenchés par les conflits et la violence.  Selon le même «api.internal-displacement.org», les catastrophes ont également déclenché six millions de déplacements à travers l’Afrique.  La Somalie ayant le chiffre le plus élevé en termes de déplacements engendrés par les catastrophes naturelles.

Pourtant, il est possible de réduire l’augmentation des déplacements, les causes des guerres nouvelles et anciennes et des conflits prolongés.  Il est aussi possible d’aider les personnes déplacées en Afrique (PDA) à commencer à rentrer chez elles.  Il n’est pas impossible d’empêcher que de nouvelles crises de ce genre ne se produisent.  Il est même probable de renforcer la résilience des peuples et des communautés en Afrique en promouvant des solutions durables au déplacement.

• • Les personnes déplacées en Afrique ont besoin de votre influence positive

En raison de ces possibilités et probabilités, les personnes déplacées à l’intérieur de leur propre pays ont besoin de votre influence positive pour agir sur les forces qui conduisent au déplacement humain en Afrique.

Vous pouvez user de votre influence sur ceux ou celles qui détiennent la clé des conflits en Afrique. 

Vous pouvez également exercer votre influence sur les facteurs d’origine humaine qui contribuent aux événements naturels tels que les sécheresses, les tempêtes, les tremblements de terre, les incendies de forêt et autres événements géophysiques.  Ces événements continuent de provoquer des déplacements en Afrique.

En raison des impacts de ces événements, les PDA qui portent le poids de ces crises ou événements ont besoin de votre influence positive pour mettre fin à leurs souffrances.

• • Ce que votre influence positive peut leur apporter

Votre influence positive peut aider à

√ Soutenir le plan de réponse humanitaire pour les PDA

√ Mettre fin aux violations et aux atteintes aux droits de l’homme et au droit international humanitaire

√ Encourager le retour des personnes déplacées

√ Mettre fin à la violence sexiste (par exemple, la violence à l’égard des jeunes filles) parmi les PDA

√ Améliorer la mise en œuvre des interventions qui sauvent des vies

√ Brièvement, alléger les souffrances des PDA vulnérables.

• • À qui votre influence positive profitera-t-elle?

Les bénéficiaires de votre Influence Positive ou de votre Don d’Influence seront

√ Ceux ou celles qui portent le poids de ces conflits et catastrophes naturelles qui se poursuivent

√ Les personnes qui subissent les effets mortels de la violence et de l’insécurité

√ Ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas ou ont un accès limité aux services de base tels que l’eau, l’assainissement et l’hygiène

√ Les personnes victimes de violence sexiste telles que les jeunes filles

√ Ceux ou celles qui souffrent d’une vulnérabilité accrue et d’une érosion des moyens de subsistance

√ En bref, les PDA en raison de l’insécurité et des menaces qui pèsent sur leur vie.

Vous pouvez faire don de votre influence positive pour réduire la pauvreté en Afrique où les déplacements se produisent à cause des conflits et des catastrophes naturelles.

Pour faire un don, veuillez contacter des personnes influentes (ou celles qui ont les clés) pour réduire ou résoudre les effets mortels de la crise de déplacement continue dont souffrent les pays africains et faire en sorte que ces personnes influentes réduisent ou mettent fin à ces effets néfastes sur elles.

Vous pouvez également influencer les choses ou les facteurs qui jouent dans la continuité de cette crise de déplacement afin de créer durablement des conditions favorables à un retour à la vie normale.

Veuillez également informer le CENFACS de votre travail d’influence ou de votre contribution que vous apportez ou apporterez et de ses résultats au nom du peuple Africain.

Pour nous le faire savoir, vous pouvez contacter le CENFACS comme suit:

*par téléphone

*par e-mail

*par texte

*en remplissant le formulaire de contact sur ce site.

Dès réception du résultat de votre don d’influence, le CENFACS vous contactera pour enregistrement et vous remerciera pour tout don d’influence effectué.  Cependant, si vous souhaitez que votre soutien d’influence reste anonyme; nous respecterons votre souhait.

Merci d’avance pour votre volonté d’exercer votre influence positive afin d’alléger les souffrances auxquelles les PDA sont confrontés en raison de la crise continue des déplacements.

 

Main Development

 

• Basic Trading Skills Development Project (or Trading Skills Project)

 

The following items provide the key information about Trading Skills Project:

 

σ Definition of Trading Skills Project

σ The Aim of Trading Skills Project

σ Potential Beneficiaries of Trading Skills Project

σ Types of Trading Skills to Be Developed

σ Planned Outcomes 

σ Indicators for Measuring Trading Skills Project

σ Funding Status of Trading Skills Project

σ Impact Monitoring and Evaluation.

 

Let us summarise each of these items.

 

• • Definition of Trading Skills Project

 

Trading Skills Project is an initiative that will help to reduce poverty by providing new skills or reskilling or skilling up those who are looking forward to trade to make ends meet or to improve their enterprising model in the African context.

Trading Skills Project is a model of working together with local people and/or their representatives in order to reach out to those who are uneducated or less educated, uninformed or less informed and lacking skills as far as trading is concerned.

Trading Skills Project will identify life-changing steps that its beneficiaries will go through.  Through training and skills development to be provided from this micro-project, it is hoped that beneficiaries will improve their trading skills, knowledge and wellbeing.  They will also enhance their means of living and enterprise so that they can increase the way they contribute in their community or society.

 

• • The Aim of Trading Skills Project

 

Trading Skills Project aims at reducing poverty and hardships in Africa, poverty due to the lack of basic skills to confidently and consistently trade.  This reduction of poverty as the lack of essential trading skills will be done through training, education and basic supply of trading technologies and tools to potential project beneficiaries.

 

• • Potential Beneficiaries of Trading Skills Project

 

Amongst the types of people in need who could benefit from Trading Skills Project as defined above are:

 

√ those looking to enter the field of trading or expand their skillset

√ those who would like to feed their families through trade

√ those wanting to make ends meet or reduce poverty via trading

√ those seeking trading skills to reduce poverty

√ those who see trading as a potential way of reducing conflicts that adversely affect poor people

√ project beneficiaries engaged or planning to trade

√ those looking for a formal technical and vocational education and training in trading skills development

etc.

 

• • Types of Trading Skills to Be Developed

 

Basic training and education in the field of trade can enhance beneficiaries’ interpersonal skills.  There are several ways or skills through which one can become a professional trader in their field.

Amongst the skills are those listed by ‘cleartax.in’ (11), which Trading Skills Project will provide.  These skills are

 

a) research and analytical skills

b) concentration skills

c) self-control skills

d) error-free record-keeping skills.

 

To the above-mentioned skills, we can add the 8 skills required for trading given by ‘blog.bettertrader.co’ (12), which are:

 

1) minimally understanding some basic maths

2) fundamental and financial analyst skills

3) focus

4) research

5) record keeping

6) adaptability

7) mental toughness

8) independence.

 

However, the same ‘blog.cleartax.in’ explains that

“The ability to learn these attributes and skills attests to the fact that successful trading is in your hands and is not determined by your genes”.

Through the learning of the above-mentioned skills, we hope to identify changes that project beneficiaries will go through.

 

• • Planned Outcomes 

 

After the implementation of Trading Skills Project, it is expected that there will be changes and effects.  These changes and effects will be directly linked project users and others relating to their community.

 

• • • Outcomes in project users

 

After using the Trading Skills Project, users will:

 

√ feel more secure and stable in earnings some income to make ends meet

√ have the potential for entrepreneurship

√ develop the strengths for wealth creation opportunity

√ be able to reduce poverty and hardship as a lack of trading skills

√ have the opportunity to learn transferable skills to adapt to and embrace new opportunities

√ improve their ability to perform trading tasks

√ ameliorate their participation to trade negotiations

√ increase their ability to deal with questions linked to trading matter

√  be in a position to diversify their trading model

√  enhance their trading capacity and capability

√ refine their trading skills if they are women

etc.

 

Briefly, users will have a better opportunity to run their trading lives and improve their personal/family wellbeing.

 

• • • Outcomes in the community

 

The results for the community they belong to could be as follows:

 

√ making tangible impact on the community

√ contributing to the overall wellbeing of the community

√ supporting the community

√ building a better world for future generations.

 

• • Indicators for Measuring Trading Skills Project

 

The measures below will help find out whether or not the project will reach its desired objectives and progress towards meeting its defined aim:

 

√ the number of poor people who will embrace trade to reduce poverty

√ the number of poor people who will be educated and informed in trading matters as well as becoming competent in handling trading matters and technologies 

√ the number of people who become less vulnerable to poverty as a lack of trading skills after having trading capacity building support

√ the performance and the confidence amongst project beneficiaries in handling trading matters or issues

√ the number of surveyed poor people who are happy (optimistic) or unhappy (pessimistic) to the support provided or offered to them via Trading Skills Project

etc.

 

To conclude, Trading Skills Project is an initiative that will help to reduce poverty by providing new skills or reskilling or skilling up those who are looking forward to trade to make ends meet or to improve their enterprising model in the African context.

The skills, knowledge and capacities to be acquired will help the project beneficiaries to understand the world of trading, make informed choices regarding their own trading wellbeing and improve trading risk management insights for themselves.

 

• • Funding Status of Trading Skills Project

 

So far, this project is unfunded.  This means we are open to any credible funding proposals or proposition from potential funders or donors.  Those who would like to support this project will be more than welcome.

To fully or partly fund this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

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

Likewise, we shall assess what the project will achieve in relation to the overall objectives it was set up.  This is to say that both outcome and impact evaluation will be conducted regarding the efforts spent on this project to find out whether or not these efforts are value for relief as far as poverty reduction is concerned.

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

The full project proposals including budget are available on request.

To support or contribute to this project, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including full project proposals and budget about the Trading Skills Project; please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://mytradingskills.com/about (accessed in May 2024)

(2) https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-connect-with-people (accessed in May 2024)

(3) https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/building-connections.html (accessed in May 2024),

(4) madlymused.com/creating-systems/ (accessed in May 2024)

(5) https://api.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/IDMC-GRID-2024-Global-Report-on-International-Displacement.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(6) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-press-release-final-19dec2022 (Accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.cifor-icraf.org/publications/pdf_files/factsheet/4258-factssheet.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(8) https://www.cbd.int/abs/infokit/brochure-en.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(9) https://www.classy.org/blog/properly-evaluate-fundraising-campaign/# (accessed in May 2023)

(10) https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/organize-a-charity-run (accessed in May 2023)

(11) https://cleartax.in/glossary/trading-skills-essentials/ (accessed in May 2024)

(12) https://blog.bettertrader.co/2021/04/21/what-are-the-8-skills-required-for-trading (accessed in May 2024)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going This Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

15 May  2024

 

Post No. 352

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2024

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Designing Incentives and Understanding Interconnections (From Wednesday 15/05/2024)

• Activity 3 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Workshop on Biodiversity Offsets and Credits (From Week Beginning Monday 20/05/2024)

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2024

 

CENFACS does not only work in bringing and lighting a Blaze of Hope for the victims of destructive wars, natural disasters and other major crises (like the coronavirus shock or the cost-of-living crisis).  CENFACS takes the process of working with these victims further in helping them  to overcome underlying poverty and hardships induced by these events as well as supporting them to build their future.

CENFACS works with them and or their representative organisations to alleviate poverty and hardships as the lack of hopes and expectations.  In the process of relieving poverty as the lack of hopes and expectations, the next step or phase of our advocacy is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives.  We call it Rebuilding Africa.

 

• • The Focus for This Year’s Rebuilding Africa

 

This year, our Rebuilding Africa advocacy will focus on Building Systemic Resilience with Communities and Africa-based Organisations.  There are many ways of approaching systemic resilience, depending on systems theory one my use.

 

• • • Approaches to Systemic Resilience

 

There are various approaches to systemic resilience, but we are going to limit ourselves to the following ones.

Resilience will be viewed in the perspective of Ann Masten, quoted by ‘Justiceinspectorate.gov.uk’ (1).  Masten defines resilience as

“The capacity of dynamic system to adapt successfully to disturbances that threaten system function, viability, or development.  The concept can be applied to systems of many kinds at many interacting levels, both living and non-living, such as a micro-organism, a child. a family, a security/system, an economy, a forest, or the global climate”.

The same Ann Masten comments in her book Ordinary Magic Resilience in Development in 2014 that

“There is growing recognition that resilience in children is interconnected with the resilience of families, communities, governments, economies and ideologies”.

Systemic resilience will also be approached in terms of economics.  Hynes et al. (2) provide the economics perspective of systemic resilience.  They explain that systemic resilience can be achieved by design and intervention.  Endogenous reorganisation in the economy is an example of systemic resilience, while systemic resilience by intervention is characterised by exogenous measures such as bailouts, stockpiles and building buffers.

Their resilience analysis with incorporation into economic systems can explain how Africa transfers resources between entities to protect itself from exogenous shocks and how Africa evolves and modifies itself over time in terms of self-organisation.  As part of the need of Africa to organise itself, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General (3) makes remarks that

“We need systemic reforms to a global financial architecture that today is not fit for purpose -and that remains too short-term oriented, crisis-prone, and fundamentally-skewed towards the interests of the rich”.

So, building resilience to climate shocks, taking systemic approach to reduce credit risk in the market, addressing systemic imbalances to improve representation in decision making process of the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights, carrying systemic financial reforms to a global financial architecture, dealing with systemic challenges, building environmental resilience, etc. are all part of building systemic resilience in Africa.  However, what we are concerned with is building systemic resilience with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations.

 

• • • Building systemic resilience with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations

 

Building systemic resilience with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations will be about building systemic approach to or adapting our system of poverty reduction with both of them to any potential disturbances that may threaten this system.

Let us further explain the two processes of building systemic resilience.

 

• • • • Building Systemic Resilience with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

This first process of building systemic resilience will be based on the broad sense of systemic resilience.  Resilience is perceived in the terms of Chris Park (4) as

“The rate at which a system regains structure and function following a stress or perturbation” (p. 380)

The same Chris Park explains systemic as

“Affecting or spread through the whole body (for example a plant or animal, not localised” (p. 443)

Building Systemic Resilience with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) will be about working with communities and ASOs to regain structure and function of their entire body following a stress or perturbation.

 

• • • • Building Resilience of Our System of Poverty Reduction with Communities and ASOs

 

The second process of building systemic resilience will specifically deal with the resilience of our system of poverty reduction.

Our system of poverty reduction is simply the collection of components that work together to perform function or produce poverty reduction.  Poverty reduction is conceptualised as any effort deployed or action taken to cut down the state of not having or having little financial and material possessions.  Our current Financial Resilience Programme for Households is an example of how we are trying to build and track resilience of our system of poverty reduction with the community.

In both building systemic resilience processes, we are going to use the three parts of systemic resilience as suggested by ‘practiceplan.co.uk’ (5).  These parts are:

1) The responsibility of everyone in building resilience

2) The insurance that our interactions with others do not make life harder for them

3) Our contribution to other people’s resilience.

 

• • Where Rebuilding Africa Can Take Place

 

Rebuilding Africa can take place in any place in Africa that needs to be rebuilt or built forward.  CENFACS‘ ASOs can be part of this rebuilding process.

There are ways in which ASOs can play their role in the rebuilding process as highlighted in the following examples.

Where countries are expecting that elections and strengthening of democratic transition will improve poverty reduction outcomes and impacts, ASOs can play a supportive role in making the voice of the poor to be heard.

Where countries came out of destructive natural disasters, ASOs can lend their hands to reduce poverty caused by climate-driven humanitarian crises and help the victims of natural disasters to rebuild their lives.

Where countries are undergoing peace transition after destructive wars, ASOs can assist in the making of this transition process just and sustainable.

Where countries are searching for way to remake themselves from the hunger brought by the cost-of-living crisis, ASOs can participate in this remaking hunger-free process.

The above examples indicate where rebuilding Africa can take place as well as ways in which ASOs can play their bit in the rebuilding process of Africa.

So, there are many places where rebuilding work is needed and where our ASOs can be part of this rebuilding work.

Further details about this advocacy work on Rebuilding Africa can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Designing Incentives and Understanding Interconnections (From Wednesday 15/05/2024)

 

Our two-story series reaches Serial 3.  In this third serial, we are dealing with Stories of Designing Incentives and Understanding Interconnections.

Let us highlight each of these stories.

 

• • Stories of Designing Incentives

 

To understand these stories, one may need to know what incentives and incentive design are.

 

• • • What are incentives and incentive design?

 

The website ‘sahilbloom.com’ (6) explains that

“Incentives are anything that motivates, inspires, or drives an individual to act in a specific manner.  They come in two forms: intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external)”.

As to incentive design, it is defined by M. Gunkel (7) as

“A careful process of crafting a system that connects performance measurement with performance rewards, with the goal of motivating employees to perform according to the expectations of the organisation…Incentive design is a means of aligning the interests of an organisation’s employees and owners”.

Although Gunkel speaks about employees and owners, incentive design can happen outside employee-owner or employee-employer relationship.  It can happen in the context of families, households, communities, community groups, charities, etc.

If you are one of CENFACS Africa-based Sister Organisations, you may be aware of what to do when designing new incentives within your system in order for example rewarding those who produce or deliver poverty reduction outcomes.

If you are an individual or a family or a household making the CENFACS Community, you should also know that when you design incentive for others (like your family or household members) it is better to make sure that they are fairly rewarded in your system.

New incentives and incentive design can provide stories to tell.

 

• • • Stories of Designing Incentives

 

The histories of designing new incentives can be found everywhere there is any an effective incentive design plan.

For example, ‘cogentanalytics.com’ (8) provides ten keys to developing and implementing a successful incentive programme.  From its ten recipes, one can extract the following types of Stories of Designing Incentives, which are those of:

 

1) designing solid metrics system that provides reliable quality and productivity data

2) basing the incentive on achieving specific cost goals

3) rewarding superstars or heroes and those who are improving

4) combining individual and workgroup incentives

5) frequency of incentive distribution

6) making incentive accessible

7) clarifying key performance requirements

8) explaining the formula determining access to incentive

9) seeking inputs in incentive plan

10) communicating incentive plan beforehand.

 

Briefly speaking, Stories of Designing Incentives are those of designing an effective incentive plan, of difficulty of incentive design, of implementing incentive system and of inherent problems with designing incentive systems.  They are the narratives of measure or metrics which will enable to judge people, of target or level of the measure at which a reward or punishment will be initiated.  They can also be the tales of cash incentives to save lives like in humanitarian relief mission, or financial incentives that can lead to long-term behavioural change and decisions (e.g., healthier decisions).

