When Ruth got married, she was walked down the aisle by the woman who acted as a parent figure all her life: Sister Denise who raised her at the children’s home where Ruth lived since she was two years old held her hand in the bridal car before walking into church.

“I was not brought up by parents. I was brought up by nuns. But I was brought up,” says Ruth, recalling the 16 years she spent living at Dar Sagra Familja.

Ruth shared her story through a video interview during a press conference organised by Church NGO Fondazzjoni Sebħ, which runs residences and services that support children and families.

Currently, the four children’s residential homes can take up to 41 children at any one time, with many other children needing a safe place to stay.

The foundation, established in 1956, originally focused on children’s homes. In 2000 it expanded to include mothers who were victims of domestic violence and their children. It became an NGO in 2018 and now focuses on prevention, and community support for children and families and women escaping violence.

During the press conference, the foundation also announced a rebrand. The new logo is made of three elements: the tulip – the first flower to bloom in spring, the heart that symbolises love and a parent and child. They come together to represent the hope that the foundation – and the people behind it – represent for the families it supports.

Ruth's story

Ruth lived this hope. “My parents faced problems. My mum was not fit to look after me so I was sent to the nuns at about two/three years old. I don’t really remember much. My dad died when I was nine.

“My mum would call and tell me she would come for me and I would wait and wait. But it never happened. That was the worst thing – when you hope and wait and nothing happens,” she says.

Ruth with the staff at Dar Sagra Familja where she was raised.

At school, she was bullied and left out by some children because of her living situation.

“I could not say 'ma' or 'pa'. During parents' day I was kind of scared and worried about what they would say when a nun turned up instead of my mum,” she says.

But she had immense words of gratitude towards Sister Denise, who she refers to as her aunt.

"I was 18 when I left and Sister Denise helped me find a place to stay – she was always there for me even when I became a mother. When I got married she gave me away,” she says. 

Ruth with Sister Denise.

Children on the waiting list

Alexia Baldacchino, children’s services senior manager, said the homes can take a total of 41 children at any one time. Some children leave, either because they return to their family, or are placed in alternative care, like fostering.

“The waiting lists for our services keep growing and we receive phone calls almost daily requesting placements for children that have to be taken out of their family because of their safety,” she said. 

A number of children at the homes were now approaching their teenage years.

The organisation was now working on a new service to help these children transition out of the homes.

The children in the four children’s homes are hosted in home-like apartment settings – with each child having their own bedroom. Siblings are kept together when possible.

These homes include Dar Fra Diegu, Dar San Nicola and Dar Sagra Familja (that each host 12 children) and Dar Santa Tereza, which hosts six children up to five years old.

When it comes to the family services, Kerry Hermitage – service senior manager – outlined what happened at Il-Milja - that hosted 30 families over the past two years.

Many were women - from the ages of 18 to 80 – who were escaping violence. They were allowed to bring their children, including adult children, as well as pets. The home supported about 500 individuals over the past five years.

Another service, the Community Family Service is aimed at early intervention and 73 families benefited from the service in 2023, she says.

The cost of care

Sebħ director Yvonne Mallia spoke about the cost of running these homes and services  -  €2.4 million to run last year. Children's services for 2023 cost €1.8 million – or €45,000 per child.

This was projected to increase to €64,000 per child with the cost to increase as staff complement increased to make up for the loss of religious staff and the complex needs of the children. 

The government covered €1.3 million last year with the rest covered by the Curia.

The cost to run family services at Milja is €415,000, which amounts to about €34,600 per family. This is projected to increase to €46,000 per family. Of this, the government covered €336,000.

Community family services and after-care services were funded internally through fundraising with the former costing €90,200 and the latter €15,000 in 2023.

When it came to fundraising, the foundation collected €218,000 in fundraising and donations,  a further €262,000-worth was covered by donations in kind (such as food and detergents) and €45,000 were covered through savings made through corporate CSR events -  such as painting and maintenance jobs.

To support Fondazzjoni Sebħ you can donate here.