Helping others is the best way to count your blessings, believes the president of a charity that has built entire villages in some of the poorest parts of the globe.

"Working with a charity is one way of giving back, because of the many blessings that have been provided me – a job, a good house and family," said Evelou Mosley, president of Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) Bermuda.

ANCOP, a charity with branches around the world, aims to benefit the less fortunate and to raise awareness to the deplorable plight of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines, and also other parts of the world.

Mrs. Mosley is by day a corporate manager at Conyers, Dill and Pearman, and in her spare time, a tireless worker for the downtrodden in the world.

Because of the recent bad weather, ANCOP Bermuda has rescheduled their Gawad Kalinga (GK) Walk, originally slated for last Sunday, to September 13.

'Gawad Kalinga' translates from Tagalog the most widely spoken of the Philippine languages roughly as 'to give care'.

Participants will walk five kilometres in an effort to raise funds for the charity.

Globally, the charity hopes to raise at least $5 million, locally the goal is a more modest $25,000. Unfortunately, ANCOP Bermuda is still about $5,000 short of their target.

ANCOP Bermuda's current challenge is to reach their target goal of $25,000. "We are hoping there are some people out there with a generous heart who will think about sponsoring us," said Mrs. Mosley.

Last year, ANCOP Bermuda raised enough money to build a 40-home village in the Philippines, half of which are now completed. The name 'Bermuda Village' is emblazoned on a water tower there. They also built 35 homes for poor people living in Bangladesh.

"We are hoping to build another village in the Philippines," said Mrs. Mosley.

"We are also hoping to help a charitable organisation in Bermuda with a similar mission to ours – helping the needy."

Mrs. Mosley is originally from the Philippines. She is married to Bermudian Daryn Mosley and has lived on the Island for 22 years.

She is hoping to see Bermuda Village the next time she returns to the Philippines.

"I really want to see the completed homes," she said. "I would like to show Bermudians the result of their generosity."

She became involved in ANCOP Bermuda through another group at St. Theresa's Cathedral, Couples Through Christ (CTC).

"CTC is about sharing the word of God," she said. She is actually in a subgroup of this called 'Handmaids of the Lord'. "We try to be there for each other.

"I am now Bermudian, but when I first came here, I was really homesick. I didn't know anyone."

CTC first started helping the Canadian branch of ANCOP privately, then later took it public by forming ANCOP Bermuda, a registered charity.

Mrs. Mosley came to Bermuda after living in Kuwait for several years and left just before the first Gulf War.

"I left a year before the war started," she said. "I have a lot of friends who were there during the war, during the bombings. I heard in Kuwait that Bermuda was a beautiful Island."

She eventually met her husband, Daryn, at the birthday party of a co-worker. They now have two children, Ernestyne, 20, and Evin, 12.

"At that time in Bermuda, the Filipinos mainly worked in the hotels," she said. "It was hard to find jobs in companies.

"I was so lucky and blessed that I was given the opportunity to work in an office, without having to do something else first."

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Philippines Women's University, and recently upgraded her skills further.

"I was like 'wow there are a lot of younger people with Masters degrees. Let me get more qualifications'. I started to reassess my abilities."

So she undertook an online masters programme with the University of Phoenix. She is also an Associate with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

"It was very hard being a mother, wife, working full-time, and also studying," she said. "I had to give up a lot of my social life. I was president of the Association of Filipinos. I was one of the founders. I had to reassess my priorities."

Mrs. Mosley said sticking to a strict schedule helped her deal with it all.

"Once I made up my mind what I was going to do my kids were older then," she said. "It was tough, but I had my schedule. By 9 p.m. every night I had to be at my computer doing my homework. Sometimes I would be up until one or 2 a.m."

She graduated in 1992 with a Masters in Business Administration in global management. The year proved to be very difficult for her family. Her father became very ill with colon cancer, and her brother-in-law developed leukaemia.

"You should spend time with your family when they are still there," she said. "I went home and spent my birthday with my dad.

"That was really special. It was our last time together. It was a hard time, but I never gave up. My faith carried me through. The support from our church family was overwhelming. Also, the people at my job were very supportive and understanding, giving me the time to go and see my father."

She said her parents, Aniceto and Lucena, have been an inspiration in her life.

"They sacrificed a lot for us," she said. "There were five in the family. My father has passed away now. My mother is now in her 80s. They wanted us to go to good schools and they gave us the best. My father was in agriculture.

"I feel so sad that there are a lot of poor people in the Philippines. There are a lot of rich people in the Philippines also. That is why I want to help out and make a difference."

Over the years, Mrs. Mosley has also helped out with several other charities including Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) and Hope Homes. She is also a very active member of St. Theresa's Cathedral.

The GK Walk will be held at the Botanical Gardens taking the scenic route of Harbour Road, Lovers' Lane, South Road all the way to Tee Street back to Berry Hill Road.

To participate, register at www.raceday.bm. To learn more about ANCOP Bermuda e-mail ANCOPBermuda@ibl.bm or check out their website at www.ancopbermuda.com . The CFC also has a website, www.cfcbermuda.com.