Category: Bacolod

Jumpstart and ICM Graduations

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...

A Mother’s Awakening

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...

Ben’s MAD Trip Urge

Yesterday, Shore Student Alex shared his thoughts on the school’s recent ‘Make A Difference’ trip to ICM’s Bacolod base. Today, fellow student Ben examines what the trip meant to him. Our thanks to both Alex and Ben for their insights and hard work. I distinctly recall the thoughts racing through my head as I boarded...

Alex will never forget his MAD experience

Shore School students Ben and Alex and joined their school’s November 23 –Dec 1, 2016 ‘Making A Difference’ trip to ICM’s base in Bacolod, Philippines.  This first blog contains Alex’s recollections of his first encounter with poverty, tomorrow’s blog will feature Ben’s reflections. My trip with ICM was one that I will never forget. Before...

Now They Are Smiling

Life was chaotic for Meraluna. Pregnant, with four children, a husband, sister and nephew to support, the tiny weekly income (US$3/PHP150) she earned washing people’s clothes didn’t begin to cover the family’s expenses. Desperate, the overworked Meraluna did what most people in her community did in hopes of earning money – she placed bets on...

A Gift from Afar

Over 7,000 Christmas presents are headed to children in ICM programs, thanks to Hong Kong charity Box of Hope. Box of Hope is an annual charity project aimed at providing useful/educational gifts to underprivileged children in Hong Kong & Asia donated by Hong Kong school children and local organisations. Founded by Nicole Woolhouse and Harriet...

Have You Seen What I Saw?

August 17-26, 95 people including staff, parents and students from the Rock Student Ministries at Mclean Bible Church (MBC), USA, traveled 8,000 miles to the Philippines to work with International Care Ministries as their annual senior high mission trip.  Lucero Flores, former summer intern at MBC and current American University senior, gives a few highlights and reflections...

Spread the Word

While most of us take the gift of literacy for granted, it is shocking to learn that illiteracy affects nearly 17% of adults worldwide – the vast majority of them women, according to UNESCO. September 8, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day and aims to actively promote literacy as an instrument to...

An Intern’s Eye

My name is Yuxuan Su and I recently intern at ICM for around two months. Over this period of time, I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most dedicated, motivated and fun people I have ever met. One morning, I set out with a group of ICM trainers in our signature blue...

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...