You won't find Emmanuel Mamo's name on any history book. You won't find his name amongst any of the great men and women of our country, or of any country. You man find his name on the list of the homeless, of the unemployed, and, indeed, on the large registers of the prisons.

Emmanuel was one of the smallest of the smallest people without voice, without honour, and without a future. He was only our friend at Daritama, a member of Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl, and maybe this had made all the difference in his life.

He was born in England of a poor family. He was brought us in the streets of Cospicua, in Malta, defending the little dignity he retained as a human person. He lived like a dog, with a heart of a lion, and with a mind of a humiliated man.

Society never accepted him, and he always felt himself spurned by society. He was excluded, and his exclusion impoverished him. However, he had beautiful and vast capabilities.

At Dar it-Tama, our centre, Emmanuel found a shelter of friendship and even of love. During the founding days of our institution, he voluntarily worked at our centre literally night and day with impressive generosity.

The life he lived very frequently led him to the prisons, where he continued to break down and deteriorate. In a certain sense, Emmanuel is a symbol of our work and mission at Daritama and Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl. He was a little person humiliated by society, but we loved him.

He died of a drug overdose a couple of days after being released from the prisons.