Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 August 2023

 

Post No. 314

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All Poor, Poor Children, Young Carers and Families Need Your Support!

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 23/08/2023: Supporting Services 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal – Creative Activity No. 5: Create Your Journal of Trust

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• All Poor, Poor Children, Young Carers and Families Need Your Support!

 

All poor, children who need networking to protect them, undervalued young carers and poor families with children trying to tackle poverty via sports in Africa; they all need your donations and gifts.  They need your assistance as the following data and facts speak for them.

According to the United Nations Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development (1),

“534 million (47.8 percent) poor people live in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023” (p. 6)

“The number of poor people deprived in nutrition is around 245 million in Sub-Saharan Africa and almost 80 percent of poor people (i.e. 444 million) lacking access to electricity live in Sub-Saharan Africa (p. 12)

Likewise, the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Africa (2) finds from its work on the number of children unvaccinated in Africa that

“An estimated 33 million children will need to be vaccinated in Africa between 2023 and 2025 to put the continent back on track to achieve the 2030 global immunization goals that include reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases”.

The above-mentioned figures about the number of poor people tell us that there is a need to do something about this large number of poor in Africa where poverty is experienced in intensity and incidence.  The number of unvaccinated children provide an indication of lack of health protection of these children.

Additionally, there are those poor who are lacking basic connectivity that could have helped them to navigate their way out poverty.  Yet, they need basic connectivity.  As ‘weforum.org’ (3) puts it

“In times of disaster, basic connectivity is a form of aid that connects people to the resources critical for survival and enables humanitarian organisations to quickly deliver life-saving information”.

The same ‘weforum.org’ adds that

“Technology can go where people cannot and where rescue efforts put the lives of responders at risk”.

Moreover, there are young carers (aged under 18) in Africa who take all sorts of caring responsibilities and roles such as collecting wood for energy to warm homes and cook a meal, looking after their family members and communities, cooking, cleaning, etc.  They provide this support at their own expenses as they miss opportunities of education and learning.  Their substantial, regular and unpaid care is not properly valued.

They are as well poor children and youth who have no access to sports and sustainable development opportunities to help them escape from poverty.  There is a need to help and invest in poor children and youngsters (aged between 5 and 18 ) to take the opportunities of the sports sector to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.

All poor, unprotected children, undervalued young carers, distressed poor and those poor suffering from the lack of opportunities in sport development and sustainable development; they all are asking for support to reduce and or end the type of poverty they are experiencing.

Their requests are summarised inside the 2023 Edition of CENFACS’ Summer Humanitarian Appeal Projects.

The projects making this appeal include the following:

 

√ Win against Distress in Africa

√ All Gifts for All Poor 

√ International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis

√ Iconic Young Carer 

√ ELCLASSICO International.

 

Except CENFACS’ Win against Distress in Africa, the other four projects have been highlighted under the Main Development section of this post.  The highlight about CENFACS’ Win against Distress in Africa can be found at cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

The above five projects require donation or funding or influence.

The fundraising and influencing campaign for them will end by 22 September 2023.

To support and or enquire about these humanitarian relief appeal projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 23/08/2023: Supporting Services

 

The last episode of our trending series in following the direction of poverty reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystems will be on Supporting Services.

In this last episode, we are going to try to understand these supporting services and to explain the way by which we will be following the direction of poverty reduction via supporting services.

 

• • Understanding Supporting Ecosystem Services

 

Supporting ecosystem services can be understood depending on the way one tries to define or interpret them.

For example, the ‘millenniumassessment.org’ (4) contends that

“Supporting ecosystem services are ecosystem services that are necessary for the maintenance of all other ecosystem services [i.e., provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services].  Some examples include biomass production, production of atmospheric oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, water cycling, and provisioning of habitat”.  Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.

Another example comes from Katrina Brown et al. (5) who use a table relating to ecosystem services from coastal and marine ecosystems which contribute to the wellbeing of poor coastal dwellers (p. 17).  For them, ecosystem supporting services include habitat provision, support for aquatic life cycles, hydrological cycle and nutrient cycling.  The key ecosystems providing services linked to these supporting services are coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass; open ocean currents; coastal forest, wetlands, mangroves; and various coastal ecosystems.

Regardless of the way in which one tries to approach supporting ecosystem services, the commonality in these definitions is that supporting ecosystem services are services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services.  In other words, they underpin or support other services to function.

However, our understanding of supporting ecosystem services should not limit to the support they give to other ecosystem services.  Our understanding needs to go deeper in trying to explore what else they can do, particularly what they can do for poverty reduction.

We can go deeper by following the direction of poverty reduction with or via supporting ecosystem services.  It is our in-depth understanding of how supporting ecosystem services can contribute to poverty reduction.

 

• • Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Supporting Ecosystem Services

 

It is well known that supporting ecosystem services have indirect benefits to humans since humans benefit from them by way of the other types of ecosystem services.  For example, supporting services (such as mangroves and estuaries as habitat and nursery for fish and other marine species) sustain provisioning services on which people rely for their livelihoods.  Because of that, can we argue that there are links and relationships between supporting services and poverty reduction?

 

• • • Possible links and relationships between Supporting Services and poverty reduction

 

After quantifying the links and relationships between ecosystem services and poverty, Katrina Brown at al. (idem) argue that

“Supporting [and regulating] services are valued, but their role in poverty alleviation is not clear”.

Following their case study on poverty and ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas, Katrina Brown et al. (ibidem) think that

“The urban and peri-urban coastal poor are dependent on ecosystem services [including] to exposure to health risks resulting from inadequate sanitation and pollution in places like Mozambique”.

They call for urgent need to broaden understanding of the links between poverty and ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas.

It emerges from the studies of Katrina Brown et al. and of others about marine and coastal ecosystem supporting services and coastal poverty two messages:

1) the coastal poor indirectly rely on supporting services to decrease their vulnerability

2) the coastal poor bear the costs of ecosystem degradation and loss of ecosystem systems.

Considering what we have just said so far, perhaps the best way of finding out these links and relationships, if they exist, is to help in following the direction of poverty reduction through supporting services.

 

• • • How can you help in following the direction of poverty reduction via Supporting Services?

 

Each of our community members and supporters can follow the direction of poverty reduction via supporting services.

For those of our members, supporters and audiences heading towards coastal areas this Summer or just interested in this trending topic, they can enquire about whether or not supporting services are helping coastal poor to reduce poverty.

For those who have stories with hard evidence or are conducting studies on this matter, they can add their inputs by respectively sharing their stories or findings with us.

For example, those who may have opportunity to talk to coastal poor communities about the impacts of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services  on them, they can share their findings with us.  This is the same for those who have been involved in or running any pieces of research on these services in the form of focus discussion group, a pilot research project, a survey, etc.

The above is our way of Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Supporting Services.

To follow the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem supporting services with us, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Concluding Note on Our Summer Trending Series

 

To conclude this Summer series of trending work, let us finally say that Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services has improved our understanding on how marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) can help to reduce poverty, particularly through provisioning and regulating services they provide. 

Marine and coastal ecosystems contribute or enhance climate aspects of sustainable development.  However, the ability of poor people to benefit from MCES depends on barriers they face which could be related to access to resources, technology, markets and other factors.  There is a need to have disaggregated data on coastal poor in order to know how these services are helping them.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal – Creative Activity No. 5: Create Your Journal of Trust

 

The lingering effects of coronavirus, extreme weather and the cost-of-living crisis may have perhaps made some people to be sceptical or lose trust in poverty reduction.  Yet, there is a need or reason to keep faith in the reduction and end of poverty.

You can create your journal for any aspects of Summertime linked to trust.  You can explain your experiences, feelings and thoughts in terms of happiness and healthiness about trust over this Summer.  You can use surveys, metrics and data about trust to write your journal.

Your journal of trust can cover any of the following three areas: trust in poverty reduction, trust in people/communities/institutions and initiatives that build, develop and sustain trust.  Let us give some examples of what one can include in each of these journals.

 

• • Journal of Trust in Poverty Reduction

 

You can record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories about the following:

promoting trust where trust is lost, dealing with disinformation and distrust about poverty reduction, struggling to cope with trust in poverty reduction, etc.

 

• • Journal of Trust in People and Communities

 

You can record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories about the following:

correcting inaccuracies and misinformation, stopping the spread of false information/news within your community/network, building trust with people through transparency, speaking about the most trusted person in your community, talking about faith in your social networks (e.g., family and friends), etc.

 

• • Journal of Initiatives to Develop Trust

 

You can record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories about the following:

building and protecting standards of trust, rebuilding trust in each other, explaining interactive initiatives you have taken to protect trust, monitoring and collecting feedback to track changes in trust, etc.

 

• • Journal of Initiatives to Build Forward Together Trust

 

You can record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories about the following:

not supporting a return to the endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities, transforming your relationship with nature, dismantling structures of discrimination that disadvantage poor people, and building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action, etc.

The above four areas are just an example of the many about trust and journals of trust.  If you have a different area of interest in trust that you would like to write for your Summer journal, please feel free to do it.

 

• • Impact Record and Share of Your Journal of Trust

 

You can impact record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories in relation to happiness and healthiness about trust over this Summer.  This can be recorded in your journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2023.

To impact share the contents of your happiness and healthiness journal relating to happy, healthy and trustful Summer 2023; as well as to help build a better Summer holiday experience, you can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• All-in-one Impact Feedbacks: Report on Reports

• Focus Group on Sustainable Security in Old Age 

•  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Sports Economy, Competitive Advantage and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• All-in-one Impact Feedbacks: Report on Reports

 

Last month was our Analytics and Impact month.  As part of the Analytics and Impact month, we asked some of you to report or give some feedback in your words, numbers, voices and infographics on the experiences you had about the projects and programmes we delivered in the last financial year.

We asked for two feedbacks: feedback from individuals as programme and project supporters and users, as well as feedback from organisations (Africa-based Sister Organisations).  Some of you responded and others did not.  We would like to thank those who responded.

For those who responded and gave us their mailing address, they will be contacted and will receive a copy of the above mentioned report.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank them again for their testimonial and experiential support.

 

 

• Focus Group on Sustainable Security in Old Age 

 

One of the focal areas of the CENFACS’ 80th Issue of FACS, which deals with ‘Pension and the Reduction of the Old Age Poverty in Africa‘, is sustainable security in the old age.  Sustainable security embodies the need to address the interconnected drivers of insecurity for the elderly by including economic, environmental and social sustainability for them while going beyond these well-known elements of sustainability.

We would like to focus on this area of security, in particular by encouraging needy people to learn and know the issues surrounding sustainable security in old age.  We are going to gather opinions, perceptions, attitudes and insights from the participants around sustainable security in old age.  The outcome to be yielded from the focus group will feed our efforts to hep reduce poverty, particularly but not exclusively old age poverty,   and enhance sustainable development.

To take part in the focus group, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

•  CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Sports Economy, Competitive Advantage and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

There are arguments that sport is a promising sector in terms of development potentials and can be used to make real jumps on the road of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa.  However, the Agence Française de Développement (6) notes that

“Sports only represent 0.5% of African Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 2% of GDP in other parts of the world”.

Despite the low level of contribution of sports to Africa’s GDP, there is a development potential of the sports sector.   These powers and resources not yet made use of provide arguments in favour of the development of sports sector and economy in Africa.  These arguments revolve around comparative and competitive advantages that Africa possesses in comparison to other regions as far as sport is concerned.

 

• • Africa’s Advantages in Sports Economy Compared to Other Regions

 

Africa has a number of advantages in various areas, like:

√ Africa has both absolute and relative cost advantages to offer good quality sports products and services at lower costs and through competitive economies of scale compared to other regions of the world

√ Africa can produce zero net sports goods and services more cheaply than other places of the world without destroying the environment

√ Africa has unexploited pools of raw talents and skills in sports

√ Africa can have a favourable and competitive advantage if it develops and applies policies to nurture and retain home-grown talents and abilities

√ Africa is endowed with a great number of entrepreneurs per capita

√ Africa is mostly populated with young populations

√ Africa’s sports industries have the capacity to generate extra money or revenue that can be invested in poverty reduction programmes, projects and activities

√ Africa can link the appraisal and development of industrial development projects with the development of sport complexes and infrastructures that can help reduce poverty in local areas hosting those projects

√ Africa can relate its sports sectors with other industries (such as hospitality, hotels, health, transport, tourism, education, forestry, agriculture, mining, and so on)

etc.

 

• • Question for e-discussion and Thought

 

From the above-mentioned arguments and other ones, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is asking the following question:

What can Africa do to best use its natural endowments and assets to continue to invest in sports industry and economy to further reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development?

Those who may be interested in this discussion can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute en ligne de l’économie du sport, de l’avantage concurrentiel et de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique

D’aucuns soutiennent que le sport est un secteur prometteur en termes de potentiel de développement et peut être utilisé pour faire de véritables sauts sur la voie de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement durable en Afrique.  Et purtant, l’Agence Française de Développement (5) note que

“Le sport ne représente que 0,5% du produit intérieur brut (PIB) africain, contre 2% du PIB dans d’autres parties du monde”.

Malgré le faible niveau de contribution du sport au PIB de l’Afrique, il existe un potentiel de développement du secteur sportif.   Ce développement potentiel fournit des arguments en faveur du développement du secteur et de l’économie du sport en Afrique.  Ces arguments tournent autour des avantages comparatifs et compétitifs que possède l’Afrique par rapport à d’autres régions en ce qui concerne le sport.

• • Les avantages de l’Afrique dans l’économie du sport par rapport à d’autres régions

L’Afrique présente un certain nombre d’avantages dans divers domaines, tels que:

√ l’Afrique a des avantages de coûts absolus et relatifs pour offrir des produits et services sportifs de bonne qualité à moindre coût et grâce à des économies d’échelle compétitives que d’autres régions du monde

√ l’Afrique peut produire des biens et des services sportifs de bonne qualité à moindre coût que d’autres endroits du monde sans détruire l’environnement

√ l’Afrique dispose d’un vivier de talents et de compétences bruts dans le sport

√ l’Afrique peut avoir un avantage favorable et compétitif si elle élabore et applique des politiques pour prendre soin des talents et des capacités locaux

√ l’Afrique est talentueuse avec un grand nombre d’entrepreneurs par habitant

√ l’Afrique est principalement peuplée de jeunes populations

√ les industries sportives africaines ont la capacité de générer des fonds ou des revenus supplémentaires qui peuvent être alloués à des programmes, projets et activités de réduction de la pauvreté

√ l’Afrique peut lier l’évaluation et le développement de projets de développement industriel au développement de complexes et d’infrastructures sportifs susceptibles de réduire la pauvreté dans les zones locales où ces projets seront implantés

√ l’Afrique peut relier ses secteurs sportifs à d’autres industries (telles que l’hôtellerie, la santé, les transports, le tourisme, l’éducation, les mines, la sylviculture, ainsi de suite)

etc.

• • Question pour discussion et réflexion en ligne

D’après les arguments mentionnés ci-dessus et d’autres, le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS se demande la question suivante:

Que peut faire l’Afrique pour utiliser au mieux ses richesses naturelles et ses atouts pour continuer à investir dans l’industrie et l’économie du sport afin de réduire davantage la pauvreté et de renforcer le développement durable ?

Ceux/celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette discussion peuvent se joindre à et / ou contribuer en contactant le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS, qui est un lieu  de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de 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.

Pour communiquer avec le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

• All Poor, Poor Children, Young Carers and Families Need Your Support!

 

The following Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects summarise the needs of All Poor, Poor Children, Young Carers and Families who Need your donation or funding or influence:

 

∝ All Gifts for All Poor 

∝ International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis

∝ Iconic Young Carer 

∝ ELCLASSICO International.

 

Let us briefly summarise these projects and the request of each potential beneficiaries relating to them.

 

• • Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects

 

They are as highlighted below.

 

 

• • • All Gifts for All Poor  (AG4AP)

 

AG4AP, which stands for All Gifts for All Poor, is the holiday makers’ and travellers’ free and voluntary contribution to poverty relief in Africa via CENFACS.  It is a noble cause which consists of appealing to indiscriminately give a gift to the poor people in Africa, who are currently affected by multiple overlapping crises (such as the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate and the cost-of-living crisis).

The feature of this appeal is that donations or funding are done without making any distinctions between the poor.

 

• • • • How you can support AG4AP

 

Donors or funders can support this project by giving a holiday gift or treat in kind or money to support those poor people suffering from these crises (e.g., the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate and the cost-of-living crisis).  A holiday treat is a perfect way to add a layer of happiness and healthiness to the poor.

For example, a donor or funder can donate £7 or any amount of money they can afford to urban and peri-urban coastal poor who are dependent on ecosystem services and who are exposed to health risks resulting from inadequate sanitation and pollution. 

This amount can contribute to the improvement of their sanitation and help fight against polluting agents.

 

• • • • Who and what your support will help

 

Their gift will enable an urban and peri-urban coastal poor family to reduce the probability of catching diseases linked to poor sanitation; in doing so the family will improve its health and hygiene while surviving against the above mentioned effects.

 

 

• • • International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis (INPCC)

 

INPCC is designed to help and support vulnerably poor children to escape from HARMS, THREATS, ATTACKS, EXTREMISM, RADICALISATION and RISKS of any forms of exploitation, neglect and abuse in all contexts in Africa.  At this time of the cost-of-living crisis, the threats and risks are higher than ever before.  These threats and risks are even life-threatening and destroying in places of war like in the African Sahel.

To win the fight against the forces of exploitation and destruction of children and over the dangers children in Africa and elsewhere are facing, it requires winning the battle of communication via a reliable flow of information and connections.

Likewise, the fight against the cost-of-living crisis requires an international collaboration and exchange of information between all those who are working on poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Furthermore, if defence against harms, danger and threats from COVID-19 was done globally; the fight against the cost-of-living crisis can also be conducted worldwide.

 

• • • • How you can support INPCC

 

You can support this appeal by helping in networking and protection equipment or gift of communication to enable Africa-based Sister Organisations to speak loud and better access information about the cost-of-living crisis to protect people and communities. particularly vulnerably poor and unprotected children.

For example, a donor or funder can give £10 to contribute to the cost of running internet and mobile solutions to work remotely and collaborate with Africa-based Sister Organisations as way of exchange life-saving information and tools on child protection. 

 

• • • • Who and what your support will help

 

It will help to raise awareness and take action against the forces of exploitation and destruction of children and young generation.  It can as well help children who need social protection, particularly those who receive no child or family cash or tax credit benefits and those who are forced to live on or below £3.65 a day (at 2017 purchasing parity power).

 

 

• • • Iconic Young Carer  (IYC)

 

IYC, which is a deserving cause that supports poor children and young people who prematurely become Africa’s unpaid caregivers and labourers because of poverty, aims at improving the quality of life of young caregivers and labourers by responding to their basic needs and human rights.

In times of the lingering effects of the coronavirus, extreme weather and the cost-of-living crisis; young carers have been forced to take caregiving and labouring role side by side with adults.  They are often doing it for free and without any financial help.  These young carers deserve support as well.

So, supporting these young carers could mean mitigating the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate and cost-of-living crisis on them.  Your support can help preserve the lives of future generations.

 

• • • • How you can support IYC

 

You can donate whatever you can to support these iconic young carers to end these effects.

For example, a donor or funder can provide material or £5 to buy distance learning materials to help these young carers to access e-reading and digital books or to buy new books (including the cost of shipping) to support these young carers in need and suffering from digital divide.

 

• • • • Who and what your support will help

 

Your donation will help to pay for the educational and development costs of these poor children who miss school opportunities and prematurely become young caregivers and labourers.  It will also assist in tackling any health issues (like emotional issue) they experience due to their premature caregiving roles and responsibilities.

 

 

• • • ELCLASSICO International (EI)

 

ELCLASSICO (which stands for Elevating Local Community Lives and Achievements through Sports, Sustainability and Inclusion to Common Objectives) is a CENFACS combined Sports Development, Child Protection and Sustainable Development initiative that aims at reducing child and youth poverty, while protecting children and bringing a better change to impoverished people, communities, children, young people and future generations in Africa.  It is international as it involves more than one nation in Africa.

ELCLASSICO is also the Sports Development Manager’s Project, which focuses on the function and role of the Sports Development and International Managers, local elements of sustainability and aspects of Sports Development to deliver the poverty reduction outcomes in the African context and within the framework of reference of the future world of sustainable development we all want.

To organise any sports development activity and sustainability activity for children, these activities must be safe and child protected.  It means that in the preparation of these activities, some health (e.g. COVID-19 secure) and child protection tests must be conducted.  They also need to be sustainable, that is meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  So, integrating health and safety rules as well as various dimensions of sustainable development will help to protect these activities and everybody involves in them.

 

• • • • How you can support EI

 

You can support EI to reduce poverty for families whose children would like to engage with sports and sustainable development activities.  You support will enable the three aspects of this project to stick together; aspects which are: child protection, physical and sustainability aspects.

For example, a donor or funder can give less than £10 to help provide food packages to feed a family of five to seven.  The food package will enable any of children benefiting from it to take part in sports development as ELCLASSICO International helps to tackle child poverty through sports development, child protection and sustainable development activities.

 

• • • • Who and what your support will help

 

Your giving will have a triple effect:

√ Protection of children, young people and their families

√ Sensitisation about climate change and environmental issues

√ Support of their development through sporting activities and other events.

 

• • Donation or Giving in Kind or Your Influence Regarding these Four Summer 2023 Humanitarian Relief Appeal Projects

 

Those who would like to support the above mentioned beneficiaries can donate money and / or give in kind or their influence.

 

• • • Money donation

 

At this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis, we know that it is difficult for some people to donate.  For those who are in position to donate, there is no limit in terms of minimum and maximum amount to donate, despite the examples of amount we have given above.

You can donate and or support the way it suits you and your affordability.

CENFACS will accept any amount to be given or donated.

 

• • • Giving in kind

 

For those who would like to make a donation in kind, it will be a good idea to check with us that what they are giving will help to meet the above stated needs.  This will help to save time, money and the environment for both sides.  Also, any donation in kind must be COVID-19 secure and health proof.

 

• • • Donating your influence

 

You can donate your influence to reduce or end poverty in Africa in the context of this Summer humanitarian relief campaign.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or end poverty experienced by all poor, children in need of protection, unpaid young carers and poor families with children trying to tackle poverty via sports in Africa.

You can as well influence the things or factors that determine poverty and hardships experienced by the above-mentioned poor.

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to make helpful difference to All Poor, Unprotected Poor children, Unpaid Young Carers and Families Tackling Poverty via Sports at this challenging time of the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate and the cost-of-living crisis.

For more details about ways of supporting the above initiatives and other ones, please contact CENFACS.

Please remember, the fundraising campaign about the above mentioned projects will end by 22 September 2023.

CENFACS will accept any support given during and beyond the duration of this campaign.

Please do not wait to donate as the needs are pressing and urgent NOW.

We look forward to your generous support to make helpful difference for the All Poor, Poor children, Young People and Families  in Africa

Thank you for your generosity.

__________

 

• References

 

(1) United Nations Development Programme and Oxford Poverty and Human Development (2023), Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023, Unstacking global poverty: Data for high impact action at https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2023mpireportenpdf.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(2) https://www.afro.who.int/news/africa-needs-vaccinate-33-million-children-put-progress-back-track (accessed in August 2023)

(3) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/4-ways-technology-can-play-a-critical-role-in-disaster-response/ (accessed in August 2023)

(4) www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.767.aspx.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(5) Brown, K., Daw, T., Rosendo, S., Bunce, M. & Cherrett, N., (2008), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Marine and Coastal Situational Analysis; Synthesis Report at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08bb640f0b652dd000e36/MarineandCoastal_Synthesis-Report.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(6) https://www.afd.fr/en/actualites/africas-sports-economy-window-rapidly-changing-continent (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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 August 2023

 

Post No. 313

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Financial Updates – In Focus for 2023 Edition: Financial History – How to build your financial past for poverty reduction

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 16/08/2023: Cultural Services

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal 2023, Creative Activity No. 4: Create Your Journal of Real Disposable Income

 

…And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Financial Updates – In Focus for 2023 Edition: Financial History

How to build your financial past for poverty reduction

 

Too many crises (like the coronavirus disaster, the cost-of-living crisis, food crisis, energy crisis, nature crisis, climate crisis, debt crisis, geo-economic crisis, etc.) can make people, especially those living on ordinary means, find their financial history in threat or destruction.  Yet, financial history is important especially in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises.

The 2023 Edition of Summer Financial Updates (SFU) focuses on information about income, finances, assets, salaries and wages, monetary incentives, insurance, financial transactions, credit worthiness, and debts that our users may need to prove or produce in order to justify their financial past.

In this year’s edition of SFU, we have provided guidance, tips and hints about ways of building forward financial history.  In this respect, the 2023 Edition of SFU will help our users

 

√ to apply money, financial and banking knowledge in their daily life

√ to identify the causes of financial crisis (e.g., debt crisis or distress) through which some of our members may have gone or face

√ to reconstruct their financial history

√ to identify and learn from past financial mistakes

√ to reflect on their financial wellbeing and record keeping and tracking

√ to have a historiographical view of their finances

√ to improve the relationship between their financial history and financial poverty reduction

√ to make better financial projections from their financial past

etc.

 

In brief, the 2023 Edition of SFU is not only about learning your financial past and background, but also avoiding financial mistakes of the past in the future; mistakes that could have led some to financial poverty.  In this respect, this edition will help to find way of achieving the goal of financial poverty reduction.

We have provided key highlights about the 2023 Edition of SFU under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 16/08/2023: Cultural Services

 

This week, we are continuing to follow the direction of poverty reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services by looking at Cultural Services.  In order to carry out this follow up, let us first understand Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Cultural Services (MCECS).

 

• • Basic Understanding of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Cultural Services

 

Our definition of cultural services provided by marine and coast ecosystems comes from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (1), which defines these services as

“The non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystem through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences, including: cultural diversity, spiritual and religious values, knowledge systems, educational values, social relations, sense of place, cultural heritage values, recreation and ecotourism”.

By classifying MCECS in terms of monetary and non monetary metrics provisioning, Joao Garcia Rodrigues et al. (2) explain that MCECS classes (like nature-based recreation, tourism, and landscape or seascape scenic beauty) provide monetary metrics.  Besides that, MCECS also have non-material or non-monetary quantified benefits such as spiritual interactions, inspirational experiences, cultural identity, sense of place, bequest and existence values.

These provisions or benefits can be treated as means to follow the direction of poverty reduction.

 

• • Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via MCECS 

 

Coastal zones and their ecosystems provide objects of cultural and spiritual value and environments for recreation, as explained above.  Because of that, it is possible to follow the direction of poverty reduction via MCECS.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (op. cit.) states that people have benefited in many ways from cultural ecosystem services, including aesthetic enjoyment, recreation, artistic and spiritual fulfilment, and intellectual development.  However, do those benefits reach poor people?  Is there any relationship between MCECS  and poverty reduction in coastal areas.

 

• • • Possible links and relationships between cultural services and poverty reduction

 

There are pros and cons arguments about links and relationships between cultural services and poverty reduction.

There are those who argue that cultural ecosystem services reflect people’s physical and cognitive interactions with nature and are increasingly recognised for providing non-material benefits to human societies.  Among them are those who believe that cultural services (such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other non-material benefits) can benefit coastal poor because they are part of human societies.

In contrast, there are those who do not agree with that argument as they think that MCECS mostly benefit rich tourists or those who can afford go to coastal resorts and spend their money.  For this body of opinions, there is little or no monetary benefit for coastal poor deriving from coastal tourism.