If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Designing Incentives, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Stories of Understanding Interconnections

 

To tell these stories, it is better to know interconnection.

 

• • • What is interconnection?

 

Interconnection is “The fact or state of being connected or linked with one another”, according to ‘dictionary.com’ (9).

Whether it is about physical or virtual interconnection or interconnectedness, there are benefits for those connected to the system.  One can think of how we are all interconnected through globalisation. 

Speaking about the benefits of interconnection, ‘blog.consoleconnect.com’ (10) explains the following:

“The interconnection allows businesses to optimise the sharing of data and resources from multiple sources, including processing power, storage, and data archives”.

These benefits can be applied to other types of organisations like charities, community groups, voluntary organisations, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations.  Individuals, families and households can as well benefit.

Being interconnected provides stories to share.  What are those stories to tell?

 

• • • Stories of Understanding Interconnections

 

They are the anecdotes of understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems.  They are the stories of ‘holding things together’ and seeing connections.  Interconnected issues (like poly-crises) pose problems to our system of poverty reduction.  We need to able to see connections and hold things together.

The Stories of Understanding Interconnections are in fact those of

 

√ changing relations within and between human communities

√ changing relations with ecological and climatic conditions

√ shifts in technology-human connections

√ understanding risk mechanisms within a system and between systems

√ opportunity within a system (opportunity for cooperative solutions when we are working together) and between systems

etc.

 

For example, one may try to understand our financial or economic interconnection within our financial system and between real economy and financial economy.  Without necessarily taking a Marxist line, one can use constructivist view to understand why and how capital or properties or wealth move from one hand to the other or between the same people not the poor.  Likewise, one can try to understand how the systemic forces of poverty reduction work.

To sum up, the Stories of Understanding Interconnections are those of ‘holding things together’ and seeing/recognizing connections.

If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Understanding Interconnections, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity 3 of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: e-Workshop on Biodiversity Offsets and Credits (From Week Beginning Monday 20/05/2024)

 

Our work on scaling finance for nature and biodiversity will continue as we will be holding e-workshop on Biodiversity Offsets and Credits.  To participate to this workshop, it could be better to carry out some preliminary research about the concepts of biodiversity offsets and credits.  It means trying to understand what they mean.

 

• • Meaning of Biodiversity Offsets and Credits

 

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (11) explains that

“Biodiversity offsets are measurable conservation outcomes that result from actions designed to compensate for significant, residual biodiversity loss from development projects.  Biodiversity offsets are economic instruments and are based on the pollution pays approach.  They aim to internalise the external costs of biodiversity loss from development projects by imposing a cost on the activities that cause adverse impacts to biodiversity”.

In short, the literature review on biodiversity offsets indicate that they are payments made by a business to compensate for its damaging impacts on location-specific ecosystems.

As to biodiversity credits, the World Resources Institute (12) defines them as

“An economic instrument that allow private companies to finance activities, such as forest conservation or restoration, that deliver net positive biodiversity gains”.

Both definitions will help in engaging workshop.

We can now state the aim of this workshop and what it will be based upon.

 

• • Aim of Activity 3

 

This is a course or work for those interested in biodiversity to study how organisations can engage and finance activities that deliver net positive biodiversity gains.  The study or work is also an opportunity for them to dive deep into biodiversity offsets and credits as way of providing funding for nature protection and restoration.

 

 

• • What the e-Workshop on Biodiversity Offsets and Credits Will Be Based On

 

We will be e-working on the following points:

 

σ the inclusion of all players, especially indigenous people and local communities, not only conservation organisations and project developers in decision making process relating to biodiversity offsets and credits

σ biodiversity credits as a way of scaling up private finance for nature

σ the double counting problem in biodiversity finance

σ the role of voluntary biodiversity markets in mobilising capital

σ biodiversity itself as a market

σ ecosystem-related risks

etc.

 

For those who would like to engage with Activity 3, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Story Submission and Permission

• E-workshop for Gamers of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League: Create a Poverty Reduction League Table

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses a Just and Sustainable Transition in Africa

 

 

• Story Submission and Permission

 

• • Story Submission 

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

 

Before submitting your story, it is better to check our Short Story Submission Rules.

 

• • • Short story submission rules

 

Basically, these rules request any storyteller or giver to proceed with the following:

 

∝ Check CENFACS submission guidelines and deadlines

∝ Be mindful of CENFACS storytelling terms and conditions

∝ Include a short pitch of your story (approximately 32 words)

∝ Be concise and simple.

 

 

• • • Means or ways through which you can submit or donate your story

 

There are many means or ways in which you can submit or donate your story or impact story.  In the context of this Serial 3, there are ways that one can use to do it, which include written text options, phone calls, audio storytelling and listening, short film experiences, and video options.  Let us highlight each of these means.

 

• • • • 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.  To do that, you need basic typing skills, not special skills.

 

• • • • 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 story participants can also help to create experiences that maximise social media and essential story 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.  By using this free option, you do not add any financial costs to anybody who wants to listen or follow your story.

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 or storytelling tools that are unfamiliar to the majority of people, 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 via the above named means.  And if you do not mind, we will circulate – with your permission – your stories within the CENFACS Community.

 

 

• • Permission to Share a Story with CENFACS

 

Generally, when we ask people’s stories, we also seek permission to share their stories.  This is because telling us your story does not necessarily mean that you have given us the permission to share it.  Your permission could be verbal or written.

We review the conditions of permission in the light of the law.  Our story telling and sharing policy includes as well images or any infographics making these stories.  Our story telling and sharing policy is available to story tellers on request.

To keep our Story Month within the spirit of this policy, we are dealing with copyright law, permissions and licensing in order to share your story contents.  We are particularly working on copyright permissions that story donors need to give to us in order for us to share their stories.

Working on copyright permissions is about staying copyright compliant as far as permissions to share your story is concerned.  In simple terms, it means we will ask you whether or not, you agree for us to share your story including imaging or infographic parts of your story.

We are as well responding to any questions linked to copyrights relating to sharing stories.

For those who may have any issues to raise with story telling and sharing in the context of CENFACS’ AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• E-workshop for Gamers of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League: Create a Poverty Reduction League Table

How to create your African Countries’ League Table when gaming for poverty reduction

 

As part of CENFACS’ All Year Round Play Project (that is, CENFACS Poverty Reduction League), we can work together to support you (as a gamer) create your league table as you play.  To create a league table, there are steps or tasks to undertake.

 

• • Process and Procedure for Creating a League Table

 

You can create a poverty reduction table showing the following:

 

√ Your selected African team countries

√ The number of criteria/indicators you can assess them against

√ The number of criteria/indicators any of them has passed

√ How many of them they average

√ How many of them they under-perform

√ How many of them they score against the opposition

√ How many of them they concede against the opposition

√ Points they earn or share for each game.

 

By systematically and continuously recorded the results, scores and actions of your game fixtures via this table, you will in the end know which African country that would best reduce poverty by the end of 2024.

To process and proceed with a league table, one needs to have some economic indicators as criteria for measuring the performance of each country making CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction.

 

• • Example of Poverty Reduction Indicators to Create a League Table

 

For example, those who would like to go extra miles in the workshop, they can work with us using classes of indicators (that is, input, process and impact) for monitoring and tracking the poverty reduction performance as provided by the World Bank (13).  Poverty indices like headcount index, poverty gap index and squared poverty index can be utilised when dealing with your league table.  They can also include rural terms of trade and unskilled wage index in their table.

To access this e-workshop and get the grips with skills and techniques to create your poverty reduction league table, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum E-discusses a Just and Sustainable Transition in Africa

 

As part of the dedication of 2024 as a Year of Transition within CENFACS, we are e-discussing the recent United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Economic Report on Africa 2024 titled ‘Investing in a Just and Sustainable Transition in Africa’ (14).  In particular, we are e-debating the following two items, which can be found on page 22 of this report:

a) How a just and sustainable transition in Africa can prioritize prosperity and human development while respecting global resource and carbon constraints

b) How Africa can undertake the following systemic shifts: from a growth-centred to well-being-focused economy, from an extractive to a productive production system and circularity, from scarcity and excess to sufficiency, and from regulatory to collaborative governance.

Additionally, we are looking at the implications of the contents of this report for our system of poverty reduction.  This is because the report contains a wealth of information for those working on poverty reduction and sustainable development issues in Africa.

The above two items, which are shaping the main line of thought for our e-discussion for this week, are open to anyone to join in.  For those who would like to join in, it is advisable to first read the above-mentioned report.  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum would like to hear what you think.

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

They can contact us at our usual address on this site.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne d’une transition juste et durable en Afrique

Dans le cadre de l’année 2024 en tant qu’année de transition au sein du CENFACS, nous sommes en train de discuter en ligne du récent ‘Rapport Economique sur l’Afrique 2024’ de la Commission Economique des Nations Unies pour l’Afrique, rapport intitulé «Investir dans une transition juste et durable en Afrique» (14).  En particulier, nous débattons en ligne des deux points suivants, qui figurent à la page 22 du rapport sus-mentionné:

a) Comment une transition juste et durable en Afrique peut donner la priorité à la prospérité et au développement humain tout en respectant les contraintes mondiales en matière de ressources et de carbone

b) Comment l’Afrique peut entreprendre les changements systémiques suivants: d’une économie centrée sur la croissance à une économie axée sur le bien-être, d’un système de production extractif à un système de production productif et circulaire, de la rareté et de l’excès à la suffisance, et de la gouvernance réglementaire à la gouvernance collaborative.

En outre, nous examinons les implications du contenu de ce rapport pour notre système de réduction de la pauvreté.  En effet, le rapport contient une mine d’informations pour ceux et celles qui travaillent comme nous sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable en Afrique.

Les deux points ci-dessus, qui constituent l’axe de réflexion principal de notre discussion en ligne de cette semaine, sont ouverts à tous/toutes.  Pour ceux/celles qui souhaitent participer, il est conseillé de lire d’abord le rapport susmentionné.  Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS aimerait savoir ce que vous en pensez.

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

Vous peuvez nous contacter à notre adresse habituelle sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Rebuilding Africa in 2024

 

The following three sub-headings explain our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa in 2024:

 

a) Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope

b) Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects

c) Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities.

 

Let us briefly explain the contents of these sub-headings.

 

• • Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope 

 

As argued in the Key Messages, Rebuilding is the next step in our process of helping in reducing the impacts and effects of war and natural disaster events or any other major crises or shocks.  Saying that we are going to rebuild Africa, it does not mean that we are going to remake all the sectors of Africa from scratch.

Rebuilding in the context of our poverty relief work has to be placed in the perspective of working with and helping poor people and their organisations to overcome the ill effects of wars and natural disasters or any other major crises (like misinformation, disinformation, extreme weather events, and social polarization).  It is down to Africans to rebuild Africa, not CENFACS.  CENFACS as a charity just gives a helpful hand to them to reduce or better end poverty.

 

• • • What Rebuilding Africa is about

 

Rebuilding Africa addresses the legacies left by destructive wars and natural disaster events or any other major crises or shocks like the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis.  Every year, many human and wild lives as well as other ways of life have been destroyed as a result of wars, armed conflicts, economic shocks  and environmental disasters.  These events often lead to humanitarian catastrophes, emergencies, contingencies, crises and responses.

What’s more, where there is destructive war, there is always a destruction of the environmental life.  Examples of these Destroyed Lives are what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Chad, in the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.

Rebuilding Africa initiative is a response to these events by undertaking projects planning and development activity within CENFACS, with communities and in association with our Africa-based sister organisations. 

What will Rebuilding Africa initiative will about for this 2024 year?

 

• • • Rebuilding Africa in 2024

 

Rebuilding Africa in 2024 will be about building systemic resilience with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations.  Let us explain below what we mean by that.

 

• • • • Building Systemic Resilience with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations

 

Building systemic resilience with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations will be about building systemic approach to or adapting our system of poverty reduction with both of them to any potential disturbances that may threaten this system.

In the process of building systemic resilience, we shall have two types of building as highlighted below.

 

• • • • • Building Systemic Resilience with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations (BSRCA)

 

BSRCA will be based on the broad theme of systemic resilience in our process of Rebuilding Africa in 2024.

By referring to Ann Masten (op. cit.), this level of building systemic resilience is about working to adapt the capacity of dynamic system to disturbances that threaten our systems of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

By resorting to the model of systemic resilience in economics of Hynes et al. (op. cit.), BSRCA means working with both communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations on factors that underpin systemic resilience.  Systemic resilience with them will be achieved by design and by intervention.  We can endogenously reorganise our systems of poverty reduction and sustainable development; just as we can exogenously reorganise them via external intervention.

 

• • • • • Building Resilience of Our System of Poverty Reduction with Communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations (BRSPRCA)

 

BRSPRCA will specifically deal with the resilience of our system of poverty reduction (like financial resilience of our community members).  Our current Financial Resilience Programme for Households is part of it.  It means developing resilience-building initiatives or projects.  Before looking at these projects, it is better explain projects planning and development.

In both building processes (BSRCA and BRSPRCA), we are going to use the three parts of systemic resilience as suggested by ‘practiceplan.co.uk’ (op. cit.).  These parts are:

1) The responsibility of everyone in building resilience

2) The insurance that our interactions with others do not make life harder for them

3) Our contribution to other people’s resilience.

Let us now explain projects planning and development.

 

• • • What this Projects Planning and Development is about

 

Project planning can be approached in many ways.  According to ‘coursera.com’ (15),

“Project planning is the second stage of the project management lifecycle.  The full cycle includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, and closing.  Project planning refers to the phase in project management in which you determine the actual steps to complete a project.  This includes laying out timelines, establishing the budget, setting milestones, assessing risks, and solidifying tasks and assigning them to team members”.

In terms of Projects Planning and Development process within CENFACS, this process enables us to know the needs on the grounds and reach out to those in most need in Africa.  It also assists to improve our way of doing development work, to rethink and exchange new ideas, avenues, approaches, theories and projects to systematically respond to the following:

 

√ New economic pressures and influences that can lead to the destruction of human and wild lives as well as other livelihoods or ways of life

√ New emerging threats and risks (like the coronavirus, geo-economic confrontation and the cost-of-living crisis)

√ New types of needs to systematically rebuild destroyed lives (including infrastructures) in Africa

√ Future risks and crises (including systemic risks and crises) that are likely to happen and to cause human sufferings or systemic impacts (like failure to climate change adaptation, societal polarization, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse).

 

As the World Economic Forum (16) argues, alongside global risks, lie unique opportunities to rebuild trust, optimism and resilience in our institutions and societies.

However, we can only do it by undertaking planning and development.  This planning and development process is within the context of enhancing our African Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives programme.  More details about this programme can be found from CENFACS.

Our Projects Planning and Development for Systemic Resilience Rebuilding contains projects and activities as follows.

 

 

• • Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects 

 

Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Projects are systemic responses to assist in Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Fragile Economic Recovery to Reduce Extreme Poverty like at the moment.  In this respect, projects planning and development for systemic responses include environmental and war events as well as near future risks and crises.  In other words, we undertake projects planning and development linked to three events: wars, natural disasters, and future risks or crises.

 

• • • Project developments linked to environmental events

 

Project developments linked to environmental events are those dealing with the systemic nature of environmental risks and the cascading impacts of environmental disasters in Africa.  They may systematically respond to the following:

 

∝ Short-term environmental strikes

(E.g., Recent deadly sea rise and landslides caused by historical rising water in the Lack Tanganyika in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo)

∝ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

(E.g., Lingering impact of floods in Burundi and prolonged and severe drought in Djibouti)

∝ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes.

(E.g., The prospect for oil spills to poison agriculture, waterways, and the atmosphere with hazardous chemicals in oil exploiting African countries; the risk of freshwater sources to be contaminated in some parts of Africa by viruses, germs, parasites and pollutants creating water scarcity; the likelihood of further amplification of pressure on biodiversity because of continued deforestation for agricultural processes with an associated demand for additional cleared cropland, especially in subtropical and tropical Sub-Saharan Africa with dense biodiversity).

 

• • • Project developments linked to war events

 

Project developments linked to war events are systemic response to life-threatening and destructive impacts of open state of armed conflicts where there is great need of humanitarian assistance to save lives.  These project developments may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Short-term crises, and armed conflicts and disputes

(For instance, the propensity of escalation of conflict between state and non-state armed groups over territory and natural resources in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo leading to worsening humanitarian conditions and heightened regional conflicts; the intensification of violence and worsening of humanitarian crisis in the Sahel particularly in the tri-border of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger)

∝ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles 

(For example, the possible geo-economic tensions between African Continental Free Trade Area and other trading blocs; the attempt of the United States of America to rival economic influence of China in Africa or the bid of Russia to curtail the French and British interests in Africa)

∝ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare.

(E.g., African State system as the underlying cause of systemic conflict, a system made of juridical statehood, neo-patrimonial politics and strained centre-periphery relations as described by James J. Hentz (17); the continuing deterioration of the conflict situation in Sudan with the possibility of long-running civil wars).

 

• • • Project developments linked to future systemic risks and crises

 

Project developments linked to future systemic risks and crises are those can address systemic imbalances and challenges stemming from dissymmetrical distribution of the catastrophic impacts of future risks and crises.  These project developments may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Natural disasters and extreme weather events leading to systemic conflicts (for example, climate change has led to the emergence of terrorist groups and conflicts in Africa)

∝ Infectious diseases (for instance, the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus, Ebola, cholera, dysentery, yellow fever, meningitis and other zoonoses that can contribute to morbidity and mortality)

∝ Natural resource crisis (such as rising prices of energy and food due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict; crop yields falling in volume and nutritional value due to heat, changing weather patterns, dry and wet precipitation extremes)

∝ Geo-economic confrontation or interstate economic relations fracture as a consequence of Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has partly led to the current cost-of-living crisis and the weaponization of economic policy between globally integrated powers

∝ Failure to mitigate climate change (for instance, to make less severe deadliest weather disasters in Africa)

∝ Failure to climate-change adaptation (e.g., as climate changes through time, there will be shifts to the distribution of insects, pests and diseases.  Failure to adaptation by these organisms can make them have problems with their surrounding environments)

∝ Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse (for example, extensive farming techniques, fast urbanisation, infrastructural development and illegal trafficking pose threats to Africa biodiversity).

∝ Economic and financial crises (e.g., any crises arising from a sovereign debt default, currency free falls and collapse of output that can severely impact our users and ASOs).

