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CAMDA's founder John Pirie who sadly passed away on 28th February 2010, left this account of his first-hand experience of how things really are for Mongolia's herding communities. This appeal is a tribute to his unwavering energy and support for his deeply felt cause. Please read on.
Mongolia seldom gets into the news, but when it does its often because its 800,000 strong semi-nomadic herding population is in trouble. And their troubles are many and very understandable, living and working in an extreme and inhospitable natural environment. They make up almost a third of total population, and contain the country's poorer citizens, particularly those with small herd numbers.
800,000 herders are spread thinly across one and a half million sq kms of varied terrain, from mountains, to steppe, and desert. Their climate is extreme, with temperatures ranging from -40C to +40C, depending on where they live. Large areas in the south are desert with dependence on scarce wells for water. What little pasture there is gets sparse and overgrazed. It's a tough, demanding way of life even in good times.
Every few years the country is hit by 'dzuds' which are lengthy drought summers followed by abnomally severe winters. The 1999-2003 dzuds killed over ten million herd animals including over 500,000 horses. These invaluable working animals help herders to manage their scattered herds, as well as for domestic and social purposes. Children may travel 20 or more kms to get to school. Neighbours may be even further away. So for many, their horses are their only means of transport, or camels for desert-living herders.
2010 brought an even worse disaster with 11.3 million herd animals lost including 360,000 horses, 475,000 cattle, 11,700 camels.
To just get by a family needs at least 200 herd animals - mostly sheep and goats - to live off their meat, milk and by-products, yet around 70% of all herders have less than 200, and 50% have less than 100 - accounting for their high levels of poverty and hardship. The 2010 disaster has worsened their situation, leaving them with fewer animals, and rural poverty stands at well over 40%.
John set CAMDA up in 2000 to help herders hardest hit by those deadly dzuds. He created projects to provide veterinary aid for their horses; to refurbish or dig new wells in desert-fringe regions; to provide basic hay-making machinery to speed up and increase this harvest.
Your donation will go towards his favourite Vet Project to help ease the hardship of small-scale low-income herders. £10 will treat around 12 horses, enough for an average family. We are trying to support many hundreds of families.
John Pirie (26 Jan 1929 - 28 Feb 2010)
MANY THANKS - for reading his story. We hope that you can see how much your help is needed for the worthy causes that he tirelessly strove to sustain.
We have a CD containing over 200 great pictures of Mongolia's landscapes, deserts, rivers, valleys, and the herders who make a living there. As a thank you for your donation it will be sent free of charge. If you'd like a copy add "Send me the CD" into the message box when you make your donation.