Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

11 October 2023

 

Post No. 321

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• 2023 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Niamankeke” Project

• Giving No Direct Cash Donations

• Support Children Impacted by Crisis in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• 2023 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Niamankeke” Project

 

Our environmental campaign known as “A la une” has already started and is going to last for six weeks.  The main theme of this campaign is still the same, which is Upkeep of the Nature; the sub-theme for this year’s campaign being Protection of Endangered Insect Species.  This sub-theme will be delivered or conducted via “Niamankeke” Project.

As said, this year’s campaign is about the upkeep of endangered insect species.  It is an action to reduce and stop extinction risk and threat that insect species like

Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha aurora, Eriksson acracina, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, Platycypha pinheyi, Serratruma inquilina, Tetrathesmis spp, Uluguru moountain grasshopper (Cyphocerastis uluguruensis), Eupropacris abbreviata (the Kilosa Noble Grasshopper), Adetomyrma venatrix (Dracula ant), Kenya jewel (Platycypha amboniensis), etc. 

are subject to.

These insect species are just a few examples of many more that are threatened and at risk of extinction.

Five of the above-mentioned examples of endangered insect species (that is, Brenton Blue Butterfly, African Dungle Beetle, Chlorocypha Aurora, Dracula Ant and Erikssonia Acracina) will make up selected composed notes or themed areas of our work; work that we will carry out together to shape the central topic or theme of “A la une” Campaign this Autumn.

We have provided, under the Main Development section of this post, the time frame and titles of these composed notes or themed areas of work.

The first themed area of work is Saving Brenton Blue Butterfly; themed area which kicked off from the 9^th of October 2023.

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

 

 

• Giving No Direct Cash Donations 

 

How to support CENFACS without directly giving cash

 

Last month, we highlighted ways of supporting CENFACS and of boosting your support.  This week, we are adding ways of backing us without you having to directly give cash to CENFACS and its noble causes.  This is all part of improving the way in which you can make an impact on what CENFACS is doing to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

Indeed, there are many ways that one can use to help CENFACS without directly given cash.  One can unlock barriers to no direct cash donations for CENFACS.  Those who would like to assist CENFACS by using other means than directly giving cash, they can think of the following.

15-themed ways of donating to consider this Autumn and in the lead up to the end of the year:

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9) Give away to CENFACS any vouchers received or earned that you do not need or want

10) Hand out to CENFACS any proceeds from unwanted or unneeded prize draw or award you prefer to get rid of

11) If you are a gaming fundraiser, help CENFACS raise money it needs through your gaming fundraising capability

12) Help in online fundraising events (e.g., online or digital tickets selling)

13) If you are gaming as a good causes and fundraising livestream donor, you can also support CENFACS

14) If you are running gaming and livestreaming campaigns, you can remember CENFACS in your campaigns

15) Give cryptocurrency donations or the proceeds of sales of non-fungibles tokens.

 

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

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

 

 

• Support Children Impacted by Crisis in Africa

 

At the start of September 2023 and of our Back-to-relief Programme 2023, we indicated that supporting crisis-impacted children in Africa, particularly those living in conflict-stricken areas of Africa, would be part of our working plan for Autumn 2023.

Amongst these children who need support are those who could not return to school at the start of their academic year and those who are struggling to meet their back-to-school necessities because of the legacies of violence and insecurity in conflict-stricken areas of Africa.  Yet, every child deserves education.

In places where school infrastructures and buildings have been destroyed or simply occupied as shelter or refuge by internally displaced persons, there is even a huge challenge to maintain the educational levels and opportunities for these poor children.  There is a stiff task in African countries stricken by civil insecurity, in particular countries like Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (in its eastern areas), Burkina Faso, Mali, etc. to keep schools open for children.  Because of the consequences of insecurity and violence, many children in areas of the above-mentioned countries are out of school.

For example, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (1) estimates that

“The out-of-school population in Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 12 million over 2015-21” (p. 19)

Likewise, the United Nations Children’s Fund (2) states that

“One of the first day of the new 2023-2024 academic year in Burkina Faso, 1 in 4 schools or 6,149 remain shut due to ongoing violence and insecurity in parts of the country”.

As a way of keeping education alive for these unfortunate children living in those parts of Africa in conflict crisis, many types of initiatives have been taken to support so far by organisations (such as the United Nations Children’s Fund) and people like you to help.  Initiatives such as education by radio programme, back-to-school advocacy, delivery of school kits, etc. have been undertaken.  However, due to the immense educational challenge posed by the legacies of insecurity and violence, there is still a deep, intense and urgent educational need in many of these areas.

CENFACS is doing its bit by launching an appeal to support the educationally needy children in Africa; children who have been affected by the legacies of insecurity and violence in conflict-stricken areas of Africa.  This appeal, which is worded as Every Child in Africa Deserves Education, starts today and will make CENFACS‘ fundraising campaign for Giving Tuesday on 28 November 2023.

We would like people who may be interested in our philanthropic mission to join us in this campaign.  We are asking to those who can to support this campaign not to wait the Giving Tuesday on 28 November 2023.  They can donate at any time since the needs are urgent and pressing.  To donate, please get in touch with CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Leaves-based Advice with Impact 

• Review of  the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

• Shop at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Store for Your Autumn 2023 Goods Donations and Buys

 

 

• Leaves-based Advice with Impact

 

Leaves-based Advice with Impact is a step forward within the framework of the advice service we provide to the community.  The leaves element within our local advice package, which marked CENFACS’ 2021 Year of Leaves, will continue to feature the advisory process of helping the community to reduce poverty.  We have included impact as advice will be given with an impact strategy to maximise outcomes for the beneficiaries.

There are many circumstances of life that can make the community to ask for advice.  For example, after the back-to-school period, there are some members of our community who may still need some form of advisory support relating to other issues of their life.  These issues can include the following:

 

∝ Finding a nursery for children

∝ Children having problems to settle in or adapt to a new school

∝ Problem to strike a balance between working life and family life

∝ Registration to health services

∝ Finding accommodation or relocating

∝ Accessing training opportunity or employment

∝ Looking for a new occupation to deal with the economic effects of the enduring cost-of-living crisis

∝ Finding help to adjust their life after any period of inactivity

∝ Looking for direction to overcome the enduring cost-of-living crisis 

Etc.

 

We can provide advisory support to them. Where our capacity is limited, we can refer and/or signpost them to relevant specialist services and organisations to help them meet their needs.

You can contact CENFACS should you need any of these services:

 

√ Translation (English to French and vice versa)

√ Interpreting

√ Generalist advice

√ Guidance

√ Signposting

√ Referral

√ Advocacy

Etc.

 

You can text, phone, email and complete for the contact form to access this service.

 

 

• Review of  the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

This week is also of the review of our  Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living.   It is now one year since it was established in October 2022.  What is this review about?

 

• • About the Campaign Review

 

The review is about what has worked and did not work since this campaign was instituted.  It is about ensuring that the scope and deliverables of this campaign are progressing in line with the baseline plan of the campaign.

In our campaign plan, we proposed to have three types of actions: short-, medium- and long-term actions.  Because of the length of the long-term actions (2 to 10 years, the current review will focus only on short- and medium-term actions (0 to 6 months and 6 to 24 months).

 

• • What this Review Will Bring

 

The review, which will be both data-led and opinion-driven, will enable to identify achievements or results in the form of successes, opportunities, failures and threats.  Through this review, we hope to improve help and support stemming from this campaign to our community members.

To enquire about the Review of  the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Shop at CENFACS Zero-Waste e-charity Store for Your Autumn 2023 Goods Donations and Buys

 

Every season is an opportunity to do something about the environment and poverty.  This Autumn too is a good period to save the environment and relieve 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 Autumn you can shop at CENFACS Zero-waste e-charity store to help the environment and poverty relief.

To support the environment and the poor, you can either shop or supply us with products or goods you no longer want or use so that we can sell and raise the money for the noble cause of poverty relief, at http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Conseils basés sur les feuilles des arbres ayant un impact 

Conseils basés sur les feuilles des arbres ayant un impact sont un pas en avant dans le cadre du service de conseil que nous fournissons à la communauté.  L’élément des feuilles de notre trousse de conseils locaux, qui a marqué l’Année des feuilles 2021 du CENFACS, continuera d’être présent dans le processus consultatif visant à aider la communauté à réduire la pauvreté.  Nous avons inclus l’impact car les conseils seront donnés avec une stratégie d’impact pour maximiser les résultats pour les bénéficiaires.

Il existe de nombreuses circonstances de la vie qui peuvent amener la communauté à demander conseil.  Par exemple, après la rentrée scolaire, certains membres de notre communauté peuvent encore avoir besoin d’une forme de soutien consultatif lié à d’autres questions de leur vie.  Ces problèmes peuvent inclure les éléments suivants :

∝ Trouver une crèche pour les enfants

∝ Enfants ayant des difficultés à s’adapter à une nouvelle école

∝ Problème pour trouver un juste équilibre entre la vie professionnelle et la vie familiale

∝ Inscription aux services de santé

∝ Trouver un logement ou déménager

∝ Accès à une possibilité de formation ou une opportunité d’emploi

∝ À la recherche d’un nouveau métier pour faire face aux effets économiques persistants de la crise du coût de la vie

∝ Trouver de l’aide pour ajuster sa vie après une période d’inactivité

∝ À la recherche d’une direction pour surmonter la crise du coût de la vie qui s’est installée dans la durée

Etc.

Nous pouvons leur fournir un soutien consultatif. Lorsque nos capacités sont limitées, nous pouvons les orienter vers et/ou les recommander auprès des services et des organisations spécialisés pertinents pour les aider à répondre à leurs besoins.

Vous pouvez contacter le CENFACS si vous avez besoin de l’un de ces services :

√ Traduction (de l’anglais vers le français et vice versa)

√ Interprétation

√ Conseils généralistes

√ Orientation

√ Signalisation ou indication de services similaires 

√ Adresse à un spécialiste

√ Plaidoyer

Etc.

Vous pouvez envoyer un SMS, téléphoner, envoyer un e-mail et remplir le formulaire de contact pour accéder à ce service.

 

Main Development

 

• 2023 “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) Campaign and Themed Activities via “Niamankeke” Project

 

The following covers the points making this Main Development:

 

∝ What is “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)?

∝ What is “Niamankeke“?

∝ Insects Crisis

∝ “A la une” Campaign Calendar

∝ Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 09/10/2023 by Focusing on Saving Brenton Blue Butterfly

∝ Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: Workshop on Insects as Food Providers

 

• • What is “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence)?

 

“A la une” is CENFACS‘ well-known household campaign for justice towards for nature in the autumnal season.

It is about working together in organised and active way toward the goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence.

It is about telling those who are in a position to help to fix the overexploitation and end extinction of natural species.

It is about gaining support for species for the benefits and gifts they provide to the nature and in the different areas of human life.

It is CENFACS’ branding or theme that holds to account those who are destroying the nature and its resources as well as it looks forward to positively transforming our relationships with nature while changing the way our society works.

Briefly, “A la une” Campaign, which has to be differentiated from one-time protest, has three attributes, which are:

 

a) It focuses on a concrete goal of keeping up the nature in (good) existence

b) It has specific outcomes for working with CENFACS‘ users to protect nature or the wilderness/wildlands

c) It helps to add up to similar efforts and work on protecting the nature.

 

“A la une” Campaign needs sub-themes to be completed.  The sub-theme we have selected to deliver “A la une” Campaign for this year is “Niamankeke“.

 

• • What is “Niamankeke“?

 

“Niamankeke” stands for Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment.  “Niamankeke” Project as a Focus of Our Campaign to Deal with Insects Crisis is a sequence of tasks with a defined start (09/10/2023) and end date (20/11/2023) to achieve the overall aim of keeping up the nature (here endangered insect species) in (good) existence, particularly from decline and extinction.

Whereas “A la une” Campaign is our overall values or umbrella body of work for justice towards nature, “Niamankeke” Project is one of the groupings of projects making our “A la une” Campaign.

“Niamankeke” is a SMART (that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) goal within “A la une” Campaign or a result that we are attempting to achieve.

“Niamankeke” as a SMART goal helps…

 

√ Increase awareness within our community and the rest of the community about endangered insect species 

√ Get improved conversions in terms of new sustainable initiatives

√ Attract support to our noble cause of reducing poverty by developing sustainable initiatives.

 

• • Insect Crisis

 

As said above, “Niamankeke” deals with insect crisis.  Many studies show that there is a global decline in insects.  Yet, our destiny depends on the survival of insects as Sheree Bega (3) argues.  Likewise John McCann, quoted by Bega, explains that there are twelve factors that contribute the most to the rapid global decline of insects which include 1) climate change disruption 2) pollution 3) urbanisation 4) invasive species 5) agricultural intensification 6) insecticides 7) fire 8) storm intensity 9) disappearing ecosystems 10) droughts 11) deforestation 12) nitrification.

“Niamankeke” tries to address some of these factors through an organised series of actions to gain support for insects regarding the benefits and gifts they provide in the areas of food, health, pollution reduction, ecosystems, disaster relief and other areas of our life.  However, any campaign to be serious needs to have some planning, strategy and process.

 

• • “A la une” Campaign Calendar

 

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

 

As announced earlier, we have started our 6-week campaign work for the Upkeep of the Nature.  The campaign will help in promoting healthy relationships between humans and nature by taking actions to reduce the decline of Insect Species.  It will also help in the fight against the contributing factors to this decline.

As outlined earlier, the sub-theme of “A la une” for this year is Protection of Endangered Insect Species delivered via “Niamankeke” Project while the “A la une” theme remains the same which is Upkeep of the Nature.

Within these theme and sub-theme, we have composed six notes including monitoring, evaluation and review of the “A la une” Campaign.  These notes, which can be found below are in fact actions that can be taken to Protect Endangered Insect Species.

 

• • • “A la une” Campaign Composed Notes or Themed Areas for Action

 

There are five insect themed names and five activities to back this campaign.  During the following periods within this Autumn and “A la une” season, CENFACS’ advocacy on environment will focus on the following insect themed names and activities  from the beginning of every Mondays (starting from 09 October 2023 to 20 November 2023).

In total, there are five insect themed names which make areas of work and action starting from the 09^th of October 2023 and thereafter every Mondays until the 20th of November 2023.   Form the 13th to the 20th of November 2023, we shall carry out Impact Monitoring, Evaluation and Review of the “A la une” Campaign and Themed Activities conducted.

The above-mentioned insect themed titles and activities will help us to re-communicate our environmental message for the upkeep of the nature in (good) existence as well as triggering better changes the way in which our community/society works.

As you can notice, besides each of these insect themed names, there are activities to be carried out.  There are three qualitative activities (i.e., workshop, focus group and e-discussion) and two quantitative ones (i.e., case study and survey) which will be on the gifts that beneficial insects give to the nature and to humans.

The notes are supposed to guide our action since “A la une” Campaign is about actions, not words.  During the run and at the end of these notes and actions, we shall pull impact monitoring and evaluation reports.  We shall as well review the campaign results to see how it performed overall and if we achieved our goal, that is “Niamankeke“.

To engage with “A la une” Campaign and themed areas as well as to act for a healthy and wealthy nature, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Executing our “A la une” Campaign from Week Beginning 09/10/2023 by Focusing on Saving Brenton Blue Butterfly (BBB)

 

To start with this campaigning note, we are going to understand BBB and highlight ways of saving it.  We are as well going to introduce the first insects activity among the activities (that is, activities explaining the gifts that beneficial insects provide to the nature and to humans) designed to accompany “Niamankeke” Project.

 

• • • What is Brenton Blue Butterfly?

 

According to ‘earthsendangered.com’ (4),

“Brenton Blue Butterfly – also scientifically known as Orachrusops niobe – is a species of concern belonging in the species group “insects” and found in the following area(s) – South Africa”.

As an insect, BBB shares with other insects a number of characteristics such as six legs, three body sections (head, thorax and abdomen), pair of antennae, exoskeleton, compound eyes, wings, three or four stage life cycle (egg, larva or nymphs, pupa and adult).

The website ‘thecongobasinrainforestsweebly.com’ (5), states that BBB can only be found in Africa and is critically endangered.

If BBB is endangered, there is a need to save it from extinction.

 

• • • What one can do to save Brenton Blue Butterfly

 

The Brenton Blue Trust (6) argues that there are important ecological reasons for saving butterflies from extinction.  These reasons include ecological stability, conservation biology, scientific investigations, aesthetics and human well-being.  These reasons apply to BBB as well.

From the above-mentioned reasons, there are many actions that one can undertake to save Brenton Blue Butterfly.  In the context of these notes, we would like highlight these two actions, which come from the ‘brentonbluetrust.com’ (op. cit.):

∧∨ to ensure the long-term survival of genetically viable population of the BBB

∧∨ to conserve or stimulate the ecological processes which are necessary for the survival of the BBB population.

Besides these two actions, there are other initiatives one can take to help save the BBB population.  One of these other actions is to support the good causes working on BBB matter.

The above actions will help to reduce extinction risks and threats to BBB, which is endangered bird species in Africa.

 

 

• •  Add-on Activity of the Week’s Campaign: Workshop on Insects as Food Providers

 

This is a course of study or work for a group of our members on the gift of food that beneficial insects provide to humans. 

Although the workshop is not directly linked to BBB, it will help participants to learn the different contributions that beneficial insects make to the food that humans consume. 

Through this course of action, we shall look at the positive contributions of insects rather than their negative contributions to human life.  As Sheree Bega (op. cit.) puts it:

“These tiny creatures, often unnoticed, pollinate our fruit, vegetables and flowers, recycle nutrients, control pests and are food for birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and fish”.

The workshop could also help to explore the extent to which insects can help us to reduce food poverty, especially in those parts of Africa where certain types of insects are consumed.

Those who may be interested in taking part in this workshop, they can contact CENFACS.

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

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

_________

 

• References

 

(1) UNESCO (2023), Global Education Monitoring Report Summary 2023: Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms? Paris, UNESCO

(2) https://www.unicef.org/burkinafaso/en/press-releases/burkina-faso-new-academic-year-starts-one-million-children-out-school-due-ongoing# (accessed in October 2023)

(3) Bega, S. (2021), Our destiny depends on the survival of insects in Mail & Guardian at https://mg.co.za/environment/2021-01-28-our-destiny-depends-on-the-survival-of-insects/ (accessed in October 2023)

(4) www.earthsendangered.com/profile=asp?gr=1&view=c&ID=1&sp=4623 (accessed in October 2023)

(5) https://thecongobasinrainforestsweebly.com/insects.html (accessed in October 2023)

(6) www.brentonbluetrust.co.za (accessed in October 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!

04 October 2023

 

Post No. 320

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of Cottage Industries in Reducing Poverty in Africa  

• Activity/Task 10 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Understand the Historical Influences that Shape the New Poor

• Goal of the Month: Reduction and End of Historical Causes of Poverty

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of Cottage Industries in Reducing Poverty in Africa

 

This year’s Making Memorable Positive Difference (MM+D), which is the 15th one, will blend fact of the history of industries in Africa; in particular that of Cottage Industries in Africa in their capability in reducing poverty.

Cottage industries were the backbone of many economies in Africa until the age of the policies of industries industrialising and industrial development.  Until then, cottage industries contributed to livelihoods and rural development.  But, what is a cottage industry?

Referring to ‘ipcinfo.org’ (1), a cottage industry is

“An industry-primarily manufacturing – which includes many producers, working from their homes, typically part time”.

It was a system of subcontracting manufacturing work to families or home workers.  These home workers were engaged in tasks such as sewing, woodwork, pastry production, lace-making or household manufacturing, etc.   With the era of modern green industries and industrial enterprises, many of products from cottage industry are forgotten.  However, during the coronavirus disaster many people and households turned to cottage industries in making their soaps, face masks, medicine (e.g., hand sanitiser), etc. as many of these industries are and remain part of the essential economy.

As part of MM+D 2023, we will remember the history of industries in Africa; in particular that of Cottage Industries in Africa in their capability in reducing poverty within their own household and beyond their household.  We shall as well reminisce those who set up and ran them.  MM+D 2023 will provide opportunity to remember the forgotten products of the cottage industries and these industries themselves.

We shall look at the history and business model of household-based industries in reducing poverty in two ways:

 

a) the profiles of household-based industry proprietors and labourers

b) the assessment of the historical contribution of the household-based industries in reducing poverty and in creating wealth in Africa.

 

Our historical reference point or period of remembrance is any time before the age of the policies of industries industrialising and/or industrial development in Africa (that is, before the first industrial development decade for Africa, before 1980-1990).

Briefly, the focus for this October History Month will be on Cottage Industries in Africa or Household-based Industries in their capacity and capability of lifting people out of poverty.  Our work for this year’s MM+D will be about identifying the historical figures (and families) of Africa who could be called the Champions of Cottage Industries or Industrious Proprietors (or Families) of Poverty Reduction.

For further information on this acknowledgement about Cottage Industries in Africa in their capability and  capacity in reducing poverty and creating wealth, please read under the Main Development section of this post.  

 

 

• Activity/Task 10 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Understand the Historical Influences that Shape the New Poor

 

The 10th Activity or Task of our ‘i’ Year and Project is about Understanding the Historical Influences that Shape the New Poor.

People who suffer from poverty and hardships may have some root causes or historical influences that could have been at play for them to be in the difficult conditions they are in.  This can concern the new poor or new types of poverty.  But, who are the new poor and what is historical influence?

 

• • Defining the New Poor

 

The new poor can be defined in many ways.  In this Activity/Task 10, our definition of the new poor comes from ‘worldbank.org’ (2) which explains that

“The new poor are those who have been pushed into extreme poverty by the coronavirus… The new poor are those who are expected to be non-poor in 2020 prior to the coronavirus outbreak but are now expected to be poor in 2020.”

‘Blogs.worldbank.org’ (3) goes further in arguing that

“The new poor are a combination of those who would have exited poverty in the absence of COVID-19 but are now projected to remain poor and those projected to fall into poverty because of COVID-19”.

These new poor could be urban or rural.  The urban poor profiled include working-age adults and paid employees.  They have secondary and tertiary education and are less self-employed.

If we consider the period of the cost-of-living crisis, the new poor would be those who have been pushed into poverty by the cost-of-living crisis.

The above-mentioned definitions contain some influencing factors that help in the process of shaping the new poor.

 

• • Understanding Historical Influence

 

The definition retains here for historical influence comes from Study Buff (4) which states that

“Historical influence is concerned with or treating of events of the past, historical accounts, based on or constituting factual material as distinct from legend or supposition, based on or inspired by history”.

It is useful to understand these events of the past that have shaped and influenced history to get to know what makes the new generations of poor today.  To do that, one can use their lenses (social, political and economic lenses).

 

• • Examples of Understanding the Historical Influences

 

One can use the events of the coronavirus lockdowns as a historical influence that shape the new generation of poor.  One can as well look into the economic recession of 2008 if there is any link with the new types of poverty.  One can finally bring their own historical perspective and see how it fits in within 10th Activity or Task of our ‘i’ Year and Project.  This will help understand why some types people living in poverty behave in a certain way.

The above is the Activity or Task no. 10 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 and End of Historical Causes of Poverty

 

Poverty can have many causes and routes.  Amongst its causes are the historical ones.  Our goal for the month of October 2023 is the Reduction of Historical Causes of Poverty.  To deliver this goal, we need to understand it and work with those who may likely experience this type of poverty.

