An analysis of the Malta relief fund applications

Abstract

The years 1940 to 1943 in Malta’s history revolve around the Second World War and the island’s involvement. Throughout the years, several authors have contributed their work to this theme, covering several aspects of this war from either a political/military perspective or from a social/cultural angle. Despite all these contributions, the MRF has not yet been explored in depth. A study of this Fund through the different documentation found within the corresponding collection at the NAM shows how its activities reflect the social conditions prevailing amongst the Maltese population during and in the wake of the war. Moreover, such a study offers a distinct perspective from the ones already available shedding light on the lives of individuals and families during such an exceptional event, whilst also providing a unique insight into the actual struggles experienced by these same people. The objective of this dissertation is to provide an assessment of the various aspects that make up the MRF, which was in operation from 1941 to the late 1970s. Firstly, this study presents a general overview of the context prevailing at several intervals in parallel with the development of the Fund in order to identify how events mentioned in the context are supported by the documentation of the Fund. The rest of the study is dedicated to the Fund’s setup, management, its relations with other organisations and Government departments, and, most importantly, a detailed analysis of the applications found within this collection which reveal multiple personal stories of women, men, and children. This research is split up into five chapters. Chapter 1 is dedicated to the context focusing on the period from the 1940s to the 1970s, the methodology providing a detailed description of the procedure of this research, and a literature review providing an analysis of all the secondary sources with an explanation for why they were chosen for this study. Chapter 2 delves into the evolution of the MRF from its inception till the period after Malta became a Republic. Chapter 3 begins the analysis of the applications, focusing on the first three schemes related to compensation for property lost or damaged due to enemy action; support for individuals injured or killed in air raids and their families; and assistance for those afflicted by war-related illnesses, particularly tuberculosis (TB), who required financial aid for medical treatment or family support. Chapter 4 examines the next four schemes introduced to broaden their assistance: clothing relief managed by the Help the Homeless Fund (HFF) for those who lost their garments; a special grant scheme for cases outside the requirements of the other schemes but still deemed worthy of aid; an emigration scheme to support those wishing to leave or return to the islands; and an emergency grant scheme which provided urgent financial help to applicants in desperate need. Lastly, Chapter 5 explores the final schemes opened by the Fund: the marriage scheme for couples planning to marry but required assistance to start their married lives; the large families scheme which specifically assisted households with more than seven members; the Layette and Infantile Paralysis Rehabilitation Funds (IPR) which offered support in relation to infant care and to children with special needs; and an educational scheme which provided additional assistance to parents by covering any school-related expenses such as books, tuition, and exam fees. Through the study of the MRF, one can note the level of need and dependency these individuals and families had on these social service providers during the trying years of the war, but also afterwards. One of the primary reasons why this Fund stayed in operation for so many years was because this assistance remained crucial, and withdrawing support would have caused further difficulties for the dependents. Such a study also sheds light onto the multiple struggles faced by the Maltese demonstrating that not all challenges were necessarily related to poverty alone.