Skip to content
Finding art in the everyday, and writing it down.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube

Melinda J. Irvine

Freelance Writer, creative, and blogger dedicated to the creative development and wellbeing of marginalised children everywhere. Reach out for your next writing assignment.

0
  • Shop
    eBooks, stories, courses & even postage stamps. You’ll find my creative work for sale in my online shop.
  • Writing
    My writing life. Sharing reflections on how I make writing my own, everyday work of art.
  • Giving
    If you’ve ever made a donation or bought books, stamps, or writing from me – this is how I use the money.
  • Shop
    • Orders
    • Account details
    • Lost password
  • Portfolio
    • Pricing
    • Work Methods
    • Client Testimonials
  • About
    • Giving Back
      • Stamps for the Visayans
      • Adopting Jerry
      • Donate
    • neXtDRAFT zine
    • Legal Notices
    • Copyright Policy
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Content Hacks
      • Blogging
      • SEO
      • Instructional Design
      • Content Writing
    • Small Business
      • Administration
      • eCommerce
      • eLearning
      • Safety
    • Book Reviews
    • Giving Back
  • $0.00 0 items
Home » Children

Category: Children

Music is Magic, Medicine is Expensive

by Melinda J. Irvine25 February 202026 February 2020

Last week in Estancia was one of the best weeks I have ever experienced in my life. So many prayers answered and being around creative energy, music and friendship -- just wonderful.

Children, Giving Back, Music Music Man Project Philippines

Music Man Project Philippines — Inaugral Concert for Botongon

by Melinda J. Irvine25 February 202025 February 2020

Watch the full Music Man Project Philippines inaugural concert (minus a few speeches) for Botongon (Estancia) Philippines. Held 5.30pm, 15 February 2020 at Barangay Botongon Gym Plaza.

Children, Giving Back, Music Music Man Project Philippines
music man project coming to Estancia, Philippines

Bringing music and medicine to the kids of Botongon (Estancia), Philippines

by Melinda J. Irvine9 February 202025 February 20202 Comments

Imagine how thrilled I was 6 months ago when a friend in the UK contacted me about coming back to the Philippines and bringing a FULLY FUNDED music program and medical mission. Imagine how thrilled I was on Friday when the first of the music and medical team arrived here in Iloilo City.

Children, Giving Back, Music Music Man Project

Frogs’ Legs

by Melinda J. Irvine26 June 201926 June 2019

It rained and rained in the middle of the night and Jerry woke up to the shrieking sounds of frogs below his bedroom window. He eagerly grabbed the military grade binoculars given to us last year when our friends Kevin…

Read More Frogs’ Legs

Children, Finding Jerry, Nature FindingJerry, Frogs, Wet Season

Getting all the kids back to school 2019

by Melinda J. Irvine8 June 20195 July 2019

Each year (with the help of friends and family), I use the money I earn as a freelance writer to support about 20 Filipino kids in their schooling. Throughout the year family and friends (and even a few people I've…

Read More Getting all the kids back to school 2019

Children, Finding Jerry, Giving Back FindingJerry, giving

Green and Red

by Melinda J. Irvine4 June 201914 September 2019

Everything is green and red TODAY. Jerry picked up a red flower today and asked me to photograph him with his favourite colour. I love living in Jerry’s magical world of flowers and butterflies.

Children FindingJerry, Flowers, Red
jerry learns to ride

Boy on Bike

by Melinda J. Irvine27 April 201914 September 2019

I can ride I can ride I can ride ... He shouts like every kid who ever learned to ride Then hits a tree [not pictured]. Hiring a bicycle for Jerry to learn to ride in the gardens of the…

Read More Boy on Bike

Children, Finding Jerry Bicycle, Training Wheels

When You’ve Just Gotta Dance

by Melinda J. Irvine17 April 201914 September 20194 Comments

Isn’t it just the coolest thing when you’re sitting under a shredded tarpaulin on a stinking hot day — at a school after the Grade 6 graduation — and you look up and here’s this little kid in the full…

Read More When You’ve Just Gotta Dance

Children Kid Fun
Doane Baptist School Choir at ABS-CBN 2018

Christmas Time is Here

by Melinda J. Irvine25 December 201827 December 20182 Comments

My adopted son Jerry was selected earlier in the year for the school choir (or Glee Club), we changed to a new school in June so it's all still quite new for him. Here is their Christmas performance live on…

Read More Christmas Time is Here

Children Christmas

Little Firefighter

by Melinda J. Irvine29 September 20181 October 2018

Friday firefighter dressup sliding down the firepole

Children, Little Poems, Poetry Firetruck, Poetry
in trouble

In Trouble

by Melinda J. Irvine25 September 201825 September 20181 Comment

5 double-sided pages of handwritten notes first he writes "I will not fight my classmates" all the way across the top then he writes 'I will' half-way down the page then he writes 'classmates' half-way down the page then he…

Read More In Trouble

Children, Free Verse, Poetry Detention, Kids, Poetry
jerry at buwan ng wika 2018

Celebrating Buwan ng Wika 2018

by Melinda J. Irvine11 September 2018

Jerry recently joined the school choir (or known here as Glee Club). It was very serious stuff selecting his audition song, plus enduring the 10 day wait to find out who had been selected to represent his grade. What Jerry…

Read More Celebrating Buwan ng Wika 2018

Children, Culture Barong Tagalog, Buwan ng Wika, Philippines
little boy looking down a hill

