On Thursday, a group of children attending the Optimist Club of Malta centres had the opportunity to visit Sant’Anton Palace and meet with Her Excellency the President of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono.
Accompanied by the centres’ management team and young volunteers, several children spoke individually with the President, sharing their personal problems.
Rita Micallef, Secretary of the Optimist Club of Malta, described the visit to Sant’Anton Palace as “highly beneficial for the children because they saw that despite the President of Malta’s high position in Maltese society, she is a person who takes the time to listen and understand the individual problems that some of the children shared with her”.
The Optimist Club of Malta is a voluntary organisation founded in 2021 to provide children with a comfortable environment after school where they can complete their homework, study, and engage in educational games, crafts, and reading sessions.
The children who visited the Presidential Palace, both Maltese and others from families who have been displaced from their countries, form part of the Optimist Club of Malta’s project titled ‘Ikber Magħna Sajf’.
This project welcomes around 100 children aged between seven and ten from seven different localities: Vittoriosa, Ħamrun, Msida, Paola, Marsa, Valletta and Swieqi. The project is completely free of charge and offers children a variety of activities, including drawing sessions, outings, and sessions focused on games and crafts.
Currently, the Optimist Club of Malta is in the process of opening its eighth centre in Malta, and the management explained that there is always a need for more volunteers to join the young volunteers already helping with the work.
The President praised the work of the Optimist Club of Malta, thanked the management and especially the young volunteers, and highlighted the importance of such organisations as a support for families.