ABOUT KHUSVEGI
MISSION: To create a community-led slow tourism initiative that focuses on genuine human connection, cultural preservation, transformational travel experience and language equity.
LONG TERM GOAL: To create the first Eagle Hunting & Nomadic Culture Museum and Library that will foster long-term cultural exchange between travelers and the local community.
The word, KHUSVEGI, refers to King and Queen of Eagles. We aspire to create a tourism initiative that mutually benefits locals and tourists. The nomadic lifestyle is a dying culture. Through Khusvegi Camp, we are able to share this tradition with the world while preserving it at the same time. We believe that the young Kazakh nomads and eagle hunters are fundamental in this process, and by teaching them English, we can cultivate a generation of nomads who will be the storytellers and ambassadors of their community. They will serve as the direct link between their community and the world while cultivating the mindset of valuing cultural preservation for future generations of the eagle hunting community. Khusvegi is rooted in the community's self-determination and ownership of its own local tourism.
KHUSVEGI IS ABOUT REAL lifE EXPERIENCES.
BE A NOMAD. CELEBRATE LIFE.
THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
BAKHITGUL ALTAY
CO-FOUNDER
"I live in the town of Sagsai. I have been working as a teacher for 16 years. I teach English and Russian. Khusvegi English Camp is a big opportunity for our young kids to learn English. With English, they can share and introduce our unique culture to the world. Khusvegi English & nomadic Culture Camp is a golden opportunity and a path towards the future."
MARINEL DE JESUS
CO-FOUNDER
"The local people yearn to share their culture and traditions with the world. They also want access to the tourism industry, open doors for job opportunities for their youths in tourism or elsewhere and be the storytellers of their history and culture. Learning English is the key towards these goals. For travelers, my hope is to cultivate a transformational travel experience by investing in the local community and fostering long-term connections that benefit both the travelers and the nomads"
NAZIRA SALDAT
CAMP MANAGER
"Khusvegi English & Culture Camp is very useful for everyone. If this program is carried out successfully, it will influence the education of every child in Sagsai soum and create a positive impact on their future because learning English from foreign teachers is highly valuable and life-changing. In Mongolia, children are enthusiastic to learn English with native English speaking teachers. I’m so excited about this project and to work actively with the Khusvegi Leadership Team."
YERKYEBULAN KHAYRIM
CAMP MANAGER
"most of the local children want to learn English with native speakers because this inspires them to learn actively over time. Most of the young eagle hunters want to interact with tourists directly (without an interpreter or guide). Moreover, if we work with English teachers from abroad, this can have a positive impact on Sagsai’s local community in many ways such as the development of tours and services and our own local businesses. Also, it would be great to learn each others' culture and tradition."
MONGOLIA IN GENERAL
Mongolia, a nation bordered by China and Russia, is known for vast and rugged landscapes and nomadic culture. Its capital, Ulaanbaatar, centers around Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) Square, named for the notorious founder of the 13th- and 14th-century Mongol Empire. Also, in Ulaanbaatar, there's the National Museum of Mongolia which displayis historic and ethnographic artifacts, and the restored 1830 Gandantegchinlen Monastery. Mongolia has 3.225 million people (as per 2019 statistics) with 95% of Mongol ethnicity, 5% of Kazakh and 1% other. The people's religion is broken down as follows: 51.7% Buddhism, 40.6% no religion; 3.2% Islam and 2.5% Shamanism (2020). The form of government is unitary semi-presidential republic. The official language is Mongolian and the official writing is cyrillic.
Mongolia boasts a wide range of birds, fish and mammals but is probably best known for the Siberian Ibex, Snow Leopard, Gobi Bear, Wild Bactrian Camel and Przewalski's Horse. The Land of the Blue Skies has a widely varied topography and the most dramatic landscapes.
daily life in Sagsai
THE NOMADIC LIFE
Nomadism is a tradition that still remains alive to this day despite the changes brought by modern life and technology. Nomads still engage in animal husbandry and as such they move at least twice a year - in the summer and winter - in order to find green pastures for their herds. The herds are their source of food and income. The local people continue to migrate for these reasons but also to preserve their own culture and traditions.
