The activity that is held annually to raise funds for id-Dar tal-Providenza will this year be called Festa ta’ Ġenerożita’ (Feast of Generosity). This was announced by Fr Martin Micallef, Director of the Home who said: “We’re doing this because on January 1st all Maltese and Gozitans alike will begin the new year by showing who and what they really are: a generous nation, a nation that can indeed practice solidarity.”

Fr Martin mentioned four main reasons for this feast of generosity towards id-Dar tal-Providenza. The first one is an opportunity for the public to be able to meet with the residents of the Home who will also be present throughout the day-long entertainment that takes place under the big tent in the carpark of the Home on January 1st.  As everyone is aware, id-Dar tal-Providenza provides the best possible ‘family’ environment to ninety-eight persons with disability who for one reason or another can no longer possibly live with their natural family. These persons live in three residences within the Dar tal-Providenza complex in Siggiewi, four others live in ‘Dar Zerniq’ in the heart of Siggiewi and another three in the new home, ‘Dar l-Akkwarell’, in Qawra. Id-Dar tal-Providenza also offers respite service to members of families with persons with disability so that they can continue living in their natural environment, obviously with the support they need. This year the Home offered this support service to sixty-six families.

The second aim is to give the opportunity to the public to see for itself some capital projects that have been completed or are works in progress that are meant to continually improve the quality of life of the residents. It is not the intention to open up for viewing the private homes of the residents but the public should be able to see for itself the projects that were made possible by its donations in previous years as well as in this past year, apart from supplementing in a substantial way the pensions received by the residents which are surely not enough to maintain the Home.

The third aim of this annual activity is to raise funds to ensure that services provided by id-Dar tal-Providenza are maintained and improved upon. Fr Martin said that everyone visiting the Home to donate money or sending donations by mail will be given a receipt for every donation received. The accounts of the Home are audited every year by an established Auditing company. Through various measures, the administration of id-Dar tal-Providenza sees that the money so generously donated by the public is well spent on what it was intended for.

He also referred to public initiatives to help raise funds for id-Dar tal-Providenza, singling out those couples who are choosing to donate to the Home the money they would have normally spent on wedding souvenirs. The Home provides attractive bookmarks for such initiatives that could also include the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation, Birthdays, and anniversaries of sorts. During this year, for example, a total of €15,000 was raised by thirty-three couples through this wedding souvenirs scheme.

The final aim of this Feast of Generosity , but definitely not the least, is to pass  on the message that id-Dar tal-Providenza continuously wants to convey: that society always has to respect persons with disability, to treat them with the dignity they deserve and to make available to them the choices and opportunities that everyone has a right to.

Another speaker was Mr Tonio Bonello, Programmes Manager at Radio RTK and the coordinator of the Feast of Generosity. He said that this is the seventeenth year that RTK 4 Charity will be organizing this activity at id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siggiewi that is being supported by APS Bank. GO graciously accepted to waive the handling charges due to them. During this activity, under the big tent purposely put up for the occasion, there will be a marathon of singing, dancing and magical acts. For this Feast of Generosity, five hundred volunteers will be giving their time and their services. Anyone visiting id-Dar tal-Providenza on January 1st will have to opportunity to join a guided tour and see the projects both completed or still in progress. These tours will take place from 3.00pm onwards.

Tuesday 1st of January will kick off with a Eucharistic Celebration at 9.00am in the chapel of the complex. This will be screened ‘live’ on various local TV stations. From 10.00am onwards there will be transmissions of interviews and features on id-Dar tal-Providenza, including a feature on the newly opened “Dar l-Akkwarell” in Qawra as well as a marathon spectacle of entertainment of song and dance that goes late into the night provided by some of the best local talent including Freddie Portelli, Ira Losco, Hooligan, J Anvil and Fr Karm Debattista.

As part of the New Year’s Day fundraising events, there will be the annual Art Auction, organised by RTK 4 Charity and supported by Obelisk Auctions, in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. This year well over seventy local and foreign artists have donated one or more pieces of art to be auctioned including a sculpture in bronze by the late Anton Agius. These works of art will be displayed at the Mdina Cathedral Museum between the 19 and 27 December 2012. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday (excluding Sundays and Christmas Day) between 9.30am and 4.30pm and on Saturday between 9.30am and 3.30pm.  On New Year’s Day these artworks will then be displayed at Id-Dar tal-Providenza.  The auction will be held online at www.dartalprovidenzaauctions.com.  On New Year’s Day there will also be the possibility to bid by phone or by visiting Id-Dar tal-Providenza in person. One can view a catalogue on www.dartalprovidenza.org

In order to avoid congestion of traffic, a Park & Ride service is being made available from Triq San Niklaw (the old airfield) to and from id-Dar tal-Providenza. This service will operate between 2.00pm and 10.00pm.

For the benefit of those not able to visit id-Dar tal-Providenza on New Year’s Day, the Feast of Generosity that ends after midnight will be broadcast ‘live’ on most local TV stations. Donations may be made at id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siggiewi, RTK Studios in Blata l-Bajda as well as by telephone and SMS’s.

Mr Bonello mentioned other fund raising activities that will be taking place in the following weeks.

  • On Wednesday, 19th December:  Art Exhibition at the Museum of the Mdina Cathedral. This will remain open until december 28tyh. All works exhibited will be auctioned off on New Year’s day;
  • Friday, 28th December: Football tournament “Tackle for id-Dar tal-Providenza” will take place at St Aloysius College sports ground. Tazking part will be four teams made up of members of Parliament from both sides of the House, UHM, GWU and CMTU;
  • Saturday, 29th December: Youths from Gudja will be organising a fund raising activity in con junction with other youths from Valletta and Sliema;
  • Wednesday, 2nd January: Back to the big tent in Siggiewi, a marathon of children’s choirs performing between 3.00pm and 7.00pm.