Woke up this morning and looked outside my window… snow! My first glimpse of snow in Mongolia. I guess that’s it, winter is going to set in soon. Luckily enough my wardrobe is well stocked with jumpers, hats and gloves, so the cold temperatures don’t seem as daunting as they once were (thanks to all of you who donated to my winter clothing fund!). I was very excited by the snow, but was soon brought down to earth by my flatmate Jon. He’s from a cold part of Canada and so is used to it all – he was very blasé!Trips to different Mongolian organisations – this week I had the pleasure of going to visit four more of the network member organisations (see last week’s entry for more details). First up was Dayartugs (which literally means “it’s perfect”). Dayartugs are a very small, newly established NGO, which aims to promote volunteerism amongst Mongolian young people. Dayartugs is working on many projects, despite the fact that they only have three staff members, all of which work voluntarily. Second was the Liberal Women’s Brain Pool, an organisation set up after the fall of communism to promote women’s ideas. Whilst some of the work that the organisation deals with is linked specifically to helping women (especially in the field of political participation), the organisation was keen to point out the many other areas that it has worked on. I was very impressed by the mobile library scheme that they have set up, designed to improve literacy in rural areas.
Thursday’s visit was to the Ethics and Motherland Association. I got the chance to talk to their passionate director, Ulaankhuu, who explained to me the association’s mission – to promote respect for Mongolia and to build a sense of community amongst young people (things that have been damaged in the years since the fall of communism). Last but not least was a trip to see Service for Peace. Service for Peace are an international organisation that use local volunteers to do community projects. The volunteers believe that a peaceful society can be built if everyone works together for the good of all. All the organisations are doing fantastic things, despite facing financial constraints – I’m very impressed with Mongolian organisations so far!
Visit to school’s anniversary concert – I’ve made friends with a Mongolian student and was lucky enough to be taken out to Ulaanbaatar’s very grand wrestling palace. Unfortunately I was not there to see wrestling, but on the other hand I got to see something that not many other foreigners would see – the Number 16 School’s 65th Anniversary celebrations! What an extravaganza it was. The wrestling stadium was packed with cheering young people, all proud to celebrate their school’s history. Different classes took charge of different stages of the evening (and even the teachers joined in at the end), so there were a real variety of events. We were treated to gymnastic performances, dances and songs. It was a great event, and left a big impression on me – not many young people in the UK would have such pride in their school, and not many schools would dare attempt such a grandiose occasion (even for their 100th birthday!).That’s it for another week. Just before I sign off I’d like to say thanks for everyone’s comments left on the blog, and any emails you’ve been sending me. It always cheers me up to receive comments/news from all of you (even if I don’t reply straight away!). Best wishes to everyone,
Robert
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