Historically, nomads are herders. Herding requires knowledge of complex maps of the area where their herds graze. It requires expertise in weather patterns, agriculture and soil quality. Nomads usually herd five type of animals: cows, sheep, goats, horses and camels.
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Sagsai-sum is a district within the Bayan-ulgii province in Western Mongolia. It's surrounded by high peaks next to the Altai mountains. It has almost 5000 inhabitants of Kazakh ethnicity. Sagsai, which is located merely 15 kilometers from Bayan-ulgii, is known as the home of many eagle hunters in the region. Besides the people, this region is an ideal habitat to a variety of wildlife - golden eagles, snow leopard, wild sheep, Mongolia Saiga, musk deer, foxes, and more.
Sagsai can be reached from Ulaanbaatar by plane. Public buses also run between Ulgii and Ulaanbaatar which is a 24 to 27 hour-long ride.
WEATHER
The summer in Mongolia is generally the most comfortable time to be outdoors and it lasts between June and August. Snowfall can come as early as mid-August and even during the height of summer you can encounter snow as you go up to higher elevations (e.g. climbing Malchin or Khuiten peak in the Altai mountains). Hence, summer is when many people including those from Ulaanbaatar come to the countryside and stay in the ger camps. Hiking, fishing and camping are popular activities during the summer.
In Sagsai, many nomads will venture into the countryside where they herd their animals. Do keep in mind that despite the warm weather for June and July, the weather in Western Mongolia can change at any time. Summer season can unexpectedly bring rain and wind. The average high temperature is 64F and average low temperature is 50F.
CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS
Below are some examples of nomadic customs and traditions that people still practice in Sagsai.
The traditional Kazakh dwelling is the "ger" or "yurt" - a tent consisting of a flexible framework of willow wood covered with varying thicknesses of felt.
Konakasy (Kazakh: қонақасы; "konak" - guest, "as" - food) - a tradition to welcome a guest and make his stay as enjoyable as one can by providing food, lodge, entertainment. Depending on the circumstances under which a guest had come from, he is either called "arnayy konak" (Kazakh: арнайы қонақ) - a specially invited guest, "kudayy konak" (Kazakh: құдайы қонақ) - a casual traveller, or "kydyrma konak" (Kazakh: қыдырма қонақ) - an unexpected visitor.
Korimdik (Kazakh: көрімдік; "koru" - to see) - a tradition of presenting a person with a gift to congratulate her on a gain in her life. The custom is called korimdik, if a gain is related to a person or an animal (e.g. seeing a person's daughter-in-law or a newborn animal for the first time), and baygazy (Kazakh: байғазы), if the gain is material.
Shashu (Kazakh: шашу - to scatter) - a tradition to shower heroes of an occasion with sweets during some festivity. Kazakhs believe that collected delights bring luck.
Bata (Kazakh: бата - blessing) - a form of poetic art, typically given by the most respected or the eldest person to express gratitude for the provided hospitality, give blessing to a person who is about to enter a new phase in life, go through a challenging experience or travel.
Tusau kesu (Kazakh: тұсау кесу - to cut ties) - a tradition to celebrate the first attempts of a child to walk. The legs of a child are tied with a string of white and black colors symbolizing the good and the bad in life. The tie is then cut by a female relative who is energetic and lively in nature, so that the child acquires her qualities. After the string has been cut, it is burnt.
Kyz uzatu (Kazakh: қыз ұзату) - the first wedding party organized by the parents of a bride. The literal translation is "to see off a daughter."
Betashar (Kazakh: беташар; "bet" - face, "ashu" - to open) - the custom (often done at the wedding) to lift a veil from the face of a bride. Today, it is mullah who is invited to perform an improvised song, in which he mentions relatives of the groom. During his performance, a bride has to bow every time she hears a name. After the song, a mother of the groom lifts the veil.
Shildehana (Kazakh: шілдехана) - celebration of a birth of a child.
