Heard in the Hive

A group of 14 youths from the Ignatian Youth Network (INYGO Malta) received financial support from the Catenian Association's Bursary Fund to help them towards their expenses involved in their planned voluntary service in Ethiopia.

This spiritual experience will consist of service among very poor residents at the Sisters of Mother Teresa's Home of the Dying in Addis Ababa this month.

The youths had applied for financial support to the Catenian Association's Bursary Fund and their application had been accepted by the board of trustees of this international association of Catholic men, which also has three circles in Malta and Gozo now grouped as a local area.

The youths were each presented with a cheque of £400 each by the area president Charles Cassar in the presence of other Catenians and the youths' parents at the Coastline Hotel.

This presentation brought the total so far paid to Maltese and Gozitan youths by the Bursary Fund to about £7,000 in the last couple of years. Beneficiaries do not have to be sons or daughters of Catenians and, in fact, anyone can apply since the fund's prime object is to encourage and assist Catholics under the age of 25 years, to actively involve themselves in projects for the benefit of the community at home or abroad.

In fact, the INYGO (Malta) group will be undertaking daily rounds among bedridden or home-bound persons including feeding, individual attention, dressing of wounds, hairdressing, games and the teaching of English language skills with the children.

INYGO (Malta) brings together groups of young people who share Ignatian spirituality, Jesuits and lay persons involved in youth ministry, and offers experiences and reflection to help young people grow in freedom, through formation in prayer, through the liturgy and spiritual accompaniment in a sense of community; and in responsibility, through social voluntary work in an attitude of dialogue, thus helping them recognise and answer God's call in their every day lives.

Singular launch at Valletta Waterfront

At Singular we have one goal in mind - creating the unique retail destination to match the upcoming customer with a preference for top and exclusive brands in perfumery, cosmetics and skin care.

"I am convinced that we have achieved just that - satisfying our customers' expectations by creating the right mix in the beauty and fashion sector," said Robert Aquilina, CEO of Salvo Grima Group, and operator of this retail activity, at the inauguration of this new shopping destination.

This outlet is operated by the same group that manages the cosmetics and skincare shop within the Departures Lounge at the Malta International Airport.

"This valued-added experience with the tourist and Maltese segmented markets propelled the group to further growth by associating its brand value with Viset's Forni Terminal," added Mr Aquilina.

Singular is conceptualised to be identified with a number of prestigious brands, from Chanel to Kenzo, Clarins, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Lancôme, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier and more.

The selection is categorised by brand, rather than by type of product, since consumers tend to be very brand conscious and prefer sticking to their usual favourites. "Chances are that if you're after, say, a Chanel lipstick, you don't want to have to go through a whole lot of other brands in order to find it. So we decided to make it more convenient for everyone and if it's a Chanel lipstick you want you will find it immediately in the Chanel area," Mr Aquilina explained.

The Jose Eisenberg line is now available at SINGULAR. This is a high end collection targeted at those who desire quality skin care. Another Singular exclusive is City Lips, a lip gloss collection in various shades and tints differentiated with one exceptional feature: they pump up the lips, giving a very full pout.

Singular is further supported by a team of professionally trained staff in beauty therapy and make-over consultancy, aimed to offer the right advice to its customers. Moreover, the service is further augmented with complimentary mini-makeovers, make-up sessions and skin consultations.

And if you are pressed for time, Singular gives you that extra flexibility since they open from Monday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Bijoux Terner - the shop next door is also operated by Salvo Grima's retailing division. It was launched earlier this month, marked with a successful fashion show event held on the Valletta Waterfront promenade.

Bijoux Terner is a new shopping concept for Malta, offering luxury fashion accessories at a one-price unit of Lm5 (or €12).

The group is currently experiencing a dynamic growth in its retail activity, which started way back in the Eighties when Salvo Grima Group opened its first duty free shop at the Grand Harbour - which incidentally was situated about 50 metres from where the new Forni Terminal stands today.

"Our shops are designed so that customers feel able to explore the beauty product range without pressure. The shopping experience we are creating is distinctive; our staff is highly trained to satisfy customers' needs and to make their visit to Singular memorable," concluded Mr Aquilina.

Australian High Commissioner visits Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

The Australian High Commis-sioner for Malta, Richard Palk, recently paid a visit to the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce at Palazzo De La Salle in Valletta.

He was greeted by the president, Paul Asciak, and several members of the council. Mr Palk was shown round the premises, taking the opportunity of seeing the art, crafts, music, embroidery, ganutell and monastery classes in action and speaking to the teachers and students.

Mr Palk was impressed by the work carried out and by the number of students attending classes, which amount to over 500 during summer.

The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce is Malta's oldest cultural society and has been teaching various arts and crafts for over 150 years.

Rotaract is back in Malta

Rotaract, after several years of absence, is finally back to Malta. Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club. Its members are young men and women (aged 18 to 30) who serve the needs of their community, widen their personal and professional contacts, and increase their understanding of the world through international service.

With an estimated membership of more than 176,000 Rotaractors in more than 7,600 Rotaract clubs in some 158 countries, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.

The club conducts formal meetings, usually every two weeks. Rotaractors utilise their free time for service project work, social events, and professional and leadership development workshops. For an overview of Rotaract clubs, one could visit the Rotaract international site www.rotary.org/programs/rotaract/index.html

Rotaract Malta La Valette was officially founded on June 28 this year. It presently has 20 members - Ian-Edward Stafrace as president, Chiara Ellul, vice-president, five directors, a secretary and a treasurer.

