A Look Back at 2014

Welcome to our “2014 Year in Review”! As we step back in time, join us in reminiscing about the extraordinary events and significant milestones that marked this memorable year.

At GasanMamo Insurance, we believe in cherishing the past while embracing the future, and we’re excited to share this nostalgic retrospective with you. So, let’s begin our 2014 year in review and explore all of the unforgettable moments that made 2014 a year to remember!

January

• Following the proliferation of the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine against the rule of President Viktor Yanukovych at the tail-end of 2014, the embattled President sits down with Opposition leaders to try and come to a peaceful resolution. The talks fail and he flees to Russia the following month.
• During January, GasanMamo employees lend a helping hand to the Ursuline Sisters at Piccola Casa di San Giuseppe in Valletta, helping out the children with general house maintenance and undertaking renovation.
• In addition, GasanMamo supported a brand-new coaching initiative undertaken by the Malta Rugby Football Union to bolster the quality of rugby coaching and thus improve rugby standards in Malta in light of the fact that an ever-increasing number of Maltese were taking up the sport.

February

• The on-going West African ebola epidemic begins, with widespread reports of contractions and deaths emerging from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, spreading to other countries in the region. Some 20,000 cases have been reported to date, with the virus making it as far as Spain, the USA and England. Sadly, the ebola epidemic has claimed some 8,000 lives to date.
• News breaks in the Maltese media that Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is to become the ninth President of the Republic of Malta.
• Folk group Firelight wins the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, with its members booking their spot at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Copenhagen.
• Courtesy of GasanMamo’s support, the Delimara Lighthouse’s light shines once again following the completion of a painstaking eight-year project undertaken by Din l-Art Helwa to restore it to its former glory.

March

• On 8th March, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously disappears over the Andaman Sea while en route to Beijing Airport in China. Despite a multinational search effort which lasts over two weeks, no wreckage and no bodies are found, prompting many conspiracy theories regarding the whereabouts of the plane and its passengers.
• A group of GasanMamo employees take part in the Malta Half Marathon in a bid to up their fitness levels and show the way to their fellow employees.
• GasanMamo also announces its renewed support of the annual Maratona bir-Roti. The 2014 edition was aimed at raising first aid awareness in Maltese schools. The marathon raised a sizeable €130,000 for charitable causes.
• The first round of GasanMamo’s online game, Ray’s Adventure, takes place.

April

• The Civil Unions Bill, which gave legal recognition to same-sex couple through the establishment of civil unions, is signed into law on 16th April, followed by a big celebration to mark the occasion held in Valletta.
• During Holy Week, GasanMamo supports an exhibition displaying 18 life-size statues of religious figures. The exhibition was organised by the Mifsud family and held at Bir Miftuh chapel in Gudja.
• The Mosta Football Youth Nursery Easter tournament takes place, supported by GasanMamo as part of its initiative to promote healthy living. Six Under-12 teams from competing clubs around Malta participate.

May

• Right-wing, anti-EU parties, such as the UK Independence Party in the UK and Le Front National in France, make significant gains in the European Parliament following the European parliamentary elections which were held in EU Member States between 22nd and 25th May. In the UK’s case, it was the first time in the country’s modern history in which neither Labour nor the Conservatives won a national election.
• GasanMamo supports the “Two of a Kind” exhibition by artists Rachel Galea and Sue Nightingale and watches on in earnest as Firelight compete at the Eurovision Song Contest final, held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

June

• World Cup fever grips the globe as the football tournament gets underway in Brazil on 12th June. Maltese bars are full to the brim with football enthusiasts watching their favourite stars compete. Big screens put up in open areas also attract large crowds.
• GasanMamo launches the Boosh initiative, aimed at making car insurance more affordable for 18-24 year olds through the installation of a telematics device to monitor driving. The scheme entitles the signatory to an immediate 65% insurance premium discount, together with the ability to begin accumulating a no-claim bonus immediately.
• Numerous activities are undertaken by GasanMamo on behalf of Puttinu Cares, a cancer charity aimed at aiding children afflicted with the disease. Activities include a 60-hour football marathon in which some 800 teams took part, together with a dress-down day held at the company’s premises in which employees were encouraged to donate to the cause.

