Vodafone Malta Foundation and HSBC Cares for Children Fund support Dar tal-Providenza

The Vodafone Malta Foundation and the HSBC Care For Children Fund are supporting Dar tal-Providenza by funding an OptiMusic Room for the residence. This project is an excellent example of how modern technology can help people with disabilities to develop their natural skills in a psychologically friendly environment. It helps these people attain more self-confidence so that they are further encouraged to socialise and remove the barriers that prevent them from participating fully in society.

Mrs Gemma Mifsud Bonnici, Chairperson of the Vodafone Malta Foundation and Mrs Catherine Gonzi, Chairperson of the HSBC Cares for Children Fund officially inaugurated the opening of the OptiMusic room at Dar tal-Providenza together with Mgr. Lawrence Gatt, Director of Dar tal-Providenza.

“OptiMusic is an innovative addition to the world of education and rehabilitation directly intended to reach the needs of persons with profound impairments,” said Gemma Mifsud Bonnici. “It is a revolutionary tool for stimulating the senses and opening up a whole world of musical expression. The Vodafone Malta Foundation is happy to support Dar tal-Providenza in the invaluable service they give to our community.”

OptiMusic provides a fully interactive environment where the users are really in control. The effect they hear and see are all directly accomplished by their own actions.

“OptiMusic has also wide applications in the field of communication and speech therapy. By recording voices onto the beams, the users can actively experiment with their own voice. This can be a profoundly moving experience for those with speech difficulties and their therapists,” said Catherine Gonzi.

“The work of HSBC Cares for Children Fund brings us close to people with needs. Through equipment such as the OptiMusic room we aim to improve these people’s quality of life irrelevant of their needs.”

Dar tal-Providenza helps people with mental and physical disabilities insert themselves in the mainstream of society and daily life. It provides care to severely disabled people especially when the necessary facilities are lacking in their own home.

“At present, Dar tal-Providenza houses 120 residents and they can now all benefit from the OptiMusic,” said Mgr Lawrence Gatt. “I would like to thank the Vodafone Malta Foundation and HSBC Cares for Children Fund for their ongoing support, without which organisations such as ours would not be able to operate.”