Over the Globe

In this episode, you’ll hear from Maryam Rasouli, a teenager from Afghanistan, speaking honestly about what comes after an education ban: the weight of despair, the stubbornness of hope, and the quiet strength that comes from not letting the restrictions take over her life. She also describes what it’s like to study for A Levels online with almost no resources, yet still refusing to give up. Over...

In Episode 98 of Over the Globe, Daria Prymak takes us from the quiet streets of Rivne, where opportunities for young people can feel limited, to the fast-paced, unpredictable life of Kyiv. She also shares how she found her voice through Youth Journalism International, connecting and collaborating with young journalists from around the world. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classroo...

In this episode, Fatima shares what it means to keep learning when education is forbidden. Despite the Taliban’s ban, she continues studying online, pursuing both the British A Levels and the American school system, while reflecting on the differences between the two and what it takes to stay motivated in uncertainty. She speaks about leadership as daily courage and responsibility, and about her w...

When the Taliban banned girls’ education, Zahra’s world went quiet. For a whole year, she sank into depression, unable to study, to plan, or even to imagine a future. But little by little, hope found its way back. She started attending lessons online, then, with time, she began teaching others too. Step by step, she rebuilt her life, and that journey eventually led her to being accepted to a unive...

In this episode, Kateryna Panasenko, a teenager from Ukraine, opens up about what it feels like to study at a Ukrainian school in Spain - to carry home with you, even when you’re far away from it. We talk about scouting, the friendships and challenges that come with it, an Erasmus project in Zakopane, and the energy of an organisation called Urban Rukh. Come with us on a journey through the sun-so...

When you’re a child, fleeing your country because of war can feel strangely unreal - almost like an adventure you never asked for. That’s how it was for Anastasia Kravchuk. She had always loved travelling, and moving to Portugal felt exciting: a new language, new streets, new beginnings. In this episode, Anastasia opens up about what life in Portugal was really like - the people she met, and the m...

Bana’s home in Gaza was destroyed, and she was forced to move again and again - until she ended up in the Nusierat refugee camp. There, she has been unable to go to school or to dance dabka, the dance that once made her feel truly free. Listen to this episode to hear Bana describe life in the camp, what her days were like before everything changed, and the dreams she still holds onto despite it al...

Sasha grew up in Pokrovsk, a city in Donbas where Miner’s Day mattered more than New Year’s and summers meant sleeping in tents at scout camp. In August 2024, everything changed: Pokrovsk moved to the frontline, and Sasha had to leave for Kyiv. This year, she’s starting over again - now as a FLEX exchange student living in Ohio. In this episode, Sasha talks about the city she still calls home, how...

In this episode, we meet Manezha - a young woman who refuses to let restrictions stop her from learning, dreaming, or helping others. Despite everything, she continues studying English and even teaches it to Afghan girls who otherwise wouldn’t have access to education. In this conversation, she also takes us behind the scenes of her journey to the Global Encounters Camp in Pakistan — an experience...

Maz was only ten years old when the Bosnian War erupted, and his hometown of Sarajevo fell under siege. He, his mother and his brother eventually managed to flee to Germany on a UN convoy, escaping under heavy bombardment, while his father - a soldier - had to remain in Bosnia. For the next three and a half years, the only way Maz could communicate with his father was through letters that took wee...

About three years ago, on 17 November 2022, a Russian rocket hit the building where Po - now seventeen - still lives. In this episode, Po talks about that horrific day, how their family was forced to flee from Donetsk to Kyiv with two small children and almost no resources, and how their dad joined the army at the very beginning of the full-scale invasion. Are you a teenager from a conflict zone,...

This week, Over the Globe tries something new. Instead of one guest, you’ll hear a chorus of voices from a group of Afghan girls studying with Classrooms Without Walls (CWW). We open with David Falconer, CWW’s founder and executive director, who explains how the program began and what it offers. Then the mic passes to the students themselves as they share how they found CWW, what learning looks li...

