IT ALL STARTED WITH A SIMPLE IDEA AND A RESPONSE TO A VERY REAL NEED

How we can change the future and support mono-parental families for the good? The project aims to help financially but also morally single mothers that are struggling with the education of several children, on their own. Back in 2017, as Gobi Mountain Lake has been operating in Mongolia for over a year, together with the members of an NGO called Smile Mongolia supports well-being lifestyle, tantric meditation practice, social and outdoor activities, and visiting families of herders of various regions, it came to mind with a harsh reality that some families were doing better than others. In some locations, it was heard that some families were lead by single mothers keeping all the tasks, chores of the nomadic lifestyle, and the educations of their children on their own. Suffice to say that their situation appeared quite complicated when we know how difficult it already is, even with a husband around. 

In some cases, widows or through complications on the couple's life, the wife remained alone to keep all the family together, in charge of the man's duties as well. After realizing this uncommon situation, the team at Gobi Mountain Lake and Smile Mongolia NGO decided to come up with a plan to help as much as possible those families in need of a better life. 

Not only the project was built to support the families and the Single mothers, by means of providing what they needed for their daily life, but also providing moral support, and keeping the connection with them to help grow on their own the life they want to have. In several regions where Gobi Mountain Lake is operating, needs have been identified such as in Bayankhongor, Zavkhan, Uvs, and Govi-Altai Provinces. We developed a system working with the NGO in order to provide extra income for the families, through fundraising and events, and also actively helping the various needs in terms of children's books, textbooks, and clothes collection organized in Ulaanbaatar. 

Originally coming from Dornod Province at the Far East of Mongolia, Unurtsetseg came to Ulaanbaatar to live in 2014 with her daughter when her husband passed away. In order to support her children she worked for the Khas bank as a janitor. It is where she developed knowledge about certain types of materials, when some of her duties were to clean the carpets of this establishment.

From 2021, and because of the event of the Covid pandemic, all her children had to remain home. she committed to learn and create her own business about felt products. Especially her young daughters being at home, she wanted to make them accessories, slippers and home shoes, little carpets, things that were warm enough for them to not feel cold.

She started from scratch, without any knowledge in making those types of products. But soon enough she made contacts, and learned from local masters. She bought only the raw materials she needed at the local factories: Sheep's wool, felt and threads from the camels hair. Then she started to produce her own patterns, getting inspirations from the traditions and the culture of Mongolia, from the ancient kings and queens dress. Today her biggest daughter is helping her drawings patterns on a plastic sheet applied on top of the felt. This way, she is able to make the sewing process much more efficient, not requiring further cleaning of the felt after the threading work. She is a beautiful young grandmother of 43 years old, with 5 daughters. Her oldest one graduated from the Medical University of Ulaanbaatar, another one a 1st grade student at the Mongolian National University, twin younger girls age 10, and the last one Enerel, age 3. This women clan is very strong, and you can feel how smart they are when you visit them.

Gobi Mountain Lake is very proud to support the skills and crasftmanship of Unurtsetseg “Unuruu”, her vision and constant development into making beautiful traditional and modern products. By using some of her homemade designs together with the Smile Mongolia Club, as part as the felt meditation pads, we want to contribute our own way the local talents of the capital city, but most important of all to help a family in need.

She recently added another new great development to her toolkit, with her product and business page on Facebook, to visit here: https://www.facebook.com/Unuruus-handmade-101654952303291

In order to support and help single mothers with our project, Gobi Mountain Lake worked together with the local government of the Tsakhir village at the gates of our yak valley. We researched and identified a family in need in the surroundings. This is where the story of Chuluuntsetseg comes from. 

Living close to our Yak valley camp in the village of Tsakhir itself, Chuluuntsetseg is a single mother who is taking care of her five (5) children. Through many difficult times, she tried to make a living to support her family, being sewer by profession, she tries to make the ends meet with very few order from time to time. She mostly works when some local district posts are vacant, and she would replace other ladies to sew garments for various indrustries. She is proud to introduce us to her work, and the beautifully made Deel (traditional Mongolian Dress) that she produced for her family.

When we first visited the family, we were surprised to meet with her oldest daughter - 8 years old - coming right back from the school and starting to prepare the food for everyone, cutting the meat with the kitchen knife. Very aware of our presence, she remembered seeing us at the village’s school earlier that day.

Meanwhile, her oldest son took care of the younger brothers and sisters. He loved to talk with us about his favorite activities at school such as sports, and football that he shares with his younger brother Elbejargal. All of those stories listened to carefully by the little Princess, the youngest daughter age 3, Suvdansondor, the cutest one of them all. Chuluuntsetseg’s little brother living in the next Ger, regularly comes to help, bringing the firewood and finds some work in order to buy enough food for the entire family.

The highlight of this project since 2019, is the summer group trip we organize together in order to visit the families and provide those donations. We also involved the local authorities, meeting with the Governor of Erdenekhairkhan soum of the Zavkhan province to raise funds locally between the Inhabitants or the region, donated books, clothes, and stationery. This will contribute to create a safe environment for the concerned families, and allow them to gain sustainability and strive by themselves later on. A very local project we are proud to initiate, and that is already benefiting several families. 

Meet Erdenetsetseg, a very courageous 60 years old lady. She currently works full time taking care of her own 7 children, but also the 18 years old young man of her younger sister who passed away after giving birth to him. Unfortunately, he lives with a disability since birth, and requires constant attention, as he cannot take care of himself. Erdenetsetseg stayed until now with him especially, without going outside and needs the support of her own grown-up children and relatives to live. She had no chance to find a job since that time because of this situation. This family is one of the many that the Governor of the Erdenekhairkhan Sum recommended visiting first, as active support both financially and morally is definitely needed. 

A much needed help to support life at the countryside: our project is all about determining the families that would benefit the most of our donations through the Smile Mongolia Club and from our adventures. Through this we bring hope and possibilities to the mothers and their children, to get a relief from the struggle that is very real in these days. Not only we are making things happen for them, but we also keep up year after year with the families projects, and visit them regularly to ensure we can support in any way possible.