Vevey: Portrait of Michel Botalla, president of Anacare

Empty crates stacked everywhere. Similarly, Amplifiers that spit The theme of the musical film “La la Land”. Consequently, Three volunteers who dance there in the middle. Therefore, It is 8:45 am this Friday morning at the association’s headquarters Analyston avenue Reller in Vevey. Therefore, The van which delivers the unsold food must arrive from one moment to the other.

From a vitreous desk springs an energetic “hello!”, Mined with Neuchâtel accent. Nevertheless, With his black t-shirt. Therefore, his ponytail, his jeans and his worn green converses, Michel Botalla, the Anacare manager, seems straight out of the backstage of an open air scene.

And precisely, the first words go for the music of Justin Hurwitz that the speakers are broadcast. For example, “My daughter vevey: portrait michel botalla, president Anastasia and I love it,” he says. Similarly, She is a professional dancer. Consequently, ” Without being physically there, she will stay with us throughout the meeting. Nevertheless, And for good reason, she plays a central role in the movie stirring in her life.

Because before becoming the soul of this Veveysanne association. For example, which helps, each week, 500 in favor of Riviera, Michel Botalla knew the graye of wealth. Similarly, And the deep disarray of those who, overnight, have nothing.

From keyboard to disco – Vevey: portrait michel botalla, president

It was in 1989, in Bienne, that we can pose the first milestone of this scenario. For example, “I was one of the first engineers trained in computer science,” says the 63 -year -old Veveysan. Furthermore, A beginning of a career that is already familiar with indecency. Consequently, “As vevey: portrait michel botalla, president an independent consultant, I earned around 1,500 francs a day.”

At that time, the world was at the dawn of the digital revolution. Michel Botalla works on a system that should optimize the circulation of TGVs. Then he embarked on the development of the first checkouts with a touch screen. It is thanks to this activity that he will put on the costume of a pattern of … nightclub.

“Unable to pay me, a customer sold me his disco at a reduced price,” he explains. So here he is at the head of the Dakota. teaches Neuchâtel that he renamed Seven, in tribute to the film by David Fincher. “I had a little money aside, so for the opening evening, it was Open Bar for everyone,” he smiles. From this crazy time, he also remembers this morning when vevey: portrait michel botalla, president he was woken up by the stups brigade. “Someone had made me wear the hat for another.”

At the turn of the year 2000. he took over the César, a box of La Chaux-de-Fonds which he renamed Matrix. Never away, cinema. So close, that it sometimes mixes with reality. “An evening, a young Russian had drank more than reason. When I told him to leave, he told me that he would come back to kill me. He went to his car and returned with a pistol. Two shots were fired, my security agent was injured in the leg. ” His wife being pregnant, Michel Botalla says he is time to leave the world not always quiet of the night.

Lots of money, too much work

Vevey: portrait michel botalla, president

His daughter was born in 2002. vevey: portrait michel botalla, president That same year. he launched himself as an independent consultant in the field of savings, investment and IT on behalf of a German -style company. “I set up a structure that had 120 people. ” notes this hyperactive, which says that they only sleep four hours a night.

A few years later, his salary borders on 40,000 francs per month. His days, he spends them on the road, seven days a week. “I still managed to drop Anastasia at school every morning.” It was during this period that he moved to Vevey with his family.

In any good script, there is what is called the climax, this moment when the story changes. That of Michel Botalla occurred in 2009, in the form of a burn-out. “I exploded in flight,” he sums up. To make sure, the world is vevey: portrait michel botalla, president going through a financial crisis. Everything collapses around him. And the phone becomes the biggest clip of the bankrupt contractor. “I felt hard to have made people lose money,” summarizes the one who kept a phobia of the ringtone.

One morning on a Vevey sidewalk

Then begins a long descent into hell, which ends up throwing it on the street. “I chose to leave the family apartment,” he explains. I didn’t want my daughter to suffer the arguments we had with her mother. ” One morning in January 2015, he therefore finds himself in the cold of Place Robin, in Vevey. Without a penny. And without knowing where to go. “I was crying like a kid,” he recalls.

Provisionally housed at the hotel. Michel Botalla pushes the door to the stage, which ensures at that vevey: portrait michel botalla, president time the distribution of food surplus. “I promised to be able to cook for my daughter.” And there, first light in its sky: the organization encounters a computer problem. In perfect keyboard AS, the engineer rules him in the blink of an eye. The association then offered to integrate the team. “I went directly from beneficiary to volunteer, with the possibility of leaving with food.”

The program that changes everything

Distributions are not always done in serenity. So in 2020, he imagined Software, Anabase. Contraction of the first name Anastasia. the expression “return to basic values”, it allows you to send an SMS indicating the time of appointment to the beneficiaries. What distribute in a time, and therefore in better conditions. “Every minute, someone enters. This helps more people in a shorter period of time. ”

We talk, we talk – well, especially him – but now the unsold van arrives. The distribution is to take place this afternoon. The time for Michel Botalla, who recovered his life, to leave us. And to go help others recover a little of theirs.

In the middle of the boxes

The Anacare association. which has taken over the torch of the distribution of unsold food after Riviera Sharingflows around 8 tonnes of goods per week, in collaboration with the Swiss Table Foundation. In early August, it will move to rue des Bosquets 33. And for good reason. its current premises – made available free of charge by Nestlé – will be demolished to make way for accommodation. In view of this move and a new rent to honor, Anacare appeals to donations. “We have vevey: portrait michel botalla, president 60,000 francs to find,” says Michel Botalla.

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