Getting to Know Your International Contacts – Part 1

Even though I have reached out to my potential International contacts on several occasions, I still have not heard anything from either of them. I am a bit disappointed because I was actually looking forward to being a pen pal with someone not from the United States.  I was hoping by now, I would have gained a better insight as to how the early childhood education programs were conducted as well as some statistical information in regards to their economy, poverty, homelessness among the young, etc. 

While I will not be able to share the information I was hoping for, I am now forced to do the alternative for this week’s blog assignment.  I have chosen to research and learn about the poverty levels in Mongolia. According to the Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre (2012), Mongolia's transition from a socialist, centrally-planned one-party state to a multi-party democratic state with a liberalized economy started in 1990, which in turn, with such rapid structural adjustment of the economy hit Mongolian families hard. They were faced with high unemployment while inflation and prices hit an all time high. In 1998 a major survey indicated that 36% of the population was living below the income poverty line and that poverty in Mongolia tends to be higher in many urban areas than in rural (NSO/UNDP, 1998). Although there was a decrease in the percentage of poor people between 1995 and 1998, the number of poor people, actually increased to over 40,000(NSO, 1995). Additionally, the lives of families beneath the poverty line also appear to have got worse over the 1990s. 

The most interesting information that I learned from this website is that the numbers of children living in poverty in Mongolia, are also those who live in female headed household or are children aged 0-16 years. Besides poverty being a major concern in this country, so is malnutrition in the young. In Mongolia, 30% of children under five in 1998 had a low height for their age and 10% were underweight (UNDP/GOM, 2000). Many children and their families also show signs of nutrient deficiency. Some 51% of the population did not have access to safe drinking water in 1998 (NSO/UNDP, 1998).

The increasing responsibility put on the young at such an early age is also a major concern, in my opinion. For example, with increased domestic workloads and more time looking after younger brothers and sisters, children have been forced by circumstances to work for money outside the home, such as fetching and cutting wood for others and working in factories and markets. As a result, some children never enter school, others drop out of classes.

I would have to say that I gained a huge insight about this country. Although I knew other countries were dealing with a lot of issues, just as the US, I did not know to what degree. It really breaks my heart to know how much others go through just to make ends meet for their families. We all get upset when we are unable to buy something we really want, but we should all be thankful for what we have because after reading this article, it could really be worse.

References

Child Poverty Research and Policy Centre. (2012). Mongolia. Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org

NSO. (1995). Living Standards Measurement Survey. 

NSO/UNDP. (1998). Living Standards Measurement Survey of 1998, Ulaanbaatar.

NSO/UNDP. (1998). Living Standards Measurement Survey.

UNDP/GOM. (2000). Human Development Report.

UNDP/GOM. (2000). Human Development Report Mongolia.