Free To Dream

Arlene has all the energy and enthusiasm that a kindergarten teacher requires. The 34-year-old is a high achieving English graduate and has been teaching for 12 years. For the past three years, Arlene has taught at ICM’s Malayang Mangarap (Free to Dream) Jumpstart kindergarten, sponsored by ESF South Island School in Hong Kong. Arlene has...

New Ways to Ensure Her Children’s Education

Arlene worked at a vending stand and made US$3.33 a week. Her seasonal job, harvesting vegetables, occasionally brought in another US$6.50 a week. If employed, Arlene’s husband Arnel could earn up to US$8.30 a week, however his carpentry jobs were erratic. The parents of three teenagers were working hard, but money was always tight when...

Sydney Delight!

June 4, over 120 people battled the worst storms in decades to gather at The Shore School Hawkins Foyer for ICM’s annual Sydney Dinner. The diverse guest list included attendees of all ages, established ICM supporters and those keen to hear about ICM for the first time. Board of Director Malcolm Wood warmly welcomed everyone to the...

A Home For An Angel

Angel found herself alone in the world after her mother died in childbirth and her father felt unable to support her.  It wasn’t just the thought of caring for an infant that overwhelmed Angel’s birth father, it was the fact that Angel was born with a blocked (imperforate) opening to her anus that would require...

Jobert’s New Identity

Jobert was mishandled as a newborn by an inexperienced doctor, breaking his hipbone, leaving him unable to walk for the rest of life. In the past, Jobert has been very pessimistic about living with a disability, looking only at the negative impact it had on his life. It was only during the Transform program that Jobert began...

Spreading Seeds For The Future

Merlyn joined ICM’s Transform program with the full support of her family, particularly her husband, Joel. The couple decided they would divide the household chores between them and he would care for their three children when Merlyn was attending Transform classes. Merlyn worked hard to complete her domestic tasks in the morning so that she...

Stepping Up During An Emergency

A mother of a Jumpstart kindergarten student was admitted to a hospital due to complications in her pregnancy. Hinie Jean had severe oligohydramnios  (deficiency of amniotic fluid) which was endangering the development of her baby. Although Hinie Jean was in dire need of treatment, she was referred to another hospital in General Santos City because...

Let the Wedding Bells Ring for Susan!

Anyone who attended the 2015 ICM Banquet will remember the remarkable story of Susan Entong. In 2002, Susan was just 11 years old when her drunken father threw a kerosene lamp at her, extensively burning her face and body. For three years, she suffered from festering wounds because the medical treatment she required was not available...

My Mother Gave Me My Smile

Sunday, May 8 is Mother’s Day.  ICM is proud to share the story of Michelle and Jeffty as a symbol of a mother’s sacrifice and love. Jeffty is a two-year-old boy born with cleft lip and palate. Due to his condition, Jeffty was not able to breast or bottle feed. To give him nourishment, his...

New Kids on the Barangay

The 14 kids of the ICM Children’s Choir who first stole our hearts in 2010 have grown up fast. Bless and Daryl have now graduated from college and the other members aren’t far behind. As they mature, school and other commitments increasingly require priority in their lives. Not wanting the choir to become a burden, ICM decided...