July

• The Israeli military launches Operation Protective edge on the 8th July after tensions increase between the Israeli government and Hamas, following the murder of three Israeli teenagers and the ensuing revenge killing of a Palestinian youth. Some 2,100 Palestinians and 71 Israelis are dead by its end seven weeks later.
• News of the government’s proposed drug law reforms breaks in the Maltese media.
• GasanMamo introduces a 24/7 emergency home support service for all its home insurance policy holders. The company also announces a free extension to all policies which include building cover.
• Maltese cyclists, supported by GasanMamo, take part in the ALIVE 2014 Cycling Challenge, covering over 1,000km between the cities of Prague and Budapest, to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

August

• The US military intervenes in Iraq with an air campaign aimed at halting the advance of the Islamic State, which by this stage had claimed vast swathes of the country’s territory, along with that of Syria in its bid to create a new Islamic Caliphate.
• Divers find 2700-year-old Phoenician artefacts, including grinding stones and amphorae, in the remains of an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Malta. They are some of the oldest Phoenician remains ever found.
• Maltese volunteers working on behalf of Karibu Malta, a charitable organisation aimed at helping the less fortunate mainly in developing countries. head to Kenya to assist with the construction of two new classrooms at the Daughters of the Sacred Heart school in Ruiru. Their travel insurance is sponsored by GasanMamo. An company employee joins the Karibu volunteers a month later.

September

• Tens of thousands of people pour onto the streets of Hong Kong to protest the Chinese government’s announcement that it would be implementing reforms to the Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong had largely been allowed to look after its own affairs following its handover from the UK to Communist China. Pockets of the protests lasted right until the end of the year.
• Malta marks 50 years since gaining independence from Great Britain.
• “Maratona b’Risq il-Missjoni” is held between 12th and 14th September, organised by Fondazzjoni U and supported by GasanMamo. The fundraising marathon raised over €160,000 for four projects in India, Mozambique and Kenya
• GasanMamo also supported the 2014 IUSTI Europe Congress, entitled “Migration, Recreation and Sexual Health”. The congress, which was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, took place between 18th and 20th September.

October

• Gunfire erupts inside the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa after gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau first shot dead a Canadian soldier on sentry duty and then stormed the building. He is killed by police shortly after in the rush to get the building evacuated and secure. It was the worst security breach of its kind in Canada in nearly 50 years.
• Archbishop Paul Cremona becomes the first Archbishop of Malta to step down from the role in well over 100 years. He was said to be suffering from physical and creative exhaustion.
• GasanMamo announces that funds raised during the Maratona bir-Roti, which it supported earlier during the year, are being used to equip schools with life-saving Automated External Defibrillators. First Aid presentations were also given to over 20,000 students.
• The company also reopens its upgraded Sliema branch following a major refurbishment incorporating the very latest technology and an upgraded IT system.

November

• The EU announces the creation of a new €315 billion European Fund for Strategic Investments in order to boost job creation and economic growth throughout the stagnating European Economic Area.
• A feasibility study assessing the possibility of linking Malta and Gozo via a bridge is revealed, causing considerable controversy.
• The annual President’s Fun Run takes place in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund. GasanMamo employees are on hand to take part in the Run and support the good cause.
• Furthering its support for Mosta FC Youth Nursery, GassanMamo assisted with the Malta Police Dog Show, which took place on the Nursery’s premises. The dogs put on a display for the Nursery’s children and parents, showing how they help keep Malta safe.

December

• US President Barack Obama announces the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba on 17th December. It marked the first time in over 50 years that the countries decided to bury the hatchet and work together for the benefit of both its peoples.
• Always committed to ensuring it delivers quality products to its clients, GasanMamo announces several new benefits to its Private Car Insurance policy, namely wider cover, higher benefits, lower excesses and the automatic inclusion of Motor Plus cover for all Comprehensive policies.
• GasanMamo also organised free tours for its clients to the Notarial Archives in Valletta. This historical treasure trove contains thousands upon thousands of old documents, with the earliest dating back to 1467.

 

Our “2014 Year in Review” takes us on a captivating journey through the significant moments and cherished memories that defined this remarkable year.

We remain committed to providing unwavering support and protection to our valued clients, ensuring that they can face the future with confidence and peace of mind.