 

Project developments linked to environmental, war and future events will be a process of projects planning and development that has a triple systemic response to environmental, war and future events for short, medium and long running crises.  This planning will include also the organisation of specific activities to help the rebuilding process.

 

 

• • Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities 

 

Systemic Resilience Rebuilding Activities are the tasks to be undertaking to help Rebuild Africa in the Context of Fragile Economic Recovery to Reduce Extreme Poverty.  Rebuilding Africa in the Context of Fragile Economic Recovery to Reduce Extreme Poverty as advocacy includes four types of activities:

 

∝ Activities to end the bad past (or bad systems and structures) that led to the current crises (Advocacy to manage endings)

∝ Activities to manage just and sustainable transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

∝ Activities to manage new beginnings

∝ Activities to manage the future.

 

• • • Activities to end the bad past (Advocacy to manage endings)

 

To build forward with communities and Africa-based Sister Organisations, it is better to successfully manage the end of or close any system that was not good.  Systems can be reset.  But, if a system is no longer fit for resetting purposes, then system change may be required.  In other words, it is better not to return to or not to build back the systems and structures (e.g., endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities) that led to the current problems or crises.

However, building better is a backward and forward process.  Even if one is in the process of building forward, they can still refer to the good things of the past to check if there is any link with the process of building forward.  It is about curating your activities by leaving behind what did not work and taking forward what did work.

In this process of ending the bad past, we can refer to what Dr David P. Helfand (18) suggested in his book about career change.  He outlined four coping mechanisms for coping with an ending, which include disengagement, disidentification, disenchantment and disorientation.  These individual coping strategies can be extended to the area of dealing with endings of bad systems and structures that led to the cost-of-living crisis for many people.

For example, if one wants to rebuild Africa by ending the bad past of the cost-of-living crisis, they can break away from the context that brought it, look for a new self-identification, recognise disenchantment, and create a new vision and new orientation for Africa.

 

• • • Activities to manage just and sustainable transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

 

Before highlighting these activities, let us briefly explain just and sustainable transition.

 

• • • • Just and Sustainable Transition (JST)

 

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (op. cit.) provides two definitions of JST.  The first definition comes from UNDESA (2023), which defines a JST as

“A process of transitioning towards a more sustainable society, economy, and environment in a fair and equitable manner”.

The second definition is from the African Development Bank, which explains JST in Africa as

“A process of improving the lives of the most vulnerable while building low-carbon, resilient economies”.

These two definitions will be taken into account in the design and implementation of the activities to manage JST.

Additionally, the activities to manage JST will include the three stages of transition as described by the Centre for Creative Leadership (19), which are:

“accepting the ending, living in the neutral zone and reach your new beginnings”.

These activities will help to turn endings to new beginnings.

To conduct these activities, we are going to look at transition cycle.  We shall as well recall the Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (20) change curve; in particular where changes can be integrated in renewed individuals.

By referring to her model of change, we can argue that people have already accepted and integrated the cost-of-living crisis in their mind sets as the 1960s theory of the five stages of grief or model of change curve by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross tells us.  We have accepted that change is inevitable; so we could now return to where we were before the cost-of-living crisis with changes rather than against them.  We can now move on with change and transition.

These advocacy activities to manage just and sustainable transition will be based on wellbeing economy, inclusiveness and safety to manage the process of coming out the cost-of-living crisis.

For example, we can advocate with ASOs so that they are not left behind in Africa’s recovery efforts from the negative effects of the polycrises (i.e., the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, climate change catastrophe and human insecurity).  Our advocacy message could be that talks about financial recovery should include ASOs.

 

• • • Activities to manage new beginnings

 

The activities relating to the management of new beginnings will help to work with communities and ASOs to set up new goals, to identify opportunities and threats in the new development landscape (like the post-cost-of-living-crisis era).  We shall work with them via advice, tips and hints to manage a new beginning.

For example, we can revisit ASOs’ mission and vision in the new era of post-cost-of-living reconstruction and in the Context of Fragile Economic Recovery to Reduce Extreme Poverty.

So, the activities to manage new beginnings will empower communities and ASOs to navigate their ways to improve in those areas where polycrises have brought a new window of opportunities and scope to learn and develop.  It is an advocacy work to freshly start and plan future.

 

• • • Activities to manage the future

 

By using futuring and visioning methods, it is possible develop scenarios, horizon scanning and trend monitoring/analysis to help build forward better.  These activities will enable us to better equip to minimise the likely harmful impacts of future systemic risks and crises.  As Stephen Millett (21) puts it

“[But] building future planning into your everyday practices is not only vital – it’s eminently doable”

The activities will be conducted to help communities and ASOs to meet their goals of Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’ within the context of Fragile Economic Recovery in Africa.

For any enquiries and queries about any of these activities, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For further details about  Rebuilding Africa in 2024, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Justiceinspectorate.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/04/Academic-Insights-Chard-Systemic-Resilience/pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(2) Hynes, W., Trump, B. D., Kirman, A. et al. Systemic resilience in economics. Nat. Phys. 18, 381-384 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01581-4 (accessed in May 2024)

(3) Ungar, M. 2028. Systemic resilience: principles and processes for a science of change in contexts of adversity. Ecology and Society 23 (4): 34. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10385=230434 or https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/ungar-systemic_resilience-ecology_society_2018.pdf (accessed in March 2024)

(4) Park, C. (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York

(5) https://www.practiceplan.co.uk/blog/practice-management/hr-team-development/what-is-systemic-resilience-and-how-can-it-help-you-and-your-employers/ (accessed in March 2024)

(6) https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/the-6-principles-of-incentive-design (accessed in May 2024)

(7) Gunkel, M. (2018). Incentive Design. In: Augier, M., Teece, D. J. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopaedia of Strategic Management. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-00772-8_693 (accessed in May 2024)

(8) https://www.cogentanalytics.com/knowledge-center/strategic-planning-blogs/how-to-design-incentive-programme-that-work (accessed in May 2024)

(9) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/interconnection (accessed in May 2024)

(10) https://blog.consoleconnect.com/what-is-interconnection-and-why-is-it-important-to-enterprises (accessed in May 2024)

(11) https://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/Policy-Highlights-Biodiversity-Offsets-Web.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(12) https://www.wri.org/insights/biodiversity-credits-explained (accessed in May 2024)

 (13) https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentationdetail/27201468765605934/indicators-for-monitoring-poverty-reduction (accessed in May 2023)

(14) https://repository.uneca.org/bitstream/handle/10855/50162/612042717.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed in May 2024)

(15) https://www.coursera.org/articles/project-planning (accessed in May 2023)

(16) https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/ (accessed in March 2024)

(17) Hentz, J. J. (2019), Toward a Structural Theory of War in Africa at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392206.2019.1628449?journalcode=uafs20 (accessed in May 2023)

(18) Helfand, D. P. (1995), Career Change: Everything You Need to Know to Meet New Challenges and Take Control of Your Career, Careers Series/VCM Career Horizons, the University of Michigan

(19) Centre for Creative Leadership at https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/adapting-to-change-its-about-the-transition/ (accessed in May 2023)

(20) Kübler-Ross E., 1969: On Death and Dying, New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc.

(21) Millett, S. at https://www.triarchypress.net/managing-the-future.html (accessed in May 2023)

 

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going this Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

08 May  2024

 

Post No. 351

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRP4Hs) – In Focus for Wednesday 08/05/2024: Outcome and Impact of FRP4Hs on Households

• All in Development Stories (AiDS) Serial 2: Stories of Creating Metrics and Looking at Changing Patterns (Starting from Wednesday 08/05/2024)

• Goal of the Month: Make Poverty Reduction Happen through Stories 

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRP4Hs) – In Focus for Wednesday 08/05/2024: Outcome and Impact of FRP4Hs on Households

 

The last theme of our work on financial asset holdings of households or economic resources that households possess to help them stay resilient against shocks focusses on the Outcome and Impact of Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRP4Hs) on Households.

Indeed, one thing is to set up and deliver a programme, another thing is to check that this programme results in short-term positive changes and effects on its intended beneficiaries (here households) as well as in broader and long-term changes on the same beneficiaries.  In programme planning jargon and parlance, the two operations or steps are called outcome and impact.

In practical terms, if you are a household and has been followed the FRP4Hs, you may want to know what this programme is going to achieve for you in short, medium and long term.

In short term, it is possible to get some results from the implementation of the programme at household level.  In the long term, it may take sometimes to know if what happens to a particular household is the result of the FRP4Hs or not.  Also, regardless of the length of the term, one needs to have household data and use metrics or indicators in order to argue about outcome and impact.  However, before these outcome and impact happen we can work with households to inform them what could be the outcome and/or impact of a programme such as FRP4Hs if they apply it.

In this last theme, we are thus looking at the possible outcome and impact that may result from the application of the FRP4Hs.  Bearing in mind that each household is different and specific.  They have their own financial problems, strengths, weaknesses, capacities and capabilities to be or not to be resilient from income or expense shocks when these shocks occur.  What FRP4Hs is trying to do is to increase their financial strengths while reducing their financial weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

To find out more about the possible outcome and impact of the FRP4Hs, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• All in Development Stories (AiDS) Serial 2: Stories of Creating Metrics and Looking at Changing Patterns (Starting from Wednesday 08/05/2024)

 

Our two-story series continues with Serial 2, which covers Stories of Creating Metrics and Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns.  Let us highlight each of these stories.

 

• • Stories of Creating Metrics

 

To understand these stories, one may need to know the meaning of metrics.

 

• • • Brief explanation of metrics

 

To explain metrics, we are going to refer to what ‘chisellabs.com’ (1) argues about them, which is

“Metrics are quantifiable measurements used to assess performance, track progress, and measure the success of various processes, initiatives, or entities.  They provide objective and tangible data that allow organisations to make informed decisions, identify improvement areas, and monitor strategies’ effectiveness”.

Additionally, ‘digitalocean.com’ (2) explains why metrics are useful in these terms:

“Metrics are useful because they provide insight into the behaviour and health of your systems, especially when analysed in aggregate”.

For ‘digitalocean.com’, metrics related to system can include host-based metrics, application metrics, network and connectivity metrics, server pool metrics, external dependency metrics, etc.

Metrics can help to monitor our poverty reduction system.  In this respect, ‘batimes.com’ (3) argues that

“Metrics can be a powerful tool for informing and guiding decision making at all levels of an organisation… In order for metrics to deliver value rather than distraction, they must be clearly defined, completely understood and broadly communicated, as well as focused on the areas that are most important to the success of an organisation”.

Knowing what metrics are, it is possible to extract the Stories of Creating Metrics.

 

• • • Stories of Creating Metrics

 

Stories of Creating Metrics are the narratives of creating new metrics to reset systems – our poverty reduction system.

They are those of

 

√ factorizing into the development of metrics or quantitative methods the culture and needs of the people in need

√ educating people before adopting metrics

√ aligning metrics with the vision, mission and goals of any poverty reduction system.

 

If you are part of a media organisation and drawing from, for example, what ‘mediashift.org’ (4) explains, telling the stories of creating metrics would be about sharing your experiencing stories on the following:

 

~ how to identify the metrics that matter for your organisation

~ how to make metrics useful – where useful equals actionable

~ how to report smarter, not harder.

 

If you are a member of CENFACS Community and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Creating Metrics, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns

 

To deal with these stories, let us clarify the concept of patterns of change.

 

• • • Clarification of the concept of patterns of change

 

This clarification has been provided by Raulo et al. (5), who argue that

“Patterns of change describe how success and composition of every entity, from species to societies, vary across.  The notions of change, such as birth, death, growth, evolution and longevity, extend across reality including biological, cultural and societal phenomena”.

Another explanation of the concept of patterns of change comes from ‘britannica.com’ (6).  For ‘britannica.com’, patterns of change are studied by social scientists or theoreticians who recognise three traditional ideas of social change – decline, cyclic change, and progress.  Still from the view of ‘britannica.com’, short-term tends to be cyclic while long-term change tends to follow one direction.

By looking at the patterns of change in our system of poverty reduction, we can ask ourselves if the patterns of change are cyclic or one-directional.  However, if our task is to look at patterns of change over the long term , then we can follow the model or theory of long-term cyclic changes, which is birth, growth, flourishing, decline, and death of a system.

From the above definitions and observations, we can develop our Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns.

 

• • • Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns

 

Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns are the plots of looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots.

 

They are the stories of

 

√ recognizing models or patterns (for example, if our system of poverty reduction is patterned, then one needs to recognise it)

√ acknowledging that situations repeat themselves over and over again

√ vicious circle in some systems of poverty reduction

√ failing to change the way in which a system works

√ going around in circles to deal with a system

√ resolving the problems linked to the way a system is patterned or operating

√ seeing patterns of change problems as an opportunity rather than a misfortune

√ listening your feelings and intuition to recognise patterns

√ overcoming difficulties in understanding patterns

etc.

 

Briefly speaking, Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns  can tell us if a system is in decline, cyclic change, and progress.

If you are a member of our community – the CENFACS Community – and have these types of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your stories with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Make Poverty Reduction Happen through Stories 

 

Our poverty reduction goal for May 2024 is Making Poverty Reduction Happen through Stories.  It is about telling and sharing stories that can pitch or lead to poverty reduction and sustainable development for the poor and those CENFACS Community members who may need inspiring and motivational stories to navigate their ways out the problems they have.  In other words, by listening, viewing and learning from inspiring stories they can develop their own strengths to gradually find their own pace and tune towards the reduction of poverty and the enhancement of sustainable development.

To put this into perspective, Pullanikkatil and Shackleton (7) give the example of Poverty Reduction through Non-Timber Forest Products.  Referring to the work of Pullanikkatil and Shackleton, Sarah Feder (8) explains that

“Stories can amplify the voices of people who are not often heard, and make their experiences relatable to people in wildly different contexts”.

Likewise, Angela Wood and John Barnes (9) are in favour of

“Amplifying poor people’s voices by combining alternative media such as community radio, oral testimonies and community theatre with the involvement of the media”.

It is possible to deduct from these two quotations that stories can have the following attributes:

 

σ to amplify poor people’s voices

σ to provide a voice for the voiceless people

σ to create opportunity for these people to narrate from their own perspective

σ to learn lessons to be used in poverty reduction policies, practices and strategies

σ to create and sustain poverty reduction and sustainable development.

 

Those who can help to make poverty reduction happen through stories, they can be supportive of this goal.  We expect our supporters and audiences to support this goal as well.

For further details on this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 12: Impact Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty – From Week Beginning Monday 13/05/2024: A Survey on Green Bonds (Activity 2)

• ReLive Issue No. 16, Spring 2024: Will You Help The Conflict-related Acute Food Insecure in Africa to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives?

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 12: Impact Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

In Step/Workshop 11 of your Play, Run and Vote Projects, you conducted an outcome evaluation by measuring your behaviour, participation to and achievement following the delivery of these projects.  Now, you can proceed with an impact evaluation.  An impact evaluation will help to evaluate the effect of your Play, Run and Vote Projects on you and the environment surrounding you.  But, what is an impact evaluation?

 

• • Basic Understanding of an Impact Evaluation

 

The definition we have chosen to understand an impact evaluation comes from ‘betterevaluation.org’ (10).  According to ‘betterevaluation.org’,

“An impact evaluation provides information about the impacts produced by an intervention.  The intervention might be a small project, a large programme, a collection of activities, or a policy”.

The same ‘betterevaluation.org’ states that

“A impact evaluation can be undertaken to improve or reorient an intervention (i.e., for formative purposes) or to inform decisions about whether to continue, discontinue,  replicate or scale up an intervention (i.e.,  for summative purposes)”.

In other words, an impact evaluation tries to measure the difference between outcomes with an intervention and without it in a way that can attribute the difference to the intervention, and only the intervention.  For instance, an impact evaluation of  your Run Project will assess changes in your wellbeing that can be attributable to your Run Project.  The figure below is an impact evaluation exercise showing how your all-year-round project can impact on you.

 

 

To carry out an impact evaluation, one needs to answer/know the why, when, what and who to engage in the evaluation process.  Also, one can base its impact evaluation on a particular way of thinking or a theory.

 

• • Theories to Be Used in Your Impact Evaluation 

 

To simplify the matter, an all-year-round project beneficiary will use a theory of change that will guide them to causal attribution or to answer cause-and-effect questions; meaning that changes in outcome are directly attributable to an intervention (here your Play, Run and Vote Projects).  Therefore, you need to better plan and manage your impact evaluation.

 

• • Example of Planning and Managing the Impact Evaluation of Your All-year Round Projects

 

To better plan and manage the impact evaluation of Your All-year Round Projects, you can proceed with the following:

 

σ Describe what needs to be evaluated

σ Identify and mobilise resources for your evaluation

σ Decide who will conduct the evaluation and engage it

σ Set up an evaluation methodology/approach/technique

σ Manage your evaluation work

σ Implement your evaluation work

σ Evaluate the result/impact of Your All-year Round Projects on you and/or others

σ Share your evaluation results/report.

 

The above is one of the possible ways of impact evaluating your All-year Round Projects.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Impact Evaluation of their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Note about This 12-week Workshop Programme

 

To conclude this 12-week workshop programme, we would like to thank those who have been engaged with it.

We would like to ask to those who can to measure the impact and effectiveness in working with them/you on how to plan, execute and evaluate your All-year Round Projects. 

For example, they/you can state that on overall they/you have positive or negative impacts from this programme.  They/you can send your statement to CENFACS‘ usual contact details as given on this website.

Those who need help for any aspect of the plan of their All-year Round Projects, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Good luck with their/your All-year Round Projects!

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty –

From Week Beginning Monday 13/05/2024: A Survey on Green Bonds (Activity 2)

 

To introduce Activity 2 of the fourth series of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, let us summarily define green bonds.

 

• • What Are Green Bonds?

 

To understand green bonds, it is better to know bonds.  According to the World Bank (11),

“A bond is a form of debt security.  A debt security is a legal contract for money owed that can be bought and sold between parties”.

What are green bonds?

Our understanding of green bonds comes from ‘weforum.org’ (12), which explains that

“Green bonds work like regular bonds with one key difference: the money raised from investors is used exclusively to finance projects that have a positive environmental impact such as renewable energy and green buildings”.

The above-mentioned definitions will be used in our survey.

 

• • Aim of Activity 2

 

This is an exercise in which we intend to look at in detail debt securities with a view that the money raised from investors is solely used to fund projects with positive impact on the environment.

For example, it is known that the issuance of bonds together with the development of green, social and sustainable bond market are important in Africa in the fight against climate change and in the upkeep of nature.  They represent investment opportunities to protect the nature and generate resources for poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa.  In particular, green bonds can finance a portfolio of environmentally friendly investments and fund climate change initiatives.

