Mongolia Summer Camp

[mongoliasummercamp]

Jensen's Mongolia Camp

Two weeks ago, I took a trip down to Mongolia with a team of 7 other volunteers. It was an inspiring moment for me, and I would just like to share it here.

The organizer of this camp is Stephanie - she organized an annual summer camp for the kids every year for the past four years. In the Mongolian culture, summer camp is something very precious for a kid’s childhood, and these children are street, abused kids who don’t have an opportunity to go to school, hence no summer camp. Our goal there is just to organize a fun camp for them, so that they have sweet memories.

Our kids range from age 8 - 16, quite a number are sexually abused girls this time.

For me, I’m the Music and Art teacher. I can remember on the first class of my music session, I played a piece of music on my violin for them, and asked them how they feel… they used terms like.. “an ocean"… “my dad"… “freedom"… and asked me if they can close their eyes as I play the next tune so that they can better see the music. I was flabbergasted… being in a city like Singapore, I’ve never heard people who want to appreciate music at this level…

There was also another heart-warming moment for me. This kid, called Daftka showed extreme interest to learn the violin. At first, I just let him hold the violin, and stroke the violin bow. He was not playing music but just stroking sounds on the violin… but then he told me… “when i play.. i feel like I’m all alone… everything else around me was in white color".

I blame myself for having little faith. To me, I thought there’s no point teaching them any songs on the violin because it’s too tough for them to pick up anything. Somehow, I took a leap of faith on day and taught Daftka “Twinkle Little Star". My jaw almost dropped because after one or two simple demonstration, he picked it up and started playing. I could see the spark in his eyes.

There was also a music therapy session where the kids are asked to freely express themselves to my music. I played a 10 minutes music, closing my eyes, but I could hear sobbing sounds from them… they thought of their families… their abused experience… and somehow I feel that music allowed them to express those feelings, and I believe that by acknowledging them, it will help in the healing process.

Art class was fun too - I focused a lot on self-expression… asking them to draw funny faces related to happy memories. I’m so glad to see them engaged.

There was some sharing sessions the volunteers had between the kids, and one of the girls asked me, “You are an Engineer, plays music and art… how do you do it all?". I paused for a moment because I didn’t want to say, “Because I’m lucky to be born in a good family who provided for me" (I thought it would make them feel sad that they didn’t have good families)… I told them I am where I am today because a lot of people helped me along the way, good teachers, friends, mentors… and I encouraged them to help others in their pursuit for success and happiness because no one can do it alone. They shared their dreams with us - they wanted to be a Chef (because they were hungry), Air Stewardess, Sumo Wrestler, Fashion Designer, Engineer, Doctor (family was sick) etc. these kids had great dreams… and I’m so touched that I shared with them… as long as they don’t give up, do the right thing (don’t cheat, shortcuts), and treat people well, they are sure to succeed.

At the end of the day, I’m just filled with gratitude for what God has given me in terms of my gifts… and I’m thankful for all the people who has helped me along this journey.

- Jensen is from Malaysia, an engineering professional and a talented musician and cartoonist. Our passionate volunteer teacher at our camp.

[mongoliasummercamp]

Read about our volunteers's journey in mongolia soon

Watch this space folks!

Photo journals coming your way!

[mongoliasummercamp]

[mongoliasummercamp]

Jetting Soon June

Just the start of June, but we're steaming on ahead in preparation of our summercamp this year in July. Have you signed up? :) If not this is the last call for volunteers with just 2 spots left for signup! And do check out our donation page (click on our side bar) and consider supporting our endeavor to bring smiles and warmth into the hearts of children.

Besides gearing up for camp, MSC has been honored to be given the opportunity to share our inspirations and encourage other youths into actions. Our founder, Stephanie, was invited to give a talk by the peeps from Envisage to share about her learning journey on identifying the needs of street children in Mongolia, and the process of growing our resources and fulfilling in little steps more needs in a more sustainable way in the near future

Steph was also thrilled to be given the chance to return to her alma mater this week to run a workshop to inspire her juniors to step up and step out as she did. This time, Steph took a little creative tour and brought the students on a virtual journey to Mongolia via videos/photos and our little doodled virtual map:

"Go on the Sunshine street to bring the joy of your childhood to the people in need at home and overseas. You can start small but you gotta start somewhere. Don't be overwhelmed by the magnitude of a big problem because even superman gets dejected and we can't help all. Harness the ripple effects of inspirations. Discard fears and "what if I fail" and go step up and step out to explore your passion under the sun in this big world."

