Mark with Valletta coach Paul Zammit. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

Mark* has never dared dream big, but this Christmas he gave it a go and the eight-year-old met his favourite football players.

The young boy met the Valletta FC players on Tuesday – St Nicholas’ Day – and once on the football pitch, the team challenged Mark and his friends to a match.

His is one of the 2,100 dreams that this year made it to the list of the Children’s Dreams campaign, coordinated by Lina Pecorella in partnership with the government support agency Appoġġ.

It follows a similar project in Lithuania, which has been running successfully for seven consecutive years and the idea was brought over to Malta by Ms Pecorella herself.

This year, the number of ‘dreams’ increased by two thirds – from 1,300 in 2015 to 2,100 this Christmas.

In fact, since the initiative is now more established and known among the locals, Appoġġ this year decided to cover all of its services, and social workers nominated the vulnerable children that they follow.

Mark was one of these children, and when asked what he wished for, he said: “My family is going through various financial difficulties and I have never allowed myself to dream big. This year I would like to give it a try and ask Father Christmas to let me meet my favourite football players.”

Meanwhile, a child called Marija* asked for a second-hand nappy changer.

Their real wish is to go shopping and experience choosing their own clothes

A spokeswoman for Appoġġ noted that very often, children were hesitant when asked about their dreams and one girl this year insisted that her family needed more help than she did – and asked her social workers to help her baby sister and mother.

“Aġenzija Appoġġ follows children who are very vulnerable and face financial challenges, emotional difficulties and traumas. Some of the dreams are from adolescents who are furthering their studies in post-secondary schools, who lack the necessary basics allowing them to integrate with other students,” the spokeswoman added.

In fact, some children this year requested the opportunity to buy clothes.

Mark watches the players training.

“They would love to have some new clothes to wear for the Christmas festivities… But their real wish is to go shopping with the social worker and experience choosing their own clothes – an opportunity they rarely have,” she explained, adding that social workers in the meantime take the opportunity to teach the children budgeting skills.

One dream that the campaign managed to fulfil last year was that of Phil*, who had asked for a specialised oven.

The 16-year-old dreams of becoming a cook to be able to give back something to the society that brought him up.

Asked for an update, the spokeswoman noted that all of Phil’s flatmates at his residential home were benefitting from the gift.

“This was indeed a dream come true for all of them, but especially for Phil who was able to start living his dream after a particularly chaotic past,” she added.

www.childrendreams.org

*names have been changed

Some of the fulfilled dreams

■ School bag, pencil case and lunch box – Alexander, two years old;
■ Stickers – Mattheo, six years old;
■ Football – Joel, eight years old;
■ Voucher from Burger King - Yelena, 10 years old;
■ Headphone sets - George, Mario, Kevin and David, 13 years old;
■ Sewing machine - Carl, 13 years old;
■ Pen drive - Gial, 13 years old;
■ Maltese private tuition - Sera, 15 years old;
■ Wall paint for room refurbishment - Zain, 15 years old;
■ Belt - John, 16 years old.