Mongolia
Project
The name 'Mongolia' has always stirred up
the Western imagination. It is a country of extremes; vast deserts,
open plains, high mountains, huge lakes and temperatures as high as +40
C in the summer and –40C in the winter. In 1995, Panchen Otrul Rinpoche
visited Mongolia with His Holiness the Dalai Lama .At the end of the
visit the Dalai Lama asked Panchen Otrul Rinpoche to stay and teach to
the Mongolian people. Since then Panchen Otrul Rinpoche has visited
every summer for two months.
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The
links between Tibet and Mongolia are very old and deep. The Buddhism
practised by both countries is identical, and there was a great
interchange of scholars and students for many centuries. So it was to
the Tibetans in exile in India that Mongolians turned when Mongolia
became a free democratic country again in 1990. Panchen Otrul Rinpoche
has a special link with Mongolia, as his first teacher, with whom he
took refuge at the age of seven, was Mongolian.
He now wishes to repay the kindness of this teacher. |
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Re-establishment of the Monasteries.
Prior to 1990 Mongolia had been a communist state for 70 years. During
the purges of the 1930's all the monasteries were destroyed and monks
killed or sent to Siberia to work camps. Consequently Panchen Otrul
Rinpoche’s main focus is the re-establishment of the monasteries,
ordination of monks and teaching dharma, both to monks and lay people.
His work takes him to the remoter areas of Mongolia, such as the Gobi,
as well as Ulaanbaatar the capital. |
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Poverty
in Mongolia and Asral Charity
It wasn’t long before Rinpoche
realised the deep level of poverty that now exists in
Mongolia.
During
the communist period there was extensive state provision of health,
education as well as social and employment protection. The breakdown
of the Soviet Union brought an abrupt collapse of this system.
Russian aid was stopped, with the concessional supplies of petrol and
other raw materials. Mongolia also lost its guaranteed markets,
creating a huge crisis. The Mongolian people now suddenly, with no
preparation, had to take full responsibility for their own
future
Output, income and employment fell dramatically with
devastating effects on the living standards of the population.
Poverty became a new phenomenon. Between 1995 – 1997 poverty
increased in 86% of Mongolian homes. At present 36% plus of the
population still live below the poverty line which is put at $20 a
month. Households headed by women alone account for 23.6% of the
poorest homes. To put this in context to buy a loaf of bread in
Mongolia today costs the equivalent of 55 American cents and this is
increasing every year.
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Consequently in 2000 Panchen Otrul Rinpoche formed Asral
Charity and now helps both individuals and communities with
this growing problem. He visits the prisons, the orphanage, schools and
universities. In settlements such as Gachuurt there is little means of
employment. Last year food and second hand clothing was provided for
many of the poorest families. However Panchen Otrul Rinpoche is
committed to helping people to help themselves on a long term basis, so
consequently a vegetable growing scheme was started here in 2001 and
has proved to be very successful. We have 10 families now growing
enough food to feed themselves, and being able to sell on any surplus
for money to educate and clothe their families.
Our aim
was to give the families a better diet without too much cost or work,
and a sense of achievement. Also, if they were able to grow extra to
their needs they would have produce to sell.
A larger area of land has now been rented near to this settlement for a
market gardening project.
In the settlement of Ondershill in the Gobi we hope to start a scheme
for making small hand-crafted articles.
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Why does Mongolia need our help?
Mongolia is a nation trying to find its roots. Traditionally a Buddhist
country, with the break up of the Soviet Union and after 70 years of
communism, in 1990 came freedom of expression and movement. However it
brought rapid inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and for many of the
people, severe poverty. It is acountry precariously sensitive to the
weather with temperatures reaching –40C in the winter and 40C in the
summer. In the last few years Mongolia has suffered unbearable weather
conditions that have killed millions of livestock on which the
Mongolian herders rely.
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As the
herders cannot exist without their animals there is a continual
migration into Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia
Consequently a huge shanty town has now developed around Ulaanbaatar.