 

• • What the Survey Is about

 

The survey is about the market pricing of green bonds.  It is as well dealing with the economic and environmental effects of green bond financing on poverty reduction and sustainable development.  The survey focuses on the challenges and opportunities for developing and sustaining green bonds in Africa.

 

• • Participating to the Survey on Green Bonds

 

As part of the survey, we are running a questionnaire which will contain some questions to be answered by those willing to respond.  You can contribute your answer and respond to the survey.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 2, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• ReLive Issue No. 16, Spring 2024: Will You Help The Conflict-related Acute Food Insecure in Africa to Rebuild and Renew Their Lives?

 

This Spring, we are running 14 Gifts in a world of 20 Reliefs or Helpful Differences.  What does this mean?

It means donors or funders have 14 Gifts of Renewing Lives to choose from and 20 Reliefs to select from to make helpful differences to the food insecure.

In total, our Spring Relief campaign is providing to potential supporters 14 GIFTS of rebuilding lives in the three African Countries (i.e., Central African Republic, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 20 RELIEFS to make this happen.

For this renewal to happen, support is needed towards LRPs.

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

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Activité/Tâche 5 de l’année/du projet Transitions (t) : Raconter des histoires inspirantes de transitions pour sortir de la pauvreté

La cinquième activité/tâche du projet «t» consiste à partager avec ceux/celles qui en ont besoin des histoires inspirantes sur la transition vers la sortie de la pauvreté.  Selon les circonstances de la vie, les gens peuvent entrer dans la pauvreté et en sortir.  Cette transition peut être courte ou longue.  Ce qui nous intéresse, ce sont les transitions pour sortir de la pauvreté et leur inspiration en termes d’histoire.

• • Transition pour sortir de la pauvreté

De nombreux facteurs peuvent déterminer la sortie de la pauvreté.  Ann Huff Stevens (13) en donne quelques-unes dans le cas des États-Unis d’Amérique.  D’après elle,

«Les changements dans les revenus et la structure familiale sont associés à la sortie de la pauvreté».

Elle soutient également qu’elle dépend d’une pauvreté circonstancielle à court terme ou d’une pauvreté à long terme associée à des limitations permanentes des revenus, de l’emploi et de la structure familiale.

S’inspirant de l’argument d’Ann Huff Stevens, l’activité/tâche 5 de l’année/du projet Transitions (t) consiste à fournir des histoires de transitions hors de la pauvreté.

• • Fournir des histoires inspirantes de transitions pour sortir de la pauvreté

Il s’agit de donner des témoignages édifiants sur vous ou sur des personnes que vous connaissez qui sont sorties de la pauvreté.  L’histoire doit mentionner depuis combien de temps elles sont sorties de la pauvreté et combien de temps dure la transition.

Par exemple, on peut raconter des histoires sur les changements dans la structure des ménages ou sur les changements sur le marché du travail et sur la façon dont ils ont aidé à sortir de la pauvreté.  Des histoires comme celles-ci peuvent en inspirer d’autres.

Ce qui précède est l’objet de l’activité/tâche 5.  Pour ceux/celles qui ont besoin d’aide avant de se lancer dans cette activité/tâche, ils/elles peuvent s’adresser au CENFACS.

Pour toute autre question ou demande de renseignements sur le projet «t» et la dédicace de cette année, veuillez également contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRP4Hs) – In Focus for Wednesday 08/05/2024: Outcome and Impact of FRP4Hs on Households

 

The following items cover the Outcome and Impact of FRP4Hs on Households:

 

σ What Are Outcome and Impact?

σ What Are Outcome and Impact in the Context of FRP4Hs on Households? 

σ Types of Changes and Effects that FRP4Hs Can Bring to Households

σ How to Measure Changes and Effects from FRP4Hs for Households: Key Indicators of Financial Resilience

σ Working with Households on Effects and Changes from the Application of FRP4Hs

σ Final Words about FRP4Hs for Households

 

Let us develop each of the above-mentioned points.

 

• • What Are Outcome and Impact?

 

Outcome and impact are part of the steps in any programme or project planning and implementation.  Because of that, it will be wrong for us to speak about financial resilience for households without explaining what could be the result on them.   So, what is outcome and what is impact?

According to Sally Cupitt with Jean Ellis (14),

“Outcomes are all the changes and effects that happen as a result of your work.  Impact is the broad, long term effects of your work” (p. 3)

As one can notice, there is a difference between the two.  This difference is stressed by ‘impactio.com’.

Highlighting the difference between ‘Impact’ and ‘Outcome’ in Research Findings, ‘impactio.com’ (15) explains that

“The outcomes are directly correlated to the findings.  Outcomes drive a short-term or immediate change in the reader as a result of the information that came from the research itself… An impact, on the other hand, is a more significant, wider change.  Impacts are the result of the outcome being put into place in society or the academic world”.

The above-mentioned definitions can be applied to households.

 

• • What Are Outcome and Impact in the Context of FRP4Hs on Households?

 

Outcomes are the short- and medium-term effects that households would like to see as a result of the application of FRP4Hs.  Impacts are long-term effects to be produced by the FRP4Hs. 

For households following the FRP4Hs, outcomes can be they become more confident and aware in the way they approach financial resilience.  There could be as well that they improve their financial communication and skills as they feel motivate and aspire on the way they can tackle potential income or expense shocks.

For households following the FRP4Hs, impacts can be health impact, consumption impact, well-being impact, impact on children for those that have kids, housing impact, etc.  There could also be a shift in the way they think and behave regarding financial matters, as well as in the way the design their household financial policies and rules.

 

• • Types of Changes and Effects that FRP4Hs Can Bring to Households

 

Financial resilience outcome and impact for households can be expressed in many ways as highlighted below.

Expressed as short- and medium-term effects, it is when households can

 

√ improve their skills to manage budgets and their savings

√ widen their access to affordable credit

√ understand financial risks and contexts

√ make good financial decision

√ learn the range of liquidities and how to access them to offset any potential financial risks, particularly for liquidity-constrained households

√ improve their sense of financial wellness or subjective financial well-being

√ mitigate the impacts of income or expense shocks

√ buffer themselves against these shocks

etc.

 

Expressed as long-term effects, it is when households can

 

√ become less financially vulnerable and distressed to the problems of getting to the end of month and/or the inability to face unexpected expenses

√ be without or with less unsecured debt (e.g., consumer credit)

√ be less impulsive with good financial and spending behaviour

√ reduce the effects of unexpected negative income or expense shocks, especially for low-income ones which may experience these shocks at disproportionally high rates

etc.

 

 

• • How to Measure Changes and Effects from FRP4Hs for Households: Key Indicators of Financial Resilience

 

Many of the measures to be used here fall under the scope of financial resilience.  We are limiting ourselves to key indicators.  Amongst them are Financial Resilience Index, Households’ Savings to Income, Households’ Debt to Income.  Let us consider Financial resilience Index and the other measures.

 

• • • Key Indicators of Financial Resilience

 

• • • • Financial Resilience Index

 

This index can be perceived in many ways.  From the perspective of Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (16),

“Financial Resilience Index shows a council’s position on a range of measures associated with financial risk highlighting where additional scrutiny may be required”.

Although the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy speaks about council, the spheres of implementation of its view on financial resilience can be extended to include households.  So, Financial Resilience Index for Households shows a household’s position on a range of measures associated with financial risk highlighting where additional scrutiny may be required.

 

 

• • • • Other Measures of Financial Resilience

 

Amongst the other indicators that can use to improve the ability to recover from financial shocks are:

 

a) The value of savings and liquid financial assets that could be drawn on in times of need

By using financial ratios, this value can be expressed as follows:

 

Savings / Income  or Liquid financial assets / Income

 

b) Subjective assessments of the ability to cope with financial shocks

c) Measures of financial literacy, numeracy, communications and technology (e.g., financial awareness, use of e-finance, ability to make financial decision, etc.)

d) Measures of financial capability (e.g., soundly managing money, surviving financial shock waves)

e) Measures of capturing financial anxiety, distress or from difficulty, which can be written in the form of financial ratios like

 

Financial Assets / Debt   or   Credit / Income

 

f) Over-indebtedness measures

Etc.

 

Many of these measures can be found in the work of Abigail McKnight and Mark Rucci (17).

What is important is not to list these measures.  What is meaningful is for households to understand the key indicators of financial resilience and help them stay resilient if they follow the underlying advice contained in these indicators.

 

 

• • Working with Households on Effects and Changes from the Application of FRP4Hs

 

Working with households on the effects and changes resulting from financial resilience programmes is about helping them to avoid costly financial mistakes.  It is also about reassuring them that there is always support for those households that would like to learn to shield themselves from income or expense shocks.

For example, if liquidity-constrained households are not sure how financial resilience programmes can help them, we can conduct financial resilience needs assessment to determine whether or not this type of programmes can be beneficial to them as well as the areas of their finances that need support in the form of advice and guidance.

The above is the fourth and last theme of our FRP4Hs.

Those households that would like to access the FRP4Hs so that this programme can positively affect and change their life to stay resilient, they can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about the theme of Outcome and Impact of FRP4Hs on Households, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• • Final Words about FRP4Hs for Households

 

Financial Resilience Programme for Households is about improving the financial ability and capability to recover from income or expense shocks as explained by Salignac et al (18), or enhancing the ability in coping with financial shock or recovering from financial difficulties as argued by McKnight and Rucci (op.cit.).

It is further about working together with liquidity-constrained households through an arsenal of financial tools or weaponry they need so that they can stay resilient or embrace financial resiliency.  In doing so, it increases their financial strengths while reducing their financial weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

It is finally about reducing, avoiding and ending asset-based poverty amongst them and their future generations.

For further details about Financial Resilience Programme for Households, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://chisellabs.com/glossary/what-are-metrics/ (accessed in May 2024 )

(2) https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/an-introduction-to-metrics-monitoring-and-alerting (accessed in May 2024)

(3) https://www.batimes.com/articles/creating-implementing-and-managing-effective-metrics/ (accessed in May 2024)

(4) https://mediashift.org/2017/11/telling-stories-metrics-inside-news-organisation/(accessed in May 2024)

(5) Raulo A, Rojas A, Kröger B, Laaksonen A, Orta CL, Numio S, Peltoniemi M, Lahti L, Ζliobaitè I. 2023 What are patterns of rise and decline? R. Soc. Open Sci. 10:230052. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230052 (accessed in May 2024)

(6) https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-change/Patterns-of-social-change (accessed in May 2024)

(7) Pullanikkatil, D. and Shackleton, CM. (2019), Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products: Personal Stories, Sustainable Development Goals Stories, Springer at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75580-9 (Accessed in May 2023)

(8) Feder, S., (2020), The Power of Stories: Poverty Reduction Through NTFPs at https://medforest.net/2020/02/26/that-power-of-stories-poverty-reduction=through-ntfps/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(9) Wood, A. and Barnes, J., (2007), Making Poverty the Story: Time to Involve the Media in Poverty at https://gsdrc.org/document-library/making-poverty-the-story-time-to-involve-the-media-in-poverty-reduction/# (Accessed in May 2023)

(10) https://www.betterevaluation.org/methods-approaches/themes/impact-evaluation (Accessed in May 2023)

(11) https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/400251468187810398/pdf/99662-REVISED-WB-Green-Bond-Box393208B-PUBLIC.pdf (accessed in May 2024)

(12) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/what-are-green-bonds-climate-change/ (accessed in May 2024)

(13) https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/policy_brief_stevens_poverty_transitions_1.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

(14) Cupitt, S. & Ellis, J. (2003), Your project and its outcomes, Charities Evaluation Services, Community Fund 2003

(15) https://www.impactio.com/blog/defining-the-difference-between-impact-and-outcome (accessed in May 2024)

(16) https://www.cipfa.org/services/financial-resilience-index-2022 (accessed in May 2024)

(17) McKnight, A. & Rucci, M. (2020). The Financial resilience of households: 22 country study with new estimates, breakdowns by household characteristics and a review of policy options. CASE/219, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics and Political Science, May http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case  (accessed in May 2024)

(18)Salignac, F.; Marjolin, A.; Reeve, R.: Muir, K. (2019). Conceptualising and measuring financial resilience: A multidimensional framework. Social Indicators Research 2019, 145, 17-38 (accessed in May 2024)

 

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going this Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

01 May  2024

 

Post No. 350

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May 2024 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Systems Reset and Change

• All in Development Story Telling Series/Programme 2024

• Activity/Task 5 of the Transitions (t) Year/Project: Provide Inspiring Stories of Out-of-poverty Transitions

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• May 2024 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Systems Reset and Change

 

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 Do We Tell and Share Stories? 

 

This is because in whatever we do to help reduce poverty and appeal for support to enhance the development process we are engaged in, 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, which is our storytelling project.  There is an explanation about this project that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  Every year, there is a different theme for this storytelling project.

 

• • This Year’s Theme for AiD Stories Project

 

This year, the theme for AiD Stories Project is about Stories of Resetting and Change Systems, our system of poverty reduction.  They are the stories of a system which can be reset to meet people’s (poor people’s) needs.  But, if the system is failing the people it is supposed to serve and is no longer fit for resetting purpose, then change may be required.  And stories can make this change to happen.  In which case, system change stories may be needed.

 

• • • What are System Reset and Change Stories?

 

Let us first explain Stories of Resetting Systems, then Stories of Changing Systems.

 

• • • • System Reset Stories are

 

a) about how people and communities are trying or have tried to bring things back to their default settings or initial state

b) of

∝ changing our mindset

∝ creating new metrics

∝ designing new incentives

∝ building a genuine connection.

 

• • • • System Change Stories are

 

a) those relating to  how people are trying to change the system if resetting is not suitable or desirable

b) of

∝ seeing the whole system rather just its parts

∝ looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots

∝ understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems

∝ forming a new system (e.g., a new system of poverty reduction).

 

Both stories (system reset and change stories) are the tales of physical, social, environmental and economic settings and how we try to deal with systems, in particular our system of poverty reduction.

 

• • • When will these stories start?

 

Entries for May 2024 Stories were opened since last March when we announced the general theme of Spring Relief 2024, which is ‘Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’ within the context of Squeezed Household Spending”.  So far, some people have shown some interests.  For those who have not yet submitted or told us their stories, this is the month to do it.

These stories are based on a principle.

 

• • Underlying Principle of AiD Stories Project

 

The principle of AiD Stories Project is that it is about stories told 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.

Besides this general principle, we have two criteria we would like to highlight about the theme of AiD Stories Project for this year.

 

• • Criteria for The Theme of AiD Stories Project 2024

 

~ 1st Criterion

For this year’s AiD Stories project, we are mainly interested in Stories of Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future within the context of Squeezed Household Spending, as mentioned above.  They are the stories of those who hit rock bottom of poverty because of squeezed household spending and are trying to bounce forward in a sustainable way.

 

~ 2nd Criterion

We are registering people’s personal experiences of being or at risk of being left behind in the process of building forward within the context of squeezed household spending .  Experiences show that in many crises, there is always a possibility that aid/help/transfer to household expenses/expenditure/spending does reach everybody or if its does it does not reach them proportionally or equally.  For those who have not been reached, their personal stories need to be heard as well.

Additionally, we would like to select amongst submitted stories the best ones.

 

• • Selecting the Top Real True Story of the Month

 

This year, we would like to select the top three stories of poverty reduction of the month and the real true story of poverty reduction of the month.  To do that we will use impact story approach.  This approach is often used when monitoring and evaluation are restricted.  What do we mean by that?

We mean what ‘civicus.org’ (1) says about impact stories, which is:

“Impact stories are a useful way to systematically documenting anecdotal evidence that expected activities occurred, and the perceived results thereof”.

Our storytelling assessors will try to capture elements of storytelling that respond to our storytelling criteria.  Stories that build inclusion and inspire people to reset or change have more change to win more votes/points than other ones.

To facilitate and organise ourselves in the way of telling these stories, we are going to do it through a series or programme or a timeline of scripts.  There is more information about this series below.

For more information on AiDS project and this year’s storytelling focus and scripts, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

To tell your story of change for change to CENFACS, please contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

 

 

• All in Development Story Telling Series/Programme 2024

 

The 2024 series of AiDS Telling Programme starts from the 1st of May 2024, every Wednesday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2024.  These series, which are part of May 2024 Stories, are a timeline of scripts or a set of notes arranged in line to tell and share Stories of System Reset and Change.  But, these stories do not need to be linear (that is, problem > action > solutions).  We take non-linear stories as well.

To arrange this programme, we referred to the four ways of resetting the system proposed by the World Economic Forum (2), which are:

 

a) Change our mindset

b) Create new metrics

c) Design new incentives

d) Build a genuine connection.

 

We are also referring to what the World Resources Institute (3) argues about systems change, which is

“Systems change can be defined as shifting component parts of a system – and the pattern of interactions between these parts – to ultimately form a new system that behaves in a qualitatively different way”.

This definition provides four strategies or tips for changing a system, which are

 

a) seeing the whole system rather just its parts

b) looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots

c) understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems

d) forming a new system (e.g., a new system of poverty reduction).

 

From the above-mentioned four ways and four strategies, we can organise our stories line.  There is no single logic or model of organising a story.  We thought that to make it easier, our storytelling series for systems resetting and change will follow these four plus four (4+4) or two-story sequences:

The four plus four (4+4) or two-story sequences can be linked each other in a sequential way.

For further details about these two-story sequences or timeline of AiD scripts, please continue to read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 5 of the Transitions (t) Year/Project: Provide Inspiring Stories of Out-of-poverty Transitions

 

The fifth activity/task of the “t” Project is about sharing with those in need some inspiring stories about transitioning out of poverty.  Depending on circumstances of life, people can transition into and out of poverty.   This transition can be short and long.  What we are interested in is transitions out of poverty and their inspiration in terms of story.

 

• • Transitions out of Poverty

 

There are many factors that can determine out-of-poverty transitions.  Ann Huff Stevens (4) gives some of them in the case of the United States of America.  According to her,

“Changes in income and family structure are associated with transitions out of poverty”.

She also argues that it depends on short-term, circumstantial poverty or long-term poverty associated with permanent limitations on earnings, employment and family structure.

Drawing on Ann Huff Stevens’ argument, the Activity/Task 5 of the Transitions (t) Year/Project is about providing stories of out-of-poverty transitions.