Suinshi (Kazakh: сүйінші) - a tradition to give present to someone who has brought good news.
LANGUAGE
The main language spoken in Ulgii and Sagsai is Kazakh. Some people also know Russian and to a much lesser extent, English. In Ulaanbaatar, the main language spoken is Mongolian.
HELPFUL PHRASES IN KAZAKH
ACCOMMODATION
While traditionally, Kazakh nomads use the "ger" or "yurt" as their principal home, these days many of them are semi-nomads who have established winter houses in villages or towns to be near amenities that cater to their daily needs like grocery stores, banks, schools, medical clinics etc. In Sagsai, the locals have winter homes where they spend majority of their time except for the summer when they migrate with their herds and live in gers in the countryside outside of Sagsai.
The homes in Sagsai are simple and are usually made of adobe bricks and wood. The homes come with basic furniture such as beds or cots (with blankets), couches or chairs, kitchen tables, stoves, kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. There's no running water, heating or air conditioning. The locals rely on their stoves and traditional furnace to heat the house which require the use of coals. However, in the summer, the weather is usually warm; hence, there's no need for heating. The toilet is an outhouse. There are no shower facilities. The locals decorate their homes with traditional Kazakh textiles and carpets.
FOOD & WATER
Typical food in the region consists of dairy products like milk and yogurt, horse meat, lamb, camel meat, and tea with milk. The region's most popular dish is called Beshbarmak, also known as "five fingers." It's a meaty dish (usually made of horse meat, lamb and beef) accompanied by boiled potatoes and steamed flour. It's a dish that is eaten together using your fingers.
For winter time, the locals must prepare their meat by slaughtering cows, sheep, horses, camels or goats and preserving them with salt. In Sagsai, people also sell and consume freshwater fish from the river nearby. The markets sell rice, potatoes, carrots, onions and other basic staples for cooking. For more options, it's best to go to Ulgii to shop for produce and fruits.
Some local people in Sagsai make their own yogurt, cheese and milk and can be available to you to buy. Or, you can learn to make your own! Mongolia has amazing yogurt and a variety of milk to enjoy as they are home made.
FUN TIP - HOW TO MAKE CHEESE: Pour the milk into a pot. Heat it a little but do not cook it. Then add the milk yeast, called "meyek." The milk will clot for 5-10 minutes. This is an example of the nomads' ingenuity - fermenting milk without fermentation and preserving its sweet taste.
Drinking water is not as popular as drinking milk tea for nomads. As such, your option for clean drinking water is to boil the water that you get from the well next to your house. The market also sells bottled water as an option although keep in mind recycling in Sagsai is a challenge as there's no official way to go about recycling plastics.
SERVICES
SHOWER FACILITIES
The homes in Sagsai normally don't have showers. There is a public shower facility in Sagsai and Ulgii. For a small fee, you can use the hot shower in a private stall. Make sure to bring your own towel and toiletries.
FOOD & HOUSEHOLD STORES
Sagsai has a few small markets where you can buy basic food items such as potatoes, rice, sugar, carrots, noodles etc. In Ulgii, you can buy food, household items, clothes, and all other necessities at the Old Bazaar. In addition, there are grocery stores in the town center to choose from. Ulgii's town center is small so it is easy to check out a few stores and decide for yourself which stores meet your shopping needs. Aside from the grocery stores, there are a few electronic stores and souvenir shops in the town center, as well.
Every Wednesday afternoon, you will have the chance to do food shopping in Ulgii. We recommend that you stock up with food for up to a week or you can buy food as well at the smaller markets in Sagsai.
BANKS
Here's a list of banks that we recommend for ATM withdrawals, with most of them located in the town center: Turiin Bank and Khaan Bank. There's also a Western Union branch if you need money transfer from overseas.
RESTAURANTS
Ulgii has a number of decent restaurants and cafes which offer tourists local and international dishes. New eating establishment arise every year. These are some of the restaurants that we recommend: Arvin's Cafe, Pamukale, Dostyk and Makhsum.
