Camini…amo have just returned from their annual journey to Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which they dedicated towards a fundraising effort for Caritas
This year’s group comprised of 71 diverse people with their ages spanning over five decades, diverse people with diverse life experiences, characters and attitudes.
El Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest pilgrimages leading to the shrine of St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Thousands of people around the world embark on this journey for different reasons; as a challenge, as a spiritual path or just to admire the beauty and the serenity one finds along “The Road to Santiago”.
Camini…amo takes this interpersonal journey a step further, and strives to lend a helping hand to others.
Initially Camini…amo focused on asking each pilgrim to collect a sum of money in aid of the chosen charity for a collective donation at the end of the Camino. However, in 2017 Camini…amo decided that it was more important to be giving and reaching out directly to pilgrims while helping others less fortunate, rather than the frenzy of money collection. The focus now is to be hands on and be of help by seeing, feeling and touching the plight of others.
This year Camini…amo have worked collaboratively with Caritas Malta.
hroughout the past five months pilgrims were given the opportunity to volunteer with Caritas. They carried out hands on jobs including volunteering over a period of four months in Caritas Free Lunch Service at Dar Frangisku Birkirkara; assisting residents with figolli preparation at Dar Sant’ Anna; cleaning outdoor areas at San Blas and giving some TLC to the Outreach office in Floriana.
Besides this, through Camini…amo, Titan International Ltd gave a donation to Caritas Malta, and AX Holdings are sponsoring a project at Dar Sant’ Anna.
Pilgrims have also contributed and the sum of €19,000 was presented to Caritas Malta.
Caritas Malta director Anthony Gatt expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the donation but also for the voluntary work done in the seven months preceding the Camino. Volunteers helped in the free lunch service at Dar Papa Frangisku run by Fondazzjoni Dar il-Hena and various drug rehabilitation units run by Caritas.