Looking at cultural services with the constituents of well-being (like security, basic material for good life, health, good social relations, freedom of choice and action), there are others who think that there are no many studies around the impact of MCECS on poverty and poverty reduction; therefore it is difficult to assert that there is or not a relationship between MCECS and coastal poverty reduction.

For example, Katrina Brown et al. (3) highlight the pro-poor perspective by saying that

“The main benefit of tourism is not a cultural ecosystem service but as a source of livelihood and is therefore classified [in this report] as a provisioning service” (p. 16).

Because of these differences in opinions and lacks of research findings, it makes sense that those who would like to investigate or know more about the above-stated impact to follow the direction of poverty reduction via cultural services.

 

• • • How can you help in following the direction of poverty reduction via Cultural Services?

 

Each of our members and supporters can follow the direction of poverty reduction via cultural services.

For those of our members, supporters and audiences heading towards coastal areas this Summer or just interested in this trending topic, they can enquire about whether or not cultural services are helping coastal poor to reduce poverty.

For those who have stories with hard evidence on this matter, they can as well add their inputs by contacting CENFACS with their stories and or data.

For example, those who may have opportunity to talk to coastal poor communities about the impacts of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services  on them, they can share their findings with us.  This is the same for those who have been involved in or running any pieces of research in the form of focus discussion group, a pilot research project, a survey, etc.

To follow the direction of poverty reduction via cultural services with us, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal 2023, Creative Activity No. 4: Create Your Journal of Real Disposable Income

 

With the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, many people’s real disposable incomes and income-generating capacity and opportunities have been changed or simply destroyed.  Despite that one can create a journal that explains their experiences, feelings and thoughts in terms of happiness and healthiness about real disposable income over this Summer 2023.  But, what is real disposable income?

 

• • Understanding Real Disposable Income to Create Your Journal of Happiness and Healthiness

 

Generally, income is any earning in the form of wages and salaries, the return of investments, pension contributions, and other receipts (such as profit, interest, dividend, rent, capital gains, royalties, etc.).  This income can be real disposable.  What is a real disposable income?

Using the definition provided by ‘tutor2u.net’ (4), real disposable income is

“The amount of money an individual or household has available to spend or save after accounting for taxes and adjusting for inflation.  It is a key measure of the purchasing power and economic well-being of individuals or households”.

One can refer to this definition of real disposable income to create their Journal of Happiness and Healthiness.

 

• • An Example of Way of Creating a Journal of Real Disposable Income

 

One can explain how with restricted or limited income they have been able to meet Summer 2023 holiday expenses or simply do the things they wanted or planned to do with happiness and healthiness.  They can as well include in their journal any efforts they undertook to make extra income to meet their Summer living costs or improve their economic well-being.  They could finally impact share their story if they received or given any financial help.

 

• • Impact Record and Share of Your Journal of Real Disposable Income

 

They can impact record their thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories in relation to real disposable income and income-generating capacity or opportunities.  They can impact share with the community their experience of happiness and healthiness with income.  This can be recorded in their journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2023.

To impact share the contents of their happiness and healthiness journal relating to real disposable income and income-generation, to happy and healthy financial life via income, and help build a better Summer holiday experience; they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Activities, Projects and Programmes: Help, Support and Assistance are AVAILABLE!

• Summer Triple Pack is Still Running

• CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses

 

 

• Summer 2023 Activities, Projects and Programmes: Help, Support and Assistance are AVAILABLE!

 

We believe that everybody is enjoying their Summer break wherever they are and whatever they are doing, despite the lingering effects of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the cost-of-living crisis.

We also hope that those who are working over this Summer are getting on well with their work while finding some space to accommodate and enjoy the good weather of Summer.

We finally trust that Summer 2023 Happiness and Healthiness Projects, including other Summer activities and programmes we have offered so far, are meeting the community’s need to happily and healthily pass this Summer.

For those who need any help, support and assistance regarding any of the aspects of the Happiness and Healthiness Projects or any other Summer activities or programmes which are on offer, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

We would like to reiterate our wish to all multi-dimensional Poor Children, Young People and Families of Happy, Healthy, Vulnerability-free, Peaceful, Safe and Sustainable Summer Days.

 

 

• Summer Triple Pack is Still Running

 

Our Summer Triple Pack made of Track, Trip and Trending continues this week.  The key message we would like to get across this Triple Pack is to try to help reduce poverty by undertaking any of these three activities: running, visiting projects and analysing trends.  Let us make some reminding points about each of them.

 

• • Healthy, Safe and Net Zero Track to Help Reduce the Cost-of-living Poverty

 

This activity (Activity 8.1) of the pack is about Safely, Healthily and Net Zero Run 2.5 miles (nearly 4 km) with people in need to create user-generated information opportunity through the use of influencing skills.

For those who have completed their 2.5 miles of running with people, please do not hesitate to share with us your experience.  This activity is also performed under August 2023 Influence Year/Project (Activity 8.1).

For those who are deprived to physically run, they can virtually run to help reduce poverty with CENFACS.  Among them are people who may be experiencing handicap to do physical activity of running to help reduce poverty.  One could include the following in their list:

People or parents caring for very young children, pregnant women, elderly people, disable people, those who are not physically fit or mobile to run, those who do not have opportunity to physically run, etc. 

If you are organising this kind of virtual activity or event, let us know.  It is also better to advise us that the people participating in the virtual run are the physically deprived ones we have listed above or they have a serious handicap prohibiting them from undertaking any physical engagement.

 

• • Virtual or In-person Trips or Tours of 3 Influencing Projects or Activities

 

As part of Knowledge Year’s/Project Activities of the month and Activity 8.2, we have suggested to Undertake Virtual or In-person Visits or Tours of 3 Influencing projects or activities; projects or activities based on influencing facts, information and skills acquired through experience or education, and which use influencing methodology and tools to support people this Summer 2023.

These virtual visits are not only online recreational activities.  They are also a learning and development opportunity in terms of understanding the following:

 

√ The way in which people or communities living with the lingering effects of the coronavirus, particularly those who are undertaking coping and survival strategies, are dealing with these effects as well as poverty and vulnerability induced by the cost-of-living crisis

√ What is needed to help them overcome the problems they have

√ What lessons that can be learnt and shared from their sensory experiences and knowledge-based projects to improve future actions, planning and decision-making processes

√ The demand in terms of policy development and response to meet similar needs in the future.

 

Furthermore, Virtual Trip as part of our Summer Triple Pack includes field work research in Africa and anywhere else in the context of poverty relief and sustainable development projects.

For those who are having or have had these experiences and results of field work research, please do not hesitate to share them.

 

• • Online Trending Activity by Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services 

 

As part of CENFACS’ Influence Year and Project and Activity 8.3, we have asked to those who can to Carry out online search to find 6 Trends in poverty reduction for projects that are based on the positive influence of people in need to navigate their way out of poverty.

The above mentioned Summer Triple Pack  can be contextualised by considering the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

 

 

• CENFACS’ Hub for Testing Hypotheses

 

As way of working with our community members who are involved in research and development for poverty reduction and sustainable development, CENFACS has a Hub for Testing Hypotheses or H-tests Hub for those investigating poverty reduction using statistics or any other quantitative methods. 

 

• • Who is H-tests Hub for?

 

The H-tests Hub is open to those running poverty reduction projects aiming at testing or retesting specific hypotheses or predictions arising from theories of poverty reduction  in order to back or disprove a theory or body of knowledge or a relationship between variables.  But, the Hub will not decide the results of their tests, that is whether to reject or fail to reject beneficiaries’ null hypothesis.

In this respect, CENFACS Hypotheses Testing Hub provides an opportunity to share knowledge, good practice and experience in the field of poverty reduction and statistics related to poverty reduction.  It is also a platform to network between our community members who are poverty reduction researchers or investigators or who are simply involved in any piece of research.

 

• • How H-tests Hub Can Help

 

This Hub, which is part of the research and development function within CENFACS, will assist beneficiaries in performing statistical tests.  

 

• • Projects Eligible at H-tests Hub

 

Projects eligible will be those that can help the community to reduce poverty and or enhance sustainable development.  

Those who have projects to be tested (online or in-person) or would like to discuss with us their tests in terms of two or a group of variables linked to poverty reduction, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.  Likewise, those who would like to support the hub they shall do the same.

For any enquiries and queries about CENFACS Hypotheses Testing Hub, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• FACS n° 80, été 2023 : Pension et réduction de la pauvreté des personnes âgées

Le numéro 80 du FACS du CENFACS, qui traite de « La retraite et la réduction de la pauvreté des personnes âgées en Afrique », montre comment la pension peut être utilisée pour réduire la pauvreté parmi les générationes âgées en Afrique.  Dans ce numéro, il s’agit d’une enquête sur les moyens de permettre aux pauvres de continuer à consommer après avoir cessé de travailler sans tomber dans la pauvreté de consommation.  En tant que discussion sur l’alignement des pensions au niveau ou au-dessus du seuil de pauvreté, le numéro 80 est une histoire crue de construction d’une retraite durable pour éviter la pauvreté multidimensionnelle chez les personnes âgées.

Pour raconter cette histoire, le numéro 80 se réfère aux théories économiques de la retraite ou de l’économie de la pension comme celles de Nicholas Barr et Peter Diamond (5) pour expliquer les liens et les relations entre la pension et la pauvreté des personnes âgées, pour examiner la corrélation entre la pension sociale universelle (non ciblée) et la réduction de la pauvreté des personnes âgées en Afrique.

En effet, il y a des études qui ont été faites sur la pension et le bien-être des personnes âgées.  Par exemple, Barr et Diamond (op. cit.) soutiennent que le but de la pension est d’assurer la sécurité économique des personnes âgées.  Dans ce but, Barr et Diamond fournissent les objectifs suivants en matière de retraite: lissage de la consommation, assurance, réduction de la pauvreté et redistribution.  Ils comprennent également d’autres objectifs de la pension comme le développement économique et la croissance économique.

Le numéro 80 met l’accent sur les objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement durable dans le but d’assurer une sécurité durable dans la vieillesse.  Le but de la sécurité durable incarne la nécessité de s’attaquer aux facteurs interconnectés de l’insécurité pour les personnes âgées en incluant la durabilité économique, environnementale et sociale pour elles tout en allant au-delà de ces éléments bien connus de durabilité.

Le numéro 80, qui adopte une vision micro-économique des retraites, revient néanmoins sur les impacts des régimes de retraite non contributifs – pour les pays qui les gèrent – sur la réduction de la pauvreté et le développement durable.  Cette revisite aide à comprendre comment, par exemple, les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique s’organisent pour créer et innover un soutien aux retraites pour les personnes âgées des communautés qu’elles servent afin de réduire et éventuellement de mettre fin à la pauvreté des personnes âgées.

Étant donné que la croissance économique actuelle de l’Afrique n’est pas suffisante pour réduire la pauvreté, le numéro 80 explore les moyens d’assimiler la pension minimale et le revenu moyen pour aider à réduire la pauvreté des personnes âgées dans ce contexte restreint de croissance économique limitée.

Les chiffres qui suivent donnent une indication de cette croissance et de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Selon la Banque Mondiale (6), la croissance économique en Afrique subsaharienne a ralenti à 3,6% en 2022, contre 4,1% en 2021.  D’après « statista.com » (7), en 2022, environ 431 millions de personnes en Afrique vivaient dans l’extrême pauvreté, avec un seuil de pauvreté de 1,90 dollar par jour.

Le numéro 80 utilise des classes de mesures sur les indicateurs de pauvreté (tels que le ratio d’écart de pauvreté) afin de plaider en faveur de ce qui doit être fait pour soutenir les Africain(e)s âgé(e)s, qui sont bénéficiaires des projets gérés par nos organisations sœur basées en Afrique, qui ne peuvent pas compter sur le soutien familial pour obtenir le soutien dont ils/elles ont besoin.

À cet égard, le numéro 80 fournit quelques idées sur la manière dont les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique peuvent soutenir et / ou aider les personnes âgées à sortir des crises qui se chevauchent (y compris la crise des retraites) auxquelles l’Afrique est confrontée et à protéger leur assurance.  Elles le font en les aidant à accéder à des programmes de transferts monétaires pour les personnes âgées.

Pour avoir un aperçu de la façon dont les pensions peuvent être utilisées pour réduire la pauvreté parmi les générations âgées en Afrique, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Financial Updates – In Focus for 2023 Edition: Financial History

How to build your financial past for poverty reduction

 

Financial history is important for people’s financial wellbeing at all times, especially in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises.  Most people who have been impacted by crises (personal or collective ones) may need a sort of financial history to recover and rebuild.  They may be in need of it if potential supporters, creditors and lenders ask them.  Financial history can also be necessary to recollect the past financial events that led people into financial trouble, especially for the financial poor, so that they can learn and draw lessons from these events.

As ‘gatesfoundation.org’ (8) puts it,

“Without formal financial histories, people are [also] cut off from potentially stabilising and uplifting opportunities”.

After learning from past financial mistakes, taking actionable corrective decisions and building on their financial history; they will have opportunities and openings to lift themselves out of poverty and hardships.

The following highlights explain how to build your financial past for poverty reduction.

 

• • Key Highlights of this Summer Financial Updates

 

The following headings contain the main points highlighted in this Year’s SFU:

 

∝ What is financial history?

∝ Financial history as a key in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises

∝ Project beneficiaries’ upkeep of financial information justifying their financial past

∝ Guidance, tips and hints to build forward financial history

∝ Application of money, financial and banking knowledge in every day life

∝ Identification of and learning from past financial mistakes

∝ Financial wellbeing and record keeping and tracking

∝ Historiography of your finances

∝ Improving the relationship between financial history and financial poverty reduction

∝ Making financial projections from your financial past

∝ How to use past financial mistakes to achieve the goal of financial poverty reduction

∝ Working with users to empower them with tools to build their financial history and achieve the goal of financial poverty reduction.

 

Let us unpack the above headings.

 

• • What is Financial History?

 

Financial history can mean something different things for many persons.  For ‘lawinsider.com’ (9), financial history means

“Information about income, employee’s finances, assets, salaries, wages, monetary incentives, beneficiaries, insurance, benefits, financial transactions, credit worthiness, and debts”.

In short, financial history is a record or account of one’s financial past events and developments.  Financial history includes past knowledge given or gained about any of the above listed elements in this definition.  It is about explaining what happened in the past about these elements.  Revealing these pasts can be a key in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises.

 

• • Financial History as a Key in the Process of Recovering and Rebuilding from Crises

 

To recover and rebuild from crises, in particular where a crisis has led to the financial or economic collapse of people, it requires an understanding of the financial past of the financially and economically collapsed people.

For example, if one went to reduce or end a financial crisis as a result of alcoholism, it would be better to understand the alcohol-addicted persons’  past or history with both alcohol drinking habit and money in order for them to better recover and rebuild their life.

To add value to this example, the ‘graniterecoverycenters.com’ (10) give tips to help rebuild financial health relating to the rehabilitating process.  These tips include the following:

get financial assistance, secure a job, expand your personal inventory, create your budget, separate needs and wants, and rebuild your credit score.

These tips can also be used in a different setting in the process of recovering and rebuilding from crises (like the cost-of-living crisis).

 

• • Project Beneficiaries’ Upkeep of Financial Information Justifying Their Financial Past

 

It is true that in time of crises (like natural disasters, war events, involuntary displacement, health catastrophes, etc.), the crises-impacted people could sometimes loose control of things including financial information relating to their lives, especially where people are forced to make difficult life-saving decisions and choices (that is, between life and nonlife).

All depends on the magnitude and deepness of the crisis.  Whatever the difficult circumstances of life and depth of the crisis, it is always wise to keep financial information, particularly sensitive information that can help to justify financial past.

Those having some problems to look after their financial information, this Year’s SFU provides some tips to keep up project beneficiaries’ vital financial information.

 

 

• • Guidance, Tips and Hints to Build Forward Financial History

 

The tips and hints given within this resource are mostly in the form of non-regulated financial guidance.  Likewise, the financial services it contains are designed to help our community to build forward their financial history.

Not all user households making the CENFACS Community have the skills and capacity to deal with their financial history problems with confidence.  Some of them need advice, guidance, tips and hints to track and sort out their financial history.

The good news for them is that this year’s SFU provides guidance, resources (both online and in print), tips and hints on financial history matters.

For example, there is a tip on how to work out your personal income, which is generally made of salaries or wages received plus interest received plus rent received plus dividend received plus any transfer payments from the Government social benefits.

For those who would like to access the guidance, support information, tips and hints about their financial history, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Application of Money, Financial and Banking Knowledge in Every Day Life

 

Generally speaking, most people deal with money, financial and banking matters revolving around their daily life.  However, does every body have the knowledge of these matters?  This knowledge is important as it can affect people’s financial behaviour.  The application of this knowledge is even more relevant because knowing something is not the same as applying it in real life.

Concerning the application of money knowledge, one needs skills, knowledge and behaviour to money management and financial well-being.  In this respect, CENFACS can work with project beneficiaries to guide them to develop money management competency.

Regarding the application of financial knowledge, Tania Morris et al. (11) explain that

“According to several authors, adopting adequate financial behaviour depends largely on one’s financial knowledge.  Financial knowledge tends to affect financial behaviour”.

From this perspective, the application of financial knowledge can determine certain types of financial behaviour.

As to the application of banking knowledge, many statistically-driven researches show that there is a positive relationship between the levels of financial literacy and frequency of i-banking use.  This could suggest that financial literacy helps people to better apply banking knowledge in their every daily life.

There could be interlinkages between the three applications, that is of money, financial and banking knowledge in people’s life.

 

• • Identification of and Learning from Past Financial Mistakes

 

In order to build your financial past for poverty reduction, there could be a need to know your past financial mistakes or errors.  The knowledge of those past financial mistakes and errors can contribute to learning and development of new skills and strategies to avoid their repeat.  Mistakes can come from you or the people around you or those who came before you, the older generation.  As Deepthi Nair (12) puts it,

“No matter your age, you can always learn from previous generations’ money mistakes to help you make more prudent financial decisions”.

 

• • Financial Wellbeing and Record Keeping and Tracking

 

Tracking and keeping your financial record can contribute to your financial wellbeing.  It can improve the way you make money, you deal with the financial unexpected and you track your financial health.  It can help you to stay financially resilient, confident and empowered if one refers to the meaning of financial well-being as provided by Money and Pensions Service (13).

Money and Pensions Service defines financial wellbeing as

“It is a about making the most of your money from day to day, dealing with the unexpected, and being on track for a healthy financial future.  In short: financially resilient, confident and empowered”.

 

• • Historiography of Your Finances

 

Through this Year’s SFU, project beneficiaries will have the opportunity to reconstruct a record of their past financial activities and behaviour in order to have a more and better understanding of their finances.  The historiography of their finances is thus the study of the history of their finances.  They can do it by carrying out a critical examination about how the history or film of their finances looks like and evolves.

Those members of our community who will be interested in carrying out the historiography of their finances and need some support, they can ask CENFACS to help.

 

 

• • Improving the Relationship between Financial History and Financial Poverty Reduction

 

The study of the history of people’s finances can help to understand or to get insights if there is any relationship between this history and the financial difficulties they are experiencing.  In other words, it is about establishing if there is any correlation between their financial past and efforts to reduce financial poverty they are undergoing.  In this study, the attempt is to improve the relationship between financial history of our members and their efforts to come out financial poverty.

Through their financial stories about their financial history, CENFACS will work with them to explore ways of improving this relationship.

 

• • Making Financial Projections from Your Financial Past

 

The good thing about studying and learning about your financial past is the knowledge you get from your past will help to make financial projections.  In other words, you will forecast your expected financial performance and position via expected metrics.  This exercise will be based on a set of predictions about your financial future.

Some of our user households do some estimates of their future financial performance.  However, what is not known if they relate them to their past financial data.  From the perspective of financial history, there is a need for them to base their estimates from past financial data and circumstances in order to build the future.

 

• • How to Use Past Financial Mistakes to Achieve the Goal of Financial Poverty Reduction

 

Learning about past financial mistakes or faults is not an end itself.  It can lead to a number of possibilities or outcomes.  One of these possibilities or outcomes is that past financial mistakes can provide information and the willingness to reduce financial poverty for those suffering from it.   What is financial poverty?

The definition of financial poverty used in this Year’s SFU comes from the article of Blessing Gweshengwe and Noor Hasharina Hassan (14) who explained the multidimensionality and complexity of poverty by arguing that

“Financial dimension of poverty refers to a lack or low level of income or having an income below a country’s minimum wage or income-poverty line; lack of access to loans from legal financial institutions, lack of savings, and being in debt”.

By learning from past financial mistakes, one can try to reduce any dimensions of financial poverty they are experiencing.  One can use the financial guidance, tips and hints provided in this Year’s SFU to start or to continue to reduce financial poverty.

 

• • Working with Users to Empower them with Tools to Build Their Financial History and Achieve the Goal of Financial Poverty Reduction

 

The all purpose of SFU is not to provide theories or descriptions or even assumptions.  Instead, SFU as a resource is designed to capacitate the CENFACS Community to address challenging issues they face.  In this case, the challenging issue is how to build their financial past for poverty reduction.

In this exercise of addressing challenges, our members are not let alone.  CENFACS can work with them.  CENFACS can work with them to accomplish specific tasks to deal with their financial history, in particular to conduct the historiography of their finances relating to the following matters:

 

~ income and finances

~ savings

~ assets

~ salaries and wages

~ monetary incentives

~ insurance

~ state benefits

~ credit history

~ pension

~ debts

~ investments

etc.

 

CENFACS will carry out this historiography with them and support them to build forward to reduce poverty.

For those who need help with their financial history, what we could do with them would be more than just helping them to find out their online credit score number or percentage with a credit score agency.  What we can try to achieve with them is to fully understand and analyse their financial past.  From the knowledge gained from this analysis or cartography of their financial past, we can together steer a strategy to build forward better their financial credibility.

The above highlights are just a selection of some of matters raised in this year’s SFU.  For those who need help to track and trace their financial history, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.  Likewise, those who want to read this year’s resource of SFU beyond the aforementioned highlights, they can as well contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis, Island Press, Washington, D.C.

(2) Garcia Rodrigues, J. et al. (2017) at https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.2.e12290 (accessed in August 2023)

(3) Brown, K., Daw, T., Rosendo, S., Bunce, M. & Cherrett, N., (2008), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Marine and Coastal Situational Analysis; Synthesis Report at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08bb640f0b652dd000e36/MarineandCoastal_Synthesis-Report.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(4) https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/reference/what-is-disposable-income (accessed in August 2023)

(5) Barr, N. and Diamond, P. (2006), The economics of pension, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 22, No. 1

(6) https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr//overview (accessed in August 2023)

(7) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228533/number-of-people-living-below-the-extreme-poverty-line-in-africa/ (accessed in August 2023)

(8) https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/programmes/global-growth-and-opportunity/financial-services-for-the-poor (accessed in September 2022)

(9) https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/financial-history# (accessed in August 2023)

(10) https://www.graniterecoverycenters.com/resources/rebuilding-your-financial-health-in-recovery/ (accessed in August 2023)

(11) Morris, T., Maillet, S. & Koffi, V., (2022), Financial knowledge, financial confidence and learning capacity on financial behaviour: a Canadian Study, Cogent Social Sciences, 8:1, DOI: 10.1080/23311886.2021.1996919

(12) Nair, D., (2021), How to avoid money mistakes, at https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2021/08/31/how-to-learn-from-money-mistakes-made-by-previous-generations (accessed in August 2023) 

(13) https://moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/what-is-financial-wellbeing (accessed  in August 2023)

(14) Gweshengwe, B. and Hassan, N. H.,  [Xuejun Duan (Reviewing editor)], (2020), Defining the characteristics of poverty and their implications for poverty analysis, Cogent Social Sciences, 6:1, DOI: 10.1080/23311886.2020.1768669 

_________

 

• 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

09 August 2023

 

Post No. 312

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS Issue No. 80, Summer 2023: Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 09/08/2023: Regulating Services

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal 2023, Creative Activity No. 3: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Life Expectancy

 

And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS Issue No. 80, Summer 2023: Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty

 

CENFACS’ 80th Issue of FACS, which deals with ‘Pension and the Reduction of the Old Age Poverty in Africa‘, shows how pension can be used to reduce poverty amongst the older generation in Africa.  It is an investigation on ways of allowing poor people to continue to consume after they have stopped working without getting into consumption poverty.  As a discussion on the alignment of pension at or above the poverty line, the Issue is a raw story of building sustainable retirement to avoid multi-dimensional poverty in the old age.

To narrate this story, the Issue No. 80 refers to economic theories of pension or economics of pension like the ones of Barr and Diamond (1) to explain the links and relationships between pension and the old age poverty, to inspect the correlation between universal (untargeted) social pension and old age poverty reduction in Africa.

Indeed, there are studies that have been done on pension and old age wellbeing.  For example, Nicholas Barr and Peter Diamond (op. cit.) argue that the aim of pension is to ensure economic security in old age.  Within this aim, Barr and Diamond provide the following objectives of pension: consumption smoothing, insurance, poverty relief and redistribution.  They also include other objectives of pension like economic development and economic growth.

The Issue No. 80 focuses on the objectives of poverty reduction and sustainable development with the aim of ensuring sustainable security in the old age.  The aim of sustainable security embodies the need to address the interconnected drivers of insecurity for the elderly by including economic, environmental and social sustainability for them while going beyond these well-known elements of sustainability.

The Issue No. 80, which takes a micro-economic view of pension, nevertheless revisits the impacts of non-contributory pension programmes – for countries that run them – on poverty reduction and sustainable development.  This revisit helps to understand how for example Africa-based Sister Organisations are organising themselves to create and innovate pension support to the elderly of the communities they serve to reduce and possibly end old age poverty.

Given that the current Africa’s economic growth is not enough to reduce poverty, the Issue No. 80 explores ways of equating minimum pension and average income to help reduce old age poverty in this restricted context of limited economic growth.

The Issue No. 80 uses classes of measures about poverty indicators (such as poverty gap ratio) in order to advocate what needs to be done to support elderly Africans, who are beneficiaries of project run by our Africa-base Sister Organisation, who cannot rely on family support to get the backup they need.

In this respect, the Issue No. 80 provides some ideas about how Africa-based Sister Organisations can support and/or are supporting the elderly to get away from overlapping crises (including pension crisis) faced by Africa and protect their insurance.  They are doing it by helping them to access cash transfer programmes for the elderly.

To get a glimpse of the way in which pension can be used to reduce poverty amongst the older generation in Africa, please read the summaries presented under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, Trending Topic in Focus from Wednesday 09/08/2023: Regulating Services

 

In this 2nd trending topic, we would like to look at the meaning of Regulating Services and the way in which we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction via these services.

 

• • Basic Meaning of Regulating Services

 

Before looking at the definition of regulating services, it is worth mentioning that within the literature regarding regulating services some writers speak about regulating services while others prefer the expression regulation services.  However, by looking at the two expressions, they both mean the same thing.  What do regulating services mean?

According to the ‘ocean-climate.org’ (2),

“The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment defined four types of ecosystem services.  Marine and coastal ecosystems produce various services including provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural services.  Regulating services [are] carbon sequestration and storage, erosion prevention, waste-water treatment, moderation of extreme events”.

The website ‘frontiersin.org’ (3) explains that

“Regulating and maintenance services are the services that mediate key processes that maintain our marine and coastal environments and their value are often overlooked.  These services are often referred to as indirect or non-market values and are typically more difficult to assign a monetary value”.

