Charity begins at Home!

[patriaomuerte]

Ivvutata l-isbah skola fl-Ewropa...



http://www.maltafly.com/images//h05.jpg


Mikiel Anton Vassalli Lyceum, Tal-Handaq

AWGURI U PROSIT TABILHAQQ

Mibghut minn Jan

Aktar ritratti li juru l-gmiel ta' din l-iskola; l-ghira ta' kull student Ewropew...




Tarag ta' l-irham bil-poggamani tal-kewba u lavur sabih tal-ferrobattuto... http://www.maltafly.com/images//h04.jpg






...bi stil Franciz, a la Versailles... http://www.maltafly.com/images//01.jpg






...u skultura barokka fil-kantunieri... http://www.maltafly.com/images//02b.jpg





...kif ukoll hitan indurati b'arti moderna viziva ... http://www.maltafly.com/images//h03.jpg





...u kundizzjonijiet sanitarji tahsbek qieghed is-Sheraton... http://www.maltafly.com/images//h06.jpg






...lussu li ghaggeb lil kulhadd... http://www.maltafly.com/images//h07.jpg


Source: Maltafly
My note:
It-taxxi tal-poplu, flok imorru f affarijiet serji, bhal tindif u ristrutturar ta skejjel imorru ghand il-klandestini. Imbghad dawn igergru u jgaraw l-ghadam tat-tigieg lejn is-suldati taghna.

U xi cwiec maltin jaqbzu ghal klandestini u m hux ghall-malti!

Charity begins at home!

[etoile noir]

Is this for real? i mean are maltese parents expected to send their children to be educated in this kind of environment?

seriously Patria, is this school open for children now?? if it is what are the parents doing about it? donating to charitable institutions?

i would never, ever send my son to a "school" like that! i would rather keep him at home and face legal action. no way on god's green earth. and i mean it :mad:

[patriaomuerte]

I can assure you that, that school is real. It is in handaq qormi. It is a junior lyceum (Form1 -Form 5).

This school is still open and has quite a number of students as well. Students comming from qormi, rabat, mosta, zebbug and siggiewi.

I never attended this school but i went there a number of times with my friends to play soccer. It is, was and still is in that condition.

Actually this was one of the best junior lyceums in the country. Ever heard of the surmast Testa?

Actually Testa is mentioned in the book (altough he changed his name) by Trevor Zahra " Is-Surmast". Many people beleive he is the one.

If junior lyceums are in these state. Go and see the area secondary and the ex-trade schools.

I used to go for evening lessons in umberto colosso. And when compared to the photos in this post these look really nice.

Peppi programm fuq l-iskejjel taghna jrid jghamel. U m hux qisu l iblah jiftah idejh u jipponta u jaqbez ghal illegali.

[patriaomuerte]

It-tfal ta l iskola jghamlu hsara. Ghax it-tfal huma vandali minnhom infushom. Jien niftakar meta kont immur l iskola m hux darba jew tnejn ktibt fuq id-desk.

Gieli it-tfal jkissru t-toilets ukoll. Imma mid-dehra il-policy tal-pajjiz hi li dak li jkissru it-tfal ma jergax jisewwa.

Imma! Dak li qed ikisru l klandestini (u dawn m hux tfal) qed jisewwa mill ewwel.

We need to set our priorities right.

[etoile noir]

whether or not the kids do actual damage to the school is not the issue here. it is patently obvious that the damage to that school is structural, and not the doodling of some kid, or the accidental [or non accidental] breakage of a window pane.

that is a decrepit building that should not even house pigs, let alone educate children aged 11-15!

besides, where does the money allocated to repairs and maintenance of state schools go? the one government is always so proud of announcing during the infamous budget speach every november ....

shame. absolute shame on the education authorities and the governemnt. and further shame on those who are more interested in raising funds for illegal immigrants [jahasra!] than our own future generations.

[Cikku]

About 15-20 years ago I was asked to "assist" an architect in preparing a report for the Courts about Umberto Colosso (and here I must point out again that I NEVER charged a penny for such reports although the architect got something in the region of Lm500).

