Paul and Rita* have been living in their new apartment for a month now and they are overjoyed.
"One hundred and twenty. That's the number of steps that lead up to my home," Paul says.
While moving house may be a normal life change, moving from homelessness and having to live in sheltered accommodation is certainly not.
After having nowhere to live, Paul and the five members of his family had to spend nine months sharing a home with others at shelters in Valletta and Gżira. "I'll remember this ordeal till the day I die... Nine months - just as long as a woman takes to have a baby!"
Of course, now Paul can joke about it as he looks back. Back then, the situation was traumatic since the couple, who have four children - three boys, now aged 17, 16, 11 and a girl, 10 - were forcibly separated; because men and women were grouped together.
It all started about a year ago when Paul and his family ran into problems with their landlord. Soon after, they found themselves on the street.
"I felt so angry and annoyed at not being able to look after my family who I care so much for," he says.
The family spent three months living apart. When they were moved to the YMCA quarters, at least they were living together and had privacy from other residents.
The situation was better, but not ideal. Paul's third son was desperately unhappy and used to cry a lot because he wanted his own home. Paul says: "I used to tell him it would be soon but it hurt me that I couldn't give him a definite answer."
Paul's hoping and waiting finally came to an end thanks to the YMCA who helped him to find an apartment.
Plans to move into their accommodation hadn't yet been finalised but, "I was so excited," Paul recalls, "that one night I decided we were going to leave. I woke up at 11 p.m. and spent the night packing... I didn't even have the patience to carry our bags out; I wanted to throw them all out of the window. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest".
He speaks with pride about their new home: the children's bedrooms are prepared; they have hung up pictures in the girl's room and arranged the plates and glasses in the kitchen. More importantly, Paul and Rita's son does not cry anymore.
Paul is very positive, even about the past and insists on the importance of always looking on the bright side especially when the going gets tough.
The family was living at YMCA's Dar Niki Cassar, which often helps people in these situations.
YMCA Homeless recently launched the '365 Campaign'. The aim of this campaign is to find 365 individuals or entities who will donate €1 a day, ideally for a whole year, in order to be able to sustain the YMCA Homeless Shelter for one year. Those who wish to help and pledge support or would like more information may visit www.ymcahomeless.org, call 2122 8038 or send an e-mail to info@ymcahomeless.org.
*Names have been changed.