Caritas Malta is organising courses in parishes in Malta to help families adopt and lead a sustainable lifestyle.

Families are encouraged to examine the way they manage their home and life and explore how they can improve the quality of their lives with existing resources.

The courses are being given by Home Economists in Action (HEiA), a group of professional home economics educators who, after discussions with Caritas on the objective of these courses, laid out a programme of nine sessions held once a week.

The programme, called Bi Ftit Ħsieb... Għażliet Għaqlin għal Stil ta’ Ħajja Aħjar, focuses on various themes, such as decision-making and prioritisation, family budgeting, wise shopping and saving on bills.

HEiA educators also hold individual meetings with those attending to discuss the knowledge and skills covered and how these could be applied according to personal or family circumstances.

The courses, part of a wider sustainable lifestyles project financed by the Malta Community Chest Fund and Caritas, are based on research, which strengthened the recognition that the way important decisions are taken within families can lead to difficulties if they are not compatible with family resources, including financial means.

The courses are open to all types of families, whatever their income or education.

Those who have attended the courses have spoken favourably about the benefits, saying they appreciated the sharing of experiences with others and that they had adopted a number of suggestions.

Parish priests, in collaboration with the local Diaconia Commissions, identify people and families who could gain from attending the courses, and provide the premises for the weekly sessions.

To date, courses have been held in Żebbuġ, Ħamrun, Mosta, Tarxien and Marsaxlokk. Other courses will be held in the coming months in parishes which request them, or which are willing to host them.