“It is a vocation for me, and I will continue to learn how to do it better.”
Elegance and serenity set the stage for an interview with Marisa Comella, Executive President of the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation (LCCF), and Laura Bueno, a member of Tendencia’s editorial board, member of LCCF’s board, lawyer, translator, and writer. Sunlight streams into Nicksan Palmilla. Through the large windows overlooking the Gulf of California, the palm trees almost touch each other.
Marisa Comella studied International Relations, specialising in International Politics. In 2015, she assumed the Executive Director position of Los Cabos Children’s Foundation to consolidate and establish it as an integral organization in the Los Cabos community. Her primary goal is to assist children in Baja California Sur who need support to improve their quality of life through healthcare.
Twenty-two years ago, medical attention was not available for children and adolescents with cancer in Baja California Sur. Thanks to Tom Walsh’s initiative, the first steps were taken to establish what is now known as the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation. Initially, the focus was solely on cancer treatment, but thanks to the generosity of donors, additional services such as medical, psychological, occupational therapy, nutrition, lodging, and transportation were added.
“Tom Walsh came to Los Cabos for the first time more than 25 years ago and fell in love with the place, like many of us from other places. He immediately understood that he had a mission with this beautiful place that welcomed him to have a second home. He brought with him a background in philanthropy. He had been a volunteer and donor for Make a Wish Foundation, a very well-known organization worldwide, until a case of childhood cancer came to him. Then, that first spark to do something for his community arose,” says Marisa.
Tom began talking to his friends and asking them to join the cause. Fundraisers started, and the purpose began to take shape. Tom had a mission, but he couldn’t do it alone. He needed the help of others to explore the possibilities and establish the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation.
“It’s been an incredible opportunity to work here, to open that door. I think I was initially moved by shame. I had been living in Los Cabos for 7 or 8 years, and I’ll be honest: as a Mexican, I felt ashamed when I found out everything that was happening because I wasn’t doing anything about it! That was my motivation to start.” recalls Marisa.
Laura: When we arrived in Los Cabos, I arrived in 2001,and you came around 2007. At that time, we were both mothers with children in preschool and elementary school. As life progresses, by the time you joined the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation, you were already at a point where you could focus your attention on another responsibility. I understand feeling embarrassed about it, but sometimes we lack the time to get involved, which happens to all of us. These are stages where you focus on your family, and then, you can give back to the community, which is very valuable.
Then, Tom Walsh founded LCCF, and it took three attempts before he successfully helped a child with cancer. He persisted, got the community involved, and integrated the Los Cabos community to establish the foundation. How can we work together?
Marisa: “We are a non-profit organization operating in the United States and Mexico. This allows us to offer tax deductibility to donors in both countries. As a result, we have expanded our programs and reached more children. Our primary focus is on improving the health and well-being of children.
We believe that health encompasses more than just physical well-being and the absence of illness. It also includes mental and social aspects. Initially, Tom and his friends were motivated to address cancer. Still, later, they also focused on heart and other critical health issues, such as malformations that couldn’t be treated locally. Families often had to move due to inadequate medical care, resulting in separation, stress, and financial strain.
Los Cabos Children’s Foundation has supported children and adolescents in Baja California Sur for 22 years. Our efforts now address nutrition, mental health, disabilities, and preventive care. This year, it will invest 64 million pesos to support 40 social programs in Los Cabos. I joined the board of directors almost ten years ago when the organization wanted to demonstrate a more rooted vision in the community, including the foreign population, as it entered its second decade. The foundation’s initial focus was on providing access to health care for children and adolescents, as there were no specialized services for children in the area, and all the organization’s support was from outside the state.
In the second decade, efforts were made to form alliances, not so much in Los Cabos but in La Paz, where the Salvatierra Hospital was already in operation. I believe that was a turning point for the organization. The number of beneficiaries increased significantly because we began supporting programs at the state level, not just at the municipal level in Los Cabos.
LCCF supports different civil society organizations, such as Red Autismo, Casa Hogar de Cabo San Lucas, Casa Ramé, Comunidad Autismo, Niños del Capitán, Equinoterapia Hossana, and Centro de Integración Juvenil (CIJ), which treats addictions in children and adolescents. It also supports other programs that are not in Los Cabos, such as the Centro de Rehabilitación e Inclusión Infantil Teletón (CRIT).
A few months ago, the first stone was laid for the construction of a CRIT in San José del Cabo. Thus, 350 children with disabilities will have hope in care, and parents will have a great incentive not to have to travel long distances for therapies.”
Laura: How do you work, and how do the children and their families approach the foundation?
Marisa: “During February, we issue an annual call for applications to support new projects. We announce the call through the media, our social networks, and organizations. Then, we follow up with a long and thorough evaluation process begins.
First, we submit the projects to an application process, where we evaluate the fundamental issues of the organization running the program. We review their objectives, what they want to achieve, and their budget.
We consider all the aspects that make a project possible, from financial to operational. Once we do that internal evaluation through the program team, which is composed of seven people, some focus on medical, others on civil society organizations, and others on our programs. We invite community members to help us evaluate the programs, give them training, and tell them what criteria are important to us and what these projects must have to receive our support. The third stage is for the Board of Directors to make its final analysis. This year, we aim to reach 16,000 children with this support.”
Laura: How are the resources managed?
Marisa: “Fortunately, a few weeks ago, we announced the Board of Directors’ decision to invest about 32 million pesos this year in 40 organizations or programs that benefit 16,000 children. We plan our activities from March to June, involving all three areas of the organization, each with its counterpart on the Board of Directors. We have a fundraising area dedicated to seeking resources in the community through donations or events with a cause.”
Laura: What challenges do you face in your daily work?
Marisa: “One issue is the talent crisis, but I think it is instead the lack of knowledge. Many people without experience—I count myself among them—decide to stay when they discover professional work in a civil organization. It is a vocation for me, and I will continue to learn how to do it better.
The second challenge is dealing with “No”. You would think, “Hey, yes, Los Cabos Children’s Foundation does wonderful things and does it excellently and transparently,” They believe everyone says yes to us. Right? Well, no, unfortunately. But our team’s perseverance and determination keep us going, even facing such challenges. So, we must deal with that frustration, even on the team itself, with our limitations and persevere.
The third challenge is to have a beautiful State blessed with natural attractions and economic growth and to see that we have fallen behind in social matters, infrastructure, education, health, and welfare services. How to win this race is an immense challenge!.”
