On September 27, we met at Europe House to celebrate the much-deserved European Citizen’s Award to Puttinu Cares Children’s Cancer Support Group, a non-governmental, non-profit making organisation that has achieved so much since it was officially set up in 2002.
It is always a delight to watch and experience the unity of our political forces when it comes to such matters of national importance, more so in the field of charitable work being undertaken by brave and enterprising citizens who sacrifice so much of their own time to dedicate themselves to sundry just causes.
The people behind Puttinu Cares have excelled themselves in their chosen field of work by winning the trust and support of both the Maltese people and the authorities, from the President of the Republic down to even the smallest local council and individual.
The political arena is always rife with sensitive and sometimes divisive issues but when it comes to social solidarity we have seen our politicians joining forces and willingly and determinedly sharing initiatives and responsibilities. In recent weeks, this has been further shown by my co-nomination with fellow MEP David Casa of Puttinu Cares for the prestigious European Citizen’s Award.
It shows we are happily not wont to disregard an opportunity that confirms once and for all there is a mature side to our political nature and that the one-nation concept is deeply rooted in our beliefs and aspirations.
A nation that is always ready to offer solidarity to a just cause, wherever and whenever it occurs, is a sure sign of maturity based on a willingness to discard political differences and partisan standpoints that otherwise clutter our daily diary of events.
This is a nation that is always ready to offer solidarity to a just cause
This year, the Eurpean Citizen’s Award spotlight deservedly fell on Puttinu Cares, a group whose main aims include advocation of cancer-affected children and their families by representing their needs; campaigning for a coordinated network of care and support; promoting models of good care and practice; supporting families; enhancing the knowledge and skills of carers; assisting affected children by improving the environment in which they are treated and raising funds.
In my nomination of the group for the award, it was recalled how, some years ago, it was wisely decided that children with cancer should be nursed in a separate ward, hence, the new Paediatric Oncology Unit where loving parents and caring volunteers have created a pleasant environment and sponsors provided all the electronic gadgets so beloved of children.
The nomination explained how the Puttinu Cares team guides parents to deal with the ordeal ahead, offering help also when families need to go abroad for further treatment. For this purpose, Puttinu Cares has successfully purchased and furnished three apartments within walking distance of the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
The work and the solidarity, of course, have to go on but so does our firmness of purpose in making sure the political machine is there to work with them and for them. As one nation, we need to show the same resilience and spirit of enterprise that make charitable work such a blessed characteristic of human nature.
joseph@josephcuschieri.com
Joseph Cuschieri is a Labour MEP.