Although a sprawling, "modern" city of 1.5 million people, Ulaanbaatar is yet to discover the benefits of drainage. I suppose that considering half the people live in gers with no water, power or sewerage, drainage for roads is not a priority...
So, when it rains, which this year has been an awful lot - in the "land of the eternal blue sky" - the city becomes one massive puddle of muddy water, easily half a metre deep in most places.
Given the rain and mud and puddles of water I caught a taxi to work this morning, and hit jackpot with a friendly driver!
"Does it rain in Australia?" (tiiii)
He excitedly scrambles around to find a certain CD, races to find the track he wants....
With an enormous grin, he asks
"Do you like Madonna?"
And plays:
These are the awesome, unique, often bizarre kinds of moments that make this such a beautiful country...
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
There Goes Summer....
Today is the first day of the first week of Spring.
O bugger, not quite! I'm in the northern hemisphere....
Of course, there should still be 2 days of official summer left, but not in Mongolia.
To be fair, we have been blessed with an amazing, beautiful, gorgeous summer - the kind of summer that leaves you wondering how on earth there aren't more people here enjoying the truly splendid country Mongolia can be.
The kind of summer that has passed before you've blinked, and now it's easy to see why there aren't more people here!
The first day of the first week of Autumn is panning out thus: woke up to rain, temperature 10 degrees outside. Yesterday was 30 degrees! Now noon, it has warmed up to a staggering 11 degrees!
Over the last week and a half the change from summer to autumn has been gradual but definitely visible. Everything is kind of bleak and grey, the leaves are starting to drop, the flowers are starting to droop - and the vibe of the city is becoming resigned to the awful truth that winter is most definitely coming soon, too soon.
I've been a bit down with this change, feeling a deep, but strong, fear of the cold weather and pollution that will be here before I know it...
September 1 is the start of the school year.
Back in June, there was excitement in the air- most children were shipped off to the countryside, if not for the entire summer than at least for a few weeks,to spend time with those lucky family or friends who live in the land of clean air and wild strawberries. Most of my colleagues had some kind of summer house - a family home or ger around 10km out of the city where they relocated for summer. Now everyone is moving back, so the traffic is worse and the mood is low. The kids are getting ready for the school year ahead, the teachers among the expat group are back to work...
Worst of all, that long list of things to do, people to visit, places to see in summer is still a long list...with barely a dent, even though almost every weekend has been a successful attempt to make the most of the great weather.
I've definitely had a marvelous summer. It has been much warmer than I expected - mid 30s at times (with no air conditioning). Nothing beats Mongolia in summer. If I could have my way I'd switch a Canberra winter for a Mongolian summer every year, and hurry back to Australia in time to switch the first week of Autumn for the first week of Spring every year too!
O bugger, not quite! I'm in the northern hemisphere....
Of course, there should still be 2 days of official summer left, but not in Mongolia.
To be fair, we have been blessed with an amazing, beautiful, gorgeous summer - the kind of summer that leaves you wondering how on earth there aren't more people here enjoying the truly splendid country Mongolia can be.
The kind of summer that has passed before you've blinked, and now it's easy to see why there aren't more people here!
The first day of the first week of Autumn is panning out thus: woke up to rain, temperature 10 degrees outside. Yesterday was 30 degrees! Now noon, it has warmed up to a staggering 11 degrees!
Over the last week and a half the change from summer to autumn has been gradual but definitely visible. Everything is kind of bleak and grey, the leaves are starting to drop, the flowers are starting to droop - and the vibe of the city is becoming resigned to the awful truth that winter is most definitely coming soon, too soon.
I've been a bit down with this change, feeling a deep, but strong, fear of the cold weather and pollution that will be here before I know it...
September 1 is the start of the school year.
Back in June, there was excitement in the air- most children were shipped off to the countryside, if not for the entire summer than at least for a few weeks,to spend time with those lucky family or friends who live in the land of clean air and wild strawberries. Most of my colleagues had some kind of summer house - a family home or ger around 10km out of the city where they relocated for summer. Now everyone is moving back, so the traffic is worse and the mood is low. The kids are getting ready for the school year ahead, the teachers among the expat group are back to work...
