Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1193631
17 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 DECEMBER 2019 THE 24th edition of the Feast of Gen- erosity will be taking place on New Year's Day. The activity is organised primar- ily to raise funds so that id-Dar tal- Providenza can continue to provide and improve on the services it offers. Fr Martin Micallef, Director of the Home, gave details during a press conference held this week. Fr Martin announced that Id-Dar tal-Providenza made the important step to get the necessary licence for the operation of every home it has as requested of it by the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA) that was set up by a Legal Act last year. By having this licence, Id-Dar tal- Providenza shows its commitment lo protect and improve on the dignity, security and social care of its resi- dents and of all those that use its ser- vices. The Home is also registered with the Office of thhe Commissioner for Vol- untary Organisations (VO 1066) so that the general public will be assured that the Home operates in a transpar- ent and fully accountable way. As to projects planned for next year, Fr Martin mentioned the opening of a new home in the community of Bal- luta; the refurbishment and instal- lation of a new lift at Dar Żerniq in Siġġiewi; refurbishment of the four flats in Villa Papa Giovanni and a specialised training course for man- agement and staff by a foreign profes- sional on "Difficult Behaviours". The Feast of Generosity kicks off at 9am with a Mass celebrated by Arch- bishop Mgr. Charles J. Scicluna in the Home's chapel. Focus will then be on the main stage under the big tent where there will be a spectacle of entertainment and interviews with various personalities who visit the Home during the day. Under the big tent, there will be vol- unteers to receive donations from the public. All visitors to the Home will be given a receipt for every donation made. On the occasion of the year when the Church will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II, during the day in the chapel there will be a relic with a piece of gauze with the Saint's blood of when he was shot in St Peter's Square by Mehmet Ali Ağca on May 13th, 1981. This relic was donated to the Home by a Maltese nun that assisted the Pope when he was recovering at the Policlinico Gemelli. The live auction of works of art kind- ly donated by Maltese and foreign art- ists that was going to take place later on this week at the foyer of the Par- liament of Malta in Valletta, has been postponed to April of next year. However, during the Feast of Gen- erosity on New Year's day, the public will still have the opportunity to see the works of art that will be exhibited in the main hall of the Home. For the benefit of those who will be visiting Id-Dar tal-Providenza, there will be a park-and-ride service be- tween 3.00pm and 9.00pm from San Niklaw street, (the old runway). For those unable to make it, the whole telethon, that ends around midnight, will be relayed 'live' on the main television stations. Donations may be made at the Home in Siġġiewi or by phone as follows: €10 Donation - 516 02 012 €15 Donation - 517 02 013 €25 Donation - 518 02 014 SMS €7 Donation - 506 18 922 Another Feast Of Generosity towards Id-Dar Tal-Providenza on New Year's Day SINCE the prehistoric period does not provide any written evidence, one can only hypoth- esise how people lived during this time. However, one can gaze through the thick folds of hu- man existence by means of the artefacts which were unearthed during archaeological excava- tions, and with the additional help of scientific analyses. Heritage Malta's latest pub- lication 'Malta's Prehistoric Treasures' is an intriguing book which focuses on a collection of 50 artefacts that were chosen from the National Collection by the renowned late archae- ologist Dr. David Trump. Through these artefacts he in- tended to accompany the read- ers along a personal journey in Maltese prehistory which fasci- nated him so much. Therefore this book has an in- creasing significance since the selected artefacts are not only allowing the readers to learn about the prehistoric people but also to see through the eyes of a very inspirational archae- ologist. In a captivating introduction of the book, Dr. Trump pon- ders on what makes an object a 'treasure'? Although to most people, the value of an object is in its cash value, he reveals that for ar- chaeologists, the value lies in their ability to tell a story. In- deed all the artefacts being pre- sented in this engaging book have a very interesting story to tell. Among the curious narra- tives, one finds a female figure which was discovered at the Tarxien Temples. The figure is modelled in clay but positively gross compared to other finely figurines carved in stone. She is heavily pregnant, with one hand to her pubis and the other to her head. What marks her out particularly is the fact that, before it was baked, the clay was pierced in 16 places with sharp fragments of shell, suggesting some form of witch- craft practiced for hurting an opponent by magical means. Another compelling item is the repaired clay jar which was unearthed in Skorba Temples. Evidently, the neck of the jar had begun to crack away from the body but instead of throw- ing it away and replacing it, someone drilled pairs of holes above and below the crack in order to tie the two parts to- gether with a long string to continue to use it. Certainly, such a personal touch which have survived across thousands of years is genuinely precious. Photography and design of 'Malta's Prehistoric Treasures' is by Daniel Cilia. This publication is available from all Heritage Malta sites and museums. For more information, visit www.heritagemalta.org Heritage Malta publication throws spotlight on 50 engaging artefacts