The Bayanzurkh District is one of the largest and most crowded area of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia where children face many challenges. Poverty, family struggles, and high rates of bullying often weigh heavily on their mental health. For B, a 6th-grade student, these challenges became overwhelming.
Once a cheerful girl, B suddenly stopped attending classes and avoided her classmates. Her homeroom teacher noticed the change and referred her to the school psychologist. That decision may have saved her life.
When the psychologist first met B, it became clear that she was in a fragile and vulnerable state. She carried a heavy emotional burden, even experiencing thoughts of suicide. Her father had died the year before, and instead of being comforted, B was unfairly blamed by relatives for his death. At home, her mother’s struggle with alcohol made the environment unsafe, with strangers often brought into the house.
“I used to blame myself for my father’s death and all the family problems. But when I finally shared everything with the psychologist, I felt like a weight had been lifted,” B shared.
At school, she also faced bullying and discrimination from peers. “I used to think it would be easier if I just disappeared. But now, I feel like there’s actually some meaning in staying alive,” she admitted.
The Gerelt Project provided the psychologist with the tools and support needed to intervene. B began attending individual counseling sessions where she was encouraged to express herself through drawing, colors, and light conversations about her favorite things. These methods, part of Gerelt’s counseling program, gradually helped her build trust and open up. Over six sessions, B began to share her fears, guilt, and loneliness, transforming her silence into words.
The sessions took place in a newly furnished and private counseling room, designed by the project to provide adolescents with a safe and welcoming space. According to students, the room itself made a difference. It is a calm and secure environment which encouraged them to talk about feelings they had long kept hidden.
Beyond individual care, the psychologist also involved B in group counseling activities where she could practice social skills and regain confidence among peers. To tackle the root of school bullying, the psychologist organized training sessions on peer relations and inclusivity, helping B’s classmates develop awareness and empathy. This reduced discrimination and created a more supportive class environment.
At the same time, B’s family situation was not ignored. Through the Gerelt Project’s parent-focused training, guardians like B’s mother were guided on how to manage stress and better communicate with their children. The local multidisciplinary team also began monitoring the home environment, providing additional support to help stabilize B’s family life.
For teachers, the project organized “Happiness in the Workplace” workshops, equipping them with tools to manage their own stress and to respond to students’ needs more effectively. This created a more understanding and responsive school community around children like B.
The psychologist herself was part of Gerelt’s capacity-building training for school psychologists, ensuring that she had access to professional supervision, new methodologies, and peer support to handle complex cases like B’s.
Thanks to this combined support, B slowly began to heal. She returned to school, rejoined her classmates, and started smiling again.
“Before, just thinking about going to school every morning filled me with fear. Every step toward school felt heavy, as if something inside me was whispering, ‘Don’t go.’ But now, when I walk through the school gates, I feel that there are people who understand me, and I am not alone. My heart feels lighter,” she said.
B’s story is just one example of the Gerelt Project’s impact. Since 2020, the project has become a leading model in school psychology in Mongolia, introducing much-needed counseling programs and new methodologies.
Sustainability and Support: In 2024, the project continued supporting psychologists in 17 schools where it had already been implemented, ensuring systematic and high-quality counseling services. A new “Psychological Counseling Folder” tool was developed to improve documentation and methods.
Safe Counseling Spaces: Eight rooms were furnished to standard specifications across four schools, giving adolescents a safe and welcoming space for individual and group counseling.
Research-Based Results: Surveys showed clear improvements in students’ ability to manage their emotions, regulate stress, and report higher levels of happiness and health. Eight out of ten participants rated the project as highly positive.
Teacher and Parent Involvement: Over 66 percent of teachers attended training sessions, with 70 percent applying what they learned in classrooms. Among parents, 89 percent reported applying the training at home, and 84 percent noticed positive changes in their relationship with their children.
Building Trust and Confidence: Students and parents emphasized that for the first time, school psychologists felt approachable and relatable. The project name itself, Gerelt, meaning “Radiance,” has become a symbol of hope and positivity.
For B, this meant a renewed sense of belonging and hope. For thousands of other students, it meant the chance to grow up in schools that nurture both their minds and their hearts.
Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
For further information, please contact Good Neighbors Global Partnership Center.
Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
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