It is sponsored by the two local Rotary clubs, Rotary Club La Valette Malta and Rotary Club Malta, and is part of the Sicily-Malta District 2110. Even before being officially founded, the club has kept busy on all fronts, team building, leadership development, international projects and community service.

The club's president and vice president, sponsored by the local Rotary Clubs, went to Sicily for this year's Rotary Youth Leadership Awards RYLA. RYLA is Rotary's training programme for young leaders, emphasising leadership and personal growth. Other Rotaractors had the opportunity to go to Sicily to meet fellow Rotaractors there and to discuss current topics.

In February, a tree planting activity was organised at the Foresta 2000 forestation project in Mellieha following an educational tour of the site.

In April, a team building afternoon was organised on the cliffs in Ghar Lapsi. Activities included team and leadership building games, such as entrapment, spider web and a few logic games, together with abseiling.

Also in April in partnership with "TDM Hands On" a very successful treasure hunt was organised in aid of the renovation of the rehabilitation gym at Dar tal Providenza, which TDM are co-ordinating.

It was a fun-filled day in aid of a good cause with great prizes for winners. A total of 28 cars participated.

The club participated in an international project piloted by the Croatian Rotaract Club Osijek. The Maltese language will be showcased on a CD that will include a famous piece of literature from every European country. This will be distributed to libraries in Croatia to celebrate European week in May 2007.

In July, a scuba diving morning was organised with different activities for complete beginners and for those who already have their diving certificate. This activity was appropriate for team building because participants learned to communicate with other team members in difficult and unusual situations while under water. A camping trip to Comino was also organised last month, another excellent team-building activity.

This summer, through Dawn Dives, the club organised "Rotaract Dives for Amy" - PADI certified diving courses where Lm5 per participant will go to Amy Zahra's fund.

Within six months, Rotaract Malta La Valette has really stood up on its feet and did the best it could to help others in time of need, and also to strengthen the core of our club and its members.

For further information on Rotaract Malta La Valette, e-mail rotaract.malta@gmail.com.

Park Hotel helps Ursuline Sisters

On July 3, Charles Selvaggi, general manager of the Park Hotel in Sliema, in presence of hotel staff and management, headed by Ms Carmen Sammut Alessi and Aldo Costa, presented a cheque amounting to Lm2,209 to Sr Joan and Sr Roberta of the Ursuline Sisters, Sliema.

In his short speech, Mr Selvaggi thanked the staff and sponsors for their hard work, dedication and initiative for organising this annual fund-raising lunch and raffle at the Park Hotel.

Sr Joan and Sr Roberta thanked Mr Selvaggi and all the staff for their noble gesture and explained how the donation would come in useful to spend on their children's needs.

Vodafone Malta Foundation supports Id-Dar tal-Providenza

The Vodafone Malta Foundation is supporting Id-Dar tal-Providenza by giving funds for the renovation of its swimming pool. Following the refurbishment, this pool will provide Dar tal-Providenza with a much needed facility.

"Over 40 years Id-Dar tal-Providenza has grown beyond recognition. It is now the leading provider of residential care for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. To continue functioning, it needs a lot of financial support and the foundation is making a contribution towards ensuring that those who are vulnerable in our society are given the care they deserve," said the foundation's chairperson, Gemma Mifsud Bonnici, during the presentation of the donation to Mgr Lawrence Gatt, director, Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza started operating on September 12, 1965, when Mgr Michael Azzopardi decided it was time for action. During a live radio programme, he became the first person to publicly suggest that a home should be opened to care for those with physical and intellectual disabilities. This was to be done not just for the benefit of those being cared for but also to relieve their families.

For the past 40 years, Id-Dar tal-Providenza has been caring for a number of persons with different needs and today provides accommodation and caters for all the necessities of 120 residents.

"Throughout all these years, we have managed to make ends meet thanks to the many benefactors, such as the Vodafone Malta Foundation, both in Malta and abroad, who share noble ideals and who have taken the initiative to contribute in some way to keep such a good organisation going," said Mgr Gatt.

For your diary

The Society for Investigating the Credibility of Extraordinary Claims (S.I.C.E.C.) is holding a committee meeting at the Youth Travel Circle at 227, Merchants Street, Valletta, on Thursday at 5.30 p.m.

The S.I.C.E.C. is showing a video illustrating the discovery of the Gospel of Judas after 1,700 years. It was recently restored, authenticated and translated and some biblical scholars are referring to it as the most significant archaeological discovery in 60 years. A discussion will be chaired by Manuel Psaila. The activity is being held at the Youth Travel Circle in Valletta at 7 p.m.

First Choice Holidays are organising a charity event at Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija on August 21. Between 6 and 8 p.m., swimming and games will be held in the outdoor pool area, including access to the animal park and child play area, with train and go-cart rides at a small charge. A barbecue buffet and disco will be held between 8 and 11.

Activities throughout the evening include games, face painting, and tombla, among others. Customers of the resort and local residents are also welcome. All proceeds will be divided between the Park of Friendship in Malta and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in the UK.

Tickets for the event cost Lm7.50 (adults) and Lm4.50 (children). For bookings call First Choice on 2134-5890 or 2134-5458.