Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia

Caritas is confederation of over 160 members who are inspired by Catholic faith, reaching out to the poor, vulnerable and excluded, regardless of race or religion.

Mongolia is one of the world’s highest producers of plastic per capita. The high prevalence of plastic waste, combined with limited recycling capacity and poor dump site containment, degrades Mongolia’s natural systems and impacts the nation’s ability to adapt to climate change.

This project builds the capacity of plastic recycling businesses to improve their efficiency and works with local governments to improve their waste management strategies.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver four training sessions to ten plastics recycling businesses, to enhance their capacity to divert more plastic waste into recycled products;
• work with the Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Meteorology to implement national recycling production standards that facilitate more sustainable recycling; and
• deliver a media campaign to build awareness of the issue of plastic waste, and the locations the public can deposit plastic waste for recycling.

Eco-clubs of Uliastai

The Department of Education and Science (DES) is the central government body that is responsible for the creation of education and science policies in Mongolia.

Mongolia is experiencing rates of global warming far higher than the global average, and Zavkhan province is experiencing extreme climate hazards including heat waves, drought, and river flooding.

The DES has supported children’s Eco-clubs since 2012, but only 4 per cent of students from grades 8-11 are actively engaged. This project will build the capacity of Eco-clubs in two schools in the outskirts of Uliyastai soum by building the skills of science teachers who support the clubs and by increasing children’s participation by 50 per cent.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• support nine science teachers from two schools to organise participatory and interactive activities for Eco-clubs to engage more children;
• deliver training sessions and field trips to more than 400 students in grades 8-11 to learn about climate change and practical ways to reduce its negative effects;
• support Eco-clubs to implement six environmental projects, such as increasing use of recycling products; and
• share the results of the project with other Eco-clubs and through social media.

Environmental Fellowship Program

Zorig Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation spreading democratic values in Mongolian society; strengthening human rights, political freedoms and social justice, and improving the system of transparency and accountability of the state and government to the public.

The Environmental Fellowship Program (EFP) offered through the Zorig Foundations is an 8-month program for young professionals interested in increasing their awareness and understanding of issues affecting the conservation and security of the Mongolian ecosystem.

In the program’s 13th year, the fellows will be supported to play a future leadership role in climate action, resilience and mitigation through community development projects.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• facilitate ten experts to deliver lectures to the programs’ 23 participants
• organise seven workshops and four field-trips to allow the participants to have a practical understanding of theories covered in the lectures; and
• support participants to implement four community development projects under the theme of climate change action, mitigation and awareness.

Rainbow Horses: Encouraging Equal Social Inclusion Through Art Education 

The Arts Council of Mongolia believes that art is one of the most effective modes of expression and communication. Their 'Rainbow Horses’ arts education project was initiated in 2005, during which 88 horse sculptures were painted by children and artists.  

In 2022, ‘Rainbow Horses’ will reach out to socially excluded communities from Cancer Department at National Center for Maternity, National Center for Mental Health, and one of the Women’s prisons. Participants will collaborate with trained artists to tell their stories, which will support their civic engagement, improve their communication skills and promote inclusiveness.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver a one-day intense training course on social inclusion and art education for three artists and two-to-three social workers
• run the ‘Rainbow Horses’ program for 70 participants to enhance the life skills and communication by supporting them to tell their stories through the creation of their own unique horses
• deliver a public exhibition featuring selected artworks and printed postcards to attract public awareness on inclusivity 
• develop creative partnerships among health, art, and correctional facilities to promote the importance of art in human and social development. 

Capacity Building on Trauma-Informed Case Management Approach Towards Survivors of Child Sexual Violence for Social Workers in Public Secondary Schools 

Beautiful Hearts Against Sexual Violence is a member-based non-government organisation, which aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and children in Mongolia, particularly child sexual abuse.   

This project will train 18 professional social workers from public secondary schools and vocational training centers for six months on identifying survivors of child sexual violence, providing emergency child protection services, and trauma-informed case management approaches.   

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• develop a curriculum for school social workers on identifying symptoms and psychosocial characteristics of children who have been sexually abused, and guidance on how to provide basic psychosocial counseling to child survivors of sexual violence
• select 18 professional social workers from 18 secondary schools/vocational training centers to undertake training sessions over three months
• support the social workers who have completed the training to organise advocacy activities at their schools. 

Organisational Strengthening on Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy Development and Experience Sharing Among Research Institutions in Mongolia

The Independent Research Institute of Mongolia (IRIM)’s goal is to be the leading centre of knowledge in Mongolia on development-related issues and to provide world-class independent research outcomes.