Whether one talks about regulating or regulation services, these are the services we would like to look at in terms of our journey with them to poverty reduction.

 

• • Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Regulating Services

 

Regulating services provide erosion protection and climate regulation.  Mangroves and reef systems can protect coastal poor who are vulnerable to exposure to flooding and damage linked to climate changes.  This is particularly true for poor concentrated and living at lower elevations with the high probability to floods, storms surges and sea level rise.    In this respect, regulating services decrease the vulnerability of coastal poor.  Because of that, can we argue that there could be links and relationships between regulating services and poverty reduction?

 

• • • Possible links and relationships between regulating services and poverty reduction

 

The analysis conducted by Katrina Brown et al. (4) about the vulnerability of the poor to loss of regulating services found that

“Poor coast population with 100km of coral reefs and mangroves would benefit from the regulating services provided by ecosystems” (p. 36)

Studying the impact of climate change on coastal communities, Katrina Brown et al. (op. cit.) discovered that

“The value of regulating services for the poor may change as a result of increased disturbance.  That the increase risk of storm surges will increase the reliance on the regulating services of mangroves, reefs and marshes to protect from erosion and inundation” (p. 47)

By quantifying links and relationships between ecosystem services and poverty, they conclude that the role of regulating services in poverty alleviation was not clear.  According to them, the role of regulating services in protecting livelihoods of the poor is extremely important but their role in active poverty alleviation is no direct and less clear.

 

• • • How can you help in following the direction of poverty reduction via Regulating Services?

 

Each of our members and supporters can follow the direction of poverty reduction via regulating services.

For those of our members, supporters and audiences heading towards coastal areas this Summer, they can enquire how regulating services are helping coastal poor to reduce poverty.

For those who have stories with hard evidence on this matter, they can as well add their inputs by contacting CENFACS with their stories and or data.

For example, those who may have opportunity to talk with coastal poor communities about the impacts of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services  on them, they can share their findings with us.

To follow the direction of poverty reduction via regulating services with us, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal 2023, Creative Activity No. 3: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Life Expectancy

 

To create a Summer Journal of Happy and Healthy Life Expectancy, one may refer to the context of Summer.  This Summer 2023 is being of the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes and extreme temperatures.

 

• • A Summer Journal of Happy and Healthy Life Expectancy in the Context of Lingering Effects of the Coronavirus, the Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes and Extreme Temperatures

 

The lingering effects of the coronavirus continue to challenge, threaten and in some situations destroy lives and livelihoods.  Life expectancy (that is the statistical measure of the average time someone is expected to live) has also been tested as many people got ill from the coronavirus pandemic or had to get a double or treble jab or tested against COVID-19 germs.  This can make people unhappy while feeling unhealthy.

Likewise, the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes as a result of cost-of-living crisis can create some doubt about happy and healthy life expectancy.  Rising interest rate and stubborn inflation can only make those who struggle to make ends meet feel unhappy and unhealthy.  This is because those who cannot afford the cost of living would worry about their life and the future.  This worry and the lack of means, particularly financial and psychological means to handle the cost of living, could mean their living has no purpose, no meaning and no expectation.

Furthermore, extreme temperatures that are the result of changing climate can only affect the way we live, eat, dress, shelter, travel, etc.  They can challenge set habits, cultures and values.  Changing climate can bring some concern for those who cannot cope and do not have support to deal with rising temperatures, drought, etc.  This can affect life expectancy or their expectation to live longer as well. For example, one can consider factors that determine life expectancy.

 

• • Factors Determining Life Expectancy

 

Amongst these factors are socio-economic status, lifestyle, ethnicity, migrant status and education.  One can use one of these factors and write a journal on how the selected factor is contributing to their happiness and healthiness, therefore to their life expectation this Summer 2023. One needs to bear in mind the context of this Summer 2023.

So, as part of Summer of Happiness and Healthiness, one can create a journal for the things that and people who are bringing or have brought expectation of living a happy and healthy life during this Summer of rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus.

 

• • Impact Capturing and Reporting Your Thoughts, Feelings, Souvenirs and Memories

 

They can impact capture and record their thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories in relation to their life expectancy or the expectation of it.  They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy life expectancy.  This can be recorded in their journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2023.

To share the contents of their happiness and healthiness journal relating to happy and healthy life expectancy, and help build a better Summer holiday experience, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Online TRACK to CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Summer Shop for Summer Goods Donations and Buys

• Virtual and In-person Trips for Field Research

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses this Question: Is putschists’ threat to democracy a menace to poverty reduction in Africa?

 

 

• Online TRACK to CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Summer Shop for Summer Goods Donations and Buys

 

Every season is an opportunity to do something about the environment and poverty.

You can recycle or donate your unwanted or unused goods and presents to do something about the environment and or poverty.

You can also buy goods to meet the same ends.

This Summer you can online track CENFACS e-charity shop to help the environment and poverty relief.

If you are a fun of online tracking and shopping, you can take an online course of action or online path or even course of travel to save the environment and reduce poverty with CENFACS.

Instead of you in-person going to physically shop or donate your goods, you can from the comfort of your home buy or donate goods to CENFACS e-charity shop to help the deserving and noble cause of poverty relief and sustainable development.

To support us either by shopping or supplying us with products or goods you no longer want or use so that we can sell and raise the money for the good cause of poverty relief, please go http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

• Virtual and In-person Trips for Field Research

 

Trips to the local need this week include as well those travels made or to be made to conduct fieldwork research in Africa and anywhere else in the context of poverty relief and sustainable development projects.

Because of the lingering effects of the coronavirus, we recommend to those who want do trips for field research to take extra care in terms of health and safety.  Where these effects are nullified or minor people can in-person visit local projects and those running them.  These trips can also be done virtually.

When in-person visiting projects and people, it is in the interest of everybody that they should take care of the following:

√ They have to be fully vaccinated and or negatively tested against the coronavirus

√ They should wear appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus if the latter is still a major threat to health

√ They should follow local, national and international rules related to the protection against the coronavirus or any threatening disease symptoms.

These fieldwork researches or practical experiences to gain knowledge and skills could be of varying forms such as observation and collection of raw data, interviews, focus group discussions, practical activities to support overseas development projects, etc.

If you are a researcher and did or are doing some fieldwork research on sustainable development and poverty reduction, and think that your work can enhance CENFACS’ work, you could share with us your experience, research findings or outcomes.

To share the experiences and results of your fieldwork research, just contact CENFACS and CENFACS will get back to you.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Democracy, Putschism and Poverty Reduction in Africa

Is putschists’ threat to democracy a menace to poverty reduction in Africa?

 

Following the political events in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and recently Niger where putschists or neo-sovereigntists have taken by force the control of their countries’ affairs, the debate about the relationships between political democratisation processes and development has resurfaced within CENFACS.  Likewise, there has been a revival of thoughts about State in Africa and its role in poverty reduction.  In other words, there some thinking on what a post-cold war State did not offer in Africa that a neo-sovereigntist State in Africa would bring in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The above-mentioned debate and thoughts are part a conversation on the democratic conditions compared to the undemocratic ones in order to conduct poverty reduction and sustainable development policies in Africa.  The talk is about whether a putschist/neo-sovereigntist governance will help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development or on the contrary a democratic governance is better placed to offer more openings and better opportunities to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.

During this very challenging time of polycrises (i.e., food crisis, energy crisis, climate crisis, geo-economic crisis, pension crisis, cost-of-living crisis, security crisis, debt crisis, etc.) in Africa, it is imperative to ask if Africa, in particular West Africa, requires another crisis to lie on its road to poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Whatever the arguments put forward by both sides (the putschists and democrats), the truth of the matter is that in order for the businesses of poverty reduction and sustainable development to continue and flourish in Africa, there has to be some prerequisites to be met.

Are these influential or favourable conditions to poverty reduction and sustainable development better met by undemocratic or democratic governance?  In other words, is putschists’ threat to democracy a menace to poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa?

Those who may be interested in this first discussion of August 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Initiatives d’amélioration du bonheur et de la santé

Il existe des initiatives qui aident à rester heureux(se) et en bonne santé pendant l’été ou à tout moment. De quoi s’agit-il?

• • Types d’initiatives d’amélioration du bonheur et de la santé

Il s’agit d’activités stimulantes pour le bonheur et la santé pour des groupes, des familles, des enfants et des individus ou des personnes ayant des capacités et des besoins différents.

Ils comprennent des jeux, des applications, d’activités spirituelles et physiques.

• • Exemples d’initiatives d’amélioration du bonheur et de la santé

Les exemples de ces initiatives incluent les suivants à Londres:

faire du vélo sur les sites touristiques, voyager pour profiter d’une vue panoramique sur la ville, faire une croisière fluviale, entreprendre la détente sur la rivière, lire les livrets d’activités gratuites avec/pour les enfants, visiter des services fluviaux avec pistes cyclables, entreprendre des expériences exaltantes en hors-bord, faire une visite de la ville avec un commentaire guidé en direct, etc.

Ces activités pourraient ne pas provenir du CENFACS.  Cependant, le CENFACS peut vous orienter à les accéder.

• • Recherche d’activités pour rester heureux/se et en bonne santé

Pour ceux/celles qui recherchent des activités pour rester heureux/ses et en bonne santé mais ne savent pas par où commencer, ils/elles peuvent contacter le CENFACS afin que nous puissions discuter ensemble de leurs besoins et trouver toute activité appropriée pour eux/elles.

Pour nous aider à les aider, ils/elles doivent avoir des idées ou des suggestions sur les choses ou les activités qu’ils/elles aimeraient entreprendre.

Si vous avez besoin d’aide et de soutien pour trouver des activités d’amélioration du bonheur et de la santé, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS Issue No. 80, Summer 2023: Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty

 

The contents and key summaries of the 80^th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

I. Key Concepts Relating to the 80^th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

II. Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 3)

III. Africa-based Sister Organisations, Community Solidarity and Old Age Poverty Reduction (Page 3)

IV. Saving Money to Avoid Pension Poverty (Page 4)

V. Equating the Value of Pension and Poverty Threshold in Africa (Page 4)

VI. Sortir les personnes âgées de la pauvreté: Le cas de ‘HelpAge International’ avec son programme de promotion et d’intégration des personnes du troisième âge dans le processus de développement au Bénin (Page 5)

VII. La retraite comme sécurité durable en Afrique (Page 5)

VIII. Soutien des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique aux personnes du troisième âge pour échapper aux polycrises et protéger l’histoire en Afrique (Page 6)

IX. Repenser la catégorie des mesures concernant les indicateurs de pauvreté pour l’aide aux personnes âgées  (Page 6)

X. Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 7)

XI. Support, Tool and Metrics, Information and Guidance on Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 8)

XII. Workshop, Focus Group and Booster Activity about Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 9)

XIII. Giving and Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 80^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Concepts Relating to the 80^th Issue of FACS (Page 2)

 

There are three concepts relating to pension that will help the readers of FACS to better understand the contents of the 80^th Issue.  These concepts are pension, pension programme and old-age poverty.  Let us briefly explain these concepts.

 

• • • • Pension

 

Approaching pension from the micro-economic point of view, Christopher Pass et al. (5) define pension as

“A payment received by individuals who have retired from paid employment or have reached the government’s pensionable age, in the form of a regular weekly or monthly income, or as a lump sum”. (p. 445)

They also explain three types of pension scheme, which are state retirement pensions, occupational pensions and personal pension plans.  In real world, there are many pension schemes such as flat-rate, earnings-related, means-tested, flat-rate universal, provident pensions, etc.

Pension payments need to be index-linked.  Index-linked pension payments are pension payments that are connected to a price index so that if the retail price index (or inflation) increases, pension payments will be automatically adjusted by the same proportion of price increase.

However, because we are dealing with Africa, one needs to be careful when talking about pension in Africa.  For instance, Fiona Stewart and Juan Yermo (6) explain that

“Most Sub-Saharan African countries do not have meaningful publicly managed pension and social security systems, though some form of pension coverage is available in a limited number of countries” (p. 10)

Stewart and Yermo also point out that there are public service pension schemes offered to formal sector workers, national schemes covering private sector workers and occupational schemes.

Because of lack in meaningful publicly managed pension in Africa, the Issue 80 considers payments made to the elderly under pension programmes beyond the accounting relating to contributions and benefits.

 

• • • • Pension programmes

 

The pension programmes studied here are non-contributory ones.  Non-contributory pension programmes are defined in the research paper of Armando Barrientos (7) as

“Cash transfer programmes targeted primarily on older people.  They are non-contributory in so far as, in practice, payroll contributions to social insurance schemes do not constitute a pre-requisite for entitlements.  These include assistantial pension programmes” (p. 3)

Armando Barrientos notes that

“Non-contributory pension programmes reduce poverty among the elderly and their households, enable investment in human and physical capital within beneficiary households, strengthen intergenerational solidarity and transfers, insure poorer rural communities against the adverse effects of agricultural reform, and encourage local economy activity” (p. 3)

Instead of and besides non-contributory pension programmes, there are countries that provide social pensions.  What are social pensions?

According to Jean-Jacques Dethier (8),

“Social pensions or universal minimum pensions are entitlements financed entirely out of the government’s general revenue paid out to certain categories of individuals, e.g. the population older than 65.  However, they are low and not enough to lift its beneficiaries above the poverty line”.

Dethier also acknowledges that social insurance programmes do not require citizens during their working years to pay into them.

Taking an opposing view, Help Age (9) counter-argues that

“Cash transfers such as social pensions are not only affordable but also reduce the number of older people living in poverty as well as enabling them to access other services, such as health care and education” (p. 2 & 3)

An example of these transfers are social cash transfers such as social (non-contributory) pensions.

Briefly, pension whether contributory or non-contributory or social can be a way to transfer money to the elderly to purchase goods and services.  For some pension advocates, social or non-contributory pensions can reduce the number of older people and their families living in poverty and enable access to services.

 

• • • • Old age poverty

 

The definition of old age income poverty used in this Issue comes from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The OECD (10) gives the relative concept of old age poverty by arguing that

“Old age income poor are individuals aged over 65 having an income below half the national median equivalised household disposable income”.

The same OECD considers that

“The yardstick for poverty depends on the medium household income in the total population in a particular country at a particular point in time”.

Who are the old age poor?

 

• • • • • Types of old age poor

 

Before providing the types of old age poor, let us precise their age.

In the Issue 80, the age cut-off limit of 63 years and above is used to define the elderly.  This limit is at 63 years and above because life expectancy in Africa is not the same as in the developed world. 

There are rich and poor amongst the 63 years and above.  The ones we are interested in are the poor ones who may have problem to fund their old age life. These elderly poor are therefore people over 63 living on less than $3.65 a-day pension equivalent to the international poverty line of $3.65 (at 2017 Purchasing Parity Power) per person per day.

Help Age explains that

“People who are chronically poor all their lives, and are unable to save for old age, become particularly vulnerable when they can no longer work, or if their family cannot support them”.

The 80th Issue deals with these people and others falling under the category of old age poor like the following:

 

√ The poor elderly living with children

√ The poor elderly-headed households

√ The elderly Africans who cannot rely on family support

√ The disproportionally disadvantaged heads of poorest households

√ The excluded from development programmes and discriminated against by service

√ Those who are forced to work in low paid or demeaning jobs

√ Those lacking the right identification

√ Those experiencing poverty, isolation, less protection, social exclusion, discrimination, violence, abuse, economic exclusion, denial to insurance and credit schemes especially in rural areas, etc.  For example, older women experience discriminatory customary law in property, inheritance and marriage matters.

 

The list can continue.  But, what we are interested in is finding ways of reducing old age poverty in Africa through pension or old age income support.  To achieve this reduction, one may have to inspect the relationship between in pension and old age poverty.

 

• • • Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 3)

 

There are arguments for and against about the possibility of pension to reduce old age poverty.  We have already mentioned argument against provided by Jean-Jacques Dethier and argument for given by Help Age regarding this matter.  To these arguments, let us add the following empirical studies.

For example, Jean-Jacques Dethier (op. cit.) argue that

“Introducing social pensions would substantially reduce poverty among the elderly in countries like Colombia, Honduras or Nicaragua.  On the contrary, in countries (such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay) where minimum pensions exist and poverty rates are low, poverty will not decline much”.

Another example is of Ousmane Faye (11) who conducted a study on the poverty measures in 1995 and 2000 for the different age groups in Senegal.  Faye’s findings are that

“Being poor is apparently not related to the age of the individuals; thus growing old in Senegal does not imply more poverty…In contrary, when comparing poverty profiles across households, we observe that poverty is more pervasive amongst households comprising elderly”. (p. 10)

In short, the possibility of pension to reduce old age poverty depends on many factors as well as methodology used to treat data.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations, Community Solidarity and Old Age Poverty Reduction (Page 3)

 

To reduce poverty within the older generation, it requires community solidarity, especially in places where there is not statutory support for the elderly or where support is meagre.  Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) driven by mission for the older generation are part of those who are supporting old people to reduce old age poverty.  They do it through community solidarity set up by themselves and or the communities that make up their beneficiaries.

This community solidarity assists in channelling their support to the old aged people through networks of social relationships or community solidarity.  The community solidarity enables their members to share risks collectively while accepting distributional entitlements.  Those members who do not have pension or have pension below the market value can resort to their networks and ASOs to have some payments to make up the difference in pension.

 

• • • Saving Money to Avoid Pension Poverty (Page 4)

 

Saving money for old age time needs to start as early as possible.  It means setting aside a certain percentage of your annual pre-tax income to be used when you get old.  You can save into a pension scheme or any other means.  However, the people in need may experience some difficulties to save money into a pension.  That is why they need support to do it.

Pension poverty can happen to these people when pension saving is restricted by low pay, career gaps, part-time jobs, the cost-of-living crisis and other life unexpected events to build a decent pension.  That is why is important for them to keep track on their pension to know way of avoiding pension poverty.

 

• • • Equating the Value of Pension and Poverty Threshold in Africa (Page 4)

 

It helps to reduce old age poverty by ensuring that the minimum pension is equal or above the international poverty line.  Let say if the international poverty line is $3.65 per person per day (at 2017 purchasing parity price) for lower middle-income countries, the minimum pension should also be $3.65 a day pension or more.  Yet, it is challenging for many countries in Africa to achieve this sort of equation.  Those places that fail to meet this threshold, their elderly would be poor.

For example, ‘borgenproject.org’ (12) explains that

“Poverty for the elderly occurs when their income is 40 per cent less than the median average”.

To reduce poverty in Africa and elsewhere, it may require to meet the above mentioned threshold and median average.

 

• • • Sortir les personnes âgées de la pauvreté: Le cas de ‘HelpAge International’ avec son programme de promotion et d’intégration des personnes du troisième âge dans le processus de développement au Bénin (Page 5)

 

HelpAge International, le réseau mondial pour la promotion de la personne âgée avait initialisé en Mars 2001 une formation des formateurs sur la nutrition et la sécurité alimentaire des personnes âgées pour l’Afrique francophone.  Cette formation s’est déroulée au Sénégal et a rassemblé 6 pays de l’Afrique francophone dont le Bénin.  Cette formation a débouché sur la mise au point de programmes d’actions par pays, destinés à intégrer les personnes âgées dans les programmes de développement human en Afrique francophone.  Conformément au plan d’action du Bénin, la 1ère phase avait pour objectif de poser le diagnostic de la situation alimentaire, sanitaire et nutritionnelle des personnes âgées en vue de

~ Combler la lacune d’informations sur les personnes du troisième âge (PTA) en apportant des informations relatives aux problèmes rencontrés

~ Attirer l’attention de décideurs politiques sur l’extrême précarité de la situation des PTA

~ Identifier, concevoir et mettre en oeuvre de façon efficace des programmes d’intervention pertinents pour assurer un bien-être aux PTA au Bénin.

Le cas ci-dessus montre bel et bien qu’il y a des travaux qui sont entrepris par des organisations (y compris africaines) pour aider les PTA à sortir de la pauvreté at à améliorer la qualité de leur vie.

 

• • • La retraite comme sécurité durable en Afrique (Page 5)

 

Les facteurs de risque interconnectés (tels que les polycrises) de l’insécurité en Afrique peuvent être abordés pour construire un système de sécurité durable pour les personnes de troisième âge.  Un tel système intégrerait les fonctions traditionnelles de la durabilité, à savoir la durabilité économique, sociale et environnementale.

A cela s’ajoutent les crises contemporaines telles que la confrontation géo-économique, l’érosion de la cohésion sociale et la polarisation sociale, la cyber-insécurité, les catastrophes naturelles et les températures extrêmes, le crise du coût de la vie, les guerres, etc.

La retraite ainsi conçue comme une sécurité à long terme protégerait mieux les personnes du troisième âge contre les risques de pauvreté et de vulnérabilité.  Et les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillant avec ces personnes qui iront dans cette direction seront plus à même de réduire la pauvreté des retraités et d’éviter les crises des retraites en Afrique; crises que certains hésitent à parler ou simplement ignorent.  Cette vision de la retraite permettra également de diminuer sinon d’éliminer à long terme la pauvreté intergénérationnelle entre ces personnes et leurs petits enfants.

 

• • • Soutien des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique aux personnes du troisième âge pour échapper aux polycrises et protéger l’histoire en Afrique (Page 6)

 

Depuis plusieurs années, l’Afrique fait face à une succession de crises ou de polycrises (caractérisées par la crise du coronavirus, la crise alimentaire, la crise de la dette, l’insécurité avec des foyers de tension un peu partout en Afrique, la crise de la démocratie, les crises climatiques, etc.).  Dans ce contexte de crises générales qui se chevauchent, il est difficile de voir une attention particulière être accordée aux personnes du troisième âge (PTA), des personnes qui sont normalement négligées dans la plupart des sociétés africaines et dont le nombre est si faible en terme de population si on compare avec la population jeune africaine.

Dans ce contexte généralisé de crises, les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui travaillent sur les problèmes liés aux PTA veillent à ce que les PTA ne soient pas laissés pour compte.  Grâce à des projets et initiatives locaux visant à protéger ces PTA, ces organisations apportent de l’eau potable, de la nourriture, des médicaments, des soins de santé, des vêtements, etc.   Elles le font non seulement pour soutenir la vie des PTA, mais aussi pour protéger ce qui reste de l’histoire africaine que ces PTA détiennent.  Certains peuvent espérer que ces orgainsations auront la même attention par rapport à celles qui travaillent avec et pour les enfants et les jeunes.

 

• • • Repenser la catégorie des mesures concernant les indicateurs de pauvreté pour l’aide aux personnes âgées  (Page 6)

 

Nous pouvons réfléchir aux mesures visant à développer des indicateurs susceptibles de quantifier la pauvreté et la précarité subies par les PTA.  Une telle réflexion ou révision aidera mieux les PTA.

Par exemple, le taux d’écart de pauvreté (c’est-à-dire le déficit de revenu moyen inférieur au seuil de pauvreté en proportion du seuil de pauvreté, les non-pauvres ayant un déficit de revenu nul) peut être remanié pour tenir compte de facteurs propres à l’âge.

De même, dans un ménage où les chefs de ménage sont des personnes âgées, on peut repenser le revenu disponible équivalent (c’est-à-dire le revenu total d’un ménage disponible pour consommer ou épargner, après impôts et transferts, divisé par le nombre de personnes dans le ménage. Chaque individu est transformé en équivalent adulte).  Cette réflexion conduira à considérer les conditions spécifiques liées à la troisième génération.

En outre, l’indexation des pensions à l’inflation protégera le pouvoir d’achat des PTA, car elle empêchera la valeur des pensions d’être érodée par l’inflation.  Dans cette situation fortement inflationniste, l’absence d’indexation des pensions au niveau élevé de l’inflation ne peut que nuire aux PTA.

Au fond, il est possible de repenser la retraite en reconsidérant la catégorie des mesures concernant les indicateurs de pauvreté liés à l’ancienne génération.  Cette refonte améliorera le soutien fourni aux PTA.

 

 

• • •  Survey, Testing Hypotheses, E-questionnaire and E-discussion on Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 7)

 

• • • • Survey on retirement plans

 

The purpose of this survey is to collect information from a sample of our users and community members regarding their plan when they retire, on the way of funding their old age time.

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: How prepared are you in funding your costs of living when you will be over 65 or if your are already 65 how are you funding these costs?

You can respond and directly send your answer to CENFACS.  

 

 

• • • • Testing Hypotheses about causal relationships between pension and the reduction of old age poverty

 

For those of our members who would like to dive deep into the impact of pension (of pension scheme) on the reduction of old age poverty, we have some educational activities for them.  They can test the inference of the following hypotheses:

 

a.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): There is relationship between social pension and the reduction of old age poverty

a.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): There is not a relationship between social pension and the reduction of old age poverty

b.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): There is relationship between occupational pension and the reduction of old age poverty

b.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): There is not relationship between occupational pension and the reduction of old age poverty

c.1) Null hypothesis (Ho): There is relationship between personal pension plans and the reduction of old age poverty

c.2) Alternative hypothesis (H1): There is relationship between personal pension plans and the reduction of old age poverty.

 

In order to conduct these tests, one needs data on both pension and old age people.

 

• • • • E-question about experience dealing with pension information

 

Any of our readers can answer the following questions.

 

Q1: Do you check pension offer in any job application you make or job advert you may apply?

Q2: If you are already in employment, do you know your employer’s pension scheme?

 

Please tick (√) as appropriate.

YES  [   ]

NO   [   ]

If your answer is YES, please share your experience with CENFACS and others within the community.

If your answer is NO, CENFACS can work with you via its Advice-giving Service (service which we offer to the community for free) to find way forward to deal with pension information.

 

• • • • E-discussion on contributions and benefits

 

Many of our members have their own views about whether or not pension should be based only on the relationship between contributions made and benefits received if one wants to reduce poverty in the old age.

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 Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 8)

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Support regarding pension and the reduction of old age poverty

 

For those members of our community who would like to improve the way they understand the effects of pension on the reduction of old age poverty, CENFACS can work with them to explore ways of understanding it.

We can work with them under our Advice-, Guidance- and Information-giving Service.  We can as well signpost them to organisations working on pension for those in need.

If you are a member of our community, you can ask us for basic support regarding your lack of or less understanding of the effects of pension on the reduction of old age poverty.

 

• • • • Tool and Metrics of the 80th Issue of FACS

 

• • • • • Pension Calculator as a tool

 

One of the tools we find that could be useful for our community members is Pension Calculator.

A pension calculator (13) tells you how much money you need in retirement and the way of having it.

Those who would like to discuss the relevancy of this tool and its application, they can feel free to contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • • Pension Metrics

 

The Issue 80 uses two metrics, which are old age dependency ratio and poverty gap ratio.

 

a) Old age dependency ratio

 

The old age dependency ratio is a measure of the burden of supporting the elderly population on the working-age population.  The ‘data.oecd.org’ (14) speaks about the old-age to working-age demographic ratio which it defines as

“The number of individuals aged 65 and over per 100 people of working age defined as those at ages 20 to 64”.

The old-age dependency ratio is calculated as:

([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) x 100

 

b) Poverty gap ratio

 

This is an interesting metrics of poverty as it measures the intensity of poverty.

The online ‘marketbusinessnews.com’ (15) 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 tool and metrics can be used in dealing with pension and the reduction of old age poverty in Africa.  For example, one can use the poverty gap ratio to measure the average shortfall of old age income from the poverty line.

 

 

• • • • Information and Guidance on Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty

 

Information and Guidance include two types areas of support via CENFACS, which are:

 

a) Information and Guidance on pension and the reduction of old age poverty

b) Signposts to improve users’ experience about pension and the reduction of old age poverty.

