Mary in northern Uganda

Photo © Tariq Mikkel Khan/POLFOTO/DR.dk

Crown Princess Mary has praised Uganda for their efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS during her six day visit to support projects which have been established to help people stricken with the disease. A Danish TV2 crew is following the princess on her trip in advance of the Danish Refugee Council's annual national appeal in Denmark in November.
Speaking during her visit to the AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in Mulago yesterday, Mary said: "I am greatly impressed with what you are doing to help the people living with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, I am just on a short visit. I would have loved to stay much longer to share more."
The princess hugged and kissed two young girls suffering from HIV and listened to their tragic stories. She was joined by the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, Nathalia Feinberg, and the deputy head of mission Henrik Larsen.
Robert Ochai, executive director of the organisation, said: "The visit should awaken international attention to the HIV/AIDS situation in Uganda." The charity receives around $1m from Denmark every day, which helps to support the children at the children's home who are orphaned because of war or disease.
In northern Uganda Mary talked with the children at the Redeemer Children's Home on Tuesday where children from both Uganda and the Sudan live. Some of the children from Uganda were forced to be soldiers in the LRA rebel army. The children are orphaned because their parents were killed during the civil war in southern Sudan, or because their parents succumbed to disease.
Mary visited the Lama Refugee Settlement and was welcomed warmly, literally too, since it was very hot. Here Mary got an insight into village life and resettlement of refugees and the crops they are cultivating. While visiting refugees in Lama near Moyo in northern Uganda she met with Esther Meling and her family. She even met Esther's goats and Esther showed Mary the grinding stones she uses to grind corn. In the visit to the Redeemer Children's Home which is run by nuns, Mary was very much affected when the children sang songs of their experience for her.



Photos © Tariq Mikkel Khan/Scanpix/POLFOTO/DR.dk/B.T./Fyens Stiftstidende

New Vision Online Danish Crown Princess visits Uganda
Tuesday, 30th September, 2008 | By Jean-Marie Nsambu
The Danish crown Princess, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, has praised Uganda's fight against HIV/AIDS.
The 36-year-old Princess is in Uganda to see projects supported by the government of Denmark.
She arrived in the country on Saturday, accompanied by a Danish television crew.
Princess Mary, who is expected to visit northern Uganda during her six-day stay, visited The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in Mulago yesterday.
"I am greatly impressed with what you are doing to help the people living with HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, am just on a short visit. I would have loved to stay much longer to share more," she said.
The Princess listened to testimonies of some of the TASO clients, who volunteered their life stories on how they were infected and how they are coping with the disease.
Flanked by the Danish ambassador, Nathalia Feinberg, and the deputy head of mission, Henrik Larsen, the Princess held two girls living with HIV at a press conference.
She hugged and [kissed] the young TASO clients before leaving.
Robert Ochai, the executive director of TASO, said: "The visit would awaken international attention to the HIV/AIDS situation in Uganda."
He said the non-governmental organisation received about $1m (about sh1.6b) annually, from Denmark.
Princess Mary, who is also the patron of the Danish Refugee Council, is expected to visit Moyo and Gulu districts, before returning home on October 2.
Denmark is one of the leading donors to the refugee activities in Uganda.
Feinberg said since HIV/AIDS was a component of the Danish funded programmes, the Princess was delighted to visit TASO.
All Africa.com Uganda: Danish Crown Princess Visits Country (same as above)

Jyllands Posten 'Mary møder fhv. børnesoldater i Uganda' | Mary meets retired child soldiers in Uganda | 30.09.08
It became a very powerful and painful experience for Crown Princess Mary when she visited the children's home "Redeemer Children's Orphanage" in Moyo in the north of Uganda today.
The children's home now houses 79 traumatized children, 45 from the Sudan and 34 from Uganda.
Most of the children are orphaned because their parents were killed during the civil war in southern Sudan, or because their parents succumbed to disease.
Others were again killed by the Ugandan rebel movement Herrens Modstandshær (LRA), which has been active in North Uganda since 1991 until recently.
During this time the LRA carried off thousands of children to train some to be soldiers or for many of the girls, to use them as sex slaves and to make food.
In connection with the visit performed the children, of which many oneself have been at LRA's mercy, songs and dances for the crown princess.
But the message in the songs they sang for Mary was painful.
The children's home is run by nuns and is supported by Dansk Flygtningehjælp/Danish Refugee Council, for which the Crown Princess is the patron./Ritzau/

Jyllands Posten 'Hiv-smittede børn slog ring om Mary'
HIV-infected children cast a ring around Mary | 29.09.08
Fyens Stifstidende 'Mary kunne ikke holde tårerne tilbage' | Mary couldn't hold the tears back

Hello! magazine 'Cuddles for mum Princess Mary as she pays goodwill visit to Uganda'

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