It would not be wrong to say that the name Christina Noble has become well known among Mongolians. In 1997, she came to Mongolia, founded her children's foundation, and gifted joy, hope, and a bright future to many children living in difficult conditions. The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) she founded remains active to this day, continuing to give hope to many children. We now present our interview with her grandson, Thomas Noble, who is continuing her inspiring legacy.
Thomas Noble did not come to the CNCF in Mongolia because of a childhood dream or personal vision. What brought him here was a request from his grandmother.
He received a call “Tom, can you help your grandmother?” and came to Mongolia to run the CNCF. Because the foundation’s director had unexpectedly stepped down, Thomas took over the role until a new leader could be appointed. What was initially planned as a three-month position turned into a seven-year journey that transformed his life.
He had run his own business in the United Kingdom for more than ten years. Although the work at CNCF was completely different from his professional field, “I became increasingly drawn to the children, the meaning behind this work, and the values it represents” he said.
Of course, the biggest influence on his shift in perspective was his grandmother, Christina Noble.
Christina’s childhood was filled with hardships that no ordinary person could bear. Hunger, loneliness, emotional trauma, pain… she carried all of these in her tiny heart while growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Dublin, Ireland. Her father was always drunk and abusive. Still, having her mother around provided her with a sense of shelter and a small spark that helped her see life with a bit more light.
Unfortunately, when she was 11, her mother passed away, and Christina had no choice but to become a “little mother” to her younger siblings. Her father's alcoholism worsened, and she and her siblings were eventually sent to an orphanage. However, life in the orphanage brought no real relief.
At 16, Christina ended up living on the streets and spending nights in parks. She ate leaves out of hunger and sought shelter among the bushes. “In those darkest moments, Christina would often think, ‘Why is there no one to help me? Not everyone has to help me, but just one person would be enough,’” Thomas shared.
Days turned into years, and no one came to help her. Still, she didn’t let that suffering destroy her, but turned it into a deep commitment to help other children enduring similar hardships. In 1988, while visiting Vietnam, she saw many orphans and decided to be “that one person” who would help them.
That decision led to the establishment of the CNCF in Vietnam, and later, in Mongolia.
When Thomas arrived in Mongolia in 2013, the CNCF was already well established. As someone with a background in business, he made some structural adjustments. He highlighted how Christina’s core principles, such as love for children, dedication to fighting poverty, compassion, and integrity were deeply ingrained in every staff member.
Over those unexpected seven years, Thomas said he found pride in countless moments from children’s laughter to their achievements. But if he had to choose the most important, he would highlight “true and genuine sustainable changes.”
I’ve seen Mongolian children living lives that no human being should ever go through.
He said it was deeply moving to return to Mongolia and see those same children grown up, happy, independent, and raising families of their own. “That is real success. That is sustainable change,” he said.
“Our ultimate goal is to help shape happy, successful, emotionally mature and independent adults. We must create a society where the next generation of children grows up surrounded by love and care. A life filled with fear of abuse or uncertainty about where their next meal will come from must not continue.”
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Despite many moments of pride, witnessing heartbreaking scenes in the field of child protection has been one of the toughest challenges for Thomas. “I’ve seen Mongolian children living lives that no human being should ever go through” Thomas said. “When you visit our Ger village, you would see a lot of happy faces and hear laughter” he explained.
“But behind their smiles and bright eyes often lie stories of violence, fear, and pain. If we truly want to help them, we need to be emotionally strong ourselves.” he said.
When asked, “Were you emotionally prepared for all of this?”, Thomas responded "I know my grandmother's work. She herself lived a very difficult life. Christina was gangraped by four men while living on the streets, and she even became pregnant. Her life was not easy. But she never stopped helping others.
My mother once told me how she would come home from school to find that my grandmother had brought a homeless person into the house, fed them, and let them sleep in her bed. That’s the principle our family, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
His words reflected how Christina Noble’s compassion didn’t just define her legacy but it shaped her family and the entire CNCF team. One of CNCF’s most significant missions is promoting children’s mental well-being through art therapy. In 2023, CNCF hosted the first-ever International Youth Mental Health Conference in Mongolia.
This not only influenced national policy but also helped shape a new generation of psychologists. “Mental health may still be a relatively new topic in Mongolia, but we are committed to making it a priority,” said Thomas.
"Since stepping down from my role as Country Director in 2020, I’ve seen our foundation grow and advance even further. Back in 2015, we brought in a highly skilled psychologist from the UK to work with children for three months. That planted the first seed. Today, our team continues to grow this work, and we’re proud to contribute to developing local mental health professionals.”
-083337-226065151-151005-1713642316.jpeg)
“I want to take this chance to thank the Mongolian people who have supported us all along,” he added. “Since our foundation began, we’ve mostly relied on funding from abroad. But times are changing. With economic challenges in many Western countries, they are now focusing on their own domestic needs.
So I want to say this to Mongolians: if you’ve ever wanted to help others, now is the time. There are many ways to help. Not only through financial support but also by sharing your knowledge, teaching a skill, or volunteering with the children.”
