Going to college by orphan kids in Mongolia: The challenge of finding needed shelter

Education is an important asset and tool for individuals or families to break the cycle of poverty. Having an education means that one can find a job and no longer be economically oppressed. This paper describes an STTI member’s work in an orphanage farm in the summer of 2012, and her attempts to work with a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, to raise funds to find a shelter for orphans reaching the age of 18 who will need to leave government protection and be on their own. Past stories recounted by the person in charge of the NGO revealed that young people who wanted to continue on to college in the capital city could not always find a place to live. Rents were unaffordable. Many young people could not sustain their efforts to remain in college. Some had to find a job and missed the chance to receive a higher education. Others needed to return to rural areas to be with their relatives. And some fell into bad ways and became “lost.” Through her efforts to work with the NGO and volunteers from other parts of the world, the STTI member came to realize the various dimensions and dynamics involved in a multinational endeavor. The cultural differences involved are huge and must be addressed if a project of this nature is to move forward.