Id-Dar tal-Providenza – Homes of Persons with Disability

Id-Dar tal-Providenza was founded by Mgr. Mikiel Azzopardi in 1965 who had a dream of offering a home with a warm and family-like environment for persons with disability, who for some reason or another couldn’t remain living with their own family. Since than Id-Dar tal-Providenza has supported its residents to participate in and enjoy the quality of life within the community.

Today id-Dar includes: Villa Monsinjur Gonzi, Villa Papa Giovanni and Villa Papa Luciani. It also includes a small residence called Zerniq in the village of Siggiewi.

At the moment id-Dar houses 100 residents between the ages of nine and 80 years. It also offers respite services on a regular basis.

A small Community from the Sisters of Charity have been living and giving their service to the Home since its inception.

Some of the residents spend their day attending mainstream or special schools, attend day centres while others are given jobs within the home, or even work in the Government or Private Sector on a part-time or full time basis.

These last few years id-Dar tal-Providenza has been affiliated with a foreign agency from Glasgow (Scotland) called SPRED Special Religious Development which offers a network of sevices designed to assist persons with intellectual disabilities to become integrated into parish assemblies of worship through the process of education in faith.

Three and a half million euro per year are required for the running of the Homes. Most of this money goes for the wages of about 200 workers who support our residents in their daily needs. About 200 other highly committed voluntees also give their support on a regular basis.

Id-Dar Tal-Providenza, which is built on faith in Divine Providence, relies entirely on the generosity of its benefactors and the public donations it receives to fund the very high level of care it provides.

In October 2008 Fr Martin Micallef was appointed Director succeeding Mgr. Lawrence Gatt who had held the post for twenty one years.