A day centre where people with disabilities are taught life skills was opened in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq on Monday.

This is the 11th such centre to be opened by Aġenzija Sapport, through a total government investment of €30 million.

Users can learn life skills such as sewing or cooking and are offered specialized services and an opportunity to socialize.

Casa Beata Caterina, which was previously occupied by Franciscan nuns, includes a kitchen and a multi-sensory room.

Aġenzija Sapport CEO Ruth Sciberras said the modern building was designed with the ease of use of the clients in mind and incorporates easy to read signage for clients to be able to use the facility self-sufficiently.

Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

The new day centre was inaugurated by Family Minister Michael Falzon and the Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability Anthony Agius Decelis.

Mr Agius Decelis said that the centre was the first of its kind opened in the north of Malta and the government would continue to invest and expand in services of this nature.

He said that clients of the centre, who are between 21 and 23 years old, had the opportunity to learn worthwhile skills and this was another step on enabling them to join the workforce if they wished to do so.

Dr Falzon said he was glad that the start of the year meant that the government had fulfilled an election promise close to his heart, that of giving a minimum wage to people with severe disabilities in order to support themselves. 

Dr Falzon also thanked the employees of the day centre, saying that social work of this nature “had to come from the heart”. He praised social work as a vocation rather than simply a job.