[Zoom lecture for middle and high school students] Report!

Hello, this is Fuyumi from GLI staff!

 

At the GLI recently on September 25,Zoom lectures for middle and high school students."The seminar, titled "The World's Most Active Overseas Workers," was held to hear from those who have been active overseas.

 

As this is the first session, we are pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Kaburaki, the representative of GLIMs. Tomo Matsui (*on the left) and Ms. Nanako Nishimura (*on the right)to participate in the event,They talked about their activities, why they decided to start this activity, and what they felt through the activity.I have been asked to hear the following.

 

Guest Speakers

Tomo Matsui

Founder and President, Mindanao Children's Library (MCL), Mindanao Children's Library, Children's Literature

 

Nanako Nishimura

Mindanao Children's Library Staff (*Here is Nishimura's self-introduction slide used on the day of the event. He has been involved as a staff member right after graduating from the university this year.)

 

About Mindanao Children's Library (=MCL)

Many people visit the Philippines for the resorts of Cebu Island or for language study. However,For a long period of time, conflict was raging on the island of Mindanao (see map below).

The most affected by the conflict were,”Children."It is.Conflict has taken away their places to live, and conflict has killed their families.

 

We wanted to somehow bring back the smiles on the faces of these children, and we thought that reading picture books to them would be a good way to do so, and that is how the Mindanao Children's Library was born.

 

(*For more information on the Mindanao conflict, please refer to the conflict overview prepared by JICA at the URL below.)
https://www.jica.go.jp/jica-ri/ja/news/topics/l75nbg000019r288-att/20210224_miyazaki.pdf

 

What can I do to help children who have been deprived of a safe place to live and study and their families due to conflict? Matsui, who founded the NGO, and Nishimura, who decided to join immediately after graduating from college.

 

Various photos taken at the site provided a glimpse into the situation at the evacuation site.

Peace is a bit shocking for those of us born and raised in Japan.

 

Photo of a tank running very close to the children
The house is simply covered with banana leaves and a plastic sheet over the top of the tree to keep out the rain.

 

There were also several videos and images such as

 

War is something that should never be fought."Matsui-san said, and I felt it was exactly right.

 

However,No matter how different the religions are, the people who are evacuated are,We are all one family.We were also able to catch a glimpse of how they are cooperating with each other as

 

MCL (= Mindanao Children's Library) by reading to children,It started with the desire to deliver relief supplies of "love and friendship" to children injured in conflicts.

 

When picture books were read to the children, their faces lit up, and the adults seemed pleased to see this.

 

The activity spread among the local residents, and when we went to Mindanao to support them, the children had bright smiles on their faces.'MCL is here, the MCL people are here!'He told me that he was running around happily.

 

During the Q&A session, students asked

This is the kind of question that came up.

 

What kind of picture books do children enjoy?

Why did you decide to go and work in such a dangerous place where there is conflict?

I'm thinking about working in a developing country, but I'm not sure if I should learn more about the situation overseas? Or, should I go there and deliver the necessary support?

 

These are all great questions, though,Among them, the participant who asked the third question was a high school student who is already looking to the future to work as a nurse in developing countries to deliver medical aid!

 

This first online seminar for junior high and high school students was a talk by people who have been involved in relief activities in Mindanao, a foreign country not far from Japan in the Philippines.

 

You or your child mayI want to work abroad!"When I thought about it,What do you want to do? What can you do now to achieve what you want to do?

 

I would be happy if this event could be one of the opportunities to think about such things.

 

At GLI, we not only want to provide a place to learn English, but also a place to find out why you need to study English. We hope you will join us for our next seminar.

 

GLI Staff FUYUMI

 

P.S.
Next timeOnline seminars for middle and high school students.The event will be held at the

 

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2021, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Guest Speakers
April Lynn Matsui, wife of MCL founder Tomo Matsui
Harley Queen, GLI instructor from MCL

 

Outline
In the first online seminar, we heard from people who have been involved in relief activities in Mindanao, the Philippines from a Japanese perspective. The second session, on the contrary, will be from the perspective of a native of Mindanao, who will talk about the situation in Mindanao at that time, how he got connected with the MCL organization, and what he felt about Japan after coming to Japan.

 

Details" will be available soon!Enjoy!