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Fairfield Rotary hosts Swedes as part of exchange program
FAIRFIELD – Two young Swedes are spending nearly two weeks in Fairfield as part of an exchange program through the Rotary Club.
The Fairfield Rotary Club invites two Swedes to stay with local Rotarians every other summer, and when they’re not hosting, the Rotarians are sending two youth from Fairfield to Sweden. This year, it was Fairfield’s turn to host the Swedes, and they’ve been busy sight-seeing in Southeast Iowa, including a visit to the Swedish Midsommar festival in Swedesburg on Friday, June 21.
The two Swedes are named Märta-Mejve Liegnell and Axel Ortvall. They introduced themselves to a group of Rotarians during their meeting at the Walton Club last Friday. Both of them are 20 years old, and both live in or around the town of Kisa in southern Sweden. This area holds special significance because this part of Sweden sent a large number of immigrants to southeast Iowa in the mid-1800s. In 2009, a group of Swedish visitors came to Fairfield and met with the town’s Rotary Club. Together they developed the Rotary Swedish-American Exchange Program, which would sponsor young, creative adults to visit each other’s countries to develop friendships and learn more about each other.
Märta has relatives in the United States. Her aunt and her husband live in Austin, Texas, though sadly they’re not able to get together on this trip. Axel said members of his family immigrated to Minnesota years ago.
“I was very interested in traveling,” Axel said about his decision to visit America. “Last year, I went by train all through Europe. And the part of Sweden where I’m from, they were one of the first people to move to America. A lot of Swedes went to Minnesota.”
After being in the country only a few days, having arrived in Iowa on June 17, Axel performed at an open mic night at Café Paradiso in Fairfield. He played guitar and sang the song “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica, and then “Country Roads” by John Denver.
“I had the whole crowd singing with me,” he said. “I was horribly nervous. I’ve done that before, but never by myself, only with a band.”
Märta and Axel said they have noticed a few differences between Sweden and America. They said America’s public bathrooms are not great, and at least in Fairfield, it feels like there’s a stop sign at every intersection. On the plus side, however, they said they like that people in Fairfield are outgoing.
“Everyone asks so many questions, and it’s easy to interact with them,” Axel said.
“People in Sweden are introverted,” Märta said. “This is a nice change.”
The two Swedes are staying with multiple host families during their time in Fairfield. The host families include Colleen and Carl Stone, John and Jody Loin, Dave Reiff, Katrin and Alan Unger, and former Fairfield resident Bella Unger, who will host them in Chicago during their final couple of days in America from June 27-29. Beth and Ricardo Alonso hosted a picnic for the Swedes and the members of Fairfield Interact, and Jim Pedrick of the Keosauqua Rotary Club took them to see blacksmithing, pottery and weaving in Bentonsport.
Märta and Axel said that, when they return to Sweden, they will both start a gap year spent working and traveling before beginning university, a practice that is common in Sweden. Märta said she’d like to work as an au pair in France and eventually become a doctor, perhaps working for Doctors Without Borders. Axel loves soccer, so he’s thinking about pursuing that after school. He’s also thinking about becoming a journalist.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
