Bless understood what it meant to live in poverty from an early age. At the time of her birth, her parents didn’t even have a permanent home and were forced to move from place to place, staying with members of the church her father pastored. This is a common story. Many pastors who minister in...

How much difference can four months really make? Transform, our core program which delivers lessons on values, health livelihood, lasts for four months. A significant number of our stories show the transformation that happens at the end of the program. Businesses started, relationships restored, health regained. But what about when the four months is over?...

Roxas City in Capiz province is not only famous for being the seafood capital of the Philippines but also because of its namesake. The city was named after the late Manuel A. Roxas, the first Filipino president of the third Republic who was born in the same city. In honor of him, the locals from...

Like many young men, 22-year-old Joey loves hanging out with his friends when not studying or working. But unlike his buddies, he couldn’t always work as much as he wanted. Since 2012, he suffered from a tumor under his ear that would swell and cause him throbbing pain any time he was too active or...

Melmar took a huge leap for love when she married Clino and moved away to Zamboanga more than thousand kilometers away from her hometown in Bicol. She had met her husband while working in Manila, fallen in love, married and eventually moved to Clino’s hometown. But the storybook ending started to unravel when the couple’s...

Maybe you’ve heard the name “Family Academy” or seen Facebook pictures of little kids pointing at numbered cards, but how much do you know about Family Academy? Before we explain the program, let’s first talk about the educational needs we’re trying to meet. As the Philippines government has expanded their educational reach, we have, happily,...

Dennis Kyle and Wen Heart come from very different parts of the Philippines but were brought together in Hong Kong to receive surgery for clubfoot. The boys have a lot in common, from their interest in soccer to their experiences with bullies. As a child, Dennis Kyle was called “bali paa” or “twisted foot” by...

  Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Zara Denham, and I’m 17 years old, currently doing the IB programme at French International School of Hong Kong. I’ve been volunteering at ICM since last October. How did you first get involved with ICM? I got involved with ICM through school. My school connects...

Dipolog City, ICM’s Dipolog Base headquarters, is a small, laid back but an economically thriving city. It is the Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines. “Tuloy” (sardines) are abundant in the seas of Dipolog and are available the whole year round. It is a small, oily fish rich in vitamins and minerals and an excellent...

Reniel started his life at a disadvantage. Abandoned by his father, Reniel is being raised by his mother Riza who earned income doing odd jobs. Amidst poverty and rejection, he was a healthy and happy baby, and Riza was excited to see her boy grow. However, when he turned  one, Reniel began to grow sickly...