Worst of all, that long list of things to do, people to visit, places to see in summer is still a long list...with barely a dent, even though almost every weekend has been a successful attempt to make the most of the great weather.
I've definitely had a marvelous summer. It has been much warmer than I expected - mid 30s at times (with no air conditioning). Nothing beats Mongolia in summer. If I could have my way I'd switch a Canberra winter for a Mongolian summer every year, and hurry back to Australia in time to switch the first week of Autumn for the first week of Spring every year too!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
More Bayan Olgii Stories
Stories from Tsagaannuur - poor village located by the Mongolian/Russian border crossing.
And a dombre-maker - the traditional Kazakh instrument. Couldn't resist getting one of Tilek's instruments, not sure I'll ever learn to use it!
Go here to see a Dombra in action:
Dombra Maker - Tilek
With the help of a bank loan, secured through Mercy Corps' Loan Guarantee Mechanism, Tilek is the proud owner of a successful local business, with two employees and strong local reputation for quality products. Since securing his loan, Tilek has also become a proud husband and father to two young children.
Before starting his own business the younger Tilek worked long hours based in the countryside for weeks at a time as a soldier in the army. The lifestyle was not great, and not at all suitable for a family man, but it was the only work available in the region and Tilek believes in earning his keep and providing for his family.
Tilek longed to start a family and was increasingly unable to cope with the stress of his army commitments. He wanted to start his own business making dombre - the Kazakh national instrument. He had been learning how to make the instrument since he was a small boy observing his father, and has a passion for crafting quality instruments. But to start a business he needed capital - to purchase equipment, and materials, and space to work. Tilek had no assets of value to secure a bank loan, and he was uneasy about getting into debt.
With the help of Mercy Corps, Tilek has been able to learn about running a business successfully and can see the advantages of the bank loan. He is steadily paying of his debt while making a healthy profit. When he began his business he had no idea about keeping records. After attending training with Mercy Corps staff Tilek is a vocal convert to the benefits of keeping financial records and budgeting. He proudly shows his books, with figures balanced and his budget, with savings for various stages of the future - savings for winter when sales go down, savings for building a new home, and savings for his children's education.
The benefits of the business are not limited to just Tilek and his family. With strong demand for his products Tilek has been able to hire two employees - one full time and one throughout summer. His employees are now earning an income and also learning how to make the instruments from Tilek.
Tsagaannuur - Mongol Rally Grants:
Tsagaannuur is a small village in far western Mongolia, right by the Mongolian-Russian border crossing. In times past the village was a thriving strategic base for Soviet - Mongolian trade.
Today, the village is home to 357 households, with a total of 3500 residents. This number has been rapidly decreasing in recent years as struggling families relocate to the aimag centre, or Ulaanbaatar, seeking better opportunities. There is no local industry and unemployment sits at 70%.
From time to time the village comes under the national Government radar for economic development. Currently just to the north of the village is a huge, barren area enclosed by a high security fence. Around a decade ago talk of a special economic zone began. A few years late the fence was built, and a few years on nothing else has changed.
The residents here are strategically located between the Russian border and aimag centre. They constantly feel like they are on the brink of change - if the economic zone was to take off, if the new road was to be finished, too many "ifs".
Tired of waiting for economic change, while more and more families are forced to leave ,local groups have applied for Mongol Rally grants to stimulate both their local economy, and more importantly, their local community.
The people of Tsagaannuur are hoping that these Mongol Rally funded grants will be just the start. Building on the foundation established through these community mobilisation projects, the residents can envisage a strong community with enough economic activity to sustain its families.
Children's Playground
In the yard of the Tsagaannuur school are a few scraps of metal, painted blue, forming some recognisable and some not-so-recognisable structures. There is clearly a slippery dip - too hot to use in summer, too cold in winter! And a broken see-saw.
Meanwhile, in the homes of Tsagaannuur there is a ready and waiting workforce of parents, currently unemployed. Some have skills in welding, carpentry and construction they have gained from stints in the aimag centre. Others have no had the opportunity to learn a trade, but they are willing to learn and keen to work.
A local group has applied for a Mongol Rally grant to pair these two seemingly unrelated groups in an effort to stimulate the local community as a means to stimulating the local economy.