 

• • Providing Inspiring Stories of Out-of-poverty Transitions

 

It is about giving the uplifting accounts of you or people you know who transitioned out of poverty.  The story needs to mention how long they have been out of poverty and how long the transition lasts.

For example, stories about change in the household structure or changes in the labour market and how they have helped to transition out of poverty can be told.  Stories like these can uplift others.

The above is what activity/task 5 is about.  For those who need any help before embarking on this activity/task, they can speak to CENFACS.

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

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households – In Focus for Wednesday 01/05/2024: Intervention Strategies for Households

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Working Plan for the Fourth Series of Nature Activities

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 11: Outcome Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households – In Focus for Wednesday 01/05/2024: Intervention Strategies for Households

 

Our work on financial asset holdings of households or economic resources that households possess to help them stay resilient against shocks continues.  This week, we are dealing with Intervention Strategies for Households, which are the third theme of our Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRPHs).

 

• • What Are Intervention Strategies?

 

They are involving actions designed to help reduce the financial vulnerabilities of the members of CENFACS Community and their families, and empower them to provide for the essential needs of their households.  These interventions can include savings boosts, emergency loans, cash assistance, insurance claims, etc.

These interventions can be short, medium and long term.  Focussing on short-term interventions, the website ‘Assetfunders.org’ (5) argues that

“The goal of short-term interventions is to provide a bridge to get people over the shortfall and back on the road toward their financial goals, but not expose them to repeated financial risks”.

‘Assetfunders.org’ provides short-term interventions which include four options: buffer, borrowing, benefits and backstop.

Involving interventions linked to resilience can include working with these households on how they can get and spend money, find way of building savings, setting up an income-generating activity, etc.  Below are the types of intervention strategies that can be used to work with the community.

 

• • Types of Intervention Strategies 

 

They include and are about reassessing household capital structure, redefining household’s liquidities and their financial risk while examining how much households are protected from income shocks by their financial assets (such as current accounts, savings and investments) or other forms of support (like state benefits, friends and families).

We can briefly summarise each of these interventions.

 

• • • Reassessing household capital structure

 

Like a firm, household capital structure is made of savings, debts and equity.

Reassessing household capital structure is about looking at how much they hold in terms of assets (e.g., percentages of cash, of net worth or the property they own, of investments in shares and bonds) and debts (e.g., mortgage).  It is also about advising them how they can build a better capital structure.

 

• • • Redefinition of household’s liquidities

 

It is about reexplaining households that they need cash to meet short-term and immediate obligations.  It is also about working with them to find assets that can be easily and rapidly convertible into cash.  This implies working out their liquidity ratio, which refers to the number of liquid assets to overall assets.

 

• • • Re-explaining household’s financial risk

 

FRPHs helps households to avoid financial mistakes.  Taking disproportionate financial risks can be one of the mistakes.  Re-explaining and understanding these financial risks can be financial life-saving. 

Among the risks are negative coping financial strategies like resorting to costly loans, running down or low savings, cutting back on insurance, etc.

 

• • • Examination of households’ protection from income shocks

 

FRPHs can assist households to protect themselves from income shocks.  Examining households’ protection is about looking at how households can use their financial assets (such as current accounts, savings and investments, trusts and bonds), to protect them from income shock.

 

• • • Resorting to other forms of support 

 

FRPHs  can as well support households by checking with them if they are entitled to support from government benefits, employers, and voluntary organisations/charities to protect them from income shock.  This includes crowdfunding schemes, friends and families.

It is possible to work with households making the CENFACS Community to apply the above-summarised strategies.

 

• • Working with Households on Intervention Strategies

 

Working with households on financial strategies is about helping them to avoid costly financial mistakes.  There are reasons to work with them, particularly if they are poor.  It is known that poor households tend to have very little property or financial wealth, debts exceeding assets, physical assets to make up a much higher proportion of the overall wealth and lower capacity to save for retirement due to low income.

Because of all these reasons, FRPHs is one of the ways to help them navigate their way to financial protection.  It can help them release trapped cash and working capital.

For example, if a household does not realise the type of financial risk it is taking in resorting to costly coping strategies, CENFACS can work with this particular household to find cheap strategy to stay resilient.  In this process of working with this household, we can as well discuss their liquidity ratio and capital structure.

The above is the third theme of our FRPHs .

Those households that are looking for suitable financial strategies in order to stay resilient, they can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about the theme of Intervention Strategies for Households as well as Financial Resilience Programme for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty: Working Plan for the Fourth Series of Nature Activities

 

To implement biodiversity strategies and action plans, it requires financial resources.  The fourth series of Nature Activities deals with financial resources.

This fourth series of these activities, which will start from the 6th of May 2024, falls under the scope of target 19 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (6) adopted at the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

The highlights of the fourth series of the nature activities to be carried out are given below.

 

• • Highlights of the Fourth Series

 

Activity 1: E-discussion on Payment for Ecosystem Services

 

This is an online conversation about the ways of giving something monetary or non-monetary in return for benefiting from nature.  Giving something can help for the upkeep of the nature.

 

Activity 2: A Survey on Green Bonds

 

This is an exercise of looking at in detail debt securities with a view that the money raised from investors is solely used to fund projects with positive impact on the environment.

 

Activity 3: Workshop on Biodiversity Offsets and Credits

 

This is a course or work for those interested in biodiversity to study how organisations can engage and finance activities that deliver net positive biodiversity gains.

 

Activity 4: Art and Design about Benefit-sharing Mechanisms

 

This activity consists of the creation of works of beauty and making drawing/model showing how the sharing of benefits derived from biodiversity conservation can be beneficial for indigenous and other local peoples.

As said above, the contents of the above-mentioned four nature activities stem from the nineteenth target of nature goals making the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (op.cit.), which was agreed in December 2022.

 

 

• • Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty –

From Week Beginning 06/05/2024: E-discussion on Payment for Ecosystem Services

 

Before giving the aim of this activity and what will be about, we would like to let or remind the prospective participants to this activity what the payment for ecosystem services means.

Ecosystem services are simply the benefits that people get from nature.  These services are supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (7),

“Payment for ecosystem services is the name given to variety of arrangements through which the beneficiaries of environmental services, from watershed protection and forest conservation to carbon sequestration and landscape beauty, reward those lands provide these services with subsidies or market payments”.

This definition will help the e-discussion.

 

a) Aim of Activity 1

 

The aim of this Activity 1 is to help the community to discuss and explore way of finding innovative solutions to pay for the benefits that people get from nature.

 

b) What the e-Discussion on the Payment for Ecosystem Services Will Be about

 

We will be e-debating current innovations and latest developments on the matter.

The e-discussion will be online exchange among the participants to reflect on the question of the payment for ecosystem services.  It will take place between the 6th and 12th of May of 2024.

You can contribute your answer and respond to others by agreeing or disagreeing, sharing your evidence and raising relevant issues surrounding the payment for ecosystem services.   CENFACS facilitator or moderator will summarise the points to be made by participants.

For those who would like to engage with Activity 1, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to find out more about Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, they can also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 11: Outcome Evaluating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

Normally, at the beginning of a project or activity, planners of this project or activity will indicate how they plan to evaluate it.  Planners can think of pre-project evaluation, ongoing project evaluation and post-project evaluation.  However, what is project evaluation for them?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Project Evaluation

 

To simplify the matter, we are referring to what Anna Allen and Catriona May (8) say about it, which is:

“Evaluation is a process of assessing what an activity or project achieves, particularly in relation to the overall objectives” (p. 36)

There are many types of evaluation depending on the areas of emphasis.  Evaluation can be before the project starts (pre-project evaluation), when the project is in progress (ongoing evaluation) and when the project is finished (post-project evaluation).  Evaluation can also be formative, process/implementation, outcome/effectiveness and impact.  It all depends on what you want to achieve in evaluating a project.

In the Step/Workshop 11, we are interested in Outcome Evaluation.

 

• • • What is an outcome evaluation?

 

To understand outcome evaluation, one may need to know outcome.   Outcome has been described in the United Nations Development Programme’s Guidance on Evaluation (9) as

“The intended changes in development conditions that result from the interventions of governments and other stakeholders, including international development agencies such as UNDP.  They are medium-term development results and the contributions of various partners and non-partners.  Outcomes provide a clear vision of what has changed or will change globally or in a particular region, country or community within a period of time” (p. 3)

Knowing what is outcome, it is possible to explain outcome evaluation.  According to ‘evalcommunity.com’ (10),

“Outcome evaluation is a type of evaluation that focuses on measuring the results or outcomes of a programme or intervention.  It is a systematic and objective process that involves collecting and analysing data to determine whether the programme is achieving its intended goals and objectives, and whether the outcomes are meaningful and beneficial to the target population”.

The same ‘evalcommunity.com’ states that there are many types of outcome evaluation which include impact evaluation, outcome-focused evaluation, process evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, and realist evaluation.

In this Step/Workshop 11, we are dealing with outcome-focused evaluation.

Let us exemplify this.

 

• • Example of Outcome Evaluating Your All-year Round Projects

 

Let us assume that one of our users decides to organise a 4-Km-a-day Run Project to raise money for CENFACS’ one of its noble and beautiful causes of poverty reduction, which is to support Africa-based Sister Organisations currently helping displaced persons in the south borders of Sudan.

In order to outcome evaluate the 4-Km-a-day Run Project, our all-year-round project user will proceed with the following:

 

∝ Ensure that their project is on course and identify the problems as they come up

(Type of problems could be if everybody taking the run manages to run 4 kilometres or not)

∝ Measure progress towards their objectives

(E.g., if one of the objectives was to raise £500 on a particular day, they will check fundraising progress about this objective)

∝ Seize new window of opportunities

(For instance, if more people turn up than initially expected, our all-year-round project user can think of the possibility of running the activity again another day)

∝ Deal with any challenges during project implementation

(Like to organise a networking/talk session for the extra number of attendees who could not take part in the run because there is a restriction on the number of runners)

∝ Recognise success and failure

(I.e., our all-year-round project user will find out what went wrong or well during the Run Project)

∝ Give some recommendations for the future run of the project

(I.e., ask participants to make suggestions or tell them how you will improve the project if you decide to run it again)

∝ Keep all records

(Of the number of participants/runners, all the people involved, money raised, incidents, accidents, reports, etc.)

∝ Conduct a progress review

(If it is the second time to run your project, you will review the progress made in comparison with the previous run)

∝ Complete evaluation in due course

(I.e., remember to tick all the boxes of you evaluation sheets/forms when you finishes your project).

 

The above is one of the possible ways of outcome evaluating your All-year Round Projects.  For those who would like to dive deeper into Outcome Evaluation of their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Programme de Résilience Financière pour les Ménages – Gros plan du mercredi 01/05/2024 : Stratégies d’Intervention pour les Ménages

Nos travaux sur les actifs financiers détenus par les ménages ou sur les ressources économiques dont disposent les ménages pour les aider à rester résilients face aux chocs se poursuivent.  Cette semaine, nous nous penchons sur les Stratégies d’Intervention pour les Ménages, qui constituent le troisième thème de notre Programme de Résilience Financière des Ménages (PRFM).

• • Qu’est-ce qu’une stratégie d’intervention?

Il s’agit d’actions visant à réduire les vulnérabilités financières des membres de la communauté CENFACS et de leurs familles, et à leur donner les moyens de subvenir aux besoins essentiels de leurs ménages.  Ces interventions peuvent inclure des coups de pouce à l’épargne, des prêts d’urgence, des aides en espèces, des réclamations d’assurance, etc.

Ces interventions peuvent être à court, moyen et long terme.  Le site web «Assetfunders.org» (5) fait valoir que

« L’objectif des interventions à court terme est de fournir un pont pour aider les gens à surmonter le manque à gagner et à se remettre sur la voie de leurs objectifs financiers, mais pas à les exposer à des risques financiers répétés. »

Le programme «Assetfunders.org» prévoit des interventions à court terme qui comprennent quatre options : 1) coussin de sécurité, 2) emprunt, 3) prestations et 4) filet de sécurité.

L’implication d’interventions liées à la résilience peut inclure le travail avec ces ménages sur la façon dont ils peuvent obtenir et dépenser de l’argent, trouver des moyens de constituer une épargne, mettre en place une activité génératrice de revenus, etc. 

Veuillez trouver ci-dessous les types de stratégies d’intervention qui peuvent être utilisées pour travailler avec la communauté.

• • Types de stratégies d’intervention 

Il s’agit de réévaluer la structure du capital des ménages, de redéfinir les liquidités des ménages et leur risque financier, tout en examinant dans quelle mesure les ménages sont protégés contre les chocs de revenu par leurs actifs financiers (tels que les comptes courants, l’épargne et les investissements) ou d’autres formes de soutien (comme les prestations de l’État, les amis et la famille).

Nous pouvons résumer brièvement chacune de ces interventions.

• • • Réévaluation de la structure du capital des ménages

À l’instar d’une entreprise, la structure du capital des ménages est constituée d’épargne, de dettes et de capitaux propres.

La réévaluation de la structure du capital des ménages consiste à examiner le montant qu’ils détiennent en termes d’actifs (p. ex., pourcentages de liquidités, de valeur nette ou de biens qu’ils possèdent, de placements en actions et en obligations) et de dettes (p. ex., hypothèque).  Il s’agit également de les conseiller sur la façon dont ils peuvent construire une structure de capital.

• • • Redéfinition des liquidités des ménages

Il s’agit de réexpliquer aux ménages qu’ils disposent d’argent liquide pour faire face à leurs obligations à court terme et immédiates.  Il s’agit également de travailler avec eux pour trouver des actifs qui peuvent être facilement et rapidement convertibles en espèces.  Cela implique de calculer leur ratio de liquidité, c’est-à-dire le nombre d’actifs liquides par rapport à l’ensemble des actifs.

• • • Réexpliquer le risque financier du ménage

Le PRFM aide les ménages à éviter les erreurs financières.  Prendre des risques financiers disproportionnés peut être l’une des erreurs.  Réexpliquer ces risques financiers peut sauver des vies financières. 

Parmi les risques, il y a les stratégies financières négatives telles que le recours à des prêts coûteux, l’épuisement ou la faiblesse de l’épargne, la réduction des assurances, etc.

• • • Examen de la protection des ménages contre les chocs de revenu

Le PRFM peut aider les ménages à se protéger contre les chocs de revenu.  L’examen de la protection des ménages consiste à examiner comment les ménages peuvent utiliser leurs actifs financiers (tels que les comptes courants, l’épargne et les investissements, les fiducies et les obligations) pour les protéger contre les chocs de revenu.

• • • Recours à d’autres formes de soutien 

Le PRFM peut également soutenir les ménages en vérifiant auprès d’eux s’ils ont droit à un soutien de la part des prestations gouvernementales, des employeurs et des organisations bénévoles/caritatives pour les protéger contre le choc de revenu.  Cela inclut les programmes de financement participatif, les amis et les familles.

Il est possible de travailler avec les ménages faisant partie de la Communauté CENFACS pour appliquer les stratégies résumées ci-dessus.

• • Travailler avec les ménages sur les stratégies d’intervention

Travailler avec les ménages sur des stratégies financières permet d’éviter des erreurs financières coûteuses.  Il y a des raisons de travailler avec eux, surtout s’ils sont pauvres.  On sait que les ménages pauvres ont tendance à avoir très peu de biens ou de patrimoine financier, que les dettes excèdent les actifs, que les actifs physiques représentent une proportion beaucoup plus élevée de la richesse globale et que la capacité d’épargner en vue de la retraite est plus faible en raison d’un faible revenu.

Pour toutes ces raisons, le PRFM est l’un des moyens de les aider à naviguer sur leur chemin vers la protection.  Cela peut les aider à libérer les liquidités et le fonds de roulement piégés.

Par exemple, si un ménage ne se rend pas compte du type de risque financier qu’il prend en recourant à des stratégies d’adaptation coûteuses, le CENFACS peut travailler avec lui pour trouver une stratégie peu coûteuse pour rester résilient.  Dans ce processus de travail avec ce ménage, nous pouvons également discuter de leur ratio de liquidité et de la structure de leur capital.

Ce qui précède est le troisième thème de notre PRFM.

Les ménages qui recherchent des stratégies financières adaptées pour rester résilients peuvent travailler avec le CENFACS.

Pour toute question et/ou demande de renseignements sur le thème des Stratégies d’Intervention pour les Ménages ainsi que sur le Programme de Résilience Financière pour les Ménages (y compris comment accéder à ce programme), n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• May 2024 Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Systems Reset and Change

 

The items making the contents of May 2024 Stories include the following:

 

∝ What is All in Development Stories Project?

∝ May 2024 Stories: Stories of Systems Reset and Change

∝ Story Telling Sequences or Series

∝ Nature-based Solutions inside Your Stories of Systems Reset and Change

∝ AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Changing Mindsets and Seeing Wholes (Starting from Wednesday 01/05/2024)

∝ Further Information about May 2024 Stories.

 

Let us highlight each of these elements.

 

• • What Is All in Development Stories Project?

 

All in Development Stories (AiDS) is a life story building, developing, telling, sharing and learning project set up by CENFACS in 2009 in order to give opportunities to volunteers, interns and other development supporters and enthusiasts 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 five properties as follows:

 

√ 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.

 

√ 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.

 

√ AiDS is an inspirational and motivational support network

 

After all, the project seeks to inspire and motivate others on the road of change for better change; especially for those (who are part of our network and those who would like to be part of it) who might prepare and use their summer break or any other occasions to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

 

√ AiDS is a building storytelling skills initiative

 

It helps story tellers to develop skills to tell and supply stories (stories generation) to meet the demand of stories listeners (stories heard) in order to connect those in need to poverty reduction.  These stories that connect to poverty reduction can be linear and non-linear as well as deliberately action-oriented.

 

√ AiDS finally is a state-of-the-art project 

 

It is the art of poverty relief telling story that 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.  As the National Storytelling Network (11) puts it in these terms:

“Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination”.

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Stories of System Reset and Change.

 

• • May 2024 Stories: Stories of System Reset and Change

 

• • • What are Stories of System Reset and Change?

 

To understand these stories, it is better to explain system reset and system change.

 

• • • • What is system reset?

 

Reset is simply set again (12).  It is about bringing something back to its default settings or initial state.  In the information technology world, the verb reset is used for computer to mean erasing the entire drive and recreating the factory setup.

According to ‘dictionary.cambridge.com’ (13),

“Reset is the act of returning a piece of equipment to its original settings, usually by turning it off and on again: A hard reset will erase all of the device’s applications”.

Another use of reset can be found during and after the coronavirus disaster when some people spoke about resetting our systems.  Amongst the voices that stood up for global resetting was that of Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum.

