On Tuesday 11th December 2012, the Archbishop presided over a Christmas concert and presented an Award in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, at St. John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta.
This year’s Dun Mikiel Azzopardi Award went to the National Commission for Persons with Disability as id-Dar tal-Providenza’s sign of recognition and appreciation of the Commission’s work and commitment since its inception twenty-five years ago as well as for its vision to continue building on its achievements.
This was announced by Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, during the concert by the Band of the Armed Forces of Malta to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Mgr. Mikiel Azzopardi, Founder and first Director of the Home. The National Commission for Persons with Disability, popularly referred as the KNPD, was instituted in 1987, the same year when Mgr. Mikiel Azzopardi passed away.
Fr Martin said that in the past twenty-five years, the KNPD was instrumental, together with many others, for the continued improvement of the quality of life of persons with disability as well as for the strengthening of their rights.
Mr Joe Camilleri, KNPD’s chairperson for the last sixteen years, received the Award on behalf of the Commission and employees past and present. He had words of praise for their vocational commitment to the cause of persons with disability and it is through their unstinted efforts that persons with disability are now part of society with equal rights and opportunities.
Id-Dar tal-Providenza gives out the Premju Dun Mikiel Azzopardi every year in recognition and appreciation of voluntary work done with persons with disability in Malta and Gozo. The Award was launched seventeen years ago to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siggiewi.
The Concert and the Awarding of the Premju Dun Mikiel Azzopardi were held under the distinguished patronage of H.E. the President of the Republic, Dr George Abela and H.E. the Archbishop of Malta, Mgr. Pawl Cremona OP. Short speeches were delivered by Mons. Lawrence Gatt, successor of Dun Mikiel as Director of id-Dar tal-Providenza, on ‘Min kien Dun Mikiel’ (Who was Dun Mikiel), Archbishop Cremona, the President, Dr George Abela and Dr Tonio Azzopardi, nephew of Dun Mikiel.
The Concert was organised by RTK 4 Charity with the collaboration of the Armed Forces of Malta Band and the co-operation of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation.
