Francesca Fenech Conti is well-known in the Women for Women community. She is the Admin of the popular Women for Women Facebook group for women on the Maltese islands. The group Women for Women is a safe space where women can ask questions and get advice from other members of the group. Having over 35,000 members, women can find solace whilst they go through difficult moments in their life. To make things easier, the admins offer to post for other women to keep their anonymity.
Francesca has volunteered many hours administering the group, working with NGOs and social workers, and raising funds for women in need. She is very aware of the issues women in our society face and tries to help where she can. Recently, together with Stephanie Spiteri, they have started a series of live videos featuring talks with special guests. They discuss business, health and education.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a 51 year old mother, sister, daughter, wife, and admin of Women for Women and also set up the popular Facebook groups Are You Being Served and The Salott together with Moira Palmier. I believe in hard work, dedication and collaboration and my passion is women’s empowerment.
What inspired you to start Women for Women?
I wanted to reach out and connect with other women, and to create a safe space for online intimate personal discussions away from trolls and other disruptive influences that existed on some other groups.
What are the ways in which Women for Women have helped women in need?
I work hand in hand with other NGOs and social workers and as Women for Women we have raised funds through ZAAR crowd funding for many social causes and to help families struggling through economic hardships. There are over 13,000 children living with single parents, 66% of which can’t afford any extraordinary expenses like fixing the car if it breaks down or buying a new fridge and that was before Covid. During Covid we helped many families with groceries and food vouchers, laptops and printers for home schooling, small loans for rental payments, medicines and doctor and dentists fees, some cash advances for women who have to wait for 8 weeks to receive some forms of social benefits and many other similar causes. Together with the help of a very generous bathroom company we also helped in financing a family to refurbishment their bathroom that was in a very bad state.
Women for Women have recently started a series of live videos featuring talks with special guests. Can you tell us more about this?
Yes! Due to Covid TV personality Stephanie Spiteri called me to discuss if I thought it would be a good idea to also start doing some lives shows on Women for Women. Her idea was to keep people further entertained and informed whilst stuck at home. We did these live videos every day for 8 weeks but we have now stopped the evening live discussions since Stephanie has now returned to transmit from her studio plus restaurants and bars have reopened and we are envisaging that people will start going out more. However, I still have some live discussions in the mornings with special guests like Abigail Mamo, Dr. Marceline Naudi amongst others and we discuss issues like business, health and education.
Would you describe yourself as a foodie?
Yes I’m a definitely a foodie! I love to eat and it’s one of my biggest passions in life.
What is your favourite dish?
I love so many things and it’s difficult to decide on a favourite. I eat all types of food from any country.
Are you a good cook? Do you have a signature dish?
Hmm I like to cook but I wouldn’t call myself a good cook, my husband is a very good cook so he cooks most of the time and he varies, from making his own homemade bread and pasta to creating amazing Indian, Thai, Mexican dishes. I would say my signature dish is probably braised pork cheeks in red wine with mashed potatoes and green beans.
What is your guilty food pleasure?
Chocolate of course
Do you enjoy eating out?
Yes mostly when abroad because to me my husband’s food is better than most restaurants – yes I know I’m probably biased.
What do you look for when choosing a restaurant to dine out at?
Amazingly good food that we don’t usually cook at home.
Is there any international cuisine you are fond of?
My husband and I travel often and love to try the local dishes and street food and one of our favourite places is El Quim at the Boqueria food market in Barcelona. We also love the Greek beach side tavernas where they have the freshest deep fried calamari and grilled octopus. We also had some of the most amazing freshest crab in Norway which we caught whilst on a tour of the northern most point of Europe Skarsvag in the Barrents sea.
What, in your opinion, is the sexiest food?
Hmm funny question…. but sexiest food for me would be anything my husband cooks for us on a Sunday morning and brings up to bed for us to eat together.
What was the strangest food you have ever tried? and did you enjoy it?
In Istanbul Turkey I was walking in a side road and came across a sort of food “factory” they were producing something whitish and creamy which looked like it was made out of chicken, I asked what it was and they told me to try it …it was chicken but it was a dessert – I googled it and found out it’s called tah-VOOK’ go-OOZ-oo or chicken breast pudding. Yes actually, I really liked it.
Are there any foods that bring back special memories to you?
Hobz biz-zejt is one of my favourites especially with homegrown tomatoes – it brings back many special memories because as a child I loved how my mum used to rub the tomatoes on crusty fresh Maltese bread. Hobz biz-zejt also reminds me of fun long hot summer days at the beach with friends, its so simple and versatile good with a coke and also with a lovely glass of wine. When I think of hobz bis zejt I get a smile on my face.
What is the one type of food you could not live without?
Sourdough bread.
Do you believe that ‘we are what we eat’?
Yes I really do. I try to always eat home cooked unprocessed food (and chocolate). I also love to grow my own fresh herbs and vegetables, at the moment I’m growing tomatoes, aubergines, lettuce, cabbages, chillies and I love my wild fig and pomegranate trees.
If you could choose any person to have dinner with, who would it be?
I think it would have to be the American Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg – aka Notorious RBG
What advice do you give to women who want to reach out and help other women?
I think the best way we can help anyone who asks for our help is to listen to what people really need and help in the ways they want and need to be helped. It’s no use offering to help with cooking food for example because we’re good cooks and enjoy cooking when what someone really need is help with washing clothes and a washing machine for example. I also believe in giving people a fishing rod to and teaching them to catch their own fish instead of just giving them the fish – to me empowering people is the key to success. We believe education is key to empowerment so at the moment we are fundraising through our Education Fund if you want to help us help other donations can be made here. http://www.zaar.com.mt/projects/women-for-women-education-fund/
Do you have a life motto?
Yes, always look forward don’t dwell on the past.
What is your final message to our readers?
Life is too short to eat bad food.
One of the live talks which Francesca Fenech Conti and Stephanie Spiteri host.
Q&A With Oz
