Although the Mongolian government has adopted and passed many laws on domestic violence, children’s rights, and child protection issues, the implementation and effectiveness of these laws are not satisfactory. According to the General Prosecutor’s office, between 2015 and 2016 there were 298 children who were sexually assaulted. Approximately 48% of those victims were assaulted by their family members or relatives. That’s where Lantuun Dohio comes in.

We believe that a child who grows up in a loving and caring environment is less susceptible to become a victim of human trafficking and/or become an abuser. Therefore, our main approach is to work with children in vulnerable areas from very young ages and engrave self-worth and respect in their innocent minds before a dark shadow nests in it.

Magic Mongolia is our biggest long-term project. The purpose of the project is to create a safe-haven for vulnerable children via our child protection and development center in a densely populated outskirt areas of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, where the rates of domestic violence, alcoholism, and unemployment are very high, and basic education and health services are underdeveloped.

Magic Mongolia I

In January of 2017, Lantuun Dohio initially launched the Magic Mongolia project in Ulaanbaatar city of Mongolia and started the construction of its first child development and protection center, called Magic Mongolia I, in April of 2017. The planning and building of the center was funded through a massive international grassroots movement, the Mongolian people and in-kind donations of multiple national companies. 

The Magic Mongolia I was officially opened on September 15th of 2017 to serve vulnerable children from families living in the nearby underserved and underprivileged neighborhoods in Songinokhairkhan district, the second biggest and populated district located in the west of Ulaanbaatar city. There are a total of 90,231 households (341,540 people) and 241,786 people live in the ger khoroolol (yurt micro-district). Ger khoroolol of Ulaanbaatar is highly vulnerable to climate change and hotspots of greenhouse emission and air pollution as well as lack of community centers with sport, culture, education and health facilities. 

Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 453 neglected, physically and sexually abused children were sheltered at the Magic Mongolia I center while a total of 200 kindergarteners attended preschool programs. Starting from June of 2022, the center has stopped its shelter operation due to its limited capacity to provide a shelter for only 25 children at a time (75-90 per year) and opened its door to the general public when the government of Mongolia has built a shelter house for victim children in the area. Therefore, we expanded our operation by serving as a community center in the area, reaching to 400 and more children who are mostly victims of neglect and protecting them by providing opportunities to attend in free educational programs and activities. 

Magic Mongolia II

Since the first Magic Mongolia I was built in 2017, Lantuun Dohio’s team has had the vision to build the second center in the eastern impoverished area of Ulaanbaatar due to the increasing need of community services for children to develop in a loving and safe environment. In 2019, Lantuun Dohio took a big step to acquire land in the Uliastai region of Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar for the Magic Mongolia Two Project (MM2). The project was started with an initial fund donated by Energy Resource LLC. MM2 was built with the love of thousands of individuals, volunteers, and many businesses that supported and donated to the project. The construction was completed in 2020 and MM2 was opened to the children, youth, and families in the eastern underserved area of Ulaanbaatar city at the beginning of the year. MM2 focuses on the community and aims to create a safe and loving environment for the children and families to grow, play, learn and develop. MM2 aspires for children and youth by providing an exemplifying environment.

We aim to protect children at high risk of violence, abuse, or neglect while offering comprehensive educational and developmental opportunities. These initiatives empower children to reach their potential, grow into qualified, responsible citizens, and break the cycle of poverty. Within Magic Mongolia II, we have established a workspace that enables single parents to earn income and enhance their financial capabilities. Our belief remains steadfast: children raised in nurturing environments are less prone to becoming victims of human trafficking or abusers themselves. 

Both centers open 7 days a week, offering developmental opportunities and free kindergarten classes to children whose families cannot afford to pay and/or have no residential registration in Ulaanbaatar. Because of the incredible support from donors all around the world, our staff members and trained volunteers are able to operate the centers and help more Mongolian children in need.

Since the inception of the Magic Mongolia centers in 2017 and 2020, we have served thousands of children, providing protection, specialist consultations, social integration support, academic enrichment, and extracurricular activities like ballet, jiu-jitsu, traditional dancing, yoga, cooking, arts, and so on. Over 4,000 children have benefited from our libraries, events, and celebrations, with an additional 1,500 actively engaged in academic and developmental training annually. Magic Mongolia I alone facilitated kindergarten programs for over 200 children from 2017 to 2022. Remarkably, in 2022, five children earned recognition at the World Cup of jiu-jitsu, including one winning a silver medal—an accomplishment emblematic of our organization’s legacy. The Magic Mongolia project has now evolved into a national movement, garnering support from seven provinces that have started building their own centers to further child protection and development throughout Mongolia.