For these last 50 years, Id-Dar tal-Providenza has been a shining beacon of hope for so many families with disabled children who have been unable to give them the level of care they deserve. For generations of disabled people, the complex has offered more than a refuge; it has become their home.
In post-war Malta, disabled people were the helpless victims of the same ignorance, prejudice and fear that today goes is called xenophobia. Many were existing in the most appalling circumstances, even locked away. Disabled people were invisible and voiceless.
The founder, the late affable Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, dedicated his life towards improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable disabled people. His compassionate and liberal mindset was in tune with its time. People then began talking of inclusive societies and the intrinsic value of every person.
Mgr Azzopardi’s radio programme Siegħa tal-Morda did much to popularise such ideals, change negative attitudes towards disabled people and prepare the way for Id-Dar tal-Providenza.
In 1965, the project saw its beginnings thanks to an anonymous cash gift. Two years later, the home – which, all along, depended completely on Divine Providence and the generosity of the Maltese people – also acquired the former Royal Navy rest camp in Siġġiewi. The rest is history.
For 21 years, after Mgr Azzopardi’s death in 1987, Mgr Lawrence Gatt continued to consolidate the work done by the founder. When Fr Martin Micallef succeeded Mgr Gatt, the disability landscape had changed radically.
The National Commission People with Disability, set up in 1987, placed disability on the national agenda for the first time. Existing services were improved and new ones launched; inclusive education was established in all schools; ICT gave disabled people unprecedented access to information, social interaction and employment opportunities; the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act was passed in 2000; in 2012 Malta ratified the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disability with increasing emphasis on self-advocacy.
When it was set up, Id-Dar tal-Providenza was both forward-looking and ground-breaking in the audacity of its vision. It has now taken on new challenges. Gainful occupation is encouraged. Residents with the potential to live independently are provided with training and ongoing support. Self-advocacy sessions take place with more residents increasingly speaking out and, wherever possible, making their own decisions on a daily basis.
It is also expanding into the provision of community-based, independent-living. Gradually, the home is providing highly accessible flats in the community where younger disabled people who are already employed and lead full, social lives, are provided with the support they require to live independently.
In other words, Id-Dar tal-Providenza is a lot more than a mere complex where people with disabilities are looked after. It is the place where they shed their incapacity to lead as normal a life as possible. No wonder it attracts so much generosity, not just in cash and kind but also in the number of volunteers who continuously come forward.
As it marks its 50th anniversary, Id-Dar tal-Providenza continues to renew itself while remaining true to Mgr Azzopardi’s vision and serving as a bright beacon of hope for many disabled individuals and their families.