Dar il-Kaptan, a respite home for physically and intellectually challenged people in Mtarfa, has extended and improved its play area with funds from the Vodafone Malta Foundation.

The new equipment and props in the area are intended to increase the particiation of residents, since play is used as a form of therapy and helps to develop life skills.

The outside recreational area now has a swing especially made to take wheelchairs, as well as basketball tubes, an hourglass panel and a xyclophone panel, while the outside play area can now be used by wheelchair-bound people.

“We recognise the indispensable service that Dar il-Kaptan extends to people with disabilities and their families and we are hopeful that with our help, this project will offer them precious moments of respite,” said Vodafone Malta Foundation chairperson Gemma Mifsud Bonnici.

Established in 1991, Dar il-Kaptan offers weekly and daily respite services to over 220 families of people with disabilities, providing them with some rest from the pressures and stress that comes with caring for people with challenging needs.

The services offered are residential. These include rest periods for families and a day programme focused on daily living, social skills, leisure and recreational activities such as handicrafts and light gardening.

Apart from the government’s annual grant, Dar il-Kaptan has to raise around €180,000 every year to cover costs.