The Youth of the Year Award 2016, organised by the Kerygma Movement, was awarded to James Borg Cumbo from San Ġwann. The award, sponsored by APS Bank, was announced by the movement’s president Bernice Micallef. A Certificate of Special Merit was also awarded to Sara Portelli from Birkirkara for her voluntary work promoting the culture of life, defending the speechless and for her work within the Franciscan community.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca presented the trophy at the end of a Mass celebrated at St Dominic’s church, Rabat on February 3. Also present were the President’s husband Edgar, APS chairman Emanuel Delia and George Hyzler, chairman of the selection board.
Mr Borg Cumbo, 25, works with an insurance company. In 2012, he went with friends on a youth exchange in Finland, where they were encouraged to reflect on the realities of life beyond our shores. The experience enkindled in them an interest to do missionary work. From here evolved the idea of setting up Karibu! Malta (welcome in Swahili).
Mr Borg Cumbo got involved in the project to encourage youngsters to go to Kenya under the Youth in Action scheme but their application for funding was unsuccessful. The interested youngsters decided that there was no alternative but to go anyway and paid to go from their own pockets.
At the time, Mr Borg Cumbo was secretary of the group, responsible for the collection of local records as well as planning activities for the children in Kenya. Contact was made with Archbishop Emanuel Barbara in Kenya and the group visited in 2013.
The work done included general maintenance, organising activities for the children and socialising with the locals of Malindi and other nearby villages. Mr Borg Cumbo had the time to talk to the children to see how they really felt and what they wished for. He saw the difference between Maltese children and those in Kenya who wished for just life’s basic necessities.
The group was so overwhelmed by the impact of this experience, especially when returning to the comforts of their own homes, that they decided this was not going to be a one-time event. They set up a committee, of which Mr Borg Cumbo became secretary and was responsible for drawing up a plan for fundraising activities throughout the year.
The young man has so far gone to Kenya for four consecutive years and is planning another trip for July. This time a new three-year project is being initiated in Mbaoni, another village distant from the town of Malindi, and therefore resources are very limited.
Karibu! Malta has already built a borehole in this community. The school needs to be rebuilt since the present one is made of branches and is very deteriorated. There are no benches for children, who have sit on the ground and write on their lap. Due to the amount of residents, the project is quite big, involving 11 classrooms, three administrative offices and five toilet pits.
Residents also wish for a church to be used as a community meeting place and where women can get some education. The cost of this entire project is estimated to be €90,000.
Mr Borg Cumbo’s role as president, with the help of other members, is to initially find the right candidates to participate and who are able to work as a team. The project in Mboani is undoubtedly the biggest one ever undertaken by Karibu! Malta.
Other nominees for this year’s Youth of the Year Award were Alan Joseph Buhagiar from Żabbar, Fabio Cini from Żebbuġ, Gozo, Sarah Magro from Vittoriosa and the Mellieħa Youth Group.
This trophy is awarded every year in honour of the late Rudolph Saliba, Kerygma Movement’s first president. The President congratulated the winner and finalists and the movement for organising this annual event, which showcases the voluntary work of so many youngsters. She said the work carried out by these young people and many others gave her encouragement and confidence in the Maltese people.