The Save a Life Foundation, which is funded from the parliamentary income of PN MP Claudio Grech, has invested €162,162 in ten social support projects providing community engagement opportunities to over 1,000 children an youths in the first district.

“When I was first elected to Parliament seven years ago, I committed myself to work relentlessly to strengthen social justice in my constituency. I pledged to use my Parliamentary role to bring to the fore the social problems that are caused by harmful addictions and how politicians couldn’t remain passive by-standers whilst young people are pointlessly wasting or losing their lives”, said MP Claudio Grech whilst presenting the financial statements of the Foundation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Anġlu Farrugia.

 “When my wife and I launched the Save A Life Foundation seven years ago, we also committed ourselves to invest back all my Parliamentary salary and benefits into the Foundation’s projects as a clear signal that we needed to act and not just talk about these social problems”, added Claudio Grech.

House Speaker Anġlu Farrugia thanked Claudio Grech on behalf of the Parliament of Malta u commended him for leading by example: “Claudio Grech is the only representative I know in my 25-year career in parliament to have donated all his honoraria.”

Hon. Farrugia thanked the projects implemented by Save A Life Foundation in the seven years since its establishment and described its work with children and young people as a noble gesture.

In this context, in 2013 and in 2017 Claudio Grech entered into formal undertakings to invest all the Parliamentary honoraria (he was due to receive over the two Legislatures in which he was elected) into the Foundation and any top-up necessary to finance the projects. Over its seven years of operations, the Foundation worked on ten projects across a number of localities, providing opportunities for children and youth to engage actively in their communities.

Over the past years, the Foundation has shifted its focus on three larger and wider-reaching projects. These are research on the drug addiction problem in the Southern harbour and exploration of potential projects which could make a marked improvement in addressing the issue, the establishment of a drug rehabilitation centre and innovation programme based on international best practice and targeted to address the full requirements of youths with drug addictions, and the establishment of a structured programme intended to provide support to pregnant women facing difficult circumstances in their pregnancies.

 “The setting up of the Foundation was a dream coming true for us. A dream we now would like to grow into a standalone structure that will continue its operations through the transformation into a social enterprise that will focus on offering a new hope for youths who would have lost their way and need a support mechanism to bring them back on track and make a success out of their life. Looking back the experiences in these projects will be the ones I shall cherish most out of my political life” said Claudio Grech.

The ten projects promoted by the Foundation are:

1.     The extension of the ground floor nursery premises of Hamrun Spartans to provide additional facilities for children attending the nursery and their parents. 

2.     The development of a virtual classroom at the San Ġorġ Preca Primary School in Valletta, providing an advanced 1-2-1 computing learning environment to the children attending the primary school. 

3.     The establishment of an Interactive School of Music at the Soċjeta Filarmonika Vilhena, in Floriana, aimed at providing an engaging environment for the learning of music.  

4.     The creation of the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina, of Valletta to establish a framework of initiatives aimed at enhancing social engagement of children within their community. 

5.     Jointly with the Għaqda Festi Esterni San Duminku, the development of a programme for the revival of traditional artisan skills for youths in Valletta. 

6.     Partnering with the Tagħba Foundation to set-up ‘Teen Klabb’ a home-work club to provide after-school academic assistance to children in Valletta. 

7.     Teaming up with the “Soċjeta Mużikali San Ġużepp” in Hamrun for the setting up of a Musical Academy and the development of the infrastructural improvements to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Academy. 

8.     Jointly with the Ghaqda Festa tal-Madonna ta' Fatima, the development of a programme for artisan skills for youths in Pieta and voluntary support to the Usroline Sisters 

9.     In collaboration with the Societa’ Filarmonica Nazionale La Valette in Valletta, the support in the development of a music educational programme for social and community engagement of children. 

10.  In partnership with the Ghaqda Festi Esterni Ssma Trinita’ in Marsa, the development of a workshop facility in the locality together with the development of a programme for the tuition of artisan skills and traditional trades for youths in Marsa, serving also as a measure to facilitate integration of migrant children.