The new president of the Eden Foundation, Brother Martin Borg yesterday called for collaboration rather than competition with the state’s educational system and all other NGOs involved in providing help to people with a disability.

Brother Martin, while speaking for the first time in his role as president of the foundation, explained that he replaced Dr Josie Muscat who had to give up his role because it was not compatible with his new venture in politics.

“A person who is politically active cannot remain a trustee within the foundation as it goes against our statute,” he explained.

One of the parents, Philip Rizzo explained that Dr Muscat was not present at the press conference because a person who is politically active cannot remain a trustee in an enterprise that was strictly non-political.

Brother Martin said that Dr Muscat left his role with a heavy heart but had assured them of his constant help and support.

He added that he, along with his team, would carry on the good work done so far.

“I thought it was a joke when Josie called me to offer the job,” said Brother Martin. “However, I did not reply immediately but thought and prayed before I took my decision.”

Brother Martin is the Brother Provincial of the Freres in Malta and director of De La Salle schools.

He said that his role as president of the Eden Foundation was close to his role as a religious man and as a teacher.

However, he pointed out, people still mistook the therapeutic work carried out by the foundation with the private medical services offered by the St James Group.

“It is an educational charity with non-profit-seeking intentions and is not a private medical venture,” said Brother Martin.

He explained that it is funded by the state, parents and the generosity of the Maltese and Gozitans.

“We wish to source more of our finances from the government so that we will not further burden parents,” said Brother Martin.

The foundation’s goal was to provide the state its assistance “in offering a more qualitative education to an extended number of intellectually-disabled people,” he said.

He added there was a common perception that the Eden Foundation was a financially successful enterprise.

“This is not true. We have a daily deficit of over Lm500 – it is not a private profit-seeking business,” he said.

The Eden Foundation offers its services to 343 students with another 50 on the waiting list, said Brother Martin. However, there were around 2,000 people who had learning disabilities, he added.

Brother Martin pointed out that thanks to training provided at the Eden Foundation, at least 100 people found employment and another 38 were looking for jobs.

A booklet called Gifts with a Difference will be distributed in around 1,600 households within the next few weeks. The booklet offers a range of gifts that can be donated to the Eden Foundation.