A Medical University student teaching soup kitchen guests how to properly wash their hands, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, October 2020. Photo courtesy of Lamp of the Path.

In 2005, the FPMT center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, organized a nonprofit organization, Lamp of the Path, to take over the center’s social welfare activities. Community Service is one of FPMT’s Five Pillars of Service. Center director Ianzhina Bartanova shares about their current projects.

Lamp of the Path’s main soup kitchen has been closed almost continuously since the beginning of 2021. We were able to re-open for a short time, only to have to close again due to COVID restrictions. Nevertheless, we continued to offer support to one of the most vulnerable communities of Mongolia, the Mongolian Blind’s People’s Association.

Mongolian Blind People’s Association member and his sister receiving food support from Lamp of the Path, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, February 2021. Photo courtesy of Lamp of the Path.

In January 2021, we began helping families by providing food and essential coal supplies. Most of the seventy-five families we have helped live in a ger district. This means they have one felt tent to share with up to seven family members. The Mongolian government provides visually impaired citizens with a small monthly stipend of approximately US$105 per person.

One of our beneficiaries, Ms. Oyunbat, lives with her daughter and two nieces in one apartment. Her daughter is unemployed and looks after the children. Another beneficiary, Ms. Enkhtuya, is living with her son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. Her son’s  income is unstable, and life is quite challenging for the entire family.

The visually impaired members who are employed often work at massage salons, sell handmade goods, or work at the Mongolian Blind People’s Association. Multiple lockdowns have made it impossible for them to earn any extra income. They haven’t received much assistance from the government—just a reduction in utility fees and a discount on the price of coal.

Things are even more challenging for elderly people and those who are living alone. Social workers have few opportunities to visit them due to social distancing rules. We are very delighted to be able to provide some help to this vulnerable community. The Mongolian Blind People’s Association expressed their heartfelt gratitude for our timely and essential support and shared about our efforts on their website.

Amgalan residents receiving food support from Lamp of the Path, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, January 2021. Photo courtesy Lamp of the Path.

Amgalan, another of our long-term nonprofit partners, offers shelter to former alcoholics and the homeless. We recently provided substantial food supplies to eighteen residents. We were pleased to learn that our partner 12th khoroo District will receive some help from the government. Lamp of the Path is located in the 12th khoroo District and we feel very connected to people living there.

In 2020, we began a new project in cooperation with government social workers. Every week, a social worker or someone from our group visited five poor families. We delivered food items from lists prepared by the social workers. When we didn’t receive any requests this year we inquired, and learned they are now receiving government help. We hope the government will expand their efforts and reach more people in need.

We visited hundreds of family households and observed that many are headed by single mothers. We have decided to focus on helping single mothers this year as much as we can.

When we briefly opened our soup kitchen, we observed our guests didn’t know how to properly wash their hands to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They would touch the tap water for a few seconds and then consider their hands clean. We invited medical students to offer an informative seminar, “Diseases Communicated through Unclean Hands.” The medical students spoke about diseases spread by unclean hands, conditions that require handwashing, and handwashing techniques. The audience had a lot of fun!

Guests enjoying a meal at the soup kitchen while adhering to mandatory social distancing, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, March 2021. Photo courtesy of Lamp of the Path.

We are also pleased to share that we have been able to retain our entire staff, and that they continue to receive their full salaries. This is a challenging time around the world, but it has shown us human beings have great potential to act with love and kindness. We can work together to bring great benefit to those in need. We are deeply grateful to all our supporters, and we wish them all the best!

We plan to further serve our community this year by continuing our collaborations with the Enerel Clinic, International School of Ulaanbaatar, Medical University, the Mongolian Blind People’s Association, government social workers serving the 12th and 23rd khoroos of Bayanzurkh District, and more.

To learn more about Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, visit their website:
http://www.fpmtmongolia.org/

The Social Services Fund was honored to offer US$29,400 to this incredible project this year. Since 2012, thanks to a generous donor and the support of many, we have offered over US$246,000 to the Lamp of the Path program.

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