Editorial

One of the most welcome foundations locally, for the whole country but most especially for the disabled themselves and their families, is the Eden Foundation.

To say that it has done good work, would not begin to describe the difference that it has made to people who would otherwise have had far less chance of living out their lives with decency through no fault of their own.

Again, this is said without forgetting the relief that it must have brought to so many families stricken with huge responsibilities and burdens which few could help them shoulder.

The Eden Foundation went from strength to strength, until about a year ago when owing to great financial difficulties, it nearly folded over.

There is reason to hope, however, for the foundation has struggled back to its feet following a campaign led by The Times, not least with the help of four companies which came forward and donated Lm40,000 between them, thus giving Eden the necessary kiss of life.

Eden`s founder Josie Muscat said that last year had been a bleak one, but now it was looking ahead to overhaul and update the majority of its programmes for people with disability.

"We had to make both ends meet and thanks to our financial controller we implemented several constraints to keep costs at a minimum," he said.

Dr Muscat, together with Eden`s finance and marketing head Louis Cauchi Savona, commented about Eden when they launched the financial report to the media at its premises in Bulebel.

Eden has had to scale down the plans for its new premises by two-thirds in an attempt to redirect the money towards it core operations, which are its educational programmes.

`The shell of one-third of the building is now ready and for the moment we are concentrating on arranging the interior, for which we need another Lm100,000. In the future we will build the remaining two-thirds," he said.

Applying new energy, Eden has set up a new programme for adults which hones in on equipping clients with home and community support skills.

Dr Muscat said that in the coming days Eden would be inaugurating a residence in Luqa which will be used to train adults with disability how to live on their own or with minimal surveillance.

Another new programme, which goes hand-in-hand with the previous one, focuses on creative arts and psychotherapy.

Touching on the audited accounts, Dr Muscat said that Eden`s income for last year stood at Lm793,283. Of this, Lm145,581 came from fund-raising; Lm99,304 from children and adult fees; Lm281,192 from government subsidies; Lm163,305 from donations and Lm103,901 from other income.

Government subsidy, Dr Muscat pointed out, represents 35 per cent of Eden`s total income. This means that for every subsidy of Lm100, Eden earns another Lm180. At the moment there are 370 children benefiting from these programmes and, while each child cost Eden an average of Lm2,337 last year, parents only paid about 12 per cent of this.

Eden is a most worthy foundation, deserving every support and encouragement.