Summary
- The Gerelt Project, funded by Oyu Tolgoi, has commenced implementation in four schools in Chingeltei District, providing comprehensive support for adolescents’ mental health, reproductive health, and physical well-being.
- This year, the project is expanding its impact through two new initiatives: legal support for child protection cases and the “1,000 Books” program to enrich school libraries.
- Over the past six years, the Gerelt Project has reached more than 71,000 students, teachers, and parents across 25 schools, delivering measurable results through mental health support, reproductive health education, and sports programs.
Details
The mental well-being of future generations is a cornerstone of sustainable development and social prosperity. Good mental health provides young people with the foundation to grow into healthy, productive, and responsible citizens. Recognizing this critical need, the Gerelt Project, which aims to support adolescents’ mental, reproductive, and physical health, has officially launched in Schools No. 23, 49, 50, and 149 in Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar.
Now in its seventh year, the project is funded through Oyu Tolgoi’s initiative with a total investment of MNT 3.15 billion and is jointly implemented by Good Neighbors Mongolia, the Healthy Future Owners NGO, and the Mongolian Jiu-Jitsu Association.
In addition to its core activities focused on child protection, mental health, and reproductive health education, the project is introducing two new components this academic year to further support children’s development and safety:
- Legal Support: The project is establishing legal assistance services that will provide both counseling and professional legal representation for children affected by violations of child rights, domestic and sexual violence, and peer bullying.
- “1,000 Books” Initiative: In partnership with Nepko Kids, the project is launching the “1,000 Books” initiative to enrich school libraries, helping students strengthen their reading comprehension, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
Results of the Gerelt Project
Over the past six years, the benefits of the Gerelt Project have reached 71,961 students, teachers, and parents across 25 schools in the densely populated districts of Songinokhairkhan and Bayanzurkh in Ulaanbaatar.
Key achievements include:
- Establishing 50 fully equipped “Green Rooms” in participating schools for one-on-one psychological counseling and training activities. Through capacity-building programs for school psychologists, 622 at-risk cases were identified and referred to appropriate professional support services.
- Delivering reproductive health education to 42,094 students and training 643 peer counselors who can provide support to fellow students and facilitate referrals to professional services when needed.
- Promoting both mental and physical well-being through sports by establishing four jiu-jitsu clubs and engaging more than 300 children in regular training activities. Participants have collectively won over 630 medals at national and international competitions, while also improving their physical health and confidence.