Posts by Bernadette Tan
Momprenuer and savings group start new businesses during pandemic
Many mothers from ultra-poor communities are housewives who are dependent on their husbands’ small incomes. The pandemic, which caused job and income loss, has made their situations even worse. Through ICM’s 2R (Refresh and Renew) program, we were able to help these women through a difficult time. Catherine, a mother in her early twenties,…
Read MoreHope in Tough Times
Single mother Annafe has not had an easy year, but she is still holding onto hope! It is hard enough raising two children with no partner, and being pregnant during the pandemic made things even more difficult. She moved in with her mother and father who both lost their jobs due to the lockdowns. The…
Read MoreSydney Fundraising Banquet 2021 raises AU$106,575 in one night
“What we do here tonight does matter — not just for the immediate needs of this day, but for transforming thousands of tomorrows,” ICM CEO David Sutherland opens his Keynote message at the Annual Sydney Fundraising Banquet entitled “Standing on Hope” held at the Aqua Luna Waterfront Dining last June 4. While the world continues…
Read MoreStriving and Thriving in Hope even in the toughest of times
What do you do when the pandemic has wiped out your livelihood and you don’t know where your next meal is coming from? For Robina from Aklan, it is to keep on going and even find more ways to serve other people in these tough times. When tough times get tougher Even before the pandemic,…
Read MoreICM Featured in Joint Learning Initiative’s ground-breaking Compendium of Good Practices
ICM’s research and data-gathering work during the pandemic is featured in the JLI MEAL (Joint Learning Initiative Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) Hub’s ground-breaking Compendium of Good Practices, launched in January 2021. The “Compendium of Good Practices on Conducting MEAL in Partnerships with International Actors and Local Faith Actors” bridges the knowledge gap on how…
Read MoreTeacher finds joy serving the ultra-poor
Because of the pandemic, distance learning has been the norm for all the students in the Philippines. While this has kept children safe from the COVID-19 virus, parents had to bear most of the responsibility for their kid’s education. To help ultra-poor families, ICM has partnered with the Department of Education for our Family Academy…
Read MoreA Happy Father’s Story
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, Tatay, Papa, Amáy, Papang, Ama, Tatang in ICM and around the world! We appreciate your love and all the forms that you communicate it with: by loving our moms, working hard to earn money for our family’s needs, building and fixing things around the house, supporting us in…
Read MoreExtraordinary change amidst the pandemic
The shift to distance learning during the pandemic has been difficult enough for most families, but for the ultra-poor, distance learning often feels like an impossible task. “Despite how motivated I am to help my children with their learning modules (assignments), I have no way to help them because I’m uneducated myself,” confesses Tita, a…
Read MoreCan Innovation Benefit the Ultra-poor? UNDP’s #TawidCOVID challenge gives community savings groups a much needed boost
“We will die of hunger first before COVID,” was the common statement we heard in our communities during the pandemic. They couldn’t go out and earn for their daily wage because of the community quarantines. What little savings they had in their savings group also dried up. Things were looking pretty bleak. Studies made by…
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