For the seventh consecutive year, HSBC supported the Office of the Commissioner for Children to organise its annual ‘Rights 4U’ course for teenagers to learn about their rights.

This year, 35 participants between the ages of 13 and 15 were selected to participate in the Malta Rights 4U course held at the Archbishop seminary in Rabat. Another course is held in Gozo. This year is the European year dedicated to voluntary organisations, therefore the theme for this year’s Rights 4U Course was voluntary work.

The interactive programme of the Rights 4U course included various activities in which children not only learnt about their rights, but also actively explored and engaged in discussions on their rights. In light of this year’s theme on voluntary work, the young participants organised a morning of games and activities for children coming from various children’s homes. In this way, they actively experienced voluntary work.

Visiting the participants, Mrs Catherine Gonzi, Chairperson of the HSBC Malta Foundation, said through such an initiative teenagers engage in discussions with their peers and make new friends. “Through this enriching experience, these young people are encouraged to engage in voluntary work which helps shape their characters while helping others.”