In this case I had no cause to issue any bills as my report went something like:

"With all due respect to these Courts etc (the usual bullshit in the preamble) there is nothing to report about this dilapidated pig sty if it can be called that; I am afraid for life and limb to enter another single room/workshop and I fully agree with all the parents that this place is even unfit for the roaches and bugs that abound in there"

Judges in such enquiries very rarely send out any comments on reports but I was honoured with a short note from the Judge in charge saying:

"my sincere thanks for your very illuminating and exhaustive report"

lmao:)

[Gladiator]

Lol:D

From those photographs, they remind me of an area in the north of Toronto, It is called the Jane & Finch area. Known as the ghetto, where the coconut people live.

My son doesn't go there, he goes to another school in the same area where we live, but when he comes from school he takes over the bathroom. Why? I found out once. He doesn't uses the one at school because it's dangerous and dirty. Same as the photographs.

Also after PE class, the boy smells like horses! Why? He doesn't uses the showers at school because the plumbing does not work. The Province of Ontario spends 13 BIllion dollars on education a year!
Welcome to the school system in Ontario!

[patriaomuerte]

The handaq school was british army baracks changed into a school. Really not the best idea. This is why there is so many structural problems

[Gladiator]

Tal-Handaq was always a school for British kids. Built in 1946.It was never a British services establishment.

[Marco Polo]

Is this for real? i mean are maltese parents expected to send their children to be educated in this kind of environment?

seriously Patria, is this school open for children now?? if it is what are the parents doing about it? donating to charitable institutions?

i would never, ever send my son to a "school" like that! i would rather keep him at home and face legal action. no way on god's green earth. and i mean it :mad:

er....looks pretty much the same as my high school did (st joseph junior lyceum, poala). we had to buy the paint and paint the classroom ourselves in form 3 and in the meantime only had a maths teacher for a total of 1 term.

[Marco Polo]

i thought everyone knew government schools were like that??? Not much education goes on either. Those students that succeed do so because their parents send them to 'privat'. I learnt more maths in 3 months at 'privat' than i did in 3 years at high school.

[Cikku]

I agree 100% with Marco Polo, above, as my son said the same some 15 years ago. HOWEVER, I wonder if anybody can put a finger on what is wrong with the Education system (apart from total and absolute apathy, gross incompetence and corruption by the ADMINISTRATION). In my days things were NOT like this.

My friends, this is NO JOKE, the future of our children depends on a good and thorough education.

Any ideas re this matter would be greatly appreciated.
:confused:

[Niccolo]

At junior college 2nd year my systems of knowledge teacher came for maybe 5 lessons in a whole year.

When she started missing classes we reported her to the principal, but nothing happened to her. Not only that, but we got in trouble with her for reporting her (2 minutes after we reported her eh) She continued missing lessons after, so we didn't bother reporting her again.

[malsey]

Ask university students about the teachers. A high number of them do not even bother to go to give lectures. However then they give a sample test before the exam( which will be almost the same as the exam) and the students will pass.

imbad x ma jahorgux professuri tal bigilla

At junior college 2nd year my systems of knowledge teacher came for maybe 5 lessons in a whole year.

When she started missing classes we reported her to the principal, but nothing happened to her. Not only that, but we got in trouble with her for reporting her (2 minutes after we reported her eh) She continued missing lessons after, so we didn't bother reporting her again.

[patriaomuerte]

Do you go to university masley? Because in four years of university there was never shortage of lecturers and lectures.

I do not know about other departments though. Mine was ok


Ask university students about the teachers. A high number of them do not even bother to go to give lectures. However then they give a sample test before the exam( which will be almost the same as the exam) and the students will pass.

imbad x ma jahorgux professuri tal bigilla

[malsey]

No I don't however some of my friends go. Mainly are the ones which are in politics which are the worse.
Ghax dawn irridu jlaqhu mall pajjiz, mall business privat, mall hbieb tal hbieb u anka jaghtu lectures suppost.
Hawn mhux se nsemmi ismijiet issa nibghatlek pm;)

Do you go to university masley? Because in four years of university there was never shortage of lecturers and lectures.

I do not know about other departments though. Mine was ok

[patriaomuerte]

I attented De La Salle College as a student. Our year was quite strong and full of achievments as almost 75% have now achieved a degree.

Altough tal handaq in the same year was quite strong as well. Many people that i know got a degree as well and they did their secondary at handaq.

The building was falling but in the 80s handaq was good accademically. They had some of the best teachers.

