As the patron of DanChurchAid, the princess has been in Myanmar to focus on the fight against poverty. The Princess visited a number of villages along Inle Lake and projects which support the local population.

“It was very uplifting to see how simple tools can help create better conditions for poor and vulnerable families. Among other things, they learn to raise new crops so that they are not dependent upon only one or a few types. That ensures a more stable harvest and at the same time provides a more varied diet, which minimizes malnourishment. It touched me deeply to feel the population’s pride in the progress they themselves have helped to create,” says Princess Marie.

During the trip, the Princess visited small villages by Inle Lake, which is situated in the central part of the country. Here, there were visits in a village which had never gotten assistance before and in a village which has been a part of DanChurchAid’s projects for one-and-a-half years.

On average, a village receives support for three years, and the inhabitants work jointly with DanChurchAid to create a sustainable form of development with the objective of ensuring better living conditions for the village residents.

The inhabitants learn to organize themselves in loan-savings groups through which they, in turn, can lend for somewhat larger investments such as a sewing machine or a goat, which among other things provides families the opportunity to earn their own money and thus feed themselves.

DanChurchAid has worked in Myanmar since 2010, and the same year Princess Marie became its patron. The majority of DanChurchAid’s projects in Myanmar deal with food security and rights.