The government has announced its support to an initiative which will see vulnerable children receiving the gift of their dreams this Christmas.

The initiative can be found online at the website www.childrendreams.org. It was set up by an individual and enjoys the full support of Agenzija Appogg. The initiative began last year when the public was allowed to choose from a name of pseudonyms and give a child a gift. This year, the scheme has been extended to 350 children. At the last check, 77% of dreams had been fulfilled within a matter of hours.

When we think of Christmas and charity collections, we thing of l-Istrina. While this is a massively positive initiative, the one concerning the children's gifts is more personal. We tend to forget that to children, Christmas Day is that one day where they feel they can forget all their problems. A gift, the act of unwrapping a present, of believing that Father Christmas thought they were good enough to receive it, can make a child very happy.

And this initiative should be supported wholeheartedly. Most of us do not understand what it means to be poor or neglected by our families. It is a reality that only a small proportion of people in Malta face. But when children are in the equation, it is felt even more.

Given that the response to the initiative has been overwhelming, the organisers should widen it and find more children who want a special gift to open. Maltese society does give, but sometimes, we get lost in the grander scheme of things. Sometimes we need to focus on the micro. We need to focus on Adam or Lucy. We need to extend our charity to individuals, to make that difference to one person.

A child's world is very different to ours. As we grow into adults, we learn to make our own way in life and strive for the things we want or need. A child cannot do that. A child is dependent on others to shape their world and to look after them, nurture them and guide them. Some parents lack the skills to do it and social services step in. Some parents do OK, but simply cannot manage to make ends meet and therefore there are no presents.

And this is where we, the general public step in. This is where each and every one of us can make a difference to a child's life. It might just be a €20 gift, but for the child that receives it, it will be very different. It will be the gift that makes them feel, at least for one day, cared for, looked after and loved.