Elsa escapes her nightmare

Three years ago, Elsa’s already difficult life became an absolute nightmare. Unable to find work locally, her husband went to Manila to find a way to support his wife and four children. Three days later she found out her husband had been killed in an accident. After her husband’s death, Elsa’s behavior became marked by anger as she overwhelmed by grief. With no peace at home, and little money, the two older girls moved away to find work and support themselves. Still struggling to provide for her younger children, Elsa worked as a laundry woman earning about US$2.33 (PHP100) each week. A new partner was able to keep the family afloat by earning around US$14 (PHP600) per week as a fish vendor.

When Elsa was invited to Transform she was excited to hear how to better take care of her family. She learned to make kutsinta (steamed brown sugar and rice cakes) and began selling this snack three times a week adding around US$11 (PHP450) to her weekly income. Elsa found peace for the first time since losing her husband with the help of Transform Values lessons. She benefitted from the Health lessons, so the whole family has made a habit of washing their hands before preparing or eating food. A renewed sense of hope gave her the courage to open up her home as a gathering place for her community and other Transform participants.

Now Elsa is confident that she can provide everything 15 year-old Joffren and 13 year-old Katrina need to finish school. She feels satisfied and secure with her growing business and wants to be a blessing to others with what she has learned. With savings from her extra income, Elsa temporarily stopped cooking kutsinta and is investing in more products to open a small convenience store. Featuring food and household goods, she is now able to earn around US$29 (PHP1,250) per week. She is saving a portion of her income, hoping to buy a steamer so she resume cooking snacks and run her business. ICM runs Transform programs in nearly 1,000 communities across the Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines every year. For the case of Elsa, ICM is proud to partner with AT&T, the sponsor of Elsa’s training. From October 2015 to September 2016, AT&T is sponsoring Transform program in 12 slum communities in Zamboanga Del Norte, equipping about 2,220 family members with skills and strategies to measurably improve their lives. Interviewed by Ruby Dumaog, ICM Communications Officer, written by Staci Atkinson, ICM Reporting Officer.