‘Invicta’ donates another €2,000 to women’s shelter ‘Dar Merħba Bik’

The shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence Dar Merħba Bik received another donation of €2,000 from the proceeds of the book ‘Invicta: The Life and Work of Daphne Caruana Galizia‘.

This is the second donation made to the women’s shelter from the sale of the book – the first was made in December 2018 and amounted to €8,000.

Published by Pertinent Press, the book was released one month after Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb on 16 October 2017. It includes 20 contributions from academics, journalists and friends reflecting on the life and work of the journalist, and the circumstances of her death.

The book was edited by Joseph A Debono and Caroline Muscat, founder of The Shift.

With every book sold, €10 is donated to Dar Merħba Bik, which was Caruana Galizia’s favourite charity, run by the Good Shepherd Sisters.

Elaine Pavia, the charity’s administrator, thanked the team behind the project for the donation, saying Caruana Galizia was always in their thoughts and prayers.

“On a side note, the bay leaf tree planted and tagged ‘In Memory of Daphne’ is doing well too,” she said.

The charity had planted a bay leaf tree in the home’s garden tagged with a white ribbon in Caruana Galizia’s memory. Dar Merħba Bik also placed a metal tag on the tree with the words, “in grateful memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia who held our mission close to her heart”.

Pavia explained that the previous donation of €8,000 from the book was invested in the renovation of Dar Santa Bakhita, a townhouse in Balzan donated by The Good Shepherd Sisters Malta to Dar Merħba Bik Foundation.

“Dar Santa Bakhita was inaugurated in December 2019. Once COVID-19 is over, Dar Santa Bakhita will be hosting three families for a period of 12 months. Its main purpose will be that of a second stage accommodation for survivors of domestic violence who would have successfully completed their therapeutic journey at an emergency domestic violence accommodation but would require that further support throughout their reintegration process,” Pavia said.

During the last 38 years, the home has provided refuge for hundreds of women and their children who had to leave their homes due to domestic violence. It always held a special place in Caruana Galizia’s heart.

When some €70,000 were raised in a crowdfunding exercise to enable her to make good for the garnishee orders issued against her by former Economy Minister Chris Cardona and his aide Joe Gerada, she had donated the surplus to Dar Merħba Bik.

The book on the journalist’s life and work was also translated into Italian by Paula Giannoni, entitled Uccisa in Nome Della Verita. In the Italian version includes a prologue by Antonio Di Pietro, former magistrate behind anti-mafia operation ‘Mani Pulite’.