One charity which comes highly recommended for its grass roots work in Mongolia working within the Nomadic community is CAMDA (Cambridge Mongolian Disaster Appeal). CAMDA is a small UK charity staffed entirely by volunteers. At this time CAMDA's efforts focus on protecting livestock within fragile nomadic communities. Herd animals are the primary source of food for Mongolian nomads and their families. Millions of these herd animals have been lost through starvation due to desertification or to exposure as the climate changes. Among those losses are hundreds of thousands of horses - a vital resource without which herders are unable to manage their sheep, goats and cattle. CAMDA is responsible for renovating wells in two provinces which border the Gobi desert, which are understandably classed as water scarce regions. CAMDA is also helping herders to improve their grass-cutting productivity for winter food for their herds. They also provide mobile vet units to immunise horses in two northern and one southern province. In 2006 the vet units were able to immunise over 40,000 horses with twice-yearly treatments. The grass cutting machines are being tested in the north and it is both speeding up and boosting the hay harvest so increasing vital winter fodder reserves. A more efficient semi-motorised version is about to be manufactured local to point of need, to further boost this essential harvest. Any donations that you make goes towards these projects and will directly benefit herding communities in ways that will help poorer communities to stave off the constant threat of animal losses - animals which are their only means of making a living. If you are interested in volunteering your services whilst in Mongolia, or when back in the UK please contact us and we will put you in touch with who you need.