Left Behind

by Melinda J. Irvine10 September 201810 September 2018

Just because I'm small shouldn't mean I cannot come I'm small, but very big and I want to have some fun If you'd just wait and help me Down this hill then I'd be right I only need your hand…

Read More Left Behind

Children, Kids Poems, Poetry, Verse Kids, Poetry, Verse
rosemary opens her book on world literacy day

No Fixers Allowed

by Melinda J. Irvine9 September 20189 September 2018

This year for World Literacy Day, Jerry and I went back and visited Estancia. We spent Friday night making reading packs for 18 of our friends and put them in shiny bags. It was exciting, though Jerry was feeling a…

Read More No Fixers Allowed

Activism, Children, Giving Back LiteracyDay, World Literacy Day

Texting Cousins

by Melinda J. Irvine3 September 2018

One of the coolest things since meeting Jerry and creating a life together is his enthusiasm for my family. Just recently I got him his own kiddie messaging app and he's been texting my nephew Declan (the son of my…

Read More Texting Cousins

Children, Culture BBQ, FindingJerry, Philippines
tuberculosis (TB) meds for jerry

Talking About Tuberculosis (TB)

by Melinda J. Irvine1 September 20181 September 20183 Comments

Jerry has officially been on his TB meds now for two weeks so his incubation period is over. We've spent the last fortnight adjusting and falling into a ritual of measuring out pill quantities, cutting and swallowing. Followed by milk…

Read More Talking About Tuberculosis (TB)

Activism, Children, Giving Back Finding Jerry, Tuberculosis
spider in the kitchen

Stand-off in the Kitchen

by Melinda J. Irvine23 August 201823 August 20185 Comments

I don't wish to kill you Mr Spider But I don't wish Jerry to be bitten either ...

Children, Little Poems, Poetry, Verse Poetry, Spider

Testing Positive for TB

by Melinda J. Irvine17 August 20181 Comment

The Philippines ranks #4 in the world for reported incidences of tuberculosis. And yesterday Jerry become one of those statistics. Children who grow up in poverty and experience malnutrition are especially vulnerable to TB, as they often live for years…

Read More Testing Positive for TB

Children, Family Children, Tuberculosis
snake in the room

The Stories We Tell Children

by Melinda J. Irvine15 August 201815 August 20181 Comment

In the corner of our dining area is a door with a broken lock. I've stuck a red plastic bag inside the hole where the lock used to be, and put a couple of plastic stools in front to casually…

Read More The Stories We Tell Children

Children, Culture Children, Stories
jerry does laundry

Jerry’s Laundry Assignment

by Melinda J. Irvine8 August 20189 August 20182 Comments

Jerry's school assignment this week was a video of himself handwashing the laundry.  I wasn't exactly thrilled with the project and maybe this blog will demonstrate why.

Children, Culture Floods, Laundry, Rain
Diana and Her Rhinoceros by Edward Ardizzone

Book Review: Diana and Her Rhinoceros by Edward Ardizzone

by Melinda J. Irvine20 June 201825 February 2019

Diana and Her Rhinoceros by Edward Ardizzone My rating: 5 of 5 stars I'm not sure how long this old book has been in the family, or how many times I've read it. But reading it again was a delight.…

Read More Book Review: Diana and Her Rhinoceros by Edward Ardizzone

Children, Reading Book Reviews
Me, the Tree by Ann Louise Ramsey

Book Review: Me, the Tree by Ann Louise Ramsey

by Melinda J. Irvine27 April 201825 February 2019

The earth has worked her magic on me, in return for my love of being a tree. Anne Louise Ramsey.

Children, Environment, Reading Book Reviews, Environment, Trees
boy drinking a smoothie

Jerry’s Mango Drink

by Melinda J. Irvine26 April 201826 April 20182 Comments

Since moving to Iloilo City, every day Jerry likes to buy a little mango drink for about 25c. He trots down the road with his wallet and 10 pesos and returns with a disposable plastic cup filled with condensed milk,…

Read More Jerry’s Mango Drink

Activism, Children, Environment plasticfree, sustainable
Ronalin's hat to hide a head lice infestation

Ronalin’s Hat

by Melinda J. Irvine13 March 2018

If you remember my tale from last week about a little girl with severe head lice, this is the sequel.

Children, Giving Back Children, Poverty
little girl with headlice (3)

Hello Kitty

by Melinda J. Irvine7 March 20184 October 20191 Comment

This morning I was sitting here at my computer, clattering away at they keys when I was called outside. "Come and look at this," I heard. Outside was a little girl of 6 sitting at the top of the stairs,…

Read More Hello Kitty

Children, Giving Back Child Safety, Kids, Poverty
To engage fully in the work of art, all you really need are the skills you already have. ERIC BOOTH.

About Mel.

Melinda J. Irvine is an Australian writer, designer, and musician living between the Philippines and Australia. Mel is adopted mum to Jerry, a Filipino boy she met while volunteering after Typhoon Yolanda. All the money she earns as a professional writer is used to support Jerry’s recovery — plus help other marginalised kids see their own potential

neXtDRAFT zine # 68.

neXtDRAFT 68. February 2020

Community Giving.

When I'm not writing, designing or playing music, I'm actively building an online learning centre for the kids of Botongon (Philippines). If you'd like to help out, please make a donation via PAYPAL. You'll get a proper tax receipt and regular project updates. More info.
2022 Melinda J. Irvine
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube
 

Loading Comments...