Curbing malnutrition is a community effort in Mongolia

Bujinkhuu aka Bujka posing with his puppy for the photo op outside his house.
©UNICEF Mongolia/2017/ Mungunkhishig Batbaatar

“Thank you, doctor! See you next time, doctor!” politely says 4-year-old Bujka while a local nutrition counsellor is readying up to leave after her weekly house-to-house visit. Living under the poverty line in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the nation’s capital, Bujka kept getting sick and was hospitalized four to five times every year until 2016. Although he has never attended kindergarten due to his health conditions and familial concerns, Bujka optimistically says “This year I won’t be sick… And I will never go back to a hospital again.” 

Emergency nutrition service gives children a new lease of life in dzud affected Mongolia

Local health workers weighing Tsetsgee (January, 2016)
©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/Ganchimeg

“My daughter was underweight and kept getting sick during the winter” says Ms. Orlomsuren, a mother of three who lives in Zavkhan, one of the provinces affected worst by dzud—extreme, harsh winter. She added that she could still remember the long, cold winter nights when she was struggling to put nutritious food on the table for her children, especially her then 2-year-old daughter Tsetsgee. “We were very worried about our little girl and didn’t know what to do when the roads were blocked by snow,” added Ms. Orlomsuren.

Ensuring every child has good nutrition

2 year-old Azat eating bantan made by his mother

©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/Enkhzul Altangerel

A delicious smell runs through the house as lunch is ready. “Today I made bantan. Bantan is a Mongolian flour soup. It is very simple, made only from two ingredients, flour and meat. When it gets cooler, I’ll add micronutrient supplements to make it more nutritious” says 27-year old Juldiz. When she served her three children lunch, they ate quickly to see who finishes first. “I am happy when they eat well. Because it means that they will grow healthy” Juldiz smiles.

Picture imperfect: vulnerable families access social services

Naranzul (centre) with her family outside their home in Arbulag soum
© UNICEF Mongolia/2013/Andy Brown

Someone is missing from four-year-old Naranzul’s family. She lives in a wooden house in Arbulag soum (village) with her mother Otgontsetseg, grandmother and 11-month-old baby sister Saranzul. But she has no father. He was killed in a traffic accident over a year ago, when Otgontsetseg was three months pregnant with Saranzul.

“It was a real shock for me when my husband died. It happened so suddenly,” Otgontsetseg says, her voice trembling as she speaks. “My relatives helped a lot in those difficult days. At first Naranzul didn’t understand what had happened but now she is starting to realise. She says ‘my father has turned into a picture’.”

Photos: vulnerable families access social services

UNICEF is working with Arbulag soum government, and others throughout the province, to provide basic health and social services for at-risk families. This is part of our Reach Every District and Soum (REDS) initiative and broader strategy to address inequality by targeting the most vulnerable children and communities.

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