Crown Princess Mary's Visit to East Africa; August 26th-28th, 2011

[chelly]

But why her and not Frederick or his brother. I am not even going to try to spell that name. Not that I don't think she would do a good job.

[Madame Royale]

Well, why not Mary? :)

[ricarda]

Yes, why not Mary?
She is patron of the Danish Refugee Council and the United Nations Population Fund. And has a close connection with Save the Children DK.

DRC and Save the Children (among others) are heavily involved with the "Africa Now" fundraising appeal in DK.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by ricarda

Yes, why not Mary?
She is patron of the Danish Refugee Council and the United Nations Population Fund. And has a close connection with Save the Children DK.

DRC and Save the Children (among others) are heavily involved with the "Africa Now" fundraising appeal in DK.

And DRC is also heavily involved with the aid work in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. It's one of the largest international NGOs in the area.

And the Minister of development asked Mary, not Frederik or Joachim...

[Duke of Marmalade]

Mary gets maximal coverage to this cause. And this is Mary's - or any other royal's only task in such cases - draw attention to something. I think Mary was chosen for both reasons though, because of the media coverage and because of the patronage.

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by chelly

But why her and not Frederick or his brother. I am not even going to try to spell that name. Not that I don't think she would do a good job.

Because the Crown Prince is regent till August 31.

[iceflower]

___________________


Here's a video of Crown Princess Mary in Dadaab:


** bt.dk: Mary i flygtningelejr: Det nytter ikke jeg star og graeder **


And a large picture gallery from sn.dk!


** sn.dk: Mary på Afrikas Horn *

[dbarn67]

Mary in Somalia.


http://i51.tinypic.com/2rn95xd.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/6ftnrc.jpg

more

http://i54.tinypic.com/2mr709f.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/rgxqmp.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/al2ka9.jpg

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by iceflower

___________________


Here's a video of Crown Princess Mary in Somalia:


** bt.dk: Mary i flygtningelejr: Det nytter ikke jeg star og graeder **

A little gem.
Mary has a very distinct accent but as usual she is easy to understand and she is very careful about expressing herself as accuratly as possible.

This translation is as close to Mary's speech pattern in this clip as I can do it.
Q: How have you experienced you visit here to the largest refugee camp in the world?
M: "It has been a..... harsh/tough experience. Eeh, and at the same time...an experience with hope. Because you should keep in mind that those who made it to the camp, recieve the help they need. And you cannot help thinking about those who didn't make it here, - are doing. They are probably much worse off. Eeh, but you can tell it's a very efficient way the refugees are recieved. How quickly they are going through the sluise (going through the transition phase - going through the airlock is also a direct translation) and placed where they can set up camp. They are innoculated against polio, measels. Those who are in a really bad shape, they go to the clinic we also visited (for) the severely malnutritioned children, (and suffering from) illnesses as a result of that. Or other deseases that arise (from that)".

Q: Yes, it was presumably in particular difficult to see the malnutritioned children?
M: "Yes, of course it is. I mean naturally. (*) Eeh.... It's something one is not used to. It's something I've thought/contemplated a lot about before going down here. How I would react, when that filter we have at home has been removed. Eeh... And I think I'll react to this for a long time".

Q: You don't quite think the reaction has kicked in yet?
M: "No, it hasn't. Because, because when you stand there you should keep in mind that these people have been through a lot of dreadful things and (they) have really had a hard time and it's no use that I stand there and cry for/because of their fate. Eeh, but instead that we hear about their stories and that we wish them well in the future so that there in their eyes may be hope for the future. A hope that is lit there".

(*) Mary is somewhat needlessly correcting herself here, because that particular phrase can be interpreted as a bit hard, like so: "Of course it is! Hello, Earth calling"! - But you really have to be looking for an excuse to be offended to take offence of that.