By mobilising the community to plan, build and then maintain a playground for their children, a local community group is hoping to stimulate social cohesion, provide a service to the region's children, and lay a foundation for further economic development to combat the declining population and increasing unemployment.
The benefits of a project such as this go beyond the obvious benefits of somewhere for children to play and develop. Time formerly spent just with family members at home becomes time spent building, maintaining and enjoying a communal resource - building friendships and learning new skills. Communities develop pride in their public areas and through working with others are stimulated to move on to new ventures in the future.
Sewing Cooperative
The second grant application from Tsagaannuur is from a group of women hoping to establish a sewing and handcraft cooperative. Currently these women sew household items and clothing in their spare time meeting orders for local and nearby residents.
Zauresh is a mother of three grown up daughters. Her daughters all attend university; they return during the summer holidays, but during the long winter months Zauresh has many hours home alone. Zauresh works part time at the local hospital helping keep the books and with some other odd jobs as needed, but with long nights home alone she began meeting orders for sewn household items from her community to fill the time and earn some much needed extra income.
Zauresh can see big potential to expand her own sewing activities and as a result bring about many benefits for the wider community. She hopes to form a sewing cooperative comprised of local unemployed women to produce traditional Kazakh household items and handcrafts for tourists. Beyond the obvious economic benefits of an income source, Zauresh can see many more benefits. By working together the women can share their skills and learn from each other and also create a wider variety of products than they could working individually. Other benefits from working in a group include sharing resources, and very importantly for Zauresh, keeping each other company while forming strong social bonds.
With no business experience the group has applied for a grant to receive training from a successful sewing business in the aimag centre to teach them how to run a business, how to market their products, and improve their skills in production.
And a dombre-maker - the traditional Kazakh instrument. Couldn't resist getting one of Tilek's instruments, not sure I'll ever learn to use it!
Go here to see a Dombra in action:
Dombra Maker - Tilek
With the help of a bank loan, secured through Mercy Corps' Loan Guarantee Mechanism, Tilek is the proud owner of a successful local business, with two employees and strong local reputation for quality products. Since securing his loan, Tilek has also become a proud husband and father to two young children.
Before starting his own business the younger Tilek worked long hours based in the countryside for weeks at a time as a soldier in the army. The lifestyle was not great, and not at all suitable for a family man, but it was the only work available in the region and Tilek believes in earning his keep and providing for his family.
Tilek longed to start a family and was increasingly unable to cope with the stress of his army commitments. He wanted to start his own business making dombre - the Kazakh national instrument. He had been learning how to make the instrument since he was a small boy observing his father, and has a passion for crafting quality instruments. But to start a business he needed capital - to purchase equipment, and materials, and space to work. Tilek had no assets of value to secure a bank loan, and he was uneasy about getting into debt.
With the help of Mercy Corps, Tilek has been able to learn about running a business successfully and can see the advantages of the bank loan. He is steadily paying of his debt while making a healthy profit. When he began his business he had no idea about keeping records. After attending training with Mercy Corps staff Tilek is a vocal convert to the benefits of keeping financial records and budgeting. He proudly shows his books, with figures balanced and his budget, with savings for various stages of the future - savings for winter when sales go down, savings for building a new home, and savings for his children's education.
The benefits of the business are not limited to just Tilek and his family. With strong demand for his products Tilek has been able to hire two employees - one full time and one throughout summer. His employees are now earning an income and also learning how to make the instruments from Tilek.
Tsagaannuur - Mongol Rally Grants:
Tsagaannuur is a small village in far western Mongolia, right by the Mongolian-Russian border crossing. In times past the village was a thriving strategic base for Soviet - Mongolian trade.
Today, the village is home to 357 households, with a total of 3500 residents. This number has been rapidly decreasing in recent years as struggling families relocate to the aimag centre, or Ulaanbaatar, seeking better opportunities. There is no local industry and unemployment sits at 70%.
From time to time the village comes under the national Government radar for economic development. Currently just to the north of the village is a huge, barren area enclosed by a high security fence. Around a decade ago talk of a special economic zone began. A few years late the fence was built, and a few years on nothing else has changed.
The residents here are strategically located between the Russian border and aimag centre. They constantly feel like they are on the brink of change - if the economic zone was to take off, if the new road was to be finished, too many "ifs".
