LOOB (Love Our Own Brethren) is an NGO founded in the Philippines in 2001 by four young people. Based in Iloilo City, it carries out grassroots youth development and community development. In 2014, LOOB JAPAN, a nonprofit corporation that supports its work from Japan, was established. Under the motto "not one-sided aid, but learning and growing together with local people," it works in three areas: child support, youth activities and community support.
In child support it runs education support and kids' camps; in youth activities it trains junior high, high school and university students as leaders. In community support it works on fair trade, work camps, infrastructure improvement and mangrove planting. It is introduced as hosting overseas study programs for 15 Japanese high schools and universities a year, and it also offers programs in which participants live with local students and learn about social issues in English.
By 2023, more than 2,800 people from Japan and more than 1,500 Filipino volunteers had taken part in youth activities in the Philippines. It has set a goal of training 2,000 Japanese and 1,000 Filipino SDGs leaders by 2029.
Key points
- Youth development and community development based in Iloilo City, continuing since 2001
- Programs combining learning, experience and action, such as the SDGs Academia and international work camps
- Aiming to train 2,000 Japanese and 1,000 Filipino SDGs leaders by 2029
Why this organization deserves attention
A major feature is that it has continued its community-based work for more than 20 years and built trust with residents. Living and learning alongside local students of the same generation, in areas hard to reach as a tourist, seems to be a valuable experience for participants.
In Japan, too, there are ways to take part, such as online learning and a public relations team. It offers a path to get involved from Japan, not only by traveling abroad, which makes it an organization where it is easy to take a first step into international cooperation.
Editor's comment
True to its phrase "for people who move and move others," LOOB values nurturing the ability of the younger generation to think and act for themselves. One can picture young people in the Philippines and Japan learning from each other at eye level.
The official website lists programs currently recruiting and voices of participants. If you are curious, why not take a look?