You can read this story in the following extract from the December 2000 issue of The International Soroptimist Magazine.

A contribution of Kate Moore - SI Nantwich, Region of Cheshire, SI/GBI

"E-MAIL PLAYED A BIG PART in the formation of SI MONGOLIA.

On 9th September, the first club in Mongolia was chartered by South West Pacific President, Joanne Fernandez. It was the culmination of much work by SWP extension officer Lorna Mead of Australia and Joy Clark of New Zealand.

Contact had been made with Mongolian women while they were overseas regarding Soroptimism in Bangkok; Amsterdam and later at the CSW meetings in New York. Visits were also made to Ulaan Bataar, their principal city, but a great deal of the work was done by e-mail. Proof that the women of distant lands can be brought into the Soroptimist organisation with the help of information technology.

Soroptimists from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia (SWP) and Japan (SIA) made the journey to welcome the 27 new members and see President Zanaa Jurmed, who is the Director of the National CEDAW Watch Network, receive the Charter at the formal dinner. Held in Ulaan Bataar, it was an unforgettable occasion and a truly international one with five SI/A members lead by Sachiko Inoue, from the Japan Chuo Region, attending.

During the charter ceremony, many gifts were presented but the most appreciated must have been the gift of sheep to the people of Mongolia. Sachiko, said she was eager to do something for the remote, isolated people affected by severe drought, who had lost their livestock and were at the risk of starvation. While food and clothes were an immediate necessity, the rebuilding of their basic means of livelihood (i.e. livestock) was vital.

Contact with the club secretary Naran Baljin, and contributions from Chuo Region Soroptimists and friends made it possible to purchase in Bulgan 110 sheep - approximately $US25 each - and hand them over directly to 6 carefully selected families who had no live stock and were living in the Bulgan village of Mogod.

The trip to Mogod took 8 hours by jeep - 787 families live there - 81 are single mother families - and 37 have no animals at all.

The party who travelled from Ulaan Baatar consisted of 5 Japanese and 8 Mongolians including Naran and another Soroptimist, Dulam, who had grown up in Bulgan - so it was truly a joint project between the two countries.

The village governor helped get the sheep from wealthy families, explained the purpose and oversaw the handing over of them. The people who received the sheep (not for food but livestock), were delighted and promised with tears that they would increase the number of sheep to more than 1000 in the near future.

This article is based on Sachiko's report which ended with a final message that must have been felt by all - The grand grassland and desert, plenty of stars and big moon in the sky and tears of the village people in Mongolia are all the treasures of our life.

A truly unique international occasion with the gift of sheep from Japanese Soroptimists."