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...
Tuesday, July 19th, 2016 at 12:00 pm
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...
Saturday, July 9th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Florlyn Reyes relied on her husband, a tricycle driver who earns around US$3.21 (PHP150) a day, to provide for the family. His income was not sufficient to meet the needs of their family of five, which created tension, arguments and resentment between the couple. When Florlyn heard about ICM’s Transform program, she was excited and...
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Lisa, 29, lives with her partner and four young children in a small house built of scrap metal and wood with no electricity or toilet. Growing up, Lisa’s mother had five husbands and a gambling addiction. At 12 years of age, Lisa left home for Manila to work as a housemaid. At 13-years-old she fell...
Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 6:38 pm
Despite living in a small bamboo shack with no electricity or bathroom, Grace, 37, looks forward to the future. She has just completed ICM’s Transform program, where she learned how to use resources that are close at hand to feed and take care of her family. One of these resources is her humble garden. Okra...
Monday, August 17th, 2015 at 10:23 am
Thirty-four year old Rosalie has worked hard her whole life to provide for her family. She currently lives without electricity in a house made of bamboo and corrugated iron with her husband and four-year-old son. They rent this small house for P700 / HK$125 / US$16/ AU$20 every month. Rosalie’s father died when she was...
Tuesday, August 11th, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Meriam, 23, is married to Volter, a passenger motorbike driver. Meriam stays at home and looks after the couple’s two young daughters, Angel and Stephany, while Volter works hard to provide for his family. However the irregular income of a driver is barely enough for them to survive. They live in a coastal village with...
Thursday, July 30th, 2015 at 5:03 pm
When a fire destroyed Cristine’s flimsy house late last year, she was grateful that no one in her family was killed. While Christine, her husband Raffy and their two children were unharmed, they were homeless. Before the fire, life was struggle for the Barbon family. Raffy worked as an occasional farm labourer and earned a...
Wednesday, May 20th, 2015 at 11:54 am