[attach id=246082 size="medium"]Artworks such as this painting by Caroline Said Lawrence will be sold online through a fundraising auction.[/attach]

The dreams of young children in care of taking a holiday abroad this summer may come true with a little help from one determined woman who has roped in her friends to set up an online fundraising campaign.

Lucianne Bajada, who lost her mother when she was six, is familiar with the scar of living without loved ones. When she chanced upon Fr Frankie Cini, director of St Joseph Home, talking on television about the home, she decided to roll up her sleeves and do something about it.

Fifteen boys aged between eight and 18 are currently living at St Joseph’s Home in Santa Venera. “We can never fill this void for these children but they deserve a break. They deserve a taste of what life can offer. They deserve hope and happiness,” said Ms Bajada.

Together with five of her friends, she decided to set up a website auctioning works of Maltese artists.

Fr Cini was grateful for the news. “We cannot tap into the budget reserved for the day-to-day expenditure as otherwise we would not be able to make ends meet.”

They deserve a taste of what life can offer

In 2009, he had taken a group of boys staying at the home on holiday in Europe and they loved it.

“This trip to the north will give a new group a dream – most come from social situations where this dream is beyond reach,” said Fr Cini.

From now till the end of April, the website www.auctionforstjoseph.com will be featuring works of art by Debbie Caruana Dingli, Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Rupert Cefai, Ed Schembri and Caroline Said Lawrence, among others. Bids may be made online throughout the whole month and the highest bidder by April 30 will get the work.

“I was amazed by how eager the artists were to take part and donate all these great works of art for free,” said event organiser Alison Bezzina, adding that all the money raised will be going towards the vacation funds.

The money collected will go towards covering the cost of the 15 boys and six carers.

The destination will be somewhere in Europe but, said Ms Bezzina: “The more money we manage to raise, the more memorable the holiday that we can give them.”