Who Are We? A Story, a Dream, and Many Hearts Beating as One

Fundación Anepal was not born from a large organization, but from love, conviction, and personal dedication. I am Cristina Martí Roca, a law graduate, daughter of José and Amparo who raised me with love and under the protection of a traditional family. I am a mother of three children, Max, Anju, and Eduardito. I consider myself a good friend to my friends and a good person. I am the founder of this project into which I have poured my soul, my resources, and my work so that children without families in Nepal could grow up in a safe environment, full of opportunities and hope.

It all began the day I adopted my daughter Anju from an orphanage in Nepal. It was 2006. At that moment, I discovered a reality that tore my heart apart: Nepalese law expressly prohibited the adoption of biological siblings and children over six years of age. This meant that many little ones—upon reaching that age—were left without any possibility of having a family, many of them separated from their siblings, with no one guaranteeing their future or offering them true and constant love.

That day I understood that, although I was officially adopting one daughter, in my heart I was also keeping all the children who lived there. I couldn't look away. I couldn't leave them behind.

That's how this project was born: A response to the gift that life had given me and from the deepest love and conviction that every child deserves a real opportunity.

In the beginning, I was not alone. For a time, I had the support of people with whom I shared dreams and projects. I prefer to keep the good memories and the positive aspects of that period. However, over time, complicated moments arrived: the separation from my partner also led to an emotional and organizational separation from the foundation and with it the loss of many sponsors, which deeply struck the project's stability.

Added to this was one of the hardest periods of my life: my daughter was going through a serious illness and I spent a great deal of time in hospitals. I remember writing in the dark, in a hospital room, the Christmas postcards for the sponsors, because I felt I couldn't fail, that if I stopped or gave in to the pain, the project would be lost and the children in Nepal would be left with nothing. And as if things couldn't get worse, suddenly the entire world stopped with the arrival of the pandemic. Those were days, weeks, and months when everything seemed too big, too difficult.

It would have been easy to give up. But I didn't.

Because behind every effort was a promise: to never abandon the children who depended on this foundation. And that's how, even when I lost support and the project was shaking, I kept going forward with the backing of some friends and volunteers who believed in me and in this dream.

I always felt more comfortable remaining behind another face that appeared as the face of the foundation, but there came a time when I understood I had no choice: I had to step forward and show the truth. I was the one who wrote, who organized, who silently sustained every promise, who cared for every small detail, and who loved this project from the deepest part of my heart.

Today, despite all the adversities, Fundación Anepal continues to be alive, strong, and with an even firmer purpose. Seeing our children grow, study, laugh, and build their future in a dignified environment is the greatest proof that effort, love, and faith in others can transform lives.

This foundation is my struggle, my dedication, my learning... but above all, it is hope made into a home for many children who can now dream.