No child benefit, no school supplies

5-year-old twins from Gurvanbulag soum in south-western Mongolia. Their parents depend on child benefit, which is the family's only source of income.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova  

“One litre of vegetable oil… 500 grams of flour… and some potatoes.” The owner of the grocery store in Gurvanbulag, a small soum (village) in south-western Mongolia, is going through her notebook. Every page is for one local family – a family who cannot afford to buy basic groceries and has to get them on credit. 

“Almost everybody in the village borrows from us because they have very little money. They usually pay us back once a month but not always – the herders often pay only once a year, after they sell cashmere wool,” the shopkeeper explains.

Faces of UNICEF: Ulziisaikhan Sereeter, Early Childhood Development Officer at UNICEF Mongolia

Ulziisaikhan Sereeter, Early Childhood Development Officer at UNICEF Mongolia.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

What do you do in UNICEF Mongolia?

I work as an Early Childhood Development Officer and I oversee young children’s issues. I mostly focus on young children aged 0 - 5. For the age 0 - 2, I cooperate with other sectors like health, nutrition, and child protection as part of the integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) program. For the age 2 - 5, I usually work with kindergartens and preschool education services.

Making early learning more accessible with ger kindergartens

Thanks to ger kindergarten, additional 20 children can access early childhood education.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

The kindergarten No. 189 in Ulaanbaatar’s Khan-Uul district is buzzing with noises. In the ger classroom, using the traditional Mongolian tent-like structure, children are running around, playing or singing. Two teachers taking care of them – Mrs. Amgalan and her assistant – certainly have their hands full.

The ger classroom was opened in February 2018 because of the insufficient capacity of the kindergarten’s main building. Thanks to the two connected gers, additional 20 children can now access early childhood education.

Mongolia moves to promote and protect children’s rights online

“Although, we emphasize online child sexual abuse and exploitation, we cannot forget about the opportunities that the Internet has to offer,” said Mr. Alex Heikens during the opening of the consultation “National multi-sectoral responses to prevent and tackle online child sexual abuse and exploitation.” ©UNICEFMongolia/2018/MungunkhishigB

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - Every half a second, a child goes online for the first time – tapping into all the great opportunities the Internet has to offer, along with its grave threats. Protecting children online is a challenge for every country. In Mongolia, children and young people are the most active and enthusiastic users of social media. The country stands on top in the region with around 94 percent of the pupils in Mongolia actively using Facebook. Statistics show that there are over 2 million users of Facebook in Mongolia.

Агаарын бохирдлоос хүүхдээ хамгаалахад эцэг эхчүүдийн үүрэг чухал

Улаанбаатар хотод судалгааны ажил дээрээ ажиллаж буй, нийгмийн эрүүл мэндийн мэргэжилтэн
Мисбат Дауда. ©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

Судлаач Мисбат Дауда нь агаарын бохирдол хүүхдийн эрүүл мэндэд хэрхэн нөлөөлж байгааг судлахаар Улаанбаатар хотод ажиллаж байна. Тэрээр нийслэлийн агаарын бохирдол ноцтой хэмжээнд хүрсэн гэдгийг хэлж байна. Агаарын бохирдол нярай хүүхдийн тархины хөгжилд хэрхэн сөргөөр нөлөөлдөг, хүүхдээ агаарын бохирдлоос хэрхэн хамгаалах талаар эцэг, эх юу хийж болох тухай судлаач бүсгүйтэй ярилцлаа.

Chance of a better future with ger kindergartens

Minjinsor at the entrance of her ger kindergarten.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

“When I’m at kindergarten, I like to sing and play with Barbie dolls. I also like to play with all my friends,” says 5-year-old Minjinsor. She has a shy smile and short hair, newly cut during the Mongolian traditional hair-cutting ceremony.

Minjinsor is one of 15 children who left their overcrowded classroom in the main building of Kindergarten No. 8 in Ulaanbaatar’s Bayanzurkh district, and moved to a new ger classroom. Built in the typical Mongolian tent-like style, it is more spacious so the children can play more freely, and smaller numbers mean they can also enjoy the full attention of their teachers.

Эхийн сүү - Эрүүл амьдралын эхлэл

Ээж Б.Золзаяа хүү Очирын хамт. Хөвсгөл аймгийн Мөрөн сум. ©UNICEF/UN0188805

Очир хүү 2018 оны 2-р сарын 26-ны өдөр 3,8 кг жинтэй эрүүл саруул мэндлэв. Хүүгийн ээж, аав хоёр хоёулаа 18 настай залуу хос. Мөрөн хотод амьдардаг энэ залуухан гэр бүл анхны хүүхдээ өлгийдөн авсан нь энэ. 

Public health expert: Air pollution is highly increasing risk of respiratory infections in Mongolian children

Public health expert Misbath Daouda working on her research in Ulaanbaatar.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

Air pollution is a serious problem in the Mongolian capital, says researcher Misbath Daouda, who came to Ulaanbaatar to find out how air pollution is affecting children’s health. In the interview, she also talks about the impacts of polluted air on infants’ brains, and gives recommendations on how parents should protect their children.  

Young advisers to the UN Mongolia: Youth engagement is vital for prosperity of the country

UNYAP members Erdenedalai Odonkhuu, Khaliunaa Naranbayar and Zolboo Dashmyagmar (L-R) in front of UN House in Ulaanbaatar. ©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Sabina Netrvalova

Addressing the needs of young people in Mongolia, promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and advising different UN agencies from the youth perspective. These are just some of the activities of UN Youth Advisory Panel (UNYAP) in Mongolia. How can one become a part of UNYAP? And what are their plans for the coming months? We talked about it with UNYAP members Zolboo Dashmyagmar, Khaliunaa Naranbayar and Erdenedalai Odonkhuu. 

