Mongolia is highly vulnerable to dzuds (severe winters), dust storms, droughts, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. These have caused catastrophic damage, particularly in rural areas where Mongolian ger communities reside. As a result of the dzuds, around 213,000 people including 80,000 children are now in need of food, access to health facilities, and hygiene items. During a dzud, children under five are at high risk of malnutrition, respiratory diseases, and injuries as their caregivers struggle to afford attention and healthcare. The severe coldness also restricts those in the ger community from going outside, and most children won’t shower all winter due to lack of close, safe shower locations.

This summer, HXP Builders will be constructing a shower house for a local school near a ger (very rural) village. This will help establish safe, warm shower and toilet facilities for around 1,500 school children to use throughout the year. The shower house will not only provide the local children a place to warm themselves enough to attend school, it will impact their overall health for years to come by promoting hygiene and preventing disease. Sustainable warm water will be provided for many years to come, creating a solution to a deeper problem.