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.

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. 

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.

UNICEF and Khuvsgul province spreading good practices on MHM

New latrines for girls

©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/AmarsanaaJ

In the beginning of July 2016, a pleasant surprise was awaiting girls, who came to “Uran Dush” Summer Camp from different parts of Khuvsgul Aimag (Province) as well as other parts of Mongolia. Located in some 20 km from the Provincial Center, Uran Dush is the biggest and most popular summer camp in Khuvsgul Aimag. The “surprise” was brand new latrines for girls, built in a few meters distance from the old wooden latrines, which seemed to have been there for ages and looked as if they might collapse any time.

UNICEF seeks new solutions for sanitation in cold climate in Mongolia

©UNICEF Mongolia/2015/

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Poor sanitation and hygiene conditions were estimated to cost the Mongolian economy 35.5 billion MNT (US$ 26 million), or 0.5% of GDP.

With the population of only 3 million people, nearly half of Mongolians live in its capital and in poor and deprived areas around the city. Winter time in Mongolia is long and the temperature can go down as low as -40°C, with permafrost throughout much of the country for most of the year. In these challenging geographic conditions, access to basic social services is limited for the most vulnerable populations, and this is particularly true for water and sanitation. 

Hacking for youth health

The atmosphere crackles with excitement as more than 140 young people cram into one room, ready to spend the next two days designing websites and mobile apps. They are taking part in Hacking for Youth Health, a hackathon set up and run by UNICEF with the help of Canada’s University of Waterloo.

19 teams participate in Hackathon
© UNICEF Mongolia/2017/Mungunkhishig B.

These young creative minds have come together from different parts of Mongolia with one goal: to find innovative technological solutions to address mental health problems and prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV among adolescents and young people.

Unfolding individual potentials: A learning and recreational center gives children room to grow in Khuvsgul, Mongolia

Tamir after completing his puzzle game

©UNICEFMongolia/2017/Mungunkhishig Batbaatar

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.

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.

When there is a will, there is a way: Investing in early childhood development (ECD) in Nalaikh, Ulaanbaatar

Uranbileg and her favorite Teddy bear
©UNICEFMongolia/2016/Mungunkhishig Batbaatar

“I want to be a doctor when I grow up so that I can heal others,” says 5-year-old Uranbileg, also known as Urnaa. She lives in Nalaikh, a peri-urban district in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Her bright, intelligent smile belies the chronicle of her past pain and doubt. Having been born with bilateral orofacial clefts, her parents wondered if her little daughter would have a normal life in the future.

Шийдвэр гаргахад хүүхдийн оролцоог дэмжих нь

Бааска охин эмээгийнхээ хамтаар гэртээ
© UNICEF Монгол /2016/А.Энхзул

17 настай Бааска охин Хөвсгөл аймгийн "Aвъяас" сургуулийн ахлах ангид сурдаг. Тэрээр аймгийн төв Мөрөн хотод эмээ, хоёр дүүгийн хамт амьдардаг. Бааскагийн ээж, аав нь Төв аймгийн нутагт мал хариулан амьдардаг.

Бид НҮБ-ын Хүүхдийн сангийнхан: Ус, ариун цэвэр, эрүүл ахуйн мэргэжилтэн Нямсүрэнгийн Батнасан

Та өөрийнхөө талаар товч танилцууна уу?

Миний бие Архангай аймгийн Жаргалант суманд төрсөн. Би Украйны Одесса хотын Ус, цаг уурын улсын их сургуульд гидрологч мэргэжил эзэмшсэн. НҮБ-ын Хүүхдийн санд орохоосоо өмнө Монгол Улсын Шинжлэх ухааны академи, Дэлхийн байгаль хамгаалах сан, НҮБ-ын Хөгжлийн хөтөлбөр зэрэгт судлаач, хөтөлбөрийн менежерээр ажиллаж байлаа.

Faces of UNICEF: Yalalttsetseg Tumurbaatar, Operations Assistant, UNICEF Mongolia

Tell us a bit about yourself? What do you do?

I’m Yalalt. I work as an operations assistant in UNICEF Mongolia. I oversee all the payments and other finance and accounting related tasks in the office. I started working for UNICEF since March 2015. I majored in finance and accounting. Before joining UNICEF, I worked for PWC Audit Mongolia as an auditor. So I came to UNICEF from business sector to follow my passion to help others.

What’s your working day like?

My working day is usually a busy one. That’s why I do weekly and daily planning and make a list of priorities, what is important and what I need to finish for the day/week. Since financial tasks include regular activities and compliance to rules, it is important to be well organized and to prioritize so I can complete everything as I plan.  Because I believe that good planning leads to better outcomes.

Inclusive society starts in school

Shuree likes to read and dreams of becoming an actress

 ©UNICEF Mongolia/2016/Enkhzul Altangerel

      From the pile of letters, Munkhshur picks letter “Р” to complete the word “САР” which means “moon” in English. “I know how to spell many words. Do you want to see the others?” smiles Shuree, as her friends call her, eager to show what she has learned at school.

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.

Сургуулийн ундны ус - сурагчдын боловсрол, хөгжлийн үндэс

Олимпийн аварга болох гараа: Батаа үндэсний болон олон улсын  Таэквондогийн тэмцээний медалиудтайгаа. ©НҮБХС Монгол Улс/2016/Энхзул Алтангэрэл

Олимпийн аварга болох гараа: Батаа үндэсний болон олон улсын 

Таэквондогийн тэмцээний медалиудтайгаа.

©НҮБХС Монгол Улс/2016/Энхзул Алтангэрэл

 Налайх дүүргийн 119 дүгээр сургуульд өглөөний завсарлагын хонх дуугарч, анги танхимын хаалгууд нээгдэж, хүүхдүүд яаран гарч ирлээ. Тэдний эхний зогсоол бол сэтгэл сэргээм хүйтэн, цэвэр ус бүхий сургуульд нь байрлуулсан цэвэр ус шүүгч байлаа. Арван долоон настай Бат-Ирээдүй хүү ангиасаа холгүй байрлуулсан ус шүүгчээс авсан усыг хэсэг залгилаад "Би азтай шүү, манай ангийн хажууд усны шүүгч байдаг” хэмээн инээд алдлаа. Хүссэн үедээ сайхан цэвэр ус уух нь зарим хүнд ихэд биелэмгүй зүйл хэдий ч эдгээр сурагчдад бол тийм биш ажээ.