Celebrating Education with Real LIFE
We are happy to announce that ICM’s first kindergarten students have crossed the outstanding milestone of graduating from grade 6! ICM began operating kindergartens in 2006 and now, seven years later, ten tenacious young people have received their elementary school diplomas, many graduating with honors! In the last seven years, ICM’s Jumpstart Kindergartens and subsequent Elementary Scholarship Program has grown from a small handful of students to nearly 5,000 children marching toward academic success.
The Asian Development Bank’s 2005-6 analysis of poverty in the Philippines found that for every 100 children in the Philippines who start grade 1, only 67 finish elementary school. Among the poorest in the country the number falls to 34 who complete elementary school out of every 100 who start grade 1. There is a strong relationship between educational attainment and poverty. With each additional level of schooling reached, the poverty incidence falls. Prioritizing quality elementary education and keeping poor children in school is one way ICM is fighting the strongholds of poverty.
Minori Nagatomo, ICM’s Joint National Director of Education, recently visited Mindanao to meet these students in person. She shared this joyous graduation news with Lynn Nawata, the Executive Director of the non-profit, Real LIFE Foundation. Real LIFE provides high school and college scholarships to underprivileged Filipinos. They immediately saw how ICM’s Kindergarten & Elementary Scholar Program could feed into Real LIFE’s secondary school system and traveled to a remote part of Mindanao to see both programs in action and to explore the possibility of partnership.
- Lynn and Minori with ICM Scholars
Serving the Poor Since 1992
Photo by Brian Yen
Teaching essential life skills through a supportive, community-based approach, ICM unleashes unfulfilled potential in impoverished communities. We partner with local leaders from 2,500 slums to empower more than 100,000 people every year to fight the bondage of poverty. After participating in our transforming values, health and livelihood training program, our families experience a 42% reduction in reported physical abuse, a 26% reduction in serious illness and a 33% increase in household income. ICM provides help, inspires hope, and creates change.
Four Decades Later
Story and Photos by Suzanne Chu; ICM Trip Participant
I first visited the Philippines with my mother when I was 8 years old. We drove 12 hours in traffic jams to the house that she grew up in – a two-story house with no walls. I remember wondering how it was that no one fell off the second story and killed themselves. Or maybe someone did and no one talked about it because that was just the way of life when you are poor.
Living in slum conditions is just the way of life for many Filipinos. My mother was lucky enough to get a primary education, attend an Ivy League school, find a good job and break the cycle of poverty for our family. Thanks to the efforts of ICM, thousands of kids will also have access to education and be able to live better and productive lives!
Four decades later, I brought my own kids (Nicholas and Ryan, ages 9 and 6) to the Philippines to Bacolod. While my kids see that “they have a lot” and “other kids have a little,” they just want to go back because it was fun. But for me, the greatest impact was seeing my mother in a different light. I never used to think of her as “remarkable” but having seen how far she has come and how far the family is capable of going because of her efforts, I now have a whole new level of appreciation for her. Because of this, I also feel a deeper connection to the Philippines and to ICM.
During our trip we helped to build a toilet, paint a church and celebrate Easter with the ICM kids by making origami Easter baskets and sharing Easter eggs and candy. It was fun to make even our small contributions and be part of a community of such lovely and welcoming people. Thank you ICM for making this incredible journey possible and to my travel buddies Jane, Savannah and Taylor. It has absolutely, positively shaped the hearts of my children and we would all love to be able to keep coming back!
Kids Camp 2012
“I traveled from an earthquake affected area in Ayungon,” said Christy. “It took 4 hours to arrive here.” Christy was one of 134 kids who attended Kids Camp 2012 which was offered to kids from the communities that were severely affected by the two major natural disasters that hit Dumaguete this year. A few children traveled as far as 60 miles to get there!
The kids were divided into “families” led by parents from HK, Australia and the UK, who gave up their holidays to participate. For four action packed days the teams enjoyed sports, games, crafts and Bible lessons while competing for first place by singing their team chants. Christy was on the Purple Pandas Team and told us, “My favorite thing to do at camp was sports games!” It was a fun filled week for all!
Please enjoy our Kids Camp Recap Video below!
Celebrating 20 Years of Help, Hope & Change
A jubilant crowd laughed and cried through the ICM 20th Anniversary Celebration evening as we shared 20 powerful stories of lives that have been dramatically changed over the last 20 years of ICM’s operations. One of the highlights of the night was the surprise guest appearance by “Philippine Idol” winner, Jude Matthew Servilla, a previous ICM feeding recipient with an amazing voice.
Susan Entong, an ICM recipient who spoke at our 2008 banquet, also shared her story of forgiveness and hope. Susan endured horrible burns on her face and body when her father threw a kerosene lamp at her. After numerous reconstructive surgeries provide by ICM, Susan now lives at ICM’s Excel House and is a star student in public school. She plans to be a social worker when she grows up and is well on her way to fulfilling that dream. Her extraordinarily optimistic view of life left an indelible mark on many of us.
