For
almost forty years, since it was built and given to Norwegian
Red Cross by the Crown Prince Harald of Norway (now King of
Norway), children and adults with different needs have spent
their holidays in Haraldvigen, in the southern part of Norway.
For the past five years, the Red Cross branch of Vest Agder
has arranged week-long stays for children who would not otherwise
get a vacation.
Even though it’s autumn when we are visiting Haraldvigen,
it is sunny and warm outside, the sky and the sea are perfectly
blue. Fifty children from 8 to 12 years-old, who are spending
their autumn school holidays here, are out practicing their
fishing and sailing skills with young Red Cross volunteers.
Seven or eight small boats are on the sea, and happy noises
can be heard from the children onboard. I am astonished how
brave they are, as I would not dare!
"The clue is to be able ‘to catch the wind’.
That is what we teach the children. Once you can do that, it
is easy to sail these boats," explains Øystein Hærås,
the leader of Haraldvigen.
We take a walk around the area. Everything here seems to be
made for children: the classroom has an aquarium with fish caught
in the sea, there is fishing equipment and a big list of the
most frequently caught fish, the dining hall is full of light
and flowers, and the small café has a dance floor and
game-board tables. Smiling teachers and kitchen staff complete
the happy picture.
"Everything you see is for all the children: children with
special needs, children coming from socially insecure families.
The idea behind this place is to make holidays for all,"
Øystein says proudly.
All the children get to rest here, and they also have lots of
fun. In addition they of course have some responsibilities:
we are shown the duty list, clearly displaying who are to clean
the bedrooms, help in the kitchen, and … prepare weather
forecast!
On the shore we can feel the wave of excitement from the happy
youngsters emptying their fishing nets into buckets of sea water,
boasting to the volunteers of their rich catch, including shrimps
and star fish.
"Look what I have got! It is eating fish!" 8 year
old Christopher, beaming of excitement, points to the crab which
is holding firmly its ‘dinner’ - a small fish.
"You can swim now if you want," announces one of the
volunteers as she approaches to the group of amazed children
watching the crab finishing its ‘dinner’. I turn
to her to ask some questions, but she is already hurrying to
her motor boat to go after one of the children who seems to
have had some problems ‘catching the wind properly’…
Even though it’s quite cold, some of the children, obviously
the boldest ones, run to their rooms to get changed into bathing
suits: it is vacation, isn’t it!?!
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children spent their autmn holidays on the southern coast
of Norway, fishing, sailing and even swimming!.
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Look, a starfish!
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| Haraldvigen,
a Norwegian Red Cross center donated by Crown Prince Harald
(current King) of Norway 40 years ago proudly flies the
Red Cross flags together with the flag of Norway. |
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