Foreign Minister Tonio Borg handed out €363,047 in donations to 28 organisations and individuals today from Malta's Overseas Development Aid budget.
He applauded the efforts carried out by Maltese NGOs and individuals in tangibly improving the standard of living of poorer people.
During the past four years, the ministry helped 46 projects.
Dr Borg said the ODA scheme had become increasingly popular thanks to the hard work being carried out by Maltese organisations and individuals.
Some of the projects are related to education, such as the construction of schools, youth centres and nurseries in diverse locations such as Kenya, India and the Philippines whilst others will be building on and investing in existing structures such as school extensions and accommodation, classrooms, science laboratories, libraries, as well as facilities to provide clean water to school children.
One project involves the construction of a sports stadium in Honduras, in hope of keeping children off the streets away from violence and drugs. Other educational projects will focus on vocational training, empowerment and capacity building. Children and other vulnerable groups will be given support to pursue their education or be given training in fields such as ICT, trade and skills development, which
will enable them to become self sufficient and improve their and their families’ lives.
One particular project will focus on peace-building among youths in Nigeria, which will aim to keep them away from a culture of violence.
Three projects will focus on the equally important field of health. These include the provision of emergency health care for the poor and disabled and the purchasing of medical equipment for hospital patients in Guatemala and increasing healthcare capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa.
One project in Nicaragua will provide safe drinking water through the construction of two solar driven water supply systems.
This year saw the increase of agricultural and husbandry/farming projects. Two small farm infrastructures, which will foster socio-economic development, will be built in Peru; two fish farming projects will take place in Guatemala and Uganda and a poultry farm will be constructed in Burkina Faso. These projects will seek to contribute towards food security.
The donations were as follows:
1. Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus €14,000
Construction of a primary school for street children in Nairobi, Kenya
2. Fr Albert Gauci OFM €14,000
Construction of a stadium in Olancho, Honduras – Phase 2
3. Kull Bniedem Ħija €9,147
Empowerment project for 20 orphans and vulnerable children in the area of Kisumu”, Kenya
4. Mission Fund €14,000
Education For All - Construction of an extension at a school at Jharkland in India.
5. Fr. Joe Camilleri €14,000
‘Medical equipment for hospital patients in Guatemala
6. Integra €14,000
‘Emergency health care for the disabled extreme poor in rural Guatemala
7. Daughters of the Sacred Heart - Philippines €14,000
The setting up of a Youth Formation Centre in Diwa Diocese of Balanga in the Bataan Province, The Philippines
8. The Ghana Mission Foundation - Ghana €14,000
The Ghana Health Project – Increasing Healthcare Capacity particularly for women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa
9. Centru Animazzjoni Missjunarja €14,000
‘A Mini Farm for the Family (Mini Granja) - Peru
10. Aldea Infantil Sagrada Familia - Peru €5,400
Small Farm Infrastructure in Arequipa – Peru
11. The Millennium Chapel €15,000
Mitigation of the conflict in the city of Jos, Nigeria
12. Segretarjat Missjonijiet Agostinjani €14,000
Supporting the Educational Environment for the poor in Mapinhane, Mozambique
13. Mother Margherita De Brincat Catholic School €14,000
Quality Education for Tucop Children’ - Philippines
14. Happy Moments Kenya €14,000
Training of a teacher, ICT training, Training in bee keeping, the building of a Nursery
School, Kagaa Water Proejct’ - Kenya
15. Cam Youths - Philippines €14,000
‘Development of a Music and Trade school in Pagalanggang (Bataan, Philippines)
16. St Jeanne Antide Foundation – Central African Republic €14,000
Skills Development among Poor Single Teenage Mothers
17. Emergency Response and Rescue Corps - Nicaragua €14,000
‘Provision of safe drinking water through construction of two solar driven water supply systems in the community “La Esperanza”
18. Fr Anton Grech €14,000
‘Project for establishing small scale aquatic food production systems in Guatemala
19. SOS Malta €14,000
‘Small scale fish farming in Uganda
20. Small States Network for Economic Development (SSNED) - Lesotho €2,500
Best Practices and Innovative Ideas in Multidisciplinary Climate Change Adaptation
Strategies - Training Workshop for National University of Lesotho Students
21. Matters Human - Ethiopia €14,000
Opportunity Knocks Ethiopia - workshops on capacity building.
22. YMCA - Togo €14,000
Enhancing the teaching capacity of the YMCA Rural Entrepreneurship training centre in Bagbe
23. Signum Fidei - Burkina Faso €14,000
24. Salesians of Don Bosco €14,000
Construction of a Refectory for a children’s village, Ashaiman – Ghana
25. Inizjamed €14,000
‘Uwezzo Women Empowermenti, Kenya
26. Kopin - Ethiopia €14,000
‘The Establishment of an Early Childhood Care and Development Centre
27. Joseph De Piro Middle School for Girls – Pakistan €14,000
The project involves the building of a 3-storey block which will include a science lab, library and computer lab, as well as rooms to house students and staff rooms.
28. Fr Victor Zammit €10,000
‘Project Day Care Centre for Children - Peru’