Turns out MSC reaped even more than what we thought we were sowing into the hearts and minds of the younger folks! The enthusiasm, passion and zeal for actions from the students totally warmed us up. Here's from some of their discussions.

Drawing their childhood experiences

Pretty nuanced understanding of poverty exhibited by the students.

It has been an exciting start to June and counting down the adrenaline is just gonna keep pumping up as we move closer to the date of our departure to Mongolia.

Once again, please show us your support! Donate or join us at our camp - Be the Sunshine on the grassland!

[mongoliasummercamp]

Be the Sunshine on the Grassland this July!

Sign up for our camp happening this 1st to 7th July.

Camp preparation will take place 3 days before the start of camp and volunteers are strongly encouraged to join in the preparation and home visits made to the homes of some of the children.

Email us ([email protected]) for any enquiries or sign up.

[mongoliasummercamp]

It was a lovely night of smiles, heart-warming moments and many laughters!

Thank you each and every individual who has believed in the cause of MSC, and came down specially to support us at our charity event. Our Garden Movie Night was a huge success all thanks to all our most lovely supporters.

We're so glad to see the entire event reserved section filled and spilling over to the other unreserved section of the bistro. We're also happy to hear that our guests enjoyed their yummlicious food, the Mongolian movie screened and had loads of fun catching up with their friends all while supporting a good cause.

Many thanks to Food for Thought for granting us a favorable rate for the spacious venue and delicious nom-noms, as well as The Ultimate Spa and Indiesin for sponsoring the generous vouchers for our lucky draw for our guests that night. :)

For those who have missed our event, you can still show us your support by purchasing one of our tees specially designed by our volunteer artist, Jensen. You can see more of Jensen's work at http://about.me/jensentan.

Be sure to check out our 4 designs to the tees => Click on the side bar "Support Us"

Check out more pictures of our event on our facebook page and remember to 'Like' us! (fb/mongliasummercamp) Thkx!

[mongoliasummercamp]

Are you ready for a magical night of movie in the starry garden?

Join us in our Garden Movie Night coming your way this 26th April.

Catch the award-winning movie "The Cave of the Yellow Dog" and be magically transported to the mongolian grassland. Experience the lifestyle and cultures of mongolian nomads, and find out more about the children cause we support.

All proceeds raised will go towards funding our annual summer camp this year to bring more smiles and "dream-come-true"s to street children in Mongolia.

Tickets can now be purchased online at mongoliasummercamp.eventbrite.sg

Hurry grab your tickets now and we look forward to seeing you!

[mongoliasummercamp]

MSC 4 Camp Dates: 1st-7th July!

Come join us at the vast mongolian steppe this summer! Embrace nature and adventure, and immerse in our MSC family's love and laughters!

Join us for our camp this year on 1st-7th July.

Pre-camp briefing will be held on 30th June when all volunteers are to arrive in Ulan Bator.

Volunteers are also strongly encouraged to participate in the pre-camp preparation and home visits to our kids' families and shelters starting on 28th June.

Volunteers are free to depart after the 7th of July when the camp ends to carry on with their own travel plans.

[mongoliasummercamp]

MSC 4 coming your way soon!

We're fixing the dates with our mongolian partners for our long awaited annual summer camp! Looking at the first week of July, the camp ends just days before Nadaam Festival one of the most exciting times to visit the vast steppe! 

We hope you're just as stoked as us for the camp and checking out Nadaam Festival. So stay tuned for our finalised camp dates!

[mongoliasummercamp]

We’re in the midst of preparation for our first fund raiser of the year for our 4th annual summer camp. It will be a night of teleporting all of you with us to the great mongolian steppe.

We’re so excited to share a little piece of Mongolia’s rich culture and wonder with you. Here’s a video link to traditional mongolian throat singing: http://youtu.be/hztsZ1E1avo

Find out how the singers create the thin whistling melody above the bass drone known as overtone singing in this great performance for BBC Human Planet: http://youtu.be/NQkrsdjJB2s

[mongoliasummercamp]

[mongoliasummercamp]

<click on photo to enlarge>

Wanna make a difference in the hearts and minds of these kids?

