Maria*, 27, is a single mother of five children from three different men. Not one of the fathers has exercised much paternal responsibility and, in fact, her children are listed as having an unknown father even though she readily admits to knowing exactly who they are.

Now, five children later, Maria plans to “tie up her tubes” and does not want any more men in her life. She never got married and, looking back at her choice of partners, she thanks God.

“I didn’t want them all,” she admits, referring to her children. “But I must be very fertile and I kept on getting caught out...”

Maria lives in a rundown garage in Marsascala. Her situation is an example of poverty in Malta and she is finally realising her life choices have played a role.

Today, she claims she is not interested in a social life and stays in with her kids. Even a trip to Valletta is unaffordable anyway.

Maria is probably among the 14 per cent of the population considered to be at risk of poverty but tries to conceal it. Caritas said last week that such people did not want to admit to their financial situation but the economic climate was pushing them into poverty.

In an ideal world, Maria would have gone to live with her aunt in the UK and would have started a life there. At 27, she would not have had any children. Yet, despite her clear life plan, she still ended up making one mistake after another.

She has worked in factories and as a waitress but had to quit on her third child and has not had a job for five years. However, she claims to be actively seeking one on a part-time basis. “I would lose the social benefits but I have more to gain,” she maintains.

Maria tends to her youngest son, a one-year-old, whose trousers are a few sizes larger, while showing the state of the garage she has tried to turn into a home, filling the holes in the walls to keep out the cold.

She says she receives €495 in social security and pays €100 to a friend for the empty property, having lost her Paola home because she could no longer afford it. It has no oven or hob to cook on, just a hot plate on a wobbly table, which needs to be held in place and means the “kitchen” is out of bounds for the kids.

“All I need is another tragedy,” Maria adds.

The only window is at the end of the garage, leading from a broken bathroom. But no one dares stick their head out because the owner of the yard it overlooks would bite it off.

Social workers help her with food and she tries to save some money but never manages because something always crops up and one of the kids is always sick.

“Sometimes, I cannot afford milk and have to borrow some... The grocer gives me credit and trusts me.”

But, she later admits, with a hint of shame and despair, that she also borrows money from someone to make ends meet and pays a “fixed” interest of €46.

Maria is weary that she and her home can be recognised by the parents of other children, which would lead to hers being ignored. And she never brings friends home for the same reason.

“The other parents are all well dressed but I just stick to the single mothers...”

At least, they live with their boyfriends, she points out, unlike herself: the father of her eldest son, nine, has not given her the monthly €46 maintenance since 2002. But she is “too tired of the whole thing” to fight for it. “I would still have to pay the lawyer something and I cannot afford it.”

Her second boyfriend, and father of her second and third children, only recognises the first, claiming the second is not blonde like him and that they do not resemble each other. In fact, the child is half-caste but Maria insists he is the father and is angry at him for not accepting this.

The third dad was never really a boyfriend...

Maria tries to keep the garage as clean as possible for the children but the old carpet is stained and still looks filthy and the furniture is falling apart.

They practically sleep on top of each other and do not have space to play; neither do they have a TV set or internet access, Maria says, admitting they miss out on school outings too because they cost between €5 and €7.

Maria has finally admitted to the school authorities she has no money – although she would prefer that no one knows.

Sometimes she does not send the children to school because she cannot afford the petrol to drive them there, she admits.

Nevertheless, she wants them to be educated and says she would “crucify” herself to help them continue studying if they wanted to.

*Names have been changed to protect the person’s identity.