Poverty in Malta is a social reality, despite what many around us may think. This social reality is not recent and has been on the rise for a number of years.

The current welfare system does not really help eliminate poverty once and for all. The system simply gives those living in poverty a walking stick to rest on; this is pretty short-sighted.

What Malta, and probably also Europe, really needs, are long-term realistic ideas.

We need to adopt a system which motivates people to have personal initiative.

The welfare state does not need to be abolished, but restructured for society’s common good.

Poverty in Malta is mainly caused by financial problems resulting from issues such as drug use, alcoholism, gambling, and illness. Certain personal and family issues such as addictions, unemployment, mental health problems and lack of family planning are other causes of poverty.

The roots also lie in our education. Most poverty cases result from poor ideas and bad habits embedded within people’s mentality.

There needs to be a change in perspective when facing difficult situations in life, so as to not to get caught up in harmful or unhealthy practices that increase the problems one might have.

Mr Littlejohn is a second year student reading for a BA in Maltese and History.