You can learn more about the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation by clicking HERE.
It would not be wrong to say that the name Christina Noble has become well known among Mongolians. In 1997, she came to Mongolia, founded her children's foundation, and gifted joy, hope, and a bright future to many children living in difficult conditions. The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF) she founded remains active to this day, continuing to give hope to many children. We now present our interview with her grandson, Thomas Noble, who is continuing her inspiring legacy.
Thomas Noble did not come to the CNCF in Mongolia because of a childhood dream or personal vision. What brought him here was a request from his grandmother.
He received a call “Tom, can you help your grandmother?” and came to Mongolia to run the CNCF. Because the foundation’s director had unexpectedly stepped down, Thomas took over the role until a new leader could be appointed. What was initially planned as a three-month position turned into a seven-year journey that transformed his life.
He had run his own business in the United Kingdom for more than ten years. Although the work at CNCF was completely different from his professional field, “I became increasingly drawn to the children, the meaning behind this work, and the values it represents” he said.
Of course, the biggest influence on his shift in perspective was his grandmother, Christina Noble.
Christina’s childhood was filled with hardships that no ordinary person could bear. Hunger, loneliness, emotional trauma, pain… she carried all of these in her tiny heart while growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Dublin, Ireland. Her father was always drunk and abusive. Still, having her mother around provided her with a sense of shelter and a small spark that helped her see life with a bit more light.
Unfortunately, when she was 11, her mother passed away, and Christina had no choice but to become a “little mother” to her younger siblings. Her father's alcoholism worsened, and she and her siblings were eventually sent to an orphanage. However, life in the orphanage brought no real relief.
At 16, Christina ended up living on the streets and spending nights in parks. She ate leaves out of hunger and sought shelter among the bushes. “In those darkest moments, Christina would often think, ‘Why is there no one to help me? Not everyone has to help me, but just one person would be enough,’” Thomas shared.
Days turned into years, and no one came to help her. Still, she didn’t let that suffering destroy her, but turned it into a deep commitment to help other children enduring similar hardships. In 1988, while visiting Vietnam, she saw many orphans and decided to be “that one person” who would help them.
That decision led to the establishment of the CNCF in Vietnam, and later, in Mongolia.
When Thomas arrived in Mongolia in 2013, the CNCF was already well established. As someone with a background in business, he made some structural adjustments. He highlighted how Christina’s core principles, such as love for children, dedication to fighting poverty, compassion, and integrity were deeply ingrained in every staff member.
Over those unexpected seven years, Thomas said he found pride in countless moments from children’s laughter to their achievements. But if he had to choose the most important, he would highlight “true and genuine sustainable changes.”
I’ve seen Mongolian children living lives that no human being should ever go through.
He said it was deeply moving to return to Mongolia and see those same children grown up, happy, independent, and raising families of their own. “That is real success. That is sustainable change,” he said.
“Our ultimate goal is to help shape happy, successful, emotionally mature and independent adults. We must create a society where the next generation of children grows up surrounded by love and care. A life filled with fear of abuse or uncertainty about where their next meal will come from must not continue.”
Despite many moments of pride, witnessing heartbreaking scenes in the field of child protection has been one of the toughest challenges for Thomas. “I’ve seen Mongolian children living lives that no human being should ever go through” Thomas said. “When you visit our Ger village, you would see a lot of happy faces and hear laughter” he explained.
“But behind their smiles and bright eyes often lie stories of violence, fear, and pain. If we truly want to help them, we need to be emotionally strong ourselves.” he said.
When asked, “Were you emotionally prepared for all of this?”, Thomas responded "I know my grandmother's work. She herself lived a very difficult life. Christina was gangraped by four men while living on the streets, and she even became pregnant. Her life was not easy. But she never stopped helping others.
My mother once told me how she would come home from school to find that my grandmother had brought a homeless person into the house, fed them, and let them sleep in her bed. That’s the principle our family, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
His words reflected how Christina Noble’s compassion didn’t just define her legacy but it shaped her family and the entire CNCF team. One of CNCF’s most significant missions is promoting children’s mental well-being through art therapy. In 2023, CNCF hosted the first-ever International Youth Mental Health Conference in Mongolia.
This not only influenced national policy but also helped shape a new generation of psychologists. “Mental health may still be a relatively new topic in Mongolia, but we are committed to making it a priority,” said Thomas.
"Since stepping down from my role as Country Director in 2020, I’ve seen our foundation grow and advance even further. Back in 2015, we brought in a highly skilled psychologist from the UK to work with children for three months. That planted the first seed. Today, our team continues to grow this work, and we’re proud to contribute to developing local mental health professionals.”
“I want to take this chance to thank the Mongolian people who have supported us all along,” he added. “Since our foundation began, we’ve mostly relied on funding from abroad. But times are changing. With economic challenges in many Western countries, they are now focusing on their own domestic needs.
So I want to say this to Mongolians: if you’ve ever wanted to help others, now is the time. There are many ways to help. Not only through financial support but also by sharing your knowledge, teaching a skill, or volunteering with the children.”
You can learn more about the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation by clicking HERE.