The Labor Law of Mongolia (2021) requires public and private organisations to have a policy for the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH).  IRIM plans to introduce a PSEAH policy to its due diligence process.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• develop an organisational PSEAH policy
• deliver a series of training and behaviour change activities to help IRIM staff enact the policy
• conduct a series of workshops on the policy for other research organisations in Mongolia.

Strengthening the Capacity of the Press Institute of Mongolia Strengthening the Capacity of the Press Institute of Mongolia 

The Press Institute of Mongolia is one of the leading institutions offering public communications services for media, NGOs, and international organisations.  

Digital communication is rapidly changing due to new technologies and increased demand for remote or flexible work during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This project will increase the online and digital skills of Press Institute staff to ensure that training and outreach activities meet the audience’s needs and are accessible to a broader group.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver training to at least six staff from the Press Institute on digital content production and relevant software and applications
• purchase equipment to enhance the Press Institute’s online presence, such as a video switcher with microphone and tripod, video recorder, colour printer and other accessories 
• produce at least six digital products – such as short videos, posters and infographics – and disseminate them via the Press Institute's social media platforms.  

Fellowship program on applying trauma-informed psychosocial approach for clinical social workersFellowship program on applying trauma-informed psychosocial approach for clinical social workers

Beautiful Hearts Against Sexual Violence will support social workers in Mongolia to better assist survivors of child sexual violence.

Trauma can impact a child’s cognitive, academic, behavioural and social functioning and can have lifelong consequences. In Mongolia, clinical social workers are the primary first aid providers for survivors of child sexual violence. However, state services such as one-stop centres and police shelters are relatively new and have limited experience in providing services for survivors of child sexual abuse.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will: 
• establish a project team and training program on trauma-informed psychosocial service approaches for social workers employed in state-run services and non-government organisations in Mongolia
• deliver a three-month fellowship program for 15 social workers in Ulaanbaatar in how to deliver best-practice trauma care for survivors of child sexual violence
• organise a conference for 50 social workers to foster professional relationships, support networks and discussion of challenges in the sector to be raised with authorities. 

As a result, survivors of child sexual violence will receive improved care from social workers, who will also be able to teach their colleagues and engage more professionals in improving the care of survivors.

Creating youth employment opportunities  

Caritas Czech Republic in Mongolia will organise activities that foster youth employment and entrepreneurship.

Youth unemployment is a significant issue in Mongolia, where only 55% of people aged 20-24 are employed (National Statistics Office, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many businesses to close down and workers to lose their income.

There are several social enterprises in Mongolia that promote youth employment and community development. These businesses require kick-start funding to transition their ideas into a self-sustaining business. Crowdfunding is a popular and effective way to raise funds as it breaks down barriers between those in need and those available to help them.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• assist five social enterprises to launch a crowdfunding program in Ulaanbaatar and Khentii, Dornogovi, Selenge, Bayankhongor provinces
• create videos, photos and social media content about the social enterprises to be used on crowdfunding platforms
• host an in-person and online event in Ulaanbaatar showcasing the social enterprises, providing them with a physical platform to share their vision and raise funds
• support the social enterprises to keep their funders up to date Xorganise three networking activities for 75 young people and relevant employers.

This project will improve the social and financial opportunities for young people in Mongolia by providing them with enhanced skills, knowledge and opportunities to enter or re-enter the job market.

2021 Zoom: artists in leadership campaign 

The Arts Council of Mongolia project will deliver the 2021 Zoom: Artist in Leadership (Zoom 2021) campaign to raise awareness of gender equality, with support from the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund. The Arts Council of Mongolia ensures that the art and culture of Mongolia is sustainably developed, promoted and preserved. This project builds on the 2020 Zoom campaign that raised public awareness of gender equality through photography. 

Zoom 2021 will engage media artists to promote gender equality, democratic values and develop capacity of young talents. Participating artists will strengthen their civic engagement and ability to promote gender equality by expressing social needs. The project will be delivered in person or online, depending on the COVID-19 context in Mongolia. 

Project activities will include: 

• organising leadership skills workshops, focussing on gender equality in a global context 
• organising media art workshops, building the capacity of participating media artists 
• providing opportunities for artists to create media artworks 
• producing media artworks promoting gender equality 

• providing arts education for the public that promotes an equal society 
• organising public and online exhibitions featuring works produced by participating artists 
• developing ongoing partnerships with UN Women (Mongolia), local businesses and the Mongolian artistic community. 

Sign-language interpreters at events will ensure members of the deaf community are included in the project. 

