Magic Box Deploys 13 Shipping-Container Children's Libraries Across Mongolia
Founded by Tsolmon “Tom” Bayaraa, the NGO Magic Box has created 13 mobile libraries for children using repurposed shipping containers throughout Mongolia, delivering books and study areas to remote locations. This initiative began in 2019 after Bayaraa, who also operates Nepko Kids and Nitro B in Ulaanbaatar, was motivated by discussions at an IBBY conference. He secured funding, insulated a container, and launched the first Magic Box, which was offered to provinces willing to handle maintenance. Seventy-two provinces expressed interest, with the inaugural unit situated 1,400 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar. Each 30-square-meter container, costing around $20,000, accommodates 40–50 children. Corporate partners include Mercedes and KFC, and Bayaraa plans to expand this model worldwide.
Key facts
- Magic Box was inspired by a 2019 coffee shop in Ulaanbaatar where children did homework.
- Tom Bayaraa heard at an IBBY conference in China about Hiroshima children receiving books.
- The first Magic Box was given to a province 1,400 km from the capital, near the Chinese border.
- There are now 13 Magic Boxes: 3 in Ulaanbaatar and 10 in rural areas.
- Each 30-square-meter shipping container costs $20,000 and fits 40-50 children.
- Mongolia has a literacy rate of nearly 99% but few children's books in rural areas.
- The project received 72 applications through a reverse tender.
- Corporate donors include Mercedes, Pizza Hut, KFC, and DHL.
Entities
Artists
- Tsolmon “Tom” Bayaraa
- Oyunchimeg “Oyunaa” Bayarsaikhan
- Olivia Snaije
Institutions
- Magic Box
- Nitro B
- Nepko Kids
- Nepko
- International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
- UNESCO
- Pizza Hut
- DHL
- Mercedes
- KFC
Locations
- Mongolia
- Ulaanbaatar
- China
- Gobi Desert
- Hiroshima