Project NEMO initiative for Torri l-Abjad

Exposing Disadvantaged Children to Cultural and Environmental Heritage

The White Tower (Torri l-Abjad also known as l-Aħrax Tower), a coastal watch tower built in 1658 on the northeastern tip of Malta, has been found worthy of a grant through Project NEMO, an educational project financially supported by the Malta Community Chest Fund and Fund for Voluntary Organisations, which will benefit disadvantaged children attending activities at the tower. Project NEMO is aimed at exposing children coming from underprivileged backgrounds to cultural experiences and environmental awareness, particularly that related to the sea. Din l-Art Ħelwa is responsible for the restoration and regeneration of the tower and its immediate environment, both in a bad state of neglect and deterioration. The project of regeneration and restoration is being made possible due to the lead financial support of the HSBC Malta Foundation and also that of corporate sponsor Atlas Insurance, with central funds also coming from the National Lotteries Good Causes Fund, and from the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Support Scheme for Voluntary Organisations. Din l-Art Ħelwa aims to use the tower as an educational centre focusing on culture and environment, with a focus on marine and awareness.

The education programme set up through Project NEMO will focus on day activities which will be held at the Torri l-Abjad. Through this initiative, small groups of young people will receive individual attention with NEMO helping to set up and run this educational calendar, while events will be organised by Din lArt Ħelwa volunteers. Children will always be appropriately supervised by qualified personnel.

An interactive multimedia educational area will be setup and maintained in one of the spaces at the tower, through the support of the MCCFF. The area will include touch screen technology to allow children and visitors to explore topics related to the programme strong coastal content.The programme is also designed to enable attendees to learn and explore cultural and marine environments with a special focus of conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, our seas and oceans.

Torri l-Abjad at Armier is one of the 13 surviving coastal watch towers built during the reign of Grand Master Martin de Redin. Over the following 300 years, the site was further developed for military uses by the Knights and by the British military forces, and given in private leases to various owners after which it fell into a grave state of disrepair. Restoration by Din l-Art Ħelwa began in earnest in 2017 after it was granted in a management agreement to the heritage NGO by the Mellieħa Local Council.