2010 August

This news letter is much longer than you are used to. The reason is that we received such enthusiastic reports and many photos from this year’s summer camp. I could not possibly keep this from you. First a report by director Boldsaikhan, then by three children. and at the end a short report about the visits of young French people from the Nadaam association.
Big news is that Boldsaikhan became father for the fourth time on August 24. After two sons and a daughter his wife gave birth to a son.

ANNA HOME-CHILDREN’S SUMMER CAMP 2010

In the first week of August Anna Home had its third summer camp, this year in Bayan Uul near the Russian border and the Mongolian Army base 0207. On the first day we erected our tents, made a fire by the river and prepared everything for the camp. The purpose of the summer camp is a vacation for the children, so the children could just have a lot of fun. But also, we had a very good plan and schedule of activities. All children were put into groups for activities. Every day we had a group meeting to talk about how the day was going. Every group with a teacher explored the nature around the camp.
They found fruit and saw wild pigs and had to run away from many bees. They saw many kinds of small animals in the land and many kinds of birds. The children and the teachers enjoyed it very much. We did many games and competitions, arm wrestling, sumo, volley ball, tennis, piggyback wrestling. The children had a great time. We gave each team scores, first second and third places. The children swam in the river, fishing and playing many games in their free time.
One day I chose some children to go to the forest to hunt. We made our own bows and arrows. We were going to Olikhon Mountain, a very big mountain next to the river, we walked about 10km and came to the front of the mountain, but there were 5 rivers. We made one line of children holding hands and walked across the first river, before the second river we had to walk through swampy land with many trees then we got across the second river. The third river was very easy to cross, but Bymbadavaa fell down in the river and all children laughed and smiled. His clothes were all wet. Then we got to the next two rivers and we sent Otbaya to check if we could cross, but it was too deep and too dangerous so we did not cross. We changed our plan and went to an island in the river, we found many fruits and filled a big white bag because we had promised to bring back something from our hunting. By this time the sun was going down so we had to stop and go back to the camp.
The children in the front suddenly came running and yelling “teachers bees bees stinging us” I decided we would walk a different ways but still more bees came, so we had to run back again. One bee made a beeline for my head and stung me,”OUCH!!!!!!!! What a shock, I could only think of running away. Again we had to change the way to walk. Being very brave I went first as everyone else was scared, then more bees came and stung me again on my head – now I was really in shock and shaking. All the children were scared and crying, how to get back? We had to call to the others and changed our way yet again and went a long way very very carefully. It was a very worrying time and we had to rest and think how to go, because this was the first time I had or any of the children has been chased by bees. We finally managed to get across the two rivers and then the last river was so hard and so scary, we had to grab each other very tightly like a chain. The river was so strong that the children’s line was getting washed away. I was carrying my small son on my shoulders, he was being very brave and when I fell over and nearly got swept away he just grabbed on to my hair but did not cry, and I got lots of cuts when I had to stand up still holding the chain of children. Everyone said a big prayer and we finally got across; everyone at the camp was very worried because we were late and they said big prayers too. Finally when we got across the river Ganbat’s shoes were broken and I had to tear bits of my shirt to tie the shoes back on his feet so he could hobble back to camp. When we got back everyone was excited and happy to see us return and we were happy to have come back safely from our big adventure. Luckily we still had the fruit and the teachers made some nice juice. There was lots of talking and reliving the adventure in the tents with all the children long into the night.
This adventure for us was the first time we had been in such danger but also had lots of fun and we will never forget how it was and how we felt. I learned a very big lesson about how important it is to hold the children up and how strong I have to be to keep them safe and happy. Very big responsibility,
P.Boldsaikhan

.

.

OTGONTENGER (16 YEAR OLD GIRL)

Summer camp was so fun for me. I am very happy for the summer camp. I came to Anna home in 2007. This is the third year I have gone to summer camp. I saw good nature and made good friends, I saw big mountain and river. All for me is good memories, but this time at summer camp was better than the last two. Many things happened, we swam where 5 rivers joined, and we slept near the Onon River, we had to walk through the forest and it was hard. We saw a pig farm. We worked together as a good team. We made 4 teams. On the last day we went to the Russian border and saw the Army, they made food for all of us and we looked at the Army place, and now we know about the responsibility the Army has to look after and protect Mongolia. The soldiers said not to give the land to other people.

GANSOUKH

We went a long way and came to the Onon River. The first day we built our tent and had food and went swimming in the river. My team was number one. Then Boldsaikhan and the teachers did dancing and singing, it was so much fun. After that we met Tunga, a new teacher we talked a lot. In the evening many mosquitos bit us and in the morning I got up and caught baby fish and swallowed them alive to clean my stomach. In the afternoon we went to hunt with bow and arrows that we made. On the way Boltor saw a cicada and took and ate it’s stomach, it was so funny. Then we go on the way saw one herder, with many goats and sheep. Then we went to the river and walked next to the river, it was so dangerous, I was afraid as it was fast and deep. After walking to the second river through the forest, Ganbat fell down and banged his head and the other children laughed because his legs were in the air. Then at the third river we saw big fruits on the river bank and all the children filled up a big bag. Then after getting the fruit Odbayar (the guard) carried the bag on his back, many bees came and one bit his bottom and the bees then stung Bymbaa. When he asked Boldsaikhan said it was very dangerous and he said lets go a different way and then more bees came. We made loud yelling “bees bees” and everyone ran away. Boltor fell down on the grass and he yelled because many bees stung him. Then we went back to the tent and ate lunch and then went fishing. On the last day we went to the soldier camp ate some food and played basketball. It was good memories. 2010 Summer was fun for me.
Thanks to Anna Home teachers and director and all people. They are like my Mother and Father. They take care of me.

ERDENBAYAR

On the first of August, I was waiting as when I got up we were going to summer camp. We got everything ready. The bus came to us. We then went to summer camp from Anna Home. It was far away. After a long time we prepared everything then went swimming and then we had lunch.
On the fifth day Boldsaikhan and I made bow and arrow and then we went to hunt with 12 children. We wanted to hunt birds. We walked in one line with our bows ready, we made two groups but could not find birds. Then Ochbyar and Magnar saw baby deer, when we came the deer had run away. We took some pictures and went to hunt some birds. We saw many sheep and goats. There was a big Mountain called Onkhan. Somebody asked how can we go on the mountain and then we saw what looked like three rivers we had to cross over but still we could not get on the mountain. I then got stung by bees and fell down in the water. It was so funny for me. I was so cold and the teachers gave me hot water and hot fruits juice and I got better.
On the seventh day the director went to Byanull lto get a goat for barbeque. Then the guards and big boys killed the goat and we ate very nice food.

FRENCH SCOUTS IN ANNA HOME

In July four French scouts came to Anna Home and made a green house with us. In August 5 others came, Marie, 21 years old, Camille 20, Benoit 22, Florence 21, and Jean 22. They belong to the Naadam association, who come to Choibalsan every year to help with vegetable gardens.
Three times a week they made of lot of activities with the children of Anna Home. Playing games, singing French and Mongolian songs, gardening and every morning they teach the French language. The children like to learn new words, numbers, weather, colors and animals. At the end of their stay, they will organise small Olympic games between the children of Anna Home and district children.
Thanks to the French Scouts team from the children Anna Home!