 

• • • • • Information and Guidance on pension and the reduction of old age poverty

 

Training and education opportunities about pension and its effects on poverty are not widely spread as they are in other financial fields.  Yet, having a basic training and education on pension matter can help people to be better prepared when they become old.  Basic pension training and education can provide valuable skills to deal with old age poverty issues.

Those members of community who are looking for pension training and education and who do not know what to do, CENFACS can work with them (via needs assessment) or provide them with leads about organisations and services that can help them.

 

• • • • • Signposts to improve users’ experience about pension and the reduction of old age poverty

 

For those who are looking for whereabout to find help about pension queries and old age hardships, 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.

Additionally, you can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of pension and the reduction of old age poverty, although the Issue 80 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 Pension and the Reduction of Old Age Poverty (Page 9)

 

 

• • • • Mini Themed Workshop on Pension Skills to Reduce Old Age Poverty

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about the reduction of old age poverty via CENFACS.   The workshop aims at supporting those without or with less information and knowledge about old age poverty gain pension skills, make responsible retirement decisions and choices, and improve their ability to deal with old-age poverty issues.

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • • • Focus Group on Economic Security in Old Age 

 

You can take part in our focus group on ways of encouraging needy people to learn and know the issues surrounding economic security in old age.

To take part in the focus group, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Summer Pension Confidence Building Activity

 

This user involvement activity revolves around the answers to the following questions:

 

Q1: How confident are you with your pension scheme?

Q2: How do many of you feel confident in their preparedness to avoid old age poverty?

Q3: How do many of you turn to pension professionals for pension guidance or advice?

Q4: How do many of you understand the basic pension principles or maths?

 

Those who would like to answer these questions and participate to our Summer Pension Confidence Building 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.

 

• • • • Pension Project of Poverty Reduction (PPPR)

 

PPPR is poverty-relieving initiative designed to work with unaware beneficiaries about their pension rights and obligations so that they can sort out their pension plans and rights as early as possible in order to avoid or reduce poverty in their old age.

Through this project, it is hoped that beneficiaries will take early steps both in terms of contributions and benefits so that they can avoid disappointment or surprise in old age that can lead to pension poverty.  PPPR will also motivate them to improve their means of living and contributions towards their retirement while making responsible decisions in terms of pension scheme choices.

To support or contribute to PPPR, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including the implementation plan of the PPPR , please contact CENFACS.

The full copy of the 80^th Issue of FACS is available on request.

For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1)  Barr, N. and Diamond, P. (2006), The economics of pension, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 22, No. 1

(2) https://ocean-climate.org/en/marine-and-coastal-ecosystem-services/ (accessed in August 2023)

(3) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/0.3384/fmars.2020.00453/full#(accessed in August 2023)

(4) Brown, K., Daw, T., Rosendo, S., Bunce, M. & Cherrett, N., (2008), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Marine and Coastal Situational Analysis; Synthesis Report at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08bb640f0b652dd000e36/MarineandCoastal_Synthesis-Report.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(5) Pass, C., Lowes, B., Pendleton, A. & Chadwick, L. (1991), Collins Dictionary of Business, HarperCollinsPublishers, Glasgow

(6) Stewart, F. and Yermo, J. (2009), Pensions in Africa, OECD Working Papers on Insurance and Private Pensions, No. 30, OECD publishing @OECDdoi:10.1787/227444006716 (accessed in August 2023)

(7) Barrientos, A. (2003), What is the impact of non-contributory pension on poverty? Estimates from Bazil and South Africa at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08d12e5274a31e0001612/33Barrientos.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(8) Dethier, J.-J. (2010), Eliminating poverty in old age: are social pensions the answer? at https://blogs.worldbank.org/development/talk/eliminating-poverty-in-old-age-are-social-pensions-the-answer# (accessed in August 2023)

(9) https://www.helpage.org/silo/files/older-people-in-africa-a-forgotten-generation.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(10) https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/d76e4-fad-en/index.html?itemld=/content/component/d76e4fad-en (accessed in June 2023)

(11) Faye, O. (2007), Basic Pension and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa, CREPP, HEC Management School – University of Liège, Department of Economics, CREPP Working Papers 

(12) https://borgenproject.org/3-reasons-for elderly-poverty-in-the-united-kingdom/ (accessed in August 2023)

(13) https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/pensions-basics/pension-calculator (accessed in August 2023)

(14) https://data.oecd.org/pop/old-age-dependency-ratio.htm (accessed in August 2023)

(15) 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

02 August 2023

 

Post No. 311

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip 

• Activity/Task 8 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Run/Walk with or Visit the People in Need to Positively Influence Them

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Social Poverty

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip

 

August is CENFACS’ Track, Trending and Trip month.  What do we mean by that?  We mean that we are on the track of poverty reduction, we walk to meet those in need and we follow the direction of poverty reduction.  Let us briefly explain these key words or activities of the month making our triple pack (i.e., track, trending and trip).

 

• • On the Track of Poverty Reduction

 

We are on the Track of poverty reduction as we are looking for relief for ourselves and other people.  We do Track at CENFACS as we think that every one of us can undertake basic physical activity of running or racing to help reduce poverty.  In this process of tracking, we also try to reduce or eliminate poverty due to being on the wrong side of the tracks.

To basically run or race, one does not need to be part of field event.  For those who cannot in-person run, they can do it virtually or online.  Our project known as Run to Reduce Poverty is designed to meet that end.

This Summer, we are going to do Tracking while taking into account the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

 

• • Trips or Walks to CENFACS’ Projects

 

August is also the month during which we carry out some Trips to our projects.  We visit our projects all over the year, but August is the time we highlight this.  We do a short journey to one of the places in need.  It is the month of the year we walk again and reach out to the need, to the people, communities, organisations and livelihoods in need.

This Summer, we are going to undertake both Virtual or In-person Trips depending on the circumstances prone to the rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus.  We can work alone or use our social network or social wayfinding or even social trail.

 

• • Trendy Development

 

We thirdly deal with Trending in August as we spend time looking at what is popular at CENFACS in the context of poverty reduction as well as what is the current general movement or tendency in poverty reduction.  This is what we can call Trendy Development; that is a development process following the latest fashions in terms of poverty reduction.

Trending in Poverty Reduction helps us to follow the direction of poverty reduction. This August we are going to follow this direction or tendency of poverty (or poverty reduction) via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

Marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) can help reduce poverty, particularly through provisioning and regulating services they provide.  Marine and coastal ecosystems contribute or enhance climate aspects of sustainable development.  However, the ability of poor people to benefit from MCES depends on barriers they face which could be related to access to resources, technology, markets and other factors.

We are interested in the specific benefits of MCES to poverty reduction.  We are going to follow this direction in-person.  Where we have problem to follow it in-person, we shall do it via online, video, phone, screen and digital technological means of communication and on papers (print).

 

• • Track, Trending and Trips in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and the Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

The contexts of this summer are of rising costs of living, changing climate and the lingering effects of the coronavirus.  We are going to integrate these factors into the theme of Summer when carrying out these three activities of August 2023: Track, Trending and Trip.

More details about CENFACS’ Track, Trending and Trips month for this year is given under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 8 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Run/Walk with or Visit the People in Need to Positively Influence Them

 

As part of CENFACS’ Influence Year and Project, the activity or task to be carried out for this month is to undertake the physical activity of running or walking with the people in need.  In the process of running and/or walking, one can try to positively influence them so that they can navigate or find their way towards relief.

Alternatively, one can in-person visit the people in need and try to positively influence them to explain the kind of problems they have and discuss with them the types of solutions they would like to see.  The following examples can help illustrate these activities.

 

• • Examples of August 2023 Influencing Activities

 

To put into practice CENFACS’ Influence Year and Project and of the month of Track, Trip and Trending; one can proceed with either of the following Influencing Activities:

Influencing Activity 8.1: Safely and Healthily Run 2.5 miles (nearly 4 km) with people in need to create user-generated information opportunity through the use of influencing skills

Influencing Activity 8.2: Undertake Virtual or In-person Visits or Tours of 3 Influencing projects or activities; projects or activities based on influencing facts, information and skills acquired through experience or education, and which use influencing methodology and tools to support people this Summer 2023

Influencing Activity 8.3: Carry out online search to find 6 Trends in poverty reduction for projects that are based on the positive influence of people in need to navigate their way out of poverty.

The above three examples of Influence-based Activities are our way of linking our ‘i’ Year/Project and the month of Track, Trip and Trending together.

These run, walk and visit can also be done virtually if there are problems to conduct them in-person.

The above if the activity or task for the ‘i’ Year/Project for those who are interested in carrying it out.  For those who want any clarification of any aspects of the activity or task, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Social Poverty

 

This month, we are also interested in the social aspect of poverty.  This interest began last week when we asked those who would like to write a journal of Happiness and Healthiness for this Summer.  The first activity of this Journal is to write about social support.  This month, we are diving into social support by looking at social poverty.  Sometimes, people may need social support because they are socially poor.  What is social poverty?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Social Poverty

 

Our understanding of social poverty comes from Sarah Halpern-Meeken (1), who explains that

“Social poverty entails social isolation that is more than momentary, and that cannot be addressed through one’s current relational resources… What sets these feelings apart from being food insecure or socially poor is whether or not the person experiencing these feelings can access the resources necessary to address these issues…  That social poverty is a subjective experience makes its consequences for physical and mental health no less real – unaddressed social isolation can raise the risks of morbidity and mortality”.

There are many examples of social poverty.   To name just one is the isolation created and/or exacerbated by poor path condition or the lack of bridges for safer crossing of rivers in some places of the world, including Africa.

 

• • Reducing Social Poverty

 

Let us take the example of the isolation created and/or exacerbated by poor path condition or the lack of bridges.

Improving connection to the road network and transport services for all seasons can help reduce both isolation and social poverty.  The benefits deriving from such improvements could be life-saving ones for those walking or travelling for medical reasons and outreach.  How many times we hear stories or have been told that people in need of humanitarian assistance could not be reached because they were stranded in their homes/town or cut off from the rest of world and they could not access any life-saving and -changing services as they are isolated, therefore social poor.  They need corridors or drones for food and medicine to be dispatched.

So, improved access through footpaths and bridges can help reduce isolation and social poverty.  During this month of August 2023, CENFACS shall be working with the community to help tackle social poverty.

The above is our poverty reduction goal for this month, which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity

• Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments to Report Back and Build Forward 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 2: Create Your Journal of Summer Generosity

 

Generosity is one of the six predictors of happiness and healthiness.  One can create a journal about what they are giving (or gave) or are receiving (or received) unselfishly.

Like last Summer, this Summer is tough for many ordinary people and families since the cost-of-living crisis can only make things difficult for them.  Many of these poor people and families are looking for unselfish help and support.

For those who would manage to give or receive this generous support; they can create a journal for the things, organisations and people who have been unselfishly supportive to their happiness and healthiness during this Summer 2023.

They can record their thoughts, feelings and experiences in relation to the generous support they have received or given.  They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy generous support.  This can be recorded in their journal and be shared by the end of Summer 2023.

To share the contents of their happiness and healthiness journal relating to philanthropic support, and help build a better Summer holiday experience; they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments to Report Back and Build Forward 

 

Whether one has a Summer break or is working over this Summer, it is always a good idea to impact capture and record your memorable moments or just what you are doing.

 

• • Impact Capture and Record Your Summer Telling Moments as they Happen

 

Capture and record Summer activities (e.g., engagement activities where the people in your experience are engaged) that can lead to impact.  You can look for impact when capturing and recording your Summer moments.

However, impact can be difficult to track, in particular for those who do not have experience for impact capturing and recording.  You can keep track of the people who are participating in your Summer experiences.  For those who are not familiar with impact capturing and recording, they can take these basic actions:

 

∝ Look for different types of impact

∝ Use various leads and mediums of finding and mapping impact

∝ Appeal to indicators for impact

∝ Refer to impact capturing and recording tools

∝ Decide what you need to track for your impact

etc.

 

These basic actions will enable them to create an impact record.

After Summer, we often ask our project beneficiaries or the community to impact report their Summer experience back.  If you impact record what you are doing this Summer, after Summer it will be easier to share what you may judge is a shareable part of your Summer experience or story.

 

• • Do not Forget to Take Photos and Pictures, Make a Video, Record Your Voice, Podcast, etc.!

 

If you decide to impact capture and record your Summer activities or experiences, please do not forget to take photos and pictures, make a video, record your voice, podcast, etc.    It is also useful to write down dates, places and names of people involved in your Summer projects or experiences.  You can plan the way you want to impact report back, whether you want to use words or numbers or voices or information graphics (e.g. tables or graphs, figures, etc.).

Before including people around you in your recorded experience, please take care of General Data Protection Regulations.  This extra care will help to protect yourself and others.  If necessary, please check the policy on handling people’s information and data, including update on this policy.

 

• • Impact Reporting Back Your Summer Experiences to Build Forward Better Together

 

Impact reporting back your experiences can sometimes inspire others, especially if your experiences contain poverty-relieving features or outcomes.  Sometimes what you may think is not important in your life experience could be very useful or even life-saving for others in the community.  Your experiences could help to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer.

We hope you will seriously take our message of impact capturing and recording to impact report back and build forward better together.

Thank you!

 

 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects

 

The 2024 Edition of our Summer Humanitarian Appeal and Campaign has now been completed and is ready for support.  We have added to CENFACS’ Win against Distress in Africa the other four remaining projects making this appeal. The addition includes:

 

√ All Gifts for All Poor 

√ International Networking and Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis

√ Iconic Young Carer 

√ ELCLASSICO International.

 

To support and or enquire about these appeal projects, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Capturez l’impact et enregistrez vos moments révélateurs de l’été pour en rendre compte et construire vers l’avant

Que l’on ait une pause estivale ou que l’on travaille cet été, c’est toujours une bonne idée de capturer et d’enregistrer vos moments mémorables ou simplement ce que vous faites.

• • Capturez l’impact et enregistrez vos moments révélateurs de l’été au fur et à mesure qu’ils se produisent

Capturez et enregistrez les activités estivales (p. ex., les activités d’engagement où les personnes de votre expérience sont engagées) qui peuvent avoir un impact.  Vous pouvez rechercher un impact lors de la capture et de l’enregistrement de vos moments d’été.

Cependant, l’impact peut être difficile à suivre, en particulier pour ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas d’expérience en matière de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact.  Vous pouvez suivre les personnes qui participent à vos expériences estivales.  Pour ceux ou celles qui ne sont pas familiers(ières) avec la capture et l’enregistrement d’impact, ils/elles peuvent prendre ces mesures de base:

∝ recherchez différents types d’impact

∝ utilisez divers moyens de recherche et de cartographie de l’impact

∝ faites appel aux indicateurs d’impact

∝ vous reportez aux outils de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact

∝ décidez de ce que vous devez suivre pour votre impact

etc.

Ces actions de base leur permettront de créer un dossier d’impact.

Après l’été, nous demandons souvent à nos bénéficiaires de projets ou à la communauté de nous faire part de leur expérience estivale.  Si vous avez un impact sur ce que vous faites cet été, après l’été, il sera plus facile de partager ce que vous pourriez juger être une partie partageable de votre expérience ou de votre histoire estivale.

• • N’oubliez pas de prendre des photos et des images, de faire une vidéo, d’enregistrer votre voix, votre podcast, etc.!

Si vous décidez de capturer et d’enregistrer vos activités ou expériences estivales, n’oubliez pas de prendre des photos et des images, de faire une vidéo, d’enregistrer votre voix, votre podcast, etc.    Il est également utile d’écrire les dates, les lieux et les noms des personnes impliquées dans vos projets ou expériences d’été.  Vous pouvez planifier la façon dont vous souhaitez avoir un impact sur le rapport, que vous souhaitiez utiliser des mots, des chiffres, des voix ou des graphiques d’information (par exemple, des tableaux ou des graphiques, des figures, etc.).

Avant d’inclure des personnes autour de vous dans votre expérience enregistrée, veuillez prendre en compte les règles générales de protection des données.  Ces soins supplémentaires vous aideront à vous protéger et à protéger les autres.  Si c’est nécessaire, veuillez vérifier la politique sur le traitement des informations et des données des personnes, y compris la mise à jour de cette politique.

• • Rapport d’impact sur vos expériences estivales pour mieux construire ensemble

Le rapport d’impact de vos expériences peut parfois inspirer d’autres personnes, surtout si vos expériences contiennent des résultats de réduction de la pauvreté.  Parfois, ce que vous pensez n’est pas important dans votre expérience de vie peut être très utile ou même sauver la vie d’autres membres de la communauté.  Vos expériences pourraient aider à mieux construire ensemble plus proprement, plus vert et plus sûr.

Nous espérons que vous prendrez au sérieux notre message de capture et d’enregistrement d’impact pour rendre compte de l’impact et mieux construire ensemble.

Merci!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Summer 2023 Triple Pack Made of Track, Trending and Trip 

 

Our thematic and working model of Summer of Happiness and Healthiness in the context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; will continue this month through the three activities of…

 

1) TRACK to help reduce poverty

2) Virtual or In-person TRIPS to projects and locals

3) TRENDING in poverty reduction by following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

 

The following headings contain the elements making this model:

 

∝ Track, Trip and Trending 2023 Activities

∝ August 2023 Trending Activities/Programme

∝ In Focus from Wednesday 02/08/2023: Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems.

 

Let us uncover what is inside these headings.

 

• • Track, Trip and Trending 2023 Activities

 

• • • Track to Help Reduce Poverty in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

This is delivered through the project Run to Reduce Poverty, Gaming to Reduce Poverty and Vote your African Manager of Poverty Reduction. These are All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives.

However, because of the weather conditions (sunshine) and nature of August (holiday time for many of our project beneficiaries and supporters) we put a particular emphasis on the Run aspects of these all-year round projects, over this month.  One can do physical run out and indoor while bearing in mind the lingering effects of the coronavirus and rising temperatures.

We expect those who sign up to the Run element to take actions and run it by themselves while following to letter any health and safety rules (e.g. Protection against the lingering effects of the coronavirus) relating to this element.  After summer or at any convenient time before the end of the year, they can all report back our individual Run activity and achievements.

 

• • • Virtual or In-person TRIPS to Projects and Locals in a Summer of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

This is the second aspect of our Summer 2023 Triple Pack or part of work over the month of August at CENFACS.  We expect and advise our supporters to visit some of our projects and initiatives whether in the UK or in Africa during and around the month of August.

For those who cannot in-person or physically visit projects on the grounds, arrangements can be made between the prospective visitors and the organisations to be visited so that they can organise a virtual trip, tour or viewing.

This requires that the visitors and visiting organisations have the technology that enables this virtual tour to happen.  If this is possible, we expect and advise our supporters to virtually visit some of projects and initiatives whether in the UK or in Africa during and around the month of August.

 

a) Visits to Projects/Initiatives within the UK

 

Because we are also talking about Trip to the needs in the context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; our Visit this year will be to see how these three events have affected local people and local needs as well.  During the Visit, we shall have the opportunity to see in real life how these people are strategically coping to manage these events.

 

b) Trips to Projects/Initiatives in Africa

 

Trip to the need and project includes some of the experiences undertaken by CENFACS’ All-in-Development Volunteers through field work involvements and project visits, to reach out to unreached, underserved and unserved people and communities, particularly those living in remote areas of Africa.  It is the kind of experiences or expeditions that we recommend to future invertebrate and vertebrate volunteers to have and report back in September or after.

These trips also help us to check if we are on the right track at helping to reduce poverty and at tracking our records for the work on the ground.

Because the theme of trending for this Summer is about Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, we are going to link Trip to the need on the ground in terms of what services marine and coastal ecosystems provide to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • TRENDING in Poverty Reduction by Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

Sustainable development does not need to be trendy, but we can follow the latest fashions in sustainable development and poverty reduction.

This August, we are dealing with Trending in poverty reduction by following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services and their capacity in lifting people out poverty. We mean by that we are following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.

In order to make sense of our trending activity, let us briefly explain marine and coastal ecosystem services and their relationship with poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Basic Understanding of Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

To understand Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services, we are going to first define ecosystem.  Then, we shall briefly explain marine and coastal ecosystem.

 

a) Defining ecosystem

 

The definition of ecosystem used here is the one provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2), which is

“Ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.  Humans are an integral part of ecosystems”.

From this definition of ecosystem, it is possible to deduct the meaning of marine and coastal ecosystem.

 

b) Meaning of marine and coastal ecosystem

 

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (3), marine ecosystem is

“A saltwater aquatic ecosystem that includes estuaries and coastal areas, along with the open sea and oceans” (p. 269)

The same dictionary explains coast as

“The zone where the land meets the sea, which is the boundary between terrestrial and marine environmental systems” (p. 86)

Coastal ecosystem is the ecosystem that applies to the zone where the land meets the sea.

From the above-mentioned definitions, we can now try to understand marine and coastal ecosystem services.

 

c) What are marine and coastal ecosystem services?

 

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (op. cit.) states that

“Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.  These include provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services.”

Marine and coastal ecosystem services (MCES) are therefore the advantages and positive aspects of marine and coastal life that ecosystems provide to humans.

MCES contribute a lot to human lives.  In the context of our activity of looking at MCES, we are specifically interested in how these services are helping people to reduce and possibly end poverty.  This does not mean that the other contributions or benefits of MCES are irrelevant.  It just means that we are going to focus on what MCES are doing to people in need in order for them to escape from poverty and hardships.  And if MCES can do something about poverty, this could suggest that there could be relationship between MCES and poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Possible Relationships between MCES and Poverty Reduction

 

There are various relations between MCES and poverty reduction if one considers each service making the MCES as well as the whole MCES.  It is possible to identify these relationships if one takes into account the well known classification of MCES in terms of provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services.  There are studies carried out about these relationships.  There are research findings that recognise the relationships between provisioning and regulating MCES and poverty reduction, while making in doubt the relationships between cultural MCES and poverty reduction.

 

• • • • • Example of study on the relationships between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation

 

If one refers to the conceptual framework for linking ecosystem services to poverty alleviation provided by Katrina Brown et al. (4), this framework enables the analysis of important aspects of the relationship between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation.  There are benefits and value of MCES to poor people in terms of the capacity of poor to benefit from them and of poor-perspective value of MCES.

Katrina Brown et al. (op. cit.) argue that the ability of poor to benefit from ecosystem services depend on barriers to benefit from these services; barriers relating to access to resources, technology, markets and other factors.

They conclude in their synthesis report that

“Access to ecosystem services is mediated by a range of societal factors [like gender, migration, health status, age, occupation, etc.], and is not merely a product of scarcity or abundance of a resource” (p. 66)

“It is important to understand the multiple and interacting processes and factors which make people dependent on ecosystem services and vulnerable to change in ecosystem services” (p. 66)

The above indicates that there are areas whereby there could a link or no link between MCES and poverty reduction.

From what has being argued about the above mentioned relationships, we will be observing how MCES are doing to hep reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  We will be looking at the extent to which MCES can be poverty reducer and sustainability enhancer.

So, we will be following the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services in a Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  This is what will be trending at CENFACS.  More details about this trending is given below.

 

• • August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme

 

August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme will focus on commonly known four types of MCES and how they can help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These MCES are: provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services.  To follow them, we need a plan.

 

• • • August 2023 Working Plan about Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

The following table (table no. 1) summarises our August 2023 plan of work from every Wednesday.

 

On 30 and 31 August 2023, we will be conducting impact monitoring and evaluation of August 2023 Trending Activities or Programme.

If you are interested in this trending programme, please share with us your experience or comments about it.

Further explanation about this August month’s activities can be obtained from CENFACS.

 

• • In Focus from Wednesday 02/08/2023: Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

Before explaining how we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction here, let us first understand the provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.

 

• • • Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

• • • • What are Provisioning Services?

 

There are many definitions within the marine and coastal literature about provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.  Most of these definitions tend to be similar.  One of them comes from the website ‘biodiversity.fi’ (5) that states

“Provisioning services are tangible products that people obtain from ecosystems.  These include food, water, raw materials, energy and genetic resources…Provisioning services are vital in the human economy and have often well-developed markets and valuation systems”.

For example, Katrina Brown at al. (op. cit.) summarise in a table in their synthesis report about ecosystem services the following ecosystem services and key ecosystems providing services to poor coastal dwellers.

The ecosystem services they mention include building materials (e.g. poles, limestone), fuel (wood and charcoal), fisheries, aquaculture, agricultural products, other natural products (e.g. honey), employment and income, medicines, fresh water, seaweed production, and tourism income.

The key ecosystems providing services they refer to are mangroves and coral reefs, mangroves and coastal forests, all marine habitats, coastal land, mangroves, coastal forests, systems providing provisioning services, forests, mangroves and seawater, forests, coastal waterways, shallow lagoons, coral reefs, and beaches.

What is important is not the question whether or not marine and coastal ecosystems supply services to humans.  What is at stake here is about how these products or services can help to reduce poverty for those living in poverty.  In order to know that these products/services are helping to reduce poverty, it is better to follow the direction of poverty via provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems.  We can historically follow that direction and/or currently get on track of it.

 

• • • Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Provisioning Services Provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

 

Provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems do help to reduce poverty.   Amongst these provisioning services, fisheries and building materials are the most spoken about.  Small scale fishing provides food, livelihood and source of income opportunities to marine and coastal poor and local people.  Aquaculture is also being mentioned as a key provisioning service for marine and coastal poor.  Mangroves and coral reefs provide ecosystem services for the local poor in terms of poverty reduction.

Those who are gifted enough and live in the marine and coastal areas, they have the opportunity, if they have permitted access, to have marine and coastal products to feed themselves, to cure themselves from disease, to maintain their lifestyle, to have fresh water, etc.  Those who live beyond the perimeter of marine and coastal zones can as well enjoy the provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems as long as transport of marine and coastal products allowed it or if they can afford to buy provisioning services traded in markets.

If that is the case, then it is possible to observe or follow the journey of marine and coastal products and check how they are helping to reduce poverty.  In this observation and journey, it is better to consider marine and coastal products as they come from the sea and coast.  This way, one can better seize their impact on poverty reduction and on poor marine and coastal people.

The above is our trending work from Wednesday 02 to 08/08/2023; work which has already started.

To follow with us the direction of poverty reduction via provisioning services provided by marine and coastal ecosystems, please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Halpern-Meeken, S. (2020), Social Poverty and Relational Resources, Vol. 19, Issue 2 at https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504220920195 (accessed in August 2023)

(2) https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.431.aspx.pdf# (accessed in August 2023)

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

(4) Brown, K., Daw, T., Rosendo, S., Bunce, M. & Cherrett, N., (2008), Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Marine and Coastal Situational Analysis; Synthesis Report at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08bb640f0b652dd000e36/MarineandCoastal_Synthesis-Report.pdf (accessed in August 2023)

(5) https://www.biodiversity.fi/ecosystemservices/services/provisioning/ (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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

26 July 2023

 

Post No. 310

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 3):  Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme

• 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight Activities from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

… And much more! 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

Our summer 2023 campaign about finding health relief and happy fulfilment continues this week with some brief accounts about Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023.  These summaries are about projects to keep children, young people and families happy and healthy over Summer 2023 and in the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

As we explained in the last week’s post, there are three features about this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects.  These features are as follows:

 

1) the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members

2) the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members

3) social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.  

 

These blended particulars will be apparent as Happiness and Healthiness Projects get fully unveiled and implemented.

The above-mentioned essential summaries can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  The full details of these projects are also available on request from CENFACS, including ways of accessing and using them.