 

• • What is the Reduction or End of Historical Causes of Poverty?

 

It is about cutting down or eliminating the factors that generate a cycle and persistence of poverty throughout poor people’s history and life.  These factors or historical causes can be of various kinds.

These historical causes can be endemic structural disadvantages, structures of discrimination, disadvantage in terms of opportunities and access to resources, non-respect of human rights and dignity, the fact of leaving people behind in the process of development, the lack of participation of poor people in decision-making processes in matter directly affecting their lives, etc.

They could also include wars, violence, discrimination policy of all kinds, systematic exclusion of some ethnic minorities and groups, gender inequality, asymmetry in educational system, limited access to resources, etc.  These historical causes and processes can be addressed.

 

• • Addressing Historical Causes of Poverty

 

There are many ways of addressing the historical causes of poverty.  One of the many ways of doing is through the application of theories of the causes of poverty like the ones proposed by David Brady (5).   The latter explains three theories to deal with the causes of poverty: behavioural, political and structural theories.  One can use the most convenient and best theory applicable on a given situation to reduce and possibly end the historical causes of a particular type of poverty.

For example, one can refer to behavioural theories (that is, behaviour is the key mechanism directly causing poverty), structural theories (i.e., how macro- and meso-level demographic and economic contexts cause poverty), and political theories (i.e., power and institutions causing policy, which causes poverty and moderates the behaviour-poverty link).

Using your theory of preference you can help reduce or end the historical causes of 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

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Concentration on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates

• Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Blue/Green/Grey Prescribings

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Global Finance Reforms and the Creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction

 

 

• “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) Campaign with Concentration on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates

 

“A la une” takes Save Fauna, Flora and Fauna advocacy to the next level of CENFACS‘ environmental communications and awareness raising.  It will focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates.  We shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’.  What do we mean by endangered?

 

• • Meaning of Endangered

 

Endangered can be defined from the Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation written by Chris Park (6) as

“A species that is in danger of *extinction if existing pressures on it (such as over-harvesting or habitat change) continue, and which is therefore likely to disappear if it is not offered adequate protection” (p. 147)

As said above, we shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’. 

 

 

• • ‘Niamankεkε’ (that, Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment) as a Focus of Our Campaign to Deal with Insects Crisis

 

‘Niamankεkε’ is an advocacy for the world’s smallest creatures.  Niamankεkε is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered insects and invertebrates in Africa.  Due to various factors, insects are in decline in Africa and in many parts of the world.

In the coming weeks, we are embarking on a campaign to help save critically threatened insects by extinction in Africa.   It is a campaign to reduce ‘windshield effect’ or insects’ disappearance.  Yet, humans’ life survival is much linked to the survival of insects.  As Sheree Bega (7) puts it,

“These tiny creatures , often unnoticed, pollinate our fruit, vegetables and flowers, recycle nutrients, control pests and are food for birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and fish”.

This Autumn campaign to help save insects will be featured by a number of notes to be written to make up the theme of the campaign.  There will five notes which will be related to any of the following insects:

Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, Platycypha pinheyi, Serratruma inquilina, Tetrathesmis spp, Uluguru moountain grasshopper (Cyphocerastis uluguruensis), Eupropacris abbreviata (the Kilosa Noble Grasshopper), Adetomyrma venatrix (Dracula ant), Kenya jewel (Platycypha amboniensis), etc. 

They are endangered species.  The ‘Niamankεkε’ project will help to advocate for a safe life for these insects and invertebrates.

To support “A la une” campaign and “Niamankεkε” project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (or All-year Round Projects) as Blue/Green/Grey Prescribings

 

Our work on grey, green and blue spaces continues as we are trying to get the views of those of our members using Triple Value Initiatives as blue or green or grey prescriptions.  CENFACS is looking into the possibility of how their undertakings of these initiatives can be fitted into blue or green or grey prescriptions.

Social prescribing nature-based activities are known as those ones that support the health and well-being of the community.  These activities can be land-based (green prescribing), water-based (blue prescribing) and grey-based (grey prescribing).

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (8) describes social prescribing as

“Being about helping people getting more control over their healthcare to manage their needs in a way that suits them”.

For those who have been using the Triple Value Initiatives, it would be a good idea to share with us their experience in terms of health and well-being benefits so that we know how green or blue or grey prescribing these initiatives can be.

The more people respond, the more we would know about the health and well-being outcomes from these initiatives, the more we could be recommending people or blue/green/grey prescribing them to use these initiatives.

Their responses will as well help prepare CENFACS’ State of Play, Run and Vote.

To support CENFACS’ State of Play, Run and Vote as well as our work on blue/green/grey prescribings, please let us know your personal experience on Triple Value Initiatives in terms of health and well-being results.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Global Finance Reforms and the Creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction

 

As part of the demand from many voices in the developing world to reform the global financial architecture and to restructure and relieve debt, CENFACS is debating the need for the creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction.  This debate has been conducted in the context of CENFACS’ Campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction or a World Anti-Poverty System.

If one blends the facts and opinions, Africa is one of the regions that is overindebted compared to its gross domestic product.  According the African Development Bank (9),

“The total external debt of Africa was estimated at $1.1 trillion in 2022.  This is expected to rise to $1.13 trillion by 2023”.

Africa is also a region of the world that is leading poverty.  In the opinion of the United Nations Development Programme (10), Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the poorest of the poor as

“534 million (47.8 percent) of the 1.1 billion poor people live in Sub-Saharan Africa”. (p. 2)

The same United Nations Development Programme argues that

“Over half (566 million) of the 1.1. billion poor people are children under age 18.  Some 54.1 percent of poor children live in Sub-Saharan Africa, making poverty reduction for these 306 million children a vital focus for the region” (p. 9)

If the above-mentioned figures are true, then something needs to be done about Africa’s debt and poverty.  There are those who think that reforming the two sister financial institutions of the Bretton Woods (that is, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) will help Africa.  The institutional reformists argue that these finance reforms will help resolve many of the financial problems Africa encounters.

On the contrary, there are those who contend that there is a missing piece in the international/global system, which is an International System for Poverty Reduction.  From this perspective, CENFACS supports and campaigns for the Creation of this International System. 

From CENFACS‘ perspective, poor people need a global system or institution that has the mandate to defend their interests.  It is difficult to see how institutions whose prime mission is financial or monetary, but not the reduction or end of poverty to drive the poverty reduction mission in their policies with conviction.  They may add poverty reduction to their programmes, but this addition is not their mission.  Because of that, they cannot be held to account about the lack of progress in terms of the reduction or end of poverty in Africa or elsewhere.

What the world or Africa needs a properly and newly established institution to deal with poverty and end of poverty.  This is because if you are leading the world by poverty (like Africa at the moment) and do not have an institution to deal with it, then you have a serious problem.  This institution is the missing piece of the Bretton Woods institutions. 

One can reform the global financial architecture as well as restructure and relieve debt, these initiatives will not be enough to deal with the difficult and complex issues that the world’s poor face.  Perhaps, a new institution (that is, an International System for Poverty Reduction) will be on their side.

The above is the terms of reference of this week’s discussion within CENFACS.  The floor is now open to anyone who wants to chip in and add their input.

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 and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

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 des réformes financières mondiales et de la création d’un système international de réduction de la pauvreté

Dans le cadre de la demande de nombreuses voix dans le monde en développement de réformer l’architecture financière mondiale et de restructurer et alléger la dette, le CENFACS débat de la nécessité de créer un système international de réduction de la pauvreté.  Ce débat a été mené dans le cadre de la Campagne du CENFACS pour un système international de réduction de la pauvreté ou un système mondial de lutte contre la pauvreté.

Si l’on mélange les faits et les opinions, l’Afrique est l’une des régions du monde qui est surendettée par rapport à son produit intérieur brut.  Selon la Banque Africaine de Développement (9),

« La dette extérieure totale de l’Afrique était estimée à 1 100 milliards de dollars en 2022.  Ce chiffre devrait atteindre 1,13 billion de dollars d’ici 2023 ».

L’Afrique est aussi une région du monde qui est en tête de la pauvreté.  De l’avis du Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (10), l’Afrique subsaharienne abrite les plus pauvres parmi les pauvres car

« 534 millions (47,8 %) des 1,1 milliard de pauvres vivent en Afrique subsaharienne » (p. 2)

Le même Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement fait valoir que

« Plus de la moitié (566 millions) du 1.1. milliards de pauvres sont des enfants de moins de 18 ans.  Quelque 54,1 % des enfants pauvres vivent en Afrique subsaharienne, ce qui fait de la réduction de la pauvreté pour ces 306 millions d’enfants un objectif vital pour la région » (p. 9).

Si les chiffres mentionnés ci-dessus sont vrais, alors il faut faire quelque chose au sujet de la dette et de la pauvreté de l’Afrique.  Il y a ceux qui pensent que la réforme des deux institutions financières soeurs de Bretton Woods (la Banque Mondiale et le Fonds Monétaire International) aidera l’Afrique.  Les réformistes institutionnels soutiennent que ces réformes institutionnelles aideront à résoudre bon nombre des problèmes financiers rencontrés par l’Afrique.

Au contraire, il y a ceux qui prétendent qu’il y a une pièce manquante dans le système international/mondial.   Ce manaquant est un système international de réduction de la pauvreté.  Dans cette perspective, le CENFACS soutient et milite pour la création de ce système international.  L’un des arguments avancés pour justifier ce système est que les  pauvres ont besoin d’un système mondial ou d’une institution qui a pour mandat de défendre leurs intérêts.

On voit mal comment des institutions dont la mission première est financière ou monétaire, mais pas la réduction ou la fin de la pauvreté, peuvent conduire la mission de réduction de la pauvreté dans leurs politiques avec conviction.  Elles peuvent ajouter la réduction ou la fin de la pauvreté à leurs programmes, mais cet ajout n’est pas leur mission.  Pour cette raison, elles ne peuvent pas être tenues responsables en matière de pauvreté et de sa réduction.

Ce dont l’Afrique a besoin est une institution correctement et nouvellement établie pour s’occuper de la pauvreté et travailler pour mettre fin à la pauvreté.  C’est parce que si vous êtes la région du monde avec le plus grand nombre des gens pauvres (ce qui est le cas de l’Afrique pour le moment) et que vous ne disposez pas d’une institution pour y faire face, vous avez un grave problème.  Cette institution est la pièce manquante des institutions de Bretton Woods.

On peut réformer l’architecture financière mondiale ainsi que restructurer et alléger la dette, ces initiatives ne suffiront pas à faire face aux problèmes difficiles et complexes auxquels les pauvres du monde sont confrontés.  Peut-être qu’une nouvelle institution (c’est-à-dire un système international de réduction de la pauvreté) sera de leur côté.

Ce qui précède est le terme de discussion de cette semaine au sein du CENFACS.  La parole est maintenant ouverte à tous/toutes ceux/celles qui veulent participer et ajouter leur contribution.

Ceux ou 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 forum de discussion sur les questions et les thèmes de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

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

 

 

Main Development

 

• History Month with Making Memorable Positive Difference Project – In Focus: History of Cottage Industries in Reducing Poverty in Africa

 

The following items make up the contents of this year’s focus of Making Memorable Positive Difference Project:

 

∝ What is Making Memorable Difference Project (MM+D)? 

∝ MM+D Days 

∝ MM+D Timeline

 

Let us look at each of these contents.

 

• • What is MM+D? 

 

MM+D is

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

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

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

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

 

This year’s dedicated two days (27 and 28 October 2023) are days of historical study, analysis and business skill recognition and celebration of the legacies left by Africans in Cottage Industries that Helped in Reducing Poverty in Africa.

Cottage Industries will be approached from the perspective of Paulpeter Makanda Makokha (11) who defines them as

“Household-based industries or production units mostly based in homesteads, which make use locally available raw materials are driven by fuel or manual power and skills, and whose products end up in the local market” (p. ix)

Makokha’s reserach study explains the role of household-based industries in the socio-economic transformation, historically documents the forms of household-based industries, highlights the profiles of household-based industry proprietors and labourers, and assesses the contribution of the household-based industries in wealth creation in Kakamega County (Kenya).

Although Makokha’s work is based on a county case (in Kenya), it can however be served as an inspiration to research and make an inventory of more cases in other places in Africa to build a comprehensive picture of Cottage Industries in Africa and help celebrate African Abilities, Talents, Skills, Gifts and Legacies to Africa and the world in terms of Cottage Industries.

 

• • MM+D Days

 

There will be Two Days of the History of Cottage Industries in Africa as follows:

 

∝ One day of identifying and profiling household-based industry proprietors and labourers

∝ One day of assessing the historical contribution of the household-based industries in reducing poverty and in creating wealth in Africa.

 

Let us summarise the contents of each day’s work.

 

• • • Heritage/Patrimony/Champions’ Day (27 October 2023): History of Profiles of Household-based Industry Proprietors and Labourers

 

On the first day of our MM+D, we shall remember those talented and hard-working cottage industry owners and workers for their remarkable business skills and work in being the backbone of their local economies.  It is the day of learning a brief outline or sketch in terms of their ages, marital status, level of education, gender, industry, business skills, etc.  It is also the day of exploring the business structure in which they operated or were involved in (e.g., sole proprietorship, family-owned and partnership).

Through the study of their profiles, it will be possible to know the kind of role they played or did not play in poverty reduction and in wealth creation.  They are part of Africa’s heritage and patrimony.  The day will finally provide us with the opportunity to “championise” them or decide to call them champions.  If they are, which types of champions they were/are in terms of heritage and/or patrimony they left as a result of their work and business talents.

 

• • • Legacies and Gifts Day (28 October 2023): The Historical Contribution of the Household-based Industries in Reducing Poverty and in Creating Wealth in Africa

 

During the Legacies and Gifts Day of MM+D, we shall learn the legacies and gifts of cottage industries in reducing poverty and creating wealth in Africa.  The day will help to find out if the reduction of poverty resulting from cottage industries was beyond household or the small community to expand in the entire community, to other neighbourhoods and nationally.

The day will also assist in uncovering the scale of wealth creation we are talking about, whether or not this wealth creation was expandable.  In other words, it is about learning whether or not their income-generating or business model was limited or scalable in terms of wealth creation.

The above is this year’s MM+D theme.  To engage with this theme and or support this project, please contact CENFACS on this site. 

Because we are talking about history, let us remember the history of CENFACS‘ MM+D through timeline.

 

• • Making Memorable Positive Difference Timeline

 

MM+D has a history and timeline.  The following is the timeline of MM+D since its inception.

 

2009: CENFACS recognised environmental sustainability.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2017: We acknowledged the Communicators of the African History 

2018: We learnt about African Communications and Oral History

2019: We searched on the African Health History

2020: We celebrated African Sculpture and Representation of African Historical Figures of the Pre-independence Era (i.e. Period before the 1960s)

2021: We recognised and celebrated of the legacies left by Africans in dance, particularly the Congolese Rumba

2022: We acknowledged the gifts left by Africans in Infrastructures to Reduce Poverty, particularly the Management and Maintenance of these Infrastructures.

For further details about these past MM+D events, please contact CENFACS. 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/fsn/docs/Andre_ (accessed in October 2023)

(2) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/Profiles-of-the-new-poor-due-to-the-COVID-19-pandemic (accessed in October 2023

(3) https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/new-poor-are-different-who-they-are-and-why-it-matters# (accessed in October 2023)

(4) https://studybuff.com/what-is-a-historical-influence/ (accessed in October 2023)

(5) Brady, D. (2019), Theories of the causes of poverty in Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 45, 2019/Brady, pp 155-175 at https://www.annualreview.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-soc-073018-022550 (accessed in October 2023)

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

(7) Bega, S. (2021), Our destiny depends on the survival of insects in Mail & Guardian at https://mg.co.za/environment/2021-01-28-our-destiny-depends-on-the-survival-of-insects/ (accessed in October 2023)

(8) https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/about-us/what-is-socialpresscribing/ (accessed in October 2023)

(9) https://afdb.africa-newsroom.com/press/evolution-of-debt-landscape-over-the-past-10-year-in-africa?lang=en (accessed in October 2023)

(10) United Nations Development Programme (2023), 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Unstacking global poverty: Data for high-impact action, New York at https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2023inspireportenpdf.pdf (accessed in October 2023)

(11) Makokha, P. M., (2009), The Role of Cottage Industries in the Socio-economic Transformation of Rural Areas: A Case of Kakamega County, Kenya, University of Nairobi, Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology and Social Work

_________

 

• 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!

27 September 2023

 

Post No. 319

 

 

The Week’s Comments

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2023 Edition: Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

• Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

• Libya-Morocco Joint Influence Appeal

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2023 Edition: Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

To facilitate the reading and understanding of 2023 Edition of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, we are going to briefly explain Help and Resources for a Fresh Start as well as the focus for this year’s Fresh Start.  Fresh Start and Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis are key words and contextual framework of CENFACS‘ Autumn poverty reduction work.

 

• • Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources

 

Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help strikes or kicks off our Autumn programme and Starting XI Campaign.  It is our Autumn project striker.  Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources are made of fresh start skills, tips, hints, tweaks, hacks, etc.; help and resources designed to overcome poverty and hardships.  They are indeed activities to turn endings of Summer to new beginnings, to manage new beginnings and plans for the future.

Our advice- and guidance-giving month of September continues as planned and will end next month.  Advice- and guidance-giving services are part of our Help and Resources for Autumn Fresh Start.  Although we put particular emphasis on advice-giving activity in our September engagement, other aspects of Autumn Fresh Start or striker are equally important and will continue beyond September.

Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help comes with Fresh Autumn Start (FAS) Resources.  The highlights of the 2023 Edition of FAS, which are given below, take into account and focus on the cost-of-living crisis.  The resources provided in FAS are non-financial help towards the costs of living crisis and poverty.  In this respect, the focus will be on what help that is available for users and what resources they can have in order for them to navigate their way out the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

 

• • Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis as a Focus for this Year’s Autumn Fresh Start

 

As we explained it in last year’s Edition of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, coming out of the cost-of-living crisis is a process that can last long ahead.  It can take time until real household disposable incomes increase and inflation drops back.

In September 2022 when we published this resource, the interest (that is; the price of borrowing money) expressed in terms of bank rate by the Bank of England (1) was 2.25%.  On 21 September 2023,  the same Bank of England (2) made the decision to keep interest rate at 5.25%.  From September 2022 to this September 2023, the interest has increased from 2.25% to 5.25%.

In August 2022, inflation in the UK stood at 9.8%, according to the ‘rateinflation.com’ (3).  Recently, the Office for National Statistics (4) reports that the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) was 6.3% in August 2023.  Although inflation drops a bite between the stated two periods, prices are still rising at a slower pace.

Despite the decision of the Bank of England to keep the interest rate at 5.25% and the light drop in inflation, many economic analysts and expert bodies (like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Resolution Foundation, chief economists at World Economic Forum, etc.) think that the cost-of-living crisis will last until the end of 2024, when household real disposable incomes will increase and inflation will drop back to meet the UK Government’s 2 per cent CPI (Consume Prices Index) inflation target.

There are people who are succeeding in their fight against the adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis.  There are others, who could be the majority, who are failing to win this battle.

For those who are not winning this fight, they may need to rethink or improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  For those failing this battle, they may need help to improve the way in which they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis. But, what is Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis.

Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis are basically a process of reviewing what has worked and what has not worked in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis and poverty, with the view of tackling them better.  The review helps to look at again one’s plan of action to achieve the overall goal of ending the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

In this process, those who are failing in their fight against the cost-of-living crisis are not left alone. They will receive help and support.  That is why we call it Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis.  Autumn Help will assist them to start freshly, to reset the ways they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

So, to navigate the cost-of-living crisis and poverty, they need to freshly start or change their settings.  There is a say that every day is a fresh start.  In this Autumn of the enduring cost-of-living crisis, fresh start is even more relevant than at any time to restore life.  They need to freshly start since they could be still dealing with the lingering socio-economic effects of the coronavirus.  They need to freshly start to navigate their way out of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.

Further details about the above key words and contextual framework are given below under the Main Development section of this post.

To ask for ‘Fresh Start’ Help and or access Fresh Start Resources to Improve and Navigate Your Way out of the Cost-of-living Crisis, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living

 

Campaign to End Poverty Induced by Rising Costs of Living, which started in October 2022, is one of CENFACS Starting IX Projects for this Autumn 2023.  In order to get a basic understanding of it, it is better to define it, to highlight the kind of poverty this campaign is trying to address, to spell out the types of actions making it, and to explain its phases or steps.

 

• • What this campaign is about

 

The Campaign to End Poverty Linked to Rising Costs of Living is an organised series of actions to gain support for the cost-of-living poor so that something can be done for them.  These actions need to result in change, particularly the reduction and end of poverty led by the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter is now a barrier for many poor.  To tackle this barrier, one may need to understand poverty linked to the cost of living.

 

• • Basic understanding of poverty attached to the cost of living

 

For anyone to understand poverty due to high cost of living, it is better to define the cost of living.  The website ‘ben.org.uk’ (5) defines the cost of living as

“The amount of money needed to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare in a certain place and time period”.

From the above definition, it is possible to argue that those who are poor because of rising cost of living like at the moment are those who are failing or totally struggling to meet this rise.  The rise includes hikes in energy bills, food prices, taxes, interest rates, rent, etc.  In economic parlance, it is the rise of headline inflation (that is, all the changes in the values of things).  In order to deal with this rise, actions need to be taken to support or work with the cost-of-living poor so that they can reduce and eventually end poverty linked to rising costs of living.

 

• • Actions or ways of working with the community to reduce and possibly to end poverty linked to the high cost of living

 

There are those who believe that to end poverty linked to high costs of living, earnings and incomes or any benefits received by the poor have to be uprated to the rates of inflation.  However, CENFACS as a charity does not have the means or power to adjust its members’ incomes or earnings or benefits for inflation.  Instead, what CENFACS can do is to work with them in a series of actions or activities so that they can navigate their way out of poverty induced by the cost-of-living crisis.  What are these actions or activities?

 

• • • Actions to be taken with the community

 

It takes a long time for a crisis like the cost-of-living crisis to end.  Normally, this crisis ends when real household disposable incomes are able to match the level of headline inflation in the economy.  Because of that, it is better to have short-, medium- and long-term actions; actions that can stemmed from a strategy to end crisis.

Since it is difficult to know the duration of the cost-of-living crisis, we prefer to have an open strategy or plan which will run for the duration of the crisis.  In this open strategy or plan, we can conduct short-, medium- and long-term actions.

 

a) Short-term or immediate actions when working with the community

 

These are critical actions or activities to be undertaken from now and within six months period to help those who are poor because of high costs of living to make ends meet.  Through these actions, one can hope to undertake the following:

 

• Get informed to avoid goods and services that are excessively high priced on the market

• Search for support and benefits available for distressed households’ accounts and assets

• Create a simple and practical action plan with users to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

 

Since 19 October 2022, we set up a short-term service in the form of 6 months programme to deal with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis with the CENFACS Community.  Since then, the programme has been rolled out for those who need it.