I give you the example of Gaspare Mifsud - Physics teacher who was exceptionally good and he is still teaching in that school.

Secondary is quite important and it really decides for you wether you will go to university, find a job or go to a technical school.


i thought everyone knew government schools were like that??? Not much education goes on either. Those students that succeed do so because their parents send them to 'privat'. I learnt more maths in 3 months at 'privat' than i did in 3 years at high school.

[Gladiator]

Ask university students about the teachers. A high number of them do not even bother to go to give lectures. However then they give a sample test before the exam( which will be almost the same as the exam) and the students will pass.

imbad x ma jahorgux professuri tal bigilla

Masley, il-bigilla isiba anke fil-Mexico! Imma tahraq hafna.

[etoile noir]

i thought everyone knew government schools were like that??? Not much education goes on either. Those students that succeed do so because their parents send them to 'privat'. I learnt more maths in 3 months at 'privat' than i did in 3 years at high school.

no, sorry i didn't! how are we supposed to know? if it weren't for Patria posting those pics here i would still be in my state of blissful ignorance. then again, i dont send my son to that school, so how would i know?

surely knowing me as you do, you know that i would kick up hell if my son's school was anything like that! i kick up a fuss when they try to indoctrinate him with silly stories of the holocaust and the 6 gazillion jews and all that, you think i'd leave him spend the better part of his day, or his life, in a dilapitated building like that one?

hallina marco polo, mela hsibt li t-tifel tieghi sibtu fi skip jew :(

[iddrugo]

If I'm not mistaken there were a couple of letters in The Times about the stat of that school. I shall try and find them.

At least in these past few years, many government schools have been painted and refurbished to LOOK nice and good. Unfortunately the quality of lessons of teaching in these schools is still not up to standard.

[Niccolo]

I finished university 4 years ago. I confirm everything Malsey says.

No I don't however some of my friends go. Mainly are the ones which are in politics which are the worse.
Ghax dawn irridu jlaqhu mall pajjiz, mall business privat, mall hbieb tal hbieb u anka jaghtu lectures suppost.
Hawn mhux se nsemmi ismijiet issa nibghatlek pm;)

[patriaomuerte]

Dar tal-Providenza reveals financial woes

by di-ve news

FLORIANA, Malta (di-ve news)--May 12, 2005 -- 1715CEST--Id-Dar tal-Providenza of Siggiewi slipped into the red after experiencing a drop in donations.

The Home director Lawrence Gatt explained that the drop is to be attributed to the fact that the Home experienced a reduction in donations left by the people's last will.

And the situation can only get worse as Kerygma decided not to organise the traditional volleyball marathon.

Director of "Dar tal-Providenza" Mons. Lawrece Gatt revealed in a press conference that the organisation has now reached a deficit of over Lm 700,000 due to consistent reduced incomes and inflated expenses.

Mons. Gatt said that in 2002, "Dar tal-Providenza" ended its financial year with a loss of Lm 200,000 whilst in the year after, such unbalance went up to Lm 300,000. Furthermore, Gatt said that the organisation's yearly costs now amount to over Lm 1.5 million, Lm 1.1 million of which go for the salaries of the 235 workers employed by the organisation.

Mons. Lawrence Gatt believes that the problem is not of reduced contributions by the general public but of reduced incomes from other sources, namely people's wills.

"And the problem will only get worse due to the fact that this year, Kerygma will not be organizing the traditional volleyball fund-raising marathon."

In view of this he appealed to the general public to contribute towards "Dar tal-Providenza" more than ever before.

He said that presently the organisation has 125 residents, ranging from 5 to 70 years old. "It is a pity that the organisation cannot cater for more residents when you know that there are over 85 in the waiting-list."

The "Dar tal-Providenza" director however praised the numerous fund-raising initiatives being organised by various organisations, all of which sustain his charitable organisation.

Asked whether "Dar tal-Providenza" will be organising any large-scale fund-raising events, Mons. Gatt said that the organisation is making its plans in this regard but remarked that "we are being cautious in what we do in order to maintain the good reputation that the organisation carries with it."

He however revealed that discussions are underway with a local bank for a possible sponsor of the yearly diary that "Dar tal-Providenza" publishes, which costs around Lm 27,000.