Living conditions are cramped, unhygienic; unemployment and violent
crime are rife. Many households are now headed by women, who are the
poorest members of the society, and it is a continuous struggle to
provide for their families, many of their children ending up on the
street and in the orphanage. One third of the people live well below
the poverty line, 80% face severe insufficiency in food and other
services. |
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Why does
Mongolia need help in 2008?
Why help
Mongolia at this time? Mongolia really is a country struggling. Perched
right beside the mighty China why isn’t it thriving why isn’t it
surging ahead economically and why aren’t its people being taken care
of? Two big reasons at the moment is a government crippled
with corruption and stifled with lack of forward thinking and sound
economic policies. Politically it’s still trying to break free from its
communist past both in the powers that be and its mind set.
Mongolia is also suffering with the effects of climate change- it
winters are increasingly cold and its summer sees long droughts.
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It would have been the equivalent of foot
and month really taking hold in Ireland and destroying all its farmers'
livestock. A lot of the livestock so heavily depended on by traditional
nomadic farmers has been lost. This has resulted in the huge
shantytowns in and around Ulaanbaatar. Its depopulated villages and
towns are now left in a continued state of despair.
The poverty in these shantytowns is exacerbated by the level of
dependency on alcohol. Vodka in Mongolia is cheaper then bread. The
Russian tradition surrounding vodka is still prevalent particularly
among its men providing a much needed sense of belonging and
confidence.
In the midst of all this the mothers are trying to keep
families together in conditions where clean water, food and their
children’s safety are a constant challenge.
In the last three months the government has again collapsed. This has
resulted in an unstable market causing the price of petrol to increase,
thus pushing up the price of bread and coal. Another factor is that the
global price of wheat has increased due to a huge increase in supply
and demand globally and the increased demand for bioethanol fuels
particularly in the American market. Mongolia’s poor have never been so
vulnerable.
Asral tries to keep families together by creating projects which
provide employment and also by giving people assistance they can start
to see beyond their poverty and the potential they have to change their
situation. Asral NGO exists to prevent the disintegration of
families and works to ensure that children remain with their families.
Asral website:
Asral
Mongolia
Ven Margery Cross writes:
The day before I left Mongolia, returning
from a walk, I was accosted by a small street boy. It was very cold,
and I was wearing a sweater, a fleece, and a jacket, warm boots and
socks. He wore a thin shirt, thin trousers, no socks and old shoes tied
with string. His face was dirty and streaked with tears. He rubbed his
tummy and held out his hand.
I
showed my empty pockets, but he still kept rubbing his tummy, the hand
outstretched – my sense of helplessness was overpowering and I was near
to tears. Our difference was startling. I encouraged him to walk with
me – he did, reluctantly - until I saw a Mongolian I knew. I asked her
to tell him to wait and I would get him some food. I ran into the
block, up five flights of stairs, grasped a large bag of food from the
kitchen, the last of my Mongolian money, and rooted in the childrens'
clothes brought from Ireland for a warm jacket for him. The look on his
face is still with me, as is the sorrow in my heart- the winter was
just starting.
The problems in Mongolia are huge but Rinpoche says if we can only help
a little – then we must |
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Asral Centre Mongolia
In order to respond to the needs of many people, Rinpoche has built a
centre in Ulaanbaatar, which will be the base for all his work there.
The centre now has a team of Mongolian people working with the social
workers in Mongolian to identify and help the most needy. The centre
main Director is Geshe Lhawang Gyaltsen, he also teaches Dharma there
every weekend to approximately 150 lay people. He also teaches to
children during the weekend.
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Having a centre for Asral means
that skilled help
from a variety of sources can be
accommodated, as well as providing a place for training and running
workshops of all kind, for children and for adults. It will also act as
a resource and a place where people know they can come for
assistance.
This centre is very important.
Mongolia has a growing problem with street children, but there is no
way these children can be helped adequately ( i.e. to get them off the
street) without a building in which proper care can be provided from an
early age.
