For any inquiries or requests regarding visits,
please contact our international staff:
Yo Matsui
Email: josefmatsui@gmail.com
Facebook: Yo Matsui
For Visitors and Those Interested in Experiencing Our Work
As some countries classify parts of Mindanao as a high-risk area,
we provide airport pickup for visitors at Davao International Airport.
Our daily operations take priority, so we do not offer structured study tours.
However, depending on the circumstances, you may be able to join activities such as:
Delivering school supplies to scholarship students in remote villages
Tree planting and daycare center construction/repairs
Storytelling sessions and medical surveys
Shopping for essential supplies at the local market
Please keep in mind that this is not a sightseeing tour, but an opportunity to experience real NGO work on the ground.
For Youth and Families Facing Challenges
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, life difficulties, loss of direction, social withdrawal, or family challenges, you are not alone. Many of the children at the Mindanao Children’s Library (MCL) have experienced extreme hardship—growing up in poverty, losing their families to illnesses or conflicts, or enduring unimaginable trauma.
Yet, despite their struggles, they radiate positivity and resilience.
Many international visitors who come to MCL find hope and healing by being part of this inspiring community. We’ve seen young people break through personal barriers, rediscover their sense of purpose, and begin to rebuild their lives.
For those seeking this experience, we recommend staying a few weeks to three months to truly immerse yourself in the environment. We can also tailor activities based on your needs.
Before leaving, one visitor told us:
“I’m not afraid of struggling anymore. If things ever get tough, I know I can always come back here.
This isn’t just a second home—it’s my real home.”
For Scholarship Sponsors
If you’re a scholarship sponsor, we can arrange a visit to meet the child you support. Depending on local conditions and the child’s circumstances, our staff will accompany you to their home or village.
For Daycare Center and Tree Planting Donors
If you’ve supported a daycare center construction project or reforestation efforts, you’re welcome to join the opening ceremony, repair work, or tree planting activities.
If you’d like to participate, please contact our international staff in advance with your available dates. We’ll coordinate the schedule accordingly.
Even if you visit after the opening ceremony, we can take you to see the daycare center you helped build. Please note that construction timelines may be affected by local conditions.
Visitors Are Part of the MCL Family
At MCL, visitors aren’t just guests—they’re family. Your stay is more like visiting a friend’s home than staying at a hotel.
No accommodation fees, but also no special treatment—just everyday life at MCL.
Meals are shared with the children, who prepare them together.
Donations or sponsorships are welcome but never required.
The children love organizing welcome and farewell gatherings, making every visitor feel at home. We look forward to welcoming you as part of the MCL family!
Your Responsibility and Safety During Your Stay
At MCL, we prioritize your safety and well-being:
Airport Pickup: Send your flight details (arrival and departure times) to our international staff, and we’ll arrange for your pickup from the airport.
Leaving MCL: If you wish to leave the MCL compound, please inform the staff. A staff member will accompany you for safety.
Independent Travel: If you prefer to explore on your own, we can recommend hotels in Kidapawan. Any independent activities will be at your own risk.
MCL is an NGO focused on helping local children. Given the nature of our work, some activities may be challenging or in risky areas. While we take every precaution, we cannot take responsibility for accidents, theft, or other incidents. Please follow staff instructions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
Guidelines and Policies for Visitors
Accompaniment by Staff: Visitors are not allowed to leave the MCL premises without being accompanied by staff due to safety concerns, such as the risk of kidnapping. Please email Yo Matsui with your arrival time at Davao airport, and we will arrange for your pickup.
Traveling to Town or Remote Areas: Visitors are not permitted to go to town or remote areas on their own. If you want to visit town, at least one or two staff members will accompany you.
Personal Belongings: Please avoid lending personal items like phones, laptops, or cameras to the children. Wi-Fi is available at the office, but phone signal is often unreliable in remote areas.
Visitors’ Rooms and Scholars: Do not allow scholars into your room. The third building is for the girls’ dormitory, and behind the staff houses is the boys’ dormitory.
No Romantic Relationships with Scholars: Visitors are not allowed to form romantic or sexual relationships with scholars. After your visit, please do not contact them via social media or email (except for college students). There have been cases of children disappearing after being recruited for overseas jobs or human trafficking.
Cultural Sensitivity: Many of the children, especially those from indigenous backgrounds, may have different cultural views on relationships. In some communities, dating is linked to marriage, and refusal can cause severe consequences.
Separate Dormitories: Boys’ and girls’ dorms are separated as per government welfare guidelines. College students and staff can have relationships, but excessive romantic behavior within MCL is prohibited.
No Alcohol or Smoking on Site: Visitors must follow the no-smoking and no-alcohol policy within MCL, including indoors. There is a designated smoking area near the staff houses.
Shopping and Town Visits: If you wish to visit town for shopping, please inform the staff a few days in advance, and they will accompany you, adjusting their schedules accordingly.
Food Restrictions: We do not cook pork or pork products due to the presence of Muslim students. While the food is simple, we encourage you to share meals with the children. MCL does not follow the practice of separating meals based on social status or ethnicity.
