Deseret International Charities Makes a Donation to the Child Welfare Center of the Ulaanbaatar Metropolitan Police Department for Homeless Street Children

Group of street children at the Child Welfare Center

The audience at ceremony at the Children Welfare Center included:  street children, members of the International Women's Association of Mongolia (IWAM),  senior couples, President and Pat Clark, Young Single Adults,  and Colonel Otonbaatar, who is the Vice Director of the Ulaanbaatar Police Department.

 February 7,  2011
Deseret International Charities (Deseret) announced the donation of equipment, bedding, hygiene items, and school supplies to the Child Welfare Center (Center), which is run by the Ulaanbaatar’s Metropolitan Police Department. The donation strengthens the ability of the Center to process and care for approximately 1500 homeless children per year who are found living on the streets.

The donation includes:  an industrial-size electric cooking pot, an industrial-size freezer/refrigerator, sheets, blankets, and mattresses for fifty children, hygiene items, school supplies, and two whiteboards. The cost was 9,822,000 tugriks ($7,611 USD).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors Deseret International Charities and funding for this project came from donations by Church members around the world.

Items donated by Deseret International Charities:  mattresses, blankets, sheets, school supplies, hygiene items.  Refurbished foosball table donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Batkaa and Richard examining the donated industrial cooking pot to use in making soup

The cook said she is as old as the stove they have been using.  It is not reliable, takes a long time to heat up and sometimes turns on by itself.  She is thrilled with the new refrigerator/freezer and the industrial electric cooking pot.

Before the ceremony, Young Single Adults from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decorated the Child Welfare Center with balloons and ribbons. They also assembled a table foosball game, which came in a box. During the ceremony, they presented the table foosball game, other games and puzzles, and a large refurbished foosball game to the Center.  Following the ceremony, the Young Single Adults interacted with the homeless street children and taught them how to play some of the games. 


At the end of the ceremony, the International Women's Association of Mongolia and Deseret International Charities handed out treats and gifts to each child.

Two street children playing a game of table-top foosball 

Azzaya, a Young Single Adult from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 

coaching a street child on how to put together a puzzle, and street children playing with the refurbished foosball table.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the goal of the Center is to place children in an environment where they can receive an education, learn to care for themselves, and eventually have families and become productive members of society.

Since 1996, the Center has serviced 20,094 children.

Former street child performing for ceremony

The Metropolitan Police Department did a great job of accomplishing planning and implementing the project.  They put on a wonderful ceremony complete with media coverage by four TV stations, entertainment by formerly homeless children who played the murun khuur, and attendance by Colonel OTGONBAATAR, who is the Vice Director of the Ulaanbaatar Metropolitan Police Department and Head of the Public Order Department.  During the ceremony, DIC was presented with a plaque of gratitude from Police Lieutenant Colonel AYURZANA.Ch, of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Richard Lasson was presented with a Mongolia State medal from the National Children's Board of Mongolia for humanitarian work in behalf of the children of Mongolia,  signed by M.TOGTOKHNAYM.  The shelter and police officials said it was the first time a Mormon has received this award.

Street children watching the entertainment