Eden Foundation feels the pinch as donations take a plunge

The Eden Foundation has seen a drop of 34 per cent in donations in the first five months of this year and as it celebrates its 10th anniversary it is finding it hard to make ends meet.

Founder Josie Muscat said that after a campaign by The Times to raise money two years ago, Eden had managed to get back on its feet, but money was now drying up.

The Eden Foundation, grateful for the thousands of liri collected through donations and fund-raising, needed an average of Lm750,000 a year to operate, finance and marketing head Louis Cauchi Savona said.

A staggering 85 per cent of the total expenditure goes in salaries, while the remaining 15 per cent is pumped into administrative expenses and the upkeep of the premises, among others.

Mr Cauchi Savona said an average of Lm2,200 a day is needed to run Eden with its numerous programmes and services.

Bro. Austin Gili, director of programmes, said it was quite disconcerting to receive the mail each day and find no donations.

"We depend so much on donations that when they stop coming in we start to suffer the consequences," he said.

Dr Muscat believes one of the reasons behind this substantial drop in donations could be the fact that the political parties had organised fund-raising campaigns this year.

The huge success of the annual Christmas fund-raising event L-Istrina could also have had an impact on the amount which people donated to other organisations.

Bro. Austin said that last month Eden had got a small windfall when a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary asked guests to give donations to Eden instead of buying a gift.

"The couple donated Lm1,500 which they collected from their guests - we really appreciated it and hope others will follow this admirable example," he said.

Dr Muscat said Eden was facing problems created by its own success - it has grown substantially over the years and today has 400 children with disability following its programmes, from a mere 23 just 10 years ago.

"When we first set out we had aimed for full inclusion and today we are proud to see children with disability in mainstream schools and adults in 'normal' employment," he said.

Dr Muscat said many tell Eden that if there was no money, then Eden should not continue with its expansion plans.

However, having his youngest daughter born with Down's Syndrome, turning away people with disability went against his beliefs.

Dwelling on Eden's future, Dr Muscat said that in five years' time they had to face the problem of helping today's 11-year-olds fit in with their teenage peers.

Society was often unkind and "normal" children were sidelined from the cool cliques, so it was doubly hard for teenagers with a disability to fit in.

"If we are not there to provide the necessary support and to ensure structures are in place, these young people can fall into a depression," he said.

Dr Muscat said this was a universal problem and sadly all too often those who did not find their niche in society ended up with their families, often forsaking their chance to live independently or with minimum assistance.

On a positive note for the next few years, Dr Muscat said Eden was also eagerly awaiting the first Matsec results to see how their children fared.

Eden was also looking forward to one day opening its new extension, situated next door to its premises in Bulebel.

Dr Muscat said it was encouraging that so far 15 rooms had been sponsored, allowing Eden to pay for the completion of the rooms' interior.

"However, we have 14 more rooms left which require between Lm2,000-Lm10,000 to complete and we encourage individuals or businesses to come forward if they wish to help," he said.

Both Bro. Austin and Dr Muscat believe that in the end God's will will prevail and they have faith that this worrying financial spell will soon blow over.

Those who wish to help can send a donation to HSBC account 013078167054 or send a cheque to Eden Foundation, Bulebel, Zejtun. ZTN 08.