After the collapse of communism in 1990, Mongolia followed many former communist states in a shift to a market economy.

This lead to a great deal of hardship as thousands lost their source of income. People fled from the rural areas where they were no longer able to make a living as nomadic herders. Many of those moving to the cities were unable to find employment along with even the more basic needs of food and shelter.

This shifting of population resulted in a large  number of homeless and very poor people who  still continue to grapple with poverty. Many of these people are old, mentally or physically disabled or are composed of single parent families.

To help support these homeless and vulnerable people, in 2005 Lamp of the Path NGO (LOP) was established to provide much needed social welfare activities on behalf of FPMT Mongolia. These  activities are centered in the “ger district” of Amgalan on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. With winter temperatures sometimes below minus 40 Celsius, the warmth of compassion that Lamp of the Path provides is a welcome respite for the homeless.

Currently LOP offers several beneficial programs including a soup kitchen, which offers approximately 40-50 meals five days a week along with a health clinic that offers free health services to the very poor once a week.

Their children’s program runs Tuesdays & Saturdays.  60 children are learning English along with along with handicraft classes and the “16 Guidelines for a Happy Life” class teaches life skills, resilience and self-protection.