Photos of Children of Mongolia

Mongolian children are like kids anywhere but hardened by the climate. They are encouraged to participate in traditional culture, as seen at the yearly Naadam festivals. Many children come dressed in traditional clothes and participate in horse racing - boys learn to handle horses at an early age and are talented jockeys. They also practice archery and Mongolian wrestling, and little boys may be dressed as real wrestlers. Both boys and girls learn to play the Morin Khuur, Mongolia’s national instrument, the fiddle with a carved horse head.

The Lotus Children’s Centre in Ulaanbaatar is a Non-Government Organisation helping orphaned children and employing young people who live in the orphanage. It was started in 1993 by an Australian yoga teacher, Didi Kalka, who was affected by the plight of street children and started helping them; this grew from caring for street kids to abandoned babies, and a Kindergarten was started in 1997. It evolved into a primary school, including a program for children with special needs. Each summer there are summer camps for the children. There is such a camp near Gachuurt, on the banks of the Tuul River. The children have a great time and perform a program of traditional dances. It is a beautiful organisation, and volunteers from all over the world may work there for a time.

The photos here give an idea of what it is like to grow up in Mongolia.