21 'homeless' for a weekend

Twenty-one personalities will be going "homeless" and sleeping rough on Republic Street, Valletta, next weekend to raise funds for YMCA's homeless shelter Dar Niki Cassar. YMCA said according to figures compiled in 2001, there were some 300 homeless in Malta, but these had not been updated because of a lack of statistics on the number of people in the various shelters.

"Not seeing these homeless people does not mean they don't exist. They exist and try to live unnoticed among us," said the charity organisation.

"In Malta we do not witness homeless people the way one sees them in Paris, London or other cities, because there are shelters such as the YMCA shelter Dar Niki Cassar. This shelter hosts these people, gives them a roof over their heads and provides a team of professionals to guide and support them."

But to do so, the shelter needs over €250,000 annually.

The Homeless Personalities Event will be held between November 21 and 23, during which a series of events will be held to raise funds.