Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika awarded to Id-Dar tal-Providenza

Message from Mgr Martin Micallef, Director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza,

on the occasion of the National Honour awarded to the Home

On the Republic Day of Malta, Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza is deeply moved to be awarded a National Honour. With profound gratitude, we receive this recognition on behalf of the true heart of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza: the persons with disability who have found a home, a family, and a future within Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza in Siġġiewi and community‑based homes.

We receive this honour on behalf of our founder, Mgr Michael Azzopardi, whose vision sparked a movement of love and his successor Mgr Lawrence Gatt who served as Director for 22 years with tireless dedication. We receive it on behalf of the Maltese people, whose unwavering generosity has sustained this venture for sixty years, and on behalf of past and presents administrators, every employee and volunteer who is serving with dedication.

In a very special way, we accept this honour on behalf of the Sisters of Charity who served the home for 55 years. Their silent, steadfast presence has sustained Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza till 2020, providing not just care, but the spiritual backbone of our mission.

As we mark six decades of history, we are also looking firmly at the future. As we navigate new challenges, we are reminded that true inclusion is not simply about support or care ‑ it is about enabling every person to live a life of dignity, purpose, and belonging.

We believe that all disabled persons are citizens first, with full rights and responsibilities. Our role moving forward is not to define their lives for them, but to open the doors to the lives they choose ‑ lives defined by freedom, connection, and equal opportunities.

We dedicate this honour to everyone who stands with us as we embrace this transformation. Citizenship is not something given; it is something realised together. Thank you to all who are walking this journey with us.