Earthquake rocks Central Visayas
Dear ICM Friends,
Sorry to say that another natural disaster has struck the Philippines and this one also hit ICM’s target provinces. You may have heard in the news that a 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook the central island provinces of the Philippines yesterday morning, triggering landslides. There have been hundreds of aftershocks. At least 43 bodies have already been recovered.
The earthquake was felt throughout many of the ICM target areas, including the areas around Bacolod, Dumaguete and Bohol and many of you have asked about the safety of our staff and programs. The experience was stressful for millions of people on these islands. People evacuated after tsunami warnings were issued. The aftershocks continued for more than a day, and people worried that buildings could collapse at any minute. But we are pleased to tell you that ICM’s staff, project partners and community recipients are safe. It appears that the most serious damage was confined to a few mountain towns. ICM works in thousands of communities, so we are still gathering responses from our communities. So far we have confirmed that church buildings in four of our partner communities were destroyed. And we will be working to help these communities. We feel grateful that most of our communities avoided the most serious damage in this round.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers for the poor in our areas. They are grateful for you too.
Dave Sutherland, ICM Chairman
Kennedy School Diaries: Pam Riordan
Pam Riordan is a teacher from HK’s Kennedy School. She recently joined a group of parents and kids on an ICM vision trip to Bacolod, where she participated in building homes for slum residents.
“I didn’t know what to expect but was extremely excited. On day one of visiting the slum, I realized exactly how little these gorgeous people have. I hoped that I would be able to help them, even if only a tiny amount. We cleared rubbish from the site, dug and laid the foundations of the houses, mixed cement, played and chatted with the children in the community, visited the preschool and taught a craft lesson. Visiting the simple family homes of the school children was totally an amazing experience – they all touched my heart and I found it very difficult to wave goodbye as we left the slum on the last day. To see the children with no shoes on, carrying buckets of water and cement, and helping to build the next house in the community was a leaky eye moment for sure. The glimmer of hope and the smiles on these children’s faces totally puts a busy Hong Kong life into perspective.
Pam with the children from the slum community where she built.
“I’ve traveled quite extensively and am not oblivious to communities like these – but to work with a group like ICM who are clearly making a difference to the lives of the poor people in the Philippines was a fulfilling experience that I hope to be a part of again and again in the future. I am already planning my next trip to help with teacher training in the summer and I hope to combine this with shoveling some more cement and helping to build the next house too. Best I crack on with keeping fit – but who would have thought mixing sand, cement, water and gravel could be so satisfying!
Thanks all at ICM who made this trip so fab! Hats off to you all and I look forward to seeing you all again soon!” - Pam Riordan
Hong Kong’s Kennedy School is a long-time supporter of ICM. Students, parents and teachers have partnered with ICM to build houses in the slums, donate school supplies and hundreds of shoes to ICM’s Jumpstart kindergarten students and to host the ICM Choir at their school in Hong Kong. Thank you for your encouragement and support.
Milestone for Red Rope: They’ve become an independent cooperative!
It looked just like any other Christmas Party in the Philippines – women and children playing games, eating sweets and singing songs. But for the women of Red Rope, this was a very meaningful party. This was the first Christmas Party they had ever thrown at their own expense! And second, this month Red Rope was certified by the Philippine government as an independent cooperative!
Red Rope is a handicraft livelihood initiative of ICM. It started in 2006 when ICM-HK hoped to auction a handmade quilt at the 2nd HK ICM Banquet. Twelve ICM recipients, formerly from the Precious Women Ministry (for women leaving prostitution), were commissioned to hand-sew the quilt. It was beautiful and sold for HK$70,000 at the auction!
Now, 6 years later, Red Rope has become a self-supporting livelihood for 22 women, all of whom have been participants in an ICM program. Red Rope’s number one client is ICM, making all ICM’s Jumpstart school uniforms, ICM Teddy Bears and table prizes offered at ICM banquets. Red Rope items are also sold at fairs in Hong Kong and offered for sale by ICM partner NGOs at venues in the USA.
ICM COO, Helen Turner, who was a guest at the Red Rope Christmas party, says, “What an honor it was to be invited. The ladies beamed as they welcomed guests, even paying the taxi fares of those that arrived — for the first time able to give and not just receive. It was a joy to celebrate with them!”
Photos by Heather Elliott, ICM Media Officer
Christmas Celebrations
Three ICM staff members, Annie Tapuz and Laila Natapol from the Bacolod office, and Heather Elliott, from ICM’s HK office, got into the spirit of celebration this Christmas by hosting several celebrations for different groups in Bacolod City. In the Philippines, celebrations are an important part of the culture, creating unity and a sense of community for those who participate. The poor are often excluded due to the cost involved.
The festivities began with a celebration with the ICM Children’s Choir and their families. The Choir first shared their Kennedy Center performance with their parents – for many of them it was the first time they’d seen it and Heather attested, “There was not a dry eye in the room.” Afterwards, out came the food – Heather, Annie and Laila had prepared a traditional holiday feast that consisted of spaghetti, fried chicken, hotdogs with marshmallows, fruit salad & chocolate cake. Next came the individually wrapped care packages for each of the 14 families with enough food for their Christmas dinner.
