Back in June when the government announced the €100 vouchers scheme, many began thinking about how or where they would spend their vouchers. Others, however, thought of how to use their vouchers a little differently. 

Rebekah Cilia, a former journalist with The Malta Independent, decided that she would donate her vouchers to a women’s shelter. She posted her initiative on Facebook, seeing whether others would wish to join her. First expecting only a couple of friends and family, Rebekah’s post was shared over 55 times and in the first ‘cohort’ collected €2,500 worth of vouchers. 

She has now collected €4,340 worth of vouchers to be donated to women’s shelters. 

This newsroom got in touch with Rebekah to see what inspired her to start this initiative in the first place. 

“During my time working as a journalist, I had interviewed a young lady who lived in a women’s shelter. It was an interview I will never forget. I have covered many heart-breaking stories, but this one really stood out.” She said that whilst after spending the first few months of 2020 in a quasi-lockdown, the thought of a fancy hotel break would be nice, but she knew that there are others out there who need the €100 more than she did. 

“I decided I would donate my €100 to the same women’s shelter. Thinking maybe my family and friends would be interested in doing the same; I decided to put up a Facebook post with my idea.” After her first post, Rebekah did not expect the response she received, where her post was shared over 55 times and was featured on two news portals. 

“People I had never met contacted me asking how they too could donate their vouchers. The donations kept on coming in!” 

In total, Rebekah has received €4,340 worth of vouchers. In her first ‘cohort’ she collected €2,500 worth of vouchers which were donated to two women’s shelters. She explained that following another Facebook updated which was picked up by a local radio station and followed two radio interviews, she managed to collect another €1,340 worth of vouchers. 

“It took much driving around Malta, getting very lost trying to find street names and lots of coordination, but it was all worth it when I took the envelopes to the women’s shelters and told them the amount inside. The feeling of giving is always worth it…. And as a bonus, I got to know Malta’s streets better!” 

When asked whether she received any feedback from the women living in the shelters, Rebekah explained that the women were extremely grateful. “I donated the vouchers to three women’s shelters. The people receiving the vouchers all said they would be used in different ways. One shelter said that the blue ones will be used to buy powdered milk for the babies living there, others said they would buy uniforms for school.” 

She said that she only had one condition for the use of the vouchers, that being that the women truly enjoyed them. “When I dropped off the vouchers at one shelter, the manager had told me all the women were already excitedly discussing what take-away they would be getting. Two of the shelters will be organising nights in and ordering food since most of the residents are being extra careful and not going out much, due to COVID-19.” She said that she will be taking the last batch of vouchers this week to the third shelter. 

She thanked all those who have donated their vouchers and who have shared her Facebook post and encouraged others to donate. “It is wholly true that the Maltese are a charitable nation. I never would have thought that I, alone, could collect so many vouchers. We are all going through a difficult time at the moment, but for others, the pandemic is just another layer over an even more difficult life. By looking out for each other, we can beat this pandemic together.”