MOAS is a Malta-based international humanitarian organisation who has recently committed to supporting migrants and refugee communities present on the island by providing assistance for challenges they might face in their daily life, whether big or small.
In Malta, MOAS runs several different projects that range from education initiatives to sport and English language classes. These are ongoing and evolving projects, and we are glad to give you an update on them in this blog.
Remote Learning Project
One of the mayor projects MOAS runs on the island is the Information and Learning Centre, a project though which MOAS provides tablets and internet connections to migrant families to help children to keep up with their studies. As MOAS director stated: “Education is the key to giving young generations a better future.”
We recently interviewed Princess, a Nigerian woman and mother of 3 young children who live in Malta. She is one of the several beneficiaries of MOAS Remote Learning Project. In stressing how useful the MOAS tablet was for her son to attend online classes, Princess said: “My son could do homework and keep up with his education. I want to give him a better future, and education can make him a better person, and I should be proud as a mother”.
After having heard positive feedbacks from the beneficiaries, MOAS will donate more tablets and modems with internet connections to families in need. We are glad that, through this initiative, migrants can keep attending their online classes and we are hoping to further develop our education-focused initiatives on the island. Building on the success of the Remote Learning Project, MOAS is in the initial planning stages of establishing a multifunctional learning space at the Hangar Open Centre (HOC): our hope is for this learning centre to be equipped with educational resources such as computers, books and other learning tools and be used by the centre’s residents for formal education, training activities such as language classes, quiet study, and essential tasks such as CV writing, job hunting and registering for online services.
Family Hosting Project
To support third country nationals who, after having left government reception centres, face a difficult and restricted rental market with little support for financial stability and little assistance for integration, MOAS has recently launched the Family Hosting Project. Through this initiative, MOAS connects migrants to families residing in Malta who wish to support them. This pivotal project is based on a do ut des principle: the Maltese family offers financial and housing supports and, in exchange, the migrant helps the family with daily tasks.
After the announcement of the launch of this initiative, MOAS has received immense support from the Maltese population and many more families contacted our organisation as they wish to participate in the Project. As our director stated: “With this project, MOAS wants to facilitate long-term integration and inclusion and support the development and independence of migrants within the local community.” This is why we are glad for the positive reaction the initiative has received and we hope more families will contact us and will decide to invest in this ‘long-term life initiative’.
Classes at Osanna Pia
After a short summer break, MOAS has started again its projects at Osanna Pia Home in Malta. During the entire month of September, fitness professional Nigel Michael McCarthy, has carried out gym classes for the residents at Osanna Pia who desired to attend them: it was an opportunity for the residents to improve their fitness level and, at the same time, to unwind from everyday life difficulties and stress.
Moreover, the ‘English for Beginners’ course will resume in November. One of our ESC will adapt the course according to the needs of the asylum seekers beneficiaries. These English lessons focus on building confidence listening to and speaking English in informal settings, for example how to use public transport, ask for directions and go to the supermarket.
Gala Event
On November 12th we hosted the first MOAS event in Malta. We were honoured to have as co-hosts the Maltese fashion designer Luke Azzopardi, Dr. Joanna Delia and the jazz singer Alexandra Alden. It was a magical fashion-night-out during which we celebrated 7 years of MOAS’ humanitarian work around the globe in support of the most vulnerable communities.
We here take the chance to thank all the guests who honoured us with their presence at the #MOASGala and that decided to support our work and ongoing projects in Yemen, Somalia and Bangladesh.
Final thoughts
At MOAS we are always working to provide assistance to those in need through our projects around the world and by supporting migrant people in Malta where our headquarters are located.
However, the solution to many of the issues migrant people face require more than support from private organisations. Structural and systemic reform and support is needed from governments and supranational entities to make sure that the gaps in the migration system can be fixed.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate/.
