Posts by Louise Joachimowski
Transform Couples Tie the Knot
Transform equips participants to build stronger relationships, which for some, translate into stronger marriages. In a dumpsite in Iloilo, love was in the air. Nineteen brides, sixteen of whom were Transform participants, were given the opportunity to finally walk the aisle, making their unions official in a mass wedding ceremony put on by ICM. These…
Read MoreNo need for a scarf
Nineteen-year-old Gem had to stop attending school and enter the workforce the year she turned 13. One of seven siblings, Gem’s parents had separated when she was nine. Gem’s mother went to work in Manila, but would only send money home when she was employed. Gem’s father worked as a seasonal farmer, and his income…
Read MoreInternational Day of Families
The United Nations has declared May 15th as the annual International Day of Families. The theme for this year’s day is: Families, education and well-being. The Day highlights the importance of all caregivers in families, be it parents, grandparents or siblings and the importance of parental education for the welfare of children. It focuses on…
Read MoreAbsolute Beginner
With an infant at home, Angie was hesitant to agree to attending ICM’s Transform program. She thought the responsibilities of motherhood and the unpredictability of babies would make it too difficult to attend the weekly sessions. However, Angie was excited at the opportunity of changing her family’s income and signed up for the program. The…
Read MoreLong Distance Education
Carrying her three-month old daughter, Arlyn walked four kilometers round trip to her weekly Transform classes. However, the 30-year-old did not mind travelling the long distance. “I didn’t mind the difficulties because I wanted to learn,” said Arlyn. With four children, one of whom has cerebral palsy, it was tough for Arlyn to leave home,…
Read MoreFamily Academy – Learning for all
Mother-of-three Engely is delighted with the knowledge her daughter, Charmy Angel, has gained in the three weeks she has been attending ICM’s Family Academy. Engely hopes a stronger academic foundation will give Charmy Angel a confidence that Charmy’s older sister lacked when she started primary school. “I want my children to learn as early as…
Read MoreJumpstart 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…
Read MoreShifting the Darkness
The theme of 2017’s World Health Day was Depression. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest estimates from WHO, more than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015. Evidence indicates that depression is 1.5 to two…
Read MoreHands-on Learning
“I never thought the program would be this fun,” said Jeramie of ICM’s Transform program. Jeramie had many reasons why she was too busy to attend Transform: she was working in the fields with her husband and helping earn money for the family, she was pregnant with her third child and taking care of her nephew whose…
Read More