Staying with Staff During Activities: When leaving the premises with staff, please stay with them at all times. If you need to go to the restroom or do anything else, let the staff know, and they will accompany you.
Behavioral Standards: If any behavior negatively impacts the children or if any issues are raised by the scholars, a staff meeting will be held to decide what action to take. In some cases, visitors may be asked to leave.
Security Concerns: If the security situation in Mindanao worsens due to conflict, war, bombings, or kidnappings, and the staff determines it is no longer safe to care for visitors, you may be asked to leave.
These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of both visitors and the children we support. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Visitor Testimonials
My Experience at the Mindanao Children’s Library
Kusumi Taihei
During my one-month stay at the Mindanao Children’s Library (MCL), I had the incredible opportunity to take part in various activities in the mountainous and Islamic regions of Mindanao. I also joined an international monitoring team on their field visits. Each experience was truly eye-opening and unforgettable.
But what impacted me the most was living with the children at MCL. We ate meals together, played outside, did laundry in wash basins, and enjoyed picture books—always learning from one another.
One day, Tomo-san told me:
“Work isn’t something you’re given—it’s something you create for yourself. Just try doing whatever you can.”
Encouraged by those words, and with the help of MCL staff and fellow visitors, I worked with the children to write wishes on tanzaku (colorful paper strips) for the Tanabata festival. Many of them wished to finish school and become teachers. Others dreamed of becoming nurses or doctors to help people in need. Some wrote about the happiness of their families and friends, while others hoped for peace in Mindanao and around the world. Seeing their wishes hanging beautifully on the branches of a guava tree, I felt deeply moved. Their dreams inspired me, and I naturally started thinking about what I could do to help make them come true.
Spending time with the children, playing with them at their level, I made many discoveries. One thing that amazed me was their incredible storytelling ability. Even when I read a Japanese picture book to them in English just once, they would quickly retell the story in Bisaya language for their friends. Their expressive voices and gestures made the storytelling so engaging that, even though I didn’t understand the language, I was completely drawn into the world of the story—just like the other children.
As we read picture books together, I realized something important: even if they couldn’t understand the language, they loved looking at the beautiful illustrations. That’s when I decided to start translating Japanese picture books into English. The children and I worked on translations together, and then I had an idea—after I translated a book into English, the children would translate it into Bisaya.
This collaborative translation activity turned into a fun and lively experience. We laughed, learned, and explored new words together. Later, when I watched the children confidently reading these translated books aloud during storytelling sessions, I couldn’t help but smile. It reminded me of all the warm moments we had shared, and I felt grateful to be a part of their world, even for a short time.
A Letter from Kotomi
It’s Kotomi Suzuki. I got home yesterday.
Even after coming back, I keep looking at the pictures I took at MCL. I keep wondering, “Are the kids at school right now?” or “Is it mealtime there?” I miss everyone so much. I really, really want to go back!
This was my first time visiting another country, and everything—the streets, the cars, the smells, the way people live, the culture—was so different from Japan. Every little thing felt new and exciting.
There are so many unforgettable memories, but the one that stands out the most is visiting Christine’s house with Yo-san and some of the kids. Christine kept inviting me, saying, “Come to my house!” and that made me really happy.
To get there, we walked through muddy paths, crossed a river, and passed a banana farm. I remember thinking, “Is there really a house this far out?” But the kids were having so much fun—laughing, jumping, running around—and seeing them so happy made the journey fun for me too. They’re so strong and full of energy!
Christine’s family was so kind to me, even though we had never met before. Their life isn’t easy, but their home felt so warm and full of love. I also got to see Christine being an amazing big sister, taking care of her siblings.
It wasn’t just her family—everyone I met near MCL, in Antipas, and in Malungon was so kind. Even though I was a total stranger, people gave me fruit, talked to me, and smiled at me. That made me really happy. I felt surrounded by warmth everywhere I went.
Life at MCL was always fun. Compared to the other visitors and staff, my English was pretty bad, and at first, I was scared to talk. But little by little, I started talking more, and before I knew it, I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt!
Even though I wasn’t great at speaking, I still became really close with everyone. That made me so happy. I realized that if you want to understand someone, and you try your best to communicate—even if you don’t know all the words—you can always find a way. A smile helps too!
I also got to visit a university, experience a day of Ramadan, do laundry, study with the kids, help paint a house, and squeeze into a packed car like never before!
There are way too many experiences to write down, but every single one of them taught me something. I’m so, so glad I went.
The kids taught me a lot—about the Bisaya language, their daily life, and the Philippines. I tried to teach them some Japanese, but honestly, I learned way more from them than they did from me.
I’m also really grateful to Tomo-san, Aprilyn-san, Yo-san, the staff, and the other visitors. Thank you so much for everything. I really want to come back to MCL again.
Right now, my goal is to stay at MCL when I become a university student and study abroad at University of Southern Mindanao in Kidapawan. I want to learn Bisaya language and more about the culture, but more than anything, I just want to meet and talk to more people in the Philippines.
This letter got a little long, but once again—thank you so much!