Recovered Treasures serves as home to more than 60 rescued kids in Negros Occidental. (CONTRIBUTED)
Never did Anna C. Balcells imagine that a decade-old incident would lead her to establish her own foundation that supports the cause of disadvantaged children in Negros Occidental.
Balcells is the founder and president of Kalipay Negrense Foundation Inc., which helps disadvantaged children – the homeless, physically and sexually abused, malnourished, out-of-school and special children.
“For me, Kalipay is a miracle. I never thought it would grow this big and reach this far. Kalipay will always be a home for the children,” she said.
Kalipay is a Cebuano word for “happiness.”
The foundation owns two homes, Haven Home and Recovered Treasures, where children are allowed to grow in a joyful environment.
Raised in Negros Occidental, Balcells was born to a Filipina mother and a Spanish father. She spent some 20 years working in Spain as manager and director for sales and marketing of various resorts, airlines and travel agencies.
“I used to travel around because of my job. I used to work in a corporate world wherein I helped companies flourish.
It was a comfortable life. This is the reason why some people never thought I would be in this path now,” she said.
Balcells shared that she went to Spain to study and then later found work there. She, however, came back to the Philippines in 1993 to take care of her sick father. It was, for her, the turning point of her life.
She recalled that one rainy dark evening, while she was eating at a restaurant with a friend, another friend called her and asked for financial assistance for a struggling family member.
“And there I was at the restaurant enjoying a sumptuous meal while others don’t even have enough food to eat. I was moved, and I knew I needed to help the family,” she said.
Without hesitation, she visited the family and saw the heartbreaking situation of its members. She immediately sent text messages to her friends hoping to raise funds for the family.
The response was such that they even managed to raise enough money to build a simple house for the family.
“The Philippines is a paradise, but one can see so much suffering. It breaks my heart whenever I see children on the street begging or kids who didn’t receive the kind of love that they deserve from their parents,” she said.
The encounter sparked her passion to help the needy and pushed her to do more for the community. Whenever she sees a kid on the street or when she receives a call that a kid has been abused by her parents, she rescues them and gives them shelter and food.
For her, establishing the foundation was her dream for all the abused children who have experienced sorrow, pain and hardships at an early age.
“We, at Kalipay, aim to heal the emotional scars that the abused and neglected have gone through. We give them a second home in order (for them) to live a happier life. We are here to love and protect these kids,” she said.
The foundation gives education and therapy assistance, food, health and social services to the children.
At Kalipay, therapy is the most urgent intervention given to kids to prevent them from becoming abusers themselves in the future.
“We need to show to the kids that not all people are abusers, and that they are never neglected. We always strive to do our best to let them live a normal life again,” she added.
They also have an “Independent Living” program for the rescued children who want to pursue college. Rosalie, one of the recipients of the program, is now a social worker in the foundation.
Now on its 10th year, Barcells said she never thought that Kalipay would reach this far.
She said, though, that she always believed that there are always a lot of good people who are willing to extend a helping hand.
Kalipay is a recipient of the grants program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund.
Always remembering “the horror painted in the faces of the kids when we rescue them,” she said she was always glad for all the help.
“When you see them every single day, you see their transformation, not just on the physical aspect. You see them grow. You feel the joy again. You see that they want to live again,” Barcell said.
“It crushes my heart to see children who are suffering. They shouldn’t be in that situation. The more I see these scenes, the more passionate I would love to help,” she added.
Though she remains single, she feels complete, and even hopes to open more shelters for children “to save more lives.”
“I have no children of my own, but I have a hundred children at the shelters,” she said, smiling.
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