Category: Livelihood

Elsie, a Transform participant and mother of four, started with an initial contribution of P10 to her Savings Group. Today, seven years later: ✓ she has a total savings of $138 ✓ received $73 in profit shares last December ✓ loaned around $55 for additional capital for their family business Most, if not all, of...

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...

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...

At 30 years old, Jill has already lost four children. Three of them died all at once in a river accident, while the other one died in her womb after being tangled and choked with the umbilical cord. In the midst of all the unfortunate circumstances, Jill found that learning to recover from her losses...

To say that life is challenging for Melina and her family would be an understatement. When she joined Transform, she made sure she graduated and got her certificate, despite all the challenges that she had to go through.    Melina lived in a house made of bamboo, scrap materials, and old G.I. sheets with her...

Known as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is a land filled with stunning landscape, rich biodiversity, and serene beauty. However, despite the country’s vast natural wealth, more than half of  Ugandan households still experience poverty in the areas of finances, healthcare, and education. Ugandan women, in particular, experience the harsh effects of being ultra-poor. They...