MEDICAL & DENTAL
There is a small clinic in Sagsai. In Ulgii, there is a central hospital, two private medical clinics and a couple of dental offices.
SIM CARDS
In Ulaanbaatar, you can buy SIM cards at grocery stores and street kiosks. Using a SIM card is a convenient way to stay connected locally and overseas via wifi. You can buy and reload SIM cards at the grocery stores in Ulgii and the market in Sagsai. We recommend UNITEL which has the strongest internet service in Sagsai.
INTERNET & ELECTRICITY
Although it is possible to get internet connection in Sagsai, it's not 100% reliable. Most locals in Sagsai own a cell phone and use the phone data to connect online. Most homes do not have internet service and it's likely your accommodation will not have one. If you wish to have wifi access, the best way is to purchase a SIM card with data in Ulaanbaatar or Ulgii (assuming your cellphone is unlocked). The data and internet connection are good enough for light browsing/searching online, online chats/calls and for simple photo uploads on social media apps. It's cheap to purchase a SIM card and use it to have wifi access. For heavy uploading, downloading or streaming, we recommend doing so at coffee shops in Ulgii. Ulgii has a stronger and more reliable internet connection. Most coffee shops and hotels in Ulgii also have internet service.
Your accommodation should have electricity so charging your electronics shouldn't be an issue. However, power outages occur a few hours a week, especially when it's windy and rainy.
COMMUNITY ORIENTATION
During the first week of the program, our Leadership Team will help you get acclimated to your new accommodation and community in Sagsai. We will provide you with detailed information to familiarize you with the amenities and services available in Sagsai and Ulgii including a tour of both places.
CLASS INFORMATION
THE DEMAND FOR ENGLISH LEARNING IN WESTERN MONGOLIA IS HIGH
HEAR WHY KHUSVEGI CAMP MATTERS TO OUR ENGLISH STUDENTS
THE STUDENTS
Khusvegi Camp will have four groups of students ranging from age 5 to 18. The youngest group of students is considered the beginner level while the middle-aged students are advanced beginners/intermediate. The older students are advanced intermediate or advanced English learners who are interested in pursuing higher education in Ulaanbaatar or overseas. Some of the older students may also have an interest in working in the tourism industry as a guide. Each class will have 10-12 students. Ideally, we hope to have two teachers per class so teachers will be co-teaching together. This gives more personal attention to the students and allows teachers to have some flexibility to take breaks during the week to explore the community on their own time.
The students will be selected based on their interest in learning English and their performance as English students at Sagsai school, which has a total of about 1000 students. Local teachers at Sagsai school will assess the potential candidates for the Khusvegi Camp and make recommendations to our Leadership Team for consideration. For our 2022 pilot program, we selected 50 students, most of whom are invited to return to the camp every year.
CLASSROOM SETTING
Our English classes are held in our ger classrooms and outdoors. We intend for the classes to be interactive as much as possible and rely on our teachers to make the learning experience fun for the students. Teachers will be provided with basic props and teaching materials that can help in planning their lessons indoors or outdoors. Foreign teachers are welcome to bring teaching materials from their home country that they deem helpful for students in learning English. Teachers will alternate in their use of the regular classrooms and the computer room based on a schedule that we will create with our teachers during our Teacher Orientation.
CAMP LESSON PLANS
Camp lessons will be developed based on the abilities and English level of the students for each class. Once we complete an assessment of our students, we will design lessons that will be interactive and fun for them. We will provide our teachers with an outline of topics and lessons that they can follow and tailor as per their teaching style. The lessons can be adapted for indoor or outdoor class settings. Teachers may choose to hold their classes somewhere in the community. For foreign teachers who are paired with the local teachers, we encourage them to work together equally with the local teachers in designing their lesson plans.
TEACHER ORIENTATION
Prior to the commencement of our classes, our Leadership Team and local teachers will meet with our foreign teachers to familiarize them with our English camp, class structures and lesson plans. We aim to forge a collaborative approach when it comes to English teaching; hence, innovative lesson plans and teaching methods that encourage cultural exchange from our foreign teachers are welcome at Khusvegi Camp.