Klaus Schwab (14) spoke about the Great Reset of Our Systems.  Schwab meant the revamping of all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions.  In his view of resetting our systems, he mentioned seven ways of doing it, which are:

1) shaping the economic recovery 2) harnessing the fourth industrial revolution 3) strengthening regional development 4) revitalizing global cooperation 5) developing sustainable business models 6) restoring the health of the environment and 7) redesigning social contracts, skills and jobs.

From what has been argued about reset, it possible to describe Stories of System Reset.

 

• • • • What are Stories of System Reset?

 

System Reset Stories are simply about how people and communities are trying or have tried to bring things back to their default settings or initial state. Following what the World Economic Forum (op. cit.) argues about the four ways of resetting the system, System Reset Stories are:

 

• the sequencing tales of changing our mindset (Stories of Changing Mindsets)

• the narratives of creating new metrics to reset systems – our poverty reduction system (Stories of Creating Metrics)

• the histories of designing new incentives (Stories of Designing Incentives)

• the tellings of building genuine connections to reset systems – our poverty reduction system (Stories of Building Connections).

 

In short, System Reset Stories are those of giving tools to direct economic recovery, driving sustainable growth, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement in the process of resetting systems.  They are the tales of physical, social, environmental, financial and economic reset of systems.

However, if the current system is no longer fit for the resetting purpose, then there could be a need to change it.

 

• • • • What is system change?

 

The World Resources Institute (op. cit.) argues that

“Systems change can be defined as shifting component parts of a system – and the pattern of interactions between these parts – to ultimately form a new system that behaves in a qualitatively different way”.

The world Resources Institute also contends that there are no linear models or plans to change systems.

Additionally, ‘ssir.org’ (15) explains that

“The work of systems change involves seeing systematically – looking at the elements, interconnections, and wider purposes of systems – and acting systematically.  Story plays a vital role in helping us do both of these things.  Story has many different qualities that make it useful for the work of systems change”.

 

• • • • What are Stories of System Change?

 

System Change Stories are

 

• the accounts of seeing the whole system rather just its parts (Stories of Seeing Wholes)

• the plots of looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots (Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns)

• the anecdotes of understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems (Stories of Understanding Interconnections)

• the reports of forming a new system (Stories of Forming Systems).

 

Briefly speaking, System Change Stories are the says of navigating interdependent webs of systems with complex interconnections and relationships.

Both System Reset and Change Stories will be presented via AiD Story Telling programme.

We are running 4+4 or two-story series of AiD Story Telling programme during this month of May, programme that will revolve around the process of ‘Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’ within the context of Squeezed Household Spending.

For those who want to tell their Stories of Resetting and Changing Systems; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories.

 

• • Story Telling Sequences or Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting on 01/05/2024 and after every Wednesday until the end of May 2024

 

The following two-story series or sequences have been planned for this month of storytelling (May Stories).

 

σ Serial 1: From Wednesday 01/05/2023: Stories of Changing Mindsets and Seeing Wholes

Stories of Changing Mindsets are the sequencing tales of changing our mindset, while Stories of Seeing Wholes are the accounts of seeing the whole system rather just its parts.

 

σ Serial 2: From Wednesday 08/05/2024: Stories of Creating Metrics and Looking at Changing Patterns

Stories of Creating Metrics are the narratives of creating new metrics to reset systems – our poverty reduction system, while Stories of Looking at Changing Patterns are the plots of looking at patterns of change rather than static snapshots.

 

σ Serial 3: From Wednesday 15/05/2024: Stories of Designing Incentives and Understanding Interconnections

Stories of Designing Incentives are the histories of designing new incentives, while Stories of Understanding Interconnections are the anecdotes of understanding key interconnections within a system and between systems.

 

σ Serial 4: From Wednesday 22/05/2024: Stories of Building Connections and Forming Systems

Stories of Building Connections are the tellings of building genuine connections to reset systems – our poverty reduction system, while Stories Forming Systems are the reports of forming a new system.

 

Both Systems Reset and Change Stories will help us Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’ within the context of Squeezed Household Spending.

 

• • Nature-based Solutions inside Your Stories of ‘Build Forward Better Together to a Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Future’ within the Context of Squeezed Household Spending

 

There are many solutions or recipes in order to build forward from the squeezed household spending.  In the context of AiD Stories, we would like to hear stories of building forward better using nature-based solutions.  What do we mean by nature-based solutions?

There are many ways of defining nature-based solutions.  The EU Commission (16) defines nature-based solutions as

“Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions”.

For those who would like to tell or submit their stories, it will be a good idea to bring out storying aspects of nature-based solutions making part of their stories.

 

 

• •  AiDS Serial 1: Stories of Changing Mindsets and Seeing Wholes (Starting from Wednesday 01/05/2024)

 

We have two stories from our two-story model: Stories of Changing Mindsets and Stories of Seeing Wholes.  Let us look at each of them.

 

• • • Stories of Changing Mindsets

 

To present these stories, let us first try to briefly explain mindset.

 

• • • • Brief explanation of mindset

 

Our explanation of it comes from ‘leanscape.io’ (17) which states that

“A mindset is a pattern of thought that allows us to approach change in a certain way”.

Similarly, ‘mindmotionacademy.com’ (18) argues  that

“It is not always easy to change your mindset.  It can be hard to let go of the old way of thinking that have been a part of you for so long.  But if you want to change your life trajectory, it is essential to start by changing your mindset”.

Although these explanations of mindset relate to individuals, they can be applied to systems.  To reset systems, one needs to change their mindset whether or not they would like to do it.

The above views about mindset can lead to certain stories.

 

• • • • Stories of Changing Mindsets

 

From the above-mentioned views, we have identified four stories of changing our mindset in order to reset systems, our system of poverty reduction.  These stories are

 

a) the transition stories of opening up yourself to new possibilities

b) the storytelling infographics of allowing yourself to explore different options

c) the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices and tones of considering new opportunities

d) the tales of believing that anything is possible.

 

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Changing Mindsets, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Stories of Seeing Wholes

 

These are the stories to do with systems thinking.  What is system thinking?

 

• • • •   Short explanation of system thinking

 

On the website ‘nhselect.nhs.uk’ (19), system thinking is defined as

“A way of changing our mindsets and by looking to see the word a new to better deal with the complexities that we face”.

The same ‘nhselect.nhs.uk’ quotes Peter Senge who argues that

“System think is a discipline for seeing wholes.  It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static snapshots”.

From this short explanation of system thinking, what are Stories of Seeing Wholes?

 

• • • • Stories of Seeing Wholes

 

They are

 

a) the accounts of seeing the whole system rather just its parts

b) the anecdotes of stressing the interrelationships between components of a system

c) the narratives of unlocking system-level change to change it

d) the records of tones of voice that can influence policy decisions and change the landscape in reducing the incidence of shocks and emergencies on poor people

e) the tales of appeals to increase supportive services to help the people in need.

 

These stories can be used to communicate the impact of community-led system change work.

For example, these stories can help to know how those involved in community-led systems can change initiatives by telling compelling stories about the nature and impact of their work or how these stories can be used to enable and celebrate community-led systems change work.

If you are a member of our community and have this type of story, please do not hesitate to tell and share your story with CENFACS.  If you are not our member, you can still submit your story.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of Stories of Seeing Wholes, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Further Information about May 2024 Stories

 

• • •  2024 Story Areas of Interest

 

We normally 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 2024 Entries

 

As said above, the 2024 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 2024

 

∝ Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2024)

∝ Story submission deadline (31/05/2024)

∝ Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2024)

∝ Submission of revised stories (01 to 31/05/2024)

 

• • • Storytelling Check List

 

Before submitting, please check that your story meets the following:

 

√ Relatable

√ Relevant

√ Engaging

√ Inspiring

√ Building inclusion

√ Poverty-relieving

 

• • •  CENFACS Story Telling & Sharing Terms

 

To tell and/or share your May story, please let us know the following:

 

√ who you are

√ where and when your experience took place 

√ and of course the story itself.

 

You could also

 

√ text

√ twit 

√ record voice/video

√ send some forms of supporting materials/resources to back up your story.

 

Should you wish not to be name, please let us know your decision.

Please see below our story telling, sharing and learning terms.

 

• • • CENFACS story telling, sharing and learning terms

 

1) We welcome told, untold, linear and non-linear stories

2) Inside, witness, news, behind the scenes and 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 or voice or video or even infographics)

6) Mention location, dates and names of events in the story

7) We accept photos, images, pictures, videos, info-graphic materials, 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, scamming, ransom ware, phishing and trolling practices are not accepted as well

10) We greatly consider stories building on inclusion, inspiring people to change, containing poverty-relieving elements and highlighting nature-based solutions to poverty and hardships.

 

For further clarification, contact CENFACS.

 

Tell and share your storyline of change for change by communicating the impact you make!

CENFACS is looking forward to engaging with you through your story.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to CENFACS at facs@cenfacs.org.uk.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.civicus.org/monitoring-toolkits/toolkit/impact-story/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(2) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/building-blocks-of-the-great-reset/ (accessed in March 2024)

(3) https://www.wri.org/insights/systems-change-how-to-top-6-questions-answered (accessed in April 2024)

(4) https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/policy_brief_stevens_poverty_transitions_1.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

(5) https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/Measuring_Financial_Resilience_AFN_2021_Single_1.13.21.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

(6) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-press-release-final-19dec2022 (Accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/black_sea_basin/danube_carpathian/our_solutions/green_economy/pes/ (accessed in April 2024)

(8) Allen, A. & May, C. (2007), Setting Up For Success – A practical guide for community organisations, Community Development Foundation, London (Great Britain)

(9) web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/guidance/UNDP_Guidance_on_Outcome-Level%20_Evaluation_2011.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

(10) https://www.evalcommunity.com/career-centre/outcome-evaluation/ (accessed in April 2024),

(11) https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/ (Accessed in May 2023)

(12) https://www.thefreedictionary.com/reset (accessed in April 2024)

(13) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reset  (accessed in April 2024)

(14) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/now-is-the-time-for-a-great-reset/ (accessed in April 2024)

(15) https://ssir.org/articles/entry/using_story_to_change_systems# (accessed in April 2024)

(16) https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/environment/nature-based-solutions_en (Accessed in May 2023)

(17) https://leanscape.io/change-management-mindset/ (accessed in April 2024)

(18) https://mindmotionacademy.com/what-is-mindset-and-why-is-it-important? (accessed in April 2024)

(19) https://www.nhselect.nhs.uk/uploads/files/1/what%20is%20system%20thinking.pdf (accessed in April 2024)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going this Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

24 April  2024

 

Post No. 349

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS Issue No. 83 of Spring 2024 Titled as Charity Trade, Investment and Poverty Reduction in Africa

• Burundi’s Flood Victims Ask for Your Aid

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households – In Focus for Wednesday 24/04/2024: Households’ Liquid Assets

 

…And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS Issue No. 83 of Spring 2024 Titled as Charity Trade, Investment and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

The 83rd Issue of FACS is about trade and investment run by Africa-based Sister Charitable Organisations to help reduce poverty and hardships amongst those in need.  It also includes trading activities carried out by the members or beneficiaries of these organisations, who are engaged in trade to reduce poverty or simply to make ends meet.  Amongst these people are those poor who cross borders on a daily basis to sell goods and services to make ends meet.  The 83rd Issue of FACS focus on these organisations and individuals selling goods and services for the purpose of coming out poverty.

The 83rd Issue of FACS inspects contemporary theories of trade and the space they provide to explain trade in the charitable and voluntary sector, particularly in Africa.  Far from being a simple theoretical account of these theories or models, the 83rd Issue of FACS aims at providing the justifications or cases for trade within the charitable and voluntary worlds.  One of these justifications comes from International Trade Council (1) which argues that

“Economic growth spurred by international trade can directly contribute to poverty reduction.  As countries export goods and services, they not only generate income but also create employment opportunities, which can uplift people out of poverty”.

The 83rd Issue of FACS  deals with intra-regional trade carried out by Africa’s charities and how this trade is helping to reduce poverty.  As a treaty of intra-regional trade, the 83rd Issue of FACS envisages cases of trade within the region of Africa and the space given by African Continental Free Trade Area with all the advantages and disadvantages that area contains.  In doing so, the 83rd Issue of FACS does not undermine the value of trade conducted beyond Africa’s borders.

The 83rd Issue of FACS is a story of trade creation, rather than trade diversion, in order to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  From this perspective, the 83rd Issue of FACS is an illustration of how Africa-based Trade Charitable Organisations are trying to capture the window of opportunities provided by a free trade regime to reduce poverty in various sectors of human empowerment.

In practical terms, the 83rd Issue of FACS is a handy piece of work explaining how poor and vulnerable beneficiaries are trying to create usable means to live off and push poverty away.  To push poverty away via trade, these beneficiaries need trade skills.  So, investing in these beneficiaries to acquire or improve these skills has been dealt within the 83rd Issue of FACS, just as the transmission and sharing of trade skills.

Key summaries and highlights of the 83rd Issue of FACS are given under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Burundi’s Flood Victims Ask for Your Aid

 

This is an appeal to light a blaze of hope for those who have been affected by El Niño in Burundi.  Indeed, El Niño has severely impacted the Lake Tanganyika with landslides, heavy rains, and violent winds, according to the information received from Burundian local sources.

In addition to this information, ‘reliefweb.int’ (2) explains that

“Since 13 March 2024, the water level of Lake Tanganyika has risen by 776.76 meters, exceeding the normal level by 1.76 meters, making the most severe increase in sixty years.  The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika have impacted 10 communes across 4 provinces affecting all households in the vicinity”.

The website ‘relief.int’ also presents the following list of damages as a result of El Niño:

∝ Nearly 1, 344 houses have been flooded

∝ 300 houses have been threatened with 34 households displaced

∝ More than 300 Ha of fields in Bujumbura have been damaged

∝ 65 Ha of fields have been damaged around the disaster

∝ Road from Bujumbura to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been damaged.

The cartography of the damages is also given by the local people and the victims themselves who argue the following:

∝ 200,000 people have been affected by the effects of El Niño phenomenon

∝ 20, 000 people have been left homeless

∝ 40,000 hectares of crops have been washed away 

∝ 29,000 class rooms have been severely damaged in towns bordering the Lake Tanganyika.

As a result of these damages, there are many threats like of spread of epidemics, hunger, malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of safe drinking water, etc.

Yet, it is possible to help limit the life-threatening and -destroying damages of the El Niño phenomenon on the Burundians.   It is practically feasible to mitigate the adverse impacts of bad weather and natural catastrophes (like rising lake level) caused by El Niño.

You can support the Flood Victims of Burundi who Need Lighting a Blaze of Hope.

You can Light up a Blaze of Hope for them.

You can also donate £5 or more since the needs are urgent and pressing.  Through this appeal and your support, CENFACS aims to reach the Flood Victims in Burundi.

You support will help

√ alleviate the suffering of the El Niño-affected communities

√ reduce the side effects of the chaos brought by El Niño

√ respond to the flood victims’ need of food, shelter, safe drinking water, clean sanitation, health and education.

These flood victims need your life-saving humanitarian response right now.

To donate or light a blaze of hope, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Financial Resilience Programme for Households – In Focus for Wednesday 24/04/2024: Households’ Liquid Assets

 

This week, we are carrying on the work on financial asset holdings of households or economic resources that households possess to help them stay resilient against shocks, like financial crisis that affect financial assets and other values.

To start this second theme of our Financial Resilience Programme for Households (FRPHs), theme which is Households’ Liquid Assets, we are going to briefly explain the meanings of households’ liquid assets.

Since one of the objectives of this programme is to help reduce liquid asset poverty, we are going to elucidate what this type of poverty means.  Then, we will illustrate how households’ liquid assets can contribute to their financial resilience, and how CENFACS can work with them regarding liquid assets matter.

 

• • What Are Household Liquid Assets?

 

To understand household liquid assets, one may need to first know the meaning of asset.  

The definition of asset used here comes from Ford in 2004, quoted by Caroline Moser (3).  This definition is:

“An asset is identified as a stock of financial, human, natural or social resources that can be acquired, developed, improved and transferred across generations. It generates flows or consumption, as well as additional stock”. (p. 5)

The concept of asset can include tangible and intangible ones.  Assets can also be aspirational, psychological, productive, political, environmental, etc.  However, what we are interested in is liquid assets. What are liquid assets?

According to ‘sapling.com’ (4),

“Household liquid assets are its cash and equity assets.  These assets include the cash that you have on hand in the household, plus any bank accounts, retirement accounts, certificates of deposit, and saving bonds or other bonds you own.  Equity assets also include the cash value of any life insurance you own”.

Focussing on the conversion and speed properties of these assets, the website ’embracehomeloans.com’ (5) speaks about  their ease of conversion into cash and the speed at which they can be sold or traded without any significant loss of values.  For this website, liquid assets – which are equal fast, easy access to cash – include: savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and shares of company which can be easily sold (liquidated) and converted into cash, annual tax refund.

The understanding of these assets provides the basis for dealing with poverty linked to them.  In other words, households that do not have these assets can be considered as liquid asset poor.

 

• • What Is Asset-based Poverty?

 

There are many ways of defining it.  Using the definition given Carlotta Balestra (6),

“A household/individual is asset-poor whenever their wealth holdings are not sufficient to secure them a given standard of living for a certain, usually short, period of time”.

The study conducted by Carlotta Balestra under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development differentiates income from assets, as well as distinguishes asset-based poverty from net worth poverty.

The definition of asset-based poverty and what it measures will help in studying the household net worth of CENFACS’ members, as well as to work out the percentage of these households or individuals in our community experiencing income and/or liquid asset poverty.

 

• • Contributions of Liquid Assets to Households’ Financial Resilience

 

Liquid assets like cash, savings, accounts deposits, money market funds, government bonds, etc. can contribute to households’ financial resilience in time of financial crisis or income shock.  Unfortunately, many low income families or households may not be able to have enough or lack liquid assets to face these crises or shocks.  For many of them, what they earn or receive as income from one hand goes away to the other hand as expenses, without having the possibility to retain some of this income as liquid asset.   They end up with nothing to keep as liquid assets.

This is why it is important to work with them on liquid assets as part of FRPHs and the Month of Protection within CENFACS, so that they can understand how it is life-saving to have liquid assets for your financial resilience and what can be done to create liquid assets.

