Carrying her three-month old daughter, Arlyn walked four kilometers round trip to her weekly Transform classes. However, the 30-year-old did not mind travelling the long distance.  “I didn’t mind the difficulties because I wanted to learn,” said Arlyn. With four children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, it was tough for Arlyn to leave home,...

Mother-of-three Engely is delighted with the knowledge her daughter, Charmy Angel, has gained in the three weeks she has been attending ICM’s Family Academy. Engely hopes a stronger academic foundation will give Charmy Angel a confidence that Charmy’s older sister lacked when she started primary school. “I want my children to learn as early as...

Over the weekend of March 30-April 3, ICM Jumpstart graduations were held across seven ICM bases. Dressed in caps and gowns, 2, 275 children marched across the stage, shook their teacher’s hand and received their diplomas. It was a happy and memorable way to close the children’s chapter of Kindergarten studies and move ahead to the...

The theme of 2017’s World Health Day was Depression. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest estimates from WHO, more than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015. Evidence indicates that depression is 1.5 to two...

“I never thought the program would be this fun,” said Jeramie of ICM’s Transform program. Jeramie had many reasons why she was too busy to attend Transform: she was working in the fields with her husband and helping earn money for the family, she was pregnant with her third child and taking care of her nephew whose...

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of clean water. Amongst the people ICM works with in the Philippines, there is a lack of easy access to clean water and proper sanitation. As a result, unpurified water (over 50% of families in ICM areas don’t...

‘Crooked Arm’ was the name Kim-kim’s classmates called him in the schoolyard.  It was an unsurprising nickname – the six-year old’s dislocated elbow hung at an obvious and uncomfortable angle. The bullying didn’t stop with name calling; unable to defend himself, Kim-kim was pushed around and roughed up in the schoolyard as well.  It got...

The world celebrates International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8. Empowering women to address social, economic and political challenges remains a goal of the United Nations. Alongside a full respect for human rights, women need to be seen as equal partners with men in achieving sustainable development, peace, and security. Approximately 97% of ICM’s Transform participants are...

ICM Trips are a fantastic way for people from all over the globe to get a sense of how ICM is changing lives.  These trips are designed for all ages, with a range of different activities that encompass ICM’s many programs.  We encourage everyone to “Come and see” and in 2016, hosted 47 trips.  For...

Jennifer thought her ten-month-old son Kian James, was healthy. Kian’s father works on a farm, and his meagre income means the family often does not have enough food to eat. Still, Jennifer thought her son was growing and doing well. However Kian was exhibiting troubling indicators – his eyes were sunken, his skin was dry,...