Mons. Gatt finally thanked all those that contribute in any way towards the organisation and appealed for more contributions so that what Mons. Mikiel Azzoppardi, founder of the home, set up 40 years ago, could be kept sustained

SOURCE (http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=182774)

[patriaomuerte]

Il-allu jigifieri id-disabli f'Malta jridu jistennew mid-donazjonijiet u l-genorozita tal-poplu u imbghad l-illegali le.

L-illegali qed jiehdu flus li setghu marru kollha biex jghinu lil dawn il-maltin. Li huma maltin daqsna u patrijotti daqsna ukoll.

Sad! Sad very Sad!

[malsey]

Well that is one of my main reasons I do not donate at l istrina any more. It is not fair that disabled maltese have to suffer, while immigrants do what the hell they want.

At bondi plus keith said loud and clear to the disabled boy, what you prefer a better scooter of we help immigrants. Well Dolores and the government is choosing, and is choosing the illegals.

thats why disabled should stop it to show up with illegal immigrants protests. They are a different cause. However if they don't want to keep their identity and integrate with immigrants, then its there own fault.

[Niccolo]

Direct Link - The Sunday Times - 15/05/2005 (http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=187104)

A cry from the heart

Id-Dar Tal-Providenza, the complex for persons with disabilities at Siggiewi, a monumental labour of love undertaken by the late Mgr Michael Azzopardi some 40 years ago, is in dire straits. Mgr Laurence Gatt, who succeeded Mgr Azzopardi as director when the founder died 18 years ago last Friday, told a press conference on Thursday that the complex faces an accumulated deficit of Lm700,000 and that it now needs Lm1.5 million a year to run.

Mgr Gatt made it clear that Id-Dar tal-Providenza, which currently caters for 125 'angels' (as Mgr Azzopardi used to refer to them) has always relied on the generosity of the Maltese, who contribute in various ways: through straightforward donations, fund-raising activities, bequests and donations in kind, not to mention funds donated by the Malta Community Chest Fund, after activities such as the yearly telethon, L-Istrina. The Kerygma Movement, through its annual volleyball marathon over the last 19 years, has raised hundreds of thousands of liri for the home. However, the volleyball marathon is not being held this year, so this income somehow has to be replaced.

The government too, provides rebates on water and electricity bills to the tune of Lm18,000 and Lm19,000 a year, besides children's allowances, while residents themselves contribute a good part of their pension - but this only amounts to 10 per cent of the expenditure.

By far the biggest expenditure item is to meet the wages and salaries of the 235 employees, 180 of whom to tend to the disabled under their care. This item alone amounts to Lm1.1 million a year. There are, of course, numerous volunteers who do not receive a single cent for their work.

Mgr Gatt said that in the 18 years he has been director of the homes, expenses have soared. There are actually four homes - Villa Mgr Gonzi, opened in December 1965, Villa Papa Giovanni, opened in March, 1974, Villa Papa Luciani, opened in September 1987, and Zernieq, opened in February 1997, where five former residents live on their own with a support worker.

Naturally, the premises have been considerably overhauled (Villa Mgr Gonzi had been an RAF rest camp on the outskirts of Siggiewi), and maintenance costs have risen accordingly. Besides, ever newer facilities and amenities - including a gymnasium, an ability centre and workshops - have been installed over the years to make the life of the residents, young and old, as comfortable and as therapeutic as possible. Some are given work placements.

The educational, recreational and spiritual needs of the residents are constantly seen to. Each of them receives a programme specially suited and adpated individually with a holistic approach. They are, in fact, surrounded by never-failing love and care. No wonder there is a waiting list of 85, who cannot be accommodated at the moment.

In short, the work carried out at Id-Dar tal-Providenza is invaluable, and a constant reminder of the fact that Providence not only sees to it that hearts are touched but also that the opportunity to be generous with those who are disadvantaged in life is never lacking.

Sometimes the 'knock' on the heart to be generous is harder than usual. The current plight of Id-Dar tal-Providenza is one such occasion. If we take a good, hard look around us, we can see that most of us are living a reasonably good life and that we want for nothing. Indeed, there many 'trifles' on which we spend good money and which we could easily do without, or cut down on.