 

• • Working with Households on Liquid Assets

 

Working with household on liquid assets is about operationalising the above-mentioned definitions.  It is also about using an asset-based approach to poverty reduction by focussing on assets vulnerabilities, capabilities and endowments.  It is further about developing policies (including advice, information, guidance services, etc.) to address the impacts of shocks by focussing on the assets and entitlements of these households.

For example, if liquid asset poverty is high for a particular household making our community, we can work with this household to address this issue so that when a crisis or shock appears this household could be ready to face it.  In this process of working this household, we can as well discuss their reserve target/policy.

The above is the second theme of our FRPHs .

Those households that are struggling to have liquid assets in order to stay resilient, they can work with CENFACS.

For any queries and/or enquiries about the theme of Liquid Assets for Households as well as Financial Resilience Programme for Households (including how to access this programme), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 22/04/2024: Consumer Protection

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

 

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 22/04/2024: Consumer Protection

 

The last key note of our approach to protection from the perspective of spending/expenses/expenditures is on Consumer Protection.  To compose this note, let us explain consumer protection and how CENFACS can work with its community on this matter.  Since this is the last note, we shall as well deliver our final thought on theme of Spending Protection, theme of the Month of Protection.

 

• • What Is Consumer Protection?

 

To explain it, let us refer to what ‘aseanconsumer.org’ (7) argues about it, which is

“Consumer protection safeguards the well-being and interests of consumers through education, mobilization, and representation.  Consumer protection ensures that consumers make well-informed decision about their choices and have access to effective redress mechanism”.

From the perspective of this note, consumer protection will be approached from the consumer side rather than from what consumer laws tell businesses what are their customer rights.  From our point of view, it means working with the members of our community (here made by consumers) on their consumer protection or rights.

 

• • Working with the CENFACS Community Members on Consumer Protection

 

It is about making sure that consumer protection system designed for them work for them.  It means that they too can play their part in the system.

Therefore, working with them includes:

 

√ ensuring that they are informed about their rights

√ accepting to play the rule of the game as an informed consumer

√ informing them about consumer associations that can help them

√ playing their part in consumer protection system

√ guiding them to areas of consumer policies, laws and regulations so that they do not loose money through their spending because of the lack of protection 

√ explaining them the guarantee that businesses provide regarding the quality of their products and services

√ discussing with them the tools protecting their consumption

√ enhancing their knowledge in the areas of consumer protection

√ securing redress actions with them if required

etc.

 

The above are just some of ways CENFACS could support the community regarding consumer protection.  These support services or products make up our financial guidance service relating to consumer protection.

 

• • Final Thought on Spending Production

 

Dealing with poverty as basic expenditure insufficiency or poverty linked to the lack of spending protection is more than just resolving the problem of transferring consumption or purchasing power to those in need at a particular time of the history.  It is mostly about restoring and sustaining the human right relating to essential spending.  It means removing all the barriers stepping in the way of these people and their future generations so that they can enjoy freedom from poor or the lack of basic consumption.

Those who need help and support about financial guidance on spending protection and/or for any of the matters listed above falling within our capacity or relating to the Protection Month, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024

 

The Month of Protection within CENFACS is also a giving one towards protection.  It is the month of supporting CENFACS’ Networking and Protection Project.  To support this project, one may need to understand it.

 

• • What Is CENFACS’ Networking and Protection Project?

 

It is a child poverty reduction initiative designed to help and support the vulnerably poor children from HARMS, THREATS and RISKS from any forms of exploitation, neglect and abuse in Africa.  The project helps and supports them through the improvement of the flow of information, knowledge development, self-help activities, the increase and diversification of opportunities and chances together with and on behalf of these children.

One can back this project by Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024.

 

• • What Supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024 Is about

 

It is about the following:

 

√ Improving the flow of information with and amongst the vulnerable people and communities for poverty relief

√ Preventing and responding to any forms of vulnerability threats and risks coming from close and global environments by using protection tools at our disposal

√ Re-empowering the vulnerable by increasing and diversifying opportunities and strengths amongst them.

 

• • What Your Support Can Achieve

 

It will help

 

√ To raise awareness and improve the circulation and dissemination of information for poverty reduction and vulnerability relief

√ To prevent human exploitation (particularly child exploitation) and respond to child protection and safeguarding issues

√ To re-empower and re-strengthen poor people and communities’ capacities and capabilities to protect young generations

√ To widen and diversify opportunities to the vulnerable to escape from poverty

√ To develop a well-informed base to reduce information gap and other types of vulnerabilities linked to the lack of networking, interconnectedness and protection.

 

• • How to Support Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024

 

You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION of any amount as a way of supporting Networking and Protection against Poverty in 2024.

To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.

You can donate

 

*over phone

*via email

*through text

*by filling the contact form on this site. 

 

On receipt of your intent to donate or donation, CENFACS will contact you.  However, should you wish your support to remain anonymous; we will respect your wish.

 

 

 

• All-year Round Projects Cycle (Triple Value Initiatives Cycle) – Step/Workshop 10: Terminating Your Play, Run and Vote Projects

 

There are various reasons that can lead to project termination.  ‘Taskmanagementguide.com’ (8) states that

“Failure and success are two basic reasons for terminating projects”.

The same ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ explains that success happens when project goals and objectives are accomplished on time and under budget, while failure occurs when project requirements are not met.

The above reasons for project termination can be related to the types of project termination to a certain degree; types which could be termination by addition or by integration or by starvation.  In the end, what is project termination?

 

• • Defining Project Termination

 

There are similarities in the definition of project termination.  To simplify the matter, let us refer to the definition of ‘taskmanagementguide.com’, which is

“Project termination is a situation when a given project is supposed to be closed or finalised because there’s no more need or sense for further continuation”.

Similarly, Project Management Institute (9) argues that

“Projects by definition are time bound, and must terminate”.

However, to effectively finalise a project, one needs to follow project closure procedures.

Let us follow project closure procedures to close out one of our all-year-round projects.

 

• • Example of Terminating Your All-year Round Projects: Case of Play Project

 

Realistically speaking, any of your All-year Round Projects close out just a week before 23/12/2024.  As explained above, there is a procedure for terminating them.  This procedure can be simple or complex depending on project.

Let say, you want to finalise your Play Project.  To do that, we are going to use a 8-step model of terminating a project as provided by ‘taskmanagementguide.com’ (op. cit.)

 

• • • Terminating Your Play All-year Round Project

 

To terminate your Play Project, you need proceed with the following:

 

a) Close any agreements you made with any third parties

(e.g., if you borrow materials from the library to research on poverty reduction performance of African countries, you need to close the given borrowing agreement by returning the materials, which can be a book, video, tape, etc.)

b) Handover responsibilities and accountabilities

(i.e., transfer assignments to your play mates)

c) If you have been playing with friends and family members, you will dismiss them

d) Release the resources used

(e.g., returning books to the lending library)

e) If you open a project book to record your results and accounts, you need to close it

f) Record and report your lessons learnt and experiences

g) Accept or reject your result which in this case should be the best African Country Poverty Reducer of 2024

h) Share your result with the community and CENFACS by 23/12/2024.

 

The above is one of the possible ways of terminating your All-year Round Projects.

For those who would like to dive deeper into Terminating their Play or Run or Vote project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Programme de Résilience Financière des Ménages – Gros plan du mercredi 24/04/2024 : Les Liquidités des Ménages

Cette semaine, nous poursuivons nos travaux sur les actifs financiers détenus par les ménages ou sur les ressources économiques dont disposent les ménages pour les aider à rester résilients face aux chocs, comme les crises financières qui affectent les actifs financiers et d’autres valeurs.

Pour débuter ce deuxième thème de notre Programme de Résilience Financière des Ménages (PRFM), qui est les Liquidités des Ménages, nous allons vous expliquer brièvement la signification des Liquidités des Ménages.  Étant donné que l’un des objectifs de ce programme est de contribuer à réduire la pauvreté en liquidités, nous allons élucider ce que cela signifie. Ensuite, nous montrerons comment les liquidités des ménages peuvent contribuer à leur résilience financière, et comment le CENFACS peut travailler avec eux sur les actifs liquides.

• • Qu’est-ce qu’un actif liquide pour les ménages?

Pour comprendre les liquidités des ménages, il faut peut-être d’abord connaître la signification du mot « actif ».

Caroline Moser (3) cite Ford qui affirmait en 2004 que

« Un actif est identifié comme un stock de ressources financières, humaines, naturelles ou sociales qui peuvent être acquises, développées, améliorées et transmises d’une génération à l’autre. Elle génère des flux ou des consommations, ainsi que des stocks supplémentaires ». » (p. 5)

La notion d’actif peut inclure des actifs tangibles et immatériels.  Les actifs peuvent également être ambitieux, psychologiques, productifs, politiques, environnementaux, etc.  Cependant, ce qui nous intéresse, ce sont les actifs liquides.

Les liquidités des ménages sont, selon le « sapling.com (4),

« Leurs liquidités et capitaux propres.  Ces actifs comprennent l’argent que vous avez en main dans le ménage, ainsi que les comptes bancaires, les comptes de retraite, les certificats de dépôt et les obligations d’épargne ou autres obligations que vous possédez.

Les capitaux propres comprennent également la valeur de rachat de toute assurance-vie que vous détenez.

En se concentrant sur les propriétés de conversion et de rapidité de ces actifs, le site Web « embracehomeloans.com » (5) parle de leur facilité de conversion en espèces et de la rapidité avec laquelle ils peuvent être vendus ou échangés sans perte de valeur significative.  Pour ce site, les actifs liquides – qui sont synonymes d’un accès rapide et facile à l’argent liquide – comprennent : les comptes d’épargne, les actions, les obligations et les actions de la société qui peuvent être facilement vendues (liquidé) et converti en espèces, remboursement d’impôt annuel.

La compréhension de ces actifs constitue la base pour faire face à la pauvreté qui y est liée.  En d’autres termes, les ménages qui ne disposent pas de ces actifs peuvent être considérés comme pauvres en liquidités.

• • Qu’est-ce que la pauvreté fondée sur les actifs?

Il existe de nombreuses façons de le définir.  En reprenant la définition donnée par Carlotta Balestra (6),

« Un ménage ou un individu est pauvre en actifs lorsque son patrimoine n’est pas suffisant pour lui assurer un niveau de vie donné pendant une certaine période, généralement courte. »

L’étude menée par Carlotta Balestra sous les auspices de l’Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economique (OCDE) établit une distinction entre le revenu et le patrimoine, ainsi que la pauvreté fondée sur le patrimoine de la pauvreté liée à la valeur nette.

La définition de la pauvreté fondée sur les actifs et ce qu’elle mesure aideront à étudier la valeur nette des ménages de nos membres, ainsi qu’à déterminer le pourcentage de ces ménages ou personnes de notre communauté qui vivent dans une pauvreté en matière de revenu et/ou d’actifs liquides.

• • Contribution des liquidités à la résilience financière des ménages

Les actifs liquides tels que les liquidités, l’épargne, les dépôts sur les comptes, les fonds du marché monétaire, les obligations d’État, etc. peuvent contribuer à la résilience financière des ménages en cas de crise financière ou de choc des revenus.  Malheureusement, de nombreuses familles ou ménages à faible revenu peuvent ne pas avoir suffisamment d’actifs liquides ou manquer de liquidités pour faire face à ces crises ou à ces chocs.  Pour beaucoup d’entre eux, ce qu’ils gagnent ou reçoivent comme revenu d’une part,  part de l’autre part en tant que dépenses.   Ils se retrouvent sans rien à conserver en tant qu’actifs liquides.

C’est pourquoi il est important de travailler avec eux sur les actifs liquides dans le cadre des PRFM et du Mois de la Protection au sein du CENFACS afin qu’ils puissent comprendre pourquoi il est vital d’avoir des actifs liquides pour leur résilience financière et ce qui peut être fait pour créer des actifs liquides.

• • Travailler avec les ménages sur les actifs liquides

Travailler avec les ménages sur les actifs liquides, c’est opérationnaliser les définitions mentionnées ci-dessus.  Il s’agit également d’utiliser une approche de réduction de la pauvreté fondée sur les actifs, en mettant l’accent sur les vulnérabilités, les capacités et les dotations des actifs.  Il s’agit en outre d’élaborer des politiques (y compris des services des  conseils, de l’information, des orientations, etc.) pour faire face aux impacts des chocs en mettant l’accent sur les actifs et les droits de ces ménages.

Par exemple, si la pauvreté en liquidités est élevée pour un ménage particulier qui fait partie de notre communauté, nous pouvons travailler avec ce ménage pour résoudre ce problème afin qu’en cas de crise ou de choc, ce ménage puisse être prêt à faire face.  Dans ce processus de travail avec ce ménage, nous pouvons également discuter de leur politique de réserve.

Ce qui précède est le deuxième thème de notre PRFM.

Les ménages qui ont du mal à avoir des liquidités pour rester résilients peuvent travailler avec le CENFACS.

Pour toute question et/ou demande de renseignements sur le thème des Liquidités pour les Ménages ainsi que sur le Programme de Résilience Financière pour les Ménages (y compris comment accéder à ce programme), n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 83 of Spring 2024 Titled as Charity Trade, Investment and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

The contents and key summaries of the 83rd Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Terms Relating to the 83rd Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Members of CENFACS Who May Be Interested in the News about Charity Trade and Investment (Page 2)

III. Relationship between Charity Trade and Poverty Reduction, between Charity Investment and Poverty Reduction (Page 3)

IV. Relationship between Trade and Conflict Reduction (Page 3)

V. Tackling Skills Gap in Trade in Africa (Page 4)

VI. Informal Sector Trade Skills Development in Africa (Page 4)

VII. Protection et aide à la prise en compte de la dimension de genre du commerce effectué par les commerçantes pauvres en Afrique (Page 5)

VIII. L’entrepreneuriat féminin et la réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle en Afrique (Page 5)

IX. Les petites et moyennes activités des femmes pour sortir de la pauvreté (Page 6)

X. Les femmes aident les organisations sœurs de la CENFACS basées en Afrique par le biais de micro-activités commerciales (Page 6)

XI. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Charity Trade and Investment (Page 7)

XII. Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Trade and Investment (Page 8)

XIII. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Charity Trading, Investment and Poverty Reduction  (Page 9)

XIV. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 83rd Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Terms Relating to the 83rd Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three terms used in the context of this Issue of FACS.  These terms are charity trading, charity investment and poverty reduction.  Let us briefly explain these key terms.

 

• • • • Charity Trading

 

To explain this term, we are referring to what the Scottish Charity Regular says about trading.  According the Scottish Charity Regular (10),

“Trading usually involves the sale of goods or services for the purpose of making a profit.  Trading can be carried out directly by the charity, if it has the power in its governing document.  In some cases, it is advisable that any trading is carried out by a trading subsidiary”.

From the point of view of the same Scottish Charity Regular, trading can be primary or ancillary or non-primary.  Primary purpose trading helps advance the charity’s purpose (e.g., providing residential accommodation in return for fees).  Ancillary purpose trading compliments charitable purposes (e.g., sale of drinks and foods at charity events).  Non-primary purpose trading provides an income to support charitable activity (e.g., selling calendars to raise funds for the charity).

So, by following charity trading regulatory rules, trading is possible for charities.  Charity trade can help to back charities’ mission and charity objects like the reduction of poverty.  For example, according to ‘charityretail.org.uk’ (11),

“Profit contribution of charity retail to parent charities was £387 million between 2022 and 2023.  Social value generated by UK charity shops was £75.3 billion between January and December 2022”.

 

• • • • Charity Investment

 

Again, according to the Scottish Charity Regular (12),

“An investment is intended to generate a return – to give something back to the person or organisation that owns it.  In a charity context, investments are charity assets used to help the charity deliver its charitable purposes”.

Investments can bring the following: financial return (income), capital growth, social or environmental return, and so on.  It is not a surprise if Charities Aid Foundation (13) argues that

“Investing can make the most of your long-term funds and protect your charity’s money against the impact of inflation.  Investments may generate better returns than holding cash in the bank, so there is potential to grow your money and expand in the future”.

As the ‘charityintelligence.co.uk’ (14) explains in its ‘The Charity Intelligence Investment Fund Quarterly Review’, charities can have capital return and earn income from their investment in terms of mixed assets funds, UK equity funds, global equity funds, fixed interest funds, property and cash funds.

Briefly speaking, charities can trade and invest under charity laws, which need to be followed and complied with.  In other words, a charity that would like to trade and/or invest needs to first check what the charity laws say in its area of operation.

 

• • • • Poverty Reduction

 

To understand poverty reduction, there could be a need to know poverty.  John Scott and Gordon Marshall (15) sociologically explain that

“Poverty is a state in which resources, usually material but sometimes cultural, are lacking” (p. 588).

Poverty reduction is thus any measure or effort to decrease this state in which resources are lacking.

Looking at poverty reduction from the monetary perspective, Y. A. Bununu (16) thinks that

“Poverty reduction can be considered as the improvement of an individual’s or group’s monetary expenditure to an amount above the poverty line while improving access to education, healthcare, information, economic opportunities, security of land-tenure, all the other deprivations associated with it”.

Taking a historical and intertemporal view of poverty reduction, the website ‘borgenproject.org’ (17) argues that poverty reduction is evolving concept.  It evolves from a simple to complex concept throughout the time to mean the following:

σ financial contributions to governments of poverty-stricken nations

σ achieving the goal of lifting as many people above the poverty line as possible

σ the extended relief programmes and education programmes focusing on sustainability in target communities.

The goalposts of poverty reduction keep moving depending on the types of hardship people face at a particular time of the history.

The above-named definitions shape the contents of the 83rd Issue of FACS.  They also provide some indication about the types of audiences the contents of this Issue may be interested in.

 

• • • Members of CENFACS Who May Be Interested in the News about Charity Trade and Investment (Page 2)

 

Among the people with whom CENFACS work and who may be interested in charity trading and/or investing in our noble and beautiful cause of reducing poverty include the following:

 

√ Those who would like to feed their families through trade

√ Those wanting to make ends meet or reduce poverty via trade

√ Those who would like to raise funds for CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful cause via trading

√ Africa-based Sister Organisations engaged in or planning to trade and invest to help reduce poverty in Africa

√ Those seeking trade skills to reduce poverty

√ Those who see trade as a potential way of reducing conflicts that adversely affect poor people

√ Investment and fund managers of Africa’s charities

√ Those planning to impact invest in the poor people’s idea to trade

√ Those aiming at tackling skills gap in trade for good causes

√ Those looking to reduce gender gaps in trade and investment

√ Project beneficiaries engaged or planning to trade for CENFACS‘ noble and beautiful cause of poverty reduction

Etc.

