CONNIE CARABOTT

Vice President

Volunteering has always attracted me and it gives me great satisfaction. As a youth, I used to go to the Little Sisters of the Poor to take care of the elderly. I enjoyed them talking about their past.
Throughout our lives we pass through different circumstances and thus we have different priorities. Growing up a family requires much attention. For this reason I reduced the time of volunteering.
In 1986, when I was just 27 years old, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It is not easy living with the condition but life goes on.
The MS Society convened for the first time in October 1997. I joined as a member and this meant re-entering the world of volunteering, this time in the disability sector. Thanks to the Association of MS I met new people as well as larger organizations. I was chosen to represent the MS Society on the national umbrella organization, the Malta Federation of Organizations Persons with Disability (MFOPD). The meetings take place once a month.
When the MS Society chose another representative, I started representing the Movement in Favour of Rights of Persons with Disability (MFRPD) as in the mean time I had become also a member of this Movement.
In 2005, MFOPD chose me to represent it on the Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF). As at to date I still represent MFOPD on this Foundation. I attended several conferences abroad on behalf of MFOPD, such as in Belgium, Spain and Rome.
My personal aim is to urge other people like me and also those with different conditions to move forward and never give up. Today there is a lot of help around us. Take advantage of this support.