Christmas 2021 Newsletter |
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Christmas Grant Awards 2021 |
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Christmas 2021 marks the start of the Global Fund for Forgotten People’s 10th anniversary.
With the support of our generous donors, the Fund has awarded 542 grants, in 89 countries, to 75 works of the Order of Malta. Now, ten years on, we look back over a decade of generous support that has brought to life a kaleidoscope of stories of hope and lives changed for the better.
This Christmas we will award 35 grants to 26 entities of the Order in 24 countries. You will find inspiring new work, as well as familiar names from that first cycle, where the Fund has played its part in expanding and developing the work of the Order of Malta.
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New Works Reflecting New Areas of Need
The Fund is helping to incubate new projects that are designed for sustainable growth and independence as they develop and expand in the future.
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Approximately 116,000 people in Australia are homeless, and the disparity between rich and poor in the affluent suburb of Bondi is startling.
Compassion and care are the hallmark of this project which focuses on the needs of its 50 homeless guests.
The Community Care Kitchen includes the provision of hot meals, hygiene packs and warm clothing as well as the companionship that brings emotional and mental support.
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Many of the children who attend the Order's Children's Home in South Africa struggle to make the transition into the outside world, having lived in this safe and caring institution that accommodates their special needs.
Staff and volunteers will work with 20 vulnerable children teaching them vital life skills, including financial management and good decision-making, to ease their steps into an adult living environment.
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Consistency of Support
Many of the works supported by the Fund have evolved from small projects with few guests into highly specialised, multidimensional programmes catering to a wide range of individual needs.
Works in Albania and Nigeria exemplify projects where the Fund's support has helped reach more people while addressing newly identified needs; as Order staff and volunteers grow to better understand the communities they serve.
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The elderly are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, often suffering physical challenges as well as facing abandonment and loneliness.
Albania’s Old is Gold programme has created a community of support for those in need. Through a dedicated day centre and mobile outreach, the Order provides food, companionship, healthcare and health education.
The Fund’s support has allowed the service to grow to meet increasing demand for support, and they will be able to welcome 1,500 guests in 2022.
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Economic insecurity and the lack of job opportunities and in Nigeria have led to greater incidence of human trafficking. Victims are commonly rejected and stigmatised by their families and society.
Bakhita House rehabilitates and reintegrates the victims of human trafficking; helping each guest to overcome the trauma of their experience and to plan for a secure future.
In 2022, a skills acquisition centre to improve employment opportunities will be created, with a grant award by the Fund.
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Helping Works and Building Capacity: Improving Elderly Lives in Lithuania |
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The Lithuanian Relief Service was one of the first Order of Malta entities to receive a grant from the Fund. Their message of ‘aging with dignity and grace’ beautifully encapsulates the charism of the Order.
Our partnership has helped the Lithuanian Relief Service improve and deepen the support they can give to the many lonely, vulnerable elderly people in Lithuania.
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“God sent me Deimantas, he is my angel”
A retired teacher from Vilinius, 86-year-old Gadviga lives alone following the death of her husband and son. Frail and unable to leave her house, she is reliant on Lithuanian Relief Service volunteer, Deimantas, to bring her food and the companionship and conversation she craves.
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Faces of the Fund
Alexandra de Habsburgo-Lorena de Riesle, President, Order of Malta Chilean Relief Service
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"12,000 kilometres from Rome, sometimes we feel alone, but the Global Fund for Forgotten People not only supports us, but helps us to connect us with the wider Order of Malta."
One of the Fund’s first grants was to the Order’s work with the elderly in Chile. This Christmas a grant will help to establish a new day centre in Villarrica for elderly people.
We spoke with Alexandra de Habsburgo about her decades of work in the country and partnering with the Fund. Read about it here.
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Support the Fund
We Need Your Help
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At the Fund, we rely on you to support the Forgotten.
Together we can restore dignity and alleviate suffering for those in distress around the world.
Your generosity will help the Order of Malta bring hope and relief to those facing poverty, sickness and isolation.
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+44 (0) 1844 318 708
Correspondence address: Studio 1, 240 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LL
Registered address: 30 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3EZ
The Global Fund for Forgotten People is a registered charity in England and Wales (1148427)
with 501(c)(3) status in the US (EIN:45-5295754)
Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved
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