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Norwegian boy in Valley goes home to terror
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Mark Roarty
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Sivert
POLAND
Sivert, an 11-year-old Norwegian boy, spent a month in Campbell with children 11 to 13 brought together from all over the world to better understand one another only to return to his homeland Friday to a politically motivated massacre.
Sivert and his family live in Gjovik, Norway, about 1.5 hours by car from Oslo where terrorist attacks on Norway’s government headquarters and a retreat on Utoya Island for young people left at least 93 dead and more than 90 wounded with people missing at both scenes.
During the monthlong Children’s International Summer Villages camp in Campbell, Sivert and three other boys from China, Brazil and Hungary spent a mid-camp, four-day weekend with the Mark and Rhonda Roarty of Poland and their sons, Kyle, 13, and Colin, 11.
While he was at the Roartys pointing out Norway on a globe, Sivert said “we’re peaceful countries up here in Scandanavia” referring to Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Roarty said his first reaction when learning of the killings in Norway was concern for Sivert physically and emotionally.
Knowing Sivert lived about an hour north of Oslo “gave us no comfort. It was still shocking in every capacity to all of us,” Roarty said.
Out of fear for Sivert’s safety in his native country, Roarty did not provide the boy’s last name.
He e-mailed Sivert’s family saying: “Out prayers are with you and your family. Please confirm that all arrived back safely and are okay from the attacks.”
Sivert’s parents, Arne and Bente, responded: “Fortunately we are in good condition. What has happened in Oslo and Utoya is cruel.”
“I can’t imagine how an 11-year-old digests something like that. We don’t know how these kids will connect the dots. All of a sudden the world is a terrible place after such a great experience at CISV,” Roarty said.
Roarty said his sons were also concerned about their new Norwegian friend’s well-being.
“I come home Friday and my kids said ‘daddy, daddy you’ve got to see this on TV,’” Roarty said.
“We were immediately sickened to our stomachs. The boys knew where Sivert lived and asked: ‘Do you think he’s ok.’”
In their e-mail, Sivert’s parents said: “Thank you for your concern. Sivert is well at home after a wonderful stay in the United States. He has told about you and was very happy with you.”
Roarty said one of the things that struck him about his young sons’ reactions to Sivert’s potential danger is that because of he had stayed at their home they felt a connection because they know where Oslo and Norway are. They were immediately concerned about a person they knew.
Watching six kids from around the world interacting as if they were classmates was amazing,” Roarty said of the international boys who lived in his home for four days, and his sons.
“These kids will lead the world in the future. Maybe we did a small part for world peace in bringing them together. We connected the Globe in our house for four days,” he said.