Tag: women

Here in ICM, we have found that one of the best ways to promote economic growth among the poor is to empower women for greater productivity. In fact, 88% of our Transform participants are women. So it’s no coincidence that most of the stories that we have featured in our newsletters and social media are...

“Almost all of the children here were crying because they didn’t have food. Some families are large and suffer from hunger,” Pastor Silin told ICM staff. She is one of our thousands of partner pastors living and working in ultra-poor communities all across the Philippines. She had been hosting a Transform program in a remote...

Widowed and living with her two children and three grandchildren, Dolores had every excuse to lose hope. Only she and her son had jobs, and even with their combined income, they only had PHP19 (USD 0.40) a day per person to cover their daily expenses. But instead of faltering, she persevered and now her story...

Bless understood what it meant to live in poverty from an early age. At the time of her birth, her parents didn’t even have a permanent home and were forced to move from place to place, staying with members of the church her father pastored. This is a common story. Many pastors who minister in...

  Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Zara Denham, and I’m 17 years old, currently doing the IB programme at French International School of Hong Kong. I’ve been volunteering at ICM since last October. How did you first get involved with ICM? I got involved with ICM through school. My school connects...

Although Rhona’s savings group in Bacolod has only been running for two years, it has become hugely successful. The group, established during Transform, began by selling detergent powder and dishwashing liquid and then later transitioned into selling rice and fertilizer. Extending loans to its members is one of the group’s main functions, vital in a...

Tragedy seemed to follow Cristita. Four years ago, her husband died from kidney and liver problems. Her 30-year-old son, traumatized by troubles in life, could no longer work or even walk, sitting at home and rarely speaking. With her 26-year-old daughter unemployed, the burden of caring for her two children and one grandson fell on...

Seven-year-old Jenny Mae born with Hirschsprung’s Disease, a condition that almost took her life when she was still a newborn. Her mother Jeanalyn rushed her to the hospital, and they found out that Jenny Mae needed a major operation. She was able to receive the initial operation, since her mother’s employment insurance and donations from...

Life for elderly couple, Rosalina and her husband was tough with a weekly income of just US$15 (PHP700) from selling goods in a small sari-sari store. Due to their physical health deteriorating, Rosalina and her husband, both aged 67, were unable to do jobs involving heavy lifting. When Rosalina was invited to join ICM’s Transform...

Happy Nutrition Month! During the month of March, dieticians and health workers all over the world are gearing up to focus on the importance of proper nutrition in living a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating is an important aspect of ICM’s Health curriculum, which emphasizes good nutrition. Irene, a participant in Palawan shared, “Now I cook...