Love our vision and what we do?

Still uncertain of making it to Mongolia with us?

Join us today as a MSC volunteer right at your desktop to help us GROW!

* MSC is based in Singapore but welcomes foreign volunteers to work and connect virtually with us.

Email us today to find out more. Commitment of weekly/fortnightly/monthly/ad-hoc

[mongoliasummercamp]

A vision of vast open spaces and more

I came to Mongolia with a vision of vast open spaces, an impression of peacefulness, and a desire to learn about the children. I was not disappointed, although there is much more to Mongolia than that, for better or for worse.

There is not much I need to say about the nature Mongolia that has not been said. Whatever I can write down at this point will not do it justice. I can only tell you that the grassland never ends outside of the city, and during the camp. There was no noise, no extraneous thoughts, just the sky and the land.

The country of Mongolia now has a shanty town that contains a quarter of the country's population. People who used to live on the countryside move to slums of Ulan Bator to find work. Many of the people who move used to herd livestock, but growing desertification of the countryside has forced them to turn to the city for a livelihood. 

 I can still remember what happened when we were visiting some of the families, located inside of the slums, whose children attended the camp. We brought some candies to give out in hoping that it can be a pleasant gift. It, however, turned out to be the most difficult thing that I have yet to do till this day.

I had never encountered such poverty. These Mongolians had nothing, be it tiny houses or yurts, there was nothing inside. The area around the home is falling into disrepair with rubbish piling high. And there I was handing out candies to children who have to live there because they have nowhere else to go.

 It felt like a sharp jab into my stomach every time their faces light up because of the rare sweets from strangers.” It was the only thing that I am giving them when I am capable of so much more?” ”I will walk away from this, but they won’t.” “Why are you happy because of a piece of chocolate? Just look around you.”  were the only thing on my mind during the whole visit. I had to tighten every fiber of my muscle to keep myself from breaking down. It was like playing a game of “who blinks first with destitute,” not many people can come out on top. 

I am not writing this to appeal to your empathetic side for the Mongolian kids. I am doing this to let you know the founders (Steph and Jermyn) were two amazing people who took it upon themselves to do what they think are right. They spend their entire year raising money just so there would be a camp for the kids. For the rest of the volunteers, it was an interesting, maybe even an eye opening experience, however, it is a belief and a dedication.

Some of the children who attended the camp brought nothing but the clothes they had on them. None the less, they were happy to be out in the nature and learn. The camp worked both ways because teenagers in Mongolia are generally curious for almost all things we had to say and finding out what life is like in the West. Sandwiched between China and Russia, I found their perception of life outside the vastness of Asia is interesting, to say the least!  

So my experience with the Mongolian Summer camp truly has been wonderful. Just by being at the camp, I learned some things that I never would have. I have met some amazing people (both Mongolians and fellow volunteers). There are some things I have learnt here that I will try to take home with me. Firstly, Mongolian people are most generous people I have ever met. Whatever they have they will share with you even if it really isn’t much. Secondly, Mongolian people are peaceful and calm and have a very accepting outlook on life. It was a kind of attitude which entails being curious to the world and remaining complacent at the worst of times. They neither get too happy nor too sad, but they are mostly content (and therefore happy). Thirdly, Mongolian people are so open and honest and you understand that there is no pretense in their kindness and friendliness. In the end, I would lastly like to thank Mongolia Summer Camp for this opportunity. Steph and Jermyn are two amazing people that are truly wonderful and inspiring.

Chienfa teaching English at the camp

Chienfa Kao is a volunteer at MSC 3, and a teacher from America now based in Russia.

[mongoliasummercamp]

Our volunteer Xin Ni's shares about her experience at MSC 3

In the eyes of many people, Mongolia is perceived as one of those exotic places that few would ever think of visiting. Hence, my decision to join the Mongolia Summer Camp (MSC) was initially met with some level of incredulity and a lack of understanding from friends and family members. It didn’t help that I got to know about the camp through Google. I wavered in my decision to join the camp for a while, as I was doubtful of my ability to adapt to the living conditions there. It was, after all, my first overseas volunteering experience. Nonetheless, I went ahead with it in the end, and I’ll always be grateful that I did.

Before the camp officially started, we had the chance to visit the families of some of the participating children. These families mostly live in slums located on the outskirts of the capital city Ulan Bator.

