The winter period is the hardest season, and longest season of the year, for the homeless people in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Today, as I’m writing it is -31°C. I cannot imagine how life must be when you are on the streets all day and night (yes even the nights when you lack the luxury of a manhole) with temperatures even dropping lower at nights.
Ins and Outs of Rehab
Our local team has helped many of our contacts to make the step to go to an alcohol rehabilitation center and over the past two months, more than 35 of our contacts went to rehab! Some of them, however, leave within days or weeks and we often see them back on the streets. Others are continuing their journey towards recovery.
Let Compassion Flow
January has been the toughest month of this winter so far, some of our contacts have passed away and many people have serious sicknesses, injuries, frostbites, and burns. We always try to go to a hospital with them but they often are very hesitant as most doctors treat them harshly, scolding them and without mercy, or just simply refuse. We are so grateful with the help of our volunteer nurse who joins us once a week on our outreaches, as she is providing the so needed care and does so with compassion. We are in need however of another volunteer nurse to join us on other outreaches.
Confronting Complications
At the moment reaching out to the homeless is complicated, as due to the Coronavirus we have to be more careful and the local government has forbidden gatherings of more than 5 people and the police are checking carefully. So for at least the whole month of February we can only meet people briefly, in small groups, hand out a meal in disposable bowls and quickly offer medical treatment, and this without the comfort and warmth of our drop-in bus. Just outside in the cold!
If you would like to help the homeless in Mongolia you can donate using the button on this page.