TEACHER SOCIALS & LUNCHEON
In addition to our Teacher Orientation, every Wednesday afternoon, our Khusvegi teachers and Leadership Team will hold Teacher Luncheons in Ulgii where you can socialize and get to know your fellow teachers. Every morning before class, we encourage our teachers to participate in our morning coffee/tea time social at our summer camp. This is also an opportune time to connect with the Camp Manager or one of the members of our Leadership Team should you have any questions about our program.
We encourage our foreign teachers to share with the local teachers their teaching experiences, takeaways, ideas, and insight on teaching methods that they deem effective during the camp. Our hope is for the students to retain the inspiration and motivation to improve their English learning throughout the school year with the help of the local teachers who participated in our program.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
PARENT-TEACHER ORIENTATION
At the parent-teacher orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet the parents and and students for the first time. We will introduce you as part of our group of teachers and guests through the Khusvegi English & Nomadic Culture Camp. You will get to know the parents and your students while we share lunch and partake in cultural exchange with one another. This is a good time to share something about yourself, your home country and traditions you have back home.
LOCAL DINNERS & CONVERSATIONS
At least twice during the school week, we will have dinner with a local family. We will have the parents of the students prepare a local meal and invite the teachers to their homes for dinner and informal cultural exchange. This is also an opportunity for the foreign teachers to share their own cultures with the nomads (e.g. food, drink, song, game, dance etc.)
LOCAL FOODS & CUISINE
Eating and sharing meals is a primary way of building trust and relationships with the community. Hence, local families tend to invite our foreign teachers to come for lunch or dinner. As part of the cultural learning, the participants will learn how to cook or prepare local meals and delicacies such as making yogurt, milk, or cheese and cooking the popular dish, Beshbarmak. Travelers are encouraged to cook and share dishes from their home country or culture of origin with the locals as part of our goal to promote cultural exchange.
TEXTILES & HANDICRAFTS
The Kazakh nomads love sharing their traditional clothing, textiles, and handicrafts with tourists. We will get to know the handicraft experts within the community and learn how to make an eagle hunter's purse or hat and other local handicrafts that are commonly used by the local people such as felt, handmade carpets, and embroideries.
HERDING & NOMADIC MIGRATION
Because animal husbandry was central to the Kazakhs' traditional lifestyle, most of their nomadic practices and customs relate in some way to livestock. Traditional curses and blessings invoked disease or fecundity among animals, and good manners required that a person ask first about the health of a man's livestock when greeting him and only afterward inquire about the human aspects of his life.
At our camp, you will visit herders and their animals to see the work involved first-hand. You'll gain insight into the close relationship that the nomads have with their herds and the many tasks involved in taking care of their animals. Alongside herding, we will also learn about nomadic migration - the old and new versions of it.
EAGLE HUNTING
Hunting with eagles is a traditional form of falconry found throughout the Eurasian Steppe, practiced by ancient Khitan and Turkic peoples. Though these people are most famous for hunting with golden eagles, they have been known to train northern goshawks, peregrine falcons, saker falcons, and more. This tradition is as old as the Kazakh nationality.
In Sagsai, there are approximately 50 eagle hunters. Locals normally do eagle hunting in the autumn and winter seasons. Eagle hunting is symbolic of the identity of the Kazakh nomads in Western Mongolia. In the past decade, younger generations of Kazakh nomads have become interested in eagle hunting and undergo training with the elderly eagle hunters within the family or the community. Although eagle hunting has been viewed as a male activity, a number of young female huntresses have emerged over the years. The community in general is supportive of this change and finds value in it as it is a way to preserve their tradition.
The training of the eagle involves utmost trust between the nomad and the eagle. The relationship can last for 10 years or more before the eagle is released back to the wild. The eagles are female and start young in terms of their training. Eagle hunters compete yearly at the Sagsai Eagle Hunting Festival and Ulgii's Golden Eagle Festival, both held in the autumn season.