One of the families mentioned that they get by on a government hand-out of US$75 per month. That’s approximately US$2.5 per day for a family of four, in a country where essentials do not come cheap. When I first arrived in Mongolia, I was surprised to find out that the prices of various products are pretty high relevant to the citizens’ average salary.

Another memorable fact is that a couple of the families that we visited had alcoholic parents. In Mongolia, alcoholism is a prevalent problem due to the widespread availability and low prices of alcohol, as well as the high unemployment rate. These factors drive many to the bottle in a bid to escape their problems stemming from poverty. It’s all too easy to judge the parents that we’d met for spending what little money they have on alcohol. However, it’s perhaps inevitable that they fall victim to such an addiction in the midst of greater economic and societal ills.

  The summer camp itself lasted for about a week, and took place at a camp site in Terelj National Park. Once we were there, I was instantly captivated by the immense beauty of the Mongolian plains. The magnificence is really hard to capture on photographs.

The kids and volunteers were split into two groups, or clans, as we called it. At the beginning, I was slightly unsettled by some of the kids’ behavior, and did not immediately connect with the kids in my clan. I vividly recall that on the very first day of camp, a fight broke up in the middle of our ice-breaking game. Subsequently, the kids walked off one by one, until we were left with a third of the number of kids that we stared out with. At that point, I was quite discouraged and taken aback. With the benefit of hindsight now, I’m able to understand their reactions – they are kids hardened from years of living on the streets, accustomed to violence and living without discipline.

We eventually managed to bond with the kids over the week through games, long hikes, various lessons and “clan time”. “Clan time” was a nightly session whereby the volunteers would get together with the kids from our respective clans and chat about a designated topic. It facilitated meaningful communication, and was a fantastic way to bridge the chasm and build rapport. It offered the volunteers a glimpse of the kids’ softer side as they shared with us their life stories and experiences. I wouldn’t venture to say that I’m able to empathize with and understand how they feel, since I’ve never been through the hardship that they’ve endured. But for what it’s worth, “clan time” helped us to connect on a deeper level with the kids, and after a while it was easy to feel affection for them.

    One thing that stood out and really impressed me was the children’s enthusiasm in learning English. At first, I was skeptical that those active kids would be able to sit through hour-long classes. I was therefore genuinely moved by their eager participation and attentiveness. Some even took the initiative to request for extra tuition classes. To top it off, the kids picked up the foreign phrases thrown their way so quickly. If the situation was reversed, I don’t think I’d fare as well in Mongolian as they did in English.

  On the last night of the camp, we all came together for a closing performance. The volunteers put together a short skit, while the kids took turns to sing and dance for us. There was something poignant about the kids’ performances – it’s undeniable that they’re creative and talented individuals. All they really need is some support and a push in the right direction, but sadly, that’s exactly what they’re lacking in their lives. I hope that at the very least, the camp provided them with some inspiration to imagine different lives for themselves, and perhaps they might someday discover the courage to pursue those dreams.

      Despite all the wonderful experiences, the camp wasn’t a walk in the park for the volunteers. Many of us fell sick during the camp due to the chilly weather, and we also had to get use to the absence of basic amenities. The food served during the camp was decent, though obviously not the kind we’re used to having.

All in all, I’m truly glad that I took a chance and left the comforts of home, albeit just for a short period of time. Besides being a great opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery, MSC also led me to be acquainted with many inspiring individuals. A special shout-out goes to the camp leaders Jermyn and Stephanie for organizing the camp and giving so much to make it a success. To the fellow volunteers who embarked on this journey with me – you guys are awesome and the experience would not have been the same without any one of you.

  Xinni is a volunteer at MSC 3 and an auditor from Singapore.

[mongoliasummercamp]

Our volunteer Tze Wei shares of his experience at camp

"MSC'12 has been in its own special way, a travel revelation for myself. Even though its my first time visiting Mongolia, I believe I got to experience a side that most locals don't even know about. The slums, the conditions and the support that some of these kids grew up with can be said, in the most minimal of descriptions, appalling.

Being involved in a camp may be familiar to alot of us, but not to these kids. In this aspect, MSC'12 fulfilled what i would say a much-needed gap in their lives.