The cry from the heart coming from those who run Id-Dar tal-Providenza should set us thinking on what our priorities, life's priorities, should be. Now that summer is approaching, and with it more opportunities to enjoy the good life, we could surely set aside the odd Lm1 or Lm2 from the amount we would spend in a week, say, on ice-creams (which are fattening anyway) - to give a trite example - and give them to this noble cause.

Similarly, initiatives could be organised at the collective level. For example, the Ombudsman, Joe Sammut, who is also a well-known artist, has made a generous gesture indeed when he decided that the proceeds from the sale of his paintings of 68 localities and the book he is publishing containing reproductions of them, will go to Id-Dar tal-Providenza. It is a beautiful gift to mark his retirement and a noble example to be emulated and fully supported.

Then, no doubt, our companies and institutions - who have always responded generously to similar appeals and to philanthropic causes in general - can do their part in help bailing out Id-Dar tal-Providenza from its current financial difficulties.

We cannot afford to let this monument of love, willed by the saintly Dun Mikiel Azzopardi, go under.

[Marco Polo]

thats what happens when u mix all minority groups together! they are suffering because donations are being diverted to immigrants.

[IMPERIUM]

That wolf in sheep's clothing:
il-monsigneur tal-immigrati stated:
"funds are never a problem!"

Whenever he ran out of money:
"induru ghal opra ta-karita ohra -
bhad-Dar tal Providenza"

And now our handicapped are broke!
While illegals roam in gold-chains and mobiles.
Il-monsigneur! Dak il-lupu liebes ta haruf!

Imperium
0505

[argo]

And the situation can only get worse as Kerygma decided not to organise the traditional volleyball marathon.

Meravilja tal-meravilji, wara l-maratona d-Domine Cani xtraw il-Calypso Radio ghas-somma mizera ta' LM150,000 u semmewh Radju Marija.

Ghandi bzonn inbiddel il-karozza, tghid naghmel maratona ta' xi haga? Imqar tal-bews biex ma nghidx hag'ohra.

[Niccolo]

Direct Link - L-Orizzont - 21/07/2004 (http://www.l-orizzont.com/news.asp?newsitemid=13014)

Bla rendikont – bla karità
minn L-Avukat Anna Mallia

Issa xbajna fuq li xbajna, kulhadd jitlob il-karità minghandna minghajr hadd ma jaghti rendikont tal-flus fejn jingabru. Qafas legali ghad m’hemmx allura kulhadd jistrieh ghax ligi ghad m’hemmx u ghalhekk mhux obbligat li jaghti rendikonti ta’ xejn.

Fil-Milied ikollna “L-Istrina” u ghalkemm fuq il-karta ngabru miljun lira sal-lum hadd ghadu ma taghna rendikont ta’ kemm fil-fatt ingabru, jekk tqassmux xi flus minnhom u x’baqa’ jew ma baqghax. Jiena nghid il-verità issa ddecidejt li “L-Istrina” ma mmurx aktar ghax mhux sew li ma jaghtu rendikonti ta’ xejn aktar u aktar meta fl-ahhar elezzjoni hafna mill-flus li ngabru marru biex ikabbru l-voti tal-Partit Nazzjonalista. Il-karità u l-politika ma jmorrux id f’id u galadarba ghogobhom li anke l-karità jdahhlu l-politika fin-nofs, allura veramanet ma setghux jaqghu f’livell aktar baxx milli waqghu.

Kulhadd jaf x’entuzjazmu jkun hemm meta jkun hemm okkazjonijiet ta’ gbir ta’ fondi u huwa ghajb li dan l-entuzjazmu qeghdin intappnuh billi ma nkunux trasparenti u ma naghtu ebda rendikont ta’ xejn. Il-Milied dal-waqt rega’ maghna u sakemm ma jaghtux rendikont ta’ x’ingabar u ma ngabarx is-sena l-ohra u fejn marru dawn il-flus, jiena mhux lesta li la naghti ghal “L-Istrina” u lanqas noffri l-hin tieghi ghalhekk.

L-istess jista’ jinghad issa ghall-kampanja tal-Moviment Kerygma. L-ghanijiet ghal x’hiex jingabru l-fondi dejjem ikun wiehed nobbli imma sa fejn naf jien lanqas dawn qatt ma taw rendikont ta’ kemm effettivament ingabru flus u kif intefqu dawn il-flus. Intom tafu daqsi li mhux kemm tigbor fuq it-‘telephone’ li jghodd izda kemm tghaddilek flus il-Maltacom jew il-kumpanija tac-cellulari. Jiena ma nafx imma donnu hadd ma jindenja ruhu jistaqsi dawn il-flus fejn marru u kif intefqu. Ghax importanti wkoll inkunu nafu kif jintefqu dawn il-flus u l-poplu ghandu dritt ikun jaf.

