Who are we?
The Paulo Freire Institute in Zejtun was set up by the Maltese Jesuits to promote literacy and community development.
The aim of the Paulo Freire Institute is to empower, and promote the self-development, self-confidence and the talents (including functional literacy) of each and every individual, especially the vulnerable in society.
For this reason our Institute applies three interrelated approaches: community development, formal and non-formal education and community social work.
The following are the main activities presently carried out at the Institute:
- Reading club and Story-telling for primary school children
- Forum theatre for parents
- Non-Formal Educational Activities for children & youths (Music, Drama, Home Economics)
- Literacy for adults and youths Programme
- Social Work
- Systemic Family Therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Dramatherapy
- Art Therapy
- Other miscellaneous formative activities
Our Origins
Thirty years ago, back in 1989 the Maltese Province opened a small community in Ir-Raħal t’Isfel, Żejtun. They formed part of the newly formed Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice. One aim was to live close to the people and to understand them. At the same time the community was given the task to reflect on social justice issues in Malta and to help to promote justice in Malta. The Jesuits then had no idea that illiteracy was an important issue in Malta. It was through living close to the people that this was discovered. The formal setting up of the Paulo Freire Institute Foundation was the result of several years of listening to the needs of the community.
Throughout the years the methods used have had to change due to several factors: the needs of the people have changed; the availability of resources have also changed (The Jesuit Community at Żejtun has been; volunteers are much more difficult to find; other organizations offer activities which we used to offer and we have decided not to duplicate but to creatively offer other effective activities which few or none offer).
The Institution
Since 2008 PFI was recognised as a legal NGO with the office of the Commissioner for NGOs.
- This is the official voluntary organisation certificate (VO/0009): Certificate
- The organisation's legally registration number (LPF-40): Certificate
- The following is the Statute of PFI: Statute
Collaboration
Most of the services offered by PFI are in collaboration with:
- Aġenzija Appoġġ
- Anti-poverty forum, Malta (EAPN)
- Directorat for Life-long learning
- Foundation for Social Welfare Services
- Jobsplus
- Junior College
- Kummissjoni Diakonia
- LEAP South-East
- MCAST
- National Literacy Agency
- St Aloysius' College
- University of Malta
- Żejtun Local Council
- Żejtun parish
- Żejtun schools
PFI receives financial support from the following:
- Community Chest Fund
- Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity
- Joseph Calleja BOV foundation
- Vodafone Malta Foundation
- The Jesuit Province