Minister for Social Housing Roderick Galdes and Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca this morning signed a Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU), between Housing Authority and Malta Trust Foundation.
Villa Bianca regenerated into a learning centre for children with disabilities
The government will assist in the regeneration of a dilapidated building in Birkirkara, which is being converted into a music centre for children with disabilities and autism, by an agreement signed on Saturday morning. This centre will be the first of its kind in Malta.
Link to footage: https://we.tl/t-eWD2mmbF35
Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes, together with President Emeritus and Chairperson of the Malta Trust Foundation Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and Housing Authority CEO Leonid McKay, was present for the signing of the agreement for restoration works at Villa Bianca in Birkirkara.
According to this agreement, the government, through the Housing Authority, presented the Malta Trust Foundation, led by President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, the sum of €58,543, which will help in carrying out the necessary restoration.
Minister Roderick Galdes explained that this villa was donated by Maurice and Francina Abela to the Malta Trust Foundation for the benefit of children and young people with disabilities and by means of the funds allocated by the scheme for persons with disabilities as operated by the Housing Authority and is now undergoing works to offer a suitable environment to these children and young people.
“This villa is being transformed into an environment that meets the needs of these children with different abilities. It would have been easier to do only the repair and maintenance works needed in this villa, but as we are doing in specialized housing projects together with a number of NGOs, we are thinking of the needs of the persons who will be making use of these houses from the very beginning,” explained Minister Roderick Galdes.
Minister Galdes said that thanks to this agreement, families with children, friends or relatives with autism or disabilities will be able to make use of this centre, which will make a big difference in their lives. “Thanks to these funds allocated by the government through the Housing Authority, children with autism and people with disabilities who find comfort in music will be able to learn more and continue developing their skills,” said Minister Galdes.
He commended Malta Trust Foundation’s work and said that this agreement is being made together with a number of other NGOs such as The Down Syndrome Association, The Autism Parents Association, and ADVICE.
President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the Chairperson of the Malta Trust Foundation, stressed that, “This is a historic project that will fill the gap in the field of music and performing arts for those children with diverse needs who to date have not had an opportunity to develop these skills. Through a specialized service, this inclusion project will give these children an opportunity to enjoy music and the performing arts all the while growing and flourishing in these areas to reach their full potential. I thank Minister Roderick Galdes for his support in helping to cover part of the costs of Villa Bianca’s infrastructure work. This project will cost The Malta Trust Foundation a total sum of €100,487 and an investment of €250,000 in children with different abilities each year.”
