The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was established in 1983 as the humanitarian branch of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1994, ADRA became the first NGO to open a branch in Mongolia following the nation’s regime change. During this period of civil unrest, the charity focused on providing basic necessities. However, as the country stabilized, the charity’s mission expanded. This makes it important to understand the success of ADRA Mongolia in protecting vulnerable communities, as the NGO provides a model of proactive survival techniques and long-term community development.

The Mission

For 32 years, ADRA Mongolia’s mission has been to support Mongolia’s most vulnerable communities, particularly rural nomadic populations living in ecologically dangerous regions. To better support Mongolia’s poorest communities and their varied needs, the charity divided its mission into five categories: health, livelihood, agriculture, emergency and outreach.

Protecting Vulnerable Communities

• Health Programs. ADRA states that “health is at the heart of so much of the world’s poverty and suffering.” For this reason, ADRA Mongolia spends significant resources connecting rural families with physicians and medical facilities. Health concerns in the region also prompted the NGO to provide citizens with practical health information. This approach appears in ADRA Mongolia’s recent health project, “Next Gen Celebrations,” which focuses on teaching children ages 12-15 about noncommunicable diseases and prevention strategies.
• Livelihood Support. ADRA Mongolia also supports the livelihoods of households across Mongolia, some of which survive on as little as $1.90 a day. Financial insecurity remains a significant challenge in Mongolia, where women have only recently gained formal rights and many still struggle to engage with financial systems. By 2021, ADRA Mongolia had supported 3,636 households, helping prevent them from falling below the extreme poverty line. The NGO also runs sustainable livelihood programs that teach rural farmers and herders improved techniques to increase long-term economic stability.
• Agricultural Programs. Although agriculture forms part of its livelihood programs, ADRA Mongolia treats agriculture as a separate focus because of the region’s harsh ecological conditions. In the Mongolian province of Bayan-Ölgii, winters can reach −50°C, rainfall is scarce and weather conditions can change rapidly. Despite these challenges, ADRA Mongolia runs the CANSAP program in the region, teaching farmers how to extend the growing season and protect crops from failure.
• Emergency Response. Mongolia faces severe emergency conditions known as the “dzud phenomenon,” during which shifting and dangerous weather places up to 90% of the population and livelihoods at risk. ADRA Mongolia identifies the dzud crisis as one of its central priorities, as Mongolia lost 5,900,000 livestock to the phenomenon in 2024 alone. To deliver emergency relief, ADRA Mongolia launched the “Dzud Emergency Response,” which provided support to 167 of the most severely affected households.
• Outreach Programs. The final focus category for the charity is outreach, which remains important in Mongolia, where 50% of the population lives in the capital, while the remainder lives across the vast steppes. Outreach work for the NGO includes identifying vulnerable communities and individuals and providing them with a space to voice their needs. To support this effort, ADRA Mongolia established the “ChEMP” program, which equips local churches with disaster management training and regular meetings. These centers serve as community anchor points where people can seek support.

Looking Ahead

ADRA Mongolia differs from many religious charities because it serves people regardless of background or religion. The success of ADRA Mongolia in protecting vulnerable communities demonstrates the impact of multi-layered approaches to poverty reduction and disaster preparedness, supporting thousands of households facing economic and environmental challenges.

– Eli Thomson

Eli is based in Preston, UK and focuses on Good News, Technology and Solutions, Politics for The Borgen Project.

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