To access and or support them, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 3):  Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme

 

Our 3-tier impact feedback has reached its third level or tier.  Unlike Impact Feedback of our 2022-2023 Programmes and Projects given by Users and Stakeholders, Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme is provided by CENFACS to inform its audience (including users and stakeholders) about the progress it is making in terms of this programme.

 

• • What is this Impact Feedback from CENFACS about?

 

CENFACS’ Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F (2020 to 2030 to 2063 Follow up) Programme is about the observation on the following five key components of this follow-up programme:

 

(a) The Paris Treaty

(b) The Istanbul Declaration

(c) The Maputo Treaty

(d) The United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

(e) Africa’s Agenda 2063.

 

This feedback also provides our feelings and what we would like (if we could) to be different regarding these five frameworks or pieces of work.

Our observation, feelings and need of difference will be in terms of progress made so far concerning these frameworks.  Our observation, feelings and need of difference are indeed in relation to the kind of work of poverty reduction we do since these global and international frameworks/initiatives greatly impact us.  Our feedback is not an evaluation of these frameworks of work.  What observation do we make about them?

 

• • Observation about the Five Pillars of XX236.3 F Programme

 

The following statement is what we would like to make about the five pillars.

Concerning the Paris Treaty, one can hope that Enhanced Transparency Framework, which will start in 2024, will enable countries to transparently report on action taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received.  One would also expect that zero-carbon solutions will become the norm or way of life for most people.

Regarding the Istanbul Declaration, it is better to wish that the application of the cybercrime frame to digital violence against women will extend its work as a supporting tool.  One can as well believe that this tool will continue to provide information on and combat violence against women on the basis of the Istanbul Convention.

As to the Maputo Treaty, one can expect that progress in realising women’s and girls’ rights and aspirations will continue and be evened within and between countries.  Discriminatory laws will be abolished if one wants to build forward better together by leaving no one behind.  One can as well desire that improvement in sexual and reproductive health will carry on.  Sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and female genital cutting will end.

CENFACS will keep on advocating for the promotion of Africa’s women and girl rights in all forms of human empowerment.

With respect to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, many studies are warning about the impossibility of meeting these goals by their deadline of 2030.  In particular, many of these studies speak about the impact of the coronavirus on the realisation of these goals.  Amongst this body of works includes the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 from the United Nations Department of Economic Social Affairs (1) which points to the same direction of missing targets.

Let us hope that the upturn and return of the global economy will help the developing regions of the world, in particular Africa, to better navigate their way towards the realisation of the above-mentioned goals.

With reference to Africa’s Agenda 2063,  the African Union’s report (2) on the implementation of this Agenda 2063 indicates that Africa performed better in 2021 than in 2019.  There are still challenges and threats, just as there are opportunities and priorities for Africa.  What many Africans would like to see is a sustained progress about the implementation of this agenda.

The above is just an observation we wanted to make about these pillars.  Some elements of this observation do not come from us as many people have the same feeling or view like ours.  This observation is not complete.  For those who would like to know more about our observation, feelings and need of difference regarding these pieces of framework of work, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight Activities from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

The two tasks or activities (i.e., data analytics and data insight of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year) have been carried out and will finish by the 31st of July 2023.  Although these data activities are jointly conducting, let us briefly highlight each of them.

 

• • 2022-2023 Data Analytics Activity from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

To highlight Data Analytics Activity, it is better to mention what needs to be said concerning this activity and its usefulness.

 

• • • What this Data Analytics Activity is about

 

It is about continuing to collect, transform and organise 2022-2023 data.  To do that, we are using descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics.  Data analytics skills such as data management, probability, statistics and others are also engaged in this analytics process.

Once this work is completed, we shall draw conclusions, make predictions and drive informed decision-making process about our poverty reduction work.  In other words, we will be using data findings to theorise and forecast poverty reduction as well as build data systems.

For example, we shall look at what fundraising data, humanitarian appeals data and so on tell us.  We can also consider data from the campaign on financial controls in 2023 and determine to continue or redesign or close this campaign.

 

• • • How this Data Analytics Activity is useful

 

This Data Analytics Activity will help to track projects (like All-year Round Projects or Triple Value Initiatives) as well as to make informed decision for the new financial year.  We can look at data about services we provide and decide which ones to continue, update or close.  We can further check the community members’ data or beneficiaries’ data to decide if the needs have been met or unmet within the community.  This data analytics will help to drive CENFACS‘ strategy in the new financial year.

 

• • 2022-2023 Data Insights Generation from 24 to 31/07/2023 

 

To draw attention to Data Insights Generation we are conducting, we are going to narrate what relates to it and its helpfulness.

 

• • • What this Data Insight Generation is about

 

It is about collecting, organising and curating data about the 2022-2023 programmes and projects.  We are as well extracting knowledge from 2022-2023 data while analysing the extracted knowledge.  Once this knowledge extraction is completed, we shall hypothesize action plans for each insight and apply the insight/action plan.

 

• • • How this Data Insight Generation is helpful

 

Gleaned data-driven insights will help in a number of ways.  For example, they can assist in the following:

 

√ identifying, categorising and crafting individualised messages to prospective donors for marketing purpose

√ customising messages to Africa-based Sister Organisations

√ finding out new members for targeted marketing in terms of their preferences

√ detecting users’ needs in times of high demand induced by natural catastrophes or crises (like the cost-of-living crisis, geo-economic crisis) or war events in Africa

√ determining popular contents within the CENFACS Community

√ improving CENFACS reporting and analytics capabilities

√ boosting CENFACS poverty reduction work

√ enhancing CENFACS‘ work on sustainable development

etc.

 

The above is the summary of 2022-2023 Data Analytics and Insight activities. 

For those who would like to know more about these activities, they can contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal: Creative Activity No. 1: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Social Support

• Happiness and Healthiness Budgets 2023 – Holiday Budget Deficit

• Data Analytics and Insight Experiences from the Perspective of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal: Creative Activity No. 1: Create Your Journal of Happy and Healthy Social Support

 

Social support is one of the six predictors of happiness and healthiness.  But, what is social support?   Social support can be defined in many ways.  According to ‘verywellmind.com’ (3),

“Social support involves having a network of family and friends that you can turn to in times of need”.

The website ‘verywellmind.com’ adds by arguing this:

“Social support refers to the psychological and material resources provided by a social network to help individuals cope with stress”.

One can refer to the above definition and create a journal for having someone to count on in time of trouble like of the cost-of-living crisis or any other social network matter over this Summer.  They can do more within this first creative activity.

 

• • What else they can do as part of this creative activity no.1

 

They can create a journal for the things and people who have been socially supportive to their enjoyment and good conditions of life during this Summer 2023.

They can record their thoughts, feelings and experiences in relation to the social support they have received or given.

They can share with the community their experience of happy and healthy social support as recorded in their journal by the end of Summer 2023.

 

• • Sharing the content of your journal

 

One of the objectives of this journal is to share one’s Summer holiday experience.  Thus, sharing your Summer holiday experience via the records from your journal could be helpful and useful for others who are looking for social support and inspiration.  You can share the content of your journal via CENFACS by submitting it.

To submit the contents of your happiness and healthiness journal relating to social support, and help build a better Summer holiday experience within the community, please contact CENFACS.  When submitting the content of your journal to us, please do not forget to give us permission to share it.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Budgets 2023 – Holiday Budget Deficit

How to Sustainably Manage Budget Deficit in the Treble Context of Lingering Impacts of the Coronavirus, Extreme Temperatures and the Damaging Effects of the Fall in Real Household Disposable Incomes

 

We are continuing our hacks, hints and tips to help in budgeting Happiness and Healthiness by looking at holiday budget deficit.

 

• • What is a budget deficit and why does it matter for poor people?

 

A deficit is generally defined as the amount by which expenditure is greater than real income.  In terms of holiday budget deficit, it simply means that one’s holiday expenditure is more than holiday income.  It is a negative balance which could suggest that there could be a need to finance it (here holiday budget deficit).

Yet, speaking about holiday budget deficit could seem bizarre since we are talking about poor people or those in need.  These are the people who often struggle to make ends meet.   They are the ones who often are short of money to tie the knots of the two ends of the month.  Despite that any sensible humans should do some budgeting, here holiday budgeting.

 

• • What is budgeting for a household?

 

Budgeting is forward thinking process that can help to coordinate the different areas of household life while defining responsibility and delegating powers within the same household.  It is indeed an instrument for household control as well as a basis for decision making process and changing plans where there is a need to do so.

For those households making our community who are familiar with budgeting process, they know they need to budget their holiday incomings and outgoings.  For those ones who are unfamiliar with this process, CENFACS is available for help and support.

 

• • Working with the community on holiday budget

 

We are available to work on the budgeting process with those who are struggling to make ends meet and those who are interested in budgeting their holiday expenses and incomes.  We will be working on how to avoid and sustainably manage holiday budget in a Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

For those who are familiar with online tools, they can find countless examples of family or household budgets sometimes in the form of Microsoft Application Spread sheets.  For those who are unfamiliar with these free available online resources, they can use CENFACS’ line of financial advisory support.

In the construction of this Summer Happiness and Healthiness Budget, it is better to include numbers relating to lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

So, we will be checking with them on which part of this deficit is attributable or not attributable to the above mentioned contexts or factors.  This exercise enables to take into consideration the way in which these factors are affecting their holiday budget in what they eat, drink, cover or uncover their body, entertain, shelter, etc.

To learn or seek support on how to avoid and sustainably manage holiday budget deficit or negative budget balance in Summer of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Data Analytics and Insight Experiences from the Perspective of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs)

 

This week, we are as well looking at the way in which our Africa-based Sister Organisations perceive data analytics and insight.  It is pointless to mention that theories of data analytics and insight used can be the same.  But, the context in which these theories can be applied and the perception of the data analytics and insight could be slightly different, especially in places where there could be data poverty.

Because of these differences in perceptions and theory applications, it is a great idea to exchange views with our ASOs on data analytics and insight of programmes and projects in the African context.  This is an enriched and technically valuable exercise which will enable both sides to align works, cement their partnership and continue to develop sustainable initiatives.

We are therefore inviting ASOs that have impact stories or case studies or experiences about their own data analytics and insight processes to share with us.  Likewise, we are asking to those ASOs that need advisory support in the area of data analytics and insight to let us know.  This is an opportunity to learn and develop best practices and policies in this area.

Need to share your work or experience in terms of data analytics and insight for the programmes and projects you are running, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Expériences sur l’analytique et la perspicacité des données du point de vue des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique

Cette semaine, nous examinons également la façon dont nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique perçoivent l’analyse et la perspicacité des données.  Il est inutile de mentionner que les théories de l’analyse des données et de la perspicacité utilisées peuvent être les mêmes.  Mais le contexte dans lequel ces théories peuvent être appliquées et la perception de l’analyse et de la perspicacité des données pourraient être légèrement différents, en particulier dans les endroits où il pourrait y avoir une pauvreté de données.

En raison de ces différences dans les perceptions et les applications théoriques, c’est une excellente idée d’échanger des points de vue avec nos/des organisations sœurs basées en Afrique sur l’analytique et la perspicacité de données des programmes et des projets dans le contexte africain.  Il s’agit d’un exercice enrichi et techniquement précieux qui permettra aux deux parties d’aligner les travaux, de cimenter leur partenariat et de continuer à développer des initiatives durables.

Nous invitons donc les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui ont des histoires, des études de cas ou des expériences sur leurs propres analyses de données et leurs idées à partager avec nous.  De même, nous demandons aux organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui ont besoin d’un soutien consultatif dans le domaine de l’analytique et de la perspicacité des données de nous le faire savoir.  C’est l’occasion d’apprendre et d’élaborer des pratiques exemplaires et des politiques dans ce domaine.

Si vous avez besoin de partager votre travail ou votre expérience en termes d’analytique et de perspicacité des données pour les programmes et projets que vous menez, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

The following headings will help to summarise Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023:

 

∝ 2023 Edition of Summer of Happiness, Healthiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Protection and Sustainability

∝ Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

Let us briefly uncover these headings.

 

• • 2023 Edition of Summer of Happiness, Healthiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Protection and Sustainability

 

This 2023 Edition is out now and trending.  It covers the main initiatives and activities planned for this summer.  In this edition, the 2023 Happiness and Healthiness Projects may have kept the same names for some of these projects like in the previous Summers, but their contents reflect this year’s themes of happiness and healthiness in the treble context of lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

These projects are as follows:

 

1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource (this year’s focus is on Finance for Holiday)

2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities

3) Summer Harmony with Nature

4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding at the Time of Cost-of-living Crisis

6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities.

 

They are the combination of skills, knowledge, resources, tools, fixers, enhancements, boosters and tasters for poverty relief.  They consist of:

 

√ Two resource projects (Family Happiness and Healthiness Mini-Guide, and Holiday Information Manager)

√ One communication-protection project (Networking Platform for Happiness and Healthiness)

√ One climate and environmental campaign (Summer Harmony with Nature)

√ One interactive (interaction between people and their community) project (True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness)

√ One set of initiatives to stay happy  (Happiness Enhancing Activities).

 

They are the projects to build forward together better summer holiday in cleaner, greener and safer way.

In their design, we have considered the effects of climate change all over our Summer 2023 Programme.  In other words, all the six Happiness and Healthiness Projects will have green, sustainable and climate changing contents.  They will be aligned with greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.  The consideration of the effects of climate change all across is what makes Summer 2023 of a zero or neutral carbon one.

This is done to help improve life evaluation while taking actions to enhance the same life in a changing climate.  In this way, Summer can be a season of Happiness and Healthiness NOT of Misery for un-served and under-served children, young people and families who are at the same time the victims of the adverse effects of climate change, particularly but not exclusively extreme temperatures.

They are the victims of adverse effects of climate change because climate change affects the way they dress, eat, house, educate, entertain, care for their health, and above all the way they pass Summer holiday.

We can briefly present these projects one by one as follows.

 

 

• • Essential Summaries of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

  

Here are the essential summaries of the Happiness and Healthiness Projects making the 2023 Summer Programme Part II.  As said previously, these projects can help in achieving some happy, helpful, healthful and hopeful Summer plans, goals and outcomes. 

 

••• 1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource with a focus on Finance for Holiday

 

Holiday with Relief is one of CENFACS useful and helpful ICDP (individual Capacity Development Programme) resources for holiday makers and travellers.  The resource, which is published during Spring of every year, can also be used during Summer holiday or any holiday.

This year’s Holiday with Relief with its theme of Finance for Holiday is designed to help those in need by having happy and healthy holiday (e.g. Summer holiday).  It provides wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to funding holiday.  Within this wealth of information contained in this Issue, there are tips and hints that can be used to tackle holiday poverty.

These tips and hints are meant to support those of our users and non-users who may experience some difficulties in raising the finance they need in order to cover their holiday budget (that is; work or school holiday budget and long Summer holiday budget).

This resource is packed with seasonal relieving ideas about how to reduce holiday poverty.

To build forward happy and healthy Summer break, and or get this Family Happiness and Healthiness Mini-Guide, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities 

 

Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities (‘NAGAHAIN’) Project is our Information Manager for this year’s summer.  The goal of the ‘NAGAHAIN’ Project is to help make the distribution of subjective well-being even or equal within the community.  What is really about?

It is about…

 

√ Improving the psychological equality or happiness quality or even subjective well-being

√ Enhancing happiness levels amongst the members of CENFACS Community to avoid high levels of happiness differences

√ Increasing the community trust, that is the belief in the integrity of other members of our community.

 

One of the concerns for many people and families is how to pass this Summer happy and healthy under the constraints of rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus.

The NAGAHAIN Project/Resource as Holiday Information Manager is the awareness, preparedness and solutions-focused Resource to Manage Information to turn summer of constraints and worries into that of happiness and healthiness.  It contains a set of tips and tricks to help and enable vulnerable unaware people to plan their holiday or break with confidence to achieve the goal of increasing happiness.

For further details about this Holiday Information Manager or Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 3) Summer Harmony with Nature 

 

Summer of Happiness and Healthiness is also of accord with nature with its creatures.  Keeping a harmonious relationship with leaves, plants, animals, landscapes and surrounding natural species (like trees, plants, waters, parks, etc.) and resources adds a great value to our happiness and healthiness. In other words, it is about equating our needs of happiness and healthiness to those of the nature.

Living in harmony with nature means that to pass a good summer we do not need to upset the nature with its creatures.  Humans can pre-emptively take the lead by keeping their relationships as harmonious as possible to avoid the degradation and depletion of nature.

Need to keep harmony with nature, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS’ Summer Campaign over Nature.

 

••• 4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

 

Through this initiative, we shall work with users to address some forms of imbalance in happiness; imbalance between happiness as an individual experience and happiness as a collective endeavour.  In other words, we shall support the community members to achieve their own happiness without compromising the ability of the other members of the community they belong to to have their own happiness.

It is in the interaction in happiness of each of our members and the CENFACS Community that the true balance in happiness can be found.

To find out further about this Happiness and Healthiness Project, please contact CENFACS.

 

••• 5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis 

 

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis is a CENFACS Social Media Platform to facilitate the flows of information and communication in order to keep local children, young people and families (CYPFs) out of the threats, troubles, attacks and challenges of everyday life and during the Summertime of changing climate, rising costs of living and lingering effects of the coronavirus.

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis is about improving the Flow of Information over the Summertime amongst us and other stakeholders by gaining access to mutual support, facilities, services and resources in order to protect and safeguard multi-dimensional deprived CYPFs.

It is not enough to carry out our individual actions against the cost-of-living crisis unless we sum up them by coming together in the form of social connections as human chains.  Such connections or network will help to exchange information and data for the mutual interest and collective defence or security.

Networking for Protection and Safeguarding against the Cost-of-living Crisis or Summer Social Media Platform is a means to access and facilitate the flows of information about the protection and safeguarding against the cost-of-living crisis.  It is our capacity to help protect our members from threats, risks and attacks.  Through this means, one can receive and pass on protective and safeguarding information about any threats and risks from the rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus within a networked community.

To network for protection and safeguarding against the cost-of-living crisis, please let CENFACS know.

 

••• 6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities

  

Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities are a combination of the physical, emotional and social support to people/our community members to live with care, control and dignity in our community on the one hand; and our shared responsibility for the public health on the other.  Health responsibility means that our community members fulfil their duties to maintain their physical, mental and social well-being.

Through this Personal/Family Healthcare Plan, we will try to reduce lifestyle-induced diseases for ourselves and others while promoting our own health without adversely impacting the health of others and future generations.  Community care and responsibility imply as well whatever we do we must comply with the rule of the community, society in which we live.

We can use this Happiness and Healthiness initiative to create a post-coronavirus Proof Wellness or Healthcare Plan.  Such a plan will include the following: health vision and goals, lifestyles habits, follow-up tips and checks.

For further details about Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities, please contact CENFACS.

The above six interlinked themed ways/projects of creating and sustaining Happiness and Healthiness in a Summer of rising costs of living, changing climate and lingering effects of the coronavirus do not replace any good advice and practice (like the ones produced by statutory bodies on the cost-of-living crisis).  They just add value to what it is already in place.  They are to be used in conjunction with the existing other measures to bring happiness as well as health and safety measures.

For further details about any of these projects, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

We would like to wish all multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families Happy, Healthy, Vulnerability-free, Peaceful, Safe and Sustainable Summer Days.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2023.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(2) https://issafrica.org/event/agenda-2063-how-much-progress-has-been-made (accessed in July 2023

(3) https://www.verywellmind.com/social-support-for-psychological-health-4119970 (accessed in July 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

19 July 2023

 

Post No. 309

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 2): Impact Assessment of ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

• Data Insight and Analytics for ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2) 

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

 

The lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes continue to pose an enormous challenge to the plan of many poor children, young people and families (CYPFs) to have a decent, affordable, happy and healthy Summer holiday.  Despite this challenge, there are still openings and opportunities available within the community and voluntary sectors to work together with these poor CYPFs  so that they can navigate their way to have a happy and healthy Summer break.  These opportunities and possibilities include CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects may not be the panacea  for their problems; however they could be a step forward to pulling together with these CYPFs and support them to enjoy some forms of happiness and healthiness during this Summer season.  The projects can make a difference by helping to alleviate poverty linked to the lack of happiness and healthiness.  They can assist in reducing happiness and healthiness gaps within our community while building trust and positive social connections to sustain happiness and healthiness.  But what is happiness; what is healthiness?

 

• • Understanding Happiness

 

There are many ways of explaining happiness.  According to ‘sloww.co’ (1), happiness is about solving the following (in)equation:

Happiness ≥ Events – Expectations

From this (in)equation, this website explains that

“The way we link about the events of our life and compare them to realistic expectations is what makes us happy or unhappy”.

John F. Helliwell at al. (2) go further in their World Happiness Report 2023 by re-providing six factors of happiness which are income, healthy life expectancy, social support or having someone to count on in times of trouble, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity, and the absence of corruption.

These factors are included in the design of CENFACS’ Happiness Projects 2023.

 

• • Explaining Healthiness

 

There are many ways of explaining and measuring healthiness.  For example, ‘healthicine.org’ (3) speaks about individual measures of healthiness which include personal healthiness, nutritional healthiness, mental healthiness, etc.  The same ‘healthicine.org’ tells us that each individual healthiness can be measured on a scale and shows it as deficient, normal, optimal or excessive.  Deficient and excessive are both unhealthy.

One can use ‘calculatory’ system healthiness to find out if they are healthy or unhealthy.  They can refer the body mass index (4) calculator to find out if their weight is healthy or not.  They can as well refer to the metrics of calorie counting (5) to track what they eat and count calories.

These explanations and measures about healthiness have been included in the design of CENFACS’ Healthiness Projects 2023.

The Happiness and Healthiness Projects (or 6.3 Programme), which make the second part of our Summer Programme 2023,  are made of six Summer initiatives to support 3 types of beneficiaries.  These projects are the result of discussions with the members of the CENFACS Community; particularly poor children, young people and families making this community.  They are designed for them as potential beneficiaries.

 

• • Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023

 

There are three features about this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects which are the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members, the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members, and social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.  These features are highlighted in the Main Development section of this post.  Under this Main Development section of this post you can also find the list of Happiness and Healthiness Projects making our Summer Programme or Programme 6.3.  Their contents will be unveiled as we move on and implement them during this Summertime.

For those who would like to have detailed or further information about each of the projects or the full 2023 version of this second part of our Summer Programme (that is Happiness and Healthiness Projects), they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 2): Impact Assessment of ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

 

Our work on this year’s All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment has moved to level 2.  The latter is about assessing the changes that may have occurred as result of the Programme of Building Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis.  The damaging effects of the cost-of-living crisis are simply the detrimental effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  Before going any further, let us re-explain what this programme is about.

 

• • What is Build-Forward-Better Programme?

 

Build Forward Better Programme (BFBP) is a set of projects and activities designed with the aim to ensure that the recovery from the cost-of-living crisis sits on sound and sustainable foundations that help beneficiaries to move forward better cleaner, greener and safer.

To move forward, it would be good to refer to what the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (6) states about building forward better, which is

“Building forward means not only that no one is left behind but that people living in poverty are actively encouraged and supported to be in the front, engaging in informed and meaningful participation in decision-making processes that directly affect their lives”.

From this perspective, our Impact Assessment will consider four areas of assessment which include (a) reduction of endemic structural disadvantages and inequalities, (b) dismantling structures of discrimination disadvantaging the poor, (c) building on the moral and legal framework of human rights that places human dignity at the heart of policy and action, and (d) positively transforming our relationship with nature.

The assessment will be on the way our community members have rebuilt their lives in relation to these areas of the programme.  For example, we could assess how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the cost-of-living crisis or with their relationship with nature.

The programme has been scheduled for two years (2021 to 2023) depending on the duration of the cost-of-living crisis, with a possibility of roll out.

Through this programme, it was thought the following three ideas:

1) Beneficiaries would make steady progress in their journey to overcome the cost-of-living crisis

2) The work of reconstruction from the asymmetrical and distributional impacts of cost-of-living crisis would be undertaken as no one should be left behind

3) There would be preparation to stay resilient to future similar shocks and crises.

These three ideas are the ones we are assessing in terms of their impact.

The programme has two orientations, which are: Build Forward Better with the CENFACS Community (programme beneficiaries) in the UK and Build Forward Better with Africa-based Sister Organisations in Africa.

This is the programme we are trying to assess.  To assess it, we are going to refer to what theories say about impact assessment, and to apply or experiment these theories in the context of this programme.

 

• • What Do Theories Say about Impact Assessment?

 

Intrac (7) summarises some of the positions around impact assessment by giving two definitions (from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Roche) of impact within social development, which are as follows: an impact is

 

“The positive and negative, primary and secondary, long-term effects produced by a development intervention, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended” (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2010)

“Lasting or significant change – positive or negative, intended or not – in people’s lives brought about by an action or a series of actions” (Roche, 1999)

 

• • How We are Going to Apply these Definitions

 

We are going to use both definitions in these ways:

(a) Roche’s definition will help to capture short-term and meaningful changes in terms of life-changing benefits such as savings made on energy and food consumption to manage the cost-of-living crisis.  We can as well include humanitarian appeals we made (e.g. The Polycrises-impacted Children of East Africa Need your Influence Right Now) to deal with events in Africa like environmental crisis (drought), war, famine, etc. that are affecting those in need in Africa.

(b) The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) definition will enable to include long-term changes in CENFACS’ capacity and system of poverty reduction (e.g. the hybrid advisory service that we set up as a result of cost-of-living crisis will continue in the future, particularly during this challenging and changing time of overlapping multiple crises).

To conclude, we are still carrying out impact assessment or assessing change on an on-going basis (or impact monitoring) while doing another impact assessment or assessing actual change for some of our 2022-2023 programmes and projects that have reached the end of their lives.  This impact assessment will be carried out until the 31st of July 2023. 

The results of these impact assessments will be published in our end-of-year 2022-2023 accounts and other impact reporting documents in due course.

 

 

• Data Insight and Analytics for ‘Build Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’ Programme to Deal with the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2) 

 

From 17 to 31 July 2023, we will be looking at the patterns and other meaningful information gathered from the analysis of data from the programme of Building Forward Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer Programme; while we are conducting an impact assessment of the same programme.  In other words, we are working to find out, interpret and communicate patterns in data in a meaningful way to the work of CENFACS relating to this programme.  This exercise will help to know what data found will be telling us.

 

• • Engaging with the Analytics and Insight Activity

 

We are continuing to ask supporters and users as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to engage with us in responding and reacting to our poverty relief work in their own words, voices, infographics and numbers.  They can rate and or provide a statement about these programmes and projects.  Where possible, they can provide information graphics (such as charts, graphs, images, etc.).  The data collected via their response will be processed and analysed to see if there is a meaningful pattern in them.

If anyone has data or information regarding the advice service we provided via for example the advice sessions we ran or resource we produced to help the community to build forward together cleaner, greener and safer; this is the opportunity to share these data or information with us.

To share data with us and or engage with this analytics activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities: Only 12 Days to Go!

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Debt Crisis and Intergenerational Poverty: What Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) Can Do to Help 

 

 

• Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

The 15^th Edition of our Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions will start from Saturday the 22^nd of July 2023 as scheduled.

Our thoughts and actions on Financial Inclusion will be about understanding poor people’s needs, particularly the need of financial inclusion, whether these needs are met or unmet; as well as to know the barriers they encounter to access and use their transaction account.

 

• • Who are these poor people?

