A €2.12 million agreement has been signed with the Arka Foundation to provide residential services for people with disabilities.

An agreement as been reached between the Ministry for Inclusion and Quality of Life, Agenzja Sapport and the Arka Foundation of Gozo for the next three years, from July 2021 to June 2024.

In a statement, the Government said that this €2.12 million agreement is to provide residential services to people with disabilities. The services will be provided by three residences owned by the Foundation; Dar Arka, Dar il-Gublew tal-Hniena and Dar il-Madonna ta’ Pinu.

The agreement will benefit 22 people with disabilities at the residential service level, while a number of people with disabilities will be able to use a respite service at Dar Arka.

Of these three houses, the Arka Foundation will be providing 23 beds, 13 of them from Dar Arka and five beds each from Dar il-Gublew tal-Hniena and Dar il-Madonna ta’ Pinu. The residential services provided by them vary according to the degree of disability of the person, the Government said.

Present for the signing of the agreement were the Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life Julia Farrugia Portelli and the Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri.

The signatories were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Inclusion and Quality of Life Matthew Vella, Ruth Rose Sciberras the Chief Executive of the Agenzija Sapport, and Rev. Michael Galea on behalf of the Ark Foundation.

Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli thanked the Arka Foundation “for the great work it has done and continues to do particularly for the benefit of people with disabilities in Gozo over the last 20 years that it has been established.”

For his part, the Minister for Gozo, Clint Camilleri said “I believe that through joint work between Ministries and entities we can achieve the best service to people with disabilities on the island of Gozo.”

He concluded by thanking Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli and Agenzija Sapport. for the financial aid being provided to the Ark Foundation.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Inclusion and Quality of Life Matthew Vella stressed that through this social agreement, the Ministry is consolidating the work done with people with disabilities and their relatives. “It means an increase of more than €300,000 on the previous social agreements that used to support Dar Arka and Dar il-Gublew tal-Hniena, as well as the start of the first agreement on Dar il-Madonna ta’ Pinu with an investment of more than €360,000,” he said.

Ruth Rose Sciberras, said that this joint work will further strengthen the range of services, as this collaboration between resources is ensuring that more people with disabilities are reached who need a residential or respite service, this time in Gozo.

Rev. Michael Galea, on behalf of the Ark Foundation, stressed how this agreement is an example of collaboration between the Church in Gozo and the government, “To serve and help those who are vulnerable, in this the case of disabled persons and their families.”

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