Thursday, 4th December 2008
Social welfare head steps down
Joe Gerada
Joe Gerada is leaving the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, which he has headed for the past eight years, but said he will continue supporting the foundation.
Mr Gerada will be taking up a post in human resources within the private sector, saying this was a new facet of social work.
"I will remain a big supporter of this sector and of the foundation," he said when contacted yesterday, adding that he would miss the foundation, its excellent staff and the clients.
"They are important people for me and it was very satisfactory to work with staff who had a vision," he said.
Mr Gerada said he had never looked at his post as a job but as a way to improve the local systems and he would continue pushing toward that direction.
During his years at the helm of the foundation, Mr Gerada has been outspoken about a number of issues. Just last month he said the number of children in residential care should go down by 80 per cent. He recently also said failed parents should be forced to put their children up for adoption rather than condemn them to an institute for years.
After the government raised the legal drinking age, up to 17 from 16, he said that while this measure was welcome it was still not enough.
He has also been outspoken on gambling, saying Malta was promoting an environment where people were constantly gambling.
In 2006, he had brought to light a case whereby the Malta Football Association had retained a 79-year-old convicted paedophile as a groundsman at the Pace Grasso ground in Paola, which also doubles as a playing field for a nearby school.
RSS
Comments
Thousands of people and families are grateful for your sterling work, Joe, over the last years! You have given ample proof of professionality and dedication, being available to serve a very good cause over and above stipulated hours of any civil servant!
Your departure from the agency is a loss to the whole nation who still thirsts for people with a real social conscience in the public service... Yours was a mission, not a career! If only your example could be followed by all those in high posts... !!!
is-sur Joe Gerada hu bniedem validu fejn,minkejja li se jitlaq, se jhalli l-marka tieghu fl-istruttura li bijha timxi l-fondazzjoni fejn, tkun f'liema livell tkun,thoss li int apprezzat.
Joe dejjem kien accessibbli ghall min kellu xi lment u kien lest, minkejja l-impenji li kellu, li jiltaqa ma kullhadd.
Ma kienx juza s-sahha ezekuttiva biex juri kemm hu mportanti, jew biex taghddi tieghu akkost ta kollox, imma kien jirbhek bl-umilta tieghu u bid-dbissima li kellu ghall-kullhadd.
Joe ma kienx jibza juri fehemtu fejn kien jara li hemm bzonn, anke jekk suppost kien ikun hemm min jiehu hsieb dik il-materja. Fejn jidhol l-interess tat-tfal u z-zghazagh taghna, il-lealta tieghu kienet biss lejn id-dritt li z-zghazagh jghixu f'socjeta b'sahhita u li tmexxi l-quddiem valuri tajbin, u mhux lejn min appuntah.
Jien minn hawn nawguralu fix-xoghol gdid tieghu u nwieghdu li se nkompli nitlob ghalieh halli l-Mulej ikattarlu l-gherf li juza fix-xoghol tieghu, isahhahlu jdejh biex ilahhaq ma aktar affarijiet, imma jhallilu qalbu ta tifel.