The celebration continued the next day at the ICM Excel House. The Excel House is home to 18 children cared for by ICM. Heather explained, “Over the last couple of years, the ICM orphanage has been truly blessed by the support of their donors. So this Christmas they wanted to give back to other communities in need. On Christmas Eve, the Excel Children hosted a Christmas party for children living in the surrounding slum communities, where they cooked them a Christmas Eve dinner and handed out an additional 54 care packages to take home.”
Irish, one of the Excel Kids, shared her excitement about the day’s events: “In the morning we went to worship the Lord for giving us life to celebrate his birth and for the love he sacrificed at the cross. We all prayed then exchanged and opened our gifts. Then we ate our first Western-style meal. Everyone was so excited to eat turkey for the very first time! It looked yummy but when Auntie Ness cut it, she found out that it needed more cooking! So we ate it later instead. We did lots of dancing and eating. Everyone had so much fun! We thank God for giving us good health & lots of blessing!”
Photos by Heather Elliott, ICM Media Officer
Lotlot celebrates Eighteen – a Birthday to Remember!
A girl’s 18th birthday in the Philippines is a much-anticipated passage from adolescence to adulthood. For Lotlot, this was an especially unforgettable day as she glowed in the excitement of a surprise 18th birthday party thrown by her sixteen “sisters and brothers” at ICM’s Excel House, in Bacolod. Lotlot, who suffers from cerebral palsy, looked radiant as she was wheeled in for her grand entrance – smiling from ear to ear.
Photos courtesy of ICM Staff
The big day included speeches honoring Lotlot by the Excel House Director, Ness, ICM’s Bacolod Area Head, Pastor Dan Mijares. There was also a special song from the ICM Children’s Choir, a traditional Filipino dance performed in her honor and lots of gifts! But the highlight of the ceremony was the blessing and gift from Lotlot’s parent figures, Johnny and Brenda Tapuz. Johnny’s blessing, encouraging a life lived by Christian and Filipino virtues was followed by Brenda presenting Lotlot with a shawl symbolizing her transition to adulthood.
Photos courtesy of ICM Staff
Lotlot was very moved by everyone’s love and thanked everyone, with a special thank you to the Stull family who made the magical evening possible. This vibrant, intelligent and compassionate young lady has impacted so many people with her positive disposition in life. So needless to say, everyone who participated was thrilled to be part of this memorable celebration.
Photos courtesy of ICM Staff
Youth Serving the Poor
“This is my second time going with ICM and I’ve been there four times with my family,” said ten-year-old Xavier, who was part of a recent group of parents and children from the Kellett School in Hong Kong. Xavier helped build houses at the ICM slum reconstruction site and also helped dig a sewage ditch because they lack proper toilets. When asked what part of the trip impacted him the most, Xavier said, “Visiting the slums because it really made a big impression on me as to how lucky I am. For instance, they have no shoes while I have expensive basketball shoes. They have a basketball court that is slanted and the hoop isn’t even straight. And most of all they don’t have toilets. Instead they have to go to the bathroom in the ground or if they are lucky, they go in squat pots that they have to empty out themselves.” After his time there, Xavier noticed that, “they are very unlucky but they are still happy.”
For Hugo, one of the other ten-year-old boys on the trip, visiting the slums in the Philippines was a first time experience. During the trip, the group visited their ICM Preschool called “Kellett Cares Learning Center.” Hugo said, “The houses where the Kellett Preschool children live impacted me the most; they were small and did not seem very strong.” His favorite memory from the trip was, “building the houses and visiting the Kellett Cares Learning Center. I played with the children at the school and helped to build houses at the re-homing project by moving bricks and sand bags, mixing cement, laying bricks and leveling out the floor. It was a happy community. They were playing basketball and sitting outside their houses.”
Youth like Xavier and Hugo have a lasting impact on slum communities like this one because of their willingness to come and help.
Photos courtesy of the Bansons
A Day in the Life of ICM Staff: Dolores Gagatam
Story by Lily Talaban, ICM CO, Bacolod
Many Filipinos dream about working abroad in order to provide more for their families. ICM’s Malnourished Children Outreach program leader in Bacolod, Dolores Gagatam, had this very opportunity. She had been working with ICM since 1993, but in 2007 she accepted a job in
Canada. While in Canada, Dolores kept remembering the faces of the poor people she used to help in the Philippines. After three years, she decided to return to the Philippines, confident that she was fulfilling God’s purpose for her life and that He would take care of her family. “My service is my obedience to God.” So Dolores gave up the opportunity that many Filipinos seek in order to achieve her life’s calling.
When Dolores arrived home to the Philippines, she stepped back into her job with ICM and in June 2010 she was appointed to run the New Initiative Program in Bacolod. She now manages the Malnourished Children Outreach Program and it is clear that serving the poor is Dolores’ passion. She says there are not enough hours in the day for everything that she wants to do.