Achieving gender equality involves the elimination of gender-based violence, and the empowerment of all women and men. This project will empower artists to gain leadership skills by raising awareness of gender equality. Participants will use their artistic skills to challenge Mongolian gender stereotypes. Artists will be encouraged to draw on their own voices and lived experiences to promote gender equality in Mongolia. 

Strengthening the role of media and civil society in promoting gender equality in Mongolia

The Press Institute of Mongolia aims to increase awareness of gender stereotypes in young journalists and civil society activists. They will strengthen their leadership skills to promote gender equality in Mongolia through online workshops to increase participants’ capacity to recognise and challenge gender stereotypes. 

Women’s voices are underrepresented in Mongolian media, and gender stereotypes and sexualisation are prevalent in media coverage. While civil society organisations engaged in promoting gender equality often lack the knowledge and skills to effectively communicate their messages using modern communication tools. Journalists typically do not consider civil society activities as newsworthy, and non-government organisations can lack the skills to attract media attention to their issues. 

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, the Press Institute of Mongolia will increase understanding and awareness of gender stereotypes among young journalists and civil society activists to strengthen their leadership skills in promoting gender equality in Mongolia. The funding will assist to: 

• develop a strategy to attract participants, including offering mentoring and peer support opportunities 
• organise online workshops for young journalists to raise awareness of gender stereotypes and gender-sensitive reporting techniques 
• hold workshops for civil society activists to understand ways to effectively use social media to promote gender equality  
• hold a social media contest to promote gender equality, raising public awareness of gender stereotypes in Mongolian society 
• organise an award ceremony to celebrate and promote the best social media contest entries that challenge gender stereotypes and address gender equality issues. 

All project activities will be organised online, involving journalists and civil society actors from urban and rural Mongolia. 

This project will improve the capacity of young journalists and civil society activists to recognise and challenge gender stereotypes in media and communication content. It will raise public awareness on gender stereotypes and key gender issues on Mongolian social media.

Strengthening parents’ literacy skills to support children’s needs in Uvurkhangai, Mongolia 

Save the Children Japan aims to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of Mongolian herder parents and to help them care for children living with a disability. This project targets parents in the Arvaikheer, Uyanga and Kharkhorin soums of Uvurkhangai province and will be managed by Save the Children Japan staff in Ulaanbaatar and Uvurkhangai provinces. 

Some Mongolian herder parents can lack the education skills required to support children living with a disability. Many children with disabilities are left out of educational opportunities due to their parents’ nomadic lifestyle, geographic location and lack of access to formal schooling. Herder parents can benefit from assistance to support to their children's learning and development. 

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, the project will provide mobile education training focused on literacy and numeracy skills with partner organisations including the Life-long Education Centre. These organisations have established capacity in working with Mongolian children with a disability and their families.  

Activities will include: 

• conducting literacy and numeracy assessments of Mongolian herder parents 
• delivering mobile training to project participants 
• sharing project results with local governments, partner organisations and through social media. 

Parents will become more confident in supporting their children’s education and accommodating their needs. Local governments will also improve their awareness of the needs among their community. 

Read more about the outcomes of the program on the Save the Children website

Providing gender responsive support to entrepreneurs in Zavkhan province 

The University of Zavkhan Province will help entrepreneurs in four eastern sub-provinces of Zavkhan province to grow their businesses and overcome challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Zavkhan is a remote province in Mongolia that is not connected to the capital city by paved road or railway. Entrepreneurs in this region lack access to broader Mongolian or international markets. Business opportunities for Mongolian men and women often differ due to differing gender roles, caring responsibilities and unequal distribution of information or funding. 

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will: 

• ‍conduct a needs analysis of entrepreneurs in selected sub-provinces to inform the development of project activities 
• identify candidates for the project, based on criteria including gender equality, disability and social inclusion 
• ‍deliver capacity-building activities to develop participants’ IT, social media and marketing skills 
• purchase equipment to expand participants’ businesses 
• oversee mini-projects to reinforce knowledge and skills developed during capacity-building activities 
• provide mentoring to embed capacity-building skills on an ongoing basis. 

‍This project will improve local entrepreneurs sales by improving their knowledge and skills in product development, marketing and branding. It will also improve job creation in the Zavkhan province. The project will help participants’ businesses to become more efficient, gain new market share and access microfinance opportunities.  

Strengthening capacity building for collective online activism

MOMFEMNET will strengthen the capacity of its 22 member organisations to work remotely, organise emergency responses, and engage in activism online, through research, training and stakeholder engagement.

Developing guidance for COVID-19 prevention and control in local schools in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 

The Asia Foundation will help Mongolia reopen schools after one of the longest breaks in the world, by piloting a reopening plan at one school, to be used as a model for others across the country.