Marigold Foundation’s contributions

It is unfortunate that Kevin Cassar (December 31, 2023) failed to check the facts before putting pen to paper. As a result, The Marigold Foundation and truth ended up becoming collateral damage to what can be considered a rushed article.

As a regulated voluntary organisation, the foundation is duty-bound to reply and correct the inaccuracies written in the article.

The Marigold Foundation was established by Michelle Muscat on her own initiative. Bank of Valletta is a co-founder, as public documents show. Thus, any claim that the foundation was in any way “hijacked” by her is totally baseless.

Cassar tries to imply that there are expenses which are unaccounted for. This is also grossly inaccurate. The foundation’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and full-scope audits conducted in accordance with International Standards in Auditing are performed annually by an independent audit firm.

Also, contrary to what is being claimed, all filings are up to date, as can be attested if one were to present a simple query with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

The salaries given by the foundation are only those included in the accounts. Muscat does not receive any remuneration. The same goes for board members and foundation representatives.

The Marigold Foundation has donated equipment to Mater Dei Hospital. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Again, one here refers to the fact that the foundation is audited by independent auditors whose capabilities and professionalism are surely, as one understands, not being questioned by the author.

International travel is only partially covered by the foundation, with expenses being covered either by organisers of events, publicly available programmes or participants themselves.

It is worth mentioning that any secondments of government employees with the foundation is done in full conformity with government procedures as regulated by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

While, on the one hand, Cassar criticises the foundation for having its own financial reserves, on the other he finds fault with the increasing expenses.

Perhaps one ought to clarify a misconception that the article also seems to perpetuate, namely that the expenses are somewhat arbitrary personal expenses of the chairperson. Contrary to this, most expenses are related to the nationwide Pink October and Movember educational campaigns, which are two of the main activities of the foundation, for which it gets little or no financial help.

Indeed, the expenses being somewhat questioned by Cassar include equipment donated to Mater Dei Hospital. One has no reason to believe that Cassar is unaware of the contribution through the years which The Marigold Foundation has made, with the latest being the equipment providing brachytherapy, which, until now, was not available in our hospital.

Other contributions, which he can check easily as they are all being used in his workplace (Mater Dei Hospital), include an echocardiogram machine, a Philips EPIQ CVx, to the Cardio Oncology Unit at the Department of Cardiology and a GE SENO IRIS digital mammography review workstation at the Oncology Department, among others.

These are just a few of the contributions The Marigold Foundation has made to the benefit of patients and the public along the years, not mentioning the other causes and initiatives that have and are still being supported by The Marigold Foundation.

FRANCES MIFSUD, treasurer; JOHN MAGRO, board member, The Marigold Foundation, Valletta