During our program, you will meet eagle hunters and their families. We will spend the weekend in their homes and spend the day with them on eagle hunting trips.
DAYAN LAKE TRIP
Travelers will go on a weekend trip to Dayan town and lake to enjoy a more remote community in the region and experience pristine nature. Dayan town is merely 50 kilometers from the border of China. Although Dayan town is only a few hours drive from Ulgii, the town hardly sees tourists in the summer time. Some of the nomads here actually migrate all the way to Sagsai over a few days, and vice versa. We will be staying with local families and spend our days exploring the lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, fishing, and getting to know the locals. You can read more about Dayan lake here when our Khusvegi Camp co-founder, Marinel, visited the area in October 2020.
NAADAM FESTIVAL
Naadam is Mongolia's most famous festival that is celebrated in July every year. It involves three sports: wrestling, archery and horseracing. Naadam originated from the nomadic culture of the Mongols where traditional music, poetry, handicrafts and food are put on display. Naadam brings all people together in connection to nature as the celebration takes place outdoors.
Travelers from our program will experience Naadam Festival in Sagsai over a period of two days. On the first day, we will watch the wrestling and archery competitions and enjoy the festivities in the center of Sagsai. On the second day, we will drive a few kilometers outside of the village center to watch the horse racing and the rest of the celebration.
watch our nomadic culture virtual meet with the nomads to learn about eagle hunting, local handicrafts and nomadic cuisine.
travel logistics
VISA
You will be responsible for securing your travel visa. Check with the Mongolian embassy in your home country regarding current visa requirements. Please keep in mind that you will need to register your name and information with the Mongolian immigration office within 7 days of your arrival since you are staying in Mongolia for more than 30 days. Our Leadership Team can assist you with this process at the immigration office in Ulgii.
COVID-19 HEALTH PROTOCOLS
To ensure the safety of everyone, we require all our teachers and participants to have completed the vaccination regimen against Covid-19 before arriving in Mongolia. While the entry requirements for Mongolia are still currently evolving, there's a lesser chance for you to undergo quarantine or experience any issues within the country if you have proof of vaccination. Do keep in mind that most adults in Sagsai and children over the age of 12 have been vaccinated against Covid-19 (as required by the government).
We recommend that you regularly check the entry requirements for Mongolia, especially as you get closer to your travel date. We recommend the following websites & news platforms for the latest information on entry requirements and COVID-19: U.S. Embassy in Mongolia, U.S. State Department & Montsame News Agency.
Once on the ground, our camp will follow and enforce government-mandated COVID-19 health protocols which may include the use of masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing and/or conducting classes outdoors. We will be monitoring the situation closely on the ground and advise you accordingly to ensure that we can safely run Khusvegi camp without risking the health of the community members.
TRAVEL, MEDICAL & EVACUATION INSURANCE
We require every teacher-participant to have travel, medical and emergency evacuation insurance for the entire duration of your participation at our camp. Please keep in mind that many of our activities involve the outdoors in an area that is still quite remote. Hence, having insurance is a good investment in case of emergencies. We recommend Global Rescue as they focus on adventure type of travels. However, you are welcome to purchase insurance from the company of your choosing. We request that you provide as with proof of insurance by the time you send us your final trip payment.
MONEY
We recommend bringing some U.S. dollars/Euros with you which you can exchange at a bank in Ulaanbaatar before coming to Ulgii as there are more options for money exchange services in the capital city. In addition, using ATM cards is the best way of getting cash in local currency from the banks in Ulgii. Make sure to notify the bank from your home country about your travel in Mongolia so you can withdraw money in Mongolia without a problem. Major credit cards with VISA or Mastercard logos are also accepted everywhere in Ulaanbaatar, as well as, at some hotels and grocery stores in Ulgii.
PACKING LIST
See the packing list here.
POWER PLUGS & SOCKETS
Make sure you are aware of the types of power plugs that are in use in Mongolia and bring the necessary adaptor for your electronics. See details on Mongolia's power plugs and sockets here.
