Three leading organisations – HSBC Malta Foundation, Vodafone Malta Foundation and Island Hotels Group Holdings plc – joined forces to fund an after-school educational programme for boys residing at St Joseph Home in Sta Venera to improve their qualification success rate.  The three organisations committed an annual collective sponsorship for the next 3 years to support this project called ‘Higher Success Platform for Children in Care’.

St Joseph Home looks after an average of 16 boys between the age of 8 and 18 years and over who have been removed from their natural home due to challenging circumstances.

Through the programme, the boys will receive personal attention and tuition for their academic subjects and life and social skills for 3 hours per week  for a 9-month period a year.  During the summer months the programme will continue to run but with a different focus.

“We are seeking to build the confidence and aspirations of our boys. We believe that an individual educational programme shows the boys that the home believes in their ability to make it in life. This project  gives them the opportunity to achieve results at the same level of their peers who are not in care. A higher and stronger educational platform will provide these boys a greater chance of becoming better persons in general, more employable and with better chances of getting better paid jobs,” said Fr Cini. “Again God is showering the Home with His providence through these three sponsors. Three major brands in Malta, creating a partnership in aid of our boys. If this is not a real source of encouragement to us, what is?” added Fr Cini.

Lucy Weldon Deputy Chairperson of the HSBC Malta Foundation, said: “Through our financial support of this programme, we are helping disadvantaged boys to improve educationally. These boys have had a severely disrupted childhood and need lots of help to obtain better educational qualifications.  As with their peers, the long term outcome of this programme is for the boys to lead a happy and successful life.  We would also encourage other organisations inMaltato join us as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.  There are other vulnerable children that need help like this. ”

Gemma Mifsud Bonnici, Chairperson of the Vodafone Malta Foundation, said: “The Vodafone Malta Foundation has at heart the well-being of these young boys who should be given equal chances and opportunities as other boys have. Education is the key to success in life and these boys have the privilege to be in a home where education is given utmost importance. We want to witness higher success rates among these boys who manage to finish off school with the required qualifications.”

Island Hotels Group Chief Executive Officer Winston J. Zahra explained that, “As a Group we have been supporting the educational programme at St Joseph Home for the past three years and have already invested €21,000 in the education programme. It has been very rewarding to see the progress that the boys have made and it is very encouraging to see the programme expand through the support of other leading organisations like HSBC and

Vodafone as with this additional funding the home can take what was started three years ago.”