 

b) Medium-term actions

 

This second level of actions is designed to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis to settle in with the time and to become a humanitarian crisis.  Amongst actions to be taken, which will run between 6 and 24 months, include these ones below:

 

• Encourage our community members to develop or learn skills that are adapted with the evolving time and help them navigate out of the cost-of-living crisis

• Develop with them an action plan to come out of the cost-of-living crisis in medium term

• Support them to build energy and food security systems in the medium term and beyond to beat core inflation.

 

On 26 October 2022, we organised a medium-term service or a programme of work between 6 to 24 months to support the members of our community struggling with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.  In theory, this programme is meant to last until the end of October 2024 depending on the duration of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

c) Long-term actions

 

These actions go from 2 to 10 years.  The aim of this third level of actions is to avoid that the cost-of-living crisis leads to intergenerational poverty; that is the transmission of poverty linked to high cost of living to future generations.

At this level, the actions to be undertaken could be those listed below:

 

• Help beneficiaries improve their productivity and capacity to earn or generate income

• Support them to consume green and local so that they are less exposed to the volatility of the international prices of goods and services

• Find ways of scaling down repressive or punitive market dictatorship on them.

 

On 2 November 2022, we put in place a long-term service or a programme between 2 and 10 years to accompany our community members for the duration of the cost-of-living crisis.  The cost-of-living crisis may not last for 10 years.  However, we organised this service because we thought that even if the cost-of-living crisis ends, its effects will be still around for a while.  Depending on service beneficiaries’ experience, some of them may need the service, others may not.  There is at least a provision or service for the community should anyone needs it.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned actions are just a selection amongst the ones we hope to take with the community.  They will be taking them via what we called ‘GARSIA‘ (that is Guidance, Advice, Referrals, Signposting, Information and Advocacy) services.

Because in any campaign, there are phases or steps, these actions will be taken according to the phases of our campaign.

 

 

• • Phases/steps in the Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living

 

Any crisis has some phases or cycle to take or follow.  Because of that, our campaign will follow the cycle of a typical crisis.  We use the adjective typical because we do not exactly how the cost-of-living crisis will evolve.  What we know so far, there has been a crisis (the cost-of-living crisis).  And if we use the generic model of this typical crisis, we can guestimate that there will be de-escalation, stabilisation and resolve phases of the current crisis.

In each phase of our model of crisis curve, there will be actions to be taken.  However, actions from each phase should not be treated separately without considering actions before and after each phase.  This is because there could be communicating vessels between the two phases.

So, the phases or steps of our Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living will be aligned with the above-named phases (i.e., de-escalation, stabilisation and resolve).  At the moment, our Campaign is between the crisis phase and the de-escalation phase.

The above is the summary of our Campaign to End Poverty Induced by High Costs of Living.  To enquire and or support our campaign, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Libya-Morocco Joint Influence Appeal

The Earthquake-stricken Peoples of Morocco and Floods-affected Populations of Libya Need Your Influence

 

The appeal is about asking to those who are in the position of power to put their influence on those who have the keys in the humanitarian operations and life-saving mission so that every victim of these two crises gets help and support they need in the short, medium and long term (including the reconstruction and restoration efforts or phases of these crises).

You can donate your Positive Influence to reduce earthquake-induced poverty in Morocco and poverty caused by floods in Libya.

To donate, please contact influential persons (or those having the keys) to reduce or solve the life-destroying and -threatening effects from the two crises in the two countries.  Please make these influential persons reduce or end these damaging effects on the victims of these crises.

You can as well influence the things or factors that are playing in the exacerbation of these humanitarian crises in order to create lasting favourable conditions for a return to life normality.

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

Thank you in anticipation for your willingness to give your Positive Influence to alleviate the suffering that the Earthquake-stricken Peoples of Morocco and Floods-affected Populations of Libya are facing from the two catastrophes (earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya).

Further information about this appeal is given on the page: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/.

 

Extra Messages

 

• End-of-Month Special Offer with Translation Day on 30/09/2023

• Offre spéciale de fin de mois avec la Journée de traduction le 30/09/2023

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 25/09/2023: Integration between Grey, Green and Blue Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

•  Save Flora, Fauna and Funga. 

 

 

• End-of-Month Special Offer with Translation Day on 30/09/2023

• Offre spéciale de fin de mois avec Journée de traduction le 30/09/2023

 

As part of CENFACS’ Translation Service and the United Nations’ International Translation Day, CENFACS’ in-house bilingual translators will be offering special translation service on 30/09/2023 in French to English and vice versa.

Dans le cadre du Service de traduction du CENFACS et de la Journée Internationale de la Traduction des Nations Unies, les traducteurs (rices) bilingues internes du CENFACS offriront un service de traduction spécial le 30/09/2023 du français vers l’anglais et vice versa.

If you have texts, documents, projects and stories to be translated from English to French and vice versa, please grab the unique opportunity of the end of the month and the beginning of the Autumn season to get your work translated.

Si vous avez des textes, des documents, des projets et des histoires à traduire de l’anglais vers le français et vice versa, saisissez l’occasion unique de la fin du mois et du début de la saison d’automne de faire traduire votre travail.

Translation is free service that we offer to our community.  However, we do not mind a voluntary donation or gift to keep this service running and the machinery of CENFACS.

La traduction est un service gratuit que nous offrons à notre communauté.  Cependant, nous ne sommes pas contre un don volontaire ou un cadeau pour maintenir ce service et l’appareillage du CENFACS. 

Should anyone need translation; they can let us know before the Translation Day so that we could plan ahead.

Si quelqu’un a besoin d’une traduction; ils peuvent nous le faire savoir avant la Journée de la Traduction afin que nous puissions planifier à l’avance. 

Please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS beforehand should you need translation, and we hope you will join us on the Translation Day.

N’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS à l’avance si vous avez besoin d’une traduction, et nous espérons que vous vous joindrez à nous lors de la Journée de la Traduction.

 

 

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 25/09/2023: Integration between Grey, Green and Blue Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction

 

Grey, Green and Blue Spaces can be integrated in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development. This is despite many studies recognise that the development of grey space could result in harmful impact on health and the wellbeing of those living in and around this space.  Before looking at how this integration can help in poverty reduction, let us briefly explain these spaces.

 

• • Understanding Grey, Green and Blue Spaces

 

Our understanding of grey space comes from Oren Yiftachel (6) who argues that

“The concept of ‘gray space’ refers to developments, enclaves, populations and transactions positioned between the ‘lightness’ of legality/approval/safety and the ‘darkness’ of eviction/destruction/death.  Gray spaces are neither integrated nor eliminated, forming pseudo-permanent margins of today’s urban regions, which exist partially outside the gaze of state authorities and city plans” (p. 243)

Our notion of green space is given by what Abigail Isabella McLean (7) argues about it, which is

“Green space refers to the many types of green land, ranging from parks to natural areas.  Hence, the green spaces … will encompass naturally occurring green spaces, such as forests, but also space created within human-made means such as green roofs and tree-lined streets”.

As to blue space, its definition comes from what the ‘environmentagency.blog.go.uk’ (8) states about it, which is

“Blue spaces are outdoor environments – either natural or manmade – that permanently feature water and are accessible to people.  In short – the collective term of rivers, lakes or the sea”.

The above-mentioned definitions can be served as basis for exploring integration between the three spaces in the process of poverty reduction.

 

 

• • Spaces Integration and Poverty Reduction

 

When looking for ways of reducing poverty, it could be useful to work out how each space (grey, green and blue) can be a more or less contributing factor to poverty reduction.  Taking this integrative approach can be worthwhile in judging each of spaces on their own merit.

The merits of green and blue spaces in enhancing health and wellbeing are already known and even undisputable.  Those who are suffering from poor health can use the opportunities of green and blue spaces to improve their health.   As grey space provides the bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment; its merit for poverty reduction can depend on its capacity to help people to move from darkness to lightness.

It would be useful in search for solutions to poverty to consider the three spaces.  For example, Yaella Depietri and Timon McPhearson (9) suggest a hybrid approach which combines both blue, green and grey approaches for reducing hazards in the urban context.  They argue that

“Cities should rely on a mix of grey, green and blue infrastructure solutions, which balance traditional built infrastructures with more nature-based solutions” (p. 106)

However, they warn against turning easily to grey  infrastructures as the default solution.

Writing a note about the above-mentioned integration is not the end of the theme of grey spaces.  The real aim here is how CENFACS can work with the communities in the UK and in Africa to empower these communities to use the merits of each space to escape from poverty.

 

• • Working with Communities to Access the Benefits Provided by Grey, Green and Blue Spaces through Their Integration

 

There are ways of working with communities to make the integration between grey, green and blue spaces work for them.

For example, if green and blue spaces can help reduce loneliness and stress, and loneliness and stress are seen as forms of poverty; then CENFACS can work with those members of its community who feel poor because of loneliness in order to alleviate this type of poverty.

Likewise, if the blue space can assist in reducing inequality, then CENFACS can work with those of its members who suffer from inequality, to tackle the matter via for example access to a river, lake, stream, etc.

Additionally, if grey space can be a principle  on which an agreement can be based or made, we can work with those members of our community who are suffering from the effects of grey space to engage grey space to negotiate while empowering them.

In short, if one of our members needs grey, blue or green prescription, we can work with them on this matter through advice, information, guidance, signposting and social prescribing.

The above is our last note about the theme of grey space which we hope you have enjoyed.  We also expect that through this theme, one will be able tackle grey spaces-induced poverty and -threats to sustainable development. 

Saying that the above is our last note does not mean that we stopped working on grey space or space framework.  We are still working on it even though we will not produce any further note for the rest of the days of September 2023.  We are continuing with the grey, green and blue frameworks to analyse poverty reduction and sustainable development.

For those who would like more information about any of the notes developed throughout this month about grey spaces as well as those who need a grey, blue or green prescription; they are free to contact CENFACS.

For those who would like to support the theme of grey space and our work on poverty reduction using space analysis, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS with their support.

 

 

•  Save Flora, Fauna and Funga 

 

Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects will continue our advocacy work on the protection of plants and animals while we are carrying on to implementing new ways of working with local people and organisations in Africa to help save flora, fauna and fungi.

Since fungi can be recognised as separate kingdom in taxonomy, we have included Funga in our Save Flora and Fauna.  From now on, we will be working on saving animal, plants and fungi.

 

• • What is Save Flora, Fauna and Funga? 

 

Save Flora, Fauna and Funga as an initiative is one of our Starting XI Projects.  Through this Starting XI Project, we are continuing to advocate for the protection of animal, plant and fungi species in Africa and elsewhere in developing world.  Animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some animal species are at the brink of disappearing.  Some plants are also threatened and disappearing.

 

• • Save Fauna

 

We continue to advocate for the protection of animals in Africa and elsewhere in developing world whereby animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some species are at the brink of disappearing.

Our fauna advocacy aims at dealing with ways of tackling the threats to survival in the wild facing by the world’s big cats (such as lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, clouded leopard, etc.), the world’s majestic animals and symbols of power and courage.

Animals such as jaguars, tigers, elephants, snakes, alligators, rhinoceroses, etc. are under threat.  There are several reasons about it which include: hunting, illicit and illegal trade, over-harvesting, habitat loss, climate change, poaching, etc.  Birds like African Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, African Green Broadhill, etc. are endangered species as well.

CENFACS’ Save Animals or Fauna advocacy is to advocate for the re-enhancement of protection of endangered, threatened and vulnerable animal species.

In this process, we are as well interested in efforts made to protect animals from diseases including the coronavirus.  For example, people can still remember how tuberculosis killed elephants in South Africa, a few years ago.

 

• • Save Flora

 

We are as well extending our advocacy to other species in danger like trees, plans and flowers (flora).  It is about advocating to save these species that are threatened with extinction.

For example, the New Phytologist Foundation (10) argues that 35% of the species are threatened with extinction.  They include maize, potato, bean, squash, chilli pepper, vanilla, avocado, husk tomato and cotton crops.

 

• • Save Funga

 

This year, we have added fungi since they comprise a separate kingdom.  Examples of fungi like mushrooms, moulds, mildews, and yeasts are also threatened.

If this threat is true and continues, then one needs to protect and build forward better these threatened species.

In the light of the above, what would be the contents of our Save Flora, Fauna and Funga for this Autumn.   

 

• • This Autumn Advocacy about ‘Save Flora, Fauna and Funga’

 

This year’s advocacy for flora, fauna and funga will include two actions as follows.

 

1) Life-saving action against new forms of exploitation and trafficking of animal and plant species

 

This is an action to protect animal species in Africa from new forms of wildlife exploitation and trafficking, including kidnapping of animals from their natural sanctuary.  Those who exploit and traffic animal and plant species try to change their strategies and tactics.  It makes sense to adjust our actions to deal with their new exploitative strategies and trafficking tactics.

 

2) Life-saving action against the cost-of-living crisis on flora, fauna and funga

 

The enduring cost-of-living crisis has put enormous pressure on humans, particularly the poorest ones.  One could be afraid that fauna, flora and funga could be neglected or simply forgotten or abandoned since mankind cannot cope with their own pressure of facing soaring costs of living.

This action is about making sure that, plant, animal and fungi species regain, restore, rebuild and thrive their lives while humans are trying to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.  In other words, the action is about to ensure that the cost-of-living crisis does not lead to flora , fauna and funga crises since we depend on them in order to come out of the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • Save Fauna, Flora and Funga to “A la une” Campaign

 

Save Fauna, Flora and Funga is only an iceberg of the wide campaign for the protection of nature run by CENFACS.  CENFACS’ Save Fauna, Flora and Funga is run this week and will be soon after followed or taken over by our Autumn environmental umbrella campaign, “A la une” (Autumn Leaves of Action to the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) project.

“A la une” will take Save Fauna, Flora and Funga advocacy to the other level of environmental communications and awareness raising.  It will focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates.  We shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’, as we said at the beginning of this September.

‘Niamankεkε’ (that, Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment).  It is an advocacy for the world’s smallest creatures.  Niamankεkε is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered insects and invertebrates in Africa.  Insects like Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, etc. are endangered species.  The ‘Niamankεkε’ project will help to advocate for a safe life for these insects and invertebrates.

The above is our highlights for Save Flora, Fauna and Funga.  To advocate and raise your voice to save endangered plant, animal and fungi species, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• À paraître cet automne 2023: Le 81e numéro du bulletin FACS qui sera intitulé Inclusion financière pour les nécessiteux/ses

Le 81e numéro de FACS fera le point sur la plupart des sujets abordés lors de notre dernier Festival de pensées et d’actions, axé sur l’inclusion financière pour améliorer la qualité de vie des pauvres. Le numéro 81 de FACS ira plus loin dans l’exploration des moyens de travailler avec les communautés ici au Royaume-Uni et en Afrique pour améliorer leur inclusion financière.

Le numéro 81 de FACS abordera l’accès et l’inclusion financiers du point de vue de l’utilisateur ou usager, à partir de la suppression des contraintes du côté de la demande pour les exclus financiers. De ce point de vue, la demande de particuliers non bancarisés pourrait être créée pour réaliser l’accès financier et l’inclusion.  Le numéro 81 de FACS sera également une approche expérimentale de la pauvreté financière qui s’inspirera des exclus financiers et des personnes dans le besoin, et qui utilisera une pratique ou une méthodologie délibérative.

Le numéro 81 de FACS reconnaîtra les progrès réalisés pour inclure financièrement de nombreuses personnes pauvres qui travaillent avec nos organisations soeurs basées en Afrique, des transactions exclusivement en espèces aux services financiers formels en utilisant un téléphone mobile ou d’autres technologies numériques pour accéder à ces services.  Cependant, il reconnaîtra également qu’il y a encore des gens qui éprouvent des difficultés à faire partie de ce monde financier. Ces pauvres financièrement exclus ou mal desservis, dont certains font partie de notre communauté, pourraient avoir du mal à améliorer leur qualité de vie.

Parmi ces personnes lutteuses, il y a des exemples de femmes pauvres dans les zones rurales d’Afrique qui n’ont pas d’accès aux services financiers. Il y a aussi ceux qui sont très endettés (en raison de la crise persistante du coût de la vie ou des effets pervers d’autres crises comme les effets persistants du coronavirus) qui ont été exclus du monde financier et qui s’inquiétent de la façon dont ils pourraient revenir dans ce monde.

Toutes ces personnes pourraient avoir des difficultés parce que l’inclusion financière ne se limite pas à amener les gens, en particulier les pauvres, à accéder aux produits et services numériques financiers offerts sur le marché. Mais qu’est-ce que l’inclusion financière?

Il existe de nombreuses définitions de l’inclusion financière.  Le numéro 81 de FACS portera sur les définitions liées aux personnes vivant dans la pauvreté ou éprouvant des difficultés financières. L’une de ces définitions vient de Peterson K. Ozili (11) qui explique que

« L’inclusion financière est la fourniture de services financiers et l’accès à ces services à tous les membres de la population, en particulier aux pauvres et aux autres membres exclus de la population » (p. 3).

Une autre définition dans la littérature sur l’inclusion financière provient de la Banque Mondiale (12) qui dit que

« L’inclusion financière signifie que les particuliers et les entreprises ont accès à des produits et services financiers utiles et abordables qui répondent à leurs besoins – transactions, paiements, épargne, crédit et assurance – fournis de manière responsable et durable ».

La même Banque Mondiale explique que

« L’inclusion financière numérique implique le déploiement de moyens numériques permettant de réduire les coûts pour atteindre les populations actuellement exclues financièrement et mal desservies avec une gamme de services financiers formels adaptés à leurs besoins, fournis de manière responsable à un coût abordable pour les clients et durable pour les fournisseurs ».

Les définitions de l’inclusion financière sont accompagnées de théories à l’appui. Le numéro 81 de FACS utilisera la théorie de l’inclusion financière des groupes vulnérables.  De quoi parle cette théorie.  Selon Peterson K. Ozili (op. cit.),

« La théorie de l’inclusion financière des groupes vulnérables soutient que le programme d’inclusion financière dans un pays devrait cibler les membres vulnérables de la société qui souffrent le plus des difficultés économiques et de la crise, tels que les pauvres, les jeunes, les femmes et les personnes âgées.  La théorie soutient que les personnes vulnérables sont souvent les plus touchées par les crises financières et la récession économique, il est donc logique d’amener ces personnes vulnérables dans le secteur financier formel.  Une façon d’y parvenir est de transférer des fonds sociaux de gouvernement à personne sur le compte officiel des personnes vulnérables » (p. 7).

À cet égard, le 81e numéro de FACS sera une histoire captivante d’organisations sœurs basées en Afrique qui travaillent avec leurs sections locales dans leur parcours vers l’inclusion financière, pour trouver des opportunités de réduire la pauvreté financière.  Elles mènent également des projets pour aider les personnes touchées par les polycrises à être financièrement réincluses dans le programme d’inclusion financière pour tous.  Elles entreprennent en outre des initiatives visant à combler les écarts entre les sexes en matière d’inclusion financière et de fracture numérique entre les sexes. Elles s’associent enfin à leurs utilisateurs pour que ces derniers puissent accéder aux programmes d’inclusion financière proposés là où ils vivent.

Le numéro 81 de FACS ne traitera pas seulement d’une génération d’exclus financiers. Au lieu de cela, il s’adressera à toutes les générations. Parmi ces générations, il y a la plus âgée.  Le numéro 81 de FACS abordera les lacunes et les défis qui empêchent la génération plus âgée d’Afrique d’accéder à des moyens de réduction des coûts liés aux services et produits financiers.

Loin d’être une histoire théorique ou un récit des personnes exclues financières, le 81e numéro de FACS leur fournira quelques pistes de recherche pour sortir de l’exclusion financière. Plein d’idées nouvelles sur la façon dont les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique travaillent avec les sections locales financièrement exclues, le numéro 81 de FACS montrera que l’inclusion financière peut changer la vie des personnes dans le besoin.

Le numéro 81 de FACS expliquera non seulement les problèmes d’inclusion financière auxquels font face ces personnes et les membres de notre communauté, mais il fera des recommandations d’action.  À cet égard, il permettra aux lecteurs et à nos publics de bien comprendre les défis d’inclusion financière vécus par ces personnes et nos membres, ainsi que les efforts déployés pour atténuer ces défis.  Ce faisant, il dissipera le mythe du désespoir pour les exclus financiers, tout en leur offrant des options et des opportunités.

Pour obtenir un scoop sur le numéro 81 ou pour en réserver un exemplaire avant sa publication, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources, In Focus for 2023 Edition: Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The following two items cover the presentation of Autumn ‘Fresh Start’ Help and Resources: 

 

∝ Making Autumn Start and Season Easier 

∝ Key Summaries of FAS 2023 Edition.

 

Let us look at these items.

 

• • Making Autumn Start and Season Easier 

           

In order to make Autumn Start and Season Easier it is better to understand Fresh Autumn Start and its context.

 

• • • What is Fresh Autumn Start (FAS)

 

FAS is a continuation of our Summer Support projects into the Autumn season.  It is a building block or additional handy back up of useful survival tips and hints to embrace Autumn as smoothly and trouble-freely as possible.

It includes real life situations that users may face when and as they return from their Summer break or season on one hand, and possible leads to proffer solutions to their arising Autumn needs on the other hand.

This FAS resource is not exhaustive or an end itself.  It needs other resources as complement.  It is a good basic insight into a Fresh Start as it provides helpful advisory tools for a Fresh Start and confidence building from the beginning to the end of Autumn season.  It could also be used as a reference for users to engineer their own idea of Fresh Start and the sustained management of autumn needs.

At the end of this resource, there are some websites addresses/directories for help and support.  In this post, we have not included these websites addresses/directories.  Those who would be interested in them, they need to request them from CENFACS.  These sources of help and support are not exhaustive.  We have mainly considered third sector organisations and service providers as well as social enterprises.

For further or extended list of service providers for Autumn needs, people can contact their local authorities and service directories (both online and in print).

 

• • • Fresh Autumn Start in the Context of Slow Rising Costs of Living

 

This Autumn, we are approaching Fresh Start Help from the perspective and context of Rising Prices at a slower pace.  It is the context in which prices of goods and services are slowly rising and sometimes going up and down in a sinusoidal way.  Yet, incomes are not still in position to catch up with slow rising costs or prices.

It is still the context of cost-of-living crisis since real household disposable incomes have not really increased while CPIH rose by 0.4% in August 2023 compared with a rise of 0.5% in August 2022 on a monthly basis, according to the Office for National Statistics (op. cit.) .  In this typical context, the most sufferers are those living in poverty as they cannot afford any rising prices and bills whether they are  small or slow.

A context like the one we have depicted needs a response so that our users and members can meet their needs and navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.  Our users and members need help and support to improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  We can work with them so as they can get the needy help in order to meet basic life-sustaining needs and requests.

Briefly speaking, Fresh Start Help is the first line of support in the process of improving the ways of tackling and coming out of the cost-of-living crisis.  The second line of support is Fresh Start Resources.

 

• • Key Summaries of FAS 2023 Edition

 

The key summaries of FAS 2023 Edition can be found under the contents below.

 

• • • Contents for FAS 2023 Edition

 

The contents for 2023 Edition of FAS include:

 

∝ Autumn scenarios and actions to take

∝ Examples of Summer break expenses track record and Autumn budget

∝ People needs and Autumn leads

∝ Integration of threats and risks

∝ Improving ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis

∝ What you can get from CENFACS

∝ Autumn online and digital resources.