TRAVELER GUIDELINES
Khusvegi Camp prioritizes the experiences of both travelers and the locals equally. We make it our commitment to create a tourism initiative that fosters a group of travelers that is mindful and respectful of all community members. Hence, we expect our participants to conduct themselves in a humble, responsible and ethical manner as "guests" of the eagle hunting community of Sagsai. Read our Transformational & Responsible Traveler Guidelines below.
TRANSFORMATIONAL & RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL GUIDELINES
- Be respectful of the community and its members. You will be living in a nomadic family's home. Treat it with respect as you would want strangers to treat your house back home. Be mindful of the difference in attitudes and world views that you may encounter with the locals. Be curious but also be respectful always.
- Refrain from imposing your own beliefs and world viewpoints. This can come across as arrogant and offensive to the locals when their culture differs significantly from yours. It's perfectly fine to share details about your life, culture and traditions but do it without forcing them on others.
- Practice good listening. Listening can do wonders. It can gift you with the space needed for you to grow immensely from the knowledge and experiences of the nomads.
- Keep an open mind and heart. You may find your new living environment a challenge at times or you may feel overwhelmed by the raw experiences you'll encounter from interacting with the locals and being in nature. Go with the flow without judgment. Welcome to your transformational journey!
- Be willing to share as much as the locals do when it comes to knowledge, life skills, and culture that can enrich their lives. The locals appreciate the cultural exchange with their foreign guests. They are adding to your life by opening up their entire community. So, equally, you can be mindful of what you are adding to theirs.
- Be present in the moment. When you commit to our program, we expect you to be 100% present with us on this journey. To achieve a transformational travel experience with us, we require that you leave your work, worries and other commitments back home.
- When in doubt, don't assume. Ask or talk to your Camp Manager, Accommodation Host or Leadership Team.
- Practice gratitude each day. We do. And, so should you.
- If you are planning to give gifts to the children, we recommend items that they can use in their school or at Khusvegi summer camp. As we want to discourage the children from developing the habit of "begging" or expecting things or money from tourists, please consult with us first before deciding on bringing gifts. We highly discourage giving the locals (both adults and children) money or any promise of financial support. It's more beneficial that you support the operations and programming of Khusvegi Camp by offering to support some of our initiatives such as donating books or teaching materials, purchasing computers for our English classrooms and creating the Eagle Hunting & Nomadic Culture Museum & Library.
- When taking pictures of the locals, make sure to ask for permission first. Please refrain from using the photos in a manner that will exploit, rather than elevate, the community.
Please also read our Guide on how to be an Equity-Focused Traveler. By joining our program, you are agreeing to abide by and follow our Transformational & Responsible Traveler Guidelines and Equity Traveler Guide.
CHILD SAFETY POLICY
Due to the almost daily interactions that our teachers/participants will have with children at our camp, we take the safety and well-being of the children seriously. We are committed in ensuring the safety and well-being of children in Sagsai. As part of our measures to ensure child safety, we educate the parents of our students about the safety guidelines involving our teachers/participants. At the Teacher Orientation, we will be discussing our child safety policy in detail with our group of teachers/participants.
By joining our program, you agree and commit to ensure the safety of our students and follow the Traveler Guidelines on Child Safety. Although the measures are deemed as guidelines, violation of any of these protocols may lead, but is not limited, to a determination of your continued participation in the Khusvegi program, to be decided upon by our Leadership Team in partnership with the local Department of Child and Family Services.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Every participant shall be required to sign the Terms & Conditions form. You can find the form here.
LIABILITY WAIVER
Every participant shall be required to complete a Liability Waiver form. You can find the form here.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
The Khusvegi Camp will have a first-aid kit available in case of any minor medical issues. For anything major, your first point of contact is the Camp Manager and the Accommodation Host. We also require you to provide us with your emergency contact information before the commencement of the program.
be a nomad. celebrate life.
DP: T. Sanat / Producer: M. de Jesus (Brown Gal Trekker/Equity Global Treks)