Helping children turn their lives around

A child in need of protection ©UNICEF/MGLA2007-00005/Holmes

When Bat (not his real name) was 14, he would run away from home a lot. Sometimes for a day, sometimes for longer. His older brothers would look for him and when they found him would bring him home and often beat him.

Нандиагийн охины эрүүл амьдралын эхлэл

Фото зураг: Нандиа охины хамт

M. Булгансор охин эхийнхээ өвөр дээр эрхлэн тоглож байна. Охиноо инээж хөхрөх бүрд Д.Нандинцэцэг (Нандиа, 19 настай) нь түүнийг энхрийлэн харж, инээмсэглэж байлаа.  Булгансор бол аз жаргалтай, эрүүл энх өсөн торниж буй 7 сартай охин юм. Тэрээр эрүүл саруул бойжиж, өдрөөс өдөрт өсөж том болж байна. Түүний ээж Нандиа их сургуулийн оюутан ба охиноо төрүүлснээс хойш 6 сарын турш зөвхөн өөрийн хөхний сүүгээр хооллож байгаа учраас эрүүл гэдэгт итгэлтэй байдаг.

Riding a reindeer to school

Ulzichimeg is catching up on homework in her 

dormitory ©UNICEF/2014/Zetty Brake

Ulzichimeg is a small girl with hair so long that looks like it has never been cut. When school started on September 1^st, Ulzichimeg joined her two older sisters at the local soum school a full day’s travel away from her family by reindeer.

The Taiga path that leads to mobile kindergarten

This documentary shows a UNICEF supported a kindergarten in the Tsaatan community providing early childhood education to 25 children from one of the most remote areas of Mongolia. Every day parents ride their reindeers up to 1.5 hours to drop their children off at the kindergarten.

Supporting children with disabilities

Oyun-Erdene has a disability. She smiles as her older brother Baljinnyam picks her up and 

carries  her on his back ©UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1781/Sokol

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day aims to promote an understanding of people with disabilities and encourages support for their dignity, rights and well-being. People with disabilities face discrimination on a daily basis. Their abilities and capacities are overlooked. They miss out on vital health care and education and are often excluded from society. This is also true for children with disabilities.

Fighting HIV/AIDS in Mongolia

Today is World AIDS day. Around the world there are 35 million people living with HIV and another 19 million who are unaware of their status. Since the 1980s much progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. One such achievement is that 1.1 million new infections among children were prevented between 2005 and 2013.

Shining a light on greater investment in children

Nyamdavaa is 10 years old and feels safer having street lights near 

his home and school ©UNICEF/2014/Zetty Brake

Monday to Friday, 10 year old Nyamdavaa walks from his home to school and back again along one of the town’s dusty roads. It isn’t far, but in winter (which can last six months) it is very dark.

Proper sanitation comes to a countryside school

Khuliunaa studying in her dormitory, Tarilan village, Khuvsgul province 

© UNICEF Mongolia/2014/M. Byambaragchaa

Khaliunaa, 13, lives with her nomadic family outside Tarialan soum, Khuvsgul province, northern Mongolia. Because her family, father Buyanbadrakh, 44, mother Narangerel, 38 and sister Bulganaa, nine, are animal herders and move several times per year in search of better grazing land, she and her sister have to board at the local dormitory during the school year. If the weather is not too bad during winter they can sometimes travel to their home on the weekend and see their parents.

Ending child deaths from pneumonia

A child in rural Mongolia receiving medical care in rural Mongolia ©UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0448/Cullen 

Today is world pneumonia day. Globally pneumonia is the largest infectious killer of children under five. In 2012 pneumonia killed 1.1 million children under five, or 5,500 children every day, or one child every 15 seconds. Nearly all of these deaths occurred in developing countries.

Photo story: safe horse racing for children

Horse racing is a part of Mongolian culture and has been practiced for centuries. However, the races have changed over time and jockeys are now almost always children. Without helmets and safety gear, the risk to child jockeys of injuries or death is high.

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