Overview:
International Care Ministries (ICM) delivers HOPE to the ultrapoor. When the poorest Filipinos catch a ray of hope, they are emboldened to start new livelihood projects, plant gardens, improve hygiene and invest in their children’s education. They dream again.
What we like about it:
Transform is ICM’s core strategy for igniting hope that propels change. ICM works with local churches to invite the poorest families in the area to join a Transform community. Together, the community (of about 30 participants, mostly women) goes through 15 weeks of training on HOPE – Heart (values), Opportunity (livelihood), Physical (health) and Education (early childhood development).
As participants apply lessons on these four themes, they develop changes in attitudes (better interpersonal relationships), in savings (better money management), in health practices (healthier habits) and in parenting (better parent-child bonding). These seemingly small changes accumulate to significant shifts in behavior and outlook among the poor to help them achieve progress out of poverty.
Budget: AUD 3,300 per Transform community (ICM works in 1000+ Transform communities every year)
Tax Deductible: Yes – 100% of your donation gets there!
The Need:
The Philippines is home to more than 101 million people. Despite economic growth in recent years, 22 million Filipinos live below the national poverty line. Farthest below that line, in the most severe form of poverty, are seven million people living in ultrapoverty where their survival is at risk. ICM focuses on helping families who live in ultrapoverty, those who live on less than US$0.50 per person per day. From ICM’s program experience, the ultrapoor face a multitude of heartbreaking challenges:
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Life Change:
Over one million Transform graduates have benefited since 2009. Hope is shining through in the families of once ultrapoor participants, evidenced by positive improvements across their lives:
