The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Mongolia recently organized a four-day monitoring visit for the members of its board. As part of its leadership training initiative, ADRA Mongolia board members visited the Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Economics Resilience II (SAFER-2) project in Bayan-Ulgii. 

ADRA Mongolia board members currently include Joel Tompkins, treasurer of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; Mongolia Mission (MM) treasurer Angelina Pagarigan; MM ministerial secretary Nyamsuren Myagmar; and Bayarmaa Sengedash, a businesswoman. It also includes as guests and visitors Windell Maranan, ADRA Mongolia’s country director/board secretary, and Enkhmandakh Bold, ADRA Mongolia’s public relations and marketing officer.

The visiting team observed the overall interaction of the SAFER-2 project staff with the beneficiaries and other stakeholders, along with how the project activities were being implemented on the grassroot level. The visiting team also made a courtesy call to Honorable Bauyrzhan D., governor of Bayan-Ulgii province, at his office and discussed in detail the impact of the SAFER-2 project in the communities.

The governor expressed his sincere appreciation for how ADRA Mongolia’s initiatives have contributed to the development of the province over the last 11 years. At the end of the meeting, Governor Bauyrzhan D. also expressed appreciation for ADRA, Maranan’s leadership, and the whole ADRA Mongolia team.

“We are grateful for ADRA Mongolia through the SAFER-2 project and its successful implementation to develop our agriculture sector and increase the quality of our vegetable products,” the governor said. “Experts say that our province can even supply 40 percent of its vegetable products domestically.”

A debriefing meeting was conducted in the ADRA Mongolia field office at the conclusion of the board’s visit to discuss the findings and recommendations of the board. The SAFER-2 project team also thanked board members for their valuable time spent in Bayan-Ulgii and their constructive feedback.

About the SAFER-2 Project

ADRA Mongolia’s SAFER-2 project aims to increase food and nutrition security and improve the livelihoods of agricultural producers, ADRA leaders said. “It will be achieved by focusing to increase food sufficiency of the targeted households through increased income and enhanced vegetable productivity and utility,” leaders said. “The project will carry out a capacity-building session on food hygiene, nutritive cooking, and balanced diet consumption.”

According to ADRA Mongolia, the project also aims to increase the knowledge and adoption of improved agricultural practices and the preparation of nutritious vegetarian recipes. The project, a joint effort with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, is expected to initially benefit at least 4,048 individuals.

The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.