The HSBC Malta Foundation has continued to support children in Malta by backing various initiatives to help them stay motivated while spending extended periods of time at home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these initiatives, the foundation teamed up with Malta Girl Guides (MGG)

Spanning over 80 days and a total of 40 challenges, the MGG’s #mggquarantinechallenge #beattheboredom attracted over 2,500 participants from over 21 countries. In this initiative, children and people of all ages participated in challenges to help beat the boredom of staying indoors during such difficult times. Challenges targeted different areas of the MGG programme such as mind and spirit, culture and heritage, creativity, outdoor skills, environment and diversity.

After completing the challenges, each participant shared their work online via various social media channels and earned their very own #mggquarantinechallenge badge for participating. HSBC Malta hopes the badge will help turn the challenges into a lifetime memory of how the world united in the battle against the coronavirus and the challenges which this unprecedented pandemic has placed on the community.

As part of its ongoing support, HSBC Malta Foundation also continued to collaborate with MGG, Skolasajf and the Prince’s Trust International Achieve Programme through the delivery of fun and hands-on activities and sessions to help elementary and secondary school students acquire skills in an informal and exciting way.

All sessions were delivered by MGG adult volunteers and they focused on various aspects from the MGG programme such as connecting with nature through outdoor activities, healthy lifestyle and the ‘Marvellous Minds’ campaign.

Caroline Buhagiar Klass, head of human resources and corporate sustainability at HSBC Malta said: “Activities such as these are crucial for the mental well-being of our community.

Sharing different coping mechanisms such as dealing with emotions, and maintaining a healthy diet were all covered through these initiatives supported by the foundation.

The HSBC Malta Foundation will continue to support initiatives that work towards ensuring children lead a happy and healthy life and building their resilience to tackle challenges they may face.”