A letter from a Portuguese parent

What a great way to learn!
Air mail from Portugal

Erasmus programme started in 1987 with 3244 students, today it moves around 300 000 a year, imagine that! 

This year our children were fortunate to have a taste of other cultures: Belgium, Netherlands, and Poland. What a great way to learn! 

Understanding one another is a two-way street. You don't get to learn to respect other people's differences by building walls, you do it by sharing, getting to know them, learn their cultures. This is what Erasmus is all about: gaining knowledge, by learning, sharing, experimenting with other cultures. At the end of the day, this is what brings us all together. "All lives matter". 

I would like to thank the schools (specially teachers), the EU program, each country's government authorities and city councils for this massive effort. I would also add a special thanks to the families that took our children in, unfortunately, I was not able to do the same for yours before the lockdown, due to COVID 19. A big part of Portuguese culture is blending with other people and giving back, so it was with great sorrow that we learned about the lockdown and its impact on Erasmus. 

Our families, our homes and our hearts will always be open for you all! Many, many thanks! Hope to see you all very soon!

 Parent from Portugal 

Luís Moreira