Care & Community in Mongolia

There are roughly twenty orphanages in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where our placements are based. You can either work in a large orphanage, which houses up to 120 children, or can be involved with the smaller care centres which may house only 15 children at a time.

Many of these placements are located in very poor areas, usually in the middle of tented 'Ger districts'. A lot of the work involves playing with the children who range in age from babies to teenage street-children. You will be working alongside committed local staff to provide practical help and friendship to the many children who are in need of support.

The actual work depends a lot on the ages you are working with - with the younger children you'll play games but you might also be asked to ensure they are washed and dressed for the day and you'll help with their meal times. The older children often require help with homework, basic English lessons and more vocational lessons to help them make a living once they leave the orphanage.

Working in the orphanages in Mongolia is a chance to make a real difference, as one of our placement supervisors explains:

"It has been nearly four years since we began our collaboration with Teaching & Projects Abroad and during these years we have had the pleasure of working with a number of your volunteers. The children, who are between the ages of 3 and 6, have enjoyed learning about other cultures and the enthusiasm with which the volunteers work, has helped to encourage and stimulate the children in so many ways. It has been a privilege to work so closely with people from different countries and the exchange of cultures has meant that we have all benefited greatly from the volunteer programme.

Your volunteers have shown more than just love and care for the children and have given their time to bring new activities by teaching the children new songs, dance and games. Working in an orphanage can sometimes become rather stressful and having the volunteers here has helped tremendously in alleviating some of that stress. As a result of our cooperation with your organisation since 2003, two classrooms have been refurnished with new carpets, wardrobes, shelves with a new drainage system and heating system have been installed.

We have also been able to provide the children with more toys and equipment, which simplifies the daily running of the orphanage. This kind of contribution deserves more gratitude than we can possibly express. Thank you so much for all your help and for making the lives of these children not only easier, but also much happier. We're sure our cooperation will continue and develop even further in the future."
Mrs Tungalag - Director of the State Orphanage 58 Kindergarten

To read a more detailed information about this project, you may visit our Volunteer Care & Community in Mongolia specialized website.