“Such an occasion convinces me to continue working on national unity” – The President of Malta while presiding over the Nazzareno Vassallo Award 2021 ceremony
President of Malta George Vella presided over the eighteenth edition of the Nazzareno Vassallo Award ceremony.
Since its inception in 1998, this award has recognised the work of individuals or organisations for the benefit of the elderly.
In a speech during this ceremony, President Vella said that such an occasion convinces him to continue working on national unity, as we already have clear examples of the many ways in which the people of Malta and Gozo can give to others, and because we have a lot of things that already unite us, as we saw during the pandemic.
The President reiterated, “The importance that, as a society, we must look at our elderly with the great respect they deserve and, among other things, we cherish them as a wealth of information and talent”.
He said that we should never stop being grateful for the contribution of the elderly, whilst ensuring that current services, both those of primary healthcare and those promoting active ageing and fuller participation in social life, are accessible to all elderly.
The President concluded by expressing his appreciation for the commitment of all workers in the field of care and health of the elderly, and urged the elderly to be active participants and a source of inspiration for youths.
The Nazzareno Vassallo Award was won by four authors; Charles Casha, Joseph Debono, Rita Saliba and Trevor Zahra. They were selected from among thirteen nominees. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these authors, through Maltese literature and virtual reading sessions, kept company to many elderly people in residential homes.
