OK, I get it, the Maltese are a generous lot. Having just forked out a million euro on their favourite political party, just to keep the life-support system of their shoestring TV stations going, they are now in the process of giving even more millions to the annual telethon jamboree called L-Istrina.
There is nothing more heart-warming, more Christmassy then watching people being generous. So seeing a whole nation go giving-gaga should warm my cockles down to the hole in in my socks, right? Wrong!
In my books there is nothing more frightening, more group-thinkingly mad than L-Istrina.
What started as a little side project for the President’s (and previously the Governor-General’s spouse) has become a large behemoth hoovering up the generosity of a nation.
It is a perfect storm of generosity meeting lazy thinking.
Here’s the problem in a nutshell: I want to share some of my good fortune with those less fortunate than myself. However I can’t be bothered to find out who they are. So let’s give to L-Istrina and leave the thinking to them. Deed done, give myself a pat on the back and get back to the celebrations.
In my books there is nothing more frightening, more group-thinkingly mad than L-Istrina
And therein lies the rub: L-Istrina has become the nightmare of many an NGO. Very few of them (save the political parties and the Dar tal-Providenza) have the manpower or size to put up the sort of publicity drive afforded L-Istrina.
None of them can go to the major banks and commercial companies and coerce them into giving big sums of money.
So many of these NGOs find doors closed with signs reading 'Gave to L-Istrina'. They then have to wait at the President’s door, begging bowl in hand, in the hope that something will trickle through.
A few days ago, the Malta Community Chest Fund announced it was giving €900,000 to 66 organisations. These donations were given based on project submissions proposed by these and other organisations. This amounted to approximately €13,000 per project. Hurrah! Let’s pop the champagne!
Well, hang on a moment. Let’s not, for the moment, wonder why the Malta Community Chest Fund sat on such a large amount of money for a whole year.
Instead, let’s ask ourselves how many of these organisations will actually need the money to survive and that they have had to go through hoops by creating ‘projects’ which conformed to the application requirements rather than just stating bluntly what their needs were.
The point is: there are a lot of excellent voluntary organisations out there which do miracles with little resources. They work quietly and diligently helping to create a better society without much hoopla. Some may even operate in your city,village, neighbourhood or even your street.
By all means give to L-Istrina, but please do a bit of research and give an equal amount to an NGO directly. They will appreciate the donation. But, more importantly they will appreciate your direct acknowledgement and appreciation of their work.