Small town - "Big enough for us, safe for our little daughter"

The Elmqvist-Uwumuhoza family moved from Sweden to Flekkefjord at the end of September 2024 and have already settled in well at the start of 2025. Both the town and its inhabitants have made a very positive impression, and they feel very welcome in their new home on beautiful Drangeid.

Family life and well-being

The family consists of Stefan Elmquist, his wife Marie-Hyacinthe Uwumuhoza, and their two-year-old daughter. Marie-Hyacinthe is currently focusing on learning Norwegian while looking for job opportunities, while their daughter is thriving in kindergarten. Flekkefjord offers the family a good balance between work and leisure, and they appreciate the security and proximity of the small town. "Most things are close by here. Drangeid is also home to many families with children of the same age.

The municipality played an important role in making the transition smooth for the family by showing them around several childcare centres. This made it easier to make a choice, and the family quickly found a place for their daughter, which they see as a very good start. They felt well looked after.

Exciting career path

Stefan Elmquist, a specialist in internal medicine, has an extensive career behind him. After studying medicine in Sweden and specialising in Bergen, he worked as a senior consultant at Voss Hospital before spending time with Doctors Without Borders in India and Pakistan. He has now started a new job at Flekkefjord Hospital, where he has already gained a good impression of the working environment.

- "I enjoy working in a smaller hospital where collaboration and transparency characterise everyday life. It gives me the peace of mind to focus on both patients and family life," says Elmquist.

- The professional environment here is also very good," he continues.

Feeling welcome

Before the move, the family had no connection to the town, but a positive job interview and the good reception from the local community made the decision easy. Stefan describes the small town as a place that covers everything he and his wife need as adults, while at the same time being a safe and good place for their daughter to grow up.

Marie-Hyacinthe enthusiastically says that she finds the locals in Flekkefjord very welcoming.

- "People come up to me in the street and say hello, and are interested in who we are and why we're here. It's incredibly nice.

- "Nowhere else I've lived have I experienced such hospitality," she says with a big smile.

A good everyday life

The whole family loves music and singing, while mum and daughter also love dancing. Marie-Hyacinthe has started singing in a gospel choir! At the same time, the family has managed to explore the beautiful Dutch town of Hollenderbyen, the street art in Flekkefjord and local cultural offerings. Here, everyday life is filled with good experiences, and work/home balance is important to them.

Organisation and networking

The management at Flekkefjord Hospital has emphasised the importance of helping families find accommodation and linking them to municipal services. In an interview with Avisen Agder, Trine Nesheim, head of the medical department, emphasises the importance of helping new employees and their families settle in:
- This is the key to them thriving and staying over time," says Nesheim.

She also emphasises that it is important for the management at Flekkefjord Hospital to ensure that the new employees meet both each other and their new colleagues, which the hospital facilitates. "We're thinking holistically and in terms of well-being.

Mapping job opportunities

Marie-Hyacinthe, who has a background in HR and speaks several African languages, as well as English and French, has started to map out job opportunities in the region. Both she and Stefan want the whole family to be integrated and involved in the new local community.

Trine Nesheim, believes that work for both spouses is the key to them staying in Flekkefjord:

- The key to employees staying in a position for a long time is that their spouses also find work in the area.

"Flekkefjord has everything we need"

The Elmquist-Uwumuhoza family is looking forward to becoming a part of the small town of Flekkefjord and to exploring more of Flekkefjord. Stefan emphasises the good working environment as an important factor in their well-being, while Marie-Hyacinthe and her daughter have received a warm welcome from the locals: "We feel lucky to have settled here. Flekkefjord has everything we need - and more," the family concludes with a smile.