A group of 3 trainees from Latvia decided to stay in Portugal during the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their Eramus+ internship. In October 2019, Arts & Skills welcomed in Guimarães a group of 3 students from Riga’s Art and Media School, Latvia.

Linda, Marika, and Elva had just finished their courses on Web Design and Interior Design courses when they decided to come to Portugal to develop their internships. The plan was to have an experience of 8 months, where they could develop their professional skills, see and experience a new culture, a new language and get to know new people and new places.

They have been in Portugal for quite some time, have had plenty of opportunities to travel around the country and enjoy many good things Portugal has to offer. They were already integrated into their training companies, had their daily routines, and were making plans to travel to the Portuguese islands of Azores and Madeira.

When Covid-19 surprised us all and plans had to be changed. They had two options: take the first flight back home to Latvia and their families, like many other students who were abroad or stay in Guimarães and continue their internship with us and adapt to Teleworking. They chose to stay. They felt safe and decided to continue their internships. Therefore, like the rest of us, they completely changed their daily routines, stayed at home, and complied with all the security measures this pandemic requires in order to protect themselves and others.

We invite you to watch a small video on their experience, available on: bit.ly/36DwZlz