A €100 note will not get you far in Malta, even though it may buy you a lavish dinner, but in the Philippines it will cover a child's school fees, uniform and books for one year.
Sr Annie Catania, an untiring Maltese Dorothean nun, is on a mission to raise money to fund the education of some 50 poor Filipino children, who are thirsty for knowledge.
Each year, Sr Annie, who has been working with the poor in the Philippines for the past seven years, returns to Malta for a few weeks to tap people's generosity and raise funds for the destitute who the Dorothean Convent helps.
Last year, with the help of the Maltese, Sr Annie successfully launched a feeding project for the malnourished Filipino children and their mothers who trudge long distances to the parish of Tandang Sora, in Quezon City, to eat their only warm, healthy meal of the day.
The children, aged between two and six, get a good lunch, a glass of milk and an egg, and while the team is preparing the meal they are taught religion, singing and writing.
The nuns also feed the young children who come knocking on their doors most evenings begging for food before they continue on their way to collect rubbish.
Together with the parish and other sisters of St Dorothy, Sr Annie is hoping to make a difference to the lives of the villagers and this time she wants to try and get the children into school.
"We are now also hoping to start scholarships for the children. With just €100 (Lm42.93) people can pay for a child's education. All the children would have to do is buy their lunch from school, which will cost some €0.23 (10c)," she explained.
The convent has already funded the education of two children, a girl and a boy, who both lost their parents, and is hoping to slowly get all of them to school.
Sr Annie is always seeking new ways of helping the community. She often conducts home visits, walking through the dirt and drainage in the poorest areas, trying to establish if they need food or medical treatment.
Some of the families who live in this area have had their houses - a mere one-room shed - demolished by the government and land owners who want to clean up the place. To rebuild their home each family will need some €2,329 (Lm1,000) and Sr Annie is hoping the convent will manage to raise enough funds to help two families.
Every Sunday for the next few weeks Sr Annie will be organising a bazaar at St Dorothy's Convent, in Mdina, between 5 and 8 p.m. where she will be selling handmade items by the mothers whose children attend the convent in the Philippines.
A fund-raising buffet lunch will also be held on Father's Day, June 15, at Soreda Hotel, Qawra, at 12.30p.m. Adults pay €15 (Lm6.44), while children under-12 pay €7 (Lm3). To book, one can call on 9906 3820/2143 1367.
Those who wish to help Sr Annie with her projects in the Philippines can send a donation to the Bank of Valletta account 18208305010 or to St Dorothy's Convent, Mdina Road, Żebbuġ.