– Life could not get better. The kids have a great time and I have a great time. I see no reason to move back. This is my home, says Alberta Lartey. The 32-year-old admits that the choice she has made is not an everyday one. – I surprised many when I moved here. And there are still many people in Oslo who don’t understand what I do here, says Alberta and laughs heartily. Alberta started as a cleaner in Høtten nursery school before she was encouraged to train in the nursery profession. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news In 2016 she moved from Groruddalen in Oslo to Havøysund in Måsøy municipality in Finnmark. A small coastal community with 1,100 inhabitants. 1,900 kilometers from the capital. – I wanted my children to grow up in a safe place. I myself grew up in Grorud. It’s nice there, but I couldn’t be out there after nine o’clock in the evening. Anything could happen, she says. With this in mind, Alberta decided she wanted to give her children a different kind of upbringing. She started to think of places to move to, when she got a tip from an aunt about Finnmark. Before anyone in the family could sigh, Alberta and her young children were on the plane to Alta. Here it was on by bus to Havøysund, where she had got a job as a washer in the village’s kindergarten. – Where is the taxi centre? In many Finnmark municipalities, the need for labor is great, and Måsøy is no exception. Havøysund is three hours by car from Finnmark’s largest city, Alta. To get there you have to pass two weather-exposed mountain passes. The journey continues along county road 889 between Kokelv and Havøysund. A beautiful stretch of road which in 2012 gained status as a national tourist route. Havøysund in Finnmark is located at 71 degrees north and is an important fishing municipality. Photo: Kai Erik Bull / news Along the way you have the desolate Arctic Ocean on one side, and a rugged cliff landscape on the other. The terminus is at 71 degrees north. – When I got off the bus, I wondered where the taxi center was. I was told there was only one taxi out here, chuckles Alberta. That she was far away from the big city was further confirmed when she had to take a walk in her new home. – I remember seeing small children who were outside playing all by themselves. I just thought: Huh? Is that possible, she says. Alberta Lartey and her daughter Diana have finished kindergarten for the day. They have lived in Havøysund since 2016. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news At the nursery, the staff quickly discovered that the new cleaner had a unique team of children. – She saw the children. She looked after the children and single children. We saw that she was a good person, says director of Høtten nursery school, Helene Seppola. Helene Seppola is the director of Høtten kindergarten in Havøysund. Seppola praises Alberta to the skies and is very happy that they have gained a permanent employee with education. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news The staff encouraged Alberta to start as a substitute in the nursery and further to train as a child and youth worker. Alberta didn’t let herself be asked twice. But she wanted more. Alta got too big After taking a vocational certificate, she applied for pre-school teacher training in 2019. This meant that she had to take the children with her to Alta, while she was studying. Now maybe the risk was great that Alberta and the children would stay in Alta, which is a town with 20,000 inhabitants? Bigger than Havøysund, but much smaller than Oslo. But no, then. – The security they felt here was not the same in the “big city” Alta. So it did my mother’s heart good to see how happy they were when I told them we were moving back to Havøysund after our studies, says Alberta. 11-year-old Kiandra thrives in Havøysund. Here she relaxes in the town square after school. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news And Alberta didn’t come home empty-handed either. While she was in Alta, she was contacted by an old flame on Facebook. Essien Etokebe. He lived in Drammen, where he worked in the health service. When Etokebe realized that there was life in old embers, he got on the first flight north. – You have to open your arms to love, otherwise it passes you by, says the 37-year-old with a big smile. Essien Etokebe has found happiness in Havøysund together with mother of three Alberta. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news Now he has a full-time job at the health center in Havøysund municipality. – I really enjoy living in the village. There are great people and great nature here. And I have experienced much more here than I had thought, he says. – I think this will be my last stop. – A different type of life Marit Mellingen, director of the District Centre, says that several local communities have qualities that many find attractive. – Then it’s about showing off the positive things and making people aware of a different kind of life, she says. Marit Mellingen is director of the District Centre. Photo: Sondre Dalaker / news At the same time, Mellingen points out that this life is not for everyone. – Many people value urban life very much and then it may not be right to live in the district, but for many more than we think, there are qualities in the districts that can suit our needs, she says. Mellingen believes the history of Alberta shows that Måsøy municipality must have done a lot right. – Surrounding new immigrants, so that they feel included and welcome, increases the chances that they will stay, she says. Mellingen says that those who apply to the districts first of all need a job and a place to live. The emphasis is then on good municipal services, such as a good school and a good nursery school. – The last and perhaps most important dimension is that you feel well received, make local friends and that there are leisure facilities for both children and adults, says Mellingen. Housing an obstacle The director believes politicians should be aware of how important it is to have enough and varied housing available. – The municipality should have its hand on the steering wheel in housing policy and help take risks, so that developers dare to develop rental housing. The lack of housing is surprisingly a bigger obstacle in the rural areas than one would think, says Mellingen. Mayor of Måsøy, Bernth Sjursen (Ap) confirms that housing is a challenge in the fishing municipality he governs. – To put it simply, we have a strong focus on this, but it is financially challenging to build in the districts. The banks are not risk-averse, and then we have to look at public measures, says Sjursen. Mayor of Måsøy municipality, Bernth Sjursen, has many thoughts about how Måsøy should be the best possible society. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news He says that the municipality is included in the Urban Growth Agreement from the Ministry of Local Government and District Affairs, where they look at various measures. Among other things with Husbanken. Working digitally from the village The mayor is happy about the story of Alberta Lartey and says that nothing is better than people coming – and choosing to stay. He believes the village has survived because of the many fish farms. At the same time, one can think more broadly. – There is nothing to prevent people from working digitally from small communities. It is then important that broadband and shared offices are arranged for them, he says. Sjursen believes there is a lot of hidden expertise both among refugees and seasonal workers. – We just have to get it mapped. I’m sure it’s both engineers and everything that works in the fishing industry. Yesterday we got a fantastic trumpet player in the choir. He has worked at the fish farm since January, says the mayor. – No worries For Alberta Lartey, there is no other place on earth she would rather be than in Havøysund. Here she has found her safe paradise for herself and the children. – I have no worries. If the children are out playing, I don’t have to call and ask where they are. I know where they are. And if I don’t know, I can just ask on the “Opslagstavla Havøysund” on Facebook. – Everyone here follows along, Alberta says with a laugh. Alberta Lartey and her daughter Kiandra appreciate the small conditions in Havøysund. – This is home, they say. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news Could you imagine moving to a smaller place? Yes No Maybe Show result
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Single mother Alberta moved from the stress of Oslo to the tranquility of Finnmark – news Troms and Finnmark
