Boys at the St Joseph Home in Santa Venera were given a brand new guitar yesterday during a tête-à-tête with local band Red Electrick. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

Christmas came early for boys at a residential home yesterday when they met a favourite local band after one of them expressed his wish for a guitar.

“It’s new!” Kevin* exclaimed as the acoustic guitar was unwrapped at the St Joseph Home in Santa Venera by members of Red Electrick. The children usually receive hand-me-downs, and their excitement yesterday was palpable as they all raised their hand when asked who wanted to try out the brand new instrument.

The children at the residential home are eight of the hundreds of children followed by Aġenzija Appoġġ who this Christmas have had their dream come true.

It all started with the dream of one boy, 11-year-old Kevin, who is learning to play the guitar.

“I live in a residential home and if for Christmas I can have a voucher from a music shop, this will make me very happy,” his dream on the website Childrendreams.org said.

The Children’s Dreams campaign, run by Lina Pecorella in partnership with the government support agency Appoġġ, follows a similar project in Lithuania.

Started in Malta in 2013, the project this year saw the dreams of some 1,200 children who live in out-of-home care or who are at risk of poverty come true.

Last week, this newspaper published Phil’s* dream. The teen needs a special oven to improve his cooking skills, as he would like to become a baker and give back to the society that brought him up.

The feedback was great. Phil’s dream, and some others that were a bit more expensive, such as laptops, have been fulfilled.

Matthew, Peter and Ivan Borg (left to right) of Red Electrick met children at a residential home. They received a new guitar sponsored by the band and Band Aid Music.

Campaign coordinator Remenda Borg Grech noted there were offers of apprenticeships for Phil. Kevin’s dream came true when Red Electrick and Band Aid Music contacted the project coordinators wanting to sponsor his wish. Kevin’s gift soon turned into one for all the residents, as the band visited the boys at the home.

The band wants to give something back, bassist Ivan Borg said, calling on others to give their time to those in need this Christmas.

* Names have been changed