CJ’s family cramps up in a worn-out house ravaged by Typhoon Odette in 2021. His father, Carmelo, faces immense challenges in providing for their family of six, as his income from fishing is not enough. With meager resources, CJ’s mother, Bernalyn, did her best to sustain her children’s health. But the lack of money prevented...

Erlinda was left to raise her two children on her own when her husband died more than 10 years ago. They barely survived by reselling dried fish and other goods and snacks from their town market to their community. “I always ran out of budget for capital, and even a single peso was hard to...

Before the program, her life was mired in poverty, shame, and jealousy. To support her family, she works as hired help that includes cleaning, cooking, and laundry. Afraid to lose these opportunities, she’d head out immediately, which caused suspicion and jealousy on her husband Leonardo. In one of his jealous rants, Leonardo caused a scene...

Duweta felt desperate, not knowing how she could help supply the needs of her family. “I easily get discouraged every time we don’t have money to buy food,” she recalls. Every day, she sees her husband and son breaking their backs so they can put food on the table. Duweta wanted to do more despite...

It took Edna 17 years, and ICM’s Recover program to finally find healing. Now, she’s ready to start anew. Edna participated in a six-week program offered for Typhoon Odette victims back in 2021. Together with other victims, she learned not only to process the emotional and psychological trauma, but also to equip herself with the...

Madina’s life in Uganda had been characterized by struggle, loss, and pain for many years. She became an orphan at a very young age. Her relatives denied her a chance at education. When she got married, her husband died at an early age, leaving her as the breadwinner of her family. When she joined ICM’s...

  Films, books, and television have the power to influence culture in society. But could they be used to help alleviate poverty? International Care Ministries (ICM), a non-profit in the Philippines, is creating a 15-episode soap-opera to test just that. ICM’s Transform program is a four-month education and training course designed to help those in...

A Realist Evaluation on the Role of Church Leaders in Relief Operations with NGOs published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction   The study entitled “The contributions of religious leaders in addressing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines: A realist evaluation of the Rapid Emergencies and Disasters Intervention (REDI)” has been...

When a group of 19 Transform participants decided to form the Amazing Savings and Agri-marine Multi-purpose Association (ASAMA), they had no idea that in just four years they would have 120 members and several thriving businesses. The road to success has had a lot of ups and downs, but now they are seeing the fruit...

Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we celebrate women making extraordinary impact by standing up to say, “I can be better. I will not remain in poverty!” Though she had lived in ultra-poverty all her life, Hazel was determined to succeed against all odds. At 33, and with four children, her journey with International Care Ministries...