Charity begins at home

Eight young people, aged between 17 and 24, all members of the Marana Thà Catholic Charismatic Community, last night slept on wooden pellets sheltered by cardboard and plastic in an attempt to simulate urban poverty. "This event aims to raise awareness about urban poverty which children in different parts of the world go through on a daily basis," Miguel Debono, the mastermind behind the initiative told timesofmalta.com.

Mr Debono said that Slum Survivor - the name of the initiative - is a fundraising event, and the money collected will be donated to St Joseph's Home in Santa Venera. He explained how the young people have been carrying out voluntary work at the Home, for the past year. The purpose of this fundraising event is to take the boys living at the Home on a holiday to Germany. Mr Debono said: "Some of the children in the Home have been in situations of near homelessness, and this will give us participants the opportunity to also relate with these children". The event will also be a means of evangelising.

Slum survivor will come to an end tomorrow at noon when the ‘slum survivors' will pack their things and start getting ready for youthful worship that is to take place at the University chapel tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Youthful worship is held every first Sunday of the month, and everyone is invited to attend, Ian Diacono, one of the Slum Survivor participants, said. "Youthful Worship is a place where there are no VIP areas and no tickets are required and all are welcome." He explained that Youthful Worship has been created so that young people can feel free to worship God in any way they like. "We all have a story to tell and have different ideas on life but we invite you to join us youths and come and worship God in joy," he said. It is an experience of a lifetime. This is the truth that you have been looking for all your life, Mr Diacono concluded.

Donations can be made to HSBC 0270022730001, Bank of Valletta 15800400086 or APS 20000358238.

www.maranathamalta.com