Mongolia’s streets are home to 4000 children who live their lives doing anything from begging, stealing, sex work to a host of other menial tasks to stay alive. Street children are not unique to Mongolia, every other Asian country boasts of this shameful reality. However, the uniqueness of Mongolia’s street children lies in the coincidental increase in their numbers after 1990, the opening up of Mongolian markets to the world and the rise of a corrupt democratic government. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Summers are good times for most children; they sleep anywhere, in the park, on the street or in the doorways of buildings. As winter approaches and the temperature drops below 40 degree Celsius, children go underground. Hot water pipes that supply central heating to apartment complexes in the cities become home to thousands of Mongolia’s children who sleep, cook, eat and take shelter from the cold here. The manholes are dark, dirty and cramped. There is also constant danger that they may burst anytime and spray scalding water on the children. Living and working in such condition it is inevitable that a large number of them are undernourished, vulnerable to illness and sexually exploited.

The situation of street children in Mongolia is not totally helpless, there are NGOs such as Save the Children, world Vision and other local organizations that have opened shelters and vocational training centers for street children. However, the government has remained far behind and lost in the race towards combating child poverty and improving the situation of its children on the streets. Though the Government of Mongolia has accepted the growing problem of street children, it does not have any comprehensive plan to combat it. It would be a reflection of sheer ignorance to say that the government does not have the capacity to improve the lives of its children.

The question here is not government capacity but government priority. With a government that has newly seen the wealth that a free market economy can bring in, personal economic gain seems to be the only concern.

ACT NOW

1.Spread the Word: Create Awareness

-         Take a print out of the article and post it on notice boards.

-         Inform your friends and family about street children in Mongolia.

-         Think of other creative means to broadcast this message.

2. Initiate Letter Writing Campaigns: You can write to any or all of the below mentioned authorities.

-         Write to the President of Mongolia,

-         Write to the Prime Minister of Mongolia, and

-         Write to Mongolia’s Ambassador to the UN

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear President/ Prime Minister/UN Ambassador

I am writing to you to express my concern about the 4000 and more children who live and work on the streets of Mongolia. It is not delightful statistics if 45% of your country’s children are street children with no place to live, eat or learn. The conditions that children live in and their vulnerability to physical, sexual and mental exploitation should be of grave concern to your government.

The lack of initiative on the part of your government clearly explains the lack of a comprehensive plan in Mongolia to put an end to the increasing numbers of children and families forced onto the streets due to growing poverty. It is inhuman to allow such violations to continue. Providing at least the basic amenities to your children, food clothing and shelter, is binding on your government, one that you cannot neglect any longer. 

I urge to you to combat child poverty and provide for your street children as a priority issue that can no longer be sidelined. Apart from initiating income generation programs, there is a need to remedy the situation of street children who are orphans or who have left their families. Children need to be in school and with families, not on the streets and it is your responsibility as a signatory of the UN Convention on Rights of the Child to provide them with this environment.

Yours sincerely

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO

1. Mr. Natsag Bagabandi

President of Mongolia

Email: batkhishig@presi.pmis.gov.mn (Head of the Presidential office)

Fax: 976-1- 311121

2. Mr.Nambar Enkhbayar
Prime Minister
Government House, Ulaanbaatar-12,
MONGOLIA
Fax: +976 11 328329

3. Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations
6 East 77th street, New York, NY, 10021
Tel: 212 861 9460
Fax: 212 861 9464
Email: mongolia@un.int