The Power of Books…
In Mongolia, children enjoy a long summer break from June to August, offering them a wonderful opportunity to expand their knowledge. This summer, a quiz competition was held to encourage reading and learning among young minds. The winner, a dedicated reader from Dambadarjaa, expressed her passion for books, saying, “To me, book reading is my best hobby. At my school, there are no books like our library. I love reading all the books in our library. Those books are very interesting. So, I read almost all books in the library. For that reason, preparing for the quiz competition was not difficult.”
Transformed Lives…
Many lives are transformed by attending the libraries…around 80 to 90 children visit the library daily, with approximately 150 children enrolled in total. The library has played a key role in enhancing their learning abilities. Here are 3 such stories:
- E is from a herding family living with her aunt in town. She was struggling academically especially in Mathematics and Mongolian. After joining the library, her skills significantly improved, and even her schoolteacher has praised her progress.
- B was having difficulty learning Mongolian, particularly writing and memorising. With continuous support and practice at the library, his writing has improved remarkably, and he can now confidently memorize and write words.
- N lacked basic arithmetic skills when she first joined the library. She struggled with multiplication and sentence formation in Mongolian. Today, she can solve multi-digit problems and construct sentences with confidence.
Growing and expanding…
Four outings were organised this summer, ensuring every child had a chance to participate. Each outing included activities, meals, and encouragement from short-term visiting teams from Korea. The children received gifts, and they and their parents expressed great appreciation for these enriching experiences.
The quiz competition was a major success. It motivated children to read and memorize valuable information, fostering a culture of learning and recognition.
Challenges…
- Two libraries, Deri-eh and Dambadarjaa 2, closed due to lack of space. After months of searching, a new location was secured with support from the 28th local administrative office in Bayanhoshuu. They are still seeking a replacement for the 5th library, and
- Finding resolute staff who are willing to work with a lower salary remains a pressing challenge.
You Can Help…
If you wish to contribute to the continued success of these libraries and support children in need, please click on “Donate to this Project.” Your support will help in securing a new library space and providing educational opportunities to more children.
All gifts are tax deductible and will benefit this project in their entirety except for bank fees.