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Information on Asral Projects
Asral’s
projects focus on six main areas: food security, self-sufficiency
through handicrafts, health, education, outreach and sponsorship. The
projects are carried out in the centre in Ulaanbaatar, the capital
city, but also in Gachuurt, 20km from Ulaanbaatar and in Ondershil in
the Gobi region. Occasional support is also provided at other
localities in Mongolia.
Asral in Ulaanbaatar 2007
- Provision of gers and heating
stoves for 8 families.
- Annually 100 families provided
with coal and food.
- 28 children sponsored for high
school and university.
- 35 school children given hot
meals every day, school books and warm clothes.
- Support for 42 children age 4 –
8 years in two kindergartens.
- Kindergartens provided with
learning toys, clothes, sleeping mats and blankets.
- The local medical centre given
financial aid for 6 bedridden people and 15 malnourished babies.
- 7 families given medical help.
- 117 women trained in sewing and
felt making.
- 120 children given free English
classes each summer.
- The M.I.M project is a business
set up by Asral with a view to making Asral a self- sufficient charity.
This felt making enterprise now employs 18 people.
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| View
from Asral |
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Made in Mongolia©
Made in Mongolia, mim,
is a new range of handcrafted felt products. Working in partnership
with the ASRAL NGO, mim is a fair trade non-profit
initiative that allows Mongolians to use local resources, sustainably
to improve their livelihoods while maintaining traditional skills. Mim
aims to provide greater self sufficiency to women, and their
communities.
www.madeinmongolia.net
Made
in Mongolia's work focuses on two areas: the
ger district of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city and Ondershil, a remote
settlement in the Gobi. In both cases there is little or no work either
due to lack of skills or lack of employment opportunities. mim works to
help empower mostly women, the poorest sector of society, providing
them with an easily accessible and sustainable source of income.
Mongolian women – and occasionally men –
learn
traditional felt-making as well as sewing and embroidery, and spinning
and knitting techniques. This provides them with both invaluable skills
and an immediate income from the products they produce. Many of the
women are heads of households, the income they generate through
handicrafts is essential in helping to sustain their families.
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| Woman
felting |
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Over 220 women have now been trained on the
handicraft projects in Ulaanbaatar and Ondershil. Several of the women
involved have mental illnesses; handicrafts are an occupation they both
enjoy and their families have said they have found therapeutic.
Working closely with Asral NGO, mim aims to
provide comprehensive support to women and their families. Some of the
mim workers’ children attend the hot meal project providing children
from the poorest families with a nutritious hot meal every day. Through
this scheme they also receive educational support and sponsoring.
Housing and medical aid have also been provided. Asral has also
provided a ger crèche for the women working at MIM.
Asral in Gachuurt
30kms N of
the capital
- 36 families involved
in organic vegetable growing project. Providing seeds, tools, plastic
for polytunnels and training.
- Currently completed
building a new training facility with one full time member of staff.
- Local kindergarten
renovated increasing its capacity from162 to 220 children.
- Two “Ger”
kindergartens with all equipment provided for herders children.
- The local (herders’
children) school hostel given 60 new beds, wardrobes and essential
bedding.
New
building at Gachuurt
In 2008 with money donated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama a new
building was completed at Gachuurt.
This includes a training room, which will be used for dharma
teaching, instruction on growing vegetables, English lessons for local
children and sewing training.
There will be room for cooking demonstration and accommodation for
volunteers.
Asral In Ondershill
2007
380kms sw of the
capital in the Gobi Desert
- 25 children given hot
meals, books, warm clothes, toiletries and 5 children sponsored in
kindergarten.
- Hospital support – new
building for post and prenatal care – equipment for physiotheraphy
department – money send patients to capital city for further hospital
care.
- Provision of 4 gers, 8
womens trained in felt making.
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26 people employed by Made
in Mongolia© with a ger crèche provided.
