Experience stories
From Ukraine to Finland: Mariia’s Journey of Resilience and Hope | Stories from the North
Hear Mariia Kashych’s powerful story of resilience and hope in the latest Stories from the North episode. Host Linda Paulauska explores Mariia’s journey from fleeing war-torn Ukraine to rebuilding her life through studies in Germany and Finland. An inspiring testament to courage and determination—don’t miss it!
Alopecia Doesn’t Kill the Person: Ieva Putnina’s Journey of Self-Discovery and Empowerment
Meet Ieva Putnina — diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at 12 years old. For years, she hid behind wigs and fear. But everything changed when she chose to embrace her true self.
Somshubhra Ray: Erasmus Mundus Journey to Study Service Design - From India to Latvia
Somshubhra Ray is from India. He shares his life from childhood until now, as a student in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “Service Design Strategies and Innovations.”
"Alopecia Doesn’t Kill the Person, but It Kills the Self-Confidence". A Hair-Loss Story by Ieva Putnina.
Ieva faced alopecia and lost her hair at the age of 13. Hiding under wigs, she feared judgment. It took her 15 years of self-exploration to open up in public, and now she is an inspiration to many.
Timea Izsak's Erasmus Mundus Journey to Study Service Design - From Romania to Latvia
Timea Izsak is from Rumania. In this podcast series, she takes us through the story of her life, from her early years to where she is now. As a participant in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “Service Design Strategies and Innovations”.
Surrogacy experience: The surrogate mother's perspective. Nicole Eddy
Nicole added a new chapter to her life story as a surrogate mother by fulfilling another family’s dream of having a baby.
Five-Time Egg Donor: Helping Families During Infertility Treatment. Aleksandra Chernova
Aleksandra donated eggs bringing hope to anonymous infertility-struggling families. She navigated medical tests, hormone therapy, and oocyte punctures five times.
Amena Mohamed: Erasmus Mundus Journey to Study Service Design - From Egypt to Latvia
Amena Mohamed is from Egypt. She shares her amazing and sometimes challenging life journey from childhood to the present as a student in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “Service Design Strategies and Innovations.”
Completing Family: The Strader Family's International Adoption Journey
A family opened their home to an orphan hosting program during Christmas holidays, welcoming two sisters from a Latvian orphanage, which led to international adoption.
A family of show performers traveling around Europe and beyond: The Winter Family
Patrick is a 6th-generation show organizer from Germany. Yuliya is a professional show performer from Ukraine. Their daughter, Nika, is part of every show across multiple countries. They share an inspiring life, but deep inside, their hearts and plans for a home in Ukraine have been broken.