No more mold on walls: New bathrooms for kindergartens No. 122

The new sinks at kindergarten No. 122 are more accessible for children.
©UNICEFMongolia/2018/Mungunkhishig Batbaatar 

The brand-new toilets in kindergarten No. 122 in Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar city are sparkling clean. The bathrooms look bigger now and the sinks are more accessible for children. With over 880 pupils, the kindergarten’s bathroom facilities were in desperate need of renovations.

#EveryChildALIVE: Ochir from Murun, Khuvsgul province, Mongolia

2-day-old Ochir from Khuvsgul province, Mongolia. © UNICEF/UN0188803

Ochir, boy, weight 3.8 kg; 2 days old; born on 26 February 2018. Baby Ochir from Mongolia was born healthy. Thanks to the training his mother received, he was breastfed and kept warm after his birth with a blanket around his feet and a hat on his head (all babies in Mongolia must wear hats and are wrapped in a special way when outside). His mother, Zolzaya Baasanjav, 18, is a student. His father is Tserentogtokh and he is 18 years old. Both live in Murun City. Ochir is their first child.

#EveryChildALIVE: Saruulgerel from Murun, Khuvsgul province, Mongolia

Baby Saruulgerel G. from Khuvsgul province, Mongolia © UNICEF/UN0188818

Baby Saruulgerel from Mongolia was delivered by a skilled midwife. Her mother almost suffered a miscarriage, but thanks to the care and advice of a midwife, she went home and rested. The bleeding stopped, and when the time came, the delivery went well. Her mother, Dashnyam Ganbaatar, 23 and the father, Ganchuluun Baatarchuluu, 29 are unemployed and live in Murun city. They have two children.

#EveryChildALIVE: Sugar-Ochir from Tosontsengel soum, Khuvsgul province, Mongolia

5-day-old Sugar-Ochir from Khuvsgul province, Mongolia. © UNICEF/UN0188808 

Sugar-Ochir from Mongolia was born via C-section. His mother is a herder. Her previous babies were born in a very cold and dark room. Thanks to the heated health centre and the micronutrients she took, she delivered Sugar-Ochir feeling warm, and did not feel tired during the pregnancy (iron deficiency can make women feel exhausted and depleted). She said the pills changed her and her baby’s life. His mother, Namjilmaa Naransuren, 38, and the father, Lkagvadorji Dashdavaa are herders, and they live in Tosontsengel soum (subprovince), some 60 km away from the province centre, Murun. The family has 3 boys (aged 18 and 16, and the newborn baby).

#EveryChildALIVE: Uuriintsolmon from Murun, Khuvsgul province, Mongolia

©UNICEF/UN0204329

Uuriintsolmon from Mongolia was born healthy and, unlike her older sister, remained in good health after her birth. Thanks to the home-care training received with the support of UNICEF, her mother did not make the same mistakes: Her sister had jaundice as a baby – her mother thought she was going to die. She also had a rash and small cuts on her arm because her mother did not bathe her frequently, and she suffered from constant colds because the house was not ventilated. Thanks to the nutrition training, Uuriintsolmon's milk is healthier (Mongolians believe meat, bread and cookies stimulate breastmilk production, while vegetables are better.) Her mother, Bayarmaa Erdenejargal,30, and her father, Nyambat 26, live in Murun city.

ФОТО НИЙТЛЭЛ: Агаарын бохирдлыг багасгах зорилгоор Инновацийн мэргэжилтнүүд Монгол гэрийг шинэчлэхээр ажиллаж байна.

©UNICEFMongolia/TamirBayarsaikhan

Дэлхий дээрх хамгийн их агаарын бохирдолтой Улаанбаатар хот.

Let's discuss at the UN - Unworn Masks

©UNICEFMongolia/UNYAP/2018

What can we do to help reduce air pollution in Ulaanbaatar and protect us and our families? A hundred of young Mongolians were trying to find an answer to this question during the “Let’s discuss at the UN” event, initiated and organized by the United Nations Youth Advisory Panel (UNYAP) with UNICEF’s support. 

PHOTO ESSAY: Innovation experts set to reinvent Mongolian Ger

©UNICEFMongolia/TamirBayarsaikhan

Ulaanbaatar – home to half of Mongolia’s three million population
– has the most toxic air in the world during winter.

Designing the 21st Century Ger Project launched

Ger disctrict of Bayangol and Songinokhairkhan districts, Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia. 8th March 2018
©UNICEFMongolia/TamirBayarsaikhan

In the beginning of March, a group of international experts, including researchers from Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania and KieranTimberlake architecture firm, arrived to Ulaanbaatar to discuss the possibilities of ger redesign and find ways to better insulate the traditional Mongolian housing. The 21st Century Ger Project, launched by UNICEF Mongolia as part of its work on air pollution, hopes to reduce both the fuel costs for local families and toxic air in the capital.

Охидын сарын тэмдгийн үеийн эрүүл ахуйг сайжруулах нь

©UNICEFMongolia

2016 онд зун Уран Дөш зусланд амрахаар ирсэн охидыг нэгэн таатай гэнэтийн бэлэг хүлээж байлаа. Хөвсгөл аймгийн төвөөс 20 км-ийн зайтай оршдог Уран Дөш зуслан нь тус аймгийн хамгийн том бас хүүхдүүдийн хамгийн очих дуртай зуны зуслан юм. Энд зөвхөн аймгаас төдийгүй Монголын өнцөг улан бүрээс хүүхдүүд ирж амардаг.