Food Security and Education in Mongolia

Bayankhongor, in western Mongolia, just 6,000 miles west of the capital Ulaanbaatar, has a large pastoral population whose primary occupation is herding animals such as goats and yaks. From 1999 to 2002, Mongolia was plagued by extreme winters, called dzuds, which decimated the herds of these migrant people, forcing them to take up residence in nearby cities and surrounding rural villages. Once there, however, they often found themselves unable to find formal employment with which to generate a cash income, and without a herd they could not return to the countryside. Many have turn to illegal mining of gold and copper, but this industry provides a sporadic income at best. Adults are forced to leave home and travel long distances to find work, leaving children and elderly members of the household to fend for themselves. Many people are living below the poverty line and statistics show that 36% of Mongolians live on less than a dollar a day. In 2006, only 1.46 percent of Mongolia’s total GNP emanated from Bayankhongor.

Since 2005, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) have funded ADRA’s efforts in Mongolia in bio-intensive farming, farmers’ cooperative development, and vegetable production. Traditionally, Mongolians in this area have relied almost exclusively on animal products for their diet, such as meat and dairy products, and as a result they have little or no experience with growing their own food. Part of ADRA’s work in this region involves conducting training in bio-intensive gardening. With the ability to cultivate their own food, Mongolians are not only be able to supplement their diet with their own produce and improve their food security, but they are also be able to sell their homegrown vegetables in the local markets where demand is high for such local products as Mongolian potatoes. This not only supplements the incomes of families living below the poverty line, but also stimulates the local economy which relies heavily on informal kinship networks and barter systems. Rural Mongolians who cannot afford the expensive exported goods from neighboring China will be able to buy food at an affordable price at their local markets.

 

Ten years ago Byambadoo lost six fingers and both legs in an industrial accident at the textile factory he was working at. Unable to provide for his family, he sank into depression and began to drink heavily. Three years ago Byambadoo got involved in the ADRA Mongolia project and started his own small vegetable plot. Today he harvests 1,200 kilograms of vegetables and not only does he have enough to feed his family, but he also has surplus which he sells in his community. With the money he earns from his vegetables he is able to pay his daughter’s tuition for a whole semester. Byambadoo says, “My family is really happy because I have returned to them with a job and motivation for life.”

In addition to the agricultural project, ADRA has implemented education programs in the region of Bayankhongor. It is common for herding families to keep their children out of school because there is a need for their labor, so ADRA conducts discussion groups with parents, teachers and government officials, to address the need to keep youths in school. The Youth and Education Program provides young people life and health skills, literacy and numeracy training as well as vocational training and small business training. These initiatives enable school dropouts to acquire the skills they need to improve their socio-economic conditions. The vocational skills’ training caters to local needs and the local market, offering classes such as carpentry, bakery, hairdressing and cooking. ADRA also provides schools with basic school supplies such as notebooks, pens etc. ADRA works to ensure its projects are sustainable by training teachers, families, and young people, and by working with government officials to ensure that improvements are lasting and passed on to future generations.