|
Mongolia: Children of the Tunnels and Nonformal Education Projects
Nearly 4,000 children in Mongolia barely survive their country's
harsh cold winters by living under the streets of Ulaanbaatar in steam-heated tunnels. They sleep on top of pipes carrying hot
water to heat the city's buildings and apartments. The children struggle to stay warm and they struggle to find enough to eat.
They are victims of extreme poverty and often abuse in a country suffering a severe economic crisis.
World Vision offers the children hope. When possible, World
Vision social workers reunite children with their families and support the families so they can care for their children. When
that is not possible, World Vision invites the children to live in a Lighthouse (shelter) run by World Vision staff who offer the children food, shelter, clothing, educational programs, and most
importantly, love and nurturing.
|
It is estimated that nearly 100,000 school-age
children in Mongolia have dropped out of school. The public school will not re-admit them once they fall behind. Just ten years ago, Mongolia boasted
nearly 100% literacy. In response, World Vision has opened "nonformal education" classrooms, staffed by World Vision teachers to help children catch up and prepare to go back to school, and
then World Vision assists returning students with school fees and supplies. Nearly 4,000 children are being helped in this program.