Tired of waiting for economic change, while more and more families are forced to leave ,local groups have applied for Mongol Rally grants to stimulate both their local economy, and more importantly, their local community.
The people of Tsagaannuur are hoping that these Mongol Rally funded grants will be just the start. Building on the foundation established through these community mobilisation projects, the residents can envisage a strong community with enough economic activity to sustain its families.
Children's Playground
In the yard of the Tsagaannuur school are a few scraps of metal, painted blue, forming some recognisable and some not-so-recognisable structures. There is clearly a slippery dip - too hot to use in summer, too cold in winter! And a broken see-saw.
Meanwhile, in the homes of Tsagaannuur there is a ready and waiting workforce of parents, currently unemployed. Some have skills in welding, carpentry and construction they have gained from stints in the aimag centre. Others have no had the opportunity to learn a trade, but they are willing to learn and keen to work.
A local group has applied for a Mongol Rally grant to pair these two seemingly unrelated groups in an effort to stimulate the local community as a means to stimulating the local economy.
By mobilising the community to plan, build and then maintain a playground for their children, a local community group is hoping to stimulate social cohesion, provide a service to the region's children, and lay a foundation for further economic development to combat the declining population and increasing unemployment.
The benefits of a project such as this go beyond the obvious benefits of somewhere for children to play and develop. Time formerly spent just with family members at home becomes time spent building, maintaining and enjoying a communal resource - building friendships and learning new skills. Communities develop pride in their public areas and through working with others are stimulated to move on to new ventures in the future.
Sewing Cooperative
The second grant application from Tsagaannuur is from a group of women hoping to establish a sewing and handcraft cooperative. Currently these women sew household items and clothing in their spare time meeting orders for local and nearby residents.
Zauresh is a mother of three grown up daughters. Her daughters all attend university; they return during the summer holidays, but during the long winter months Zauresh has many hours home alone. Zauresh works part time at the local hospital helping keep the books and with some other odd jobs as needed, but with long nights home alone she began meeting orders for sewn household items from her community to fill the time and earn some much needed extra income.
Zauresh can see big potential to expand her own sewing activities and as a result bring about many benefits for the wider community. She hopes to form a sewing cooperative comprised of local unemployed women to produce traditional Kazakh household items and handcrafts for tourists. Beyond the obvious economic benefits of an income source, Zauresh can see many more benefits. By working together the women can share their skills and learn from each other and also create a wider variety of products than they could working individually. Other benefits from working in a group include sharing resources, and very importantly for Zauresh, keeping each other company while forming strong social bonds.
With no business experience the group has applied for a grant to receive training from a successful sewing business in the aimag centre to teach them how to run a business, how to market their products, and improve their skills in production.
Bayan Olgii
The most western province of Mongolia, the Kazakh region. I was lucky enough to get a gig visiting here in preparation for the Mongol Rally teams passing through, and to visit Mongol Rally grant receipients/potential recipients, and visit some other Mercy Corps projects. It was a flying visit, in multiple ways - being a good 4 days non-stop drive on "roads", Mercy Corps flies staff out here, and being peak tourist season, flights were hard to come by. I flew out super early on a Tuesday morning, and returned mid-morning the next Thursday. I flew out with a Reader's Digest writer who was hoping to grab a ride back to Ulaanbaatar, or at least for a few days, with a Mongol Rally team bringing a fire engine from England to Mongolia! I had a brilliant time with the local Mercy Corps officer, great english skills and a lovely lady. We visited Mongol Rally grant sites in the village closest to the Russian/Mongolian border crossing. A very poor place, no jobs, 70% unemployment, and no water...the ground water is frozen year-round, so the town has no way to access water - which means no showers, no running water for homes etc. Mercy Corps are going to provide grants for building a children's playground - to mobilise the community to work together, and provide something for the local kids; and a grant for a group of women to form a sewing cooperative, get some training in making and running a Kazakh handcraft business - idea is they'll market their products to travelers passing by in summer, fresh into Mongolia after spending numerous hours/days at the border crossing...should be gold mine (relatively speaking) for the locals.
