Goodbye Tolgoit NGO!

My three-week stint at Tolgoit NGO is nearly at an end, but what have I been up to? Well, part of my time has been spent doing training sessions for the organisation’s volunteers. We’ve also done some work on creating a volunteer operational manual – a list of procedures that the organisation should follow when recruiting and using volunteers. In addition, I’ve done regular English classes for the staff. This has been an enjoyable new adventure for me. I don’t know if I’d want to do it full-time, but the interaction in the classroom, and the progress that the participants have made is great.

Tolgoit itself is an interesting district, a lot more basic than the centre of Ulaanbaatar. 90% of the people live in ger tent houses, and many people have to survive on low incomes. The result – some people are still using horse and cart to transport things around the place. The staff that I work with are really kind, and always have smiles on their faces. None of them speak good English, so I’ve been having to put my Mongolian to the test! I must admit it’ll be sad to leave… However, I won’t miss the 50 minute bus ride every morning!

Sandstorms! – The weather is crazy at the moment! Whilst things are a lot warmer, the day can fluctuate between snow and intense sun in a few hours! Mongolians say that in Springtime it’s possible to see all 4 seasons in one day, and I have to say that I agree with this analysis. Perhaps the strangest (and uncomfortable) thing to deal with are the Springtime sandstorms. Very strong winds strike without warning, spreading dust at high speeds down the city’s streets. The problem is compounded by the fact that Ulaanbaatar doesn’t have much vegetation – dust collects and is not trapped by grass. The result is quite dramatic. I’ve seen cartoon style mini-whirlwinds of dust pass me by on the street, blowing peoples hats of if their unlucky to be caught up in them! Rob’s top tip: keep sunglasses handy, as they provide eyes with a useful protection from the gusts of dust.

Lots of love to you all, take care,

Robert

A tough week at work...

The last week has been a tough one. I didn’t really achieve much at work, and as my primary reason for being here in Mongolia is to help out, I felt a bit useless! However, I’m starting a three-week work assignment at Tolgoit NGO, a volunteering organization out in the Western ger tent district of the city. Not only do they seem very organized, bit they’re a friendly bunch too! It’s also good to be a bit more down-to-earth, working with volunteers on the ground in one of the poorest districts of the city (you can see the street by Tolgoit's office in the photo above). I’ll tell you more about my work experience as the weeks go by... But what else have I been up to?

Graffiti Madness – the Alliance Francaise had organised for a French graffiti artist to come to Ulaanbaatar. As such things are pretty rare here, this was something that I couldn’t miss out on. My friends and I made our way to Metropolis Nightclub on Wednesday night, and saw some pretty impressive things. The artist started off doing graffiti style photos. He took shots of people and then set the camera to a lower shutter speed and used different colour torches to make graffiti style imprints onto the final photo. The results were impressive! The artist also did graffiti on the walls of the club, and on people’s bodies – check out my new tattoo (don’t worry Mama, it’s temporary!):
Trip to Wrestling Palace – quite why I’ve waited until now to make the trip to the wrestling palace is a mystery, but I’m glad that I finally made the trip to see some Mongolian wrestling. It was quite a spectacle – the wrestling itself was not so exciting, and dragged on for hours, but the traditions on display were fascinating. The day’s event was launched by a stirring rendition of the national anthem, played by an army band. Then came some Buddhist chanting, led by three Buddhist monks. After that, great masses of wrestlers came onto the floor, and started parading their hats and doing a dance around the referees. Once this was completed the wrestling began, although to the untrained eye it seemed like a free-for-all! Wrestlers would fight each other until one had managed to force the other to the round – your opponent’s knees or elbows must hit the floor in order for you to win. The victor would do a quick eagle dance (flapping their arms like eagles) and then collect some chocolates from the Buddhist monks on hand. They would then throw the chocolates into the crowd (who would frantically try to catch them, as eating a winning wrestler’s chocolate is considered good luck). Unfortunately I was seated on the other side of the stadium to the Buddhist monks, so did not manage to increase my luck levels at this sitting. After the throwing of the chocolates, the wrestler would almost immediately take another wrestler on. This onslaught lasts for over 5 hours, until only one wrestler is left, although I must admit I left after 2 and a half hours!

Church building – I’ve been going to a church in the 3rd district for some time now, as I feel the community is much closer-knit than that at the cathedral (where there are more foreigners, and the church is so big that it often dwarfs the relatively small congregation that turns up on Sundays). Another drawing point is that the 3rd district church is held in a ger tent, which certainly makes the whole Sunday Mass experience that little bit more unique. Despite this unique selling point, the locals have the crazy idea of wanting to build a new permanent structure (understandable I suppose, as if you’re Mongolian the novelty of ger tents is comparatively smaller!). After months of wrangling with the local authorities, the Good Shepard Parish have finally got approval to build a church on their site. There’s now a flurry of activity, as everyone is excited to build “their new church”. This Sunday we cleared the site of the old ger tents, and the coming weeks ahead will see further work take place. It was really nice to lend a hand, as not only did I feel like I was doing something exciting and worthwhile, but it was also great to do some physical exercise (working in an office environment has some limitations). I look forward to lending a further hand in the months ahead.