 

Let us briefly explain each of these contents.

 

• • • Possible Autumn Scenarios and Possible Actions

 

When returning from Summer break and/or season, people can find themselves in a variety of situations depending on their own individual circumstances and life experiences.  This variety of situations may require or be expected to be matched with a diversity of responses in order to meet people’s Autumn needs.

These variable circumstances and diverse responses or a course of actions can take the different shapes as well as can be framed in order to take into account the continuing adverse impacts of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  One of these shapes could be to contextualise and customise back-to-relief, fresh start and build-forward-better support.  This is what CENFACS tries to do via the advice service.

 

 

• • • Examples of Summer Break Expenses Track Record and Autumn Budget

 

Tracking down and reassessing summer break/season expenses are a positive step to put one through an optimistic start of the Autumn season.  As part of this positive step, FAS is packed with an example of Summer Break Expenses Track Record.

Budgeting Autumn items and needs is also good for a Fresh Start and for overall control over the start and rest of autumn season expenses.  Since our focus is on improving ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis, one can write a budget that deals with the shape and direction of the rise of the costs of living.

To write a comprehensive budget, one needs to include in their budget possible projections or forecasting or even scenarios regarding key indicators or adjustment factors like interest rate, inflation, indexes of goods and services, etc.  Such a budget will help in costing the activities planned in the process of improving ways and coming out of the cost-of-living crisis.

One of the precautions to take in your Autumn budget is to check affordability of your budget.  In other words, you need to make sure that any budgeted outgoings match budgeted income, any actual outgoings balance with actual income.  A positive difference means your budget is affordable, while a negative one signifies it is unaffordable.

To support this financial control, FAS contains two examples of budgets: Autumn budget adjusted for the cost-of-living index and fresh start budget.   

 

• • • People’s Needs and Autumn Leads 

 

Variable circumstances can obviously result in multiple needs.  One of these circumstances is the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  To meet those needs, we may have to gather resources, tools and institutions to guide us.  The 2023 Edition of FAS provides a table that gives an idea of the likely leads to satisfy people’s needs or just to guide them.

 

• • • Integrating Threats and Risks from the Adverse Impacts of Various Factors into FAS

 

The FAS 2023 edition integrates the damaging impacts of economic factors or variables such as interest rate change, inflation, the cost-of-living index, policy changes, geo-economic tensions, etc.

It also considers the probable evolution of these factors or variables in the medium term.  Likewise, the probable adverse impacts of climate change are nevertheless taking into account and unavoidable.

This integration is at the levels of possible Autumn scenarios, Autumn budget and arising needs.  It is the integration of both life-sustaining needs and other factors (like economic, social, climate, geo-economic, etc).

 

• • • Improving Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

It is about making better the means or manner of dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.  To make it better, it could imply proceeding with the following initiatives:

 

σ conducting a brand refresh used or taking a process of adjusting the brand in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis

(if you are one of our members, your brand will be the make you are using to tackle the cost-of-living crisis)

σ getting updates with the latest information, data and knowledge about this crisis

(for example, knowing the current index of the cost of living can help in improving one’s way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty)

σ fixing projects, activities and programme areas which are not working or where there are bugs

(for instance, users can review their Autumn budget 2023 and decide whether or not to keep any of the non essential expenses)

σ reviewing some of the fundamentals

(e.g., reassessing factors such as Ukraine-Russia conflict, market power of companies, wage growth, productivity growth, the evolution of inflation and interest rates, etc. can help)

σ refreshing values from an improved perspective

(e.g., if your accounting value is any expense has to comply to the spending limit you set up, you can re-evaluate this limit/value) 

σ taking refresher training to close the gaps in knowledge in the way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis

(any crisis comes along with it with new jargon and tools to deal with it. If there is a need to learn these jargon and tools, then a refresher training can be required)

σ  ameliorating your leadership abilities in whatever you do as the cost-of-living crisis endures

(any crisis can change the way one leads their life or household as well as it can provide the opportunity to improve one’s leadership skills) 

σ  enhancing the culture of your household or community

(to better deal with the cost-of-living crisis and poverty, it may require some improvements or adjustments in one’s household culture or simply way of doing things)

etc.

 

All the above means will help in improving ways of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.

 

• • • What You Can Get from CENFACS in Autumn under Autumn Help to Improve Your Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The set of helps provided in the FAS 2023 is part of CENFACS’ UK arm of services and additional services we set up to overcome the negative side effects of crises and risks (like the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis, etc.).  In this respect, FAS 2023 include ‘Fresh Start‘ activities or services that can be aligned with the typical phases of crisis after the crisis phase.  These typical phases include de-escalation, stabilisation, post-crisis and resolve phases.  What are these activities?

There are three activities we would like to mention, which are:

 

a) activities to turn endings to new beginnings

a) activities to manage new beginnings

b) activities to manage plans for the future.

 

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Turn Endings to New Beginnings

 

These are the activities to return to where people were before the cost-of-living crisis with changes rather than against them, this Autumn.  People can now move on with change and transition.  They include:

 

√ tasks to manage transition (from Summer to Autumn, from when the cost-of-living crisis started to where it is now)

√ tasks relating to wellbeing economy, inclusiveness and safety to manage the process of improving ways of tackling and coming out the cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Manage New Beginnings

 

The activities relating to the management of new beginnings will help to work with the community to achieve the following:

 

√ set up new goals with them

√ identify new opportunities and threats at the current time of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.

 

We shall work with them through advice, tips and hints in order for them to manage the new beginnings.

 

• • • • Fresh Start Activities as Those to Manage Plans for the Future

 

Fresh Start activities could be those of managing the future as well.  By using  futuring and visioning methods and techniques, it is possible to develop scenarios, horizon scanning and trend monitoring/analysis to help them not only improve and navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis; but to minimise the likely harmful impacts of future risks and crises as well.

Besides the above-mentioned provision, FAS 2023 further takes into account specific needs of people that may require specialist organisations and or institutions to deal with them.  In which case CENFACS can signpost or refer the applicants to those third parties.

 

• • • Autumn Online and Digital Resources

 

As explained earlier, FAS 2023 Edition contains a list of organisations and services that can help users in different areas covering basic needs.  Most the provided resources, which are from the charity and voluntary sector, are online and digital.  The list gives their contact details including the kinds of support or service they provide.

We hope that the basic tips and hints making the contents of FAS 2023 Edition will help you in some aspects of your Autumn needs, and you will find the relief you are looking for.

We would like to take this opportunity of the beginning of the new season to wish you a Happy and Healthy Autumn, as well as good luck in your efforts to Improve and Navigate Your Way Out of the Cost-of-living Crisis!

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk (accessed in September 2022)

(2) https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/explainers/will-inflation-in-the-uk-keep-rising (accessed in September 2023)

(3) https://www.rateinflation.com/inflation-rate/uk-inflation-rate (accessed in September 2022)

(4) https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/2023.inflationandpriceindices (accessed in September 2023)

(5) https://ben.org.uk/how-we-help/for-me/articles/reduce-your-living-costs/ (accessed in October 2022)

(6)  Yiftachel, O. (2009), Critical Theory and ‘gray space’ Mobilisation of the Colonized at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248930381_critical_theory_and_’gray_space’_Mobilisation_of_thecolonized (accessed in September 2023)

(7) McLean A. I., at https://peopleknowhow.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/what-are-the-benefits-of-green-and-blue-space.pdf (accessed in September 2022)

(8) https://environmentagency.blog.go.uk/2021/08/04/blue-space-the-final-frontier/ (accessed in September 2022)

(9) Depietri, Y. & McPhearson, T.,  (2017), Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas, Theory and Practice of Urban Sustainability Transitions, N. Kabisch et al. (eds.), DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56091-5_6

(10) https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.10225 (accessed September 2022)

(11) Ozili, P. K., (2020), Theories of Financial Inclusion at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338852717_Theories_of_Financial_Inclusion (accessed in September 2023)

(12) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion/overview (accessed in September 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!

20 September 2023

 

Post No. 318

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Autumn of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises 

• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 18/09/2023: Reduction of Grey Spaces-induced Poverty and -Threats to Sustainable Development 

 

… And much more!

 

Key Messages

 

• Autumn of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises 

 

• • What is Autumn about for CENFACS and Its Community?

 

It is about Freshness.  Autumn is the time of natural recycling process of plants and trees.  Leaves change colour and fall.  Without reinventing the wheels, we can say that Autumn of Freshness at CENFACS is the season after the long sunny weather and break of Summer; season during which our body and mind naturally recycle and engage in renewed energy, strength and thoughts.

Autumn of Freshness is the season of

∝ making fresh start after returning back from Summer to resume our life routine, work, education and voluntary work, particularly poverty relief one

∝ restarting after having some life and/or work experience (e.g., voluntary work or experience over the Summer, project visits, holiday trips, tourism, travel/expeditions of all kinds, etc.)

∝ beginning to apply or introduce and share those new experiences, ideas and discoveries we had during the Summer break or holiday

∝ novelty, creativity and innovation to try to resolve the old, new, challenging and emerging issues of poverty and hardships.

Will this Autumn be same as the previous ones?

 

• • Autumn of Freshness 2023

 

This Autumn 2023, we are going to refresh the methods, approaches, theories and tools we have been using to tackle crises, particularly the cost-of-living crisis.  Why do we need to refresh our ways of tackling crises or to be more specific the cost-of-living crisis?

Many economic analysts and expert bodies (like the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Resolution Foundation, chief economists at World Economic Forum, etc.) think that the cost-of-living crisis will last until the end of 2024, when household real disposable incomes will increase and inflation drop back.  Some even predict that it will carry on up to 2027/2028.  Until then, inflation and interest rate pressures will unfortunately remain.

If this is the case or scenario, one may need to refresh their autumnal way in which they are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.  Let alone the economic theory they are using.  Refreshing is needed within CENFACS, between CENFACS and its community for the following reasons:

 

σ to conduct a brand refresh used or take a process of adjusting the brand in the fight against the cost-of-living crisis

σ to update with the latest information and knowledge about this crisis

σ to fix projects, activities and programme areas which are not working or where there are bugs

σ to review some of the fundamentals

σ to refresh values from an improved perspective

σ to take refresher training to close the gaps in knowledge in the way of tackling the cost-of-living crisis

etc.

 

All these reasons will help improve the way we are fighting the cost-of-living crisis.  They will assist in dealing with the enduring cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis and any lingering effects of the coronavirus.

So, the key words and phrases for our sharing and engaging contents over this Autumn are Refreshing or Reviving Ways of Tackling Crises; words and phrases which will underpin all our work over this period.

 

• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

 

Autumn of Freshness is about working together with our users, members and stakeholders through a helpful bundle of Fresh Start projects blended together to give a contemporary and targeted relief, thanks to a good knowledge of users’ and members’ needs and expectations.

These projects will help implement new and improved ways of working with local people to meet changing needs mainly led by the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring cost-of-living crisis in the Year of Influence; a year of influencing skills and social influence on those in the position of power to  change things to meet poor people’s needs in a new era and landscape of poverty reduction and development policies.  These projects make up our Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme.

 

• • What is Included in the Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme?

 

The Autumn 2023 Fresh Start Programme is made of

 

(a) Skills, tips, hints, tweaks and hacks to refresh ways of tackling crises

(b) Transformative experiences

(c) The Season’s appeal to stand up again against poverty and hardships

(d) A Slice and feast of Africa’s history

(e) A Campaign to end the stubborn cost-of-living crisis

(f) A Spatial analysis of poverty via blue, green and grey spaces

(g) Blue and green realignments of initiatives to the principles of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets

(h) Thoughts and inspirations to finish the unfinished work of building forward from previous crises (like the coronavirus).

 

All this is flavoured with hopes, dreams and reasons to believe in the future; a poverty-free, sustainable, net zero and crisis-free world.

So, the line-up for CENFACS’ Starting XI Projects and Campaign to end the lingering effects of the coronavirus and cope with the enduring cost-of-living crisis for this Autumn is as follows:

 

(1) Women, Children and Self-efficacity Skills to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises – NEW

(2) Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household – UPGRADED

(3) Pension Project of Old Age Poverty Reduction – NEW

(4) Making Memorable Difference through Cottage Industries in Africa

(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga – UPGRADED

(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact

(7) “A la Une” (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) with a Focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates

(8) Advice for Africa-based Sister Organisations and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa – IMPROVED

(9) Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis

(10) Campaign to End the Enduring Cost-of-living Poverty

(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals.

 

For more on these projects, please read below under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 18/09/2023: Reduction of Grey Spaces-induced Poverty and -Threats to Sustainable Development 

 

This week, we are continuing with the grey framework to analyse poverty reduction and sustainable development.  In particular, we are going to deal with ways of reducing spatial causes of poverty as well as track grey space in terms of hazards it may present to health and other indicators of sustainable development.  To proceed, let us look at the relationship between urban morphology and spatialisation of poverty, then grey space and sustainability.

 

• • Relationship between Urban Morphology and Spatialization of Poverty

 

This relationship is about the link between spatial segregation and poverty in terms of the distribution of poverty.  There has been a number of research works on the matter.  One of the works comes from Vaziri et al. (1) in their analysis of poverty as a function of space.  Vaziri et al. argue that

“Like many socioeconomic problems, poverty is a function of space, and spatial analysis can be key to deeper understanding and implementation of effectual intervention policies.  In the era of advancement of geospatial techniques, many of our socio-economic problems can be explained through spatial analysis, mapping and visualization”.

Another study is from Charles Booth (2) with his Descriptive Maps of London Poverty.  He uses space syntax theory and techniques of line segment maps.  He applies space syntax methodology by analysing street-level data at a spatial scale.  He speaks about the formation areas and the creation of poverty areas as a spatial process, a poverty line dividing the poor from the prosperous.  In his spatial analysis of poverty, he provides the example of East-End of London as an area of persistent poverty.

Analysing poverty from the point of view of grey space or spatial structure is one thing.  The other thing is reducing this type of poverty.  From the perspective of doing something against poverty, we are interested in exploring ways of reducing or ending this type of poverty.  To that effect, we will be running a focus group for those who may be interested in and who have points to make on the way of engaging with space to deal with poverty induced by or linked to grey space, they can let us know.

 

• • Grey Space and Sustainability

 

Grey space can help to measure and track the spatio-temporal dynamics of progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (3).  There are many examples that allow to illustrate this tracking.  Amongst these examples are grey infrastructure and urban intensification.

Regarding grey infrastructure, Ivan Bruce (4) explains that

“Grey infrastructure is impermeable materials that have contributed to the increased frequency of flooding and raised the temperature of urban spaces”.

If one wants to undertake action on climate, then they may need to carefully think the way they approach grey infrastructure.

Concerning urban intensification, John D. Potter et al. (5) argue that

“Grey space – the urban landscape – largely presents hazards to health… Urban intensification has resulted in reduced exposure to green and blue space and associated health-enhancing factors… Grey space, largely made up of impermeable and hard surface such as concrete and tarmac has further isolated us from the natural environment including soil”.

Additionally, Paul O’ Connor et al. (6), who frame skateboarding in both the material and symbolic space of greyness contend that

“Skateboarding reveals a lot about how pollution functions with and through leisure in the Anthropocene… Grey spaces help us address the ambiguities and contradictions of leisure in the Anthropocene”.

From the above-mentioned arguments on urban intensification, efforts can be made to reduce the hazards from grey space to health and to make skateboarding or any other leisure activity net zero.

 

 

• • What Can CENFACS Do about Helping the Community to Navigate out of Poverty and Lack of Sustainability Linked to Grey Space?

 

The purpose of these notes about grey space is not to develop theories or make statements.  The real aim is to work with the members of our community so that they can find answers to the problems they are facing.  One of these problems is grey space-induced poverty.  And we can work with them to deal with this issue by taking a sustainable development path.

For example, if the expansion of grey space is prohibiting them to benefit from green and blue spaces, we can advise or guide them to access green and blue spaces.  Where grey space is a hazard to their health, we can as well work together so that they can find the support they need.  Where skateboarding activity is polluting their close environment, we can also work together to find solutions to the problem.

There could be limitations in what we could offer and what they can do since we are talking about poor people or grey poor.  However, by working together with them, we can achieve more outcomes together than not working together.

The above is our third note for the Grey Space.  To add your input and or enquire about this third note, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Two Days to Go!

• Starting or Renewing your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work this Autumn 2023

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Foresight, Preparedness and Warnings about Natural Events in Africa

 

 

• Summer 2023 Humanitarian Appeal Projects: Only Two Days to Go!

 

There are only two days to go before our Summer Humanitarian and Fundraising Campaign ends.

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.

 

The above five projects require donation or funding or influence.

Please remember, the fundraising and influencing campaign for them 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 or influence as the needs are pressing and urgent NOW.

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

Thank you for your generosity.

 

 

• Starting or Renewing your Involvement with CENFACS’ Work this Autumn 2023

 

The beginning of every season is an opportunity either to continue to do the things we always do as they work or to think of taking on new initiatives in the new season or to do both.  Likewise, in time of enduring cost-of-living crisis there are not only worries and stresses; there are as well opportunities and possibilities to do things differently.  One can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis to review or change things.  One way of doing is to start or continue to look forward.  There are many ways in which one can look forward this Autumn.

For example, one can use the opportunity of the enduring cost-of-living crisis and rethink on the types of organisations and projects they support.  One may find appropriate to start or increase or even reduce their support to a particular development cause.  One could also think of getting involved in CENFACS’ work or renewing their commitment to it if they have ever got involved in it before.  The decision is theirs.

We have spelled out below various ways in which one can enhance CENFACS’ noble cause and make a useful impact on poverty reduction with us.

 

 

• • Getting the Most of Your Involvement with CENFACS into Poverty Reduction Work from Autumn 2023 and Beyond

 

• • • Where to start: Sign up!

√ Register with us and or update us with your contact details

√ Respond to our communications and communicate with us when occasion arises

• • • Stay in touch with our…

√ Newsletter and other paper and free-paper communication materials

√ Regular updated and upgraded resources and supporting information

• • • Involve us in raising awareness of the poverty relief issue

√ Advertise with us for helpful good and deserving causes

√ Pass our relief messages on to interested third parties  

• • • Share your transformative experience

√ Tell us what you think and or your development story

√ Help us improve with your voices, comments, reports and feedbacks

• • • Boost your support

√ Support us according to your means and limits as every support counts

√ Add value to your support, if you can, by improving your support to us to support you and or others 

• • • Get noticed to go further with your involvement

√ Register and keep up to date with information about your event, project, activity and so on

√ Join up our network of poverty relief and development work

• • • Stay ahead of the game with us

√ Communicate with us before hands and when the needs arise

√ Often read our news alerts, tweets and switch to our new developments  

• • • Deliver on your promises 

√ If you promise to do something for or with CENFACS and others, please do it

√ If you can’t do it, please let us know.  Don’t just stay silent!

• • • Make our communications with you to be a two-way process and multi-channel approach

√ Talk to CENFACS and CENFACS will talk to you as well and vice versa

√ Help us improve the flow of information on poverty relief and development using a variety of channels and platforms 

• • • Be contactable and present via

√ E-mail, (tele or mobile) phones, physical address and social media platforms

√ Word-of-mouth recommendations, outreach and other means of contact (like video calls)

• • • Get the word out on your communication channels

√ Spread words about CENFACS’ work on your social media links

√ Promote CENFACS’ work in what and where you think we can fit in

• • • Keep your involvement with CENFACS digitally and on papers

√ Up-to-date information on to your mobile by our free text alerts and messages

√ Check CENFACS’ website and make enquiries online 24 hours 7 days a week

• • • Act upon information received from us

√ Don’t just read or hear them and do nothing about them.  Please react and be vocal!

√ If they are irrelevant to you, please pass them onto an interested and committed party

• • • Build and protect standards of trust in CENFACS

√ Correct inaccuracies and misinformation, stop the spread of false information about CENFACS and its community/network

√ Tackle with us disinformation and distrust about our poverty reduction work and initiatives

• • • Continue the legacy of CENFACS’ work

√ It is now 21 years and two months that CENFACS has been working on poverty relief and sustainable development since it was registered in 2002.  You can continue this legacy with us.

√ You can be the face of CENFACS to those who are looking for a lifeline of support from us.

 

The above ways of getting involved in CENFACS’ work may not be exhaustive.  Should you have any other way, please let us know.

To get involved with CENFACS into poverty reduction work, just let us know.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Foresight, Preparedness and Warnings about Natural Events in Africa

 

In the light of the current natural and disaster events in Morocco (stricken by an earthquake) and Libya (hit by flooding and two catastrophic dam collapses), CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the way to foresee, better prepare and execute warning signals against such events in Africa in order to reduce and/or nullify the deadly impacts they may cause.

The e-discussion is not only about foresight and preparation to mitigate these events.  Our e-discussion is also about how to make those who are responsible for applying warning signals and alerts to act on time or before it is too late to avoid mass scale damages and tragedies from these natural disasters.

Our e-discussion is part of CENFACS project planning and development linked to short-term environmental strikes and disasters linked to climate change cycles.

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 and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

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

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

• Reportage de l’été 2023 dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et graphiques d’information

Les deux semaines dernières, nous avons commencé à déverrouiller ou à décompresser nos données de vacances d’été et à nous préparer à raconter nos histoires de vacances d’été. Cette semaine, nous allons plus loin dans la mise en pratique de nos données déverrouillées ou décompressées à l’appui d’expériences ou d’histoires estivales.

• • Le reportage sur les expériences de l’été 2023 comme une opportunité supplémentaire

À partir de la semaine dernière et jusqu’à ce jeudi 21 septembre 2023, nous demandons simplement à ceux ou celles qui le peuvent de partager avec nous et d’autres leurs expériences estivales; expériences sur ce qu’ils/elles ont fait pendant les vacances d’été et pensent que c’est utile pour le partage.

L’activité de Rapport sur les expériences d’été 2023 est une autre occasion de rendre compte, de partager, d’apprendre et de se développer pour ceux ou celles qui ne nous ont pas encore informés des résultats des projets; projets en attente de rapports, expériences personnelles à partager, leçons à tirer et tendances de développement à repérer.

• • Partager des expériences de développement, des histoires, des contes et des rapports sur l’été 2023

Comme nous approchons la fin de l’été 2023, nous aimerions nos bénéficiaires. membres ainsi que ceux ou celles qui sympathisent avec la cause du CENFACS partagent avec nous et d’autres leurs expériences, histoires et rapports sur les initiatives mentionnées ci-dessous.

a) Projets Courir, Jouer et Voter (Initiatives à triple valeur 2023)

Vous pouvez commenter les réalisations ou les résultats d’action de vos projets Courir, Jouer et Voter.

b) Histoires de bénévolat et de création

Vous pouvez également partager vos histoires de bénévolat avec nous et d’autres si vous avez fait du bénévolat pendant les vacances d’été.

c) Programmes d’été: projets de bonheur, de santé et d’attractivité

Vous préférerez peut-être rendre compte de votre utilisation des projets de bonheur et de santé et de votre réponse à nos projets d’appel de secours humanitaire.

d) Activités tendances d’août 2023

Vous pouvez également rendre compte de votre expérience de suivi de la direction de la réduction de la pauvreté par le biais des services écosystémiques marins et côtiers.

e) Influencer les activités/tâches de l’année

Comme nous sommes dans l’année d’influence du CENFACS, nous serions plus qu’heureux d’entendre des histoires édifiantes liées à la dédicace de cette année.

f) Journal du bonheur et de la santé

Vous pouvez partager le contenu de votre journal du bonheur et de la santé relatif à l’été 2023 heureux, sain et confiant; ainsi que d’aider à construire une meilleure expérience de vacances d’été.

g) Autres expériences et reportages d’histoires mémorables

Vous pouvez commenter toute expérience émouvante ou histoire transformatrice que vous avez vécue au cours de l’été 2023.

