President's wife sees how L-Istrina funds were spent

The L-Istrina 2005 team yesterday accompanied the head of the Malta Community Chest Fund, Mary Fenech Adami, the President's wife, on a tour of some of the organisations that received donations through last year's edition of the charity marathon on television.

One of the visits was to St Patrick's School in Sliema, run by the Salesians, for children who hail from problem families. Thirty of these children board at the school, which is also attended by another 55 from "normal" families, rector Fr Alfred Sacco said.

The students' ages range from nine to 15. Fr Sacco said that before they reach the age of 16 a lot of work is done with social workers to enable them to find their place within their own family again or with a foster family.

The funds passed on by L-Istrina were used by the Salesians to replace their two 14 year-old minibuses which are used to take their boarders to the football nurseries, band clubs and other activities. They are also used to take the children on outings.

The philanthropic association Reaching Out, a support group to the mission Moviment Missjunarju Gesu fil-Proxxmu, also received funds, which went towards its school project in Bulbula, Ethiopia, close to the Sudan border.

Keith Marshall said the group works to help children in Africa and last year 16 members climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to collect funds. A group of 20 will be attempting the climb this year to collect more funds for a convent next to the school.

The group, Mr Marshall said, focuses on dignity and education.

The L-Istrina team then visited the St Rita Home of the Ursuline Nuns in Tarxien, who care for 16 children aged three to 14.

Mother Superior Elizabeth Azzopardi said the money received from L-Istrina was used to build a new flat at the home incorporating two bedrooms, a playroom and an activity room.

The Jesuits Refugee Service, at St Aloysius Sports Complex in Birkirkara, used the L-Istrina funds to employ professional staff to provide basic services to asylum seekers in detention, primarily legal, social work and pastoral services. The service is an international non-governmental organisation set up 25 years ago to accompany, serve and defend the rights of forcibly displaced persons.

In Malta, JRS focuses mainly on offering legal and psychosocial services to immigrants in detention. It also works within Maltese society running awareness-raising campaigns.

The L-Istrina team also visited the Equal Partners Foundation in Floriana.

The bulk of the L-Istrina money goes to the Community Chest Fund, which this year distributed Lm42,743 to philanthropic organisations and Lm442,409 to 3,000 individuals. Indeed, just over half of the CCF funds come from L-Istrina.