As always, I’m thinking of you all and hope that you’re well. Take care of yourselves, best wishes,

Robert

The end of the line...

In the literal sense anyway! Last week I had a trip to Sukhbaatar City, the northern most city on the Mongolian railway. It's a largish city of about 20,000 people, and is 15 kilometres away from the Russian border. I was on a mission to scout out a project that VSO may work with in the future. Sukhbaatar is host to a farming cooperative run by volunteers. The volunteers help the local residents grow vegetables and breed animals as a way of supplementing their income.

This type of initiative is desperately needed in the city, as 50% of the population are unemployed. Going somewhere with a 50% unemployment rate is pretty interesting in its own right, but consider this - 20 years ago, under communism, the city had full employment. Needless to say, the local residents all fondly remember the "good old days", and are finding life in the new capitalist world tough to deal with. Some people have of course done well for themselves, but the fact that their wealth is visible to the rest of the city somehow makes the situation that much harder to bear.

Signs of the past glory of Sukhbaatar are there for all to see. The three (now disused) factories dominate the skyline, and many shops are now boarded-up. In such an atmosphere, it's no surprise that most young people want to leave for Ulaanbaatar as soon as they can. However, whilst I'm painting a picture of doom and gloom, the locals were all very friendly and proud of their city. As usual, Mongolian hospitality came to the fore, and I was force-fed buuz (meat dumplings) until I could eat no more! I cannot forget the surrounding countryside too - it was stunning. A short drive from the city takes you to areas of mountains and lakes, areas which mankind has not altered.

Back in Ulaanbaatar: I've just had a long working week (hence the delay in posting my blog entry - sorry!), so am looking forward to having a break soon. Whilst I was working this Saturday I found time in the evening to go to the Nomin Theatre to see a production of "The Blithe Spirit", performed by the local expat community. Our very own VSO volunteer Sophie was one of the main stars, so it was great to see her perform.

I hope you are all well. Lots of love to all of you, take care of yourselves,

Robert

Happy Easter!

Easter time is here, although you wouldn’t know it! Life goes on as usual, except for the very small Christian community in the city. Most Mongolians have never heard of Easter, and so are quite intrigued when I tell them that this celebration is as important as Christmas. I’m currently gearing up for the upcoming Easter/Holy Week dates. It’s strange to be away from home at this time, as Easter is a big thing for my family. I’ll miss the Easter gathering, and the now annual treasure hunt! However, I’ve got some nice plans of my own, so it’s not too bad. I’ll be joining some of my Filipino friends on Sunday for a big meal and some games. The Filipinos are great fun, I’m very lucky to have been let in to their community!

Beautiful weather – what a difference a month makes. In February the temperatures were hitting -30C. A month later and we’ve managed to enjoy a day with +10C temperatures. It’s difficult to describe what this means to me! It’s now possible to leave the house without having to wear four layers of clothes. I can now do something as simple as answering my mobile phone outside, without my hands burning in pain from the cold. But all of this is nothing compared to the enjoyment I feel from just being able to walk around the city for pleasure! It’s been about 2 or 3 months since I could just comfortably walk around and explore the city – during the cold it was strictly a “get to your destination as quickly as possible” affair. Hooray, I survived the Mongolian winter!

Appearance on the UBS Music Channel – yep, Rob made the big time! On Wednesday I had my first appearance on one of Mongolia’s top-rated music channels, “UBS Music”. Once a week they run a programme in English which focuses on the international music chart. I was asked to appear on this programme as a co-presenter – they must have been desperate. Luckily for me, the programme is pre-recorded and without an audience, so it wasn’t too nerve-racking. By the end of the experience it was actually starting to be quite fun! It looks like I might be a regular feature on this programme, and so will be appearing fortnightly. I’m sure it won’t be long until people start pointing at me on the street (for positive reasons)…

Time for me to sign off, but before I do I just want to wish you and your families a very Happy Easter. Have lots of fun and look after yourselves. Best wishes and a big hug,

Robert

Phew! Over and done with...

The Network Meeting - In short, it was a success, but I’m glad it’s over! Those who attended seemed to have a good time, and all gained something from the two days. 43 people came in the end, which was a great turn-out. We all made the trek to the nearby national park of Terelj, and stayed in the local hotel “Ulaanbaatar 2”. Day one introduced the participants to two tools that we have been working on – a benchmarking tool and a volunteer operational manual. This was quite a heavy day, so in the evening everyone let their hair down (table-tennis was played, and was followed by a disco).

Day two was “my day”. I updated the participants on the 2008 plan for the Network. Next up was a discussion on what can be done to get more men volunteering (just as in the UK, the vast majority of volunteers are female). Then the best bit – some free time in the countryside! Some colleagues and I went for a horseride around the national park, and it was beautiful. Riding in the snow was a real experience. Why am I glad that this Network meeting is over and done with though? Well, the lead-up was quite stressful. Also, two days of non-stop Mongolian language was pretty challenging (and if I’m honest, a bit boring!). Now I’m back in Ulaanbaatar, and I’m glad to be able to relax a bit.

