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Mongolia
Life on the Mongolian Steppe
Name: Mr T.
Age: 37 |
Place: Uyanga Som |
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Mr T. |
Being a herder these days is very difficult. It is very difficult to make a living as the pastures are not like they used to be. The grass doesn't grow as high or as thick as it used to because of a change in the climate and the lack of water. Even though I'd like to go back to working on the land, our family farm just wasn't making enough money. This is why the government made us sell our farm and this is why we are illegal gold miners. Working here in the mines is not really a choice. We have no other jobs and we need money to survive.
Life is much harder for us here in the mines. We have to work around 20 hours every day of the year. Even in winter when it is minus thirty degrees (Centigrade), we still have to work. We dig large holes in the ground and take the soil to the river for washing. The washing process separates the gold from the soil. Then we sell the gold. This is how we make our living.
Mining here is a dangerous job because the holes can cave in on people. We have lots of back problems from the hard work. Breathing can also be difficult because of all the dust in the air. In these communities we have no education, health services or social benefits. The government and mining companies do not care about our lives. Some people have even been killed by security officials and police protecting the mine site.
The water the mines use and the water we use for washing is from a tributary of the Ongi River . The rivers in this area have been drying up gradually over the last three years. It's the mining companies. They are cutting the river upstream to use it in the mining process. Taking the water from the rivers has had a big impact on the farmers. Without water and pasture the animals cannot survive the winter. This is the main reason my family and I are here.
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