Playing for Providence in Siġġiewi

A 53-hour volleyball marathon in aid of Dar tal-Providenza is going to be held between July 8 and 10. The marathon will take place on the home's premises in Siġġiewi, where visitors will be able to see the work being carried out with the residents.

Fifty-three hours may not be much compared to the 242 hours the marathon lasted when it was last organised by the Kerygma Movement in 2004. However, since the marathon, which used to raise hundreds of thousands of liri for the home, stopped, the Church-run home has been trying to find ways and means of making ends meet and keeping its work going.

Last year, in fact, the €150,000 collected in the 52-hour marathon were not enough to prevent a €500,000 deficit incurred by the home.

"If charity activities such as this do not take place, the home might as well close," a spokesman for Dar tal-Providenza said.

Home director Fr Martin Micallef said the 100-resident home, like any other family, had to provide daily necessities as well as cater for the individual needs of its residents.

The home was set up in 1965 to provide shelter for disabled people who could not keep living with their natural families. In those days, it was not uncommon for disabled people to be kept hidden away from the rest of society, and today's talk of inclusion and integration was but a distant dream.

The home needs €3.5 million a year to run, with most of the money going to provide wages for 200 or so employees.

"Money will help us realise Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi's dream of giving a home to those people who for some reason or another could not live with their natural family. The support of Maltese people is necessary as always, so we encourage people to keep supporting us," Fr Micallef said.

Apart from collecting funds, the campaign is intended to encourage voluntary work and involvement in sport as well as raise awareness of people with disability, their rights and their dignity.

Applications and further information can be obtained from www.volley4dtp.org or www.dartalprovidenza.org.

Applications for players and volunteers are open till Sunday.