Vous pouvez signaler votre expérience par courriel, par téléphone et par l’entremise des réseaux de médias sociaux ou des canaux de communication (p. ex., Twitter).

Merci de nous soutenir avec votre expérience, votre histoire et votre rapport de l’été 2023 dans vos propres mots, chiffres, voix et graphiques d’information.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Starting XI Campaign in 2023: Autumn Programme with Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

 

The following two items provides the main idea of our Starting XI Campaign in 2023:

 

∝ What is Starting XI Campaign?

∝ Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

 

Before highlighting the projects making the Starting XI Campaign in 2023, let us explain this campaign.

 

• • What is Starting XI Campaign?

 

It is an organised series of actions and operations designed to help achieve the goal of poverty reduction during the autumnal season.  Normally, there are eleven projects that make this campaign and help work with the communities here in the UK and Africa to freshly start Autumn.  These projects are our Fresh Start ones which will help beneficiaries to cope with the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring current cost-of-living crisis.  What are these projects?

 

• • Starting XI Projects to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises

 

The XI projects we are talking about will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign.  This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.

 

11 PROJECTS TO REFRESH WAYS OF TACKLING CRISES: 11 WAYS OF HELPING TO REDUCE AND END POVERTY THIS AUTUMN 2023

 

Please find below key highlights of projects making CENFACS’ Autumn 2023 of Refreshing Ways of Tackling Crises, including the month each of these projects is supposed to start.

 

• • • Key Highlights of Starting XI Projects 

 

September 2023

 

(5) Save Flora, Fauna and Funga projects (including the Big Beasts sub-advocacy) will continue our advocacy work on the protection of plants and animals while we are carrying on to implementing new ways of working with local people and organisations in Africa to help save flora and fauna. 

Since fungi have been recognised as separate kingdom in taxonomy, we have included Funga in our Save Flora and Fauna.  From now on, we will be working on saving animal, plants and fungi.  (Advocacy)

(6) Leaves-based Advice with Impact is a step forward within the framework of the advice service we provide to the community.  The leaves element within our local advice package, which marked CENFACS’ 2021 Year of Leaves, will continue to feature the advisory process of helping the community to reduce poverty.  We have included impact as advice will be given with an impact strategy to maximise outcomes for the beneficiaries.   (Advice)

(7) A la Une (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature in Existence) will include our sub-advocacy work on nature, which is Sustainable Trajectories for the Nature.  This year, A la Une project will focus on Critically Endangered Insects and Invertebrates.  We shall focus on saving endangered insects through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’. 

‘Niamankεkε’ (that, Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment).  It is an advocacy for the world’s smallest creatures.  Niamankεkε is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered insects and invertebrates in Africa.  Insects like Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, etc. are endangered species.  The ‘Niamankεkε’ project will help to advocate for a safe life for these insects and invertebrates. (Campaign)

 

October 2023

 

(11) Autumn Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Appeals are a renewed engagement with supporters via appeals to deal with the exacerbation of poverty by climate change, the enduring cost-of-living crisis and any spotted lingering effects of coronavirus in Africa.  These humanitarian relief and emergency appeals, which will help people and communities in most desperate situation, will include as well

~ short-term environmental strikes and disasters linked to climate change cycles (like in the cases of the recent Morocco-Safi earthquake and Libya deadly floods and landslides)

~ long-term environmental storms and catastrophes (e.g., the risk of freshwater sources to be contaminated in some parts of Africa by viruses, germs, parasites and pollutants creating water scarcity)

~ short-term crises and armed conflicts and disputes (e.g., the intensification of violence and worsening of humanitarian crisis in the African Sahel)

~ wars linked to economic trends and business cycles (e.g., the geo-economic tensions between Africa’s trading bloc and other economic blocs)

~ and long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare (e.g., the deterioration of the security situation in African countries where there have been military coups d’état like in Niger, Guinea  with the possibility of long-running civil wars). (Humanitarian appeals)

(4) Making Memorable Difference (MMD): The focus for this October History Month will be on Cottage Industries in Africa or Household-based Industries in lifting people out of poverty.  Our work for this year’s MMD will be about identifying the historical figures (and families) of Africa who could be called Industrious Proprietors (or Families) of Poverty Reduction. (History project)

(10) Campaign to End the Enduring Cost-of-living Poverty: It is an organised series of actions to gain support for the cost-of-living poor so that something can be done for them.  These actions need to result in change, particularly the reduction and end of the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter is now a barrier for many poor. 

We shall continue our alignment of this campaign with the typical phases of crisis (i.e., crisis, de-escalation, stabilisation, resolve and post-crisis) as set it up in October 2022.  We shall as well continue to offer the three services (short-, medium- and long-term services) linked to this campaign. (Poverty-relieving campaign)

 

November 2023

 

(9) Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis: There are people who are succeeding in their fight against the adverse effects of the cost-of-living crisis.  There are others, who could be the majority, who are failing to win this battle. 

For those who are not winning this fight, they may need to rethink or improve the ways they are tackling the enduring cost-of-living crisis, especially as many experts believe that the cost-of-living will last until real household disposable incomes increase and inflation drops back to meet the UK Government’s 2 per cent CPI (Consume Prices Index) inflation target.  For those failing this battle, they may need help to improve the way they are tackling the cost-of-living crisis.

Autumn Help to Improve Ways of Tackling the Cost-of-living Crisis, which will be a resource, will contain new information, tips and hints to help the community lifted out of the cost-of-living crisis.  This initiative or resource could start or be published before November 2023.  (Resource)

(1) Women & Children FIRST Development Day: This year, our Development Day will still be about skills that can be learnt and developed in order to freshly start Autumn 2023.  It will be about Self-efficacity Skills to Refresh Ways of Tackling Crises.

Every day, women and children respond to crises and risks they face.  Because the nature of crises and risks is changing, there could be a need to refresh ways of tackling these crises.  This can be done through three Self-efficacity skills – resilience, flexibility and agility – which are the third top skills of 2023 in demand, according to the World Economic Forum (7).

In the last three years, the Development Day has been designed to resonate with the November month of Skills Development within CENFACS.  This year’s Development Day will too reverberate with the Skills Development Month within CENFACS. (Thoughts)

(8) Advice to Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Guidance for Not-for-profit Impact Investing in Africa: Our support to Africa-based Sister Organisations via advice will continue to operate to help these organisations to overcome many challenges they face such as changing climate, the coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis.  We have added to the advice service the guidance we give to those who would like to not-for-profit invest with impact in Africa.

Under CENFACS‘ Guidance for Investing in African Not-for-profit Organisations and Causes in Africa, we run a programme to support not-for-profit investors in Africa.  For both ASOs and not-for-profit investors, we have planned to conduct more activities this coming November 2023. (Advice & Guidance)

(2) Data and Insight Skills to Manage Your Household: We have upgraded Data Skills to Run Your Household by bringing Insight Skills.  The upgraded initiative will deal with data (that is, raw, unorganised and unprocessed facts, quantitative and qualitative information) and insight (i.e., analysed information) at the same time. 

The initiative will aim at empowering user households with skills to prepare, identify and visualise data (i.e., words and numbers) as well as get analysed information that run their life.  It will help them to have control over their data and life. (Data and Insight Advocacy & Skills)

(3) Pension Project of Old Age Poverty Reduction (PPOAPR) 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.  PPOAPR 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. (Support and Resource) 

 

Note:

 

As said earlier, the above XI projects will allow us to start our overall Autumn Season’s poverty reduction campaign.  This is why we call them as Starting XI Projects or Campaign.

Although they are scheduled for Autumn 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., coronavirus uncertainty, side effects of the cost-of-living crisis, humanitarian and emergency situations like in the case of Morocco), in which case we shall let you know as early as we can.

________

 

• References

 

(1) Vaziri, M., Acheampong, M., Downs, J. et al. (2019), Poverty as a function of space: understanding the spatial configuration of poverty in Malaysia for Sustainable Development Goal number one. GeoJournal 84, 1317-1336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-018-9926-8 (accessed in September 2023)

(2) Booth, C. (2005), Space and Exclusion: The Relationship between physical segregation, economic marginalisation and poverty in the city at https://discovery-ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/675/1/Vaughanetal_2005_ (accessed in September 2023)

(3) https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (accessed in September 2023)

(4) Bruce, I. (2017), Green vs. Grey: Every City is a Living at https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/suitablecitiescollective/green-vs-grey-every-city-living-body/572166/ (accessed in September 2023)

(5) Potter, J. D., Brooks, C., Donovan, G., Cunningham, C., & Douwes, J. (2023), A perspective on green, blue and grey spaces, biodiversity, microbiota, and human health, Elsevier

(6) O’ Connor, P., Evers, C., Glenney, B. & Willing, I. (2022), Skateboarding in the Anthropocene: Grey spaces of polluted leisure, Leisure Studies, DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2022.2153906 (accessed in September 2023) 

(7) World Economic Forum (2023), Future of Jobs Report 2023: Insight Report May 2023 at https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ (accessed in September 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!

13 September 2023

 

Post No. 317

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Reduction of Back-to-school Poverty in 2023

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 11/09/2023: Grey Spaces as Bases for Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment

• Coming in Autumn 2023: The 81st Issue of FACS Newsletter which will be Titled as Financial Inclusion for the Needy

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Reduction of Back-to-school Poverty in 2023

 

Back to school is a challenging time for many families and parents, especially for those on low-income brackets or those living in poverty.  It is even controversial for many of them as they are trying to strike a delicate balance between building forward educational life for children and still dealing with the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  It is deeply demanding for them during this painful time of the enduring cost-of-living crisis as the expenses of sending back their children to school are fiercely competing with soaring living costs.

Amongst these challenges, the greatest one for these families is back-to-school poverty.  Back-to-school poverty is what we are trying to help reduce or eradicate within our back-to-relief programme this Autumn 2023.  In our latest posts, we explained what we mean by back-to-school poverty.  In this post, we shall contextualise it in the current difficult economic conditions of 2023 while finding the way of working with the community to reduce this type of poverty.  We are tackling it through carrying on back-to-relief programme and services.

For more on back-to-school poverty and its reduction, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 11/09/2023: Grey Spaces as Bases for Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment

 

Grey Spaces can form the bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment according to Oren Yiftachel (1).  As Yiftachel puts it in his analysis of critical urban theories,

“Power relations are heavily skewed in favour of the state, developers or middle classes.  Yet, the ‘invisible’ population of informal settlement is indeed important actors in shaping cities and regions” p.243

If those living in informal settlement like grey spaces are the main actors in shaping cities and regions, what can be done so that their power is acknowledged?  In other words, what can be done to make grey spaces (and those in need populating grey spaces) to benefit from blue and green spaces in a safe, inclusive and accessible way; in doing so using these grey spaces to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development? 

Self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment could be the way forward. But, what do we mean by self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment in the context of grey spaces and spacing.

 

• • Meanings of Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment in the Context of Grey Spaces and Spacing

 

• • • Grey Space as a Basis for Self-organisation

 

The expression self-organisation can be looked in many ways.  One way of defining it has been provided by T. R. Shultz (2) when explaining the connectionist models of development.  According to Shultz,

“Self-organisation refers to spontaneous ordering tendencies in complex systems.  Both brains and artificial neural networks, because of their complex dynamics, parallelism, and responsiveness to feedback are likely candidates for self-organisation.  Indeed, neutral network models can be used to investigate self-organizing properties of the brain”.

In complex systems linked to grey spaces and spacing, informal settlers or the occupiers of grey spaces can give an orderly structure to their society and environment.  They can orderly shape cities and regions.

 

• • • Grey Space as a Basis for Negotiation

 

Grey Space can be a principle  on which an agreement can be based or made.  In other words, one can engage Grey Space to negotiate.

For example, according Cindy Watson (3), one can use space to increase their influence. One can do it through proxemics.  Cindy Watson defines proxemics as

“The branch of study that focuses on how humans view and interpret the use of space, particularly its direct impact on behaviour, communication, and social interactions”.

Cindy Watson adds that personal space zones include intimate space, social and consultative spaces and public space.  People can use proxemics to understand and identify their zone to guarantee fluid negotiations.

 

• • • Grey Space as a Basis for Empowerment

 

Grey Space can be an idea for giving the power to people.  To explain this, we are going to refer to the notion of empowerment used in co-design.  This notion is conceptualised by Theodore Zamenopoulos et al. (4) who explain that those engaged in co-design in empowerment may come with the development of different capacities.  From these capacities, they differentiate four types of power: ‘power over’, ‘power to’, ‘power with’, and ‘power within’.

By referring to the definition of empowerment given by Zamenopoulos et al., it is possible for the powerless of grey spaces to develop capacities to bring to the fore their own issues, to make sense of their matters of concern, to connect and act in concert with others, and to unlock and transform their own knowledge and resources.

So, it is feasible to use the above-mentioned three bases at the same time to make grey spaces (and those in need populating grey spaces) to benefit from blue and green spaces in a safe, inclusive and accessible way.

 

• • Making Grey Spaces (and Those in Need Populating Grey Spaces) to Benefit from Blue and Green Spaces in a Safe, Inclusive and Accessible Way

 

It is possible to use the three bases of Grey Space (as Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment) to make Grey Spaces and those in need forming Grey Spaces to benefit from blue and green spaces in a safe, inclusive and accessible way.  This makeup in urban and densely populated areas can be done by

 

σ mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

σ ensuring biodiversity-inclusive urban planning

σ enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity

σ improving human health and well-being and connection to nature and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and the provision of ecosystem functions and services.

 

There is more to argue and prove about how Grey Spaces can be the Bases for Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment.  However, we are particularly interested in the experience that our members had with Grey Spaces in terms of bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment.  This note and the workshop (we have planned on this matter) will help us to work together with the community on ways of finding the bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment.

From the experiences shared by our members, we shall use this note to help us identify areas of unmet needs within our community and generate projects or activities to help satisfy those unmet needs.

For those of our members who would like to work with us or participate to the workshop on how they can self-organise, negotiate and empower themselves, they are welcome to work with us.

For those members whose Grey Spaces are part of their life and would like to share their experience of them in terms of benefits from blue and green spaces in a safe, inclusive and accessible way; they are also invited to share it with us.

For those who would like to further discuss with us any other matters relating to Grey Spaces, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Coming in Autumn 2023: The 81st Issue of FACS Newsletter which will be Titled as Financial Inclusion for the Needy

 

The 81st Issue of FACS will stocktake most of matters discussed in our last July Festival of Thoughts and Actions, which focussed on Financial Inclusion to Improve the Quality of Poor People’s Lives.  The 81st Issue of FACS will go further in exploring ways of working with the communities here in the UK and in Africa to enhance financial inclusion for them.

The 81st Issue of FACS will approach financial access and inclusion from the “user-side” view, from the removal of demand-side constraints on the financially excluded.  From this point of view, demand from unbanked individuals could be created to realise financial access and inclusion.  The 81st Issue of FACS will also be an experimental approach to financial poverty that will draw inspiration from the financially excluded and needy people, and that will use deliberative practice or methodology.

The 81st Issue of FACS will acknowledge the progress made to financially include many of the poor people who work with our Africa-based Organisations from exclusively cash-based transactions to formal financial services by using a mobile phone or other digital technologies to access these services.  However, it will also recognize that there are still people who are finding it difficult to be part of this financial world.  These financially excluded or underserved poor people, of which some of them make our community, could be struggling to improve the quality of their lives.

Amongst these strugglers, there are examples of poor women in rural areas of Africa who are lacking access to financial services.  There are as well those highly indebted (because of the enduring cost-of-living crisis or the effects of other crises like the lingering effects of the coronavirus) who have been excluded from the financial world, apart from worrying how they could 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?

There are many definitions of financial inclusion.  The 81st Issue of FACS will focus on the definitions that are related to those living in poverty or experiencing financial hardships.  One of these definitions come from Peterson K. Ozili (5) who explains that

“Financial inclusion is the provision of, and access to, financial services to all members of population particularly the poor and the other excluded members of the population” (p. 3).

Another definition within the financial inclusion literature comes from the ‘worldbank.org’ (6) 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”.

Financial inclusion definitions come with theories to support them.  The 81st Issue of FACS will use the vulnerable group theory of financial inclusion.  What this theory is about.  According to Peterson K. Ozili (op. cit.),

“The vulnerable group theory of financial inclusion argues that financial inclusion programme in a country should be targeted to the vulnerable members of society who suffer the most from economic hardship and crisis, such as poor people, young people, women, and elderly people.  The theory argues that vulnerable people are often the most affected by financial crises and economic recession, therefore, it makes sense to bring these vulnerable people into the formal financial sector.  One way to achieve this is through government-to-person social cash transfers into the formal account of vulnerable people” (p. 7)

In this respect, the 81st Issue of FACS will be a gripping story of Africa-based Sister Organisations that are working with their locals in their journey to financial inclusion, to find opportunities to reduce financial poverty.  They are as well running projects to help the polycrises-impacted people to be financially re-included in the agenda for financial inclusion for all.  They are further undertaking initiatives conducive to close gender gaps in financial inclusion and gender digital divide.  They are finally joining forces with their users so that the latter can access financial inclusion programmes that are on offer where they live.

The 81st Issue of FACS will not only deal with one generation of financial excluded.  Instead, it will cater for all generations.  Amongst these generations, there is the older one.  The 81st Issue of FACS will address the gaps and challenges that prevent Africa’s older generation from accessing cost-saving means linked to financial services and products.

Far from being a theoretical story or account of the financial excluded people, the 81st Issue of FACS will provide some clues for them to navigate their way out of financial exclusion.  Full of fresh ideas about Africa-based Sister Organisations’ way of working with the financially excluded locals, the 81st Issue of FACS will show that financial inclusion can change the needy persons’ life.

The 81st Issue of FACS will not only explain the financial inclusion problems faced by these persons and the members of our community, but it will make recommendations for action.  In this respect, it will give the readers and our audiences a good understanding of the financial inclusion challenges experienced by these persons and our members, as well as the efforts made to mitigate these challenges.  In doing so, it will dispel the myth of hopelessness for the financial excluded, while providing options and opportunities for them.

To get inside scoop on the Issue No. 81 or to reserve a copy before its publication, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Summer 2023 Reporting in Your Own Words, Numbers, Voices and Information Graphics

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Green Industrialisation and Industrial Development in Africa with a Focus on Making Africa a Place where Its Raw Materials are Processed, Not Just Exported

 

 

• Summer 2023 Reporting in Your Own Words, Numbers, Voices and Information Graphics

 

Last week, we started to unlock or unpack our Summer holiday data and to prepare to tell our Summer holiday stories.  This week, we are going further in putting into practice our unlocked or unpacked data in support of Summer experiences or stories.

 

 

• • Summer 2023 Experiences Reporting as an Additional Opportunity

 

From this week until Wednesday the 21^st of September 2023, we are simply asking to those who can, to share with us and others their Summer experiences; experiences about what they did during the Summer break and think that it is useful for sharing.

The 2023 Summer Experiences Reporting activity is a further opportunity for reporting, sharing, learning and development for those who have not yet informed us about the outcomes of projects; projects pending for reporting, personal experiences to be shared, lessons to learn and development trends to spot.

 

• • Sharing Development Experiences, Stories, Tales and Reports about Summer 2023

 

As we are nearing the end of Summer 2023, we would like our users. members and supporters as well as those who sympathise with CENFACS’ cause to share with us and others their experiences, stories and reports about the initiatives mentioned below.

 

a) Run, Play and Vote projects (Triple Value Initiatives 2023)

You can feedback the outcomes or Action-Results of your Run, Play and Vote projects.

b) Volunteering and Creation Stories

You can also share your volunteering stories with us and others if you did volunteer during the Summer break.

c) Summer Programmes: Happiness, Healthiness and Appeal Projects

You may prefer to report on your use of Happiness and Healthiness projects and your response to our Humanitarian Relief Appeal projects.

d) August 2023 Trending Activities

You can as well report on your experience of following the direction of poverty reduction through Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services.

e) Influence Year’s Activities/Tasks

As we are in CENFACS’ Influence Year, we would be more than happier to hear any uplifting stories related to this year’s dedication.

f) Journal of Happiness and Healthiness

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

g) Other Experiences and Memorable Stories Reporting

You can feedback on any moving experience or transformative story you have had during Summer 2023.

 

You can report your experience via e-mail, over phone and through social media networks or channels of communication (e.g., Twitter).

Thank you for supporting us with your Summer 2023 experience, story and report In Your Own Words, Numbers, Voices and Information Graphics.

 

 

• Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

Working on what was discussed during Africa Climate Week and Summit 2023

 

Under CENFACS’ CPSAC (Climate Protection and Stake for African Children) and its sub-phase 3.2., we are continuing to make the case for our demand to give a climate stake to children.

We are as well carrying out our preparation for follow-up of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which will be convened in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) from 30 November to 12 December 2023 (7).  This engagement or follow up will contribute to TCPSACI.

The slogan for this 2023 follow-up is: Dubai Raise Children’s Ambitions and Hopes. 

As part of this preparation, we followed Africa Climate Week and Summit 2023 (8) which was held from 04 to 8 September in Nairobi (Kenya).  At this platform, policymakers, practitioners,  businesses and civil society representatives discussed regional climate action solutions and forged regional partnerships.

We are considering the key points of their discussions, which include clean energy, carbon taxes, finance reforms, green industrialisation, climate impacts, the implementation of loss and damage fund, etc.  We are reflecting on how they can fit into CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2.  We are as well looking at how we can take forward what was discussed during Africa Climate Week 2023.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ CPSAC and its sub-phase 3.2, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses Green Industrialisation and Industrial Development in Africa with a Focus on Making Africa a Place Where Its Raw Materials are Processed, Not Just Exported

 

It is a matter of fact that there are countries in Africa that are spoiled with raw materials and natural resources.  However, for historical reasons the region exports most of its raw materials instead of processing them in Africa.  As the region is looking for its way to keep pace with green industrialisation and industrial development, CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is debating the issue of Making Africa a Place Where Its Raw Materials are Processed, Not Just Exported.

It is a discussion on the process of building up Africa’s capacity to process raw materials and to manufacture goods for consumption or further production in a sustainable way.  It is also a debate on growing industries by using new and better technologies that increase outputs in Africa.

The Forum’s debate goes further in exploring the opportunities and possibilities of poverty reduction resulting from home processing of raw materials.  In other words, it looks at what could be the impact of home processing of raw materials on poverty reduction at home.  However, the discussion is not about import substitution strategy which is another debate.

