Economie |
Heart for Mongolia – Annual Report 2025
A Year of Growth and Gratitude
This year has been one of remarkable progress for Heart for Mongolia. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the tireless efforts of our local partners, we’ve been able to make a real difference in the daily lives of families, children, and animals in rural far west Mongolia.
Donation total: € 11.526,32
🎒 Supporting the Local Kindergarten
Perhaps our biggest joy this year has been equipping the local kindergarten in Altai Sum, which now offers a safer, more comfortable, and inspiring environment for almost two hundred children. With your help, we delivered:
- An industrial washing machine for clean bedding and clothes, eliminating the need for workers to wash everything by hand
- Two steam ironing machines (small and large) and an ironing board
- 120 children’s beds and mattresses for better rest and insulation from the cold floors the children used to sleep on
- 3 laptops, 1 printer, and 1 projector to modernize education and support staff
- A large storage cabinet to keep classrooms organized
- 2 office chairs, 8 regular chairs, and a new office desk
- Medical supplies for the school doctor
- A piano to bring music into daily learning
Each item may seem small on its own, but together they have transformed the kindergarten into a warm, functional, and joyful place to learn and grow, giving the children a much better start in life and the staff a significantly improved workspace.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all donors, with a special mention to the Lisette Vroege Stichting for their generous contribution of € 3.780,- toward this project!
We’d also like to thank noten.nl for their ongoing support. Did you know Tamar has collaborated with noten.nl to develop the Expedition Nutmix? With every order, 5% is donated to support our projects in Mongolia. Check it out through this link:
Expeditie NOTENMIX | Noten.nl 🧡
🌱 A Greenhouse
In June 2025, we completed the construction of a new greenhouse for an underprivileged family of seven children in Ulaankhus village, enabling them to grow fresh vegetables even during Mongolia’s short growing season. In a region where diets rely heavily on meat and dairy, this project not only provides healthier meals but also teaches children (and adults) about sustainable food production, nutrition, and self-sufficiency. It’s a vital step toward building resilience in an unforgiving climate.
The family receives fortnightly support from a local gardener, two years’ worth of seeds, and access to festivals, recipes, and guidance whenever needed, ensuring they make full use of their greenhouse and maintain ongoing productivity.
Check out our building videos here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLJdufgTbYs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLJjyEsyvncccGLenMRoBqLazNJWY-5oMIGONI0
Only months after building the greenhouse, the family was able to harvest their first cucumbers!
We would like to extend a big thank you to Caatje, Jasmijn, Lianne, Tim, Marank, Nynke and Miranda to fund the project and come out to do the hard work. Thank you to Lena from local NGO Source of Steppenomads to organize all materials, ger accommodation, transport, local chef and guide us through the build ❤
🐾 Safe Haven for Animals
This year, we also proudly established a new animal shelter, offering refuge from the elements for stray and injured animals, as well as for healthy livestock during the harshest times of year. In spring, when newborn animals are born but night-time temperatures still drop to minus 30 or even colder, many young or weakened animals wouldn’t survive without protection. The shelter provides them with warmth, care, and a chance at life.
For Mongolia’s nomadic families, livestock means survival: their animals provide milk, meat, wool, and transport, forming the backbone of their livelihoods and culture. By supporting the welfare of these animals, we’re not only saving individual lives but also strengthening entire households that depend on them.
This year, our support was a lifeline for Burkhed and his family of four children, who are still too young to work and attend boarding school in the village, away from their parents. After a winter that claimed many of their animals, another one like it would have been catastrophic. When we arrived with all the building materials, tears of joy filled their eyes. Three days of hard, sweaty work later, the shelter stood ready: a safe haven for Burkhed’s animals to weather whatever comes next.
Check out our videos here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLv1XJLTTuI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPbuTdijCLX/?igsh=MWZkZnk5aHEwd2M4aA==
A heartfelt thank you to Walter, Lieve, Théa, Jacob, Emily, and Radboud for opening their wallet and rolling up their sleeves to help a family they had never met 👏🏻and a huge thank you to Burkhed and his family for welcoming us as if we were part of their own family.
💛 Looking Ahead
As we move into the next year, our focus remains on long-term, locally led projects that improve daily life and empower Mongolian communities. We’re exploring opportunities for more sustainable agriculture, improved healthcare access, and continued educational support. There are many more requests for greenhouses and animal shelters, each costing around € 5.000,- in materials and transport. The school in Altai Sum has also requested support to improve their kitchen facilities, replace broken tables and chairs, and improve some of the worn-out infrastructure. The local boarding school has asked for 50 new mattresses (total cost: €2,400) to replace the old, broken, bug-infested straw mattresses the children are currently sleeping on:
One new mattress costs just € 40,-.
If you’d like to gift a child a comfortable and clean place to sleep, you can donate at www.heartformongolia.org
From all of us at Heart for Mongolia and of course from the nomads that have benefitted massively from your donations:
Thank you for making this possible. Your kindness continues to bring warmth and hope to the steppes and mountains of far west Mongolia.
How You Can Help
Would you like to join us on a journey to Mongolia, meet the nomads, and help build something truly transformative? Or perhaps you’d prefer to support from home by making a donation?
Visit www.heartformongolia.org for more information. Monthly donations, even just a few euros, help us plan ahead and set more long-term goals.
We guarantee that every single euro directly benefits the nomadic families who need it most. Decisions on how the funds are used are made locally by a trusted board of elders, ensuring fairness, transparency, and respect for community priorities.
Our ANBI (Public Benefit Organization) status reinforces this commitment to integrity and accountability, while also allowing our Dutch contributors to donate tax-free ensuring that your generosity goes even further.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Thank you for showing compassion to those facing greater challenges than we do. Together, we are making a profound difference.
With gratitude,
Tamar Valkenier
CEO, Heart for Mongolia
