Imelda, a wife and mother of four, lives in Cagayan de Oro, a growing city in northern Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island. 

While Cagayan de Oro has become a cultural and urban center in recent years, there are still several pockets of extreme poverty, particularly in informal settlements and remote barangays (neighborhoods). Many families — including Imelda’s — do not have reliable access to food, healthcare or livelihood opportunities. Imelda’s husband works at a construction site, but his income has often not been enough to cover all of the family’s basic needs and care for their child with Down syndrome. 

International Care Ministries (ICM), Rise Against Hunger’s in-country partner, implements a program called Transform to holistically address poverty and hunger across six communities in the city. The 15-week program provides participants with training on nutrition, livelihood skills for income generation and more, supporting families on their journeys out of poverty. 

Rise Against Hunger provides nutritious meals to Transform participants through a community feeding program. Arlene, ICM’s Chief Administrative Officer, shared, “Families living in ultra-poverty facing hunger daily and children diagnosed with moderate and severe malnutrition receive Rise Against Hunger meals to meet their nutrition needs.”

Imelda is one of the Transform participants. She attends weekly training, and then she and her children receive hot, nutritious meals. 

The Rise Against Hunger fortified rice-soy meals are cooked by community leaders over a wood-burning stove, with vegetables and eggs added. Each person receives a generous portion, and many families sit together to eat. The community feeding program feeds hundreds of people across the city each week. 

With her family’s health and nutrition supported, Imelda now has hope for her future. The community feeding program has eased her family’s financial burdens and ensured their nutritional needs are met. Thanks to the training received through the Transform program, Imelda is interested in starting a small business to earn money for her family. “I might start a small business with the recipes I learned,” she said.

Nutrition, education and economic empowerment are transforming Imelda’s life — and this critical work wouldn’t be possible without your support. Donate today to help people, like Imelda, around the world achieve food security and resilience.