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.” 

Tackling nutrition during natural disasters

Twin boys Tseveensuren and Tsendsuren love their new sunglasses

© UNICEF Mongolia/2017/Ariunzaya D.

Twin boys Tseveensuren and Tsendsuren, aged two and a half, are all smiles as they don their cool new sunglasses. Tseveensuren, the older of the two, gently puts his arm around his little brother’s shoulders as they pose for the camera. Their mother Otgonsuren, 37, is a single parent who also takes care of her elderly mother. “My boys are like two peas in a pod”, she says, kissing them both on the cheek. “They like the same things and do everything together. And they’re so energetic and active, they don’t sit still for a moment!”

The family lives in Bayanbulag soum (district) in Bayankhongor province, southern Mongolia. Situated 2,200 metres above sea level among magnificent, snow-capped mountains, Bayanbulag soum has a subarctic climate with mild summers and extremely cold winters.

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.

Хүүхэд бүрийг зохистой хоол тэжээлээр хангах нь

2 настай Азат хүү ээжийнхээ хийж өгсөн бантанг идэж байна.

©НҮБХС Монгол Улс/2016/A.Энхзул

     Хоолны сайхан үнэр гэрээр нэг дүүрэн үнэртэнэ. "Өнөөдөр би бантан хийсэн. Бантангаа жаахан хөрөхөөр нь илүү тэжээллэг болгохын тулд хүнсний нэмэлт найрлагат бэлдмэл нэмж хийдэг” хэмээн 27 настай Жулдиз бүсгүй ярилаа. Гурван хүүхэддээ үдийн хоолыг нь хийж өгөхөд хүүхдүүд бие биенээсээ уралдан хурдан гэгч нь иднэ. “Хүүхдүүд маань хоол унданд сайн байвал би баяртай байдаг. Хоолонд сайн байна гэдэг чинь эрүүл саруул өсөж байгаагийн шинж шүү дээ” гээд Жулдиз инээмсэглэн өгүүлэв.

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.

Fathers’ cooking healthy meals for their kids

Erdenebat scoops micronutrient enriched soup into a bowl
© UNICEF Mongolia/2014/Byambaragchaa Magvandorj

Erdenebat, 26 years old, is bent over a stove, carefully stirring the micronutrient enriched thickened rice soup that he has cooked from scratch. After he finishes cooking, Erdenebat turns to the five other fathers in the room and tells them about the nutritional value of the dish.