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Peter Lloyd, chairman of Malta Microfinance and an elder of St Andrew's Scots Church, President Abela, Mrs Paton and Mr McRoberts. Picture by Virginia Monteforte.
Peter Lloyd, chairman of Malta Microfinance and an elder of St Andrew's Scots Church, President Abela, Mrs Paton and Mr McRoberts. Picture by Virginia Monteforte.

An Answer to Prayer

 Tuesday November 5 2013

A project owned by St Andrew’s Scots Church, Malta, providing interest-free credit to the poorest people in the island was launched today.

The purpose of Malta Microfinance is to encourage the creation of small-scale income generation projects so that the poor (especially women and refugees) will be empowered to lift themselves out of poverty.

The President of Malta, George Abela, and leaders of the island’s refugee, social work, banking, finance and church sectors all attended the launch. President Abela described the project as 'groundbreaking, pioneering work... which will benefit not only refugees, but some of Malta's most deserving'.

He added: "This is not charity, in the usual undervalued sense of the word. Real charity is about love, and respect, for a person's humanity. Malta Microfinance embraces this concept. It will make a real difference by respecting not so much need, as people and their potential."

Also present was Marjorie Paton, Convener of the Church of Scotland Guild, which provided a major slice of the capital funding for the project through its fundraising.

Marjorie said: “We’re delighted to be able to partner this new project under our theme of ‘Whose we are and whom we serve’ – inspirational words spoken by St. Paul just before he was shipwrecked on Malta’s shore. It’s our prayer that this will help many who find themselves in that situation right now.”

The Church of Scotland is one of St. Andrew’s Scots Church’s two “parent” churches. The other one is the Methodist Church of Great Britain, which has funded the salary of the project’s first co-ordinator, Céline Warnier de Wailly, formerly a human rights lawyer with the Jesuit Refugee Service. She said: “I’m thrilled to be the Support Worker for the Solidarity Groups with MMF. It will make such a difference; it’s something other refugee agencies have talked about, but the Scots Church has persevered, and made it happen. I’m eager for this new experience.”

The Rev Doug McRoberts, minister of St Andrew’s, said: “We are acting in the name, and in the way, of Jesus. As the Book of Proverbs says – ‘When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.’ This launch is already an answer to prayer, and it will continue to be for many years to come.”

 

 


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