Scattered in small communities throughout the mountainous island of Negros Occidental are an indigenous people called the Ati. They are the first settlers of the island but being a small minority, they are seldom seen and almost forgotten. Like many other indigenous peoples, they are among the poorest in the Philippines, often experiencing neglect and...

How an NGO continued its mission to help the poor in unprecedented times What does it take to pivot and innovate during one of the biggest global crises for a non-profit organization? For International Care Ministries, a poverty-alleviation organization working with the ultra-poor in the Philippines, it meant an assessment of the organization’s strengths, data,...

In the fight against poverty, we are thankful for our local staff here in the Philippines. They are the ones at the frontlines, doing what it takes to reach communities in need. Most of them know first-hand the struggles our participants face. In fact, Jason of our General Santos base was even a participant in...

While these are common necessities to most, tubes of toothpaste can sometimes be scarce in households where the ultra-poor live. To help them develop healthy habits, part of ICM’s Transform program educates participants about proper hygiene. Since 1992, ICM has been in the business of transforming lives from a physical, social, and spiritual standpoint. Indeed,...

How does someone deal with poverty and cancer during the pandemic? When sickness affects someone who’s living in ultra-poverty, it seems like a no-win situation. But stories like Maria Jery’s inspire us and give us hope.   When Maria Jery joined a savings group through ICM’s Transform program, she learned the habit of saving. However,...

“What we do here tonight does matter — not just for the immediate needs of this day, but for transforming thousands of tomorrows,” ICM CEO David Sutherland opens his Keynote message at the Annual Sydney Fundraising Banquet entitled “Standing on Hope” held at the Aqua Luna Waterfront Dining last June 4. While the world continues...

What do you do when the pandemic has wiped out your livelihood and you don’t know where your next meal is coming from? For Robina from Aklan, it is to keep on going and even find more ways to serve other people in these tough times. When tough times get tougher Even before the pandemic,...

ICM’s research and data-gathering work during the pandemic is featured in the JLI MEAL (Joint Learning Initiative Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) Hub’s ground-breaking Compendium of Good Practices, launched in January 2021. The “Compendium of Good Practices on Conducting MEAL in Partnerships with International Actors and Local Faith Actors” bridges the knowledge gap on how...

Because of the pandemic, distance learning has been the norm for all the students in the Philippines. While this has kept children safe from the COVID-19 virus, parents had to bear most of the responsibility for their kid’s education. To help ultra-poor families, ICM has partnered with the Department of Education for our Family Academy...

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, Tatay, Papa, Amáy, Papang, Ama, Tatang in ICM and around the world! We appreciate your love and all the forms that you communicate it with: by loving our moms, working hard to earn money for our family’s needs, building and fixing things around the house, supporting us in...