Stories from MEF: Claude Ebejer

[English translation below]

Stejjer mill-MEF

Kliem ta’ Claude Ebejer, President, ACT

Minn mindu kont żgħir, dejjem kont nammira il-kobor tal-ħolqien u kif kollox huwa magħqud, ekosistema, ħaġa waħda. Missieri u ommi, fija u f’ħuti nisslu l-imħabba għall-ħolqien u għall-gżejjer Maltin, u dakkru fina l-prinċipju tal-imħabba, l-importanza li tagħmel li tista’ biex tkun hieni ma’ kull ħlejqa, li tgħin fejn tista’ lill-proxxmu, u li tkompli tagħmel dan mingħajr waqfien. Azzjoni pożittiva ġġib oħra u jekk l-imħabba hija verb, hija wkoll azzjoni, li titkompla biss jekk tibqa’ tħobb.

Jiena u nikber, dejjem kont niġri fil-kampanja. Ix-xagħri baqgħu jgħajtuli u l-baħar isaħħarni, u aktar ma kbirt aktar ma bdejt nirrealizza kemm ma naf xejn. Aktar ma bdejt nistaqsi aktar ma bdejt ninduna kemm aħna bħala poplu ma nafu xejn fuq x’għandna madwarna. Kif stajna ninjoraw għal das-snin kollha dak li għandna quddiem għajnejna, dak li jgħajjixna, dak li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar huwa parti integrali mill-identità tagħna? Kif jista’ jkun, jekk aħna parti min-natura u mhux separati minnha, kif jista’ jkun li nqisu ruħna superjuri?

Il-gżejjer Maltin, fi ċkunithom, huma abbundanti u huma komposti minn wirt naturali uniku, li jgħajjixna, ilibbissna u jagħmilna min aħna. Għandna ’l fuq minn 1,000 fjura differenti u diversità ta’ flora u fawna tassew impressjonanti. Qalb l-injoranza tiegħi fuq in-nuqqas ta’ għarfien li kelli, iddeċċidejt li nitgħallem, u saħansitra ma’ l-ewwel żerriegħa tnissel ġo fija għatx sabiex niskopri aktar, nagħmel iktar u nagħmel mezz li naqsam din l-esperjenza tiegħi u din l-emozzjoni ma’ kull min ried jingħaqad miegħi. Intbaħt ukoll li hawn nuqqas, għal min bħali hu interessat li jaħdem għan-natura u b’hekk xtaqt, flimkien ma’ sħabi, noħloq din l-opportunità, għaqda fejn min hu interessat li jaħdem biex nirriabilitaw b’serjetà l-ambjent tagħna isib fejn jista’ jaħdem u flimkien noħolqu proġett ċiviku li jsostni din ir-rieda.

B’hekk, flimkien ma’ sħabi ħloqna ACT. Ma riedniex li nibqgħu nistennew li xi darba ssir ċaqlieqa, ridna li aħna indakkruha, u seba’ snin wara, fiċ-ċokon tagħna, l-impatt jidher ċar.

Apparti minn hekk, is-sistema edukattiva tefgħet fuqna u għadha titfa’ fuq it-tfal ansjetà kbira fejn jidħol il-bdil fil-klima. Din hija responsabilità li ħadd ma jista’ jiċħada, imma ħafna qegħdin jagħżlu li jfarfru jew jinjorawha. Il-potenzjal fir-riabilitazzjoni huwa kbir, mhux biss biex naddattaw għall-bdil fil-klima jew intaffuh, imma nemmnu fis-sħiħ li r-riabilitazzjoni tista’ ġġib opportunità ekonomika abbundanti, b’possibilità li noħolqu prodotti u servizzi distinti. Riabilitazzjoni ambjentali, magħha ġġib titjib fil-kwalità tal-ħajja, trażżan it-tniġġis u ssaħħaħ is-saħħa pubblika, b’hekk tista’ wkoll twassal biex issostni riabilitazzjoni soċjali. Nemmen bis-sħiħ li bħala Maltin, nistgħu nkunu ta’ eżempju, u pijoniera ta’ riabilitazzjoni ekoloġika Meditteranja, u li biha wkoll inkunu wkoll aġenti għall-paċi fir-reġjun.

Kif ħa nilħqu dan il-għan? L-ewwel nett irridu nkunu lesti li naħdmu flimkien. Ta’ spiss issib mentalita’ ta’ skarsità u ambjent kompetittiv u piku. Imma din jeħtieġ li negħelbuha, u irridu nemmnu u nkunu lesti li nfittxu u nsibu lil xulxin.

