Projects Ahora o Nunca: Mongolia
1. INTRODUCTION. A COUNTRY SUNK IN OBLIVION
The thought of Mongolia compels us to enter the land of imagination. The reason for this is simple: we face a surprising lack of information regarding the current affairs of this remote country. From its neighbours we are bombarded with news – from China we hear of impressive economic growth; from various states in the Far East we are often informed about child abuse; and from India we receive endless details regarding overcrowding, to name just a few examples. However, when it comes to Mongolia, even the most experienced traveller loses his bearings. For some, “Mongolia” may evoke adventurous childhood stories of the Silk Road and Marco Polo’s travels; for others, it may stir up images of the epic battles fought by the hordes of Mongol horsemen spearheaded by a magnificent Omar Sharif in the role of Genghis Khan; some may associate the name with horse breeding in hostile steppes; and there will be those who recall endless games of the strategy game Risk…
But what do we know of its history and current situation? Do we know that over 35% of its population lives under the poverty line? That there are roughly 4,000 children living in the streets? That a high percentage of infants among the rural population are forced to move with their families up to eight times a year in search of other pastures? The present project intends to tackle these as well as many other questions. We hope, within the limitations of the available means, to unveil other aspects of this little-known country where we will meet Genghis Khan’s inheritors who have fallen from grace: around four thousand children who live on the street or inside the “holes” – as they themselves call them – of the sewage network where they seek the warmth of the boilers in order to fight the extreme winter temperatures of the world’s coldest capital. These children have been expelled from home or have ended up in the streets after escaping the abuse of alcoholic parents, broken homes and families oppressed by an economy in depression. This new “horde” no longer rides the steppes or seeks glory like its famed ancestors. Instead, it seeks merely to survive through begging, drug consumption and prostitution and faces an extremely uncertain future. Fortunately, a series of social and humanitarian initiatives shine a light of hope at the end of the tunnel where many of these children find themselves.