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 and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

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’industrialisation verte et du développement industriel en Afrique en mettant l’accent sur le sous-thème suivant:

Faire de l’Afrique un lieu où ses matières premières sont transformées, pas seulement exportées

C’est un fait qu’il y a des pays en Afrique qui sont gâtés avec des matières premières et des ressources naturelles.  Cependant, pour des raisons historiques, la région exporte la plupart de ses matières premières au lieu de les transformer en Afrique.  Alors que la région cherche un moyen de suivre le rythme de l’industrialisation verte et du développement industriel, le  Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS débat de la question de faire de l’Afrique un lieu où ses matières premières sont transformées, pas seulement exportées.

Il s’agit d’une discussion sur le processus de renforcement de la capacité de l’Afrique à transformer les matières premières et à fabriquer des biens destinés à la consommation ou à la production ultérieure de manière durable.  C’est aussi un débat sur la croissance des industries en utilisant des technologies nouvelles et meilleures qui augmentent la production et la productivité en Afrique.

Le débat du Forum va plus loin dans l’exploration des opportunités et des possibilités de réduction de la pauvreté résultant de la transformation à domicile des matières premières.  En d’autres termes, il examine quel pourrait être l’impact de la transformation à domicile des matières premières sur la réduction de la pauvreté à domicile.  Cependant, la discussion ne porte pas sur la stratégie de substitution des importations, ce qui est un autre débat.

Ceux ou 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 forum de discussion sur les questions et les thèmes de la réduction de la pauvreté et du développement durable en Afrique et qui agit au nom de ses membres en faisant des propositions ou des idées d’actions pour une Afrique meilleure.

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

 

Main Development

 

• Reduction of Back-to-school Poverty in 2023

 

In order to approach back-to-school poverty, the following items will be considered:

 

∝ Back-to-school Challenge

∝ Back-to-school Poverty

∝ Back-to-school Disrupted by the Enduring Cost-of-living Crisis

∝ Back-to-school Support

∝ Back-to-school Budget Adjusted for Inflation 

∝ Extra Investment Linked to Back-to-school Preparation and Children’s Education 

∝ Back to School is NOT a One-day Event 

∝ Go Net Zero in Your Back-to-school Approach.

 

Let us summarise each of these elements explaining our way of approaching back-to-school poverty.

 

• • Back-to-school Time as a Challenging Period for a Basic Human Right and a Deserving Cause

 

For some, back to school/college is a normal time to prepare and do normal purchase whether it is for school uniforms or books or even any other school items.  However, for those who are struggling to make ends meet, back-to-school time could be a very challenging moment as they may not always have enough financial resources or support to cope with the requirements of the start of the new school year.  Yet, education is a basic human right and a deserving need for children and all society.

Back to school/college for the poor is characterised by the following:

 

∝ The struggle to afford the educational costs linked to school/college

∝ The inability to meet basic life-sustaining needs (including of education, food, fuel, shelter, skills development, clothes, bedding, etc.)

∝ Deprivation of cleaning and disinfecting household items

∝ The financial inability for children to access after school clubs 

∝ The lack of resources to deal with hygiene poverty 

∝ The lack of or poor access to internet broadband

Etc.

 

This year’s back to school/college is still painful as the cost-of-living crisis is posing problems to many low-income or poor families and households.  Already, many of them have been struggling to come out of the legacies of the coronavirus.  Now, this struggle has increased with the enduring cost-of-living crisis, which still is complicating and disrupting the back-to-school organisation as well as the start of academic year for most of these families and households.

 

• • Back to School Disrupted by the Enduring Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The rise in the prices of food, energy, water, rent and other basic necessities of life can only bring a lot of pain for those who are already struggling to make ends meet.  Back-to-school preparation and delivery are not exempted by this pain.

Back to school has been disrupted in many aspects and respects because educational life is linked to the satisfaction of other life-sustaining needs.  This is because without food, energy, water, home, hygiene and health; all operation of back to school and even afterwards can be jeopardised.

If there is any help to cover some of the costs of back to school, it would be great if this help could make up the difference linked to the cost-of-living crisis.  Otherwise, the needs relating to back to school would not be met.  Failing to meet those needs could even be worse where there is a situation of back-to-school poverty.

 

• • Back-to-school Poverty

 

As we defined it in our last post (9), Back-to-school poverty is the inability to afford the educational requirements of the start of the new school year.  But how do we measure it?

 

 

• • • Indicators of back-to-school poverty

 

The following cases can indicate that there could be a situation of back-to-school poverty and hardships:

 

∝ If parents or carers of children going back to school do not have enough money or support to cover the expenses linked to back to school

∝ If households spend more than a certain percentage (let say 40 to 50 percent) of their incomes in back-to-school preparation and delivery compared to other items in their budget

∝ If households borrow money to cover expenses relating to back-to-school preparation and delivery

∝ If back-to-school expenses fiercely competing against other living expenses in household budgets.

 

Not having enough money, spending more in back-to-school expenses compared to other household expenses and borrowing money to prepare back to school for children are all indicators of back-to-school poverty and hardships.  When this type of poverty or hardship is intense and deep, it is even a serious problem.  There could be more indicators than the above mentioned.

These indicators (like household expenditure on back-to-school preparations), if they are not good, can express the inability for parents and carers to meet the basic life-sustaining needs of education for their children in terms of purchasing school items (such as uniforms, clothes, books, electronics, etc.) and providing the basic infrastructures and necessities (whether it is at home or outside) to support the education of their children.

This incapacity can include other expenses that compete against or with educational materials; expenses that are school fees, living expenses to start a new school year, transport cost to travel to schools, food, a place to study at home, family relocation, adequate meal to study, a proper bed to sleep well, basic healthcare and hygiene at home, etc.

 

• • • Back to school for families and parents living in poverty

 

Families and parents living in poverty or on a tight family budget may not be able to afford these additional expenses budget.  They are forced to currently deal with two types of poverty: back-to-school poverty and hygiene poverty.

The first type of poverty is related to the start of the new school year whereas the second is caused by the lack of hygiene.

Since we have already considered back-to-school poverty, we are going to only explain hygiene poverty.

 

• • • • Explaining hygiene poverty

 

To elucidate hygiene poverty, we are referring to what ‘povertyimpactnetwork.com’ (10) argues about that which is:

“Hygiene poverty is an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.”

On the website ‘povertyimpactnetwork.com’, it is further stated that

“Children who grow up in hygiene poverty households can struggle to end the cycle of poverty through successful employment after starting life on rocky ground”.

There could be support for them for some of the vital educational and hygiene needs to be met; just as there is no support for others.

 

 

• • Back-to-school Support at CENFACS with Back-to-school Clinics

 

Any type of poverty needs response.  As far as CENFACS is concerned, we can support those falling into back-to-school poverty trap by providing advice through our advisory package under the back-to-relief programme.  This package includes activities such as advice, advocacy, information, guidance, signposting, etc.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we enhanced health and safety aspects in this programme.  Last year, we included in this programme the advice service for the impacted of the cost-of-living crisis.  This year, we have set up Back-to-school Clinics.

Although our support to fight both back-to-school poverty and the cost-of-living poverty is small and limited, it can nevertheless help beneficiaries to get something and keep moving towards of a BIG relief.

Our Back-to-school Support or Clinics can be accessed as follows:

 

√ Virtually and in-person on a one-to-one basis or as a group

√ Over phone 

√ Via e-mail 

√ and by filling the contact form on our website saying the type of support you need.

 

Where beneficiaries have access to video technology, we can arrange a meeting via a video scream.

Where in-person meeting with beneficiaries is the preferred or unavoidable option, an appointment needs to be made for this meeting to happen.  Also, extra precautionary health and safety measures will be taken before the advice can happen.

To seek advice or support regarding your back-to-school poverty or hardships, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• • Back-to-school Budget Adjusted for Inflation 

 

The 2023/2024 Back-to-school Budget would include the cost-of-living crisis for many parents and families as they have to cost and integrate the rise in the costs of living into the educational budget of their children.  They are forced to do so since many of them have been told that inflation will continue to rise until it reaches a peak; then it will start to fall.  It is also a budget of building forward from the lingering effects of the coronavirus.

For those parents and families who are struggling to write their back-to-school budget, we can help them to do that.  We can as well advise on some of the aspects related to the back-to-school budget preparation and delivery.  Furthermore, we can lead them to specific advice services related to back-to-school matters.

For those parents and families who are executing their back-to-school budget, but they are struggling in this execution; we can review their budget downwards or upwards depending on the case.

For those parents and families who have already executed their back-to-school budget, but they need monitoring and evaluation for learning and development purpose; we can as well help.

To seek advice or support regarding your back-to-school budget, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Extra Investment Linked to Back-to-school Preparation and Children’s Education 

 

There are some levels of investment that parents and families may have to do to keep the education of their children to an internationally agreed standard.  They may have to proceed with the following initiatives:

 

∝ Invest in distance learning technologies (such as tablets, laptops, mobile phones, etc.)

∝ Improve their access to internet and broadband supplies

∝ Reorganise space at home to create an office-like desk environment for remote learning and video calling for the educational purpose of their children

∝ Find money and budget for children’s access to after school activities

∝ Improve or upgrade existing home infrastructures for e-education.

 

All these types of investment will create additional costs in the back-to-school plans, although some of these costs will not be at the start of the school.  Unfortunately, many poor families would struggle to meet this extra investment.

 

• • Back to School is NOT a One-day Event 

 

Back to school is not a one-day event of the day children go back to school.  Back-to-school expenses and needs can last longer until parents and carers are able to complete the expenses relating to the return of their children to school and their stay at school, until children are settled in their school.

For poor families and parents, it is even more difficult for them to keep the educational level of their children to a good standard unless they get financial support to their back-to-school budget.  Only a few of them are able to complete the requirements of back to school on time.  Many of them would not have other choice than to spread back-to-school expenses over months in order to complete the back-to-school plan.

 

• • Go Net Zero in Your Back-to-school Approach

  

Back to school in 2023 is also subject to the requirements of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets as well as clean environment.  It means that for parents and children whether well-off or less well-off, they need to make sure they take an eco-friendly path in the back-to-school preparation and delivery.

In climate terms, it connotes going net zero.  What is net zero?

The Institute for Government (11) argues that

“Net zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. There are two different routes to achieving net zero, which work in tandem: reducing existing emissions and actively removing greenhouse gases”.

In practical terms, it signifies that in parents’ and carers’ preparation and delivery of back to school, there should be a zero-waste consumption, recycling items, following the principles of circular economic model, avoiding depleting the environment, etc.  Likewise, in their approach to reduce back-to-school poverty, it is better for them to adopt nature-based solutions to back-to-school poverty; solutions that do not adversely affect the nature and environment.

The above is our message for reducing back-to-school poverty and hardships.

To support CENFACS’ back-to-school initiative, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Yiftachel, O. (2009), Critical Theory and ‘gray space’ Mobilisation of the Colonized at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248930381_critical_theory_and_’gray_space’_Mobilisation_of_thecolonized (accessed in September 2023)

(2) Shultz, T. R., (2001), Connectionist models of development in International Encyclopaedia of the Social & Behavioural Science at https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/self-organisation (accessed in September 2023)

(3) Watson, C. (2021), How to Use Space to Increase Your Influence at https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/life-negotiation/202105/how-use-space-increase-your-influence (accessed in September 2023)

(4) Zamenopoulos, T., Lam, B., Alexiou, K., Kelemen, M., De Sousa, S., Moffat, S. & Phillips, M., (2021), Types, obstacles and sources of empowerment in co-design: the role of shared material objects and processes, CoDesign, 17:2, 139-158, DOI: 10.1080/15710882.2019.1605383 (accessed in September 2023)

(5) Ozili, P. K., (2020), Theories of Financial Inclusion at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338852717_Theories_of_Financial_Inclusion (accessed in September 2023)

(6) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/financialinclusion/overview (accessed in September 2023)

(7) https://www.cop28.com/en/(accessed in September 2023)

(8) https://africaclimatesummit.org (accessed in September 2023)

(9) cenfacs.org.uk/blog/september6, 2023(accessed in September 2023)

(10) https://www.povertyimpactnetwork.com/blog/hygiene-poverty/what-is-hygiene-poverty# (accessed in September 2023)

(11) https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/net-zero-target (accessed in September 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!

06 September 2023

 

Post No. 316

 

 

Welcome back Message

 

Before starting the contents of the blog and post of this first Wednesday of September 2023, we would like to welcome back all those who are returning this month.

We are welcoming back the following:

∝ Our users, supporters, members, audiences and other stakeholders who came back from Summer break and school holiday

∝ Those who are or have been working during the Summertime

∝ Those who lost touch with us for various reasons and would like to come back again.

This welcoming back message also applies to those using or helping or supporting our UK and Africa Development programmes.

Welcome back to all of you for a happy and healthy return! 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Back-to-relief Programme 2023: Programme for Pre-autumn Season 2023

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Back-to-school Poverty

• Activity/Task 9 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Give Feedback

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

The key message from our weekly communication and menu, which is often made of three courses, is as follows.

 

• Back-to-relief Programme 2023: Programme for Pre-autumn Season 2023

 

Back-to-relief Programme is a set of related activities and services with an aim of reducing poverty (particularly back-to-school poverty but not exclusively) amongst multi-dimensional poor children, young and families (MDPCYPFs) by working with them to meet their needs after summer break and/or school holiday so that they can start September 2023 without or with less hardship.

The programme is made of a number of supportive elements like the following:

Capacity and skills development, advice, advocacy, translation, information, guidance, support to child educational needs in Africa, signposting, etc. 

The programme is generally run around September and can be extended to October depending on the needs and demand in the community and available resources.

 

 

• • September: Advice- and Guidance-giving Month

 

We run Advice service as part of our activities throughout the year.  However, Advice is CENFACS’ main theme in September.  Because that, it is more pronounced in September compared to other months of the year.  In other words, we invest more resources in advice in September than at any other times of the year.

We provide generalist advice to both individuals and organisations as mentioned above.  We also give specialist advice on matters relating to the fields of poverty reduction and international development.

Where both individuals and organisations need specialist advice in other matters than poverty reduction or international development, we guide them.  We can as well signpost beneficiaries to other organisations/individuals providing specialist advice if beneficiaries’ request for advice is beyond or outside our advice capacity and resources.

Advice and Guidance can be given in the context of Back-to-Relief Programme and outside this context.  When Advice and Guidance are given in the context of Back-to-Relief Programme, they become constituent part of this programme like other elements making this programme.

The programme is particular in its kind as it targets certain types of returnees and what these returnees may need.

 

• • The particularity of this year’s programme

 

The Back-to-relief 2023 programme is designed to include the needs of these returnees.  It is also conceptualised to anticipate any changes of economic situation.  The current economic is that the economy in the UK is experienced high inflation and high interest rate.

According to the Office for National Statistics (1),

“The consumer Prix Index (CPI) rose by 6.8% in the 12 months to July 2023, down from 7.9% in June”.

A CPI of 6.8% is still more than three times higher than 2% target.

As to the interest rate, ‘theguardian.com’ (2) argues that

“A fresh poll of economists by Reuters predict the UK interest rates will peak at 5.5% when the Bank of England will revisit its monetary policy on 21 September 2023”.

Additionally, prediction of recession in the third quarter remains.

Our Back-to-relief 2023 programme will be delivered in this economic context of high inflation and high interest rate.  These two factors affect the real household disposable income and the cost of living.  The latter is higher at the moment.  Besides that, we shall factorise in this programme other events (like the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate, geo-economic crises, etc.).  This year’s programme has been specifically designed to take account of these factors.

 

• • Types of returnees who may need this year’s programme

 

At the end of this Summer 2023 and during this September, we may have three types of returnees, who are:

√ MDPCYPFs who already planned what they want to do and how they will continue to manage the above-mentioned factors and their other aspects of life

√ MDPCYPFs who already planned their start of September and the end of Summer 2023, but they may need some help to carry on with their plan or family project

√ MDPCYPFs who could not plan because they could be overwhelmed by the impact of these factors or poverty and may need advice or guidance in terms of coping strategies during this September.

 

• • What these returnees may need

 

Because we are dealing with MDPCYPFs, who are supposed to be poor or in need, they could ask for some support in the form of information, advice and guidance to cope or manage their problems.

They could even require further advisory support during this September as many of them would face the pressure linked to the end of Summer and the start of Autumn, in particular those families having to deal with the financial pressure of the start of the new academic year for their children.

They need advice and guidance to cope with poverty in which they are already, to deal with the on-going cost-of-living crisis and the financial pressure to send back to school their children for those having children at schooling age.  This is why we have assembled and blended activities and services (that is; the Back-to-relief Programme) to work with them.

For more details on CENFACS’ Back-to-relief Programme, please read the details under Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Goal of the Month: Reduction of Back-to-school Poverty

 

Our goal for the month of September 2023 is the reduction of back-to-school poverty.  To deliver this goal, we need to understand it and work with those who may likely experience back-to-school poverty.

 

• • What is back-to-school poverty?

 

Back-to-school poverty is the inability to afford the educational requirements of the start of the new school year.  It is the incapability or incapacity for parents and carers to meet the basic life-sustaining needs of education for their children in terms of purchasing school items (such as uniforms, clothes, books, electronics, etc.) and providing the basic infrastructures and necessities (whether it is at home or outside) to support the education of their children.

This incapacity can include other expenses that compete against or with educational materials; expenses that are school fees, living expenses to start a new school year, transport cost to travel to schools, food, a place to study at home, family relocation, adequate meal to study, a proper bed to sleep well, health costs, basic healthcare and hygiene at home, etc.

As Walden University (3) puts it,

“It [poverty] pervades multiple areas of life – and for parents whose income is below the poverty line, it often means sending their children to school hungry, along with other disadvantages, both academic and otherwise”.

Back-to-school poverty can be tackled.  This is why during this September we will be working with those suffering or may suffer from back-to-school poverty so that they can find the tools and means to navigate their way out of this type of poverty.

 

• • Back-to-school Clinics to help tackle back-to-school poverty

 

CENFACS does not provide money to tackle back-to-school poverty; CENFACS can however work with parents of children going back to school in session whereby they can have social prescription or the tools to navigate their way out of the back-to-school poverty.

CENFACS can work with the community through its advice service and other services so that the members of its community can find their way out of this type of poverty.  Particularly and specifically, CENFACS’ Back-to-school Clinics can work with them to tackle back-to-school poverty in the following ways:

 

√ Reducing the competition between living expenses and educational expenses within the household budget coverage

√ Exploring potential supporters to help them with educational costs for their children education

√ Budgeting with them their living expenses for a better start of the academic year

√ Examining together any issues relating to transport cost to travel to schools or places of education while advising them on net zero CO2 emitting means of transport

√ Discussing ways of saving on energy use, food and meals relating to educational purposes

√ Looking into school catchment area for those looking for a place to study

√ Working on a feasible and realistic plan when studying at home

√ Supporting family relocation matters (e.g., accommodation in the vicinity of schools and working places for parents)

√ Working with them to tackle hygiene poverty to keep children better engaged with their education and learning

Etc.

 

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

 

 

• Activity/Task 9 of the Influence (‘i’) Year and Project: Give Feedback

 

The 9th Activity or Task of our ‘i’ Year and Project is about giving or offering your feedback to those in need.

Feedback is one the ten influencing skills listed by Janice McBrown (4) who suggests to offer feedback to the other person about what you see, interpret, hear as well as what you feel and intuit.  Elicit feedback from others to develop your own self-knowledge and your impact on others.  But, what is influencing and what is feedback?

 

• • Understanding both Influencing and Feedback

 

The definition of influencing that one can use in the context of giving a feedback can be the one provided by Susan Jeffers; definition quoted by Janice McBrown (op. cit.).  For Susan Jeffers, influencing is

“Not the ability to get someone to do what you want them to do, it is the ability to get yourself to do what you want to do”.

Our understanding of feedback comes from what Madeline Miles (5) argues about it, which is

“Feedback is a sign of care”.

Madeline Miles (op. cit.) explains that feedback can be a sign that someone is personally interested in your growth and development.

 

• • Putting Feedback in Practice

 

If you are interested in or impact investing in the growth and development of those in need, you can show them how much you care about their problems.  Your feedback could be a constructive one or an appreciation or recognition in engaging with those in need.  As suggested by Madeline Miles (op. cit.), to provide a good feedback, you may need to have a goal of your feedback, to lead with empathy and kindness, to be clear and direct, to listen carefully and offer support.

One can use what it has been said about influencing and feedback to give feedback to those in need.

The above is the Activity or Task no. 9 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.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal – It is time to share the contents of your creative activity

• Unlock Your Summer Holiday Data and Tell Your Story

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Fictitious Jobs on Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal –

It is time to share the contents of your creative activity

 

After six weeks of journaling, it is time to start sharing the contents of your journal.  Indeed, during the last six weeks of Summer, some of you have been journaling on one of the six predictors that explain happiness and healthiness, which are: income, social support, healthy life expectancy, generosity, freedom, and trust.

As previously said, the contents of these journals could be shared with the community at the end of Summer 2023 as a Summer memory or souvenir.  Although Summer is not yet over, those who have created their Happiness and Healthiness Journal can start to share with the community.  However, in order to share their contents they may need a strategy and tools as well as to monitor their social performance.

 

• • Content Sharing Strategy

 

You need to plan or strategize yourself the way in which you want to share your content. In other words, you need to have a process of or planning and conducting some content sharing tasks.

 

• • Content Sharing Tools

 

You also need implements or instruments to deliver your content to us and others.

For example, if you want to share you content online you can refer to online tools to do it.  Let say you use Twitter.  You can use Twitter feed to share your content to a range of platforms.  You can go online to share your content.  You can use online tools to do it.  You can share it multiple times.  You need to have social sharing plugins on.

 

• • Monitoring Your Social Performance

 

You can monitor your performance in content sharing.  For example, you can monitor the traffic you get to your posts relating to Happiness and Healthiness Journal, whether it is online or offline.

Please share with the community your experience of happy and healthy Summer through the contents of your journal to help build a better Summer holiday experience and memory.

 

 

• Unlock Your Summer Holiday Data and Tell Your Story

 

Throughout our July and August 2023 communications, we have been asking everybody to store and keep their Summer data so that when we all return in September, we can report back or share parts of our Summer experiences that are shareable and spreadable.

Now some of you are back, we can try to feedback our poverty-reduction and development experiences of using Happiness and Healthiness projects and of any other similar activities over the Summer period.  To feedback, you may need ways of unlocking your summer data.

 

• • Ways of Unlocking Your Summer Data

 

To unlock your Summer data, one can proceed with the following:

 

σ Have your holiday records update, complete and accurate

σ Know where your data is stored or sitting (e.g., mobile phone camera, laptop, tablet, etc.)

σ Extract your data including images from sources where they are stored

σ Use technology or manual means to unlock them

etc.

 

• • What You Can Report Back or Story You Can Tell

 

Apart from the above-mentioned experiences, one can feedback any creations, any other experiences, any community practices and any volunteering stories, if they volunteered, they had over the last two months.

One can report back a personal Summer experience as well.

Likewise, one can combine their Summer journal (about predictors that explain happiness and healthiness) and this reporting back exercise into a single or all-in-one Summer report.

For those who managed to store their Summer data and who would like to share their experiences, this is the time to start unlocking their Summer data and preparing to tell their Summer story.

 

• •  The Good Thing about Sharing Your Experiences

 

Sharing your experiences with us helps to keep the CENFACS Community active, engaged, connected and grow together.  It also contributes in carrying out prescriptive analytics that enables to use smart data discovery capabilities to predict market developments and trends to help relieve or possibly end poverty and hardships within our community and beyond.