Ever wondered what it’s like to live and study in the United States? In this episode, Oleksandr from Ukraine — currently a FLEX exchange student in Michigan — shares his experiences of life in the U.S. What are Americans really like? What challenges come with adapting to a new culture? And what is Teenь, the career-orientation organization he’s involved with? Tune in to hear his story and find the...

Living with eight sisters and one brother in a traditional, religious family wasn’t always easy, but Saima found joy in her studies — and in football, which she played secretly so her parents wouldn’t find out. When the Taliban banned girls from attending school, her dream of education seemed to collapse overnight. Yet Saima refused to give up. She found new ways to keep learning and to rebuild he...

What does it feel like to finally step onto Ukrainian-controlled territory after spending five long months under Russian occupation? And how do you rebuild your life from scratch in a new city? In this episode, Ksenia from Kherson shares her powerful story — from surviving the occupation to finding freedom and starting over.  Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in your home country...

Yana, a sixteen-year-old from Ukraine, loves a good challenge. So when her mom told her that Chinese is the hardest language in the world, she decided to start learning it right away. Now she’s also studying Hebrew and has a growing interest in Formula 1 and neurobiology. Together with her friend, Yana co-founded Soulfire — a Ukrainian online space where they share stories of women who changed the...

Veronica comes from a small town in the Vinnytsia region — but her dreams reach far beyond. Her leadership journey began with serving on the school council and grew as she took part in youth programs such as Zalizna Zmina and Zminotvortsi . Now she is determined to build a career in IT. Tune in to this episode to hear her inspiring story! Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in your...

Imagine this: you’re in your hometown, Sumy, when the war suddenly begins. Where would you go if you had to leave? What would you take with you to remind you of home? And in the middle of war, where would you search for moments of joy and hope? Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in your home country or abroad and want to be interviewed for the Over the Globe podcast? Contact us at...

Everybody talks about the education ban in Afghanistan — but what were schools like before it? And what does it take to pursue your education abroad after being deprived of this right? In this episode, you’ll hear from Tarawat, an Afghan now living in Pakistan, as she answers these questions and more. Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in your home country or abroad and want to be...

Zainab Hussaini was born as a refugee in Iran and later returned to Afghanistan. In both countries, she faced numerous challenges but remained determined to pursue sports. Eventually, she began running and, in 2015, made history as the first Afghan woman to complete a marathon — despite being forced to train only in her backyard. After the Taliban takeover in 2021, Zainab fled Afghanistan and is n...

After moving from her hometown in the Donetsk region to Pavlograd, Diana was forced to flee once again when the full-scale invasion began—this time to Poland. She left most of her belongings behind but refused to part with her violin or her determination to create change. In Poland, she began taking part in various projects and discovered a passion for neuroscience. Tune in to hear Diana’s remarka...

Maria was born in Vasylkiv, a small town near Kyiv where battles broke out at the very start of the war, forcing her to flee abroad. She first moved to Slovakia and later to Germany, living with host families, attending new schools, and learning new languages along the way. What was it like to adapt to unfamiliar environments again and again? How do schools there differ from those in Ukraine? And...

What is it like to live in Nova Kakhovka under occupation? What drives a teenager to start a political Telegram channel? And how do you host a debate on euthanasia? In this episode, Sofiia joins us to share her experiences and answer these questions—and many more. Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in your home country or abroad and want to be interviewed for the Over the Globe po...

Imagine being a Ukrainian teenager in Kharkiv when the war begins. Forced to flee, you find refuge in France—the country you’ve always dreamed of. But does life there live up to your expectations? What is it really like to live in a school dormitory in a foreign city at such a young age? Can you build a new circle of friends while staying connected to your homeland? In this episode, Yeva joins the...

In this episode, we meet Lina from Kherson who lived under occupation before moving to Odesa.  How do you hold on to dreams when your country is under attack? What was it like to take part in Erasmus and even a Nobel internship while the world around her was falling apart? And how can music become a lifeline when everything else feels broken? Are you a teenager from a conflict zone, now living in...