Street Children
Nearly 4,000 children between the ages of 5 to 18 live on the streets of Mongolia. The children, who live on the streets permanently, are called "lifers" and have been on the street since the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Mongolia’s transition to a free-market economy. Thousands lost their jobs, and the social welfare system was unable to support families in need. Many of these children ran away from home to escape abuse; others were abandoned by their families, who could no longer support them.

Most of the street children can be found in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. In the coldest capital city the world, these children struggle to survive inside the manholes under the streets. While most street children are boys, girls can also be found on the streets. Many of the children rummage through garbage dumps and make a living by selling bottles and cans that they find; others shine shoes. In desperation, some children resort to begging or stealing to earn money.

While some fortunate children reunite with their families, others find refuge in one of the numerous shelters that offer a temporary home, education, and vocational trainings. Children, who have lived on the streets for a long time, struggle to adjust back to a regular life.

To Learn More Visit:

ABC News – Women Fights for Mongolia’s Street Children:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/International/story?id=1350000

Human Rights Watch – Children’s Rights:
http://www.hrw.org/children/street.htm 

YouThink! Gallery – Mongolia’s Street Children:
http://youthink.worldbank.org/multimedia/gallery/mongolia/index.php

UN Works: Homeless Children in Mongolia
http://www.un.org/works/goingon/mongolia/homeless.html

World Vision – Mongolia Street Connection:
http://mongolia.worldvision.org.nz/lightfuture.html#Menu

Mining

Mongolia is endowed with natural resources; it is home to one of the largest gold and copper deposits in the world. Since 1997, foreign companies have sought to purchase licenses for mining from the Mongolian government. Forty percent of the country is currently open to mining, and the mining industry is growing rapidly each year.

The harmful effects of mining are evident in many areas of Mongolia. In the past 10 years, more than 700 rivers have dried up as a result of mining operation digging up resources forcing more than 100,000 people to move to the capital of Ulaanbaatar. Many nomadic people, who depend on the rivers for bathing, cooking, and cleaning, struggle to continue their traditional way of living. Furthermore, the mercury and cyanide used in mining and the extraction process have caused widespread water pollution and poisoned river water. In some areas, river water is too dirty for even animals to drink! Mining is destroying the beautiful land of Mongolia and way of nomadic life.

To Learn More Visit:

The Battle for Mongolia’s Resources:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/07/200873104041725239.html

MSNBC - Mongolia activist does not dig gold:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18337191/

Mongolia National Mining Association:
http://www.miningmongolia.mn/index.php?page=10