ADDED: A transcript from Billed Bladet of parts of the interview: http://www.billedbladet.dk/Kongelige...%20Afrika.aspx

[Daria_S]

Originally Posted by Muhler

A little gem.
Mary has a very distinct accent but as usual she is easy to understand and she is very careful about expressing herself as accuratly as possible.

Thank you Muhler for the translation . I'm sure the visit is appreciated by those that are going through these hardships. It's nice to see that she's genuinely concerned for what is going on in that part of the world.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by iceflower

___________________
And a large picture gallery from sn.dk!
** sn.dk: Mary på Afrikas Horn *

Thank you, Iceflower.

I can't recall having seen so heavy a security presence around Mary since Afghanistan.
In the refugee camp they are standing around her like flies!
And they are FET, at least one is packing heavy gear.

They are standing further back at the NGO project, or whatever it was Mary and the minister was visiting.

You are welcome, Daria S

[CrownPrincess5]

I'm so proud of Mary.
This is what royals should be doing.

Thanks for the translation Muhler!

[Muhler]

You are welcome, CrownPrincess5 and I agree with you.

Here is the clip from the TV2 news at 19.00: Mary i Kenya: Hbets lys er slukket - TV 2 Nyhederne

Mary has here just visited the clinic in the refugee camp and afterwards she said to the camera: "It's difficult to see small children, who have been through so much with their families and who hasn't got the strength to look them (the mother/parents) in the eyes. It's like the light of hope has been extinguished".

Among the children she met was Ali, about him she said: "Poor Ali, he has been sick for an extended period. He is suffering from illnesses as a consequence (of starvation), which means that he is in the condition he is today".

A fairly long and somewhat emotional interview with Mary, aired live during the fundraising show Saturday evening.
Here from inside Ethiopia.
Dybt berrt Mary i indsamlingsshow - TV 2 Nyhederne

And a brief interview from BT, where Minister for Development, Søren Pind, commends Mary for her (communications) talent and he is confident that her profile in the public will surely ensure more attention and donations. And he states that Mary is an excellent ambassador.
- BT TV - BT.dk

[princess gertrude]

Originally Posted by CrownPrincess5

I'm so proud of Mary.
This is what royals should be doing.

Thanks for the translation Muhler!

For me personally, Mary has gone from "pretty Princess" to "concerned" Crown Princess on this trip and it's a welcome sight for me. I have always wanted to see her do something like this type of trip, I guess you could say, have a passion for something real outside of Denmark. Good job, hopefully her presence will bring some needed relief efforts to this part of the world.

[Lady Rosie]

Thank you all for the video and photos. Good on Mary for using her position to shine a light on a terrible situation.

Hope the ankle recovery is swift and complete Muhler.

[Madame Royale]

Originally Posted by princess gertrude

For me personally, Mary has gone from "pretty Princess" to "concerned" Crown Princess on this trip and it's a welcome sight for me. I have always wanted to see her do something like this type of trip...

Mary visited Uganda from the 28th September to the 4th October in 2008, in her capacity as patroness of the Danish Refugee Council.

This type of visit, isn't a first for the Crown Princess.

[Duke of Marmalade]

After watching the video and the impression from Uganda, I dont think that Mary is a "natural" when it comes to being confronted with tragedy or very different ethnics/cultures from what western people are used to. She seems rather reserved and with a more reserved body language, nevertheless its genuine and reflects the kind of person I believe is. I think Mary did a very good job promoting the cause not in an over-dramatic way, still touched by what she has seen but rather pragmatic.

I am glad she is not trying - and failing - to be another Diana or Angelina Jolie, who had or have the talent to embrace the situation as true "humanists" (very effective on camera but authentic, its a special gift only very few posess).

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Lady Rosie

Thank you all for the video and photos. Good on Mary for using her position to shine a light on a terrible situation.

Hope the ankle recovery is swift and complete Muhler.

Thank you, but it's actually UserDane who broke her ankle.
I'm the one with the father-in-law.

