Hope that Transforms
ICM’s Signature Poverty Alleviation Program
Seven million Filipinos live in ultra-poverty, many on less than US$0.50 per day. Living in ultra-poverty means that the families we serve struggle every day to meet even the most basic needs.
ICM designed Transform, our core strategic program, to address the wide range of needs faced by ultra-poor families. Transform starts by creating supportive environments where hope can grow, then invests in building sustainable systems to enable people to rise out of poverty.
What is ultra-poverty?
We seek out the poorest people in society: these people are the hardest to reach, most marginalized, and therefore at the most at risk. Our unique poverty scorecard ensures that those most in need are selected to join Transform.
Read our research about what life is like on less than 50 cents per day.
Training Program
Progress out of poverty starts with the belief that a better future is possible. Transform brings community members together and helps them build safe, supportive networks that bolster self-esteem and hope for a better future.
ICM has developed an effective and efficient way to transform the future for people living in ultra-poverty. We seek out the poorest people in society: these people are the hardest to reach, most marginalized, and therefore at the most at risk. Our unique poverty scorecard ensures that those most in need are selected to join Transform.
Once selected, participants in Transform’s four-month training program learn new skills in diverse areas, including:
- Financial management
- Starting a new business
- Group savings
- Nutrition
- Hygiene
- Safe Parenthood
Each week, participants enjoy two hours of fun, interactive lessons. To augment and enhance their training, participants receive additional resources in the form of:
- Organic gardening kits
- “Business-in-a-Box” start-ups
- Nutritious food supplements
- Treatment for health issues
- Pregnancy support
Transform is focused, effective, efficient and scalable. ICM is commited to
always doing better tomorrow than we did yesterday – if something’s not
working, we innovate to make it better!
Transforming People and
Communities – Results
ICM is a data-driven charity, taking a business approach to fighting poverty. We are committed to the rigorous measurement of Transform’s impact because we want every dollar spent to bring a family the best possible future. Hundreds of millions of data points show us that in just four months, Transform enables ultra-poor families to achieve:
income increased
decrease in depression
of malnourished children cured
at a cost of just over US$10 per person
Did you know?
ICM delivers Transform for just over US$10 per person
Transform’s Proven Impact
ICM partners with leading economists and academics to study our work and share its impact.
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Transform family members internationally all time
reduction in serious illness
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children cured of malnutrition
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active savings groups
Financial Incentives for Transform Attendance (Working Paper)
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of small financial incentives (USD 2 per participant) on attendance in International Care Ministries’ Transform program.
Aspirational Documentary Films Study (Working Paper)
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of incorporating aspirational documentary-style success stories into International Care Ministries’ Transform program.
Small Cash Transfers and Alumni Support Study (Working Paper)
The development sector has utilized various approaches to address poverty, including microfinance and conditional and unconditional cash transfers (United Nations, 2009), yet these interventions often lack comprehensive scope.
Transform Duration Study: Key Findings (Working Paper)
Poverty remains one of the most pressing global challenges, affecting 10% of the world’s population (World Bank, 2018).
Accumulating Human Capital: The Role of Parents
Results from a Randomized Evaluation of ICM’s Family Academy educational program show positive effects on children’s Math and Phonics for a relatively low-cost.
Developing Spiritual Impact Metrics
A thorough, iterative process was undertaken by ICM to develop core impact metrics for spiritual formation
Navigating fear and care: The lived experiences of community-based health actors in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic
The activities of community-based health actors are widely recognized as critical to pandemic response; yet, there exists a lack of clarity concerning who is included in this ecosystem of actors and how these actors experience the complexity of delivering community-level care in the context of a public health emergency.
Dramatic increases in knowledge, attitudes and practices of COVID-19 observed among low-income households in the Philippines: A repeated cross-sectional study in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted populations globally, and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) surrounding the virus have necessarily evolved.
Exploring the Role of Social Networks in Facilitating Health Service Access Among Low-Income Women in the Philippines: A Qualitative Study
Despite efforts to implement universal health care coverage (UHC) in the Philippines, income poor households continue to face barriers to health care access and use.
Addressing tuberculosis through complex community-based socioeconomic interventions in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic realist review
The established relationship between poverty and tuberculosis has led to the implementation of complex socioeconomic interventions to address poverty as both a risk factor for and consequence of tuberculosis.
Our research partners
Creating Impact that Lasts
Lasting change begins with hope, but that’s just the first step. To sustain that hope and bring about lasting transformation, we build long-term partnerships and networks of support with local community leaders in critical focus areas:
Did you know? ICM delivers Transform for just over US10$ per person
Consider your support
Please partner with ICM today to bring help, hope, and change
The ICM community is full of people who care about effective, efficient, research-backed solutions in the fight against ultra-poverty. We would love to have you join us!
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