Yo.Nyamdavaa: I am happy to share our experiences gained from the Entrepreneurship-Focused Socioemotional Skills Learning (ESEL) program

Interview with Yo.Nyamdavaa, Manager of Child Poverty Reduction Program, Save the Children in Mongolia.

Q: You participated in the webinar Wise Minds, Kind Hearts, Smart Actions. Please tell us about the event and where it was held.

A: Yes, I had the opportunity to represent Save the Children in Mongolia at a very interesting event hosted by the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) in Thailand. This organization, established in 2018 under the supervision of the Prime Minister of Thailand, EEF, aims to eliminate educational inequality. It provides financial and psychosocial support to address the educational needs of children and youth in vulnerable groups while also promoting career development, and stable income opportunities for working-age individuals to escape poverty.

EEF is committed to expanding international cooperation and learning. The forum team was highly competent and open to learning from new initiatives.  Our ESEL program was selected to share its experience at the event: Cultivating Socio-Emotional Skills, Shaping Entrepreneurial Mindsets: Insights from an ESEL Program for the Most Vulnerable Youth in Mongolia. EEF regularly facilitates International Forums that provide innovative learning opportunities. Five international forums have been held. Initially, these were in person, but the format shifted to online webinars following the onset of COVID-19.

At the Wise Minds, Kind Hearts, Smart Actions on August 21, 2025, Save the Children in Mongolia presented. As a co-organizer Save the Children`s logo was featured on all official materials. We were honoured to participate in this international collaboration.

Q: What was the purpose of the event? What topic did you present on the event?

A: I was invited to present on the experiences and lessons learned from implementing the ESEL project in Mongolia. I collaborated with EEF for two months to prepare for the forum.

• The forum’s objectives were clearly defined:
• To showcase the successful implementation of entrepreneurship-based personal skills development, which positively impacted on the lives of children and youth in Mongolia;
• To reflect on Mongolia’s experience in developing ESEL curricula and creating effective models for Master Teachers in both general and vocational education schools;
• To share EEF efforts in integrating socio-emotional skills into Thailand’s vocational education programs, as part of a broader strategy to support and reach out-of-school children and youth.

The response to the presentation was overwhelmingly positive. Many countries have shown genuine interest in the ESEL program, which was successfully implemented and refined by Save the Children in Mongolia.

We have previously shared our work with finance ministers from 93 countries as part of the World Bank’s Human Capital Development Project, through webinars hosted by the International Labor Organization and the Japan Social Development Fund. We also presented to representatives from the Ministries of Education of several African countries.

Q: Why did you choose this topic?

A: EEF had studied our work and invited us to co-host the forum and deliver a keynote speech on the “Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Skills For The Most Vulnerable Youth In Rural Mongolia” project. The presentation was widely promoted and our project videos were translated into Thai. The organizers took a comprehensive approach, designed posters, shared news, and highlighted children’s success stories. This wasn’t just a one-time online event but part of an ongoing learning system that will continue after the forum.

Q: How did the participants respond? What questions were they mainly asking?

A: The forum attracted representatives from vocational schools, local training centers, local government agencies, and even some international researchers. Over 250 people joined the live stream, though we don’t have the exact numbers for online viewers. I must say the participants were very active and well-informed about the project before the forum. Many submitted questions; mostly in Thai, which I couldn’t read, although the question in Russian, I was able to answer. The organizers selected several questions and translated them into English. The questions reflected a genuine interest to learn from our experience, and covered both technical and scientific aspects of the program. From what I observed, there is a significant desire to integrate ESEL into Thailand’s vocational education system. I was truly grateful for the opportunity to share our experiences and contribute to this global forum.