Though it has had one of the most rapidly growing economies in recent years, Mongolia has also seen its economic growth decreasing. The country’s economic growth rate was at a high of 17.5 percent in 2011 but had declined to 11.7 percent by 2013. The inclusivity of Mongolia’s economic progress has also been an issue recently with 35.5 percent of rural populations in poverty, compared to 23.2 percent of urban populations. Despite these negative statistics, there are projects in place to address not only Mongolia’s economic pitfalls but also other areas of development. Here are five development projects in Mongolia.

 The Export Development Project

The Export Development project was launched by the Mongolia Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. Its main aims are to help enterprises strengthen their capabilities in exporting and to increase access to export markets. James Anderson, the World Bank Country Manager for Mongolia, has hopes that the project will boost the country’s employment, productivity and overall entrepreneurship.

Another aim of the project is to address the issue of Mongolia’s lack of inclusivity in its economy by supporting inclusive economic growth. The International Development Association will aid in accomplishing this aim by funding the project with $20 million. Launched in early 2017, the project will be implemented by the Mongolian government in the next four and a half years.

The English Education and Community Development Project

The Peace Corps orchestrated the English Education and Community Development project with the goal of building English language skills among students in Mongolia. The project serves all 21 districts in Mongolia and will train English teachers to teach English as a useful resource for the further education of Mongolian students.

The Peace Corps offers different ways to teach the students, including individual teaching and co-teaching with Mongolian teachers. Volunteers also assist in creating and hosting teaching seminars and helping with camps and clubs along with their Mongolian colleagues.

The Nature Conservancy’s Sustainable Development Project

The Nature Conservancy works not only with the Mongolian government but also with local communities. Its goal is to design a blueprint for sustainable development in Mongolia. The Conservancy has worked in multiple areas such as the Eastern Steppe and the Gobi region.

In the Eastern Steppe, the Conservancy works to protect and maintain the important grasslands that are essential for herding communities and for uncommon wildlife to thrive. One of their main goals is to push development away from the wildlife areas that are precious to Mongolia.

These efforts are echoed in their work in the Gobi region where they try to provide help in making decisions about where development should occur. Their overall aim is to support a more sustainable country.

Community-Based Health Project

The Community-Based Health Project, also created by the Peace Corps, aims to promote better health in Mongolia through ways such as improving health education. They operate in 15 districts, both rural and urban. The volunteers work with teachers to educate students about healthy life skills.

In addition to promoting healthy skills, this project also aims to promote the prevention of diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Though they may work a lot with younger students, this project includes both children and adults in their education and promotion of health.

Community Youth in Development

Building off of their work of educating kids about health, the Peace Corps also works to empower youth. Their Community Youth in Development project strives to meet their goal of empowerment among youth by building up their personal, social and educational skills. One of the project’s aims is to provide youth with more life opportunities through the building of these skills.

In order to meet these goals, the volunteers facilitate life skills clubs, some which are specialized to better help dorm students and disabled kids. To further build off of these skills, the Peace Corps organizes summer camps and service learning to better develop life skills among the youth in Mongolia.

Though the country faces a myriad of obstacles when dealing with its economy, health and opportunities for its youth, there are a multitude of development projects in Mongolia aimed at improving these areas. The programs have a wide array of focuses, including Mongolia’s economy, the health of its people and empowering the country’s youth. These projects demonstrate the willingness of people, both within and outside of the country, to help in Mongolia’s development.

– Haley Rogers

Photo: Flickr