At around 10:30 a.m. I arrived at the National Cancer Center, and my doctor’s appointment ticket number showed 144, which reminds there are 47 people queuing before me. Suddenly the anxious memories of me coming here for the first time with my dad, and then 13 years ago with my mom, woke up inside me. But this time, I am here for the appointment to get myself checked and to participate in cancer detection and prevention screening. While waiting, I silently watched the people who came in and out of the door.

Their eyes… People tightly and yet neatly held their medical history and diagnosis paperwork in their hands and had faces full of hope, but you could still see the anxiety in their eyes. This kind of expression can only be seen on the faces of people visiting this  place. Some are dragged by their children and relatives holding their hands, wearing tired faces, walking slowly, side-by-side. They are here with their children and siblings with a slight hope in their hearts that they can fight their cancer and find inner peace. Some of them look so depressed that I just hope that  they are in the early stages, not in the final and that they will make it safely to a recovery point. It could also be possible that these people were once praised for their ignorance about their health. There even some people like me who came for detection and prevention screening and are leaving with happy faces after receiving positive news. But the people who get diagnosed beforehand are far fewer than those who came after getting  sick.

Urtnasan A. tells us, “In 2016, when I was working as a teacher in Khongor soum, Darkhan-Uul Province, our public health specialist mentioned the “National Campaign Against Cancer” and encouraged us to take advantage of this opportunity to get diagnosed. I was so shocked that I had stage-two cancer, while it wasn’t visible to me, and I was so clueless. Just one day after receiving the news, I received  surgery. I’m grateful to the Khan Bank Foundation team and the National Cancer Center doctors for diagnosing me, providing surgery so quickly, and helping me to get cured.”

Munguntsetseg G. says, “I’m from Erdenetsagaan soum, Sukhbaatar Province. In 2017, I found out about my cancer after visiting the “National Campaign Against Cancer” detection and prevention screening. I am extremely grateful for finding it at an early stage. I’m fighting my cancer and receiving treatment, but I still want to express my gratitude to the Khan Bank team and to the doctors for the early detection”.  Maybe doctors hear the word “thank you” every day. For seeing patients, for saying warm words, for treating their patients’ pain, for curing their cancer, overall, there are just so many reasons to thank the doctors. Sometimes, I am just grateful to them for being there, treating someone’s mom, sacrificing their time to spend with their own mothers. It makes me wonder when doctors feel thankful? Maybe they’re grateful when their patients come to them before they’re sick, not after falling ill, and maybe when they come to the detection and prevention screenings in time.

Khan Bank, together with the National Cancer Center’s doctors and the Mongolian National Broadcasting Channel (MNBC) team, traveled 72,440 kilometers, visited every province in Mongolia three times.  The team provided free detection and prevention screening to 125,000 individuals and let more than 500 people find out about their cancer at the early stages, and helping them fully recover as of today. Urtnasan A. and Munguntsetseg G. are only two representatives among 125,000 individuals, and their thanks are only a sneak peek of the gratitude from all program participants. If you think about how there is an entire family that is happy and relieved standing behind every person cured, how many people would that be? Through the “National Campaign Against Cancer”, initiated by the National Cancer Center and MNBC, Khan Bank has contributed financing of MNT 1.1 billion to social well-being. This might be considered a small amount by some, and it may be significant to others. But it is worth to think that the campaign has reached 125,000 people who were totally clueless about their cancer and received early detection, which also leads to prevention. And most importantly, 500 lives have been saved while spreading knowledge about the benefits of detection and prevention screening all over Mongolia. These results are immeasurable, but you can safely say that the campaign has invested in the happiness of the Mongolian people.

Khan Bank’s initiatives are unique and have broken the common “stereotype” that a bank is an organization that only provides savings and lending services. In addition to the contributions that Khan Bank has made to increase the public’s health education, Khan Bank has also made investments in youth education. One example of these initiatives is the annual Khan Bank Scholarship program.

A year 2018 graduate of the National University of Mongolia, Tergel N., says, “I’m a regular student who strives to develop continuously and to fully understand the topics and subjects being taught at university. Becoming a Khan Bank Scholarship recipient in 2018 was a great opportunity for me to release the financial burden of tuition from my family and to worry less about the cost of going to university. Moreover, I participated in many competitions that year and achieved a lot, too, due to the scholarship which enabled me to fully focus on my studies. Currently, I’ve received employment invitations from two big companies. Thank you  to Khan Bank for their  contribution to my current achievements. .  I wish the best to the Khan Bank team and their future work and projects. Thank you.” Tergel N. is one of more than 1,500 students who have become Khan Bank Scholarship recipients, supported by MNT 800 million in financing. This investment in education is only one of the ways that Khan Bank is contributing to and benefitting the well-being of society.

News about little children suffering from abuse by their alcoholic parents, silently wiping away their tears in the corner of a dark and cold room, sitting hungry, and tolerating pain that even an adult couldn’t handle is regularly heard about and visible. However, as a society, we seem to struggle in finding ways to help these children. Khan Bank has found a way and initiated a challenge to help by getting its customers, employees, and partners involved by  supporting the “Magical Land” project. With a few clicks using Khan Bank’s saving service, any Khan Bank customer can become a “Magical Sister or Brother” by transferring MNT 100, 200, or 300 every day without any fees. If you have already become a “Magical Sister or Brother” and reading this, we want to thank you.  Your transaction of MNT 100 will support the “Magical Land-2” project being carried out by “Lantuun Dohio” NGO and will provide the food in days of hunger, and the medicine in days of sickness, and become the parents for the little children who face hard times.

In 2017, Khan Bank donated MNT 10 million to “Lantuun Dohio” NGO through Khan Bank Foundation. This has become the start of a great partnership, and in the past month, a total of 4,500 employees have become “Magical Sisters and Brothers.” Khan Bank executives have even promised to finance the renovation of the “Magical Land-2” project’s coffee shop and library. Khan Bank is leading and motivating other organizations to become “Magical Sisters and Brothers” and has handed the baton of giving on to the next organization, Tavan Bogd Group, who warm-heartedly received the offer.

Every organization and individual has the opportunity to aid the “Magical Land-2” project by making a donation through Khan Bank’s saving service without any fees and by  becoming a “Magical Sister or Brother.” If only 10,000 people make a donation of MNT 100 every day, then the operating costs of “Magical Land-2” could be covered. Giving and sharing are always more joyous than receiving.

Thank you to Khan Bank and its customers for spreading happiness in Mongolia.