Originally Posted by Muhler

A fairly long and somewhat emotional interview with Mary, aired live during the fundraising show Saturday evening.
Here from inside Ethiopia.
Dybt berrt Mary i indsamlingsshow - TV 2 Nyhederne

This is what Mary said during the live interview. I've decided to post this seperately, partly because I think it's important, and in particular because it's important in the eyes of Mary.
Notice by the way that she smiled faintly during the early clips. As I see it, it's a mental shield. If she didn't smile, she would cry.

Q: Your Royal Highness what impression did you get from being in the Dadaab refugee camp?
M: "It gave me a much better understanding for the terrible humanitarian disaster taking place at the Horn of Africa. And standing in the world's largest refugee camp, to where 1.500 refugees arrive a day, (*) was a tough and unreal experience. But it was obvious to me that aide is getting through and that the humanitarion organisations working there, make a big difference. Our help is... it saves lives. And you cannot help thinking that those who made it there are the lucky ones".

Q: One can tell from the pictures, Your Royal Highness, that it moves you a lot. Your are seen holding the hands of little children. You yourself have four children, how does it affect you to sit with these little suffering children?
M: "Before the journey I thought a lot how it would be to stand with very malnutritioned children, without the filter that we have at home. And with filter I mean, what we see on the news, in the papers and on the net. It's terrible to see these pictures, but it's even more terrible to be with those people who are affected. Eeh... as a mother, father, young woman or old man it affects all of us deeply. But I wasn't thinking about my children when I was there, because it was those I was with at that time that mattered".

Q: As a member of DRF, you get a lot of offers from charity organisations to help, what made the Crown Princess decide to go to east Africa right now?
M: "Because it's important, it's important that we maintain focus on the humanitarian disaster, that we continue to help and that we dedicate ourselves. Not just now, by buying supplies, but also on a long term basis. Also on a long term basis, because only then can we help the peoples to be more prepared against such a disaster (**) happening again and again".

Q: Finally I would like to know how you look at the difference between the condition where your are, with plight, suffering, hunger and death and how we are here at home?
M: "It's indescribable. You cannot compare that in any way".

Q: Thank you for taking part here tonight from east Africa, Your Royal Highness, Crown Princess Mary.

(*) They are litterally pouring across the border from Somalia, in particularly from the area controlled by the extremist Islamic government, which refuse to allow relief organisations access. They cannot go to Ethiopia, because that area is desert.
And you know the really horrible thing? In about three years time they'll starve again. The distaster is ecological, as well as climatic but first and foremost it's caused by humans.
It doesn't help that the local rulers believe that cannons and tanks are much better than schools, infrastructure and new acricultural methods.

(**) I'm making what she said more clear, as Mary is obviously tired and affected and that means her accent is very distinct indeed and she makes basic grammatical mistakes.

- From a personal point of view, this also means something special to me. I was a UN peacekeeper in the mid 90's and as a medic I sometimes went to interrim refugee camps, because there were hardly any local doctors or nurses left, they had either fled or been conscripted to the armies.
Some of the things there affect me to this day and Mary will have flashbacks too. I'm actually a little concerned for her, because in contrast to us and present day relief workes she's hardly prepared. She will hardly know how to deal with her reactions. She will have problems with some of her reactions. I doubt she has been told that abnormal reactions are actually normal.

[marfre]

Thanks Muhler, your translations are much appreciated.

Mary is one gutsy and brave lady, there is not many that would put their hand up to make this trip.

Muhler, Can you please let us know if the the appeal was as successful as they wished.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by marfre

Thanks Muhler, your translations are much appreciated.

Mary is one gutsy and brave lady, there is not many that would put their hand up to make this trip.

Muhler, Can you please let us know if the the appeal was as successful as they wished.

You are welcome.

Actually I didn't watch the show.
110 million DKK were raised and I don't know how much the organisers hoped for, but the two main hosts (seen in the interview) promised to jump in the harbour if the amount exceeded 50 and 60 million DKK respectively. They did. - So I guess the final result was pretty satisfactory.