Lace and Leaves: FnF: MIM Made in Mongolia

made in mongolia handcrafted felt slippers

	Made in Mongolia Made in Mongolia, mim©, is a new range of handcrafted felt products. Working in partnership with the ASRAL NGO,mim© is a fair trade and not-profit initiative that allows Mongolians to use local resources sustainably to improve their livelihoods while maintaining traditional skills. mim© aims to provide greater self sufficiency to mongolian women and their communities. Irish Government Assist MIM© In 2008, the Irish Government through Irish Aid, gave a grant of €192,000 towards the purchase and equiping of a building to house the MIM Project in Mongolia. This was supported by a donation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama of $100,000. The building, in the centre of Ulaanbattar, houses the felting, washing, dyeing and drying facilities, as well as a staff kitchen and canteen, office and shop. There are training facilities for Asral sewing project. The new facility will enable MIM to eventually double it's capacity to provide employment.

	Mongolia Mongolia, a landlocked country located between China and Russia, is a nation trying to find its roots. Since the break up of the Soviet Union following 70 years of communism, this traditionally Buddhist country has experienced a difficult transition to democracy. There has been a sharp increase in poverty. Many families have relocated to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, in huge shanty areas. Unskilled, many are unable to find work; living conditions are cramped and unhygienic. With typical winter temperatures dropping to below -30°C, lack of warm clothes, food, and means of heating and insulating dwellings become life threatening issues. Some 44% of the population living in gers – the Mongolian for yurt – are estimated to live on less than 20$ per month, with very limited access to safe water, sanitation and basic infrastructure services. Poor health, malnutrition, homelessness amongst adults and children, alcoholism and domestic violence are major problems caused by severe poverty. Many households are headed by women who are the poorest sector of the society. They struggle continuously to provide for their families, and prevent their children ending up on the streets or at the orphanage.

	Asral NGOwas started to support families and children. The NGO’s main aim is continually to keep families together to stop the children from becoming street children and ensure they get an education. This is done by training people in skills and finding self-sustaining work for women, supporting children in their education, and direct assistance and outreach in the areas of health, food security, housing & heating, and clothing. Made in Mongolia, mim©, is an important part of this, with all profits from the initiative going to support the women involved in mim© and the wider community through Asral NGO’s social welfare activities. http://www.asralmongolia.org/

	Made in Mongolia's work focuses on two areas: the ger district of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city and Ondershil, a remote settlement in the Gobi. In both cases there is little or no work either due to lack of skills or lack of employment opportunities. mim works to help empower mostly women, the poorest sector of society, providing them with an easily accessible and sustainable source of income. Mongolian women – and occasionally men – learn traditional felt-making as well as sewing and embroidery, and spinning and knitting techniques. This provides them with both invaluable skills and an immediate income from the products they produce. Many of the women are heads of households, the income they generate through handicrafts is essential in helping to sustain their families. Over 220 women have now been trained on the handicraft projects in Ulaanbaatar and Ondershil. Several of the women involved have mental illnesses; handicrafts are an occupation they both enjoy and their families have said they have found therapeutic.