We Connect, a positive, a safe online space where people across Malta and Gozo can come together as a community to prioritise their wellbeing and find happiness has been launched by the FIDEM Charity Foundation.
The goal of the team behind the project is to empower the community with free, unlimited access to a wide range of services, tools and opportunities designed to help with uplifting emotional and mental wellbeing and combat loneliness. The service will soon be available in both English and Maltese.
The service follows FIDEM’s set up the "Hear to Help" helpline, set up soon after Malta’s semi-lockdown began.
A frequent concern experienced by callers was loneliness, particularly amongst older people. FIDEM and We Connect will support community wellbeing throughout the pandemic and beyond.
“Our ultimate aim is for We Connect to significantly help turn the tide on the ongoing widespread issue of loneliness in our society,” the team setting up the service said.
is available daily between 9am and 7pm every day. A legal aid service for people who required it was also offered.
These services are accompanied by a Wellbeing Hub to offer expert wellbeing guidance, covering a wide range of emotional and mental wellbeing and healthy living topics, and featuring regular online exercise classes by professional teachers.
We Connect also has a Seniors Hub, will provide tailored wellbeing advice to older members. Members can get involved in their community by connecting and chatting with each other on message boards, sharing their We Connect story to inspire others, and taking up volunteering opportunities.
The Arts and Education Hub will offer content to read and watch by leading experts on arts and culture, along with empowering educational opportunities, to help members engage and uplift the mind and spirit.
The FIDEM Charity Foundation is a non profit-organisation providing support and empowerment opportunities to vulnerable people through access to education, arts and culture, and wellbeing guidance. It seeks to empower participants with the opportunities they needed to increase their confidence and to achieve positive and lasting change in their lives.
Before the pandemic began, it focused on providing access to educational and creative workshops and vocational assistance, with participants primarily based in women's shelters and children's homes.
These participants will continue to be reached through the We Connect project through a variety of online classes, including English and computer literacy classes, drama and arts and crafts workshops.
Computer equipment and IT training will be provided to those who needed it to access the We Connect opportunities. Eight computers have already been distributed.