Please share your poverty-relieving and development experiences and contents with us; parts of your experiences and contents that you think are shareable and perhaps spreadable.

Should anyone have any concern about data protection issues regarding the sharing of their information, please let CENFACS know.  We will be able to assist.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Fictitious Jobs on Poverty Reduction in Africa

How Can Africa-based Sister Organisations Help?

 

Fraud data analytics show that Africa is losing millions of money to fictitious or ghost employees.  Administrations in Africa, particularly the public ones, are losing a lot of money because of fictitious or ghost employees or workers.

 

• • Ghost Worker Payroll Scams at the Heart of Africa’s Public Finances

 

Global Payroll Association (6) states that

“An audit report revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] loses at least $800 million annually to ghost worker payroll scams”.

Likewise, the DRC’s Inspectorate General of Finance (7) reports that

“The monthly loss of earnings [as a result of payment irregularities involving tens of thousands of non-existing workers] suffered by the treasury is 148.999.749.440.95 Congolese francs (or 662 million dollars)”.

Loss of any money because of fictitious employment is a problem in Africa and in places where there is huge number of poor people and where money is badly needed to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  It is a serious issue if one knows what fictitious worker means.

According to Nagel and Associates – Forensic and Investigative Accounts (8),

“A fictitious employee is a person who is on the company’s books but does not actually work for the organisation”.

So, money that could have been allocated to deserving causes (like poverty reduction) and other development agendas (such as sustainable development) is sent to a ghost at an address or account that the fraudster will have access to.  This behaviour can hamper any efforts to reduce poverty and to mitigate climate change.  Those in need find themselves defrauded of the money that could have helped them to navigate their way out of poverty.

 

• • What We Can Do Together about Ghost Scams

 

CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum is discussing the ghost worker payroll scams in Africa.  In particular, the forum is looking at how Africa-based charitable organisations working on employment investigation and payroll fraud can help their local administrations as well as communities that are the victims of the ghost scams disease.

Areas of discussion include the following:

Ways of improving communication channels to reduce or end the phenomenon of ghost workers, good practices in book-keeping and employee management, advocacy to deal with ghost scams, cure against faked bank accounts, training of administrators in the area of fictitious employment, technologies relating to payroll, digitalisation of means of payments, the use of artificial intelligence in the area of payroll, etc.

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 and themes of poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa and which acts on behalf of its members in making proposals or ideas for actions for a better Africa.

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

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

 

Revue du Rendement Financier 2022-2023 du CENFACS (Un extrait de la Revue Annuelle 2023 du CENFACS)

Voici le résumé de nos recettes et paiements pour l’exercice se terminant le 30 juin 2023.

Après que nos fonds de trésorerie se sont redressés au cours des six premiers mois du dernier exercice (2021/2022) et ont repris le chemin de la croissance au cours des six mois suivants de ce même exercise, ils ont poursuivi leur tendance à la hausse. 

Pour cet exercice (2022/2023), nous avons enregistré une augmentation nette de 12% de nos fonds de trésorerie.  Cette augmentation a été possible car les économies réalisées sur les comptes de paiement (sur des éléments tels que le réseautage et les réunions en personne, le transport et les voyages, les timbres-poste, la sensibilisation, l’impression et la photocopie, et le budget à l’étranger) ont commencé à porter leurs fruits.

Du côté des paiements, la hausse du coût de la vie s’est traduite par une augmentation de nos coûts, à l’exception du compte d’impression et de photocopie.  Comme nous étions dans la période de levée des restrictions du coronavirus liées au contact physique, nous avons repris certaines activités liées aux contacts physiques.

En conséquence, les dépenses et les postes suivants liés aux activités aux contacts physiques ont augmenté: transport et voyages, papeterie et livres, et timbres-poste.  Nos coûts de communication ont également augmenté; reflétant notre désir de rester sur la bonne voie avec les parties prenantes et de garder nos membres engagés dans notre cause caritative.  La période inflationniste obstinée a également signifié pour nous une augmentation des coûts de location et des services publics.

Nous avons continué d’investir dans des moyens de travail en ligne et virtuels pour réaliser des gains d’efficacité dans l’ensemble du CENFACS.  Les investissements supplémentaires réalisés ont commencé à apparaître progressivement et timidement, au milieu des effets persistants du coronavirus et de la crise persistante du coût de la vie. Nous avons continué à ressentir la pression de la crise du coût de la vie dans la gestion de nos activités alors que nous parvenions à contrôler les effets persistants du coronavirus.

Du côté des collectes de fonds et des recettes, le défi de recueillir les fonds nécessaires pour répondre au niveau des besoins de la communauté demeurait.  Cela pourrait s’expliquer en partie par l’effet cumulatif des effets persistants du coronavirus et de la crise durable du coût de la vie qui a continué de créer de l’incertitude pour de nombreux bailleurs de fonds individuels.

Nous devons également admettre que la campagne de collecte de fonds pour nos programmes de restructuration post-coronavirus et de construction de meilleurs programmes a encore du mal à générer le financement nécessaire pour répondre aux besoins de la communauté.

Malgré ces facteurs d’entrave ou cette lutte, nos fonds de trésorerie ont maintenu leurs tendances ascendantes comme indiqué ci-dessus.  Sur le plan comptable, nous avons réussi à augmenter nos recettes. Nos recettes soulignent presque une augmentation de 7%.  Cette augmentation et les économies réalisées sur les paiements ont donné lieu à un solde net positif de notre compte des recettes et paiements pour l’exercice.

Nous espérons que les fruits des programmes susmentionnés apparaîtront pleinement au cours du nouvel exercice (2023/2024) et au-delà.  Nous pouvons également nous attendre à ce que le rebond de nos fonds de trésorerie se poursuive régulièrement et soit encore perceptible au cours de l’exercice 2023/2024.

A l’issue de cet exercise financier 2022/2023, nous tenons à remercier tous nos sympathisant(e)s pour leur engagement indéfectible et leur soutien percutant pour nous avoir aidé à exprimer et à porter une fois de plus notre message de réduction de la pauvreté dans le monde du développement, en particulier au moment très inquiétant des effets persistants de la pandémie de coronavirus, de la crise durable du coût de la vie et de la crise climatique qui subsiste.

Merci beaucoup d’avoir fait de 2022-2023 une autre année mémorable et méritoire au sein de CENFACS et d’avoir été là aux côtés de ceux ou celles qui souffrent.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Back-to-relief Programme 2023: Programme for Pre-autumn Season 2023

 

The following covers our programme for this pre-autumnal season:

 

∝ Back-to-relief Projects

∝ Open Days under Back-to-Relief Programme

∝ Support for Crises-impacted Children in Africa 

∝ Back to the Upkeep of the Nature this September 2023

∝ Back to Advisory Support this September 2023

∝ Back to the Upkeep of the Nature with the Theme of “Grey Spaces”

∝ Grey spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 04/09/2023

 

Let us briefly explain these contents.

 

 

• • Back-to-relief Projects 

 

As previously mentioned, most of our projects and programmes are organised to take into account the lives and needs of our beneficiaries, supporters as well.  Some of them will be back this week after Summer break.  They are back for the New Academic Year and New Relief, year for which we have prepared projects and programmes to work with them so that they can meet their existing, challenging, changing and emerging needs – the back-to-relief projects and programmes.

Amongst the back-to-relief projects and programmes, there are these two ones:  Open Days and Support to Children.

 

• • Open Days under Back-to-Relief Programme

 

Since we set up hybrid way of delivering service as a legacy of the coronavirus, we continue to operate virtually/online and in-person.  There are reasons we operate both ways.

One of these reasons is that it is not always easy for people, especially those who have some physical handicaps and parents with small kids, to in-person move and meet service providers if this service provision cannot physically come to them even if the need is pressing.

Where we are in a position to in-person organise the service requested, users can in-person access the given service prior to arranging an appointment.

So, our open days will be both virtual and in-person.  They are virtual days to enable those in need but cannot move physically to access services.  They are in-person for those who prefer in-person open days.  For the latter ones, they need to book an appointment for in-person open day to happen.

 

• • • What are virtual and in-person open days?

 

Virtual and In-person Open Days (VIODs) are a back-to-relief initiative organised by CENFACS during this September 2023 to enable people in need to access our advice service and other similar services in order to reduce or end poverty linked to their situations or conditions of life.

 

• • • How VIODs work

 

Our Virtual Open Day, which will be every Fridays of September 2023, will be held from 10 am to 2 pm.

You can access VODs by contacting CENFACS.

You do not need to register with us.

Every Fridays, you can either email or phone or even text between 10 am and 2 pm.

Our In-person Open Day, which will also be every Fridays of September 2023, will be held from 10 am to 2 pm.   An appointment needs to be booked to have in-person open day.

For more on CENFACS’ Virtual and In-person Open Hours and Days as well as how they work, please contact us.

 

• • Support for Crisis-impacted Children in Africa 

 

Another back-to-relief initiative for this September 2023 is Support for Crisis-impacted Children in Africa, particularly the Children of Conflict-stricken and Climate Change-affected Areas of Africa in this September and beyond.  This initiative relates to four humanitarian appeals, which are:

 

√ Africa’s Food Crises-impacted Poor Who Needed Influence

√ Children in the Horn of Africa Who desperately Wanted to Avoid Famine

√ Children in Need in the Eastern Part of the Democratic Republic of Congo

√ The Polycrisis-impacted Children of East Africa Who Needed Influence.

 

These appeals were launched under the Light projects.

The people on whose behalf these appeals were made include children. Children were amongst displaced persons, the victims of conflict and food insecure as part of appeal beneficiaries.

While one can still ask the progress made to save and rebuild these crises-impacted lives, one can also question about the support that the children affected by these crises are receiving and/or received, especially at this challenging time of the cost-of-living crisis.

This questioning is relevant as we are in September when a new school or academic year starts in many parts of the world and of Africa.  This questioning is even founded at this time when many parents will struggle to provide school uniforms and equipment to send their children back to school.

Parents and children have another battle where school infrastructures and buildings were destroyed because of events like wars and natural disasters, or simply occupied as refuges by the war victims.

These negative effects are even greater for children from poor places in developing countries (like of Africa) where educational opportunities have been denied to many of them regardless of the current global cost-of-living crisis.

So, during this September we will be working on this back-to-relief initiative to explore ways of keeping education alive for these unfortunate children living in those parts of Africa in crisis.  Through this initiative, we will help get education and learning back on track for these children.

For further details about this initiative, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Back to the Upkeep of the Nature this September 2023

 

September is also the month we resume our advocacy work on the upkeep of the nature.  Normally, this advocacy starts from the protection and care of animals in Africa from illegal killings, extinction and poaching.  In the last week of September 2023, we shall focus on saving endangered insects and invertebrates through our new initiative called ‘Niamankεkε’ (that, Nurture Insects via Adaptive Management for Action on Nature that Keeps the Endangered as Key to our Environment).  It is an advocacy for the world’s smallest creatures.

Niamankεkε is a new advocacy project planned by CENFACS to help protect critically endangered insects and invertebrates in Africa.  Insects like Brenton Blue Butterfly, Chlorocypha spp, Eriksson’s Copper, Pheidole spp, African Dung Beetle, etc. are endangered species.  The ‘Niamankεkε’ project, which has already kicked off, will help us to advocate for a safe life for insects and invertebrates.

Another initiative featuring this September 2023 is our advocacy on lands which will be conducted under the theme of “Grey Spaces“.  Grey Spaces take stock of the advocacy on waters which we worked on since September 2019.

In September 2019, we worked on the Protection of the Oceans (particularly the waters surrounding Africa and the rivers and lakes in Africa).  In September 2020, we carried on with the advocacy on waters through the theme of “Blue Spaces”.  In September 2021, we had a 3-week work on sea level rise as notes for the “Blue Spaces”.  Last September, we had three weeks and five days of advocacy work on safe, inclusive and accessible green spaces.

This September 2023, we are continuing our space analysis and advocacy with a new theme which is “Grey Spaces” and space implications for poverty reduction and sustainable development.  The notes for this new advocacy which are on “Grey or Gray Spaces” started from the 4^th of September 2023.

To conclude the month, we will have some e-discussions on circular economy.

Briefly, Back to the Upkeep of the Nature this September 2023 will include the “Nyamankεkε” advocacy project, access to natural spaces with the theme of “Grey Spaces” and an e-discussion on circular economy.

 

• • Back to Advisory Support this September 2023

 

As above mentioned, Advice is CENFACS’ main theme for September.  We provide advice to both individuals and organisations.

 

 

• • • Advice Service for Individuals

 

Some of you are aware that most of CENFACS services in the UK are designed to support multi-dimensional poor children, young people and families (CYPFs).  After the summer break, many of them will come back to start their life again.  From September onward, they will go back to school for CYPs and to work and training for parents and guardians. 

They may need or ask for support to restart or look for occupational opportunity or even just resume their routine activity in September.  Their needs could include the following:

 

∝ Finding a new school or a nursery for children

∝ Registration to health services

∝ Finding accommodation or relocating

∝ Accessing training opportunity or employment

∝ Looking for a new occupation to deal with the economic effects of the cost-of-living crisis

∝ Finding help to adjust their life after Summer break or any period of inactivity

∝ Looking for direction to overcome the cost-of-living crisis 

Etc.

 

We can provide advisory support to them. Where our capacity is limited, we can refer and/or signpost them to relevant specialist services and organisations to help them meet their needs.

We do it under CENFACS’ Capacity Advice Service which was established since 2003 (through CENFACS’ Capacity Advice and Development project for Croydon’s African and Minority Ethnic People) to help individuals gain various types of help.

 

The types of help we provide include:

 

√ Translation (English to French and vice versa)

√ Interpreting

√ Generalist advice

√ Guidance

√ Signposting

√ Referral

√ Advocacy

Etc.

 

As we are in a digital era, we adapted the provision of the above listed help while still retaining its essence. Two years ago, we introduced leaves in this service to make it Leaves-based Advice Service.

You can contact CENFACS for the range of issues included in this service and to find out if your problem can be dealt with.

Regarding Translation service, we would like to remind everybody that the 30th of September 2023 is the International Translation Day.  For those who need a translation service, they can contact us on the day for translation.  But they need to let us know at least three days before so that we can include their request in our plan.

 

 

• • • Advice Service for Organisations 

The same advice service applies to overseas and Africa-based Sister Organisations. 

Under our international advice service, we can advise them on the following matters:

 

√ Capacity building and development

√ Project planning and development

√ Poverty reduction within the context of Africa Continental Free Trade Area

√ Not-for-profit investment and development

√ Absorption capacity development

√ Fundraising and grant-seeking leads

√ Income generation and streams

√ Sustainable development

√ Monitoring and evaluation

Etc. 

 

Again, where our capacity to advise is limited, we can refer and or signpost them to relevant international services and organisations. This advisory support for Africa-based Sister Organisations is throughout the year and constituent part of our work with them.  However, they can take advantage of our advice-giving month to seek further advice on any of the above matters.

To access advice services, please contact CENFACS.  To register for or enquire about advice services, go to www.cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities.

 

 

• • Back to the Upkeep of the Nature with the Theme of “Grey or Gray Spaces”

  

The following will help deal with this theme: theme statement and key notes covering this theme.

 

• • • Theme statement 

 

The theme of “Grey Spaces” under the back to the upkeep of the nature (which is part of our back-to-relief programme) is about making grey spaces (and those in need populating grey spaces) to benefit from blue and green spaces in a safe, inclusive and accessible way; in doing so using these grey spaces to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  There are two aspects in this statement. 

The first aspect of this statement is about the benefits of grey spaces from blue and green spaces.  The second aspect of this statement is what we called grey poverty reduction and grey sustainable development.

In labelling poverty reduction and sustainable development grey, we are trying to look at the extent to which the “Grey Spaces” can help people in Africa and elsewhere to alleviate or escape from poverty.   This is what one can call “grey poverty reduction “.  This is despite criticism about these spaces.

To enable this process to happen, we are recalling the United Nations Biodiversity Agreement (9), particularly its Goal 12 which is:

“Significantly increase the area and quality and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health and well-being and connection to nature and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and the provision of ecosystem functions and services”.

To help achieve poverty reduction and sustainable development in grey spaces, there could be a need to mainstream conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, to ensure biodiversity-inclusive urbanisation and to improve the health and well-being of those in need occupying grey spaces.

Therefore, we are going to look at how the people in need living in urban and densely populated areas or “Grey Spaces” can be capacitated to sustainably develop.  This is what one can term as “grey sustainable development “.

 

• • • Four key notes to work on Grey Spaces

 

To materialise what we have said above, we have planned four key notes or topics (as shown on the above figure relating to grey space theme) which include:

 

1) The Impacts of Grey Spaces on Health and Well-being

2) Grey Spaces as Bases for Self-organisation, Negotiation and Empowerment

3) Grey Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

4) Interaction between Blue Spaces, Green Spaces and Grey Spaces in the Process of Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development.

 

The notes or topics will be the vehicle by which we shall illustrate the central theme or message of Grey Spaces.   Through these notes, we hope users in their journey with us to undergo change in the long term in the way they approach Grey Spaces.

Let’s now summarise the first note or topic of our September 2023 work on Grey Spaces; note which started from 04 September 2023.

 

 

• • Grey Spaces-focused Note for Week Beginning 04/09/2023: The Impacts of Grey Spaces on Health and Well-being

 

Before looking at these impacts, let us first understand Grey Spaces.

 

• • • Basic understanding of Grey Space

 

There are many ways of understanding Grey Space.  Property professionals define it in their own ways as they see it as a surplus in terms of office accommodation.  Theorists of urbanisation analyse Grey Space from a different perspective.  Amongst these theoreticians is Oren Yiftachel (10) who argues that

“The concept of ‘gray space’ refers to developments, enclaves, populations and transactions positioned between the ‘lightness’ of legality/approval/safety and the ‘darkness’ of eviction/destruction/death.  Gray spaces are neither integrated nor eliminated, forming pseudo-permanent margins of today’s urban regions, which exist partially outside the gaze of state authorities and city plans” (p. 243)

Following Oren Yiftachel’s line of reasoning, Kai Bauer (12) adds that

“These gray spaces are “growing assemblages of bodies, groups, zones, developments, and transactions that balance between the light of legality and citizenship and the dark of criminality, eviction, and exclusion.  People who occupy the gray space are neither integrated nor eliminated”.

Both Oren Yiftachel and Kai Bauer tell us that gray spaces are found in many mega urban cities.  Unrecognised conditions of living and proliferation of slums and informal settlement are indeed characteristic of some of the world’s big cities.  Because of the features of these spaces, they can be studied to look at how they can impact their occupiers’ health and well-being.

 

• • • The Impacts of Grey Spaces on Health and Well-being

 

Many studies recognise that the development of grey space could result in harmful impact on health and the wellbeing of those living in and around this space.

For example, John D. Potter at al. (11) argue that

“Grey space – the urban space – largely presents hazards to health”.

They also share the view that

“Urban intensification has resulted in reduced exposure to green and blue space and associated health-enhancing factors… Grey space has isolated us from the natural environment including soil”.

There is more to argue and prove about impacts of Grey Spaces in Africa and elsewhere.  However, what we are interested here is how these spaces impact the health and well-being of our community members.  We are as well interested in the experience that our members had with Grey Spaces in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Through these interests, this note helps us to identify areas of unmet needs within our community and generate projects or activities to help satisfy those unmet needs.  This note will also help us to work together with the community on ways of finding the bases for self-organisation, negotiation and empowerment.

For those of our members who would like to work with us on how they can self-organise, negotiate and empower themselves, they are welcome to work with us.

For those members whose Grey Spaces are part of their life and would like to share their experience of them in terms of safety, inclusivity and accessibility to services, blue and green spaces; they are also invited to share it with us.

For those who would like to further discuss with us any other matters relating to Grey Spaces, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

Finally, those who have any queries and enquiries about this year’s Back-to-relief Programme and Projects, they can let CENFACS know them.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/july2023 (accessed in September 2023)

(2) https://www.the guardian.com/business/2023/aug/24/uk-interest-rates-to-peak-at-55-in-september-economists-predict (accessed in September 2023)

(3) www.waldenu.edu/progressas/education/resource/what-is-poverty-and-what-role-does-it-play-in-our-school (accessed in September 2023)

(4) McBrown, J. (2018), What is influence and what are influencing skills? at https://www.roffeypark.ac.uk/knowledge-and-learning-resources-hub/what-is-influence-and-what-are-influencing-skills/(accessed in September 2023)

(5) Miles, M. (2022), 5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them) at https://www.betterup.com/blog/types-of-feedback (accessed in September 2023)

(6) https://globalpayrollassociation.com/blogs/africa/dr-congo-800-million-lost-to-payroll-fraud-every-year (accessed in September 2023)

(7) idem

(8) https://nagel-forensic.com/services/forensic-accounting-investigaions-and-disputes/payroll-fraud (accessed in September 2023)

(9) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press–release-final-19dec2022 (accessed in September 2023)

(10) Yiftachel, O. (2009), Critical Theory and ‘gray space’ Mobilisation of the Colonized at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248930381_critical_theory_and_’gray_space’_Mobilisation_of_thecolonized (accessed in September 2023)

(11) Bauer, K. (2017), Gray Space and Creeping Urban Apartheid at https://urbandemos.nyu.edu/2027/03/01/gray-space-and-creeping-urban-apartheid/(accessed in September 2023)

(12) Potter, J. D., Brooks, C., Donovan G., Cunningham, C., Douwes, A perspective on green, blue and grey spaces biodiversity, microbiota, and human health at htpps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0048969723033958 (accessed in September 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.

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We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2023 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 August 2023

 

Post No. 315

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• CENFACS Annual Review 2022/2023

• Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services – Trending Topic in Focus on 30 & 31/08/2023: Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal – Creative Activity No. 6: Create Your Journal of Freedom to Choose and Capabilities

 

… And much more!

 

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER 2023:

 

Key Messages

 

• CENFACS Annual Review 2022/2023

 

CENFACS Annual Review 2022/2023 is a snapshot of what we did between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.  As it is stated, it is neither a statutory annual report nor an annual return.

It is a summary of the year 2022/2023 in the life of CENFACS that reports back to our supporters, users, members and other stakeholders the impact we have made; impact through stories, quantitative and qualitative data.

The review highlights accomplishments made and recollects milestones for the above stated year. It uncovers trends and insights about the changes that affected our noble cause of poverty reduction.

It outlines some highlights from our 2022 Year-in-review Report while including our achievements made by the end of June 2023.

It is as well a performance review and annual review story of our finances.

It is finally the impact story of building forward better together cleaner, greener and safer in the era of rising costs of living.

For more on this review, please read 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 on 30 & 31/08/2023:

Impact Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Development and Action Plan 

 

Any activity or action to be successful needs impact monitoring and evaluation to know that it has been executed as planned and the changes that may happen over time as a result of this activity or action.  In order to know the progress and achievements made as well as to examine our performance against objectives, we are carrying out two exercises:

 

a) Impact Monitoring and Evaluation

b) Learning Development and Action Plan.

 

Let us explain what these two exercises are about.

 

• • Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

We are now carrying on with the systematic process of observation, recording, collection and analysis of information regarding our 4-week work on Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services in order to get its impact or at least its output.  This routing process will help to examine the activities developed and identify bottlenecks during the process to see if they are in line with objectives we defined.

