Thirty-seven civil society organisations on Tuesday expressed concern about the fate of over 100 men, women and children reportedly in distress at sea.
Times of Malta reported on Sunday that a group of 110 people may be unaccounted for, with emergency hotline NGO Alarm Phone accusing the Armed Forces of Malta of ordering a rescue vessel to leave the scene of the drifting boat the migrants were in.
In a statement, the 37 organisations noted that these people were “in distress in Malta’s search and rescue zone” in the past days and that a ship that was willing to rescue them, “was prevented from doing so by Malta”.
In his letter to Galatians, St Paul wrote: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” This verse reminds us that, regardless of gender, creed or race, we are all equal in the eyes of God.
Despite Bible verses promoting justice and equality, the Church has traditionally been a man’s world.
Christian faith has never been limited to one gender but it is no secret that positions of leadership have been attached to men.
But both women and men have the ability to be powerful voices in the Church. At home and overseas, the Church made strides in ensuring women are represented.
The Melita Foundation, established in February 2020, has in its first year of operation allocated more than €150,000 in assistance to various charities and organisations.
The foundation’s beneficiaries are committed to fostering digital skills and creativity among young people and to the conservation of Malta’s heritage and environment.
Organisations that have benefitted from the foundation’s support include the Inspire Foundation, eSkills Malta Foundation, St Margaret College, the project to restore the Great Siege Cycle, an international Anne Frank exhibition, Fondazzjoni Sebħ and Teatru Salesjan. The foundation is currently inviting groups and individuals who are active in the areas of sustainability and the protection of the natural environment to submit their projects for future support.
The Melita Foundation is inviting applications for funding from non-profit organisations, NGOs, charities and individuals who are active in the areas of sustainability and the protection of the natural environment. The foundation, established in February 2019 with an initial investment of €500,000, has issued this invitation as it prepares to allocate a second round of funding.
The primary vision of the Melita Foundation is to support digital skills and creativity while, at the same time, preserving Malta’s heritage and environment.
The first beneficiaries of the foundation, announced last October, include digital skills and creativity initiatives undertaken by Inspire Foundation, eSkills Malta Foundation and St Margaret College, as well as various heritage projects, such as the restoration of a historic painting of the Great Siege, an international Anne Frank exhibition, Fondazzjoni Sebħ and Teatru Salesjan.
Over the festive season Melita Ltd made donations totalling €27,500 to various charitable organisations. These donations went to The Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation, Puttinu Cares, Dar Bjorn and Dar tal-Providenza.
Harald Roesch, CEO at Melita Ltd, said: “At the end of a tough year, Melita remained committed to helping the community as much as possible. In addition to these donations, we continue to wholeheartedly support the work of The Melita Foundation, which continually welcomes applications for support from NGOs operating across a broad spectrum of areas, including science education, heritage and the environment. Looking out for each other has helped us overcome the challenges of 2020 and this will remain key to a better 2021.”