Over the Globe

In this episode, I’m joined by Mariia Rusakova, a sixteen-year-old from Dnipro, Ukraine. Mariia talks about how she was admitted to a German university, where she is currently studying while continuing her education at a Ukrainian university. She also shares her passion for various forms of traditional Ukrainian art and her experience working as an SMM manager at Soulfire, an initiative that aims...

In this episode, Victoria Bortnyk, a teenager from Ukraine, speaks about watching Formula 1 with her father, taking part in historical debate tournaments, and becoming one of the top applicants to the University of Vienna this year. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to s...

In this episode, Larissa Ayoub from Lebanon, talks about studying in Italy for two years and why she ultimately decided to return home. She also recalls her memories of the war breaking out in Beirut soon after her return and reflects on the current situation in Lebanon. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones wit...

In this episode, Zoryna Kupriianova, a sixteen-year-old from Kharkiv, talks about fleeing to Istanbul at the beginning of the war, how she later ended up in Milan and what life there has been like for her, as well as the organisation she co-founded, DAR for Peace and Equality. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zon...

In this episode, Viktoriia, a teenager from Ukraine, speaks about living with a host family in Germany and returning to Ukraine, what the Ukrainian Diplomatic Platform is and how it works, and her vision for Ukraine’s future. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to support...

In this episode Oleksandr Baranov, a teenager from Ukraine, talks about how he ended up living in Athens, Greece, the international school he attends there, and how Model UN works.   Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to support CWW or learn more about their work, you can...

In this episode, I am joined by Anna Akulova, a sixteen-year-old from Ukraine, who speaks about entrepreneurship, financial stability, and how the war changes our mindset. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to support CWW or learn more about their work, you can visit thei...

In this episode, Mykola, a seventeen-year-old from Kharkiv, Ukraine speaks about the aerial bombardment of Northern Saltivka - one of Kharkiv’s most heavily attacked districts - that he experienced when he was just thirteen. We also discuss his work with MASCOT Camp and his visit to the United Nations Office in Switzerland.  Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls,...

In this episode, Kyra, a teenager from Ukraine, talks about her hometown, Dniprorudne, which is currently under occupation, teaching English, and her startup, Heart in Gestures. The AI-powered platform was created to help people with hearing impairments learn sign language and became the first Ukrainian startup to win the Technovation Girls competition. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part...

In this episode I am joined by Elizabeth Holokolosova from Donetsk, Ukraine. She shares her memories of watching the fighting in 2014 from her kindergarten, growing up through years of displacement, learning Arabic, and studying in three schools at the same time. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access...

In this episode, Sadia, a student with Afghan roots who was born in Pakistan, speaks about traveling to Afghanistan and unexpectedly getting stuck there, working at a photography studio, and facing challenges as she tries to continue her education in Pakistan. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to...

In episode 113, I am joined by Kateryna, a fifteen-year-old from Akkerman, Ukraine, who talks about her hometown, the day her school was hit by a missile, and writing a poetry book with Voices of Children. Tune in to hear about ancient fortresses by the sea, the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains, and Kyiv’s Book Arsenal. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an...

After fleeing Ukraine for Poland, Arina found a sense of relief and purpose by helping others at a bus terminal. When she returned to Ukraine, she continued volunteering, this time supporting children with special needs. Listen to this episode to hear about her refugee experience in Poland, what children with Down syndrome have taught her, and her work with the leadership organization Future Empow...

In this episode, I’m interviewing four teenagers from InnerEcho, a trauma-informed digital tool and educational initiative created to support young people who need mental health resources. Through online and offline events, InnerEcho connects youth from different countries, encourages open conversations about mental health, and provides practical tools for self-healing. In this episode, we discuss...

In this episode, Veronika Verloochenko, a high-school student from Ukraine, speaks about her hometown, Dnipro, and about her English speaking club, Star, which now has over 3,000 subscribers on its Telegram channel. How does she promote the club? Who are the volunteers behind it? And what challenges does a person face when creating a new project? Listen to this episode to find out. Over the Globe...

In this episode, I’m joined by Solomiia Krukivska, a sixteen-year-old from Ukraine, who talks about living with nine other people in a single-floor building in France, her interest in marketing, and how the war has changed our generation.  Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you wa...

In this episode, I’m joined by Sofiia Honcharova from Ukraine, who talks about how she fled to Germany and then returned to Ukraine, science during the war, and how to keep your inner spark alive when it feels like the world is against you. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you w...

In this episode, I am joined by Hannah, a nine-year-old from Myanmar, who talks about what a typical day at school is like for her, what she would like to change about it, and what adults do not understand about being nine years old. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to...

This episode is a little different from my usual interviews, where I speak with a teenager from a war-affected country. Instead, this is a trilateral conversation with Lars Peter Nissen and Ross Skowronski, where the three of us take turns in asking and answering questions. We decided to come together because each of us is involved, in different ways, in humanitarian aid and support for people aff...

After the start of the full-scale invasion, Roman was forced to flee Mykolaiv and relocate to Uzhhorod, where he began volunteering to support people going through challenges similar to his own. In September, he moved to the state of Maine in the United States as a FLEX exchange student. In this episode, he talks about volunteering as an internally displaced person in Uzhhorod, what it is like to...

In this episode, eleven-year-old Anna from Myanmar shares her perspective on the situation in her country, while also talking about Chinese New Year, badminton, and her love for Stray Kids. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to support CWW or learn more about their work,...

In this episode, I am joined by Anastasiia Semylit, a sixteen-year-old from Sumy, Ukraine, who was forced to flee to Bucha in 2024. In this episode, she shares what life in Bucha is like, what it means to take a seven-hour train journey back to her hometown every couple of weeks, and how playing the ukulele helps her deal with stress. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Witho...

In this episode, I am joined by Kira, a sixteen-year-old from Ukraine, who talks about what her athletic training is like during the war, how she feels during competitions, and how writing helps her cope with the current situation. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms Without Walls, an initiative that provides teens in conflict zones with access to education. If you want to su...

In this episode, Zainab from Afghanistan takes us on a journey from studying Public Policy and Administration at Kabul University, to being denied the right to education, yet continuing to pursue it, receiving scholarships from American universities, and building her life today as a Computer Science and English teacher and a business owner. Over the Globe is a podcast created as part of Classrooms...

Over the Globe has reached 100 episodes. To mark this milestone, I’m taking a step back to reflect on the first 99 and trace the common threads running through these stories. What challenges do people in the countries I’ve covered face most often? How do they cope? What makes them stay, what pushes them to leave, and what brings some of them back? This solo episode brings together recurring themes...