Fundraising for the Blood Donors Association – this week I was invited to the Blood Donors Association’s AGM, as a guest of honour. I was lucky enough to be sat at the front of the room, on the table with the panel of guests – pretty cool! However, I didn’t really deserve this honour, it should have been my sister Ania sitting at the table instead of me. Why? Well, Ania has done a great job of raising money for the Donors Association, giving them money to buy a new computer. The BDA is really lacking funds, despite the crucial role it has in Mongolian society. Could you imagine your own national blood donor service being run by two volunteers? Anyway, the new computer should be a step in the right direction. THANK YOU ANIA!

I'm off for a well deserved night of being lazy! Lots of love to you all,

Robert

Half-Way there!

I’ve reached a big milestone – six months in Mongolia! It’s quite an achievement I think, so I’m giving myself a pat on the back. Getting through the harsh winter was a bit of a struggle at times, as was the initial settling in period. However, the weather has recently become a lot warmer, so in that respect life is a lot easier (for instance, walking for pleasure is now a possibility). I’ve also made some nice Mongolian friends, and have got to form some good relationships with my fellow volunteers.

Before I update you on what I’ve been doing I must first apologise. I’m sorry for the delay in posting this blog entry, but I’m in a busy period of work at the moment. All will be revealed below…

Volunteers’ Forum – Last Saturday was the first ever meeting of Mongolia’s Volunteers’ Forum (please insert fanfare). Over 40 volunteers from a large variety of organisations got together to discuss how they could work more closely together. We looked at how the Volunteer Forum should work, and what kind of things it should work on in the future.

The creation of a volunteers’ forum is something that I’ve been working on for the past month. I thought that it was strange that whilst there is a network for Mongolian volunteer-involving organisations, there was no body actually representing volunteers themselves (the Network just deals with the staff of organisations). Whilst it remains to be seen if this forum will be sustainable, the initial signs are promising. The turnout was good, and the participants seemed enthusiastic. Keep your fingers crossed!

Network Meeting – It’s been a while since the last meeting of the Network of Mongolian Volunteer Organisations that I work for (see http://rob-in-mongolia.blogspot.com/2007/11/november-9th-network-meeting.html). Thus, this coming Friday and Saturday we’re organising a huge, 2 day-long meeting! Friday morning the participants will all get on a specially laid on bus which will take them to UB2 tourist camp, situated in the mountain range outside of Ulaanbaatar. Things on the agenda include the introduction of new resources that the Network has been working on, and a discussion on how more men can be encouraged to become volunteers (about 90% of volunteers are women). We’ll also have some social time, so that the members of the Network can get to know each other a bit better. As we’re asking people to stay for two days, the meeting had better be good!

I’ll report back on this meeting in the next entry, but for now I send you my best wishes. I hope that all is going well for all of you and that you’re having fun. Take care of yourselves,

Robert

Trip to Hutul

This week I was lucky enough to travel out to the countryside for two days, visiting a volunteer project in the small town of Hutul (about three hours away from Ulaanbaatar). My mission: to gather facts so that I can write a case study on volunteering for VSO Mongolia's annual review. I was really inspired by what I saw. Volunteers had taken it upon themselves to help those most in need in their society. And what a success they had had...

Kindergarten project - The poor ger district of the town is some 3 kilometers from the nearest kindergarten, which meant that during the very cold winters children simply didn't go to kindergarten. As a result, their education was limited, and their parents had less free time to clean the house/do part-time work. Two volunteers got together and decided something needed to be done. They didn't mess around! They managed to secure funding from the Asian Development Fund, and got assurances from the Department for Education that it would provide a teacher for the kindergarten. Then they got to work on renovating a disused building near the ger district. Now over 25 children use the kindergarten, most of which did not previously go to the central kindergarten.

Secure livilihoods training - Unemployment is a big problem in Hutul, so many people struggle to get by. Again, a group of volunteers saw this problem and decided to act. They organised some training on how to grow vegetables effectively, and how to make bags and other handcrafts. The people that were trained now produce good yields of vegetables, which not only improves their diets but also gives them an alternative source of income. The bag making also adds to families' incomes. The results have been remarkable - one family I visited had, in the space of three years, gathered enough money to buy a house! Not only had they gained financially, but many also commented that they now had a new sense of purpose in their lives.

My trip to Hutul wasn't a complete positive though, as I got quite sick. It's probably got to do with the vodka made from fermented milk that one of the volunteers gave to me. Also the lack of sleep in the freezing hotel I was staying in contributed. Whilst I'm feeling better now I was out of action for two days... It's exciting to travel to new areas and see new things, but the experience is dampened a little if you're feeling ill! Now I'm back in Ulaanbaatar, and have the weekend to completely recover, so no problems there. I hope you're all doing well and keeping yourselves healthy. Lots of love,

Robert