SOS Malta, in partnership with Paolo Friere Institute, Friends of the Earth (Malta), Mosta Local Council and the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment has launched a project entitled DAWL – Energy, Employment, Empowerment. The project is partly funded by the European Union’s European Social Fund (ESF), and it aims to increase the employability of women who have been out of the labour market for a number of years by providing life learning through hands-on training and development approach to unemployed women.

The project also aims to demonstrate cost-effective measures which low-income households can take to lower their monthly water and electricity expenditure resulting in savings in energy and water consumption at household level and to raise awareness regarding energy and water issues.

This project will provide the blue-print for the setting up of a medium enterprise which will provide part-time, flexible hours employment for women as trainers/information disseminators in the field of energy and water saving. Such enterprise would be set up in partnership with the business community, local authorities and NGOs. In the short term this project will train 5 women in this sector as well as enhance their interpersonal skills, thereby increasing their employability.