It truly was a night full of celebration! For those of you who were not able to attend, please enjoy these photos and this short video reflecting on ICM’s amazing 20 year history:
Medical Outreach in Devastated Areas
ICM staff in Dumaguete, led by Area Head Pastor Sam Templado, joined local doctors, dentists, pastors, and even the Filipino military to provide medical aid, dispense medicine, offer counseling and even provide free haircuts! to thousands of those traumatized by devastation of Tropical Storm Washi and the earthquake following quickly on its heels one month later. Thank you to the World Relief Committee of Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Texas and the many others whose donations made this possible.
Update: Life After Storm Washi
In the three months since Tropical Storm Washi hit the Philippines, ICM has been touched by your outpouring of gifts, donations and prayers for those affected. Because the poor are always the most vulnerable during disasters, ICM had to respond quickly to the needs of Washi’s victims. Due to your generosity, within a week ICM was able to mobilize people and resources to provide life-saving packages of rice, canned food, bottled water and other necessities. Thank you for making this possible.
ICM’s Communications Officer in Dumaguete, Gerard Adiong, turned in the following account of one of the families hardest hit by the storm:
Tropical Storm Washi (or Sendong, as it is know locally) was the world’s deadliest storm in 2011. The typhoon and the resulting flash floods killed over a thousand people, destroyed countless homes and left survivors in desperate need. ICM recipients Joseph and Virna Cadalin and their six kids lived in one of the disaster areas. Their seven-year old son and six-year old daughter are ICM Elementary Scholars.
Typhoon Sendong hit the province at dawn and the household of Joseph and Virna Cadalin was caught unaware. Joseph was changing the baby’s diaper when the creek near their house suddenly rose. Joseph and Virna each grabbed two of the younger children and quickly sought shelter on higher ground, yelling for their two older children to follow. Thirteen year-old Evangeline ran to the pig pen and twelve-year old Ray ran back inside the house. As Joseph and Virna and the four children they carried reached safety, they looked back and could only helplessly watch as the floodwaters rose, sweeping away the house and their other two children.
Upon hearing of the Cadalin family’s loss, Pastors Noli Gallego and Samuel Templado, ICM Dumaguete’s Area Head, went to visit the grieving family. ICM Dumaguete came alongside the family to provide emotional and spiritual support, as well as financial assistance for the burial of Ray and Evangeline and for building materials for a new home. Joseph used the assistance to build a small cottage several meters from where their house once stood. The Cadalin Family expressed their deep thanks to ICM staff for help and support in their time of greatest need.
Lilian Bardinas, ICM’s Strategic Department Head in Dumaguete, was one of those who was also deeply affected by the storm. Back in January, we shared Lilian’s story about her wedding day, which proceeded in spite of the storm washing away her home. Instead of a honeymoon, she spend the days after her wedding digging out what belongings she could find. Lilian and Eduardo’s story was covered internationally by CNN. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO SPOTLIGHT)
Here’s an update from Lilian:
“Many people ask me, ‘Why did you continue with the wedding?’ I tell them, ‘There’s no reason not to continue the wedding because God preserved the two of us even though the strong typhoon washed away all our earthly possessions and our house. The loss of all our material things will never be the reason to stop life. We have each other to share and to love. There is still hope, there is a reason to celebrate, there are still many good things that are yet to come…”
Not long after the storm, Lillian was interviewed on a local television show. During the interview Lilian and Eduardo explained that it is not only material things that count in life but really that what matters most is our relationship with God. At the end of the interview, Lilian and Eduardo were surprised with a 4-day honeymoon vacation in Boracay, a highly popular vacation spot in the Philippines!
We thank the Cadalin Family and Lilian & Eduardo for sharing their stories with us. They represent two out of thousands of families affected by the storm.
Bankers and Lawyers to Go on Detention for the Poor
On May 4th, 2012, ICM will be hosting our 2nd annual HK “Detention” event. 40-50 bankers & lawyers will be pitted against each other in a Quiz Game covering a variety of topics including Philippines trivia. The “catch” is that the losers have to “sit in detention” in front of their friends and family while a young recipient of ICM’s Scholar program gives the detainees a brief lesson about the Philippines… dunce caps may be part of the losing team’s attire as well!! Of course this is all in good fun and for a very worthy cause! The event is targeted at raising HK$2 million, which is the amount it will cost to run ICM’s Scholar program for the coming year. The program pays for the education of 5,000 underprivileged elementary students, providing scholarships to cover expenses otherwise prohibiting them from attending “free” public school.
If you are a banker or lawyer who wants to sit on detention for the poor, SIGN UP HERE !
Congratulations, Kindergarten Graduates!
Nearly 1800 excited students proudly received their diplomas during graduation week after completing their year of learning at one of ICM’s 80 Kindergartens. These formal graduation celebrations were held in each region so family members and friends could come and cheer their student as they walked across the stage. There was much to celebrate as songs were sung, verses recited and awards given. Thank you to all the generous Kindergarten Sponsors who made this possible!
2,822 Fuller Tummies, Thanks to You!
Children from 2,822 poor families in the Philippines are going to bed will fuller tummies! That’s how many ICM program participants recently graduated from the 16-week Transform program, where they learned organic farming skills, better health practices and the power of positive values. 4,454 family and community gardens were started, and Php166,783 extra income was earned! Thank you for making this possible through your support of these families. Enjoy these photos of some very proud gardeners!
