For the fifth consecutive year, HSBC Malta celebrated World Water Day with a number of events designed to promote the notion of effective water conservation in Malta.

The events were launched with the opening of an art exhibition by St Ignatius College students at the President’s Palace, Valletta. Inaugurated by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the exhibition Ilma (Maltese for water) showcased artworks on the theme of water. All the 55 art pieces are to be sold.

Proceeds from this initiative will be donated to the L-Istrina fund. Participating students also presented the President with a cheque of €605 raised from last year’s sales. The exhibition has since moved to HSBC Malta Head Office on Archbishop Street Valletta, where it is open to the public - during normal business hours - until the end of April.

On the eve of the World Water Day students from Valletta Primary and San Ġwann Primary carried out street fundraising in Pjazza San Ġorg. Monies were collected for Mission Malta, which is running a water sanitation programme in Zambia.

It was the HSBC Water Programme-sponsored secondary school quiz which attracted the greatest participation. Now in its third year, this nationwide quiz saw the participation of 21 secondary schools from across Malta and Gozo. 

The 2018 quiz edition was held at St Benedict College Kirkop Middle School and was won by the Archbishop Seminary Rabat. A unique feature of the event this year was the donation of funds by participating schools to Mission Malta for their Zambia project. 

In Gozo, the Ministry for Gozo organised a student activity at Għar Ilma, which was restored in 2016 thanks to the funds by HSBC Water Programme.

The World Water Day was designated by the United Nations in 1993 and since then has been marked around the world around a chosen theme. The theme for 2018 is ‘Nature for Water’.

Since 2013, HSBC has invested close to €1 million on water conservation projects in Malta.