The GEO-INF Rainwater Recovery Facility at St Aloysius College was inaugurated by Atlas Insurance this week. The installation, designed by Ing. Marco Cremona with the purpose of diverting rainwater from the roofs of school buildings directly to the water table contributes to the replenishment of groundwater levels.

The second installation of its kind sponsored by Atlas Insurance, the GEO-INF project has been financed through the Atlas Community Involvement Fund that was set up to provide a clear and transparent framework through which Atlas Insurance identifies and supports a wide range of community involvement projects.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Atlas Insurance CEO Matthew von Brockdorff, Executive Director and Chair of the Atlas Insurance Community Involvement Committee Catherine Calleja, the Rector of St Aloysius College Fr Jimmy Bartolo sj, Daniela Mariani and Leo Busuttil, other members of the Atlas Insurance Community Involvement Committee, Ing. Cremona, teachers and students taking part in the EkoSkola programme.

Addressing the event, Catherine Calleja stated: “As a committee, considerable deliberation went into the selection of this project, which not only aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, but is also being intentionally deployed within educational environments. We hope that it will thus contribute to the personal and educational development of students, moulding responsible, well-informed, and actively engaged citizens.”

The Rector of St Aloysius College, Fr Jimmy Bartolo, spoke about the environmental values upheld by the Catholic Church, adding that: “The GEO-INF project is another step in which we actively implement the goal of caring for our common home. It is actions like these, undertaken by civil society, that make a big difference in our country.” Invoking the College’s motto, Fr Bartolo encouraged the students to take small things seriously, paving the way for bigger accomplishments, to truly become men and women for others.

Fr Bartolo reiterated the College’s commitment to safeguarding our natural environment. “Since the year 2000, the school has successfully grown more than 20,000 trees and planted them in various places across the island,” he added.

Atlas Insurance is currently supporting the implementation of the GEO-INF technology in a third school, and works are currently underway to complete this project within the coming months.