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  • Writer's pictureKrista Welz

Camelback Library in Mongolia

Updated: Apr 3, 2018


Most remote villages in the Gobi desert, Mongolia as described as dreary and uninviting. Children often get an education out of playing with dirt and pebbles in a place where books are almost entirely inaccessible.


Luckily, there is a hero to this fragile, way too familiar story. His name is Dashdondog Jamba, publisher and translator of books. He has traveled more than 50,000 miles through arid regions of the country, meeting children and sharing colorful books with them.

The Camelback Library is one of the many ways he transports books. He also uses horses and ox carts;  depending on the projects or lectures he is attending, he may use a motorized vehicle.


Dashdondog Jamba relies on two helpers: his wife and his son. The books they travel with are translated from other languages, an effort Jamba makes without financial support. They are mostly vibrant children’s books, sometimes written by him.

Each time the family is in a remote village, they make the most of the interaction with children, spending as much time as necessary to get them acquainted with books and reading in general.


Jamba created his library in the early 1990s, shortly after Mongolia abandoned communism and adopted free-market economics. Life in Mongolia changed dramatically, mostly for the good. But organizations focused on children’s literature fared badly. They were viewed as profitless, so no private investors wanted to take them over. Most children’s libraries were converted into banks.


What effect has 20 years of generous giving had on Jamba? Has it worn him down? Has it jaded him? No, it has made him happy! “My devotion for children is my happiness,” he said. Author Ramendra Kumar spent time with Jamba in 2009, and said: “With his cherubic smile, bright sparkling eyes and an endearing countenance he inspires trust. No wonder wherever he has gone in Mongolia he has succeeded in winning the love, affection and confidence of children” (BoloKids, Sept. 7, 2009). How can constant giving and scant receiving make a man happy?


Mr. Jamba’s happiness is no anomaly. Last year, researchers analyzing data from 40 studies found undeniable proof that people who give to others by volunteering had significantly lower levels of depression, and far higher levels of “life satisfaction.” One study called “Do Good Live Well” found that 68 percent of people who volunteer report feeling physically healthier, 73 percent experience lower stress levels, and 89 percent enjoy an improved sense of well-being.


Whether you begin serving more in your home and job, or you hop on a camel and start bringing books to children, it won’t take long for you to know that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.


Contributed by: Raymond Tamian https://kristawelz.wixsite.com/literacyheroes/forum-1/_asia/mongolian-library-on-a-camel










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