Posts by Louise Joachimowski
Just Enough
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 husband…
Read MoreICM Named “2022 TOP-RATED NONPROFIT” by GreatNonprofits
The “2022 Top-rated Nonprofit” Award based is on Community Recommendations Metro Manila, Philippines, January 3, 2023 – International Care Ministries (ICM), a Philippine-based non-profit working with the ultra-poor, announced recently it has been named a “2022 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits for the third year in a row, the leading website for community recommendations of charities…
Read More30 Years of Transforming the Futures of the Ultra-poor
Simultaneous banquets in Hong Kong and Manila raise US$1.6 million towards poverty alleviation in the Philippines On October 28, 2022, International Care Ministries held two major simultaneous events in Hong Kong and Manila for “I Believe,” its annual fundraising gala to celebrate 30 years of helping people living in ultra-poverty. Over 200 guests in Hong…
Read MoreKeep on Going!
For 53-year-old Diomedes, life has been one challenge after another. Born into a poor family, he had to drop out of school at a very young age to earn a living. When he started a family, his first son was born with special needs. In 2010, a live wire electrocuted him left him experiencing shortness…
Read MoreWith Hope Comes Courage
According to a Philippine National Demographic and Health survey, one in four Filipino women aged 15 to 49 has experienced domestic abuse. Poverty seems to be a factor with women from low-income households suffering even more than other groups; some of these women have even had their lives threatened. Erlinda, a Transform participant from Tacloban,…
Read MoreOff to a Good Start
Growing up with a physically abusive father who’s now serving time in jail, 5-year-old Ella Mae has found refuge in her mother who cares deeply for her. Ella Mae lives in a bamboo house near the river with her mother and her three older siblings where access to education is hard. After two years into…
Read MoreCommunity Health Champions are our New Heroes of the New Normal
As we celebrate National Heroes Day, let us meet some of the new heroes of the new normal! During the pandemic, ICM launched the Flourish program that raised Community Health Champions (CHCs) among the Transform participants and we trained them to be their community’s health advocates. This program has been steadily making a difference in…
Read MorePayPal Volunteers Packed Meals for Families in ICM Iloilo Base
On August 23, in partnership with Rise Against Hunger Philippines (RAHPH), volunteers from PayPal Philippines helped ICM pack 36,288 meals for ultra-poor families in Iloilo. The volunteers packed 42 boxes per two-hour shift from 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM at the PayPal Headquarters in Alabang, Muntinlupa. PayPal Country Head John Nicholls who also happened to…
Read MoreA Miracle in the Storm
Do you believe that miracles can still happen today? Whether you do or not, it would be hard to deny that Maricel’s and her family’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. A dark night Although it has already been months since Typhoon Odette carved a path of destruction through several provinces in Central Visayas and…
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