Programs : Livelihood Program

While an important and necessary starting point, ICM recognizes that merely providing food, education and medicine are not permanent solutions to the consequences of, and suffering caused by, long-term poverty. Without a livelihood, there is little hope for real change. ICM’s Livelihood Program seeks to help many recipients of other programs by training them with marketable job skills that will better equip them to become self-sufficient. The Livelihood Program is researching numerous ways of providing self-sustaining, income-providing skills and resources to its recipients. Several training, education and business opportunities are currently being offered by ICM.

Livelihood Program

Helping those in poverty establish sustainable livelihoods is a challenging, but important component of ICM’s programs. ICM continues to develop and adjust its livelihood programs, and in 2007/08 discontinued two programs, redirecting those resources into more effective programs.

The Pig Program provides piglets for recipients to breed and fatten. The required training in pig raising and mixed-feeding techniques increases the likelihood of success for each recipient. Each litter of piglets produces some pigs for fattening and some for future breeding. Fattened pigs are sold at market providing income for the household. ICM is repaid via piglets from each litter, which are provided to new recipients. There are currently more than 130 recipients of this program.

Container Farming Technology is taught at the Bag rice farm near Bacolod where ICM grows rice for its programs. Each of the FEEDing Program communities is trained to grow vegetables in hanging containers for personal use or sale. Patients at the Care Recovery Shelter also receive the container farming training. ICM’s Handicraft Program trains a feeding group to make a product, such as homemade paper cards, which is bought by ICM and sold abroad in Hong Kong and the US. The recipient’s income is used as seed capital to start a new business (which ICM helps them develop). Businesses include raising animals, running a small store, selling cell phone “load”, or selling food. In 2007/08, 92 recipients started a new small business through this program. Approximately 50% are still in operation after a year.

A new initiative in the handicraft program is the Red Rope Project. A group of 14 women have been trained to hand sew silk quilts, table runners, cushion covers and other products. We are currently looking for avenues to market these high quality original items.