UN-HABITAT Special Envoy for "Water for Life" Project Campaign Yokozuna Hakuho, Visits UN-HABITAT Mongolia Projects

The UN-HABITAT Special Envoy for "Water for Life" Project Campaign, sumo wrestling champion Yokozuna Hakuho (Mongolian name, Davaajargal Munkhbat) visited the UN-HABITAT Mongolia office and projects in Ulaanbaatar City on 01 August 2011. The UN-HABITAT project team welcomed him to the office for a brief orientation on the progress of UN-HABITAT work on community-led ger area upgrading in Ulaanbaatar City. The team informed him that the project aims to improve the quality of life of 50,000 residents in 5 selected ger areas most in need of public service centers and other amenities made possible through the funding support of the Government of Japan through JICA. Yokozuna Hakuho shared with the team that he is turning 26 years old and he is happy to be the UN-HABITAT Special Envoy for "Water for Life" Project Campaign. He welcomed the opportunity to visit and get to know the UN-HABITAT projects in Mongolia, his own country. He mentioned that he is happy to note that in the UN-HABITAT project, the communities are involved and actively taking part in developing and implementing projects the lead in their own development.

The champion, Yokozuna Hakuho, visited the pipe-connected water kiosk and the Extension of Kindergarten No. 127 in 11th khoroo in Songinokhairkhan District. He interacted with the Bayankhoshuu Community Development Council or CDC chairperson, D. Ganbaatar, some members of the CDC and the principal of the kindergarten. The chairperson shared with the champion how their groups worked together to develop and implement the 2 water kiosks and the 23 other small infrastructure projects like streetlights, bus sheds, footpaths, and playgrounds. He emphasized that through the approach introduced by the project, they now work together as an organization whereas they did not know each other before the project even if they were neighbors. The champion talked about the importance of water and inquired whether the water is potable, how the people access the water, and if there is a plan to grow trees in the community. He committed to visit UN-HABITAT projects in his next visit to the country.