Xempju ta’ min qiegħed jaħdem sabiex jiġbor lil min hu interessat jaħdem biex naħdmu flimkien, hija l-Malta Environment Foundation (MEF). Apparti li l-MEF qiegħda toħloq katina ta’ xogħol ambjentali ferm neċessarju u pragmatiku, lil ACT tatha nifs, kuraġġ u opportunità sabiex nissaħħu u b’serjetà nkomplu t-triq għas-sotenibilità. Il-volontarjat mhux faċli, speċjalment jekk tkun għaqda ġdida. Fil-fatt nazzarda ngħid li l-kliem ‘sostenibbiltà’ u ‘volontarjat’ mhumiex l-aktar kliem komplementari. Biex jaslu għal-xulxin hemm bżonn ta’ determinazzjoni, ħila, passjoni u mpenn bla rażan u dan speċjalment fejn jidħol xogħol mal-pjanti u s-siġar li jirrikjedi sforz kontinwu u attenzjoni ta’ kuljum, u b’hekk ukoll jinvolvi xogħol prekarju.

ACT bdiet mix-xejn fejn jidħlu riżorsi iżda b’abbundanza fejn tidħol ambizzjoni.

L-MEF mhux biss għenitna bir-riżorsi iżda wkoll b’interess segwietna u qasmet magħna pariri biex nissaħħu. Permezz tal-għotja, ACT qiegħda toħloq infrastruttura fil-mixtla tagħna l-Wardija li permezz tagħha ħa niffrankaw ħafna ħin ta’ tisqija, ħafna mwiet, kif ukoll ħafna ilma u enerġija, riżorsi li nistgħu nitfgħuhom f’attivitajiet oħra sabiex waqt li niksbu stabbiltà finanzjara, ACT tkompli tinvesti fl-isforzi ta’ konservazzjoni ta’ flora ta’ ġenetika Maltija. Għal dan kollu aħna ferm grati u ħerqanin sabiex mhux biss naraw il-frott imma naqsmuh ma’ kull min hu interessat li jaqsam magħna u jgawdi din l-ambizzjoni.

Stories from MEF

Author: Claude Ebejer, President, ACT

Ever since I was little, I felt a deep admiration for the vastness of the natural landscape that surrounded me. I was fascinated by the scale of nature and its ability to coexist as a balanced ecosystem. My love for nature was one of the first lessons instilled in me and my siblings by our parents. We were taught to value all creatures on the little islands we call home by actively caring for plants and animals, looking out for each other, and doing our part in the community.

When I think of my childhood, I picture myself and my siblings running through the Maltese countryside; the feeling of ultimate freedom. The garigue still calls to me, and the sea brings me unparalleled peace. The magnitude of the landscape and the experiences it offered me underscored just how much I have yet to learn about our natural heritage. It made me wonder, how could we, as a community, a nation, a species, become so disconnected from the nature that surrounds us? The same earth that provides our food, cleans our air, and shapes our identity? How can we feel superior to nature if we are a part of its intricate web?

Despite their size, the Maltese islands harbour a unique and abundant natural heritage. We have over 1,000 different types of flowering plants and an impressive diversity of endemic flora and fauna. While aware of my limited knowledge of Maltese flora, my determination to learn only grew stronger. The power I felt from successfully sowing my first seeds mirrored a newfound passion and a sense of fulfilment I hadn’t experienced before. It also made me realise that opportunities to experience nature and feel connected to it were lacking, and so I decided to change this.

Together with my friends, we created a community focused on land rehabilitation, and thus, seven years ago, ACT was born.

Apart from not having opportunities to be in nature, children today find themselves paralysed by climate anxiety and a fear that their future has already been ruined before they’ve had the chance to influence it. While climate change is undeniable, many choose to ignore it. Land rehabilitation has the potential to help us adapt to climate change and bring new economic opportunities that align with a sustainable future for Malta. Rehabilitation can increase our quality of life, fight pollution, and contribute to our collective physical and mental wellbeing. I believe that Malta can be a pioneer in the rehabilitation of Mediterranean landscapes.

How do we achieve this? First and foremost, we need to embrace collaboration. Malta Environment Foundation (MEF) is a prime example of this. Apart from forming a crucial network of local environmental initiatives, MEF offered ACT invaluable encouragement and the opportunity to strengthen our systems and amplify our sustainable impact. Volunteering isn’t easy, especially for newcomers to the environmental sector. For ‘volunteering’ and ‘sustainability’ to work together harmoniously, there needs to be unwavering passion, the ability to act decisively, and relentless determination.

ACT started with limited resources but an abundance of ambition, and this was the driving force behind our growth.

MEF’s support went beyond providing necessary resources. The Foundation also showed a genuine interest in our work, offering interpersonal support and invaluable advice. Through MEF’s collaboration, ACT is building a new infrastructure for our greenhouse in Wardija that will significantly reduce manual labour hours and minimise unnecessary losses of saplings. This new infrastructure will help us conserve energy, water, and resources that can be directed towards other activities that support our journey towards financial sustainability. ACT will continue to invest the freed-up time into conservation efforts that safeguard the genetic integrity of Maltese flora. Our partnership with MEF has led to mutual gratitude, shared excitement about the fruits of this collaboration, and a determination to ensure that others have the opportunity to experience nature firsthand.