Giving back: A central value within Sedqa’s addiction residential rehabilitation programme

Brian Camilleri Residential Services Manager at Komunità Santa Marija

The value of giving back is often overlooked by society. Giving back can be defined as repaying others, directly or indirectly, in return for support formerly received by those same individuals or society at large. As a concept and a value, giving back involves a whole process. As a first step it requires the individual to accept that they need help, it involves reflection and appreciation for the support received and it also necessitates the individual to take a conscious decision to dedicate time, energy and possibly money to the service of others.

One of the central values guiding the work at Komunità Santa Marija addiction residential rehabilitation programme is giving back to society. Giving back is encouraged and practiced both in the mundane activities between staff and residents forming the community, but also during specific events organised by the community that offer residents the opportunity to experience the joy of being of support to others.

One way of giving back is through voluntary work that residents following the rehabilitation programme are encouraged to take part in whilst they are recovering. As a community, Komunità Santa Marija is in contact with several entities to whom it offers support through its residents and staff mainly through practical and manual work.

Residents are encouraged to be humble and to serve each other through the work they do within the community. An example of such work is a project being implemented at Komunità Santa Maria whereby the fields surrounding the residence are being worked using permaculture principles. These are Earth Care, Fair Share and Social Care.

In the weeks preceding Easter, the residents at Komunità Santa Marija offered their time, energy and skills to prepare over three hundred figolli to be sold in exchange of a donation. Donations collected were given to the Children’s Fund and to a special Fund Sedqa has created to aid individuals who would be struggling with addiction related difficulties and who would not be able to have their basic needs met.

Over the past few weeks, the residents at Komunità Santa Marija offered their time, energy and skills to prepare over three hundred figolli to be sold in exchange of a donation which was then given to the Children’s Fund and to a special Fund Sedqa has created to aid individuals who would be struggling with addiction related difficulties and who would not be able to have their basic needs met.

As from 2019, Komunità Santa Marija has been implementing the gradual integration of permaculture principles within its addiction rehabilitation programme. This was done with the aim of enhancing its therapeutic environment for the residents through making better use of the numerous green spaces healing and growth through connection with nature.

Komunità Santa Marija is Sedqa’s 14-month addiction residential rehabilitation programme. Individuals dealing with addiction related difficulties voluntarily enter the facility with the aim to work on a total lifestyle change. The programme is based on specific values and principles and residents following the programme are encouraged to work thoroughly on themselves within a community setting whilst abiding by such values.

On a day-to-day basis, residents at Komunità Santa Marija give back to themselves, their family, their fellow residents and society through most of the work they do during the day. Work is a pivotal value at Komunità Santa Marija and the residents take care of the premises and all that living in a community entails.

Contact number: Sedqa reception 2388 5110