To monitor our Trending Activities, we have been routinely gathering information on all aspects when we have been following the Direction of Poverty Reduction via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services.  We are now examining what these follow-up actions have achieved or will achieve in relation to the aims and objectives we set up for them.  This monitoring has enabled us to keep an eye on the progress made so far.  In our approach to impact monitoring and evaluation, we included the four actions took in relation to Services provided by Marine and Coastal Ecosystems; services which are: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural and Supporting Services.

Besides this impact monitoring activity, we are as well conducting evaluation for learning purpose.  This impact evaluation will help us to learn something from these actions.  It will also assist to check the actual outcomes against the objectives we set up for trending activities.  When this evaluation for learning is completed, we shall carry out an impact evaluation to find out how working with the community would have some influences in the long term on them in using the above mentioned services in order to reduce poverty and or get more results on poverty reduction.

We are undertaking the sporadic activity to draw conclusion regarding the relevance and effectiveness of these services.  This activity will contribute to the determination of the value judgement regarding the performance level and attainment of defined objectives for Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services.

The findings from this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation will help to figure out what has been achieved through this work and give us some flavour about the future direction of our trending activities.

As part of this Impact Monitoring and Evaluation exercise, we would like to ask to those who have been working with us throughout the last four weeks to share with us their feelings and thoughts about these two areas:

 

(a) The overall “Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services“

(b) Any initiative taken by you in the way of helping to Follow the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services.

 

You can share your feelings and thoughts with us by:

 

∝ Phoning

∝ Texting

∝ E-mailing

∝ Completing the contact form with your feelings and thoughts.

 

• • Learning Development and Action Plan from Following the Direction of Poverty Reduction this Summer via Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services

 

As part of keeping the culture of continuous learning and professional development within CENFACS, we are examining what the running of Trending Activities have brought and indicated to us.  We are particularly looking at the learning and development priorities and initiatives.  In this exercise, we are considering the action points and plan we may need to make in order to improve or better change the way in which we deliver our services and work with users.

For those who have been following the running of the Trending Month with us, this is the time or opportunity they can add their inputs to our learning and development experience so that we can know the knowledge gap that need to be filled up.  They can as well have their own action plans on how they would like to take forward the contents of Trending Activities month.  And if they have a plan and want us to look at it, we are willing to do so.

Have an action plan for your trending activity and want CENFACS to look at it, please do not hesitate to contact us.  To add your input to our exercise on learning, development and action plan; just contact CENFACS.

 

• • Views from Those Who Have Been Acting with Us and/or Following Us

 

One of the monitoring and evaluation indicators/tools we are using is to collect the views from those who have been acting with us and/or those who have been following us.  In this respect, we would like to ask them to tell us their feelings about the four actions taken relating to the four services as highlighted in the following simple questions.  They can provide their feelings in the form of a review or feedback or testimony.  The results of their feelings will help to improve future trending activities.

 

 

Those participating to this survey can tick one box (ranging from 0 to 10) for each trending activity.  Ticking the box will indicate to us how satisfied they are with the delivery experience about each action taken.  All the completed survey forms should be sent to CENFACS by mid-September 2023.

Those who want to provide feelings and would like to request the details about these activities prior to their response, they are free to make their request to CENFACS.

Thank you for considering our demand of feelings and for your support.

It will be good that those who would like to provide their feelings to do them by mid-September 2023.

 

 

• Happiness and Healthiness Journal, Creative Activity No. 6: Create Your Journal of Freedom to Choose and Capabilities

 

The last episode of our Summer series of Journal of Happiness and Healthiness is about Freedom to Choose and Capabilities.  It is about writing on the things that have expanded your freedoms (i.e., liberty or independence) and opened more choices for you to find your own development paths according to socially acceptable values rather than being prescribed to follow a particular path.  As Armarthya Sen (1) explains in the following words:

“Freedom implies not just to do something but the capabilities to make it happen”.

Yet, the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, extreme temperatures and the cost-of-living crisis have restricted the freedom to choose, incapacitated people, and limited the choice one can make about their happiness and healthiness over Summer 2023.  Despite these restrictions, limitations and incapabilities; one can create or write a journal of freedom or unfreedom to choose to reflect their conditions and circumstances of life brought by these lingering effects.

 

• • Create or Write a Journal of Freedom or Unfreedom to Choose and Capabilities for Any Life Circumstance

 

To reflect the above-mentioned restrictions or limitations or even incapabilities, one can create or write a journal of freedom or unfreedom for the things that have made them to feel happy, healthy, capable and free during this Summer 2023.  Alternatively, one can consider journaling the things that have made them unhappy, unhealthy, incapable and confined this Summer 2023.

Since, the work of CENFACS is on poverty reduction, one can as well think of writing a journal that explains the freedom and ability they have to choose solutions to reduce or end poverty and hardships.  Such a journal can include things like being able to choose items within the basic necessities of life (e.g. kinds of food, shelter, education, information, health, etc.).

For example, one can write about fostering their own or people’s competence to make their own choices to exercise their own agency or about the freedom to meet their own needs.  One can as write on deficit in freedom to choose.

You can create your journal for any aspects of Summertime linked to freedom to choose.  You can explain your experiences, feelings and thoughts in terms of happiness and healthiness about freedom to choose and capabilities over this Summer of the lingering effects of the coronavirus, changing climate and the enduring cost-of-living crisis.

In short, you can create or write a journal of the following:

 

∝ Things that have made you to feel happy, healthy, free and capable over this Summer 2023

∝ Things that have made you unhappy, unhealthy, incapable and confined over this Summer 2023

∝ Explaining the freedom and capability you have to choose solutions to reduce or end poverty and hardships over this Summer 2023.

 

• • Impact Record and Share of Your Journal of Freedom to Choose and Capabilities

 

You can impact record your thoughts, feelings, experiences, souvenirs and memories in relation to happiness and healthiness regarding the freedom to choose and capabilities.  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, capable and free livelihoods during this Summer 2023 as well as to help build a better Summer holiday experience, you can contact CENFACS.

 

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER 2023:

Extra Messages

 

• Combination of Goals of the Season and the Month: Reduction of Two-dimensional Poverty –

• Support for Those Who Continue to be Impacted by the Cost-of-living Crisis

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Intra-BRICS Trade on Poverty Reduction in Africa 

 

• Combination of Goals of the Season and the Month: Reduction of Two-dimensional Poverty –

Reduction of Poverty Linked to the Lack of Happiness and Reduction of Social Poverty 

 

Our Goal of the Season (Summer Season of Happiness and Healthiness) can be combined with our Goal of the Month of August 2023.  They do not need to be separately treated.

Indeed, during this Season of Happiness and Healthiness at CENFACS, we have been trying to explore together steps and ways of helping our members to find happiness, healthiness and wellness.  This has been done through Happiness and Healthiness Projects and other Summer initiatives we offered so that they could navigate their way to happiness and healthiness.

During this month of August which is ending soon, we have been helping to reduce social poverty experienced by the members of our community.

The two works (for the season and this month) can be combined to help reduce a two-dimensional poverty.  It is possible to simultaneously reduce poverty linked to the lack of happiness and healthiness as well as social poverty.

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

 

 

• Support for Those Who Continue to be Impacted by the Cost-of-living Crisis

How to avoid negative coping strategies during this time of enduring cost-of-living crisis

 

There are positive and negative coping strategies to deal with stressful situations like the cost-of-living crisis.   Some of our users know this distinction between the two.  Others are not aware.

Those who are not aware and would like to work with CENFACS, we can support them so that they find the right coping strategies linked to their situation during this challenging time of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  Before going further about our work with users on coping strategies, let us re-explain these strategies.

 

• • Coping Strategies or Mechanisms

 

Coping strategies or mechanisms are defined by the World Health Organisation Department of Emergency and Humanitarian Action (2) as

“Remedial actions undertaken by people whose survival and livelihood are compromised or threatened”.

For example, during the current cost-of-living crisis, many people including CENFACS‘ users are resorting to remedial actions in order to mitigate the adverse effects of the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  However, not all these actions or strategies could be positive.  Some of them could be negative.

 

• • Negative Coping Strategies or Mechanisms

 

They are negative activities that people can use to obtain the means of livelihood (e.g. income, food, energy, water, shelter, etc.) during the time of crisis, disruption or disturbance like the cost-of-living crisis.  These negative activities can temporarily enable them to access basic life-sustaining needs.

Examples of such negative activities could include: taking out loans from informal moneylenders, distress sale of household assets, child labour, contracting disproportional loans compared to earning capacity, gambling, secrecy of information on your financial hardship, etc.

Many users of these negative strategies do not realise that negative coping strategies can lead to further financial stress and possibly to further poverty in the long term.  They can make the crisis to settle in the longer term.  To avoid the settlement of the crisis in the long term, CENFACS  is offering a pre-autumn advisory service to those who would like to tackle the  cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • Pre-autumn Advisory Service for the Impacted of the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The service is designed to support and enable the community to deal with or withstand stressful situations like the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  Through this service, CENFACS will…

 

∝ Conduct a needs assessment of users’ needs to cover the cost of living

∝ Review any unsuccessful or negative coping strategies or mechanisms that users have taken so far to deal with the cost-of-living crisis

∝ Evaluate the results of these strategies

∝ Explore and identify the appropriate positive coping strategies for the applicants to the service

∝ Develop action plan for a revised or new coping strategy

∝ Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan for the revised or new coping strategy

∝ Work with them and effectively help them to avoid negative coping strategies during this time of enduring cost-of-living crisis.

 

For those members of our community who have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and who are struggling with their coping strategies or mechanisms relating to the cost-of-living crisis, they are welcome to contact CENFACS with their queries or enquiries.  Our service on this matter covers various aspects of cost (e.g. rising costs and prices of food, energy, fuel, accommodation, transport, etc.) forming the cost-of-living crisis.

If you are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and needs support, CENFACS would be happy to work with you via its advisory service.

 

 

• CENFACS’ be.Africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Intra-BRICS Trade on Poverty Reduction in Africa 

 

BRICS (that is the economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has recently invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to join them as full members.  There could be a positive impact between these countries through trade relations and other areas of cooperation.  However, it is difficult to predict that these trade creation and development effects amongst the BRICS members will have automatic effect on poverty reduction in Africa.  Perhaps, the future will tell if there will be.

Some observers see BRICS as a simple opposition to the G7 (group of seven industrial nations) and which has geo-economic and geo-political global ambition; ambition which could be distant from the needs and preoccupations of ordinary Africans.  Others think that ordinary Africans need to do more by themselves than to rely on the trickle down effects of the BRICS trade policy and development.

Because of the uncertainty of BRICS’ intra-trade creation effects on poverty reduction in Africa, CENFACS’ be-Africa Forum e-discusses the Impact of Intra-BRICS Trade on Poverty Reduction in Africa.  In particular, the forum is trying to debate the following questions:

 

q) Is a paradigm shift in international financing and development cooperation by BRICS also a change in terms of poverty reduction in Africa?

q) Does the economic rise of the BRICS mean more poverty reduction or less poor in Africa?

q) How can many of the BRICS projects (such as BRICS Multi-Development Bank, Financial Technology Partnerships, Infrastructure Development, Security, etc.) benefit the poor in Africa?

q) How can small and medium-sized not-for-profit African organisations get their share out of the geo-economic drive and strategy of the BRICS?

 

Those who may be interested in answering these questions 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’impact du commerce intra-BRICS sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique 

Les BRICS (c’est-à-dire le bloc économique du Brésil, de la Russie, de l’Inde, de la Chine et de l’Afrique du Sud) ont récemment invité l’Argentine, l’Égypte, l’Éthiopie, l’Iran, l’Arabie Saoudite et les Émirats Arabes Unis à les rejoindre en tant que membres à part entière.  Il pourrait y avoir un impact positif entre ces pays par le biais des relations commerciales et d’autres domaines de coopération.

Cependant, il est difficile de prédire que ces effets sur la création de commerce et le développement entre les membres des BRICS auront un impact positif sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  Peut-être que l’avenir dira s’il y en aura.

Certain(e)s observateurs/trices voient dans les BRICS une simple opposition au G7 (groupe des sept nations industrielles) et qui a une ambition géo-économique et géopolitique mondiale; une ambition qui pourrait être éloignée des besoins et des préoccupations des Africain(e)s ordinaires.  D’autres pensent que les Africain(e)s ordinaires doivent faire plus par eux(elles)-mêmes que de compter sur les retombées de la politique commerciale et du développement des BRICS.

En raison de l’incertitude des effets de la création du commerce intra-commercial des BRICS sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique, le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS discute de l’impact du commerce intra-BRICS sur la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique.  En particulier, le forum tente de débattre des questions suivantes:

q) Un changement de paradigme dans le financement international et la coopération au développement par les BRICS est-il également une mutation en terme de réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique ?

q) L’essor économique des BRICS signifie-t-il plus de réduction de la pauvreté ou moins de pauvreté en Afrique ?

q) Comment de nombreux projets BRICS (tels que la Banque Multi-développement des BRICS, les partenariats de technologie financière, le développement des infrastructures, la sécurité, etc.) peuvent-ils bénéficier aux pauvres en Afrique ?

q) Comment les petites et moyennes organisations africaines à but non lucratif peuvent-elles tirer leur épingle du jeu, de l’impulsion et de la stratégie géo-économiques des BRICS?

Ceux ou celles qui pourraient être intéressé(e)s à répondre à ces questions peuvent se joindre à nous et / ou contribuer en contactant le Forum ‘Une Afrique Meilleure’ de CENFACS, qui est un réseau de discussion sur les questions et thèmes 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

 

• CENFACS Annual Review 2022/2023

 

This review aims at those who are interested in the work that CENFACS does to get a glimpse of what happened during the financial year 2022/2023.  It is a summary of our activities, performance, achievements and accounts for the financial year 2022/2023.

The following contents make this review:

 

∝ Theme of CENFACS’ 2022/2023 Annual Review

∝ Annual Review Summary 2022/2023.

 

Let us uncover these contents.

 

• • Theme of CENFACS’ 2022/2023 Annual Review

 

The theme for this review is building forward better together in the context of the lingering effects of the coronavirus, fall in real disposable household incomes and extreme temperatures.

 

• • Annual Review Summary 2022/2023

 

The summary of our annual review 2022/2023 is presented under the following four headings:

 

∝ Activities Review

∝ Key Produce or Achievements of the Year

∝ Financial Performance Review

∝ Thank you

 

Let us review the activities, achievements and financial performance of the year.

 

 

• • • Activities Review

 

The Activities Review highlights what we did via the following undertakings:

 

food security, financial management of crises, financial security, generational impact analysis of the coronavirus on children, data skills to run your households,  reduction of illicit financial and arms flows, making carbon markets work for the poor, building forward better relationship with nature, creative and innovative ideas for actions for a better Africa, culture of insurance in Africa and making influence work for humanitarian relief in Africa.

 

Let us look back each of these activities we did.

 

• • • • Key Takeaways of the Year

 

The points or facts to remember about 2022/2023 from within and around CENFACS are as follows.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of food security 

 

The continuous rise in food prices meant increased threat level and risk to food security of our members, especially for those who were already food poor.  Where there is threat, there is also opportunity.  Our Africa-based Sister organisations used this opportunity to help bring food security to their users and communities.  Their support helped to almost cut half hunger amongst their users and communities.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of financial management of crises

 

The lingering effects of the coronavirus, the enduring cost-of-living crisis and climate crisis had financial bearing on our project beneficiaries and users.  Skilful financial management of these crises became a way of winning the battle against these crises.  Thanks to the crisis response skills in financial management provided, especially a true leadership’s skills, many of our members were able to managed these crises.  

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of financial security

 

Many of our users were not exactly aware about their financial security number or passive income.  After working together with them, many of them realised how it was easy to find their financial security number or passive income, and how much peace of mind some of them got when they discovered that their income could cover their living expenses and debts while creating savings for emergencies.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of generational impact analysis of the coronavirus on children

 

In the process of building forward, we further considered the fact that COVID-19 put or held back a generation of children for what they supposed to do.  We worked and analysed with users the generational impact of the coronavirus on children.  This work or analysis included, but was not limited to, their children and African children.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of data skills to run your households

 

Thanks to the campaign work carried out with users, we were able to share and enhance the storage, security, process, insight and analytics skills of some of the households making our community.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of advocacy for the reduction illicit financial and arms flows

 

It was helpful to our users to plead together for the proportion of the proceeds from the reduction of illicit financial and arms as well as the return of stolen assets to be allocated to reduce poverty to support poor households.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of making carbon markets work for the poor

 

2022-2023 year’s story was further of acting together with our supporters on carbon markets to reduce or end greenhouse gas emissions while making the same markets work for the poor.  Linking the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and of poverty via carbon markets created interest within CENFACS community members on net zero ways of supporting them/the poor.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of mobilising for birds’ useful life for us

 

2022-2023 was also a year of building forward better relationship with nature.  Through the ‘Mbulu‘ project and ‘A la une‘ (Autumn Leaves of Action for the Upkeep of the Nature) campaign, we tirelessly worked with the community and others outside our community to raise awareness of the upkeep of endangered bird species like Africa Grey Parrots, Congo Peafowl, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill and Grossley’s Ground Thrush.

 

∝ 2022-2023 as a year of creative and innovative ideas for actions for a better Africa

 

Together with our members we thought and discussed while making proposals on issues that mattered most to those living in poverty in Africa.  A number of proposals made have been turned into policy actions by our Africa-based Sister Organisations and those who in position to influence change on the ground in Africa.  These proposals include ways of broadening local contribution to local charitable causes, not-for-profit investing for impact in Africa, ways of creating and innovating more resilient and sustainable systems for children in Africa to withstand future climate and economic impacts, etc.

 

∝) 2022-2023 as a year of promoting the culture of insurance in Africa

 

Through this promotion, our Africa-based Sister Organisations were able to enhance their beneficiaries’ customs, ideas and art of deciding how much insurance to buy for a well-defined risk.  They were able to improve the same beneficiaries’ experiences, perceptions, knowledge, attitude and understanding of insurance.

 

∝ 2022-2023 as year of making influence work for humanitarian relief in Africa 

 

Making influence support endangered and in some circumstances destroyed lives as the events below were unfolding in the following places and regions is another takeaway:

 

√ Africa’s Food Crises-impacted Poor Who Needed Influence

√ Children in the Horn of Africa Who desperately Wanted to Avoid Famine

√ Food Insecurity Hotspot African Countries

√ Sexual Violence in Armed Conflicts in Africa

√ Children in Need in the Eastern Part of the Democratic Republic of Congo

√ The Polycrisis-impacted Children of East Africa Who Needed Influence

√ The People of Central African Republic Who Needed Influence to Stop the Worsening Humanitarian Crisis They Were Experiencing

√ The People of Lake Chad Basin Who still Needed Support

√ The Victims of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Forgotten Crisis.

 

With the support of the community in terms of data and stories from these places or regions of CENFACS‘ operation, we made together appeal so that lives and livelihoods could be saved from civil violence, attacks, gender-based violence, severe climate conditions, other life-threatening and destroying conditions (such as the coronavirus) and the cost-of-living crisis. 

In total, we launched nine humanitarian relief appeals.  As a result of these appeals, there have been some support to the sufferers of these events while there is still much to be done. 

There are many good and positive results to take away from this financial year, although we limit ourselves to the above key takeaways mentioned.

 

 

• • 2022/2023 Key Produce or Achievements

 

We would be indebted if we end this review without mentioning or adding to the above Activities Review these three achievements:  Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023, a New Generation of Nature Projects and Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, and a new Hub for Hypotheses Testing (H-tests Hub).

Concerning Africa Not-for-profit Investment Outlook 2023, a number of potential not-for-profit investors have shown interest in impact investing in Africa-based Sister Organisations linked to CENFACS.

Regarding New Nature Projects and New Nature-based Solutions to Poverty, activities (such as advocacy, workshop, discussion group, survey, etc.) held so far have enabled participants to reconnect with nature and use nature-based solutions to deal with the adverse impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

As to H-tests Hub, it has generated a lot of enquiries from our members and their social networks (that is., families and friends) on how the hub can help young people making our community, particularly students working on development and poverty issues, in their educational work and academic research tasks.

 

• • •  Financial Performance Review

 

The following is the summary of our receipts and payments for the year ending 30 June 2023.

After our cash funds picked up in the first six months of the last financial year (2021/2022) and returned to the road of growth in the next six months period that followed, it continued its ascending trend.  For this financial year (2022/2023), we have recorded a net increase of 12% in our cash funds.  This increase was possible as the savings made on payments accounts (on items such as in-person networking and meetings, transport and travel, postage stamps, outreach, printing and photocopying, and overseas budget) started to pay off.

On the payments side, rise in the costs of living meant increase in our costs, except for the printing and photocopying account.  As we were in the period of removed in-person coronavirus restrictions, we resumed some activities linked to in-person matter.

As a result, the following costs and posts relating to in-person activities increased: transport and travel, stationery and books, and postage stamps.  Our communication costs also went up; reflecting our desire to stay on track with stakeholders and to keep our members engaged with our charitable cause.  The stubborn inflationist period also meant for us a rise in the costs of renting and utilities.

We carried on investing in online and virtual means of working to deliver efficiencies across CENFACS.  The additional investment made started to gradually and shyly appear, amid the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring cost-of-living crisis.  We continued to feel the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis in the running of our activities while we managed to control the late appeared lingering effects of the coronavirus.

On the fundraising and receipts side, the challenge to raise the funds needed to meet the level of needs in the community remained.  This could be partly explained by the cumulative effect of the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the enduring cost-of-living crisis which continued to drive uncertainty to many individual donors.  We have also to admit that the fundraising campaign for our post-coronavirus restructuring and build forward better programmes is still struggling to generate the funding required to meet needs in the community.

Despite these hampering factors or struggle, our cash funds have kept their ascending trends as said above.   In accounting terms, we managed to increase our receipts.  Our receipts nearly underscores an increase of 7%.  This increase and the savings made on payments resulted in a positive net balance of our receipts and payments account for the year.

We hope that the fruits of the above mentioned programmes will fully appear in the new financial year (2023/2024) and beyond.  We can as well expect that the rebound of our cash funds will steadily continue and be further noticeable in the financial year 2023/2024.

 

• • Thank you

 

The work of CENFACS is a collective endeavour that relies upon the voluntary contribution of others, a key to our success.  As such, there is a number of people and organisations who contributed to the realisation of our financial year 2022-2023.

We would like to indiscriminately acknowledge them.  Without their helpful and altruistic support, we would not be able to achieve the above.  We are grateful to our volunteers, users, members, website/blog readers and supporters.

We would like to thank all of them for their unwavering commitment and impactful support for helping us to voice and bring once again our poverty reduction message into the world in development, especially at the very daunting time of the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the enduring cost-of-living crisis and continuing climate crisis.

Many thanks for making 2022-2023 another deservingly memorable year at CENFACS and for being there for those in need.

More details about CENFACS Annual Review 2022/2023 can be requested.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://asiancenturyinstitute.com/development/333-armartya-sen-on-deveptas-freedom (accessed in August 2023)

(2) https://apps.who.int/disasters/repo/5517.pdf (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!

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.

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• 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 

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• 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.