©InfoSince 2004, the British Red Cross has been supporting a Mongolian Red Cross project that gives assistance to elderly and isolated people.
For many, it is nothing short of a lifeline.
The community-based project was started to address the severe hardships faced by the urban poor living in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, including nomadic herder families who have lost their animals during severe winters.
Many elderly beneficiaries are bedridden and many families live in areas that are difficult to access. Much of the accommodation is inadequate, with large numbers living in 'gers', traditional felt tents with a fuel stove and limited furniture. Many households are completely isolated during the winter months.
Help at home
Backed by British Red Cross funding and training, volunteers visit beneficiaries at least twice a month to assist with household and personal chores, bringing food and medicine, helping with medical visits, referrals and registration to claim state benefits, or simply being a friend.
Close relationships between beneficiaries and volunteers have developed since the start of the project, which also runs social day care centres, where people, if they are able, can go to a place where they know they will be welcomed, cared for and befriended.
The social care programme is now reaching 1,275 vulnerable people and their families, supported by 425 volunteers.