Jason Stevens Project Proposal

I am interested in issues and policies surrounding street children in Mongolia. I have just returned from a year in South Africa, and while I was there, I was able to visit a shelter for street children. I realized both my interest in children’s rights and the need for immediate attention to these issues. As a result, I hope to work in this field in Mongolia, and help to prevent this problem from growing any more than it already has. My study will have three parts;

Prior to leaving for Mongolia, I will also organize a coat drive, in order to benefit the children in harsh winter conditions. I will be going around to local schools and churches to gather minimally used coats, hats, and other winter apparel that would be helpful. This will provide a more long-term plan of assistance, rather than the predetermined summer session in which I will actually be in Mongolia. It will allow for my efforts to reach beyond my physical presence.

While in Mongolia, I will obtain an internship at either a non-governmental organization’s (NGO) shelter for children.. These shelters assist children who constantly deal with poverty, disease, and abuse, and are perceived as a hindrance to Mongolia's democratic transition. An internship will afford me the opportunity to care for both children who already live on the street and those at high risk of homelessness. Specifically, I will focus on educational and healthcare programs. This may include English lessons, traveling preventative medicine clinics, summer tutoring, etc, but will be determined by the shelter's needs. In addition to course work, I am interested in the
general operation of the shelter, the shelter's physical condition and efficiency standards. As a supplement to my internship, I would like to compile a survey of shelters and care centers in Ulaanbaatar. This survey will address reasons for placement in the shelter, age, family size, retention rates, education plans and opportunity, shelter facilities, food provided, international and national donations or support, staff training and retention, etc. Overall success indicators will be determined through interactions with, and behavioral observations of the older children, who are closer to permanently leaving the shelters. This would help to judge their compatibility with society.

Furthermore, I would like to uncover the reasons that some homeless children do not live in shelters, preferring the streets. Through interviews with children, as well as
staff members of the various shelters, and personal observation, I hope to gain a better understanding of this under-served population.
My previous study in South Africa provided a wealth of skills and education that directly apply to studying Mongolian street children and their environment. My research in Mongolia will target successes and inefficiencies in NGO programs, offering suggestions concerning health care, education and retention. These findings will assist shelters in streamlining their programs, attracting international support, and most
importantly, providing an excellent standard of care for Mongolian children. Personally, this internship and research will be very beneficial for my future career plans, as I hope to be involved with correcting some of the human rights issues, such as children’s rights, that plague much of the world. This opportunity will give me first-hand experience of the hardships that citizens of developing countries endure. My experience in Mongolia will afford me a better understanding of pressing human rights issues, and will help me in the creation of certain ideas may lead to changes.