Being the Kazakh region there are big differences, and also alot of similarities. Families live in gers just in summer, the Kazakh gers are huge - lots of space, but a terrible idea come winter, they are too big to heat! The gers are richly decorated with wonderful colourful embroidery. Kazakhs are known for their hospitality - a spread of snacks is constantly maintained around the table, in case visitors drop by.
This is where I got my first taste of "airag" - fermemed mare's milk. The highlight of a Mongolian's summer...and the dread of any visitor's! My stuff tasted like yoghurt at first, followed by a strong hit of something completely unpalatable - fermented, slightly alcoholic, your gut reaction being to spit it out and wash out your mouth. Of course that would be the worst possible thing to do at that moment, so I obligingly swallowed...I got through 4 sips...while my companions devoured their entire bowls happily. Although risking offending my hosts there was no way I was going to get any more of that stuff down..luckily they were more amused at my 8/9ths filled bowl then offended...phew.
A few of the stories of the people I visited in Bayan Olgii. These are from the Social Safety Nets project being funding by USAID. The project has three parts - building communities, building employable skills and creating jobs, and Psycho Social Support training - training designed by the Red Cross, all targeted at rural Mongolians struggling after losing their livelihood due to the dzud (terrible combination of dry, hot summer and extremely cold winter with heavy snow-fall, resulting in an overall loss of 25% of livestock in Mongolia...much higher percentages in some areas) and the global financial crisis (yes, impact even here)...........
SSN - Psycho Social Support Training Participant
Zoya
Unfortunately Zoya's story is not an uncommon one. Her family used to be herders in rural Bayan Olgii, in far-western Mongolia. Following the severe weather conditions of the 'dzud' they lost most of their livestock and were forced to pack up and move to the aimag centre.
This new lifestyle was hard for Zoya. High regional unemployment and a lack of employable skills made it difficult for her or her husband to earn any income. Although surrounded by other families Zoya felt lonely and isolated, desperately missing the life she knew.
In her search for employment and support opportunities Zoya heard about Mercy Corps' Psycho Social Support Training. Since enrolling her life has changed dramatically. She has many friends from her class and feels connected to her community. She now has a job at a local wool-processing factory, after attending a training course in this field.
Now equipped with the self-confidence to proudly share her story, Zoya is brimming with enthusiasm for the benefits the classes have bought her. Impressed by the change in his wife, Zoya's husband has attended a few of the classes - when his work schedule allows, as he has now also found a job after attending training on construction building.
After losing her livelihood and all she knew, Zoya has found hope and much more through Psycho Social Support training. Beyond the despair she was buried in following her loss, she can now see there are many benefits for her children living in town. Zoya and her husband are able to cope with the struggles of life while holding on to hope of a better future for their family.
"I'm really happy to learn new skills from the classes. I found it very useful to learn how to deal with stress and skills for communicating with other people." Zoya
Ger Kindergarten Project
As part of the Social Safety Nets project Mercy Corps has established ger kindergartens for children living in the disadvantaged communities targeted by the project.
Guljayiina is an assistant at the kindergarten created in Bayan Olgii. Eight months since classes began, she can see an amazing improvement in all aspects of the children's lives.
"At first the children only wanted to play noisy, outdoor games - mostly pretending to be farm animals or dogs. Now they play in groups with their friends, using toys or making drawings. Adapting the children to a schedule with times for eating, playing, sleeping and learning also proved challenging."
Before the kindergarten began, none of the children had spent any time in a structured environment, spending their time at home with their families. All children have come from disadvantaged households where money and a lack of knowledge meant that hygiene and access to healthy food was very limited.
Now the children are excited to perform their daily hygiene tasks - brushing their hair and teeth, washing their hands and faces. They also have learnt to enjoy eating the strange food - at first unidentifiable - featuring lots of vegetables and healthy dairy products. Before the children would not eat the food at kindergarten, not knowing what it was. Now when they eat meals at home they ask their parents where the vegetables are.
This is one of the best parts of the ger kindergarten program. It's not only the children attending the kindergarten who benefit, but entire families. Children take their newly gained knowledge and skills home, where they enthusiastically share with their brothers, sisters and parents.