 

All the above-mentioned persons (physical or moral) can find some interesting information in the 83rd Issue regarding their trading and investment plans or projects.  They may also want to know if there is any relationship between charity and poverty reduction, between charity investment and poverty reduction.

 

 

• • • Relationship between Charity Trade and Poverty Reduction, between Charity Investment and Poverty Reduction (Page 3)

 

The findings from many studies conducted on these relationship issues tend to suggest that there could be a link between charity trade and poverty reduction, an association between charity investment and poverty reduction.

For example, the World Economic Forum (18) argues that

“Open trade is particularly beneficial to the poor, because it reduces the cost of what they buy and raises the price of what they sell”.

This can be true for charity trade as well.

Equally, the British International Investment (19), which provides some studies on the relationship between investment and the rate of poverty reduction, states that

“Higher rates of private investment are associated with faster poverty reduction”.

Private investment in charities can have similar effects.

However, to prove that there is a positive relationship between charity trade and poverty reduction, or charity investment and poverty reduction, one may need to statistically conduct a correlation test with data in hands.  Statements are not enough to prove this sort of relationships.

 

• • • Relationship between Trade and Conflict Reduction (Page 3)

 

Trade can help to reduce conflicts between people, between neighbours. 

For example, if young unemployed people learn to trade and engage in trade, there could be chance that they would not be recruited into armed movements (like what is happening in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and criminal gangs or being candidates for illicit activities such as natural resources trafficking which could exacerbate poverty where these resources are illicitly taken.

In this respect, trade can help reduce the possibility of conflicts and wars in Africa, which can decrease the probability of increased poverty.  Again, one needs statistical evidence with data to back whatever they are saying.

 

• • • Tackling Skills Gap in Trade in Africa (Page 4)

 

Many poor beneficiaries can succeed or manage to set up income-generating activity to feed their nuclear family and the rest of their extended family.  However, there is still a challenge as many of them lack certain critical skills to scape up their trade to deliver poverty reduction on a large scale.  Many of them fail to develop scalable economies in their trading models.

Special attention can be paid to both soft and hard skills like marketing, communication, digital skills, etc. to tackle skills gap in trade in Africa.  Tackling them can help enhance poverty reduction in Africa.  There is a number of skills that poor traders need in order to improve their trading capacity and capability.  Amongst these skills are the ones we have just mentioned above plus the following ones: analytical, market research, marketing, focus, record keeping, communication skills, etc.

 

• • • Informal Sector Trade Skills Development in Africa (Page 4)

 

In 2014, ‘adeanet.org’ (20) found that

“In Africa, the majority of workers in micro and small enterprises learn their trade on the job in the informal sector rather than in the formal technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector”.

Yet, providing the entire spectrum of skills training in the form technical and vocational skills development for sustainable trade profession to those engaged in trade can increase and improve the way they trade.

Although, what ‘adeanet.org’ found was 10 years ago, it is still happening today in Africa.  Knowing the large size of the informal sector in Africa, there is a great need to train these workers who would like to engage in trade if one wants to further reduce poverty in Africa.

 

• • • Protection et aide à la prise en compte de la dimension de genre du commerce effectué par les commerçantes pauvres en Afrique (Page 5)

 

Dans les zones d’opération de nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique, on remarque qu’il y a beaucoup de femmes qui font du commerce pour joindre les deux bouts.  Mais, elles rencontrent de nombreux défis et problèmes.  Bien qu’il soit difficile de saisir l’ampleur des flux de commerce informel (à la fois intrafrontalier et transfrontalier), il est possible de protéger et d’aider ces femmes.  Pour les protéger et les aider, il peut s’agir de:

√ Les aider à participer efficacement aux négociations commerciales

√  Leur donner les moyens d’analyser les questions liées au commerce (comme les programmes de financement pour passer à l’échelle)

√  Les accompagner dans la diversification de leur modèle commercial

√  Éliminer les obstacles qui empêchent les femmes de participer au commerce

√  Améliorer leur capacité à commercer

√  Lutter contre la violence fondée sur le genre dans le commerce

√  Leur fournir une infrastructure pour qu’ils puissent commercer comme des étals sur une place de marché

√  Mettre fin à toute forme de harcèlement, y compris de la part des agents du fisc ou des policiers.

√  Améliorer brièvement les conditions et le statut de ces femmes commerçantes.

Ce qui précède n’est que quelques exemples de moyens de protéger et d’aider ces femmes à s’engager dans le commerce. et si l’on veut prendre en compte de la dimension de genre du commerce effectué par les commerçantes pauvres.

 

• • • L’entrepreneuriat féminin et la réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle en Afrique (Page 5)

 

L’entreprenariat féminin en Afrique est souhaité et désiré par les femmes elles-mêmes.  Il est également soutenu par ONU Femmes (21) à travers ses activités de réforme et de diffusion des lois qui sont bénéfiques pour l’entrepreneuriat féminin.  Cela est particulièrement vrai pour les femmes issues de milieux pauvres qui s’engagent dans des activités génératrices de revenus pour subvenir aux besoins de leur famille.

Ces opérations et activités leur permettront de sortir du secteur informel et de la pauvreté.  Cela profitera non seulement à ces femmes, mais aussi à leurs familles et à leur progéniture.  Cette sortie peut également avoir des effets bénéfiques en termes de réduction de la pauvreté intergénérationnelle.

Car l’histoire regorge d’exemples où le commerce passe des parents à leurs enfants et petits-enfants.  Si le transfert est bien assuré et réussi, il peut éviter une histoire de pauvreté intergénérationnelle.

 

• • • Les petites et moyennes activités des femmes pour sortir de la pauvreté (Page 6)

 

Ces activités comprennent les activités maraîchères itinérantes, la vente de pain, la gestion de petits commerces ou de petits dépôts, la vente de braises, la vente de poissons et de produits alimentaires, etc.  Ces activités se trouvent dans la plupart des endroits où nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique opèrent.  Ces activités ont un impact sur la pauvreté.

Ces activités contribuent à assurer leur vie existentielle et sociale.  Elles aident d’une manière ou d’une autre à autonomiser ces femmes et à les libérer de la pauvreté.  Cependant, ces femmes, marchandes et commerçantes entreprenantes ont besoin d’être guidées et soutenues.

Il y a des organisations africaines de soutien au commerce qui peuvent leur apporter secours dans plusieurs matières (telles que le développement des produits and des parts de marché, le renforcenent des capacités à faire du commerce, etc.).  Parmi ces organisations, on peut citer les suivantes:

∝ Africa Trade Foundation (https://www.africatradefoundation.org)

∝ Africa Trade Fund (https://www.africatradefund.org)

∝ African Trade Policy Centre (https://www.uneca.org/african-trade-policy-centre)

Etc.

 

• • • Les femmes aident les organisations sœurs de la CENFACS basées en Afrique par le biais de micro-activités commerciales (Page 6)

 

Il y a un certain nombre de nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui ont été aidées par des femmes locales et des bénéficiaires de projets dans de nombreux domaines tels que le volontariat, le commerce, la collecte de fonds, etc.

En nous concentrant sur le commerce, partageons ceci.  Selon les zones où les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique opèrent, certaines de ces organisations sont engagées dans la fourniture de biens et de services.  Il y en a qui le font avec l’aide de sympathisants locaux.  Parmi ces habitants, il y a des femmes qui aident à vendre, par exemple, des biens (tels que les savons, les aliments et les vêtements faits à la maison) fabriqués par elles-mêmes afin de collecter des fonds localement pour soutenir leur cause.

Ces activités commerciales apportent une certaine contribution aux organisations caritatives pour répondre aux besoins locaux tels que la santé, l’éducation, le développement local et d’autres besoins locaux.  Ces activtités leur permettront de sortir de la pauvreté.

 

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Charity Trade and Investment (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on charity trade

 

Trading can provide to charities extra income to achieve their mission.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our users and community members regarding their perception of charity trading.

Participation to this survey is voluntary.

As part of the survey, we are running a questionnaire which contains some questions.  One of these questions is:

 

Q: Charity trading can contribute more to the relief of poverty than charity donation?

 

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Testing hypotheses about charity investments to poverty reduction

 

According to the Scottish Charity Regular (op. cit.),

“Charity’s investments can involve a range of assets, such as a building from which you receive rental income, cash placed on deposit which generated interest, a portfolio of stocks, shares and other assets, or a right to income from other asset, for example royalty income arising from owning the copyright to a book”.

Considering this spectrum of investments, one can conduct the following test:

 

∝ Null Hypothesis (Ho): There is a correlation between charity’s return on investments and its contribution to its cause.

∝ Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is not a correlation between charity’s return on investments and its contribution to its cause.

 

The above test is for those of our members who would like to dive deep into charity’s investments and their impact on its cause.  In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on charity’s return on investments and to know the charity cause they are talking about.

 

• • • • E-question on your view about charity trading

 

Any of our readers and users can answer the following question:

 

Q: Is trading the right option for charities since trading involves the sale of goods and services for the purpose of making profit?

 

You can provide your answer directly to CENFACS.

For those answering any of this question and needing first to discuss charity trading, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • E-discussion on resilience via trading and/or investment

 

Many of our members have their own view about what helps to stay resilient against global shocks.  Some think that trading can help.  Others do not agree as they believe that trading could be itself a transmission channel of global shocks, which impacts the people in need.  Others more argue that diversifying your risk through a good investment policy on your assets will shield you from global shocks.

For those who may have any views or thoughts or even experience to share with regard to this matter, they can join our e-discussion to exchange their views or thoughts or experience with others.

To e-discuss with us and others, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Trade and Investment (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Guidance regarding the reduction of poverty via trade and investment

 

Trade and investment can be a means to reduce and possibly end poverty.

For those members of our community who would like find out how trading and investing can help them to reduce or come out of poverty, they can contact CENFACS.

CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of trading and investing.

We can work with them under our Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  We can as well signpost them to organisations working on trading and investing issues.

If you are a member of our community, you can ask us for guidance on trading and investing to reduce poverty.

 

• • • • Tools and metrics of the 83rd Issue of FACS

 

The 83rd Issue of FACS is concerned with four types of tools or metrics which are: return on investment, surplus margin, earned income and poverty gap ratio.

Let us briefly explain these tools or metrics.

 

 

• • • • • Investment tool and metrics: Return on Investment

 

The 83rd Issue utilises as tool Return on Investment. This return on investment (ROI) does not necessarily to be financial (income).  It can be capital growth, social or environmental return, happiness and so on.

If one chooses financial ROI, then they need to explain what it means and how to measure it.  Definitions of ROI tend to overlap.

For example, ‘corporatefinanceinstitute.com’ (22) defines ROI as

“A performance measure used to evaluate the returns of an investment or to compare the relative efficiency of different investments”.

Another definition comes from ‘forbes.com’ (23) that states

“ROI is a metric used to understand the profitability of an investment”.

There is also online ROI calculator for those who will be interested in it.

Because charities exist to delivery public benefit not profit, the 83rd Issue is also interested in non-financial ROI. Furthermore, the 83rd Issue considers the impact of your investments on poverty reduction.  In other words, it deals with impact investing.

 

• • • • • Surplus margin

 

The second metrics that the 83rd Issue uses is Surplus Margin.  What is it?

It is the following measure:

 

(Net income/Total income) x 100

 

The website ‘cranfieldtrust.org’ (24) explains that

“Generating a surplus allows a charity to invest in the improvement/expansion of charitable activities.  If the surplus marginal overall is positive, you have made a surplus and your reserves will be boosted”.

For example, this measure can be used to find out the surplus margin of African charitable trade organisations investors and their investment portfolios.

Additionally, one could consider the number of charitable trade organisations that are investors and the types of their investments. Do they invest in mixed assets funds or national equity funds or global equity funds or fixed interest funds or property and cash funds or green bonds?  What do their investment portfolios look like?  Do they achieve a surplus margin? What is the profile of their margins?

 

• • • • • Earned to unearned income ratio

 

The 83rd Issue also employs the ratio of earned to unearned income.  This ratio can be written as follows:

 

Earned Income / Unearned Income

 

The website ‘cranfieldtrust.org’ (op. cit.) argues that

“The ratio of earned to unearned income helps to show that the charity has developed diversified income as it has evolved.  It is useful for donors and funders”.

For example, our ASOs that would like to trade can utilise this ratio to compare income earn from trading to incomes from unearned sources.

 

• • • • • Poverty gap ratio

 

This is an interesting metrics of poverty as it measures the intensity of poverty.

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (25) explains that

“The poverty gap ratio or poverty gap index is the average of the ratio of the poverty gap to the poverty line.  Economists and statisticians express it as a percentage of the poverty line for a region or whole country…The poverty gap ratio considers how far, on the average, poor people are from poverty line”.

The above tools and metrics can be used in dealing with charity trading, investment and poverty reduction in Africa.  For example, one can use the poverty gap ratio to measure the average shortfall of the income of the poor women traders in Africa from the poverty line.

 

 

• • • • Information and guidance on charity trading, investment and poverty reduction

 

Information and Guidance include two types areas of support via CENFACS, which are:

a) Information and guidance on charity trading and poverty reduction

b) Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing and poverty reduction.

 

• • • • • Information and guidance on charity trading and poverty reduction

 

Those Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) that are looking for information and guidance on charity trading and that do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment conducted under CENFACS’ International Advice Service) or provide them with leads about other organisations, institutions and services that can help them.

 

• • • • • Signposts to improve Users’ Experience about impact investing and poverty reduction

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about impact investing queries, we can direct them to the relevant services and organisations.

More tips and hints relating to the matter can be obtained from CENFACS‘ Advice-giving Service and Sessions.

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of charity trading and investment, although the Issue 83 does not list them.  Before making any request, one needs to specify the kind of organisations they are looking for.

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

 

 

• • • Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Charity Trading, Investment and Poverty Reduction  (Page 9)

 

 

• • • • Mini themed workshop on trade skills to reduce poverty 

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about the reduction of poverty via trade skills with CENFACS.

The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about trade skills and knowledge while improving the quality of their lives.  The workshop will provide recommendations for actions with options and opportunities for the participants.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Focus group on impact investing

 

The focus group will deal with how to invest not only to realise a good return on your investment, but also to create a lasting impact.  Impact investing will be approached from the perspective of win-win.

To take part in the focus group, group that will use deliberative practice strategies, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Spring activity: Becoming Charity Impact Investors

 

This user involvement activity revolves around the answers to the following question:

Q: What steps do you need to take to become a charity impact investor? 

Those who would like to answer these questions and participate to our Becoming Charity-Impact-Investors Activity, they are welcome.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • • • Readers’ giving

 

You can support FACS, CENFACS bilingual newsletter, which explains what is happening within and around CENFACS.

FACS also provides a wealth of information, tips, tricks and hacks on how to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

You can help to continue its publication and to reward efforts made in producing it.

To support, just contact CENFACS on this site.

 

• • • • Basic Trade Skills Development (deBASICTS) Project

 

deBASICTS is an initiative that helps to reduce poverty by providing new skills or reskilling or skilling up those who are looking forward to trade to make ends meet or to improve their enterprising model in the African context.

deBASICTS will be achieved through the development of trade capacity and capability to trade and reduce poverty.  As it stands, the project is not only about developing trade skills, but also reducing poverty through the skills acquired or at least putting project beneficiaries in the right direction to reduce poverty.

To support or contribute to deBASICTS, please contact CENFACS.

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

The full copy of the 83rd Issue of FACS is available on request.

For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://tradecouncil.org/exploring-the-relationship-between-international-trade-and-poverty-reduction/# (accessed in April 2024)

(2) https://reliefweb.int/report/burundi/burundi-floods-and-landslides-dref-operation-ndeg-mdrbio20-update (accessed in April 2024)

(3) Moser, C. O. N. (2006), Asset-based Approaches to Poverty Reduction in a Globalized Context: An introduction to asset accumulation policy and summary of workshop findings, The Brookings Institutions, Global Economy and Development Working Paper#01, Washington, DC, doi: 10.2139/ssrn. 1011176 (accessed in April 2024)

(4) https://www.sapling.com/7817240/household-assets (accessed in April 2024)

(5) https://blog.embracehomeloans.com/liquid-assets-vs-fixed-assets-understand-the-differences/ (accessed in April 2024)

(6) Balestra, C. (2018), OECD Statistics and Data Directorate, Social Situation Monitor Research Seminar, Brussels, March 2018

(7) https://www.aseanconsumer.org/cterms-consumer-protection (accessed in April 2024)

(8) www.taskmanagementguide.com/glossary/what-is-project-termination-.php (Accessed in April 2023)

(9) https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-termination-delay-1931 (Accessed in April 2023 )

(10) https://www.oscr.org.uk/guidance-and-forms/charities-and-trading-guide/1-types-of-charity/# (accessed in April 2024)

(11)  https://www.charityretail.org.uk/key-statistics/ (accessed in March 2024)

(12) https://www.oscr.org.uk/guidance-and-forms/charity-investments-guidance-and-good-practice/2-what-is-an-investment/# (accessed in April 2024)

(13) https://www.cafonline.org/charities/investment/getting-started-with-charity-investment (accessed in April 2024)

(14) https://www.charityintelligence.co.uk/media/139/2023-06-charity-intelligence-investment-performance-fund-quarterly-reviewpdf (accessed in April 2023)

(15) Scott, J. & Marshall, G. (2009), Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press, Oxford  New York

(16) Bununu, Y. A. (2020). Poverty Reduction: Concept, Approaches, and Case Studies. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer. Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71058-7_31-1 (accessed in April 2024)

(17) https://borgenproject.org/what-is-poverty-reduction/ (accessed in April 2024)

(18) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/poverty-reduction-rests-on-trade (accessed in April 2024)

(19) https://www.bii.co.uk/en/news-insight/insight/articles/whats-the-expected-impact-of-investment-on-poverty-reduction (accessed in April 2024),

(20) https://www.adeanet.org/en/blogs/skilling-africa-the-paradigm-shift-to-technical-and-vocational-skills-development (accessed in April 2024)

(21) https://www.unwomen.org/fr/about-un-women (accessed in April 2024)

(22) https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accouting/what-is-return-on-investment-roi/ (accessed in April 2024)

(23) https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/roi-on-investment/ (accessed in April 2024)

(24) https://www.cranfieldtrust.org/articles/top-10-financial-ratios-forcharities (accessed in April 2024)

(25) https://marketbusinessnews.com/information-on-credit/gap-ratio–definition-meaning (accessed in August 2023)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS Keep the Poverty Relief Work Going this Year

 

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

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

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

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

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

With many thanks.