Li naf huwa li min huwa l-mohh wara l-Moviment Kerygma ghadu kif xtara Radio Calypso ghal Lm150,000. Issa kif gabhom dawn il-flus permezz ta’ Radju Marija ma nafx imma tajjeb li jserrhilna rasna li xejn mill-fondi tal-maratona ma marrux biex jinxtara dan l-istazzjon tar-radju. Biex tinvesti Lm150,000 ghall-istazzjon tar-radju minflok ma tinvestihom fil-karità trid bilfors tkun konvint li r-radju tal-Knisja u cioè l-RTK mhux qed jaghti servizz tajjeb lill-Kattolici ghax kieku ma kienx hekk, kieku xi skop kien hemm li tiddupplika r-rizorsi u mhux tinvesti Lm150,000 f’imkien iehor?

Donnu li sa issa l-fondazzjoni li kellha Maria Bugeja biss taghtna fastidju ghax sal-lum hija biss issemmiet li mhix qieghda taghti rendikonti ta’ flus li kienet qieghda tigbor u kellha taghlaqha. Imma llum hadd mhu qed jaghti rendikont ta’ xejn u qed isir abbuz minn fuq dahar l-izvinturat, il-marid u l-fqir. Hudu dawn li jaghmlu l-appelli minn fuq ir-radju – mid-dehra l-mard igib il-flus ghax min beda mix-xejn illum spicca biex jixtri l-‘air time’ fuq it-televizjoni jekk mhux fuq ir-radju wkoll. U dawk il-qassisin li qishom boloh jippatrocinawhom, qeghdin ikunu komplici maghhom ukoll. Jiena ma nafx jekk dawn il-qassisin jithallsux tas-sehem taghhom f’kull programm imma jithallsu jew ma jithallsux jien ghalija dawn qeghdin ihallu min jinqeda bihom halli permezz taghhom jingabru aktar flus.

Mill-Unjoni Ewropea kienu wkoll qalulna li dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet se jgawdu u misna nisthu li sal-lum ghadna m’ghamilna xejn biex dawn jistghu jibdew japplikaw ghall-fondi. L-Unjoni Ewropea u bir-ragun, tesigi li dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet ta’ karità jkollhom qafas legali u ahna f’Malta, il-Gvern ghadu ma hassx l-urgenza li jghaddi din il-ligi mill-Parlament.

X’jimpurtah li b’ligi bhal din nistghu nghinu lil min ibaghti bil-kancer jew bil-kliewi halli ntaffulhom ftit mit-tbatijiet taghhom! Ghalhekk minn Mejju sal-lum intilfu hafna fondi proprjament ghax il-Gvern ghadu m’ghaddiex din il-ligi.

U meta tghaddi din il-ligi jkun ifisser li dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet ikunu ta’ bilfors iridu jaghtuna rendikont ta’ x’ghamlu bil-flus li nkunu tajnihom. S’issa hadd ma ndenja ruhu li jghidilna xi jkun ghamel bil-flus li jkun ircieva u ghalhekk issa li ghandna l-maratona tal-Kerygma dal-waqt, il-moviment ghandu jibda minn issa jara x’jaghmel halli l-ewwelnett jippubblika rendikont ta’ x’dahhal mill-maratona tas-sena l-ohra u fejn marru l-flus kif ukoll jghidilna min ircevihom x’ghamel bihom dawn il-flus.

B’hekk biss jista’ jerga’ jkollna fiducja f’dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet jew ghaqdiet li jigbru l-eluf tal-liri minghajr qatt ma jaghtu rendikonti taghhom.

[malsey]

Anna Mallia saret tikteb bis sens. probabli ghax saret indipendenti minn kull partit allura libera bhalna u tista tghid li thoss.

[Marco Polo]

i just worked it out that the average wage at the place is over lm 90 a week. considering that wages are the largest expense, how about the workers take a pay cut? it is for charity! a drop to just under lm 82 a week average would save them lm 100,000 yearly.

