Ganbat and Otgontuul, two herders from Ömnögovi aimag, heard about the Development Solutions NGO training, organized in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), after they were contacted by the Khanbogd Youth Centre. For Ganbat, this was the first time at a training, and while Otgontuul has been to business workshops many times, she has never been to one on the topic of NGOs. “The life of a herder is very hard,” Otgontuul says. “There is no time for relaxing or leisure, and we have to do everything for ourselves. Forming an NGO will be very useful, as it will help us learn from each other’s experiences and knowledge.” Both acknowledge that there will be many challenges as they work to establish their Herders’ Association. Herders are spread out across the region, often living a considerable distance from even their closest neighbour. This makes it hard to communicate, especially as their seasonal and uncertain income makes it hard to cover the cost of technology, while in some areas there is no network at all. The two believe that the first step in establishing their association is communicating to other herders who did not attend the training what the benefits of an NGO will be. They plan to disseminate information about why they are forming and what their future activities will be, which will give them the opportunity to create interest and also practice their communication strategies. Despite the challenges, Ganbat and Otgontuul both agree that establishing a Herders’ Association will be an excellent resource for those who are currently struggling in isolation.