Aisanbat, Kindergarten Attendee
Aisanbat, a 5-year-old girl in Bayan Olgii, is glad her parents were forced to leave their herding lifestyle in the countryside and move to the aimag centre, where they now live in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the town. She is glad because, if this had not happened, she would not be attending the Ger Kindergarten - established as part of the Social Safety Nets project.
Since attending Kindergarten she has learnt a lot about hygiene and healthy eating. And she has made many new friends. Living in the countryside she would have no opportunity for interaction with other children beyond her brother and sister. But now, when her mother suggested she stay home one day, Aisanbat protests:
"If I miss kindergarten my friend will cry!"
A large part of the curriculum in the kindergarten includes personal hygiene. Aisanbat has embraced the benefits of keeping herself clean - she now teaches her little sister how to care for herself as well: how to brush their hair, how to clean their hands and face, how to brush their teeth and so on.
Aisanbat's mother, Anargul, can see a huge difference in the development in her daughter when compared to her older brother who had no opportunity to attend kindergarten. Before kindergarten began both mother and daughter were a little scared - none of her children had spent a day away from her before! But eight months later, she is thrilled with the benefits and looking forward to sending her youngest daughter to kindergarten as well.
***PS: Word was out that the Mercy Corps representative was visiting the Kindergarten. These lovely older Kazakh gentleman had wandered down and strategically placed themselves where we coudln't miss them. Turns out their grand kids go to the Kindergarten, and love it, and tell their grandpas all about it. Problem is the kindergarten is only funded til September (as part of the SSN project), so they wanted to know if it would be continued.
Good news is it will be, the local education department has found some funding to take it through until a Canadian government funded project will build a permanent building and take it over.
This kind of spontaneous display is great proof that the projects are meeting genuine needs in the community, creating positive change...!
Being the Kazakh region there are big differences, and also alot of similarities. Families live in gers just in summer, the Kazakh gers are huge - lots of space, but a terrible idea come winter, they are too big to heat! The gers are richly decorated with wonderful colourful embroidery. Kazakhs are known for their hospitality - a spread of snacks is constantly maintained around the table, in case visitors drop by.
This is where I got my first taste of "airag" - fermemed mare's milk. The highlight of a Mongolian's summer...and the dread of any visitor's! My stuff tasted like yoghurt at first, followed by a strong hit of something completely unpalatable - fermented, slightly alcoholic, your gut reaction being to spit it out and wash out your mouth. Of course that would be the worst possible thing to do at that moment, so I obligingly swallowed...I got through 4 sips...while my companions devoured their entire bowls happily. Although risking offending my hosts there was no way I was going to get any more of that stuff down..luckily they were more amused at my 8/9ths filled bowl then offended...phew.
A few of the stories of the people I visited in Bayan Olgii. These are from the Social Safety Nets project being funding by USAID. The project has three parts - building communities, building employable skills and creating jobs, and Psycho Social Support training - training designed by the Red Cross, all targeted at rural Mongolians struggling after losing their livelihood due to the dzud (terrible combination of dry, hot summer and extremely cold winter with heavy snow-fall, resulting in an overall loss of 25% of livestock in Mongolia...much higher percentages in some areas) and the global financial crisis (yes, impact even here)...........
SSN - Psycho Social Support Training Participant
Zoya
Unfortunately Zoya's story is not an uncommon one. Her family used to be herders in rural Bayan Olgii, in far-western Mongolia. Following the severe weather conditions of the 'dzud' they lost most of their livestock and were forced to pack up and move to the aimag centre.
This new lifestyle was hard for Zoya. High regional unemployment and a lack of employable skills made it difficult for her or her husband to earn any income. Although surrounded by other families Zoya felt lonely and isolated, desperately missing the life she knew.
In her search for employment and support opportunities Zoya heard about Mercy Corps' Psycho Social Support Training. Since enrolling her life has changed dramatically. She has many friends from her class and feels connected to her community. She now has a job at a local wool-processing factory, after attending a training course in this field.
Now equipped with the self-confidence to proudly share her story, Zoya is brimming with enthusiasm for the benefits the classes have bought her. Impressed by the change in his wife, Zoya's husband has attended a few of the classes - when his work schedule allows, as he has now also found a job after attending training on construction building.
