A new youth centre in Senglea, seeking to nurture the talents of local youth and offer social support that may be absent at home, is set to open in October.
The centre will open its doors following a research exercise through which the Church asked teenagers how it could best help them overcome obstacles that may be hindering them from bettering their lives.
“It is not enough to develop a program and tell our youths to come to us and follow our instructions,” Archpriest Robin Camilleri said.
“We need to understand it is time for us to go to young people, understand their wants and needs and truly evaluate what is the best thing that we could be doing in order to help them overcome the challenges that they face.”
The program will include a series of courses that will allow Senglea youths to get qualified in an array of disciplines such as guilding, woodwork, music and art, with the aim of encouraging teens to further their education in these sectors at academic institutions.
“You would be surprised at how many teens in our town are extraordinarily talented artistically or who have expressed a desire to learn instruments but do not necessarily receive the encouragement to pursue their calling,” Camilleri continued.
“But even more than that we want to encourage our youth to take an active and participatory role in our community through the Church.”
Camilleri flagged concern about an increasing trend of isolation, with children spending an inordinate amount of time on their computers and screens.
"We want to offer a place where teens can meet up and do something constructive in a safe space and where everyone can be at ease that they are far from the temptations of vices."
Set to open in October for teens age 12 to 19, the youth centre project will cost €86,000. It is being financed through the Church’s Foundation for Social Causes and the European Social Fund.
Church will look into opening up centre to other parishes
Administrative Secretary Michael Pace Ross said the Church had identified a thirst for the development of skills in Senglea.
“If, as I hope it will be, the project is successful, we will look into opening it up to the rest of Cottonera and other parishes.”
Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi meanwhile noted that one of the primary aims of the European Social Fund was to foster inclusion in the widest possible bracket.
He praised the parish for seeking to integrate youth’s feedback into the project.
"As the adage goes, identifying the problem is halfway to a cure, so identifying what sort of difficulties teens are facing is important.
“Our youths are facing up to the reality of life at the same time they are exposed to certain risks when they come from a certain difficult background.”