The poor will always be with us, but that does not mean we can do nothing about it and, indeed, the Maltese people are renowned for their generosity.
A token of such generosity was a sum of €250,000 the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tonio Borg, presented to 16 charitable organisations thanks to the Overseas Development Aid programme.
Such assistance allows charit-able organisations to carry out humanitarian aid in developing countries in Africa, America and Asia.
The beneficiaries were:
Kull Bniedem Ħija (KBĦ) – A project by Fr Victor Scicluna to raise money for the purchase of equipment for a training centre in Sigomere, Kenya and to cover tuition fees for one year. Funding by the Foreign Ministry for this project amounts to €13,128.
Missionary Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition – A project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to build a study centre that would serve as multi-purpose building for educational programmes, such as the teaching of ICT skills. The centre would also provide accommodation and shelter for children undergoing urgent medical attention. (€18,000)
Mission Fund (Malta) is embarking on a construction project to provide a 20-bedroom hostel complete with kitchen and sanitary facilities to accommodate medical personnel and paramedics at the Makiungu Hospital in the Singida region of Tanzania run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM). (€18,000)
Daughters of the Sacred Heart will complete a school project with the construction of eight classrooms that would accommodate about 320 pupils, a library and an office. The aim is to provide primary education to children and youths in Busa, a suburb of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. (€18,000)
Our Lady of Sorrows parish, St Paul’s Bay is handling a project on behalf of the Assisi Snehalaya HIV/AIDS Rehabilitation Centre in Tamil Nadu, India, to finance the necessary capital requirements to offer a care/support home and research centre for HIV/AIDS infected people. (€18,000)
CAMYouths are working on the extension of a primary and middle school in a community centre in Lahore, Pakistan. The project targets particularly young women and children in the Asif Town, Lahore. (€18,000)
SOS Malta will invest in rain water harvesting in Namagoma village in the Masaka district in Uganda. The objectives are to advance the living conditions of the poor in the village, to improve personal hygiene and community health by enhancing access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities and to empower women by providing income generating skills training and encouragement towards the setting up of small cooperatives. (€18,000)
St Jeanne Antide Foundation has a project for the demolition and rebuilding of a rural health clinic for the poor in Chak, in the Faisalabad district, Pakistan. The clinic will continue to target the poor and provide emergency treatment to sick people. (€15,964)
Fr Anton Grech, parish priest of Izabal, Guatemala proposed the extension of a fish farm project in his parish for sustainable development. The project aims to provide much-needed employment opportunities and improve the standard of living of the population. It also aims to incorporate training courses in fishing and increase expertise in the fish farming trade. (€18,000)
Missjoni Etjopja has asked for further funding for a housing project in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Due to the financial crisis that hit Ethiopia, the financial estimates for the existing project were re-assessed and some changes were made to cut expenses. (€18,000)
The Signum Fidei Malta proposed a project titled Malta Signum Fidei Project Sri Lanka. The main objective is to allow children affected by the recent civil war to resume and complete their education in a safe environment. (€18,000)
Kopin will embark on a project in Ethiopia to support the EDA Medical Centre in its efforts to provide health services to the impoverished communities of Akaki Kality. (€18,000)
Inizjamed will support three educational institutions in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The beneficiaries will be the students and staff of the three institutions located in the slums of Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the related communities. In all, about 850 girls and boys and 50 staff members will directly benefit. (€18,000)
Fr Nicholas Schembri Farrugia MSSP has a project to upgrade an existing parish complex with the construction of dormitories and a dining room in his parish. Through the project, the community will focus on two other priorities which are youth and formation for women’s emancipation. (€18,000)
The Missionary Society of St Paul proposed that its Youth Formation Centres in the Philippines would be equipped with computer units that would be essential for students studying ICT skills. The estimated cost of the project is €4,000.
Aldea Infantil Sagrada Familia The director, Fr Frank Cortis, planned the renovation of a dormitory and study quarters for his children’s home in the city of Arequipa, Peru. (€7,218)