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.
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.
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).
Dr. Naran works in a school in remote Ulaan-Uul soum in Khuvsgul province, more than 900 km away from the capital, Ulaanbaaatar. As well as looking after the physical well-being of the children under her care, she has recently been trained to provide counselling.
Bayanbaatar’s
family is one of thousands of ordinary young families living in Murun city. His
wife Delgersaikhan, 34, is a teacher at the “Soroban” Abacus Training center. Bayanbaatar
(30) is unemployed currently and takes care of their baby girl Zolboo, who was
born slightly less than two months ago. Older child of the couple is a 9 year
old boy called Myagmar. Bayanbaatar’s family moved to Murun several years ago from
Selenge province in search of a better livelihood.
“My name is U-Y-A-N-G-A-A with a long A-A at the end” says Uyangaa, using sign language that she has just learned at school. It’s difficult to believe that, until recently, this joyful 16-year-old had been isolated and lonely, excluded from school for the last ten years.
Rinchinlhumbe soum, Khuvsgul province: “Look, look! I’ve finished this” proudly says 7 year-old Tamir after completing a colored puzzle game in a newly-established learning and recreational center at a local school. He is an outgoing, bright kid who lives in Rinchilhumbe soum, one of the coldest places in Mongolia where the temperature stays around -40°C most of the time during winter.
Baaska is a 17-year-old high
school junior, studying at “Aviyas” school of Khuvsgul province. She lives with
her grandmother and two younger siblings in Murun, Khuvsgul province, in
northern Mongolia. They live together in a small ger (traditional Mongolian
tent). Baaska’s parents are herders, and they live in Tuv province, in central
Mongolia, where they have better pasture land for their livestock.
I was born in Jargalant village of Arkhangai province in
Mongolia. I studied hydrology at Odessa State Hydro-meteorological University in Ukraine. Before joining UNICEF,
I have worked at Mongolian Academy of Science,
World Wildlife Fund for Nature and UN Development Programme as researcher and program manager. My area of
expertise is Integrated River Basin Management and it has been very applicable
to UNICEF’s work on improving access to and quality of water. For example, we
recently supported adoption of “Water Safety Plan” in our program areas to help
ensure water is safe for children to drink. This also involved development of
guidelines on water, sanitation and hygiene
as well.
Since 2012, Khuvsgul aimag* has started an initiative to become a "child-friendly aimag" and children's issues are reflected in all its policy decisions and plans. For instance, Khuvsgul aimag's parliament issued resolution on investing not less than 10 percent of Local Development Fund (LDF) for well-being of children. As of today, most of the soums* of Khuvsgul aimag are regularly allocating up to 22.5 percent of LDF for children.
“My favorite toy is a car!” cheerfully says 4 year-old
Otgonsuren. “We have so many toys to
play with, but I like painting and drawing the most”. Taking a pencil from
stack of colored pencils, he starts drawing. Otgonsuren started kindergarten only
this summer, and he has been enjoying the new experience. “I really like my
kindergarten” he says.
