Street Children Remain Neglected
Street Children Remain Neglected
| Friday, 06 April 2007 | |
| By Damien Dawson WAKING from an uncomfortable dream, not with the bounding energy of an intrepid reporter (it’s a little early for that), I contemplate my luck that at least I can emerge from it. While trying to think of some journalistic genius to impress myself with, I look out of my small, square window and it is plain to see that others do not have such luxury. Nor is this a one-off, as these are the same sights that I have seen almost everyday for a little short of 12 months. It’s just after 8:00 am. A little girl is stumbling over piles of rubbish, bones and sanitary waste. She wears a pair of boots that are far too big for her short, thin legs, an old, tattered, brown deel and a dirty yellow scarf wrapped around her neck. Her face is a muddy brown color, stained with dirty water where she’s used muddy snow to wipe her face, dried out as it is with the dust and smoke of the cramped underground dwellings, where she lives with her younger sister and other homeless people. She does this any number of times each day before disappearing down a manhole hidden between a row of garages behind my apartment block. Her name is Narantuya, which roughly translates as bright sunshine. Nara is 10 years old and the sole guardian of her little sister Moogii. These sisters spend their days rummaging through piles of rubbish. They look for enough food to last through the day, wandering from place to place, sometimes walking across the whole city in search of food. They share this daily task with homeless drunks and street dogs, all searching through the same piles of scraps. They make ends meet (barely) by begging, collecting bottles that they sell to recycling plants and anything else that they can scavenge that might have some monetary value. Although homeless and orphans, these children consider themselves lucky. "Some children are sent out to beg by their parents who use the money they get to buy alcohol, even if they’re not homeless," Nara tells me. These children do not want their names or their faces to be seen in Mongolian newspapers because of the shame this will bring to their families. They at least are trying to retain their national pride. Others that they consider less fortunate than themselves are those forced into selling themselves on the streets, while their pimps are protected by corrupt policemen, who in some cases control the prostitutes themselves. The children live in groups under the manholes to help stave off drunks who try to assault the young girls. Nara tells me, "Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t …" A quiet resignation infests these children that this is their lot in life. In a week when the western world celebrates the anniversary of the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, abducted women and children are being transported across the Chinese border in a modern-day slave trade. |
thats disgusting of what is happening.
people need to be less self-centered and care more about children. if children are the future of tomorrow then answer me 1 question. Why is no one doing anything?
Comment by alex — March 6, 2009 @ 7:48 am
NON of this is true!!!
I have been worked in Mongolia for 3.5 years as a teacher!!!
Just over salted story!!!
Please do not take this as a true story!!!
Comment by John Dirmnig — December 4, 2009 @ 11:03 am
It is not an exaggerated story. Damien Dawson is right and the sad thing is here in Mongolia, people do not want to confront the horrific reality and instead choose to remain ignorant!
Comment by jargal — December 4, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
It is all true and more I worked with children like this in UB at various community run centers that you can find in UB. The Lotus Centre and the Equal Steppe Centre are only two donation run organizations in UB, which are always struggling and shame on a teacher for saying that children in Mongolia are not in need.
Comment by Ruth — December 20, 2009 @ 8:33 am
You can see the other articles written by many journalist posted on this site. I’m saddened by John’s comment.
Comment by Ruth — December 20, 2009 @ 8:34 am
This man John is probably a miner and not a teacher unless you are blind you cannot see the street children in UB. You can see on other site the comments such people also leave, all people who read this please know this is the truth.
Comment by Gambat — December 21, 2009 @ 8:40 pm
Unfortunately it is true,,and our government and todays’ system are not working for the people, especially poor and low income people. It was not like this before, It began when boorish and uneducated people came into government,when they developed corruption system in, they learned that they can do everything with money. They sell our nature resources, they sell our soil and lands, maybe they will sell us, the Mongolians. Thank you Dawson. Unfortunately it is true. We had not had any experience like this before
“their” Democracy. I think it is not Democracy after all.
Comment by Mongolian — January 2, 2010 @ 2:33 pm