Travelling
through the chilled silence of Mongolia, one can almost hear
the landscape's folds and crevices whispering. Across the barren
landscape, a lone tree is covered in blue ribbon. It is a shrine
because its existence is considered a miracle.
There are only 2.4 million people scattered across this country,
which is three times the size of France. Families can live 60
kilometres from their nearest neighbours.
Here, farm animals are the difference between life and death.
They are a shopping mall on four legs – providing companionship,
milk and meat, skin for clothing. They are also financial assets.
If a family’s animals are all right, then the family will
be fine.
But if the animals do not have a source of food, then people’s
lives are destroyed. This has been the situation since 1999,
when over-farming and brutal winters, called dzud or “white
death” caused millions of animals to starve, leaving thousands
of families destitute. Many herder families have moved to Ulaanbaatar's
expanding slum or “ger” districts, named for the
traditional tents the destitute herders have brought with them
from the steppe to live in. As much as half of the population
of Mongolia now lives in Ulaanbaatar.
It was just over a year ago when the Mongolian Red Cross Society's
under secretary general, Dr. Z Jadamba had the idea to improve
herders’ well-being, which they defined as “the
ability to meet our families’ needs without having to
rely on others and to resolve our problems ourselves”.
Dr. Jadamba suggested a haymaking project to the Humanitarian
Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) and the International
Federation, whereby the Mongolian Red Cross would engage unemployed
herders and Red Cross regional disaster preparedness centres
in cultivating hay for small herders at risk of losing their
remaining animals. In many countries the most important disaster
preparedness tools would be water purification tablets or food
stores. For Mongolia's herders the greatest disaster risks are
posed by the destruction of pasture and the death of animals.
ECHO agreed to fund the hay project for one year.
Over the past year, 300 workers have produced more than 7000
tonnes of hay. Now people like Khorloo, 72, and his wife, who
had lost most of their herd over the past five years, have a
much better of chance of keeping the 25 animals that remain
this winter.
Khorloo, who lives in Darkhan Aimag province, north of the capital,
wasn't able to harvest a lot of hay this year but is grateful
to the Red Cross’s Dharkhan branch for giving him two
tonnes of hay. Khorloo has little money, but drops by the branch
whenever he can, bringing fresh milk from his animals.
After five years of struggling, Togtuur Togmid, 52, smiles as
she looks over the large stockpile of hay she will use to feed
her 45 animals.
Mrs Togmid is a widow, her husband having died due to depression
over losing most of the family's animals. In August 2004, in
addition to having lost most of the family's herd, a wind storm
resulted in the loss of the family's home, a ger. Unable to
afford a new one, the family slept outside, unprotected from
sandstorms and wind for two months.
Now Mrs Togmid lives with her two sons and her daughter-in-law.
While the other adults look after the animals, Togtuur cares
for her grandchildren, aged two and four. There is no running
water, and no sanitation facilities.
The children's hands and hair are caked with dirt. Hot water
is a luxury for the family, as wood for heating is expensive,
which means that it is difficult to wash in temperatures averaging
-20 to -30 degrees Celsius.
The hay project has meant a lot to Mrs Togmid. While helping
the family to keep their animals alive, the project also employed
her son, Ekhbaatar, 20, to cut hay for two months.
It can be hard for Mrs Togmid to meet the costs of basic staples
such as wheat or sugar for the family of six, but the extra
income brought in by Mrs Togmid’s son is helping the family
survive against the unknown risks in the coming months. For
herders, the period from January to May is critical, as winter
temperatures plummet in January and February, and animals are
born in March.
The Red Cross hay project has been such a success that local
government officials have offered land for haymaking free of
charge.
Mongolia is a country of music, where all great stories eventually
make their way into song. So the story of the project is perhaps
best summed up in
“The Melody of Haymakers,” composed by Dr. Jadamba,
whose words are:
Snowstorms that leave no place to hide
Swirling the entire length of the sky
Shall be responded to by the warmth
Of the hearts of us - the haymakers.
|
 |
 |
|
|
After
five years of struggling, Togtuur Togmid, 52, smiles as
she looks over the large stockpile of hay she will use
to feed her 45 animals. (p13783)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Khorloo,
who lives in Darkhan Aimag province, north of the capital,
wasn't able to harvest a lot of hay this year but is grateful
to the Red Cross’s Dharkhan branch for giving him
two tonnes of hay.(p13782)
|
|
News