 

They are

 

√ formerly financially excluded

√ financially underserved poor consumers of financial products and services

√ unbanked including poor women

√ those exclusively relying on cash transactions

√ financially digitally illiterate and innumerate

√ the older generations unable to handle digitally-enabled transactions

√ financially excluded by the adverse impacts of the overlapping multiple crises (the lingering effects of the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis, etc)

etc.

 

To help anyone who wants to participate to the Festival, we have put together supporting festival information under the following headings:

 

∝ Making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments

∝ Event Guide and Programme

∝ Supporting the 7DDJ2023 (Seven Days of Development in July 2023) event

 

Let us explain what the above named headings contain.

 

• • Making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments

 

For those who will be making any contributions in the form of thoughts and/or comments, it will be good to stick to the daily themes as planned.  Likewise, it makes easy for the good running of the festival to be short and precise in making thoughts or comments.

This will allow capture the impact they are making.   In this way, this will as well enable us to meet the Festival’s aim and get the difference that it will make to the lives of those who are financially excluded.

THINK • ACT • SHARE • ADD VALUE  •  SPREAD

 • • Event Guide and Programme

 

The following is the make-up of Summer 2023 Festival.

 

• • • 7DDJ2023 Registration: FREE!

 

The entry to the 7DDJ2023 is FREE.

For those who are busy and who can remotely, directly respond to the daily themes from their technological devices (e.g. laptop, desktop PC, tablet, phone, etc.) without having to attend any online sessions, there is no need to register.

For those who will have the opportunity to join our online sessions (or video conference), they may be notified about the days and times these sessions may happen.  They will need to sign into their Google accounts to join if everything remains the same.

 

• • • Daily Themes

 

Daily Themes (DTs) provide a daily opening thought or starting point of the broad topic/issue of Financial Inclusion.  Each DT will last all day and the only day it is planned.

 

• • • Responses to 7DDJ2023 Contributors

 

Each respondent will receive a reply to their contribution in the form of either an acknowledgement of their participation or a reaction expressed as an argument to their responses or even both.  Also, they will be entitled to receive the summary report on this summerly event.

 

• • • Lead Thoughts

 

Lead thoughts, which will be introduced on the day of festival, are a general idea on the thought of the day.  There are designed to lead to or generate more thoughts, potential research paths or investigative grounds that can be further explored to shade some lights to our Summer Thoughts and Actions.  They are not an end for themselves.

MAKE YOUR IDEAS AND COMMENTS COUNT!

• • • 7 Daily Themes

 

Day 1: Financial access and use of transaction account

Day 2: Digital financial inclusion of the older generation

Day 3: Improving poor people’s lives through financial inclusion

Day 4: Financial re-inclusion of the polycrises-impacted   

Day 5: Closing gender gaps in financial inclusion

Day 6: Financial inclusion through climate finance

Day 7: Financial inclusion and the reduction of financial poverty

 

• • Supporting the 7DDJ2023 event

 

• • • 7 Ways of Supporting 7DDJ2023

 

You could…

 

√ Post your thoughts, comments and views on any themes and topics of the event directly to CENFACS

√ Pass the message onto interested persons

√ Feedback on previous 7DDJF events

√ Promote the event around you and/or by using other means available to you and at your convenience

√ Help us re-cover the expenses of the event specifically and/or the running cost of CENFACS’ work generally

√ Support CENFACS on a regular basis to enable us to continue our work

√ Support our new initiative about Financial Inclusion of  Those in Need.

 

• • • 7 Ways of Proceeding with your Wish

 

Please choose below the kind of support you want to provide and let us know

 

√ Promote the event

√ Feedback CENFACS on previous events

√ Circulate the news about the event

√ Help in the recovery of 7DDJ 2023 expenses

√ Fund CENFACS for its deserving work and noble causes

√ Provide helpful and supportive comments or views

√ Support CENFACS in your own way.

 

Please mail your intent to support and or support to CENFACS

Closing date for reply: 07/08/2023 

Please read the above event supporting information and mail us your comments and views (on the themes of your interest) to facs@cenfacs.org.uk

Thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes and full of inspiration and creativity throughout our dedicated days of Festival of Thoughts and Actions on: Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives.

The 7DDJ2023 Events Team,

Thank you.

 

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities: Only 12 Days to Go!

 

We have twelve days left for our Analytics and Insight Month 2023.  We are again appealing to you to tell us (in your own words, numbers, voices and info-graphics) your perceptions, feelings and experiences about the programmes and projects we ran in the last 345 days preceding the beginning of July 2023.

Although we have selected 12 initiatives for Impact Feedback and Assessment One and 9 ones for Impact Feedback and Assessment Two for monitoring and evaluation purposes, we are not expecting people to provide feedback on all of them.

People can only feedback on the project(s) and programme(s) they benefited from, supported, recommended users to us or interacted within.

We again suggest picking up ONLY 1 or 2 initiatives for feedback.

Please feel free to say what you experienced.

Again, thank you for your experiential support!

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Debt Crisis and Intergenerational Poverty: What Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) Can Do to Help 

 

Debt service in Africa has now averaged a worrying level compared to Africa’s gross domestic product.  Debt service is interest plus principal payments on public and publicly guaranteed debt.  Economic theories tell us when debt service compared to the gross domestic product (GDP) crosses a certain level, this could send some worrying signs (like threats to poverty reduction, to building infrastructures for those in need, to socially investing, to meeting sustainable development goals, etc).

 

• • Africa’s debt service as a threat to poverty reduction

 

According to ‘data.one.org’ (8),

“Africa’s debt as a percentage of gross domestic product has been rising quickly since 2014, and is 24.0% of African countries gross domestic product (as of 2023 for countries with available data).  Yet, many individual countries have rates far higher”.

 

Although Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratio has not yet reached is still below 60%, if this metric continues to grow its growth can have negative impact on resources needed to to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.

It is not a surprise if the United Nations Global Crisis Group (9) states that

“Countries in Africa borrow on average at rates that are four times higher than those of the United States and even eight times than those of Germany.  High borrowing costs make it difficult for developing countries to fund important investments, which in turn further undermine debt sustainability and progress towards sustainable development”.

Whatever the reasons which have led to this debt, high debt service is a serious threat to any efforts to reduce poverty, let alone to enhance sustainable development.  This is because high debt service could indicate that attention is more put on servicing debts and bridging deficits than to other life-sustaining priorities (like reducing poverty).  Yet, Africa is one of the regions of the world with high number of people living in poverty.

 

• • Africa as home to multidimensional poor

 

Using a multidimensional poverty index when arguing about where poor people live, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Institute and the United Nations Development Programme (10) estimate that

“Roughly 534 million (47.8% percent) out of 1.1 billion poor people – half of all poor people- live in Sub-Saharan Africa” (p. 6)

The two institutions also add that

“In Sub-Saharan Africa the intensity of poverty is particularly serious.  The region is home not only to the highest number of poor people but also to the poorest of the poor” (p. 8)

When we speak about Africa’s debt, Africa is made with people (human beings) and mostly poor people.  Servicing debt could mean not or less paying for other essential priorities like health and education.  Yet, good health and good education can help to reduce debt in the future.

 

• • Debt service and intergenerational poverty

 

There is a danger in servicing too much debt.  The danger is that debt could be transferred to future generations.  Poverty could also be transferred to the generations to come via debt repayments mechanism.  What is much at stake here is the transmission of poverty to other generations through debt service.

Given the abovementioned circumstances, what ASOs can do?

 

• • ASOs can help to deal with debt crisis and intergenerational poverty

 

What ASOs can do is what we are discussing at CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum.  We are discussing what they can do to help highly indebted poor people and households to have debt sustainability.  In specific terms, we are debating what they can do to help in debt relief, restructuring and distress for these poor people and households.  We are as well talking about what these organisations do with their users to avoid that debt service payments to become a mechanism of transmitting poverty to their children.

The above are some the points for discussion within the forum for this week.  CENFACS would like to know yours.  You can tell CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum what you think.

Those who may be interested in this third discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Suivi et évaluation de l’impact des programmes, projets et activités 2022-2023: seulement 12 jours qui restent pour donner votre avis!

Il nous reste douze jours pour notre Mois de l’analytique et de perspicacité.  Nous vous demandons à nouveau de nous faire part (dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et infographies) de vos perceptions, sentiments et expériences concernant les programmes et projets que nous avons organisés au cours des 345 derniers jours précédant le début du mois de juillet 2023.

Bien que nous ayons sélectionné 12 initiatives pour la rétrospective et l’évaluation d’impact un et 9 initiatives pour la rétrospective d’impact et l’évaluation deux à des fins de suivi et d’évaluation, nous ne nous attendons pas à ce que les gens fournissent des commentaires sur chacune d’entre elles.

Les gens ne peuvent donner leur avis que sur le(s) projet(s) et le(s) programme(s) dont ils ont bénéficié, qu’ils nous ont soutenus, qu’ils nous ont recommandé des personnes ou auxquels ils ont interagi.

Nous suggérons encore une fois de choisir SEULEMENT 1 ou 2 initiatives pour faire vos commentaires.

N’hésitez pas à dire ce que vous avez vécu ou savez ou encore pensez.

Encore une fois, merci pour votre soutien expérientiel!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Projects for Children, Young People and Families in Summer 2023

 

To approach Happiness and Healthiness Projects, it is better to understand them, to know the different factors that determine happiness and healthiness, and to deliver them.  Thus, the following headings will ease our approach:

 

∝ Understanding CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects

∝ Determining Factors or Indicators of Happiness and Healthiness

∝ Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects in 2023

∝ Delivering Healthiness and Healthiness with 6 Projects for 3 Beneficiaries.

 

Let us now look at what is inside these headings.

 

• • Understanding CENFACS’ Happiness and Healthiness Projects

 

As said in the first key message, the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes continue to pose an enormous challenge to the plan of many poor children, young people and families (CYPFs) to have a decent, happy, affordable and healthy Summer holiday.  In these conditions and circumstances, happiness and healthiness may not mean anything for them.

Despite that, it is possible to find health relief and happy fulfilment while still dealing with these impacts and effects, this Summer 2023.  It is possible to make the conditions of being physically, mentally and socially sound better this Summer.

To make these conditions sound better, we have planned six happiness and healthiness enhancing initiatives.  This Summer, we are going to focus on ways or activities of finding this health relief and happy fulfilment in the context of lingering effects of the coronavirus, rising costs of living and climate change.  In other words, our centre of interest is on what will keep children, young people and families happy (or unhappy) and healthy (or unhealthy) over Summer under the debilitating conditions of the coronavirus, seismic rise in the cost of living and changing climate.

In order to keep them happy and healthy, there is a need to budget and deliver Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

 

• • • What are Happiness and Healthiness Projects?

 

CENFACS’ Happiness Projects are poverty-relieving responses to bring joy while reducing misery for poor children, young people and families over the summer period and beyond it.

CENFACS’ Healthiness Projects are poverty-relieving responses to bring freedoms from diseases (including epidemics, virus like COVID-19) while reducing misery for poor children, young people and families over the summer period and beyond it.

 

• • Determining Factors or Indicators of Happiness and Healthiness

 

The underlying principles or philosophy behind these life evaluation projects are in line with the main factors or indicators that define happiness as both a social and personal concept as explained in successive World Happiness Reports edited by Helliwell et al. (11).

 

• • • Happiness as both a social and personal concept

 

Helliwell et al. (op. cit.) distinguish the social foundations of happiness from personal happiness, although the two are complementary.  They argue that the science of measuring and understanding subjective well-being and happiness indicates that to be happy, one needs to meet the following six key variables or predictors that explain happiness differences among countries, which include:

income (Gross Domestic Product per capita), healthy life expectancy at birth, social support (having someone to count on in times of trouble), generosity, freedom to make life choices and trust (perceptions of corruption). 

For example, Helliwell et al. (12) argued in their 2020 World Happiness Report that

“Sub-Saharan Africa is not only the areas in the world with low happiness scores, but also a region in which happiness differences between the city and countryside are most pronounced in favour of city life” (p. 40)

The report went on in explaining that African countries with most pronounced urban-rural differences in life evaluation include: Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, Central African Republic, South Africa, Gambia, Niger, Liberia and Egypt.

In their World Happiness Report 2021, Helliwell at al. (13) note that

“Life expectancy has much improved in Sub-Saharan Africa… Life expectancy has become much more equal, and has increased in Sub-Saharan Africa for seven years” (p. 194)

In this year’s World Happiness Report, Helliwell at al. (op. cit.) explain that

“Happiness gaps globally have been fairly stable overtime, although there are growing gaps in many African countries” (p. 3)

When talking about key determinants of happiness and misery, they again argue that happiness is caused by factors such as income, employment, health and family life.

 

• • • Happiness is about ending poverty and misery

 

CENFACS Happiness Projects address the issues encapsulated inside the above variables and factors while keeping in mind first the needs of the CENFACS Community.  This is because we think the way to keep people happier is to reduce as much as possible poverty and misery among them.   Happiness is about ending poverty and misery.

At this time of record-high costs of living, to be happy could mean having the means and resources to meet these high costs of food, energy, fuel, transport, accommodation, etc.  Those who are unable to meet these high costs, prices and bills will obviously be unhappy.

As we have brought in the concept of changing climate into our happiness projects, happiness is finally about ending poverty and misery amongst children, young people and families in an era of changing climate.  Soaring temperatures during this Summer can only mean more fresh water, foods with higher water content, Summer diet/food, air-conditioned environment and other resources to deal with the heat.  They could also signify a possibility of high threats and damages to health.

Those who would not have the means to manage these temperatures would not be happy and/or healthy.  To get happiness, they need to find ways of keeping themselves cool while carrying on their life as a normal in a heatwave.

 

• • • Healthiness is about ending poor health conditions

 

CENFACS Healthiness Projects address the issues enclosed in the above variables and factors, particularly healthy life expectancy in this Summer 2023.  These projects will help to keep in mind the needs of the CENFACS Community in terms of healthiness; that is in terms of how their bodies, minds and spirits are healthy or unhealthy.  If they are unhealthy, then work with them to become healthy.

Keeping people healthier is about  reducing as much as possible health and climate poverty and misery among them.   Healthiness is about ending health poverty and misery.   Healthiness is finally about ending poor health and poor living environment amongst children, young people and families in an era of polycrises.

 

• • Features of Happiness and Healthiness Projects in 2023

 

There are three features linked this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects which are the link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members, the distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members, and social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness.

 

• • • The link between CENFACS‘ services and life satisfaction of CENFACS‘ members

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is also about our service capacity (or ability to deliver service services to the community) and how this capacity could help to avoid poverty or worsening of poverty and to avoid misery within our community.  This service capacity can correlate or be linked to the average life satisfaction of our community members.

 

• • • The distribution of life satisfaction amongst CENFACS‘ members

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is further about working with our community members to find out whether or not average life satisfaction is high or equally distributed amongst them.

 

• • • social media and trackers in CENFACS‘ community happiness and healthiness

 

This year’s our Happiness Season is as well about tracking changes in happiness (life evaluations) using social media trackers.  It is about using social media data as way of measuring levels of happiness and/or misery among our community members.

The three characteristics have been considered in the design of this year’s Happiness and Healthiness Projects.

 

• • Delivering Happiness and Healthiness with 6 Projects for 3 Beneficiaries

 

6 Projects to bring Happiness and Healthiness to 3 beneficiaries: Poor Children, Young People and Families

 

After the last school term, Summer is a holiday season of the year during which most of the schools are closed and families with small children and young people in much needed help are forced to stay with them and or use this time of the year to take holiday.  The usual routine of educational/academic establishments with their recreational activities is scaled down.

This Summer is even dearer as many CYPFs have to face up skyrocketing prices of food, energy, transport, accommodation, etc.  The cost of running Summer will be excessively high for many CYPFs.  This is let alone the fact that many of them who are poor may not afford to travel, even inside the country, and to go for holiday.  Yet, these CYPFs are in need of seasonal and recreational activities and programmes for improving their well-being, healthiness and happiness.

There are ways of ensuring that summer stays an interesting and enjoyable period for Multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families.  There are things that can be done to make summertime a season of Happiness, Peace, Vulnerability-free, Healthiness, Protection and Sustainability.

There should be projects that can help them to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.  There should be projects that can help them to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

 

• • • Summer 2023 Happiness and Healthiness Projects

 

The following CENFACS suite of summer 2023 initiatives can help in achieving some joyful, healthful and helpful summer plans, goals and outcomes in the context of rising costs of living.

CENFACS Happiness and Healthiness Projects include:

 

1) ‘Holiday with Relief’ Resource (this year’s focus is on Finance for Holiday)

2) Narrowing Gaps in Happiness Inequalities

3) Summer Harmony with Nature

4) True Balance in Happiness and Healthiness

5) Networking for Protection and Safeguarding at the Time of Cost-of-living Crisis

6) Community Care and Health Responsibility Enhancing Activities.

 

There is a link between these six initiatives.  For example, knowing the food and energy that one needs during the Summertime can help to narrow gap in inequalities relating to happiness and healthiness.  Likewise, the way in which one consumes food and energy can help build harmonious relationships with the nature, network for protection and safeguarding, and act in a responsible way in the interest of their own happiness and public healthiness.

These projects are the combination of skills, knowledge, resources, tools, tactics, fixers, enhancements, boosters, tasters, trackers and trickers for the relief from poverty induced by the cost-of-living and poverty due to the lack of happiness.

In the preparation of our Summer 2023 programme for CYPFs, we have considered the continuing happiness and healthiness issues from the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

All the six Happiness and Healthiness Projects will be COVID-19 Secure and Compliant; just as they take into account the happiness and healthiness effects in relation to changing climate and the cost-of-living crisis.

They will be delivered to help improve life evaluations while taking actions to enhance the same life in the context and under the constraint of the lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

In this way, Summer can be a season of Happiness and Healthiness NOT of Misery for un-served and under-served children, young people and families who are at the same time victims of the adverse and far-reaching lingering impacts of the coronavirus, extreme temperatures and the damaging effects of the fall in real household disposable incomes.

They are the victims of adverse and far-reaching lingering effects of coronavirus.  Although the health impact of the coronavirus has gone down, its economic carry-over effects are still there in mild forms.

They are also trapped in the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter has taken them economically and healthily in hostage by affecting the way they dress, eat, house, educate, eat, warm their home, entertain, enjoy, care for their health and body, look after their homes, and above all the way they pass their Summer holiday.

They are finally suffering from the consequences of changing climate, which is transforming the way they consume, produce and entertain themselves.

For details about CENFACS Happiness and Healthiness Projects 2023 and to access them, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.sloww.co/mo-gawdat-happiness-equation/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R. , Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J.-E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (Eds.), (2023), World Happiness Report 2023, New York: Sustainable Development Solution Network (http://worldhappiness.report/)

(3) healthicine.org/wordpress/healthiness-unhealthiness-wellness-illness/ (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/ (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/calorie-counting/ (accessed in July 2023)

(6)  https://www.un.org/en/desa-time-build-forward-together# (accessed in May 2023)

(7) https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Impact-Assessment.pdf (accessed July 2023)

(8) https://data.one.org/topics/african-debt/ (accessed in July 2023)

(9) https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/osgmisc_2023d4_en.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(10) UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) 2023, 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Unstacking global poverty: Data for high impact action, New York

(11) Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J. (2017, 2018 & 2019), World Happiness Reports (2017, 2018 & 2019), New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network

(12) Helliwell, J., Layard, R., Sachs, J. & De Neve J. E. (2020), World Happiness Report (2020), New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network

(13) Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. and De Neve, J.-E., eds. 2021, World Happiness Report 2021, New York, Sustainable Development Solutions Networkhttp://worldhappiness.report/ (accessed July 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

12 July 2023

 

Post No. 308

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1): Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

• Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

• Coming this July 2023: Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1): Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

 

The first level of work regarding our Analytics and Impact Month 2023 is All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment.  As mentioned last week in our July 2023 working plan, we shall have three activities within our July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment; activities which are:

 

a) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities (Activity 1)

b) Impact Assessment of Building Forward Better Together Greener, Cleaner and Safer from the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

c) Impact Feedback of XX236.3 F Programme (Activity 3).

 

This week, we are kicking off the first activity.    In this first activity, we have already started with Impact Feedbacks.  They are part of the level one of our July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment.  These feedbacks are about carrying out tasks in order to get the early results or impacts of the programmes and projects we ran during the financial year 2022-2023.    But, what are feedbacks?

 

•  •  Understanding Feedback 

 

Perhaps, the best way of looking at impact feedbacks is to define the word ‘feedback’ itself.  To clarify it, we would like to refer to the quotation of ‘imperial.ac.uk’ (1).  The latter quotes Carless (2015, p.192) saying this:

“Feedback is a dialogic process in which learners make sense of information from varied sources and use it to enhance the quality of their work or learning strategies”.

Although Carless speaks about learners, we are instead dealing with project users or beneficiaries.  The feedback here is a process, a conversation between CENFACS and project users/beneficiaries.  It is also information or indicative tool telling how we are doing in our efforts to reach the goals of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.  This information or tool will help to measure or get the impact of our work with project users/beneficiaries.

 

• • Impact Feedbacks

 

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

 

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

 

This week’s Say by Project Supporters and Users will continue our Analytics and Impact Month 2023.  Project Supporters and Users can start to tell us the experiences they have had with the programmes and projects we have selected to conduct monitoring, evaluation, review, assurance and analytics.

We are asking Project Supporters, Users and other stakeholders to provide their views using their own words rather than we asking them to respond to open or close questions.  Their feedback could take one or two of the following forms: a response, an idea, advice (although feedback is not advice), a comment, an opinion, etc.

They can as well rate us, raise awareness of areas of improvement and identify actions to be taken to improve our performance.

To ease the feedback process, we have singled out 12 initiatives from which they can pick and choose to provide their feedback.

They can give us feedbacks (responses and reactions) in the form of rating (numbers), statement (words), sounds (voices) and information graphics (infographics like charts, graphs, etc.).  This Say is about how they perceived and interacted with the products and services we presented to them over the last 345 days.

 

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

 

African sustainable development projects (ASDPs) are too initiatives that we ran in the last financial year; initiatives that directly or indirectly aimed at supporting Africa-based Organisations or just advancing poverty reduction and sustainable development agendas in Africa.  These initiatives (ASDPs) were in the form of humanitarian appeals, fundraising and campaigns, advocacy work, project planning and advice, discussions under CENFACS‘ be.Africa Forum, guidance on not-for-profit investments and impact investing in Africa, responses to global crises (like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis, and polycrises), etc.

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

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

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

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

The selected 2022-2023 programmes and projects for the purpose of feedback making our Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Review, Reporting, Assurance and Analytics are given in the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• • Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

 

As explained last week, there will be three activities of insight and analytics, which we are:

 

a) Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content (Activity 1)

b) Data Insight and Analytics for Building Forward Better Together Greener, Cleaner and Safer from the Damaging Effects of the Cost-of-living Crisis (Activity 2)

c) 2022-2023 Data Insight and Analytics (Activity 3).

 

Let us start with the first activity of data insight and analytics.

 

• • • Data Insight and Analytics of User-generated Content

 

This is about the analysis of raw and semi-structured data provided or generated by users and other vested parties involved in the delivery of 2022-2023 programmes and projects.  This type of insight and analytics requires the use of data literacy and methodology as well as analytical skills.  As scheduled, this analytics started on 10 July 2023.  Before going any further in this presentation, let us briefly explain user-generated content, data insight, data analytics and what we are going to do or are doing in this respect.

 

• • • • Brief understanding of User-generated Content

 

To explain User-generated Content, we are going to refer to Jose Angelo Gallagos’ online article.  Gallagos (2) argues that

“User-generated content is any content that has been created, published and/or submitted by users of a brand”.

The content that Gallagos is arguing about can be in the form of images, tweets, videos, texts, audios, social media posts, reviews, comments, blog posts, testimonials, feedbacks, etc.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we are going to carry out the insight and analytics of user-generated content during their journey to poverty reduction with us.  In this respect, we are going to analytically process the content provided by CENFACS’ users, fans, enthusiasts and audience to support CENFACS‘ brand or as they navigate the road to poverty reduction.

 

• • • • Data insights

 

Data insights refer to the deep understanding an individual or organisation gains from analysing information on a particular issue.  To add value on what we are saying, the website ‘datarobot.com’ (3) argues that

“Data insights are the knowledge gained through analysing data, generating conclusions from data that can benefit your business.  Data are the input.  Insights are the output”.

In our case, we are trying to gain knowledge through the analysis of data provided by or collected from programmes and projects users/beneficiaries.  To do that, we are going to use data insight skills.

 

• • • • Meaning of data analytics

 

To make things easily understandable for our readers and supporters, we have selected the following definition from ‘Master’s in Data Science’ (4) which states that

“Data analytics is the process of analysing raw data to find trends and answer questions”.

According to ‘Master’s in Data Science’,

“A successful data analytics initiative will provide a clear picture of where you are, where you have been and where you should go”.

‘Master’s in Data Science’ also distinguishes four primary types of data analytics, which are: descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive.

We are going to turn to the above mentioned definition, primary types and other notions read within the literature survey about the concept of ‘data analytics’ in order to conduct the analytics of data or content generated by users of our programmes, projects and activities.

 

• • Data Analytics in Practice and Progress

 

We are going to combine information technology, statistics and the life of CENFACS over 2022-2023 to discover meaningful patterns in data.  In doing so, this will help us to improve performance in terms of the kind of work we do in order to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

In our data analytics process, we are going to undertake the following tasks:

 

(a) Data mining: extraction of data from unstructured data sources

(b) Data management: creation and management of databases

(c) Statistical analysis: creation of insights from data

(d) Data presentation: sharing of insights with stakeholders through data visualisation.

 

Where necessary and possible, we may involve online affordable analytics programmes to help in this exercise.

For those users who did not yet respond to our previous requests regarding any of the projects or events they took part or came across, this is the opportunity to share their content and provide their SAY or content or even  data so that they can fit it into our analytics work.

For example, the users of Triple Value Initiatives (or All Year Round Projects) can inform us about the progress they have made so far.  They can as well share results of collaborations and synergies across these projects.  This information or data can be fitted into our Data Analytics Dashboard.

To sum up, user-generated content or data insight and analytics will help to provide actionable insights and user trend analysis.  It will help to review deliveries and analyse the end-of-financial year performance regarding work undertaken with users.  The result of this insight and analytics will feed and align with the contents of our annual review 2022-2023.

To give and share your SAY or content or even data to help us in this insight and analytics, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Coming this July 2023: Summer Festival of Thoughts and Actions with a Focus on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives

 

There has been a good progress to financially include people from exclusively cash-based transactions to formal financial services by using a mobile phone or other digital technology to access these services.  However, there are still people who are finding it difficult to be part of this financial world.  These financially excluded or underserved poor people could be struggling to improve the quality of their lives. 

Amongst these strugglers, there are poor women who are lacking access to financial services.  There are as well those highly indebted (because of the cost-of-living crisis or other crises like the coronavirus) who have been excluded from the financial world, apart from worrying how they can get back to this world. 

They could be struggling because financial inclusion is more than just getting people, especially the poor ones, to move to financial digital products and services offered on the market.  But, what is financial inclusion?

 

• • Basic Understanding of Financial Inclusion

 

Our basic understanding of financial inclusion comes from the ‘worldbank.org’ (5) which says that

“Financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way”.

The same ‘worldbank.org’ explains that

“Digital financial inclusion involves the deployment of the cost-saving digital means to reach currently financially excluded and underserved populations with a range of formal financial services suited to their needs that are responsibly delivered at a cost affordable to customers and sustainable for providers”.

