The parents of young children facing difficulties in Cottonera can now turn to Home-Start Malta for support. Vodafone Malta Foundation and HSBC Cares For Children Fund have teamed up to support this Agenzija Appogg’s programme.
Home-Start Malta introduces new ways of caring and supporting parents under stress. This service will be given by a group of professionally trained volunteers who are parents themselves. The volunteers are able to offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families under stress in their homes, helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown.
“HSBC Cares For Children Fund already supports community projects carried out by Appogg in Cottonera, and over the years has also given its support to the various primary schools in the area. This new agreement will help Agenzija Appogg to further strengthen the support it gives to the local community,” said the Fund’s Chairperson, Mrs Catherine Gonzi.
Home-Start is an international scheme which was initiated in the United Kingdom in 1973. It now operates in more than fifteen countries across Europe, Africa, North America and Asia. In 2004, the organisation helped 74,024 children through 517 schemes.
“Home-Start has a proven track record in helping parents of very young children, offering support, friendship and practical help to those who are struggling to cope with ill health, disability, poverty and other adversities in life. The implementation of this scheme by Agenzija Appogg, with the support of the Vodafone Malta Foundation, will undoubtedly benefit many families,” said the foundation’s chairperson, Gemma Mifsud Bonnici.
Agenzija Appogg chief executive Joe Gerada, added, “This project is extremely important as it operates at the grassroots of the community as opposed to most existing services that are still offering specialist services. This is a smart scheme as it focuses on prevention rather that cure. Thanks to the Vodafone Malta Foundation and HSBC Cares For Children Fund, which understood the importance of this project, Appogg is now in a position to offer a better service to those who need it most.”
Joint collaboration between Home-Start International and Agenzija Appogg resulted in having this scheme applied to Malta, starting with Cottonera. It aims to provide a complimentary service to the support networks already on offer. Home-Start Malta also aims to liaise with other existing services/resources in the community to aid the family to function in a more stable and caring way. The reason behind choosing to apply this project in Cottonera was mainly due to the fact that Appogg already provides community services there along with other entities through Access, a community resource centre.
For further information about Home-Start Malta, contact Jacqueline Casha on 23985116 or 21678043. More information about Appogg and its services on www.appogg.gov.mt and www.mfss.gov.mt.