The joint SDC and UNFPA Youth Development Programme found that a lack of life skills left many young people unable to cope with the changes that were taking place.
To address this issue, the provision of training on life skills and knowledge development aimed at improving communication and social integration was identified as a means of reducing youth vulnerability.
This led to the creation of support groups for vulnerable youth, including one for young people with disabilities.
Disabilities support group member Bilguun said that until a year ago, she had never heard of such a group and did not know of many other people with disabilities in her community.
That all changed in December 2015 when Bilguun attended a two-day disability-support conference in Bayankhongor aimag, also attended by the coordinator of the Bayankhongor SDC/UNFPA-supported Youth Development Center (YDC).
Bilguun approached the coordinator and spoke of her dream of starting a support group for young people with disabilities to enable them to share their experiences.
There are now 25 members in the disabilities support group at the YDC, and new members are always welcome.
Taking part in such YDC activities as training on life skills has been beneficial for all support group members. Bigluun said the self-esteem module had taught her about self-respect and confidence.
“Comparing my life now to previously, when I would say at home and be worried, stressed and envious of other people’s lives, I am now much stronger and happier. My husband and daughters have also noticed the difference in me,” she said.
The support group also undertakes local development activities to give back to their community. They recently devised a plan to promote a cleaner and greener environment throughout the aimag by engaging community businesses and the local government in tree-planting and the picking up of litter.
The group submitted a proposal to UNFPA’s implementing partner, the Centre for Citizenship Education, which supported their initiative. In May this year, the group planted 75 trees, a move replicated by the local government and businesses. In total, 18 organizations and 400 people planted hundreds of trees and cleaned more than 9000m² in Bayankhongor aimag.
“Our community is able to benefit from the support group for youth with disabilities and at the same time we are able to benefit from being together and supporting each other,” Bilguun said.
The lack of educational and employment opportunities for youth with disabilities has been a consistent challenge for members of the support group; however, they are able to share their individual talents within the group.
“We may not all have the academic knowledge, but we have so much life experience and so many skills and abilities to share.”
Since joining the support group, Bilguun has learnt leather craft and is now able to make saddles and cases for binoculars, which she sells to help support her family.
Through their activities, the support group is helping to reduce inequality, create employment opportunities, build sustainable communities, and promote awareness about the need for environmental protection.
