We tend to put children and pets in the same basket of thoughts.

Even scribbled wisdom laments that ‘tfal u bhejjem għali dejjem’ (children and animals are always a nuisance).

With animals, we all engage in a bit of anthropomorphism. We dress them up in cute hoodies and macs, lay out the kind of spreads that we think are the four- and two-legged equivalent of a Michelin star dining experience, and expect them to break into a choreographed song and dance number every time we throw them a treat.

And we think that they reason and feel in ways we understand and anticipate. Maybe they do. But it could be they don’t.

With children, we write our own script and cast the little ones in dreams of being astronauts, footballers, models and presidents.

We assume children want to be like Beyonce and Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe they do. But it could be they don’t because, as this year’s edition of the Children’s Dreams campaign showed, children have surprisingly simpler dreams.

Among the some 2,100 dreams that the campaign – coordinated by Lina Pecorella in partnership with Appoġġ – made true were a belt, a pencil box, clothes, shoes and even Tal-Linja top-up cards.

These are not luxuries but basic necessities which other children would grumble about if they found them in their Christmas stockings. Yet for vulnerable children, these mundane basics have the sheen of extravagance.

More than 90 per cent of these children’s dreams have found a sponsor. The ones still waiting to come true were those involving shopping.

The children want to choose their own clothes. The want to be just like their peers.

The families of the children who asked for shopping vouchers have financial difficulties and want to provide their children with basic needs.

Poverty may not be visible in Malta – no beggars roam the streets and no homeless people can be seen outside, building makeshift shelters from cardboard boxes.

And yet it is there, clinging to the underbelly of society: the latest NSOstatistics show that more than 68,000 are at risk of poverty, more than 63,000 are materially deprived and more than 34,000 are severely materially deprived.

Every Christmas, charity puts children and pets in the same stable.

In the case of pets, the message is that they are for life, not just for Christmas. For children, we raise millions in campaigns that – much like the mince pies and roast turkey – have become part of the Christmas rituals menu.  And every Christmas, we always clap to the message that the money raised shouldnot be the proverbial fish – rather,the funds should be invested in tools to help find long-term solutions to poverty.

It is a repetitive festive message – and yet, it rings true every time.

Because rather than provide pain relief for the symptoms, we should seek a cure for the ailments.

Every nation is in a race against other nations for greater wealth. Yet with every percentage gained in GDP growth, unemployment, import and export – the further vulnerable people are left behind.

The country’s wealth should be invested to ensure that education, jobs and opportunities are accessible to all. And it should be distributed in a fair manner to help vulnerable people.

Christmas charity helps those in need – yet it only comes once a year.

To help vulnerable people, we need a constant and consistent effort.