Mission Manduhai 2023 Report

The 2023 Mission Manduhai trip took place from August 14 - September 3, and performed in the region between Ulaanbaatar and Darkhan. There were 12 members in the group; 5 American performers, 4 Mongolian performers, 2 drivers, and one representative from the National Center Against Violence.

The first performance was a street performance in UB in front of a major department store. Half of the group performed, while the other half gave out flyers. Also in UB was a visit to the National Center Against Violence, where we donated gifts to the children and performed. MM also donated the money to sustain the MM hotline.

The group continued the tour the following day, and we reached 13 remote villages and were able to hand out all 5,250 flyers we had printed. Most of the performances were outdoors in the village centers. The shows were so well attended that people were fighting to get the flyers, because we didn’t have enough for everybody. We will have to print more next year.

It was a very fun and successful trip.

In August of 2023 I had the opportunity to travel to Mongolia with Mission Manduhai. Although this was my second trip to Mongolia, it was the trip of a lifetime! Visiting with the National Center Against Violence and traveling with their representatives was an incredible way to see how our mission supports the work currently being done in Mongolia to eliminate domestic violence. Traveling the countryside, performing with Mongolian acrobats, and being welcomed into people's homes were all amazing ways to experience a different culture. I am always awed by Chimgee’s passion and commitment to this mission. Having experienced domestic violence herself, she is incredibly dedicated to educating women about their rights to services to protect them against violence and distributed educational materials every chance she got. Chimgee’s incredible leadership skills and dedication will continue this effort to end domestic violence against women. I am so honored to have contributed to Mission Manduhai’s vital work and hope to go on another mission in the future!

Jenna Ober

Student Quotes

Cami: "I’ve never been to another country before, so this opportunity was amazing for me. Not only do I get the opportunity to learn about a new culture and country, I also get to spread awareness around a very prevalent issue. This experience has been so eye opening and inspiring"

Jenna: “This is such a unique way to be immersed in a different culture, and we are so lucky to be part of this experience. Not only are we spreading awareness and resources for domestic abuse, but we are being welcomed into peoples homes and learning about the culture first hand."

Olivia: “Performing in Mongolia has been one of the most beautiful and rewarding things I’ve ever done. I am so thankful to able to have this wonderful and immersive experience with other passionate circus performers."

Vincent: “I’m having a great time! Never has performing felt so rewarding. The fact that I went from just messing around with clubs and juggling balls to doing something that actually helps others is a humbling experience. The amount of people coming up to grab pamphlets was INSANE! Also, being surrounded by mountains all the time is a treat after living around flat plains for 20 years. Everyone I have talked to about this trip has called it the adventure of a lifetime, but I hope it's not the last time in my life I visit Mongolia! Would love to experience the rest of what this beautiful place has to offer ”

Mission Manduhai 2020-2022 Report

Mission Manduhai was not able to travel to Mongolia during 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions, but we were able to continue to fund the Mission Manduhai Hotline. In 2022, we had to scale down our travel plans due to continuing Covid worries combined with the war in Ukraine. MM was unable to bring students from Circus Juventas, so Chimgee traveled to Mongolia for three weeks.

Three Mongolian circus performers from Circus Pyramid were hired to perform with Chimgee. Funding for the Mission Manduhai Hotline was hand delivered to the NCAV, and MM performed at a NCAV shelter for the women and children. There were noticeably more teenage girls who had been abused than previous visits; a disturbing trend.

Performances took place in Ulaanbaatar and Darkhan, and flyers were handed out.