On Wednesday 26th June 1991, Fr. Emmanuel Cordina’s dream became a reality, through the setting up of the OASI Foundation in Gozo. Previously, Fr. Emmanuel had come across addicts in his role as a priest, and was faced with a sub-culture which was little known at that time.

Addiction was considered a huge taboo, and the trend was to avoid the subject. In fact no education and prevention existed.

It was wisely decided that OASI should focus upon the 12 steps therapeutic programme, which was developed upon the Minnesota Clinical Model – a Bio-Psycho-Social Model. Fr. Cordina also believed that prevention is better than cure, and thus the OASI social project started its mission based on 3 central elements – Preventive Education, Immediate Intervention and Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Programme.

Throughout these 22 years, OASI said that it has continuously offered its services to the community and always aimed to progress and grow. This is especially evident in the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, which was refurbished and extended two years ago, increasing bed capacity from 7 up to 15.

Last year the Foundation revised its structure, in order to develop according to the present and future challenges. Today, OASI is made up of 5 departments: Administration, Volunteers, Primary Prevention, Immediate Intervention and Treatment and Rehabilitation Department. All therapeutic services are provided by professionals at no cost to those who need them.

OASI’s motto is ‘Prevention is Better than Cure’ so part of the Primary Prevention department’s work is to create awareness within the community, espcially to children and youths. This particular departments promotes a lot of its awareness through edutainment (education through entertainment).

An example of edutainment well known by many Maltese and Gozitans is the music and dance festival of Riflessi Sajfin, which has been held annually for the past 22 years. Contact with children and youths is mainly done through the prevention sessions amongst all Gozitan Public and Church schools.

The Foundation said that prevention programmes start from Year 1 up to Post-Secondary level. Each year has a particular programme, aimed at the age of the students. Through 2013, more than 400 interventions were carried out in schools, with an attendence of around 3,000 students.

Within the Immediate Intervention and the Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit, last year more than 117 persons contacted OASI and were given assistance. It is caculated that around 2,500 therapeutic services were received, apart from another 500 services which were offered to the service user’s significant others such as relatives.

Through Immediate Intervention, the services also extended to service users who had other social problems apart from addiction. OASI believes that this department can also aid as a prevention tools, especially when the person is in the drugs and alcohol experimention phase. OASI said that it is calcualted that the above two departments offered an average of 10 therapeutic sessions to clients per working day.

The Volunteers Group througout the year organised various activities, which varied from entertainment, educational and fundraising. Once a month the Group of Volunteers organises an outing for the group. Last year two education seminars concering health and well bieng were organized.

The OASI annual bazaar has become popular with both Maltese and Gozitans, which renders thousands of Euros in aid of OASI.

OASI has and will continue to expand its work within the community. And the Foundation said that a well deserved thank you goes to the Baord of Directors, all volunteers, staff and benefactors. Without their work and dedication, OASI would not have survived throughout these years.

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