Young participants traveled from the USA, UAE, Türkiye, Poland, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, and China to explore their roots and immerse themselves in Kazakh culture and language. Some flew over 10,000 kilometers to be part of the experience.
“This place is beautiful, the nature is clean, and everyone is kind,” said Nurbanu Serik from Poland. Another camper, Aliburak Kuatbek, added: “I want to deepen my knowledge of Kazakh. It’s important because all my ancestors spoke it.”
Since its launch in 2019, the camp has hosted nearly 700 youth from 13 countries. According to organizers from the Otandastar Foundation, the program encourages teamwork, cultural learning, and friendly competition between teams from different countries.
Some participants have even moved to Kazakhstan permanently or chosen to pursue higher education there. “Though born elsewhere, they proudly identify as Kazakh and that’s truly heartening,” said teacher Zhaniya Ismagambetova.
