ULAANBAATAR (UCAN) -- The boys and girls from Salesian-run Savio Children's Village stood quietly under colorful flags at the sight of boys on horseback dressed as traditional Mongolian soldiers.

Led by a "warrior" on a white stallion, the horsemen brought nine white flags made of yak tails and placed them on a round pedestal in the center of the field, to the accompaniment of a fanfare. The 46 abandoned or orphaned boys and 23 boys and girls from very poor families who live or study at the village had earned the honor during the weeklong children's naadam (games) conducted Aug. 19-25 by the Salesian priests who run the village.

The boys with no family are residents of the village, while the other 23 are day students at the village. All of them are between the ages of 10 and 19.

Naadam, one of the most colorful celebrations in Mongolia, begins on the national holiday commemorating the 1921 People's Revolution. But Mongolians have celebrated the festival of the "three manly games" -- archery, horse racing, wrestling -- for more than 800 years, according to historical records.

Of the three "manly" sports, however, only wrestling is reserved exclusively for men these days. Men and women compete in archery, while the "great horse races" are for boys and girls aged 7-14.

The boys and girls from Savio village also took part in drama, dance, song and poetry events.

"It is just like a real naadam, but all participants are our children, and everybody will get a medal because they all deserve it," Vietnamese Father John Van Ty, director of the village, told UCA News.

The village is actually a seven-acre plot by a small river outside of Amgalan village, less than a 30-minute drive east of Ulaanbaatar. It was absolutely empty when the Mongolian Catholic Mission purchased it in 2002.

Now half-a-dozen one-story buildings including two dormitories and a building with the kitchen and dining room as well as 10 ger, the traditional round Mongolian felt tents, dot the landscape, along with a half-finished barn. But there are no trees, which is normal for the Mongolian steppes.

Father Ty said the original plan was to have a boys' village, but abandoned girls who were living on the streets also begged to be admitted.

"We have three boarding girls living here temporarily, until the Salesian sisters arrive and establish their girls' village. We did not want to send these children away just because they are girls," he said.

Father Ty explained that children who seek admission to the village spend two weeks on probation, joining in the programs, and then sign a contract to accept the "conditions" of the village. These conditions -- that the children will study hard and prepare for their future -- are derived from the principles set by Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesians.

"It is rare for children to leave after signing the contract. But some do, especially those who had been attached to gangs, and the gang comes after them and tries to pull them out," Father Ty continued. "There are others who get into prison for theft or similar crimes, but we expect them back after they are released."

The director said he plans to buy more land and build a farm, create an artificial lake and plant a small forest for the village. The large wooden barn, when completed, will be for 1,000 chickens, 50 pigs and 20 cows -- to provide food -- and 10 horses for the children to have fun with.

The buildings have to be raised almost one meter from the ground, he noted, because the land is very wet and water seeps through the walls and freezes during the six months of winter. "This means there is plenty of water, so I want to make an artificial lake for the children to play in the summer and skate on in the winter," he added.

The plan, according to Father Ty, is for 100 boys to live in the village. He pointed out that most of the young people who come to the village are too old for regular school in Mongolia, where a child is not allowed to enroll in the formal school system after a certain age. "We are linked to the Informal Schooling Center of Ulaanbaatar and educate the children so they can learn a profession," he said.

The village employs eight teachers who teach regular school subjects, with an emphasis on English and computers. There are always five-to-10 Korean and American volunteers staying in the village, teaching the children games and crafts or playing with them.

Many of the village children also go to the Don Bosco Technical Skills Training Center in Ulaanbaatar. "We take the children to the school by bus because there is no public transport," Father Ty said.

The Vietnamese missioner, who lives in the village, said he faces no financial difficulties, as many people and groups support the work. "The real difficulty," he added, "is the hard work to keep discipline and to teach children cleanliness."

Pointing to 17 year-old Batchuluun, who won a naadam medal in horse racing, Father Ty says he looks to current residents to run the place in the future. The missioner thinks he may be able to train some of the older boys to become leaders in the village. "We missioners are foreigners, so there are issues that may escape us. We need the older boys to help us as leaders."

The priest, former Ho Chi Minh-based provincial of the Salesian province that covers Mongolia and Vietnam, arrived in Mongolia a year ago. "When my assignment as provincial finished, I really wanted to come here to work, because it is very challenging," he recalled.

END

(Accompanying photos available at here)