Maltese families will today have the opportunity to spend Sunday lunch with a family from a non-EU country to help promote cross-culture integration.
It helps us be more outward-looking, that’s the way God wants us to be
“I believe that integration takes place one person at a time. In this case it’s one family at a time,” said Andreana Dibben, whose relatives will be participating in a project to gather families for a home-cooked meal.
Called Next Door Family, the EU-funded project run by the NGO Get Up Stand Up aims to promote intercultural dialogue and celebrate diversity.
The idea is to introduce Maltese families to non-EU families living in Malta permanently or temporarily.
Ms Dibben, her husband Clint, and their children Hayley, 14, and Nathan, eight, signed up to take part and will today be getting to know another family.
“The idea is to expose the children to different cultures. Living in Malta they don’t get much opportunity to do so,” Ms Dibben said.
“I think it’s important to open them up to new values and cultures both on a social and educational level.”
She also wanted to support the NGO and play a part in reaching out to families who may be finding it daunting to make friends in a new country.
She is now curiously waiting to be told whether she will be cooking a typical Maltese meal for this mystery family or whether her relatives will be the guests.
Australian Geoff Cuschieri and his family will be getting to know more about the Maltese culture that runs through his ancestry. His Maltese father moved to Australia many years ago and Mr Cuschieri was born and brought up Down Under.
He only moved to Malta four years ago with his wife Robyn and their children Tim, 10, Amy, eight, and Ben, six.
“I’m more Australian in my values and mentality,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to spending time with a Maltese family.
Like Ms Dibben, he feels it is important for his children to experience different cultures – which is something of a hobby for him.
“I love having people over and taking time to get to know new people. It helps us be more outward looking… That’s the way God wants us to be,” he said.
He added that perhaps not enough people took the time to reach out to meet over a coffee to get to know one another better.
Other families who wish to participate in the Next Door Family project may apply online through www.nextdoorfamily.eu, e-mail nextdoorfamilymalta@gmail.com or call 9961 3869 or 7969 9692.