How ICM begins to Reach the Ultra-poor in Visayas and Mindano

ICM’s vision has always been to reach the ultra-poor wherever they are, even in far away, hard-to-reach places. We want to find the marginalized who have been forgotten and left behind and bring them help and hope! That is why our goal is to saturate all of the Visayas and Mindanao so that our offices will be close to those in need.

Meeting with partner pastors

There is a lot of hard work that goes into starting up a new base. Let us take a look at the steps it takes to go into a new region by following our Tacloban staff as they set up a new branch. Tacloban Area Head Edwin was the former head of Koronodal but moved to Tacloban to start this new base.

Tacloban staff delivering food packs to a church

1 Start Thrive Pastor Meetings Our Thrive pastor network is the foundation of all of the work that we do, and local pastors are our partners on the ground to connect us with communities in need. In bases like Bacolod, the birthplace of ICM and our longest running base, ICM is well-known among the local pastors, with over a thousand pastors a month joining the Thrive meetings. When we go into a new area where ICM is not known, it can take some time to build trust. Experienced staff from other bases go to the new area to meet with local pastors and officials, tell them about our work, and invite the pastors to join our monthly meetings. Staff build up the Thrive network and start supporting pastors in that region

Unloading food packs at the office

Preparing Recover materials at the office 2 Find an Office Tacloban is in the process of setting up all three branch offices (every base has three branches). It can take time to find just the right location and an office that can store lots of supplies (food packs, seeds, etc.), accommodate pastor visits, and has enough space for our staff to work. Besides making work easier, an office is a clear sign to the locals that ICM is an official organization. Tacloban Pastor Coordinator Artemio shared that he heard that some people thought ICM was a scam when the team had first started work in Southern Leyte. Now that they finally have an office, he is confident that the doubters’ fears will be dispelled. “I believe that we will create more impact now that there is an office,” he said. “Those who are doubtful…will see the program run and understand it more.”

Interviewing a trainer applicant

Tacloban Branch 2 team 3 Hire Staff Without passionate, capable staff, none of our work could get done! We first try to find current staff who are passionate about pioneering new work and then look to hiring newcomers to fill vacancies. Most important is finding those who care about helping the poor and have the skills needed for the job. Firsthand experience with poverty is a plus! Edwin, our Tacloban Area Head, just hired a lot of new staff for the Branch 2 office. He sees these jobs as another way to make a difference in the lives of our staff while reaching the ultra-poor at the same time. “These applicants who are having hardship or having financial difficulties will rise above their current situation through their job here at ICM, because that was my experience too,” Edwin said. “Prior to my work at ICM, my life was so hard but it slowly became better when I started working here. I have reached the life I have right now because of ICM.”

A Transform program in Tacloban

Trainers walking to a community 4 Launch Programs! After a network of pastors is established, an office is set up, and staff are found, it is time to start running our other programs! Our staff look for interested pastors who want to host Transform in their communities, and the work of transformation begins. Read about how Transform can make a difference here. Whether it is in Visayas or Mindanao, Uganda or Guatemala, going into a new area is exciting! This kind of work is not glamorous and can be exhausting, and we are thankful for our staff who are willing to do what it takes to find the ultra-poor who need hope. If you are interested in partnering with us to bring hope to the poor in new regions in the Philippines and around the world, see how you can get involved here.

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About the author

Bernadette Tan

Did you know? ICM delivers Transform for just over US$10 per person.

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