Dolores’ day starts with a prayer, usually with her husband. She cooks breakfast for her family and checks her email before getting ready for work. She attends morning devotions at the ICM base where all the ICM staff gather together to before beginning their day’s work. As manager of the Malnourished Children’s Outreach (MCO), Dolores works with 24 pastors and 333 MCO recipients. She supervises the distribution of the nutrition packs to the pastors for the daily feeding of the malnourished children and oversees the collection of every child’s data, monitoring their weight and height on a regular basis. She visits two feeding centers each day, observes the programs and teaches the volunteers. Twice a week, she gives nutrition training and counsel to the mothers of the recipients and also visits the children in their homes.
Photos by Erin Manfredi, ICM Media Officer
Oftentimes, when she visits a child who is absent from the daily feeding it is because the child is sick. If this is the case, Dolores gives a referral for the mother to take the child to the village clinic or the ICM Clinic. During some visits, Dolores has had to rush more severe cases to the hospital. In all of this, Dolores makes a point to visit the partner pastor to bring them encouragement and to hear feedback about the program.
At the end of every full day, Dolores is often exhausted but sustained by the knowledge that many children will not go to bed hungry. Not once has Dolores regretted her decision to give up the opportunity to live abroad. She considers it a great privilege to serve the poor in her own country.
Do you have a bed?
Tess Lyons has been a dedicated volunteer with ICM for the past three years. Tess and her husband, Charles Caldwell, are currently sponsoring their 4th ICM preschool. They have taken their four children down to the Philippines several times to visit their students and to participate in the ongoing slum reconstruction building project cosponsored by ICM and Gawad Kalinga (GK). It was through hearing about Tess’ experiences that her parents, Blake and Maureen Lyons, and their friends, Karen & Grant Pryznyk, decided they wanted to come see what it was all about. Karen and Grant are Habitat for Humanity team leaders and were very interested in the GK building project, so in March the Lyons, Pryznyks, Caldwells and Dillons made the trip to Bacolod to see the work first hand. Karen shares her experience after the trip below and leaves us all with a thoughtful challenge:
“Do you have a bed? A door to your house? A bathroom? Are you protected from rain and wind? Then you are wealthy beyond the daily experience of most of the people we met in ICM’s slum rehabilitation projects in Bacolod, Philippines. Do your kids go to school? Do they eat every day? When they get sick can you get them the medical help they need? Many parents in Bacolod watch their kids suffer and fail to grow and develop because they cannot provide the basic necessities of life. These people are our brothers and sisters in the human family. And now, to me, they have names and faces. If you don’t want to know how “the other half” lives don’t go. Because if you do you will have some tough decisions to make about how you are going to live the rest of your life back in the safety and comfort of home.”
- Written by Karen Pryznyk, ICM Trip Participant
If you would like to take Karen up on her challenge to meet those in need and see ICM’s work first hand, please email peter.fry@caremin.com and find out more about our regular trips to the Philippines.
Photo by Grant Pryznyk, ICM Trip Participant
Karen Pryznyk (right) with Hannah, age 14 (centre). Hannah wants to be a teacher someday. She lives with 10 other members of her extended family in a slum dwelling about 10 by 20 feet.
ICM’s 1804 Young Graduates
Throughout the month of March, 1804 proud graduates of ICM’s 80 Learning Centers marched across the stage in their cap and gowns to receive their “diplomas”. The students finished their year of learning with formal graduation celebrations held in each region. Songs were sung, dances danced and poems and verses recited. And family members and friends clapped and cheered. Thank you to all the generous sponsors who made this possible.
Here Comes the Bride!
Story by ICM CO Team
“I love her and that’s the beginning of everything,” said 88-year-old Andres about his beautiful 71-year-old bride, Rosalia, as they stood at the altar. For Andres and Rosalia, this day was a dream come true! They have been living as husband and wife for over 60 years but were never able to afford a wedding or purchase their marriage certificate.
Many couples in the Philippines live together but cannot afford to get married because they simply don’t have the money. Children born to unmarried couples can’t easily obtain the birth certificates required for access to public school. Also unmarried couples miss out on government benefits extended to families in the Philippines.
Recipients who participate in an ICM program are provided both the administrative and financial help necessary to navigate the regulatory challenges required for birth certificates and marriage licenses. As a part of the graduation ceremonies at the completion of a Transform or Uplift Program, ICM often holds group weddings for recipients who want to get married. The pastor who hosts the ICM program officiates and the church members cook food for the wedding reception for family and friends. For ICM staff, program recipients and the host church members, it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the completion of an ICM program.
At the most recent group wedding, Andres and Rosalia were the stars of the day. With Uplift Pastor Edgardo leading the service, Andres could hardly contain himself as he waited to officially hear the words, “You may now kiss the bride!” On February 24, 2011, Andres & Rosalia finally exchanged marriage vows and received their marriage license after 60 years of being together! We at ICM wish the newlyweds all the best!
Photos by Kenneth the Tinker, ICM Bacolod
