People with special needs are being given a new lease of life thanks to an initiative that allows them to experience animal-assisted therapy on a regular basis.
The brainchild of Rosemarie Lanfranco at Rosie’s Animal-Assisted Therapy Farm, and made possible thanks to the assistance of Dar tal-Providenza director Fr Martin Micallef, the initiative is already yielding positive results, with residents reportedly showing improved emotional well-being.
The sessions, which Ms Lanfranco says are being held semi-regularly with a view to increasing frequency as soon as human resources and amenities make this possible, are offered on a volunteer basis.
A podologist by profession, Ms Lanfranco is no stranger to volunteer work – in the past, she has worked both with rescue animals and with people with disabilities.
This initiative, she says, has allowed her to bring together two of her biggest passions in life.
“It all started when I took in a couple of abandoned horses. I had already delved into the topic of animal-assisted therapy and I realised that these two new additions to the family could also be used to do some good,” she says.
Having already had experience helping out at Dar tal-Providenza, Ms Lanfranco put out feelers about the possibility of piloting the project there. A meeting with Fr Martin revealed that her idea tallied with a plan that the priest had also been aiming to implement.
“The first time we saw the residents interact with the horses, and the effect it had on people with mental disabilities in particular, we were so touched. We all ended up crying, no exaggerations,” she says.
The success of this initial venture prompted Ms Lanfranco to carry out more research. Since then, she has attended three courses related to animal-assisted therapy, in Italy.
Watching him holding a hen on his lap, seeing his face transform into a smile… well, that’s priceless
And the family of furry helpers has grown too, with rabbits, hens, Martina the donkey, dogs and two goats joining the group of animals that are used to make the lives of Dar tal-Providenza residents just a little bit easier.
“We got a lot of feedback and support on social media after people saw what we are doing. We now got a van in order to be able to transport the animals properly, and we have a few people volunteering their time too,” Mrs Lanfranco adds.
She hopes that this boost will allow sessions to be held more frequently and seeing the reactions of residents has made her even more determined to help Fr Martin turn this into a regular part of the therapy programme at Dar tal-Providenza.
“The difference that this kind of therapy makes is easy to gauge. To quote one example, there is one particular resident, who is autistic. Since being introduced to the hens, his life has been turned around. When he is having difficulties, it is only the hens that somehow manage to comfort him. Watching him holding a hen on his lap, seeing his face transform into a smile… well, that’s priceless,” she tells me.
Different people, she adds, bond with different species and this is why she is trying hard to continue adding new animals to the flock.
“Every single animal has its own personality, much like the people. You never know who is going to strike a friendship with whom. Horses have always enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for bonding quickly with humans, but you’d be surprised by the strength of a friendship that can develop with other species.”
Ms Lanfranco dreams of a day when animal-assisted therapy becomes an automatic part of any therapy programme. She speaks wistfully of the system she has seen in place in Milan, where patients are offered the therapy as part of their outpatients’ programme.
“The technique is tried and tested. But, of course, it requires time and resources to implement well. I also have family commitments, not to mention other expenses, so there is a limit to what I can achieve without outside support,” she says.
She is not letting harsh realities dampen her spirit, however.
“The target is to start offering sessions at elderly homes as well. We have seen the difference this therapy makes thanks to some individual sessions, but we want to be in a position to offer this more regularly.”
She acknowledges that the project is not something that will happen overnight but, rather, one that needs to be nurtured and grown, with the proper training and equipment in order to prioritise safety procedures above all else.
“When I think that this all started when we took Martina, our donkey, to take part in the Palm Sunday Procession at Dar tal-Providenza, I am amazed. The residents were all so enthused by her that we followed it up with a visit by the two horses. I really look forward to achieving even stronger results through this new year,” she concluded.