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Service Teaches Mongolian Students a Public Heart
Written by Yasushi Matsumoto, International Advisor, UPF-Mongolia
Sunday, September 7, 2008
On September 7, 2008, thousands of pupils and students picked up garbage along the main street of Ulaanbaatar, in the central square in front of the Government House, and along the banks of the river flowing through the middle of the capital city. People driving throughout the city noticed young people wearing jackets with the words Global Peace Festival of Mongolia 2008 in many corners of the city.
Coming from the essentially nomadic culture of the Northeast Asian steppes where people do not deal with artificial things, Mongolians have never been accustomed to city life. But more than a third of the population now lives in the city, where they need to think about beautification by human efforts.
Mayor T. Bilegt noted the importance of the Global Peace Festival’s ongoing clean-up efforts. He spoke to the participants at the day’s opening ceremonies: "This is a significant civic initiative that involves people in the development of their own nation; it builds good relationships among people and encourages them to dream big and achieve seemingly impossible goals."
Afterwards, the mayor himself cleaned the Peace Bell facility in the park and budgeted funds to encourage ongoing cleanup campaigns.
The highlight of the day was the mayor’s signing a city ordinance to require all educational institutions from kindergartens to colleges to participate in a "Public Service Day" four times a year. Thus public education will incorporate service learning, and through this kind of service activity, young people will feel a sense of ownership of the public space in their city.
The Yargui Kindergarten (named after a flower in Mongolia) was established in 2000, and the Women’s Federation for World Peace has recruited “foster parent” sponsors in Japan for 353 families. Donors contribute about $9.00 per year per child. This covers the cost of textbooks, uniforms, and writing supplies. Sponsors support students through the fourth grade, and children send an annual letter of appreciation and a drawing to their sponsors.
Program director Mrs. Ryoko Iwabuchi says, "Many sponsors feel like these are their own children, and their own children feel like these are their real brothers and sisters. In this manner, this program helps children learn how to transcend national boundaries and live together as family members."
Mrs. Junko Matsumoto, an international advisor to the program, said, "Until now, the project has been about giving by the Japanese people, but this time local mothers are also supporting the program, which means that the community is taking ownership of it."
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