Burengiin Nuruu Mountain Range

Burengiin Nuruu Mountain Range

History of the Peace Corps Program in Mongolia

Peace Corps began its program in Mongolia in 1991, the same year the US Embassy opened in Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital city. Since then, over 600 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Mongolia as English language teachers trainers, English teachers, community economic developers, environmental educators, and health educators. I will be a member of the 18th group of Volunteers to serve in Mongolia and the 3rd group of Community Youth Development Volunteers (the 1st CYD Trainees came to Mongolia in June of 2005).

Country Assignment

  • Country: Mongolia (Outter)
  • Program: Youth Development
  • Job Title: Life Skills Trainer (also: English teacher, Child Caretaker, Fund Raiser, Events Organizer, and IT Trainer)
  • Orientation (Staging in Atlanta, GA): May 31-June 2, 2007
  • Pre-Service Training (in Darkhan and Sukhbaatar, Mongolia): June 3-August 18, 2007
  • Dates of Service (in Darkhan at Sun Children formerly "Asian Child Foundation" - a non-profit, non-government Japanese funded orphanage of 37 Mongolian children opened since 8/25/2005): August 19, 2007- August 18, 2009

Location and Nature of the Job

CYD Volunteers are placed in provincial centers with population between 15,000 and 70,000. A few CYD Volunteers are placed in Ulaanbaatar, where the population is reaching 1 million. I will work with youth-focused NGOs, children’s centers, schools, and civil society organizations to address major challenges confronting Mongolian youth today, such as education, life skills, employability, and leadership. In addition, the work will involve workshops and presentations at schools and community agencies and will entail traveling to other outlying communities that have less access to information and training. Given the vast distances in Mongolia, these visits will often require overnight stays.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

First Thanksgiving Away from Home 2007

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

1st Project at Site: Building of a Sports Field Through the US Marines Humanitarian Civil Action Program

Excerpt from the US Marines Humanitarian Civil Action Program grant proposal:

OBJECTIVE
To provide the children at the Asian Child Foundation orphanage in Darkhan with a sports field where they can occupy their time with play. Such play is the foundation for exercise and fitness as well as overall enjoyment. We propose to renovate the old existing basketball court with the installment of new basketball hoops and nets. In addition, we would like to build a sports field in the open grass area behind the orphanage. This sports field will include a volleyball court, a soccer field, and playground equipment (paralegal bars, a swing set, and a slide).

The success and completion of this project will require the physical cooperation of all 35 children, staff members, and the 330th Army. It is a project that only a community can complete, thus, in addition to providing the children an area where they can play, this project will provide the 330th Army an opportunity to interact with the some of the children that live in the community of Darkhan.

Pictures from the Welcoming Ceremony in late November

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Recommended Books on Mongolia

  • “Dateline: An American Journalist in Nomad’s Land” by Michael Kohn, 2006.
  • "Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford, 2004.
  • “Riding Windhorses” by Sarangerel, 2000.
  • “Twentieth Century Mongolia” by Baabar, 1999.

Recommended Mongolian Movies

  • The Story of the Weeping Camel (2004), Die Geschichte vom Weinenden Kamel
  • Mongolian Ping Pong (2005), Lü cao di