Restoring person's dignity integral in struggle against poverty – family minister

Fighting poverty at its core and restoring a person's dignity are at the heart of the government's strategy against poverty and social exclusion. which is in the process of being drafted, family minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said. 

Last month, the Ministry for Family and Social Solidarity held eight public consultation meetings in eight different localities and listing the highlights of the meetings, Social Solidarity Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said those who themselves are at risk of poverty pointed out that illiteracy and mental health problems were two factors which affected employability, pushing them at the risk of poverty.

"Illiteracy, inequality, social problems, chronic illness and housing are all found to be at the root of poverty," Coleiro Preca said.

A copy of the draft strategy will be passed on to the MCESD for consultation.

A main proposal of the strategy is the setting up of family resource centers across the island. The centres would provide multidisciplinary services including advice on parenting skills.

Linking child poverty to obesity, government's consultant on poverty Yana Bland Mintoff said children at risk of poverty also suffered from health problems. 

"They face bullying which in turn affects their education at school. They are excluded from social activities," Bland Mintoff said.

She also said that children felt the financial stress which their family would be enduring.

As part of the consultation the process, the ministry is now organising a series of activities linking art and culture to poverty. Children will be invited to participate directly also through art competitions in which they will be invited to express what represents poverty.

Forming part of the same strategy, about 900 people at poverty or at risk of poverty will be helped through the LEAP project, which also addresses social mobility.

Policy consultant Maria Rauch said the project, to be funded through the European Social Fund, will be community-based with local and regional networks.

The five main networks, with a subnet of 12 networks, will work on pointing out the source and solutions if those problems which lead to poverty. 

In the second pillar of the project, at least 200 persons on welfare will take part in a pilot project to raise their income and self-esteem.

The project also includes the involvement of "social mentors" - people in the different environs who will be helping out in social rehabilitation.

It is believed that 520 NGOs will be involved in the networks and capacity building.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with three other countries - Portugal, Germany and Ireland as base models.

Minister Coleiro Preca said the government would not hold back from changing policies if results achieved would not be the desired ones.