Are the sevices offered free of charge? They shouldnt be.

[Niccolo]

Read the article I posted in this thread => http://www.vivamalta.org/forum/showthread.php?p=12210

It's about the money collected by l-Istrina for the victims of the Tsunami... or rather the money that was supposed to have been collected for the victims of the Tsunami!

[patriaomuerte]

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/images/spacer.gif Charity begins at home

Philip Camilleri, Qawra | Source (http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=191250)


I could not believe my eyes when I read in Lino Spiteri's opinion article (June 10) that our government has committed our country to giving away 0.33 per cent of our Gross National Income to third world countries by 2013. At today's rate of Gross National Income this amounts to over a staggering Lm6 million! This breaks down to about Lm15 for each and every person living in the Maltese islands!

Since I do not have access to the exact amounts projected for each year we will be paying and I am rather poor at mathematics, I hope I am mistaken in my calculations. However, I think this is just a conservative estimate. Maybe someone in authority could publish the official figures and estimates of what we will be paying.

While I laud efforts to reduce world poverty, surely we should use this money to improve our own debt situation.

The list of useful things that could be done with this amount of money in Malta is endless and includes projects such as job creation for our youth, housing projects, investment in the infrastructure and other such worthy causes.

How come we have hardly heard anything about this agreement?.

The first I heard of it was a small mention in an article, which was actually about Bono, the singer from the band U2, encouraging the EU to do more to combat world poverty.

Should not a referendum be held to see if the Maltese taxpayers are willing to pay this money?

The least that could have been done is to set up a committee including members of the opposition while the public is kept updated about what is happening on a regular basis.

How can we bind future governments and taxpayers to such commitments?

Also in 2013, we could be on the verge of losing our Objective One status and end up as net contributors within the EU. Hopefully, this won't happen.

If the Maltese taxpayers decided they wanted to donate money to Third World countries on a yearly basis, could we not set up agreements such as the Italian government has done with us whereby they provide the financial assistance but the companies awarded the work have to be Italian so that the money is channelled back to the Italian state?

I have a feeling that scores of people will be writing in to say that I am being selfish and, being a Catholic country, we should help these countries that are worse off than us. This is what most of us do voluntarily each year already.

Charity begins at home. Does anyone out there agree with me? If so, do not hesitate to write a letter to this newspaper and take a stand to show that as normal citizens we want to be consulted on decisions which involve large amounts of our own money.

[Marco Polo]

brilliant letter. most people are behind you mr camilleri

[argo]

Charity sometimes causes more harm than good. This is certainly the case in Africa where in spite of billions squandered on this rich continent, misery and disease remain the order of the day.

Giving away money for nothing is the greatest disincentive to get off your backside and do someyhing to help yourself. Why worry if you know that invariably, the stupid honkies will be shipping out tons of goodies to your doorstep.

Not all areas of Africa are made up of arid and barren wilderness. Far from it, Africa could very easily feed itself and most of Europe too, if properly managed. But its natives have repeatedly proven themselves incapable of even feeding themselves. When white farmers settled in South Africa and turned it into the bread-basket of the continent, they were called racist. They are now being murdered by the score and hounded from their fields so that the local people can have a go at playing food producers. The record so far has been dismal and now the arrogant bastards have the cheek to turn on Europe and demand aid.

We have read abouth that Zimbabwean woman insisting with the Maltese government on how much aid we are going to give to Africa. As far as I am concerned the answer should be nil, zero, zilch, XEJN! We are already supporting a large number of your people who do not care two hoots about their country and shipped their fat asses here to play refugee.

[malsey]

Mr Micallef is write. We had enough of this gonzi, managment. He is by far turning to be the worse prim minister in the history of Malta.
We have a super deficit problem, and he is thinking to help africa by means of money!!!!
Yes that africa, that is lead by the most corrupt institution of the world.

If gonzi had some cookies, he would argue a simple argument. I will not give a damn, since i am already spending millions on immagration problem of africa.
However from Gonzi this will never arrive. :mad:

[SetteCento]

Argo such one of the most impressive statments i have read from your postings. worth to send it to the editors.

You are a person so down to earth with an indelible sensittive and love towards your Malta. Great persons like you and Norman motivates me with such action to stand by your side !