- 130 children given
free English classes for the summer.
- 2 full time staff
employed.
Asral in Shank
360kms SE of the capital
- Meals provided for 21
children and adults.
- 1 family provided with
a ger and bedding.
- Building renovated,
creating a shop to sell crafts made by M.I.M employees.
- 11 local women trained
in sewing
- The completion of a
community centre which includes a consultation for a doctor and a
training room facility for Asral and the communities use.
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Asral’s
health care assistance
The
Health Centre
Asral
NGO now works very closely with the medical centre located
just behind the centre in Ulaanbaatar and the small hospital
in Ondershill in the Gobi.
In Mongolia if a person is referred to a hospital they have to pay the
initial cost of a diagnosis. During hospital
treatment and afterwards, they have to pay for medicine, dressings etc.
This means many people cannot afford to go for a diagnosis or
treatment. Even afterwards they will stop taken the necessary
medicine because they cannot afford it.
This means that people living with someone with T B. are greatly at
risk. In Ondershill in the Gobi often sick people cannot afford the
fare needed to go to Ulaanbaatar for treatment.
Introduction
to ‘Ikh Amgalan’ Family Hospital
The family
hospital is a privately owned health centre, employing six physicians
and 5 nurses, which provides medical services and first aid to 11,150
people, 2600 households, of the 9th khoroo, Bayangol district. 80% of
Ulaanbaatar’s population live in these ger/shantytown districts (A ger
is a traditional Mongolian dwelling made from felt). Over 60% of
shantytown residents live below the poverty line. In
conversation with the centre’s GP she identified these factors, which
cause the occurrence of infectious diseases and the measures, which
need to be taken:
- Excessive
amount of openly disposed sewerage and the high rate of soil
contamination.
- Shortage of
drinking water.
- Lack of
care for public health.
- High rate
of tuberculosis.
- Shortage of
preventative examinations and tests.
- Lack of
awareness in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
It is estimated that at least 50% to 80% of the people living in the
shanty areas of Ulaanbaatar suffer from lack of nourishment. This
varies because of the harsh winters. Their main food consists of bread
or noodles made from flour and water. They have to carry all
their own water - over difficult terrain and for long distances and
this creates a lack of hygiene. The winters are long and have
temperatures dropping to -40c.
Many children have rickets, kidney disease and T.B.
is rife.
This winter we hope to increase the amount of help to bedridden
patients and the malnourished babies and children. The need is very
great.
UNICEF had been supplying Vitamin D tablets for 400 under school aged
children in this area and the supply has just finished. These
were slow release tablets and one a month was sufficient for the bone
development of each child.
We have recently given money to build a shower facility at the medical
centre. This would enable the poorer people to have a
shower. Doctors in the hospital will not treat people if they
are dirty, because of hygiene, but the hospital did not have facilities
for showers or baths.
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Asral Charity is administered by the
Mongolian students of Ven. Panchen Otrul Rinpoche, under the direction
of Geshe Lhawang Gyaltsen, a senior Tibetan monk.
The people of Mongolia are incredibly kind, generous with their
hospitality hardy and resilient. They need our help at this time
If you are able to help with any of the above projects please contact
us.
contact
Jampa Ling
Maitreya Charity
Maitreya Charity is a charitable organisation, which was set up in 2001
for the benefit of the work of the Ven. Lama Panchen Ötrul Rinpoche. It
is based in Seattle, Washington, with a board of five members and has
Federal tax exemption. Its purpose is to fund raise for the work of the
Venerable Lama and also to facilitate his teachings in the USA.
Maitreya Charity Website
MAITREYA Charity is a non-profit Corporation in the State of Washington.
Donations are Tax-Exempt.
Tashi Khyil Charity
The Tashi Khyil Trust (meaning "the place of auspiciousness") is a
charity established in Northern Ireland in 1990 under the direction of
Ven. Panchen Otrul Rinpoche.
Tashi Khyil Website
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