A New Era for Mongolia’s Herders

It is typical for desolate, rural areas to go uninhabited. There are almost no other sounds than the bleating of sheep and goats as well as the barking of dogs.
Herders live widely spread over Mongolia’s vast territory. Some of them occasionally meet in these remote spots while tending to their herds, giving them the chance to exchange some news and information. That news, however, could be weeks or even months old.

Electricity is a main instrument of any developing society. However, without it herders live as if they were blind, deaf and dumb to the world. Sometimes they enter a regional town centre to call on their children who study there and can hear current events then. But most of the time, herding mothers just say their prayers and give their best wishes to heaven. Candle lights are the only rays of light in the dark. When those lights dim, the countryside seems even more silent. 

From old to new

04.05.2012
Herders in Tsagaanburgastai of Altanbulag Soum, Tuv Aimag, are already settled in their spring camps, where the bells of newborn cattle jingle. The first buds of flowers have appeared and trees have started to sprout their greens. Blades of grass begin to cover the hill and mountain tops, and the world seems to look all the more beautiful for all this green. 

The Batchuluun family have been living in the Tsagaanburgastai spring camp and Baamiin Bulga winter settlement for over 40 years. They have a daughter named Oyuntulkhuur and a son named Gan-Od. The family has lived over 30 years without electricity. But today, they are able to enjoy music videos. One big and another smaller battery charger sat underneath their 15 inch television with many electrical wires and cables running in all directions. The two thickest cables follow the ger’s pillar up to the light fixture that hung above them. The family was first able to bring electricity to their home after the 100,000 Sun Rays project was implemented in 2002.

“When we didn’t have electricity, it was if we were like the illiterate. We didn’t have any news or information about anything”, said Batchuluun. “We were able to hear some recent news from our children if they were back from the city. I used to ride to the town centre only to hear the cashmere prices. But now we can see not only domestic news but global news as well by watching television”. 

Today Mongolian herders can now easily trace where their lost cattle have gone to, or hear any news about their sons and daughters.

“When I was a child, it was hard for me to do my homework, because we didn’t have electricity”, said Oyuntulkhuur. 

“A herder’s work never ends, you know. It becomes dark before you even notice. Doing homework by candlelight was the reality of our life together. We bought candles from town centres, and we had to save them”. 

Their son Gan-Od could not fathom life without electricity, however. “It’s unimaginable to live without mobile phones or television”, he exclaimed.

Who knows, one day herders might use iPads, surf the internet. Herders could only dream of having a mobile phone 10 years ago. It is not so unlikely that these dreams too might come true in the future. 

The 100,000 Sun Rays project enabled herders to benefit from the use of electricity and walk hand-in-hand with global development. The project has sparked new development for modern-age herders. There might have been many ups and downs during the implementation of this project, but in the end it brought light into the dark lives of many herders in barren areas. Now you can see two or three cars, a small satellite dish and solar panels outside the many gers of herders.

The history of light

Herders switching on light bulbs in their homes instead of lighting candles became a common thing in 2000.

This was a prelude to the government-initiated 100,000 Sun Rays project. Its last phase for this project for the procurement of electricity for herder in rural areas project began in 2008. The project delivered over 25,000 solar panels. The developers of the project said it is not any easy task to accomplish. For example, herders often do not know how to use a solar panel, misplace them, or leave the battery charger out to freeze or spend all its energy. 

 
This project grants nearly every household in Mongolia electricity. Surprisingly, 100,000 solar panels would not be enough for the over 170,000 Mongolian herding families roaming the countryside. The project team conducted a survey prior the programme’s implementation, and found out that 10,000 herders live with candles in the 21st century. The rest of them have energy provision.Although today herders can get news and information, they still cannot use a refrigerator, vacuum cleaner, or washing machine. 

“This simple project has allowed herders to learn to use solar panels and battery chargers, and given them the opportunity to understand the value of electricity”, said Ch. Batbayar, the head of the renewable Energy Department of the Energy Authority.

“Thus, we need to implement more efficient projects. Maybe we can bring refrigerators to these people. During hot summers herders have no other choice than to consume meat in a short period of time. The government and its agencies have to take this matter into consideration”.