A Hopeless Home

It is 10 pm in early Fall in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and the nights are already cold. A police van heads out into the night. This particular van is not on patrol to prevent crimes or apprehend criminals. It is searching for children - many of them anxious to avoid being caught.

Sponsored by UNICEF, the van belongs to the Police Child Identification Center and is part of an effort by the Mongolian government to deal with the thousands of kids who try to survive on the streets of Ulaanbaatar. The van takes the kids in, cleans them up and reunites them with their families. If the police cannot find the children's parents, they place them in one of 20 child shelters in the city.

The police look for the kids in the usual places - in video parlors, manholes, and doorways. Even though the authorities have the best intentions, many of the kids resist strongly and even put up a fight. They come from broken homes, and many have been neglected or abused. Life on the street, no matter how tough or dangerous, is something they have become used to.

One night, after several hours patrolling the streets, the officers return to the Centre with more than 15 children. Among them are Byambasuren and Ankhbayar. Byambasuren has been at the Centre before. His little brother, Ankhbayar, is new to the streets. Their story is all too common.

Byambasuren and Ankhbayar's Story

Driven by the poverty that engulfed so many in Mongolia after the fall of the Soviet Union, Byambasuren's family migrated to the capital of Ulaanbaatar from the countryside in search of work. Like many others, they were unable to get a city registration, a piece of paper needed to enroll their sons and daughters in school or obtain social assistance from the government.

Byambasuren lives with his mother and a 6-year old brother. Although his mother works, the income she gains is not enough to provide for the family. To make matters worse, the boys' uncle often invades their tiny, one-room home and abuses the children. The boys left the home because they had nothing left to lose. Their mother felt so helpless that she did not protest. However, she is concerned that her younger son will follow in his brother's footsteps. She would prefer that he attend school, but without government approval, there seems to be little hope.

The two brothers are very close. As they walk, they hold hands. Sometimes it seems that Ankhbayar doesn't even open his eyes as they walk, his trust is so complete. If they are not holding hands, Byambasuren takes his brother in his arms and guides him, all the while scanning the road ready to protect his brother from harm. They were on the street three days before the police picked them up. At the Child Identification Center, the boys were given showers and a bed to share for the night. Tomorrow, they would be reunited with their mother.

The reunion is bittersweet. The mother was happy to see her sons home, but at the same time she was filled with despair because she has no idea how she will raise them. "I don't know what to do," she confesses. "Maybe, I should give my children to a shelter, and they will understand me when they grow up." She voices the concern of many parents here.

What's Next for Byambasuren and Ankhbayar?

Ankhbayar remains at home with his mother. Byambasuren left to collect bottles one day and did not return. "It's difficult for him," his mother admits. "It's difficult for me, too, with him coming and going," she adds. "My biggest fear is that my youngest son will follow in his footsteps." For now, Ankhbayar is at home, but he is devastated by his brother's departure.
Ankhbayar's mother has good reason to worry. It is difficult to settle into the routine of home after life on the street. And homeless kids are part of a bigger problem. Many families exist in desperate conditions and parents find it extremely difficult to provide a stable, nurturing environment for their children. As long as 35 percent of the population in Mongolia lives below the poverty line, there is little hope of eliminating, or even significantly reducing the number of children who are forced to make the street their home.

What Can You Do?

According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child, every child should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding. Unfortunately, millions of street kids around the world are denied this right. You can help by learning more and by supporting organizations that work with street children.
International and national organizations, with help from UNICEF (the United Nations children's agency), try to fill the hole left by the collapsed social welfare system. Their programs provide shelter and education as well as outreach to street kids so boys like Byambasuren and Ankhbayar have a chance at some kind of future.

In Mongolia, international and national non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children UK, World Vision, the Catholic Church Mission, and the Alpha Community, together with state run institutions and the assistance of UNICEF work to help street kids. They offer shelter, education, family reunification, vocational skill and lifestyle training as well as drop-in outreach services that address the immediate needs of the street children.