Throughout these eight days at Terelj National Park, the volunteers witnessed a lot of rowdiness and episodes no doubt, but in the process we have also seen smiles on the faces of these kids. In those priceless moments, i know, we know, that Steph/Jermyn and MSC'12 has brought happiness to them. That is all that matters."

 Tze Wei is a volunteer at MSC 3 and a real estate professional from Singapore. 

[mongoliasummercamp]

Our volunteer Chen Yang shares about MSC3

Before I agreed to come for the trip,

I questioned myself:"was it really worth 1.3k for the air fare? I mean, it could have got me a ticket to the states, or i could buy the DSLR that i've been wishing for. I took a leap of faith and decided that I should just devote myself to this cause. "

On hindsight, I was so grateful for my decision.

Many of us has done community service for the less fortunate in our society.

Many thought that the situation couldn't be any worse in our country and in anywhere else.

When we visited the less fortunate families in Mongolia (living just outskirt of the city), it suddenly struck us how our desensitized perception of the poor was such an aberration of reality! Some of us couldn't believe what we're seeing, even our translator friend, who has been staying in Mongolia for the past 20 years.

One of families' house was made up of scrap materials they found (and it stood decent), one had a family of 5 with 3 daughters sleeping in a tiny area underneath the staircase landing on a double bed; the most memorable was a mother (sick and alcoholic) with 2 kids living in a completely dark house with no windows. We just had no idea how bad it was until we saw.

Some of the other kids coming to the camp were from shelters, that when their family could no longer support them, forced them upon the streets to beg.

The volunteers were all on the same page: that we will give them something to learn and take back to the camp to the best of our abilities. Honestly, some of the kids were hard to manage and control (remember they are hardened kids that survived on the streets). For instance, a typical 5 year old will be learning basic sentences but a a 5 year old girl in the camp just keeps saying "I will kill you" when she's angry (which is most of the time). Over the course of the camp we discovered that some of them have amazing talents from drawing to singing but they just dont have the opportunity to develop these talents and imagining how accomplished they might be if given the chance.

The camp was no holiday camp, it was in a national park whose cattle population exceed human population by a mile. Its nice to get away from the city but it also meant getting away from basic amenities like showers and toilets.

It was THE experience trying all these in the wild.

With that said, as the camp drew to a close, we were proud of the kids, for having accomplished so much in so little time. Their knowledge of English soared, partly because of their interest to learn more and they grew closer to each other and came to accept each other. I guess the ultimate lesson to take back is not about how much english they can speak, but of how they can find family in like minded and people in the similar situations. 

It has been not only a learning experience for the kids, but also the volunteers as well. We learnt so much from the kids, from courage to innocence to perseverance; some qualities, lost as we grew up in the modern society. Heaps of gratitude goes out to Jermyn and Stephanie, who saw this project through for 3 years; whose dreams for the project are admirable and their effort for making everything possible. I hope their dreams of building a boarding school in the future would come to fruition.

Chen Yang is a volunteer at MSC 3 and a law student in Warwick University from Singapore.

[mongoliasummercamp]

Our volunteer Tim shares about MSC 3...

" I am always thankful for the opportunity Mongolian Summer Camp gave me. To take a step out of my comfort zone, to relate without words and to bond through the simplest of actions. Participating in the Mongolian children's games and hearing kids sing a song together are just some of the experiences I will never forget. I certainly hope the kids got out of it as much as I did. Again thank you Steph and Jermyn for the tireless efforts you put in to organizing this!

Here are some of the kids who had a lasting impression of me haha

Soto - 15 yr old and the first kid i met. I won't forget how hard it was when neither of us knew a single word of each others language. He was very sensitive, mature kid but always knew how to have fun (by making heart shapes with his hands haha behind his back for the girl he likes). 

Amara - 5 yr old kid who I swear had attention deficit disorder. Would always cry if he asked for the frisbee and didn't get it but he had a heart of gold. Never forget when he tried to save yoghurt in his drawer to eat the next day. Bad move ahahaha

Nergui -9 yr old who despite initial objections to walking around in only his underwear gladly did so when he washed his pants. His inability to pronounce "T" also resulted in me getting a new name Jimmy haha

Erdenebileg - He loved grabbing you and xinyi. His ever lasting quote "that the best part of today is getting kissed for the first time by a girl". A reminder of the crazy beginnings of being a teenager!"

Tim is a volunteer at MSC 3 and an IT professional from Australia.