These two definitions and other notions of financial inclusion will help in understanding way of improving the quality of poor people’s lives.  They will also be used in our Festival of Thoughts and Actions on Financial Inclusion.  In particular, we shall look at with festival participants how financial inclusion can be used to further improve the quality of poor people’s lives since financial inclusion is still in progress not a finished business.  We shall as well think of ways of reincluding those who have been excluded from the financial world due to various reasons such as indebtedness and deficit in their personal or household accounts. 

This above is the theme of our Seven Days of Development in July 2023 or Summer 2023 Festival of Thoughts, Actions, Tweets, Shares and Spreads.  This Summer 2023 Festival is the 15th Event of this kind.

 

• • What are the Seven Days of Development in July 2023?

 

The Seven Days of Development in July are the days of thoughts and actions against poverty; in this case thoughts and actions to financially include poor people in order to improve the quality of their lives.  By including them, one can hope to reduce financial poverty. 

These Seven Days of Development in July are organised around Seven Themes of Thoughts and Actions.  The Seven Themes are not an end of themselves.  Instead, they are the entry points in order to stimulate thoughts and actions.

This year’s festival will not make any exception.  They will be seven themes for thoughts for seven days, one theme per day, starting from the 22nd to the 28th of July 2023.

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

For further details about our Seven Days of Development in July or Summer 2023 Festival, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Working with Households on Data Insight and Analytics

• Holiday with Relief with a Focus on Finance for Holiday

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

 

• Working with Households on Data Insight and Analytics

 

We are offering support about Data Insight and Analytics for Households to households making our community.  This support is part of our work with households on Data Skills to Run your Households and falls within the scope of this month’s data insight and analytics.

This kind of insight and analytics will help household to better deliver a data user experience for their own wellbeing and wellness.  To work with us, each household can agree its own data insight and analytical process.

Many households do this sort of exercises to understand their lives without sometimes knowing they are carrying out data insights and analytics.  To better undertake data insights and analytics, it may require some skills.  Not everybody has this sort of skills or can do these exercises by themselves.

CENFACS can work with those who need help and support regarding the management of their data so that they can effectively and efficiently run their households.  We can work with them on data insight and analytics matters so that they can be in a position to better understand data that run their lives.  We can conduct with them basic data insights and analytics using the tools of poverty reduction we have in our box and our analytics dashboard.

Where our capacity is limited in comparison to their demand or specific needs, we can signpost or refer them to relevant data insight and analytics services or organisations that are available on the market and can be accessible to them.

For those members of our community who will be interested in Data Insight and Analytics to Run their Household, they can contact CENFACS.  CENFACS can work with them to enhance the quality of their lives via the Data that Run their Household.

 

 

• Holiday with Relief with a Focus on Finance for Holiday

 

Our Spring 2023 Holiday ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ is still available for those who are planning and or will be in holiday soon.  It is also available for those who have returned from holiday and would like to use it as reference for future holiday.

The resource provides wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to finance for holiday.  Within this wealth of information contained in this Issue, there are tips and hints that can be used to deal with holiday poverty.

These tips and hints are meant to support those of our users and non-users who may experience some difficulties in raising the finance they need in order to cover their holiday budget (that is; work or school holiday budget and long Summer holiday budget).

This resource is packed with seasonal relieving ideas about how to reduce holiday poverty.

For those users who would like information about ways of Financing their Holiday, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of the Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme.  This appeal, which has been already launched, is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs), who cannot cope with the mounting pressure and damaging effects of polycrises in parts of Africa where there is already high level of poverty.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of polycrises on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks and impacts that the polycrises can make in terms of tragedy, intergenerational poverty, etc.  Your assistance is required to respond to CYPFs’ distress signals.

One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future, especially in countries (like Burkina Faso or Mali) where there is deterioration of security conditions in conflict-affected areas.

Can you help this child?  Yes or No!

If you say yes; then you can help…

√ that child to dream and expect for a better life and future 

√ stop polycrises to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child

√ prevent polycrises from creating lifelong adverse impacts on children and young people

√ avoid children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line

√ hinder the lost generation of polycrises to happen in Africa.

To make the above happen, support ‘Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa’.

You can find further highlights of this appeal and ways of supporting at: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique

Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique est l’un des projets de l’Appel d’été qui fait partie de la première partie de notre programme d’été.  Cet appel, qui a déjà été lancé, vise à soutenir les enfants, les jeunes gens et les familles (EJGF), qui ne peuvent pas faire face à la pression croissante et aux effets néfastes des polycrises dans les régions d’Afrique où le niveau de pauvreté est déjà élevé.

Soutenir cet appel signifie aider les EJGF à minimiser et à atténuer les impacts des polycrises sur eux. Votre soutien contribuera à réduire les risques et les impacts que les polycrises peuvent avoir en termes de tragédie, de pauvreté intergénérationnelle, etc.  Votre aide est nécessaire pour répondre aux signaux de détresse des EJGF.

On peut penser à un enfant ou à un jeune sans rêves ni attentes, quel sera son avenir, en particulier dans les pays (comme le Burkina Faso ou le Mali) où les conditions de sécurité se détériorent dans les zones touchées par le conflit.

Pouvez-vous aider cet enfant?  Oui ou Non!
Si vous dites oui; alors vous pouvez aider…

√ cet enfant à rêver et à espérer une vie et un avenir meilleurs

√ à empêcher les polycrises de devenir une contrainte structurelle et un handicap pour cet enfant

√ à arrêter les polycrises pour créer des effets négatifs à vie sur les enfants et les jeunes

√ à éviter que la vie des enfants et des jeunes ne soit ramenée sous le seuil de pauvreté

√ à stopper la génération perdue de polycrises à se produire en Afrique.

Pour ce qui précède ne se réalise, soutenez « Gagner contre la détresse pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles en Afrique ».

Vous trouverez d’autres points saillants de cet appel et des moyens de le soutenir à l’adresse suivante : cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

Main Development

 

• July 2023 All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment (Level 1)

Activity 1: Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of 2022-2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities

 

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

The following is what we have planned to cover this activity 1 of our Analytics and Impact work:

 

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

∝ All-in-One Impact Feedbacks: Tell it in your own words, numbers, voice and info-graphics!

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

 

Let us summarise each of these points of our Analytics and Impact work.

 

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

 

We are still routinely gathering information on all aspects of these programmes and projects related to the above named period.  Likewise, we are assessing what these programmes and projects have achieved in relation to the overall objectives we set up for them.  Also, we are critically examining, reappraising or reconsidering our objectives and policies to achievements, and figuring out whether there is any progress or set back.  Additionally, we are trying to gain a deep understanding from analysing information on data we have collected so far.  Furthermore, we are making sure that the impact process is independently carried out and can help us to assess the health and viability of programmes and projects delivered.

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

Once we have completed the July Impact monitoring, evaluation, assurance, review and analytics; we shall proceed with impact reporting or communicate the findings to our respondents and any vested interested parties (users and supporters).

In meantime, we are inviting supporters and users as well as Africa-based Sister Organisations to engage with us in responding and reacting to the work we carried out together and to our poverty relief work in their own words, voices and numbers.  Their feedback could take one or two of the following forms: a response, an idea, advice (although feedback is not advice), a comment, an opinion, etc.

They can as well rate us or the work we did together, raise awareness of areas of improvement and identify actions to be taken to improve our performance.

They can provide a statement about these programmes and projects.  Where possible, they can give information graphics (such as charts, graphs, images, etc.).

 

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

 

There are many types or models of feedback.  In this exercise of feedback about the 2022-2023 programmes and projects, we are referring to impact feedback.  The latter is about giving responses or reactions from the perspectives of users and African organisations by commenting on the programmes and projects delivered by CENFACS from their points of view.  It is an observation or information, but not an evaluation from their part.  They could describe the influence or impact these programmes and projects have on them and what they like to be different.

For example, if our users want to know the intergenerational impact of a service we provided to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, they can comment on how our intervention would have affected themselves and other generation or their children.  Likewise, if they would like to get cyclical impact of the same service provided, they can provide information about the effects occurring in regular intervals.

From the perspective of impact analysis, we are going to establish a chain of causation or theory from the cost-of-living crisis to impact as well as to measure or describe the changes induced along that chain.  Briefly, we are going to refer to cause-and-effect approach and to the theory of change.

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

There are 12 selected initiatives for Feedback I as follows:

 

1) Summer 2022 Festival with a Focus on Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty

2) August 2022 Trending Activities of Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction through Forest Ecosystem Services

3) Data Skills to Run Your Household

4) Short-, Medium- and Long-term Services to Reduce/End Poverty Induced by Raising Costs of Living

5) “A la une” Campaign with an Emphasis on the Safeguard of Critically Endangered Bird Species

6) Crisis Response Skills Development

7) 3-tier Security Support (The Three Tiers of Security against Poverty) 

8) 4-week Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investment in Africa

9) Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty

10) Financial Controls 2023 for Households

11) Holiday Budget Clinics

12) African Children’s Climate & Sustainable Development Goals with a Focus on Generational Impact Analysis of the Cost-of-living Crisis on Children.

 

 

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

 

We have selected 9 initiatives for Feedback II as follows:

 

1) The People of Lake Chad Basin Still Need Support

2) 2022-2023 Discussions on Africa Matters held within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum 

3) October 2022 Food Security Appeal

4) Appeal to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa

5) Giving Hope to the Children in Need in the Eastern Part of the Democratic Republic of Congo

6) The Polycrisis-impacted Children of East Africa Need Your Influence Right NOW

7) The People of Central African Republic Need Your Influence to Stop the Worsening Humanitarian Crisis They Are Experiencing

8) The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis Need Your Influence

9) Win against Distress for Children, Young People and Families in Africa.

 

The above selected 2022-2023 programmes and projects are the result of a difficult arbitration in decision-making about initiatives to retain for both Feedbacks I and II.  They may seem a lot for a feedback purpose. However, what we have done is to give to people and organisations the opportunity to choose or pick the one (s) they know or associate with to feedback.

For the effectiveness of the feedback, we suggest that people or organisations to pick only 1 or 2 initiatives to give their feedback.  Also, it is better to be concise when making your feedback.

 

• • • How do you provide your feedback?

 

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

 

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

(b) in your own words, numbers, voices and information graphics (info-graphics).

 

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

You could rate (by using numbers or percentages or ratios) these programmes and projects or provide a statement (by using words) or even give a chart or table (as information graphics). You can as well record your voice and run a video or short film.   This is aptly up to you.

Please remember, we can only help reduce poverty and do the changes we all want if you tell us what you think; not us only telling you what we do.

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

This feedback is due by the END OF JULY 2023.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.imperial.ac.uk/stuff/educational-development/teaching-toolkit/assessment-and-feedback/introduction-to-assessment-and-feedback/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) Gallegos, J. A. (2016), What is User Generated Content: Complete Guide to UGC & Why you need it  

(3) https://www.datarobot.com/blog/what-are-data-insights/ (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.masterindatascience.org/learning/what-is-data-analytics/ (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion/overview (accessed in July 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

05 July 2023

 

Post No. 307

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

• Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Use your Influential Analysis to Make Helpful Impact on Those in Need

• Goal of the Month: Reduce Poverty with Impact

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

July is CENFACS’ Analytics and Impact Month as it is the time of the year during which we conduct the impact assessment, monitoring, evaluation, review, assurance, reporting and analytics of our programmes and projects.  Through these exercises, we analyse what we did over the last 345 days, seize the outputs and, if possible, capture the early impacts made.

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

It is a feedback because we ask all our stakeholders (our beneficiaries) to give their opinions about our work.  This beneficiary or participatory monitoring aims to track the perceptions of project and programme beneficiaries.  We expect them to provide us with their unbiased, independent, true and fair views and feelings about our work.  From what they feedback and what we have collected as data, we can assess or judge our performance against aims, goals and targets of poverty reduction and sustainable development we set up at the beginning of the financial year.

It is also a time to deep dive into numbers and to listen to what these numbers (numerical data) are telling us; for example if we have been on track or running behind or even tracking ahead.  This tracking exercise (or financial monitoring) helps us to discover patterns in numbers achieved and to spot trends.

The analytics activity further guides us to know if we hit targets or not, and to focus time and energy on our core mission while adjusting and redeveloping our programmes and projects in improved direction.  From data analysed, we can get information about users’ experience and undertake products/services design and development.  In doing so, this gives us the opportunity to predict and plan future activities while reconnecting with stakeholders and stewarding new donors.

The impact activity helps us to start getting early signs or signals of the systematic change that we would like together with our users to instil long term.  This activity enables us to begin foreseeing the broader and long-term change or effects of the programmes and projects we implemented in the last 345 days.

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

 

 

• Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project: Use your Influential Analysis to Make Helpful Impact on Those in Need

 

It is possible to use community influential analysis or observation and make helpful impact on the most needy and vulnerable of our community and society.  One can do microscopy of their interactions with those in need and the structure of the influence they have.  They can use influence evaluation metrics, check the flow of influence and analyse their influence in terms of its impact on those in need.

 

• • Metrics to Track Success of Influence

 

For those who are interested in the metrics to track their influence and/or indicators to check the impact of their influence, they can use the measuring impact model explained by Rob Mitchell (1).  The latter provides four dimensions of influence and metrics to track success for businesses.  These four dimensions or components of influence are expertise, empathy, practicality and strength.  They can be customised for individuals.

For example, if expertise is a component of individual’s influence, then trust can be used as metric to make helpful impact on those in need.  The metrics for the other three components of influence are perceptions of influencer for empathy, confidence for practicality, and comfortability for strength.

Influencers of poverty reduction can as well use their theory of change to check if their influence is having or not having a helpful impact or influence on those in need.  If it does not, then they can explore ways of improving the quality or quantity of their influence on those in need or those who may affect the factors or parameters that lead to negative impact or the challenging issues that people in need face.

The above is our Activity/Task 7 of the Influence (i) Year/Project.   This task can be undertaken by those members of our community who are interested in it.

To work with us via this Activity/Task 7, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduce Poverty with Impact

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Analytics and Impact Month 2023, we are looking for initiatives of poverty reduction with impact.

There are times when poverty reduction come with impact on other areas of life, while there are other times it does not.  What many people living in poverty and hardship would like to see is poverty reduction with impact.  What is poverty reduction with impact?

 

• • Explaining Poverty Reduction with Impact

 

Poverty Reduction with Impact or Impactful Poverty Reduction is about getting reduced the state in which resources are lacking, but achieving that reduction with a change in the long term for those in need.  If there is poverty reduction without long term change, then there could be no impact or very little impact on the poor people.  Yet, those living in poverty would like to reduce poverty with impact or a relatively strong impact on other areas of their life.

Changes or impact may take time to happen or appear.  However, indication or signs need to show that we are heading the right direction following poverty reduction activities.  If not, one may try to use a results chain model (e.g., input>output>outcome>long-term change) to deal with impact or establish cause-effect relations between poverty reduction actions and impact.  In other words, one needs to use measuring impact framework to check if there has been an impact or not.

For example, one can refer to the five dimensions of impact as provided by Sopact.com (2), dimensions which include what (outcomes to achieve), who (the target population), how much (the scale, depth, and duration of the impact), contribution (difference made with intervention), and risk (external factors and assumptions that influence results).

These dimensions will help to measure the impact or difference as a result of one’s intervention or work with or help to the poor.

As part of the poverty reduction goal for July 2023, our supporters and audiences can help Reduce Poverty with Impact for those who are in need.  We expect them to support this goal.

For any queries and/or enquiries regarding this goal including its support, please contact CENFACS.

 

PLEASE HELP REDUCE POVERTY WITH IMPACT!

 

Extra Messages

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero Waste e-Store during Summer Season

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the New Global Financing Pact of Paris

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Private Military Corporations and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• Shop at CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store during Summer Season

 

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

At this time, many people have been affected by the cost of living crisis mostly driven by the hikes in prices of basic life-sustaining needs (e.g., energy, food, transport, housing, council tax, phone, etc.).

The impacted of the cost of living crisis needs help and support as prices and bills have astronomically gone up while real household disposable incomes are still the same or less for many of those living in poverty.

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

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods to CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store, the shop built to help alleviate poverty, lift people out of poverty and prevent poverty and hardships.

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

CENFACS’ Zero-Waste e-Store needs your support for SHOPPING and GOODS DONATIONS to reduce poverty with impact.

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

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

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

√ SHOP at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-Store to support good and deserving causes of poverty reduction with impact this Summer.

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships with impact; poverty and hardships exacerbated or brought by the cost of living crisis.

This is what the Season of Giving or Summer 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 crisis. 

We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by the cost of living crisis.

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

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the New Global Financing Pact of Paris

 

On 26 June 2023 in Paris (3), developing countries’ leaders (including African leaders) discussed the need for reforming the global financial architecture.  Further to their discussion, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the outcomes of leaders’ deliberations, in particular on how the proposition of a reformed global financial architecture, if it happens, can help ASOs increase or improve their work and results on poverty reduction and sustainable development within the communities they serve. 

The e-discussion on the pact  within CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum  is about finding out what to do for ASOs get any dividend resulting from this reform, if it materialises, and expand their poverty reduction work across Africa.  This is knowing that the polycrises that Africa is undergoing are posing multiple challenges to many organisations including mission-driven not-for-profit ones like CENFACS’ ASOs.

Those who support the reform or reformists believe that this reform can help invest with impact in health and education, instead of only paying interests on loan.  They advocate for the improvement of ASOs’ share green finance.  They also back the view that ASOs will get the means for their ambition to drive forward work on poverty reduction, sustainable development and climate action.  That ASOs will improve the work they are doing with highly indebted poor households and help them find the way to come out debt poverty.  On the contrary, others disagree with these arguments.

The above are some the views expressed so far.  CENFACS would like to know yours.  You can tell CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum what you think.

Those who may be interested in this first discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Private Military Corporations and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

There is a controversial debate about the role of private military corporations in poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and elsewhere.  Private military corporations (PMCs) have been in existence in the history of Africa.  Sometimes, they are called mercenaries, non-regular armed groups, etc.  But, what are really PMCs?

According to ‘britannica.com’ (4),

“A PMC is an independent corporation that offers military services to national governments, international organisations, and sub-state actors.  PMCs specialise in providing combat and protection forces.  Their work ranges from running small-scale training missions to providing combat units composed of up to several hundred trained soldiers equipped with powerful weapons platforms, including tanks and attack helicopters”.

PMCs take the credit for some and the blame for others for what is happening now in some parts of Africa (like in Mali, the Central African Republic) where there is continuing insecurity or armed conflicts and where PMCs (such as Wagner) are involved or present.  Insecurity and conflicts which often have consequences like hunger, famine, human displacement, illegal exploitation of natural resources, poverty, sexual violence, etc.  These consequences also generate human appeals from aid agencies.  CENFACS too makes appeals to ask for support on behalf of the victims of these insecurity and armed conflicts.

Because of that, there are people who believe that the operations and activities of PMCs are destructive and increase poverty and misery in Africa, in particular where and if PMCs’ employees or members are involved in abuses of human rights, criminal warfare activities and plundering or illegal exploitation of natural resources, commercial operations of raw materials (like gold in Mali and diamond in the Central African Republic) which do not benefit local poor populations. 

On the contrary, there are others who argue that PMCs’ operations in Africa are way of liberating people from the forces of domination, injustice, unfairness, etc.  There could be more arguments about the presence of PMCs (like Wagner, Sandline International, etc.) and their impact on poverty in Africa.

Besides these arguments, CENFACS would like to know what you think about PMCs’ repercussions on poverty reduction in Africa.  If you have argument about their repercussions on poverty reduction in Africa, please do not hesitate to let CENFACS know.

Those who may be interested in this second discussion of July 2023 can join in and or contribute by contacting CENFACS’ be.Africa, which is a forum for discussion on matters 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.

To communicate with CENFACS regarding this discussion, please use our usual contact details on this website.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS discute en ligne des sociétés militaires privées et de la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique

Il y a un débat controversé sur le rôle des sociétés militaires privées dans la réduction de la pauvreté et le développement durable en Afrique et ailleurs.  Des sociétés militaires privées (SMP) ont existé dans l’histoire de l’Afrique.  Parfois, elles sont appelées mercenaires, groupes armés non réguliers, etc.  Mais que sont vraiment les SMP?

Selon « britannica.com » (4),

«Une SMP est une société indépendante qui offre des services militaires aux gouvernements nationaux, aux organisations internationales et aux acteurs infra-étatiques.  Les SMP se spécialisent dans la fourniture de forces de combat et de protection.  Leur travail va de l’exécution de missions d’entraînement à petite échelle à la fourniture d’unités de combat composées de plusieurs centaines de soldats entraînés équipés de puissantes plates-formes d’armes, y compris des chars et des hélicoptères d’attaque».

Les SMP s’attribuent le mérite de certains et se font blâmer par d’autres pour ce qui se passe actuellement dans certaines parties de l’Afrique (comme au Mali, en République centrafricaine) où l’insécurité ou les conflits armés persistent et où des SMP (comme Wagner) sont impliquées ou présentes.  L’insécurité et les conflits qui ont souvent des conséquences comme la faim, la famine, les déplacements humains, le pillage ou l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles, la pauvreté, la violence sexuelle, etc.  Ces conséquences suscitent également des appels humanitaires de la part des organisations humanitaires.  Le CENFACS lance également des appels pour demander un soutien en faveur des victimes de ces insécurités et de ces conflits armés.

Pour cette raison, il y a des gens qui croient que les opérations et les activités des SMP sont destructrices et augmentent la pauvreté et la misère en Afrique, en particulier lorsque et si les employés ou les membres des SMP sont impliqués dans des violations des droits de l’homme, des activités de guerre criminelle et l’exploitation illégale des ressources naturelles. 

Au contraire, il y en a d’autres qui soutiennent que les opérations des SMP en Afrique sont un moyen de libérer les gens des forces de domination, d’injustice, d’exploitation, etc.  Il pourrait y avoir plus d’arguments sur la présence de SMP (comme Wagner, Sandline International, etc.) et leur impact sur la pauvreté en Afrique.

Outre ces arguments, le CENFACS aimerait savoir ce que vous pensez des répercussions des SMP sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Si vous avez des arguments sur leurs répercussions sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique, n’hésitez pas à le faire savoir au CENFACS.

Ceux/celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s par cette deuxième discussion de juillet 2023 peuvent se joindre à nous et / ou contribuer en contactant le Forum d’idées et d’actions pour une meilleure Afrique du CENFACS, qui est un lieu de discussion sur les questions de réduction de la pauvreté et de 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.

Pour communiquer avec le CENFACS au sujet de cette discussion, veuillez utiliser nos coordonnées habituelles sur ce site.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

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

This July, the way in which we have organised ourselves to conduct the Analytics and Impact Month 2023 are summarised under the following sub-headlines:

 

∝ Key Words for the Analytics and Impact Month 2023

∝ The Analytical Process within CENFACS

∝ What is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard?

∝ Analytics of the Year of Influence as an Example of Analytical Process within CENFACS

∝ Impact Monitoring of Monthly Goals

∝ All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment for July 2023.

 

Let us look at each of these sub-headlines.

 

• • Key Words for the Analytics and Impact Month 2023

 

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

Let us briefly explain these key words.

 

1) Impact

 

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

To do that, we are going to consider different terminologies surrounding impact; terminologies used within the impact literature or field.  These terminologies are impact analysis, impact assessment, impact monitoring and impact reporting.   Let us briefly explain these terms.

 

1.1 & 1.2) Impact Analysis and Assessment

 

To explain these two words, we are going to borrow the definition of impact from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).  The OECD (5) differentiates ex ante impact from ex post impact.  This is what it argues.

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

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

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

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

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

 

1.3) Impact Reporting

 

After carrying out the analytics and impact of our programmes and projects, we need to report our findings or results.  Although we have not yet reached this step, we need to start thinking of the way we shall report.  In technical parlance, we need to proceed or think of impact reporting.  What is impact reporting?

The website ‘sopact.com’ (6) states that

“Impact reporting is a powerful tool that organisations use to showcase the positive changes they bring to communities and the environment.  A well-constructed impact report tells a story of transformation, capturing the outcomes achieved and the significance of the impact”.

During this July 2023, we will be thinking of the various pieces that will make our impact reporting as we are analysing the data from the last twelve months.

 

2 & 3) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

 

We are going to use the definition of monitoring and evaluation as given by Kersty Hobson, Ruth Mayne and Jo Hamilton (7) in their “A Step by Step guide to Monitoring and Evaluation”.

Regarding monitoring, Hobson et al. define it as

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

Arguing about monitoring, Intrac (8) considers that there are many types of monitoring which include process or performance monitoring, results or impact monitoring, beneficiary monitoring or beneficiary contact monitoring, situation monitoring or scanning, financial monitoring, administrative or logistics monitoring management information.

During our Analytics and Impact Month 2023, we will be working on three monitoring activities which include performance, impact and financial monitoring.

Concerning evaluation, Hobson et al. (op. ct.) explain it as

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

In reality, there are many types of evaluation which include formative evaluation, summative evaluation, outcome evaluation, impact evaluation, etc.

The July 2023 evaluation will help CENFACS to evaluate the appropriateness of CENFACS‘ intervention design, the cost and efficiency of its intervention, the unintended effects of this ending financial year’s intervention and the need to improve the design of future interventions.

The Analytics and Impact Month 2023 will be mostly concerned with impact evaluation.  An impact evaluation can be defined in many ways. 

For example, the website ‘betterevaluation.org’ (9) explains that

“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”.

 

From the above-mentioned definitions of monitoring and evaluation, it is understood that monitoring is an on-going process whereas evaluation is a periodic or discrete one.

 

4) Assurance

 

July is also the month to revisit our commitment to the detection and prevention of quality problems that can hinder the quality of our poverty reduction produce or service.  Put it simply, assurance is part and parcel of CENFACS‘ July analytics and Impact work.  What is assurance?

By assurance, we simply mean what His Majesty Treasury (10) argues, which is

“Assurance is an objective examination of evidence for the purpose of providing an independent assessment on governance, risk management and control processes for the organisation.  An assurance framework is a structured means of identifying and mapping the main sources of assurance in organisation, and co-ordinating them to best effect”.

Assurance can be internal and external.  In our analytics work, we are conducting internal assurance.  What does it mean?

It means what for example ‘anngravells.com’ (11) argues about internal quality assurance, which

“Seeks to ensure that assessment activities have been conducted in a consistent, safe and fair manner”.

This internal quality assurance, which took place since our programmes and projects started, will continue and be deepened this month as it is the Analytics and Impact Month.  This will be done via impact feedbacks.

 

5) Review

 

We have referred to the online source ‘method123.com’ (12) for the meaning of this key word.  This online source defines review as

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

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

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

 

6) Analytics

 

There are many approaches to analytics.  In the context of our July work, we have selected an explanation from ‘dictionary.com’ (13) which is as follows:

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

The website ‘oracle.com’ (14) goes further by explaining that

“Analytics is the process of discovering, interpreting and communicating significant patterns in data.  Quite simply, analytics helps us see insights and meaningful data that we might not otherwise detect”.

Like any charity analytics, CENFACS Analytics helps to make informed decisions, drive and increase poverty reduction services or sales, reduce costs and improve poverty reduction outcomes/produce.  It finally helps us to better deliver a user experience for our projects and programmes.

 

• • The Analytical and Impact Processes within CENFACS

 

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

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

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

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

What’s more in July, we look at again our loyalty to the detection and prevention of quality issues.  This assurance assists in maintaining and improving the quality of our poverty reduction produce.

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

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

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

 

 

• • What is CENFACS Analytics Dashboard?

