The sum of €17,135 was raised during an event held in aid of Embrace Diversity Organisation at Port 21 Lido on October 6.

The organisation was founded in 2018 by Claudette Curmi, who felt the need to set up the NGO after experiencing many shortages in the disability sector in Malta. She reached out to other mothers, Rachela Dimech, Maureen Micallef and Priscilla Bonello, and together established the NGO and became board members of Embrace.

After two years in Mellieħa, in January 2021, the NGO started to rent and renovate their state-of-the-art premises in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. They started welcoming members at these new premises in July of that year.

“At Embrace, we feel the need that parents, like us, like to have all therapies under one roof without juggling around from one place to another. Therefore, our premises are set up to provide therapies in a group setting or one-to-one basis, which also allows parents to pay much less, while still being able to pay the full cost to the therapist,” the NGO board members say.

The premises have different rooms for different activities, including a large gym with a spa; a physiotherapy room with state-of-the-art, “unique to Malta” equipment; a multi-sensory room; an art room and a drama room.

“We also offer communication through dance. This gives our students the ability to practise communication while tapping into their movement skills.”

In the main classroom, children do fundamental activities through play. In the kitchen, they practise life skills through cooking, washing dishes and folding clothes, among others.

The main attraction, however, is the outdoor area which includes a large pool and a fully accessible swings garden and trampoline.

This summer, the NGO also opened a music room.

“Although we managed to do a great deal over the past five years, we are always in need of financial aid,” the NGO founders said.

In 2022, the organisation managed to set a funding programme for three years with Agenzija Sapport and The Malta Trust Foundation. This means that therapies and services are mostly sponsored by these two entities.

“However, to keep up with the running costs of our premises, ongoing maintenance, upgrading with the new and latest equipment and resources, funding and donations are needed,” the group says.

“Funding is also required to sponsor staff development by local and international therapists to further their expertise to keep them abreast with the latest strategies in teaching their members new skills and therapeutic methods.”

The NGO thus thanks the individuals and sponsors who joined or supported their fundraising event on October 6.