The swallows in Denmark

The Swallows is a Danish humanitarian organization based on voluntary work. The funds collected by the organization are donated to support local grass-roots movements in Bangladesh and Tamil Nadu, South India. The Swallows is a self-supporting, politically and religiously independent organization.

Our purpose:

To support the development of popular movements among the landless, women, tribal people, and other poor people through organization.

To give outcasts and oppressed people in the third world empowerment to be able to fight their way out of poverty.

To inform people in Denmark about the complexity of problems related to the development through different information activities. The purpose of these activities is to increase understanding of the industrialized countries’ responsibilities for poverty in the world at a popular level as well as at state level.

The Swallows was founded in Denmark in 1963 and is based on voluntary work. The volunteers procure funds through sale of second-hand goods in shops and at flea markets, as well as by sale of Fair Trade products. These activities finance most of the work carried out by the Swallows. In addition, we receive money through member subscriptions, foundations, contributions and legacies.

Our fundamental principle is to help people to help themselves. We believe in focusing on the local resources and regard our partners as our equals. Our main force is that the organizational structure of the Swallows is flat, which means that we work directly people to people. Furthermore, the Swallows employ only one paid co-ordinator. Otherwise we consist of volunteers and thus are very dedicated people of all ages, ranging from 18 to 85 years of age. In Denmark The Swallows has about 300 members and volunteers of whom about 100 are active.