 

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

 

• • • What else Does CENFACS Analytics Dashboard Offer?

 

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

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

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

√ It assists in engineering analytical solutions to the problem of reducing poverty.

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

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

For more on CENFACS Analytics Dashboard, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Analytics of Year of Influence as an Example of Analytical Process within CENFACS

 

The analytics or tracking of Influence Year is the 6-month analysis and turning of raw data insights for making better decisions in terms of helping to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  To make this possible, we have created a booklet or journal of creative activities or tasks carried out so far to mark 2023 as a Influence Year.  This booklet/journal is also a record of data.

 

• • • Booklet/Journal of 2023 Activities as Year of Influence

  

Inside this Booklet/Journal of Year of Influence, there is one activity or task per month to be carried out by users.  Alongside this activity or task, there is a metrics or analytics indicator to enable the owner of the booklet or journal to measure their performance as shown below.

 

∝ January 2023

 

Activity/Task 1: Influence to achieve responsible or sustainable consumption and reduce consumption poverty

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of food insecure having accessibility, availability, utilisation and stability to food stuffs after influence

 

∝ February 2023

 

Activity/Task 2: Persuade people to meet sustainable development goals

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of energy poor having access to affordable and clean energy

 

∝ March 2023

 

Activity/Task 3: Positively influence climate actions

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Level of decrease in indoor pollution or greenhouse gas concentrations or number of households using non-polluting stoves

 

∝ April 2023

 

Activity/Task 4: Influence Protection

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Relief payments or family allowances received by those in need of income protection

 

∝ May 2023

 

Activity/Task 5: Encourage people to tell and share their stories of poverty reduction

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of homeless’ and street beggars’ stories relating to finding accommodation

 

∝ June 2023

 

Activity/Task 6: Boost and nurture the creative and innovative skills of those in need

Selected analytics quantitative indicator: Number of skilful people in need who produced arts and/or design objects

One can journal, quantify and gain insight of the meaning of the data about the last 6 months of Influence Year from this booklet/journal of creative activities and make good decision on how to better help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • Impact Monitoring of Monthly Goals

 

Every month we set up a poverty reduction goal to be achieved for the month.  As part of the Analytics and Impact Month, we are starting to assess the changes brought about or by the poverty reduction goals we set up since January 2023.

The following are the poverty reduction goals we set up from January to June 2023.

 

January 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty Linked to Food Waste and Overconsumption

February 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty Related to Illicit Financial Flows

March 2023 Goal: Reduction of Holiday Poverty 

April 2023 Goal: Reduction of Poverty as a Lack of Income Protection

May 2023 Goal: Make Poverty Reduction through Stories

June 2023 Goal: Make the Relationship between Creativity, Innovation and Poverty Reduction Work.

 

This tracking is about getting beneficiaries’ results.

 

• • All-in-one Impact Feedback and Assessment for July 2023

 

This month, we will be conducting three levels of ex post Impact Assessment:

 

(a)  Impact monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year

(b) Impact assessment of CENFACS’ Programme of Building Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer 

(c) Impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme.

 

As said above, this Impact Assessment will be ex post.  And the evaluation related to this exercise will aim to understand the extent to which and the way in which our projects and programmes corrected the problems of poverty and unsustainable development amongst our intended beneficiaries.

Let us briefly summarise the three levels of impact assessment to be conducted.

 

(a) Impact monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and projects we ran in the last financial year

 

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

 

(b) Impact assessment of CENFACS’ Programme of Building Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer 

 

We are going to seize the impact of Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer, which is a two-year programme we set up to come out and move forward from the coronavirus.  We shall look at the impact of this programme on our system of poverty reduction, particularly on CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Tools and Programme, and Development Agenda (15).

 

(c) Impact feedback about our XX236.3F Programme

 

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

XX236.3F is our 2020 to 2030 to 2063 Follow up Programme.  We are following the implementation of the following:

 

∝ The International Climate Change Agreement (or the Paris Treaty)

∝ The Istanbul Declaration (the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women)

∝ The Maputo Protocol (the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa)

∝ The United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

∝ Africa’s Agenda 2063.

 

The five of them make up our XX236.3F programme.

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

We shall soon publish the programmes and projects making this year’s Analytics and Impact.  In meantime, for any enquiries about the Analytics Month 2023, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://longitude.ft.com/measuring -impact-four-dimensions-of-influence-and-metrics-to-track-success/ (accessed in July 2023)

(2) https://www.sopact.com/perspectives/five-dimensions-of-impact# (accessed in July 2023)

(3) https://www.uneca.org/stories/in-paris%2C-african-leaders-call-for-affordable-financing-to-recover-economies-and-put-the (accessed in July 2023)

(4) https://www.britannica.com/topic/private-military-firm (accessed in July 2023)

(5) https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/what-is-impact-assessment-OECDImpact.pdf (accessed in July 2022)

(6) https://www.sopact.com/impact-reporting (accessed in July 2023)

(7) https://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/monitoringandevaluation.html (accessed in July 2023)

(8) https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/up-content/uploads/2017/01/Monitoring.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(9) https://www.betterevaluation.org/methods-approaches/themes/impact-evaluation (accessed in July 2023)

(10) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270485/assurance_frameworks_191212.pdf (accessed in July 2023)

(11) https://www.anngravells.com/information/iqa (accessed in July 2023)

(12) https://www.method123.com/initiation-phase-review.php (accessed in July 2023)

(13) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/analytics (accessed in July 2023)

(14) https://www.oracle.com/business-analytics/what-is-analytics/ (accessed in July 2023

(15) cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/ (accessed in July 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 June 2023

 

Post No. 306

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises (from Week Beginning Monday 26/06/2023)

• The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis Need your Influence

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

2023 Season of Happiness or Life Satisfaction will be passed in the conditions of weak economic upturn following the lingering effects of the coronavirus disaster and the continuing cost-of-living crisis.  These conditions are those described by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its Economic Outlook of June 2023.  According to the OECD (1),

“The global economy is showing signs of improvement but the upturn remains weak, amid significant downside risks… However, core inflation is proving persistent and the impact of higher interest rates is increasingly being felt across the economy”.

For example, in the UK the base interest rate is now 5% while the UK’s annual inflation rate currently sits at 8.7% (2).

Because we are all part of the global economy these economic conditions affect all of us with variation or differentiation.  In those circumstances, how can we, especially our users or beneficiaries, find happiness in the context of weak economic upturn?

 

• • Working with users to find happiness during this Summer 2023

 

During this Season of Happiness, we shall work with users to help them find out what can satisfy their lives during this frail upward of the economy.  Our work with them will be about implementing existing initiatives while developing new ones that can make them happy or satisfy their lives.

So, our Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness will be about the following three items:

 

1) How the CENFACS Community can spread happiness between its members to narrow the gap in happiness inequalities

2) How best to help those most in need within the CENFACS Community to feel happy, to achieve successful outcomes despite the current and underlying cost-of-living crisis

3) How to create and innovate happiness-enhancing activities and projects to reduce poverty linked to the lack of happiness.

 

Although happiness is about the interplay between gene and environment, it is possible to help the members of CENFACS Community to find happiness cure, become happy and feel well.  It is possible to help them overcome inequalities in happiness and achieve well-being.

To do that, we are going to consider what the science of happiness tells us.  We shall as well approach happiness as both an independent and interdependent concept.  In other words, happiness could be a personal or subjective experience for any member of our community.  Happiness can also be a collective participation for any of these members as belonging to a community, the CENFACS Community.  It is in this interaction between happiness as individual practice and happiness as collective experience that they can find their true balance or harmony.

To sum up, during this 2023 Season of Happiness we are going to work with our users so that they can have aspects of their life in balance and feel at peace with their life despite the feeble economic revival.  The above is the way in which we would like to approach our 2023 Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details including the projects and programmes making the 2023 Season of Happiness.

 

 

• Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises: Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises (from Week Beginning Monday 26/06/2023)

 

Creating and innovating to win the battle against crises as the theme of 2023 Creative Economic Development Month continues this week.  We are dealing with appeals to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises.   The appeals could be our responses to the following:

 

∝ Short-term environmental strikes and crises

∝ Short-term armed conflicts and disputes

∝ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

∝ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles 

∝ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes

∝ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare.

 

So, creations and innovations to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises are part of the rebuilding projects or processes in the context of Rebuilding Africa programme by CENFACS.  One of the creations we made this year is how to use influence as a donation in humanitarian field instead of money to change the lives of those seeking or needing humanitarian relief.

In order to treat the above-mentioned creations and innovations, we are going to proceed with the following:

 

∝ Understanding the meaning of humanitarian crisis and appeal

∝ What we can do to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises

∝ Providing an example of humanitarian appeal made by CENFACS.

 

Let us briefly explain these proceedings.

 

• • Basic understanding of humanitarian crisis and appeal

 

Regarding humanitarian crisis, ‘concern.org.uk’ (3) explains that there is no universal definition of humanitarian crisis; and the terms ‘humanitarian crises’ and ‘humanitarian emergency’ are often used interchangeably.  The same ‘concern.org.uk’ argues that

“A humanitarian crisis is defined as an event or series of events that represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area”.

As to humanitarian appeal, the Centre for Policy Research of the United Nations University (4), states that

“A humanitarian appeal is supposed to identify top priorities under time pressure, and ensure that these are met.  Ideally, it functions as a triage process that makes the difficult decisions about what is most urgent – education or water, this camp or this group of migrant herders – all in the face of limited resources”.

In this activity about making an appeal to triumph the battle against crises linked to humanitarian catastrophe (that is, a great disaster or geological event causing destruction an loss of life), we are going to identify top priorities for those in need who are under pressure.

 

• • What we can do to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises

 

As suggested by the Centre for Policy Research of the United Nations University (op. cit.), in order to triumph the battle against humanitarian crises we are going to work with those impacted by humanitarian crises and those who can support them to find ways of

~ bridging the gaps between the requests from the impacted by catastrophe-led crises and supporters’ funding

~ developing a crisis and resilience plans between 1 to 5 years development cycle

~ aligning/synchronising pledging and planning

~ reforming humanitarian appeals process and architecture

etc.

 

• • Providing an example of humanitarian appeal made by CENFACS

 

There are many examples of humanitarian appeals launched by CENFACS.   We can mention the humanitarian appeal we made on 31 May 2023 (5) to Support Children in the Horn of Africa to Avoid Famine; appeal which is a case of basically dealing with humanitarian crisis.  In this case or crisis, children have been experiencing life-threatening and -destroying conditions due to a prolong drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa (that is, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia).

This example of Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises concludes our 2023 Creative Economic Development Month’s Working Weeks and Plan for Creations and Innovations to Win the Battle against Crises.  However, these appeals do not end this battle.  As we argued at the start of the 2023 Creative Economic Development Month, winning this battle is a desirable aim in the battlefield of poverty reduction.  To win it, one can remember what Joanne Reed (6) says, which is this:

“Life is a battlefield.  Nothing is easy, we have to fight our way through everything, and with this in mind, it would be a good idea for us to familiarise ourselves with combat strategy and learn the best tricks in the book from trained warriors”.

Throughout these working weeks and with the notes attached to them, we hope that we have learnt together as trained warriors the greatest tricks to win the battle against crises, particularly those crises that lead to poverty and unsustainability.

For any queries and or enquiries about the Appeals to Triumph the Battle against Humanitarian Crises, please contact CENFACS.

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

 

 

• The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Forgotten Crisis Need your Influence

 

This is a needs-based humanitarian appeal centred around the needs of the victims of the DRC’s Forgotten Crisis.  The DRC’s Forgotten Crisis concerns 5.7 millions of people who have been displaced in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.

 

• • A Perfect Example of Humanitarian Catastrophe of a Forgotten Emergency

 

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Crisis in its eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri is a perfect example of humanitarian catastrophe of a forgotten emergency.

 

The DRC’s crisis is listed by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (7) amongst other crises in Africa.  From the perspective of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the term “forgotten crises” refers to protracted conflict situations.  ECHO argues that it can also refer to crises resulting from the cumulative effect of recurring natural hazards or  combination of the two. ECHO provides the forgotten crises assessment which includes factors such as risk, crisis severity, media coverage, the level of humanitarian aid per capita and qualitative assessment.

If we take into account the crisis severity factor, it is right to argue that displacement in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri is a forgotten emergency.

According to ‘news.un.org’ (8),

“Overall, 6.2 million people have fled their homes across the country [DRC] – the highest number in Africa”.

Likewise, the Word Food Programme (9) observes that

“Food insecurity is particularly intense in DRC’s northeast, where 3.6 million people are facing emergency hunger levels – a million more than in 2022.  In May, catastrophic floods and landslides in South Kivu added to their hardship”.

 

These displaced people need your influence to support them.

 

• • Using Your Influence to Win the Battle against Displacement Crisis

 

As we are in CENFACS’ Year of Influence, we are asking to those who can to use their influential resources to affect the drivers of the crisis that have pushed the inhabitants of these provinces out of their lands.  Your influence will help to win their battle against the following:

 

√ Chronic violence and displacement that fuels a dramatic hunger crisis in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri

√ Insecurity to deliver food to the displaced persons

√ The lack of access to vulnerable communities to receive the vital relief they need

√ Overburdening of host families

√ Overcrowding in camps

Etc.

 

• • What Your Influencing Support Can Achieve

 

Your influencing donation will help the displaced and food insecure people…

 

√ to return to their land and homes

√ to grow their food

√ to feed hungry families and meet their daily food needs

√ to move the displaced persons from temporary reprieve to permanent accommodation

√ to end traumatic life amongst refugees

√ to provide food and cash assistance to the hardest-hit displaced people

etc.

 

You can donate your Influence to reduce or end poverty amongst the Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the detrimental effects of crisis that led to displacement of the people of the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.

You can as well influence the things or factors that determine these crises in order to create lasting favourable conditions towards an end to crises; factors like conflicts and non-state armed groups that have negatively impacted the supplies and prices of foods in these provinces.

Please also let CENFACS know about your influencing work or contribution  you are or will be making and its outcome on behalf of the food poor in 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 your message or 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 and help save the lives of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis.

DONATE YOUR POSITIVE INFLUENCE NOW!

Extra Messages

 

• Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

• Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project –

In Focus: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the Example of Young Creators and Innovators

• Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7) – In Focus: Artificial Intelligence and Poverty Reduction

 

 

• Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

 

The Month of Creative Economic Development is also of Dematerialisation, which is part of CENFACS‘ Poverty-Environment Programme.

 

 

• • What is dematerialisation?

 

According to the World Bank (10), dematerialisation refers to

“An absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials required to serve economic functions in society”.

Cutler J. Cleveland and Matthias Ruth (11) go further by explaining that

“Dematerialisation refers to the absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials used and/or the quantity of waste generated in the production of a unit of economic output”.

For Cleveland and Ruth, there is a common indicator to measure dematerialisation.  This indicator is the intensity of material used per unit of economic output.

These definitions of dematerialisation will be used to work together with the community and explore non-conflicting ways of activating or improving the process of dematerialisation in the economic functions of their households.  In working together, there is a possibility to explore ways of further reducing poverty via dematerialisation.

 

• • Dematerialisation and Poverty Reduction

 

With reference to the above definitions, CENFACS shall work with its community to help find way of reducing the quantity of resources or materials from the ecosystem in order to meet their basic life-sustaining economic needs.  This will be an opportunity to promote and spread the news about dematerialisation in the way the community produces, consumes and distributes products and services.

Having in mind that household is small unit of production, we can work with ours users and their households to find out their material intensity as ratio of material used to the amount of poverty reduction produced.  In other words, we can try together to produce poverty reduction by using less material and/or generating less waste.  To do that we may need together to create and/or innovate for sustainability.

 

• • Dematerialisation and Sustainable Creations and Innovations

 

Finding creations and innovations that can continue over the long term without adverse effects is also part of the work of 2023 Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM).  Also, using less materials and generating less waste to create and innovate are equally amongst the objectives of 2023 CEDM.

In brief, we can try to reduce poverty with less materials and less waste while making our creations and innovations to equitably serve the current and future generations in meeting their needs.

The work on dematerialisation is CENFACS’ way of supporting both poverty reduction and sustainable creations and innovations within our community.

Those who may be interested in working with us on Dematerialisation, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Creations and Innovations; they are welcome to let CENFACS know.

 

 

• Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project –

In Focus: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the Example of Young Creators and Innovators

 

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

These kinds of work can include the following:

√ Those carried out by poor families, children, young people and those who are left out of the economic growth or upturn

√ There are works undertaken by unknown and unnamed artists and designers who may be amateurs or not professionals or not just celebrities.

Every year, we try to find out unknown and unnamed artists and designers, as part of Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project.  This finding exercise helps to know and name them as well as advertise their works.  We can advertise their work as advertising is an area of creative industries making CENFACS’ 2023 CEDM.

All these small pieces of art and design works can help relieve poverty and enhance the process of sustainable development.  They can help to win the battle against crises such as the cost-of-living crisis.

 

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

 

Some Young Creators and Innovators can be classified as unknown and unnamed artists and designers.  Who are they?

They are of all sorts of talents and abilities who can create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  They can as well help to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer.  Their works can help reduce poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis while keeping the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.  They could be the finders of the today’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems.

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

If you are a young creator and/or innovator and has some feeling that you would probably fall under the category of unknown and unnamed artists and designers, CENFACS would like to hear from you as well as your creative or innovative work.  You could be the Creative Mind of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development of June 2023; the Mind we are looking for.

 

 

• Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7) – In Focus: Artificial Intelligence and Poverty Reduction

 

The next level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign is on how we can use and/or access artificial intelligence to reduce poverty or get more poverty reduction results or outcomes.

Since its birth in 1950 by Alan Turing, Artificial Intelligence has made progress to such an extent that it can be a tool for poverty reduction.  But, what is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

 

• • Defining Artificial Intelligence

 

There are many definitions of AI.  One of these definitions come from ‘ibm.com’ (12), which says that

“AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machine, especially intelligent computer programme”.

Knowing the meaning of AI and learning its history are all fine.  However, what we are interested in is real-world applications of AI systems in helping to reduce poverty.  There are many examples about how AI has contributed or is contributing in the work of poverty reduction.

For example, online virtual agents through social media can provide personalised advice and engage people in need to meet their needs of poverty reduction and/or enhance sustainable development.

At this level of our Digital and Social Media Campaign (Level 7), we are looking forward to working with users and Africa-based Sister Organisations in finding more opportunities to access AI technology and use it to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development amongst them.

Those who would like to engage with us at this Level 7, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

For further information about CENFACS’ Digital and Social Media Campaign including levels 1 to 6 of this campaign, please also communicate with CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Mots de remerciement avant le dernier jour (30/06/2023) de remerciement à nos supporteurs/ses

Nous aimerions profiter de  l’occasion des journées de grâce de CENFACS pour réitérer nos pensées, nos expressions et nos sentiments de profonde gratitude à tous nos suporters et soutiens.

Le CENFACS est vivement très reconnaissant de vous avoir comme soutiens et d’être avec nous aux côtés de ceux ou celles qui sont dans le besoin, en particulier pendant cette année difficile des effets persistants et douloureux de crises multiples qui se chevauchent.

Tous nos remerciements!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Season of Happiness 2023 in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

The following items will help to understand the way in which, together with our users, we would like to wish the 2023 Season of Happiness to happen:

 

∝ Rebuilding Season to Happiness Season

∝ What is Summer for CENFACS’ Users and Beneficiaries?

∝ Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

∝ Preview of 2023 Summer of Happiness and Well-being Programmes.

 

Let us briefly explained these items.

 

• • Rebuilding Season to Happiness Season

 

Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives) and Creative Arts and Design-based Development Project are the projects that have made the last part of Spring 2023 programme.  Both projects make our Creative Economic Development month.

In practice, Jmesci is the project that is ending our Rebuilding or Life Renewal Season to start Happiness Season or Summer of Happiness.  After creating and innovating to build forward better together cleaner, greener and safer as well as to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development; we are now looking forward to enjoy the sunshine of Summer with Happiness.   We look forward to Summer, although the warm weather has already started.

 

• • What is Summer for CENFACS’ Users and Beneficiaries?

 

Summer is a period of the warm sunny weather that we would like to associate with it at CENFACS.  It is the time of happiness that we all expect, after a long period of full time work and education.  We look forward to a break after such a long time of routine working life, especially as most of CENFACS’ projects and programmes are framed around the school timetable to suit and reflect the needs and living patterns of our users and beneficiaries.  This is despite that the fact that during Summer people are still working to keep their households and the economy running.

 

• • Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn as a Focus for Summer 2023

 

As highlighted in the key messages, our Season of Happiness or Summer of Happiness will be about the following three elements:

 

1) Our capacity to spread happiness between the members of CENFACS Community to narrow the gap in happiness inequalities

2) The help we can provide to those who are in most need within the CENFACS Community to find happiness cure and feel happy, to achieve successful outcomes despite the current and underlying cost-of-living crisis

3) Our ability to create and innovate happiness-enhancing activities and projects to reduce poverty linked to the lack of happiness.

 

It is possible to help CENFACS’ users overcome inequalities in happiness and achieve well-being.

Therefore, the key note of our theme for Summer of Happiness will be: How to Create, Enjoy and Sustain Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn.

To support those struggling with the rising costs of living over Summer 2023, we shall work with them so that they can navigate their way to happiness and well-being.  In practical terms, it means that we shall provide Happiness Tips and Hints in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn.  We will provide them through the following Summer initiatives.

 

 

• • Preview of 2023 Summer-of-Happiness and Well-being Programmes

 

Summer Programme at CENFACS is mainly made of two sets or broad areas of projects for and with Multi-dimensionally Poor Children, Young People and Families; which consists of:

 

(a) Happiness Projects (Part 1) and

(b) Appeal Projects or Humanitarian Relief to Africa (Part 2).

 

Besides this main Summer seasonal regular feature, we have also planned other initiatives as side menus.  We shall gradually release the contents of these Summer projects as we progress during Summer 2023.

Our development calendar/planner already indicates what is planned for July and August 2023.  However, should anybody want to find out more, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Summer 2023 Programmes, Projects and Activities (Summer calendar/planner)

 

 

How to Make this Summer 2023 as of Happiness in the Context of Weak Economic Upturn

 

July 2023

  

∞ Financial Updates: Financial History

How to rebuild your financial past 

The 2023 Edition of Financial Updates (a CENFACS’ Individual Capacity Building and Development resource for Summer) will provide advice, tips and hints about how to keep, construct, repair and rebuild users’ financial past despite multiple overlapping crises since the coronavirus began.  In other words, it is about working with our users to achieve the goal of poverty reduction by avoiding reversal in their financial past.

This 2023 Edition of Summer Financial Updates (SFU) will focus on information about income, finances, assets, salaries/wages, monetary incentives, insurance, financial transactions, credit worthiness, and debts that our users may need to prove or produce in order to justify their financial past.

 

∞ All-in-one Impact Assessment

 

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

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

 

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

2) Impact assessment of the different activities linked to the cost-of-living crisis (e.g. activities to tackle rising prices of food, energy, etc.).

 

∞ Virtual Summer Festival with Seven Days of Development in July

In focus for our Summer 2023 Festival will be:

Financial Inclusion

To reduce and possibly end poverty, it requires financially including those who are financially and economically poor.  So, working with the poor to enable them to access financial services such as savings, insurance, payments, credit and remittances, is the way to power them.

Our Summer 2023 Festival will focus on ways of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development by financially including everybody, especially those who are financially excluded or poorly included (for example women in Africa) because of various reasons.  The Festival will look at ways of increasing, improving and extending financial inclusion to others.

 

July – August 2023

 

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

 

Summer Humanitarian Appeal projects are a set of projects to help alleviate multi-dimensional poverty experienced by CYPFs during the Summertime.  We normally launch one umbrella appeal that brings under one roof these projects.  This year,  we are going to launch selected appeals for most of them with special emphasis on the impacts of the cost of living on CYPFs.

One of the selected appeals will be about helping CYPFs to be free from distress caused by the cost-of-living crisis in Africa.  The appeal – Win against Distress in Africa – is about helping poor CYPFs to mitigate the negative affects of polycrises in Africa.

Another appeal project that will have a particular attention and that is needed during this period of the cost-of-living crisis is the Iconic Young Carer Project (iYCP). 

 

∞ Children, Young People and Families (CYPFs) Summer Programme (Part II): Happiness Projects

 

Happiness projects are another set of Summer projects making the second part of our Summer Programme.  We shall release more details about Happiness projects in due course.

 

∞ Summer 2023 Run, Play and Vote to Reduce Poverty

 

Our Triple Value Initiatives (Run, Play and Vote) for this year have already kicked off.  Through e-workshops, we have provided some guidance and help about them.  And we are still available to talk to those who need some help.  Those who started them should be half-way through with them.

These activities can be run in hybrid manner; that is in-person or virtual depending on the circumstances of participants.

Since we are already in the middle of the year, half-year actions and results about these activities will be sought from those who are practising them.

We shall ask those who undertook exercises relating Triple Value Initiatives such as e-workshops and recreational activities to report on their actions and results as well.

 

∞ Integration of Le Dernier Carré into Build Forward Better Programme

 

Our four step model of poverty relief (that is the Last Square of Poverty Relief or Le Dernier Carré) will be included in some of the elements of the Summer-of-Happiness Programme.

 

∞ Summer Track, Trip and Trending

 

Track and Trip activities will be run as normal.

Regarding Trending activity, we are going to follow the direction of poverty reduction via marine and coastal ecosystem services.  In other words, we are going to find out how marine and coastal ecosystem services are helping in lifting people out of poverty.

The above is just an indicative plan of work for our Summer of Happiness.  This Summer work plan will be reviewed depending on the circumstances and events that may occur as we move throughout the summertime.

We hope you find a happy, helpful and hopeful relief from the above programmes and projects on offer at CENFACS over this Summer!

For details or clarification about the above programmes and projects, including ways of accessing them, please contact CENFACS.

_________

Note: Although the above is scheduled for Summer 2023, we may slightly alter our initial plan and or introduce occasional initiatives to cope with the reality of the unpredictability and complexity of development situations (e.g. humanitarian and emergency situations), in which case we shall let you know as early as we can.

_________

• References

 

(1) https://oecd.org/economic-outlook/june-2023/ (accessed in June 2023)

(2) https://moneytothemasses.com/owning-a-home/interest-rate-forecasts/latest-interest-rate-prdictions-when-will-rates-rise# (accessed in June 2023)

(3) https://www.concern.org.uk/news/what-is-a-humanitarian-crisis (accessed in June 2023)

(4) https://cpr.unu.edu/publications/articles/time-for-a-reset-fixing-the-faulty-humanitarian-appeals-process.html# (accessed in June 2023)

(5) cenfacs.org.uk/2023/05/31/organisations-an-causes-to-not-for-profit-invest-for-impact-in-africa/ accessed in June 2023)

(6) https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/how-to-win-everyday-battles-08553edb539f (accessed in June 2023)

(7) https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/humanitarian-aid/needs-assessment/forgotten-crises_en (accessed in June 2023)

(8) https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137902 (accessed in June 2023)

(9) https://www.wfp.org/stories/refugee-day-how-one-family-escaped-violence-and-hunger-are-finding-safety-tanzania (accessed in June 2023)

(10) https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/dematerialisation-degrowth-and-climate-change-agenda (accessed in June 2023)

(11) Cleveland, C. J. & Ruth, M. (1998), Indicators of Dematerialisation and the Materials Intensity of Use at https://doi.org/10.1162/jiec.1998.2.3.15 (accessed in June 2023)

(12) https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence (accessed in June 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 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 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.