After losing her livelihood and all she knew, Zoya has found hope and much more through Psycho Social Support training. Beyond the despair she was buried in following her loss, she can now see there are many benefits for her children living in town. Zoya and her husband are able to cope with the struggles of life while holding on to hope of a better future for their family.
"I'm really happy to learn new skills from the classes. I found it very useful to learn how to deal with stress and skills for communicating with other people." Zoya
Ger Kindergarten Project
As part of the Social Safety Nets project Mercy Corps has established ger kindergartens for children living in the disadvantaged communities targeted by the project.
Guljayiina is an assistant at the kindergarten created in Bayan Olgii. Eight months since classes began, she can see an amazing improvement in all aspects of the children's lives.
"At first the children only wanted to play noisy, outdoor games - mostly pretending to be farm animals or dogs. Now they play in groups with their friends, using toys or making drawings. Adapting the children to a schedule with times for eating, playing, sleeping and learning also proved challenging."
Before the kindergarten began, none of the children had spent any time in a structured environment, spending their time at home with their families. All children have come from disadvantaged households where money and a lack of knowledge meant that hygiene and access to healthy food was very limited.
Now the children are excited to perform their daily hygiene tasks - brushing their hair and teeth, washing their hands and faces. They also have learnt to enjoy eating the strange food - at first unidentifiable - featuring lots of vegetables and healthy dairy products. Before the children would not eat the food at kindergarten, not knowing what it was. Now when they eat meals at home they ask their parents where the vegetables are.
This is one of the best parts of the ger kindergarten program. It's not only the children attending the kindergarten who benefit, but entire families. Children take their newly gained knowledge and skills home, where they enthusiastically share with their brothers, sisters and parents.
Aisanbat, Kindergarten Attendee
Aisanbat, a 5-year-old girl in Bayan Olgii, is glad her parents were forced to leave their herding lifestyle in the countryside and move to the aimag centre, where they now live in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the town. She is glad because, if this had not happened, she would not be attending the Ger Kindergarten - established as part of the Social Safety Nets project.
Since attending Kindergarten she has learnt a lot about hygiene and healthy eating. And she has made many new friends. Living in the countryside she would have no opportunity for interaction with other children beyond her brother and sister. But now, when her mother suggested she stay home one day, Aisanbat protests:
"If I miss kindergarten my friend will cry!"
A large part of the curriculum in the kindergarten includes personal hygiene. Aisanbat has embraced the benefits of keeping herself clean - she now teaches her little sister how to care for herself as well: how to brush their hair, how to clean their hands and face, how to brush their teeth and so on.
Aisanbat's mother, Anargul, can see a huge difference in the development in her daughter when compared to her older brother who had no opportunity to attend kindergarten. Before kindergarten began both mother and daughter were a little scared - none of her children had spent a day away from her before! But eight months later, she is thrilled with the benefits and looking forward to sending her youngest daughter to kindergarten as well.
***PS: Word was out that the Mercy Corps representative was visiting the Kindergarten. These lovely older Kazakh gentleman had wandered down and strategically placed themselves where we coudln't miss them. Turns out their grand kids go to the Kindergarten, and love it, and tell their grandpas all about it. Problem is the kindergarten is only funded til September (as part of the SSN project), so they wanted to know if it would be continued.
Good news is it will be, the local education department has found some funding to take it through until a Canadian government funded project will build a permanent building and take it over.
This kind of spontaneous display is great proof that the projects are meeting genuine needs in the community, creating positive change...!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Mongol Derby Funded Projects Map
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Mercy Corps' Mongol Derby Projects Promo Video
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Hunting Strawberries
Today I went to my colleague's country house about a half hour outside of UB to meet her family and hike in the forest for wild strawberries! After a slow start we eventually found hundreds of these delicious delicacies. The weather was perfect - the sun was shining, nice and warm but not ridiculously hot. The kids were beautiful and very entertaining company.
Following the hike we came back to town and visited the Children's Park - an amusement park with an interesting selection of rides and the usual things. The kids had fun on a big slippery dip and we all ate ice-cream, then it was time to come home :D
Following the hike we came back to town and visited the Children's Park - an amusement park with an interesting selection of rides and the usual things. The kids had fun on a big slippery dip and we all ate ice-cream, then it was time to come home :D
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