Over the Globe

Adila was just a tenth-grade student when the Taliban took control and banned girls from attending school. Now 19, she still lives in her hometown of Kabul, where every day brings new challenges—but also quiet acts of courage. In a city shadowed by restrictions, Adila refuses to let go of her dreams. She continues her education in any way she can and keeps her passion for art alive, using creativi...

Life in rural Afghanistan is a world apart from the cities, often marked by limited access to education, clean water, and electricity. Naweed grew up navigating these challenges, but his passion for learning never faltered. Beginning his education in classrooms with mud walls and wooden benches, he even launched a book collection campaign to inspire his classmates. Today, as he studies economics a...

You're 13. The golden days of September, filled with laughter and sunshine, are still fresh in your memory. Then suddenly — war reaches your town. Your best friend is forced to flee, and you're left feeling more alone than ever before. All you have is the postcard she left behind — a small piece of peace in a world turned upside down. But what comes next? For Ann, the answer was to dive...

When the Taliban returned to power, Mohammad’s world was turned upside down — but he never let go of his dream. With unwavering determination, he continued his education in Afghanistan, pursuing a degree in software engineering at Kateb University. He also opens up about his brother’s journey from Afghanistan to Canada. In this episode, Mohammad shares his love for his mother’s cooking, the peacef...

Despite ongoing Russian attacks, the Ukrainian city of Odesa continues to endure— and so do its people.  In this episode, I speak with one of them: Aleksandra. At just fourteen years old, Aleksandra has shown remarkable resilience. Even in the very first month of the full-scale war, she continued her education almost without pause. Not only did she stay committed to her studies, but she also found...

What does it mean to be a female journalist in Afghanistan, where women are stripped of their basic rights and the truth is buried beneath layers of autocracy? To explore this question, I’ve invited Zahra Rahimi, a former journalist for TOLOnews, one of Afghanistan’s leading TV networks, to the podcast. In this episode, Zahra shares her experiences reporting the news before and after the Taliban t...

After the fall of the previous government, Adel and her family faced persecution from the Taliban because her father had served as an army officer. As a result, they were forced to flee to Iran, where Adel had to find work to support herself. She first found a job in a women's clothing store, and soon after, began teaching English to her employer. Despite the challenges, Adel remained determi...

Since the education ban in Afghanistan, midwifery has remained one of the only higher education paths available to women—yet even this doesn’t guarantee them the right to work. Marwa Hoshmand had always dreamed of studying economics, but her aspirations were abruptly cut short by the new regime. Despite these challenges, she persevered, recently graduating from university. Today, she works in HR f...

Pokky once roamed the streets with her friends, but now, danger keeps her indoors. Living in Yangon, she considers herself lucky compared to those in rural villages, where the military presence is far more threatening. Yet, even in the city, daily life is shaped by power outages, leaving her with little to do but paint. Why can’t she go outside freely anymore? How are her friends coping with the o...

You’ve been banned from attending university after completing your first year of medical school—the dream you’ve nurtured for so long. The vision of establishing a medical foundation in your late father's name now feels more distant than ever. Searching for a sense of purpose, you explore online coding courses, but how do you find a way to stay hopeful and at peace with yourself? For Rohina,...

Moving to a new place is always challenging, especially when language becomes a barrier. Born in Nangarhar, an Afghan territory where Pashto was her first language, she was suddenly uprooted to Badakhshan, where Persian dominated. But just as she found her footing, life threw another challenge her way—adapting to life in Mazar-i-Sharif. Yet, through it all, Nargis held onto a dream: to study at th...

These days, when AI is becoming more and more advanced, coding seems to be the future of the planet. But what if you are a girl born in Afghanistan, where girls are not allowed even to speak on the street? Will you be able to pursue your coding passion? In this episode, we meet Farzana—an Afghan teenager with her eyes set on the stars and dreams of becoming an astronaut. She tells us about her jou...

At just 22 years old, Faiza was pursuing her education at an Afghan university when the Taliban stormed in, threatening to arrest her for wearing "unmodest" clothing—a simple T-shirt and pants. Soon after, she and countless other Afghan women were stripped of their right to education and barred from extracurricular activities. Forced to abandon her art classes, Faiza faced a heartbreakin...

Before moving to Germany, Andrii Mykhailets, who has already come to the podcast to talk about the first months of him living there, thought it was a land of perfection. But reality turned out to be different. What changed his mind? Now, he finds himself in a country that offers strong social support but doesn’t quite feel like home. What is the reason for it? And why are most of his friends not G...

Since the Taliban regime took over Afghanistan, many people across the country have been injured by ongoing bombings and explosions. In these circumstances, medical workers are needed more than ever. But what is it like to work at a pharmacy or study medicine in such a challenging environment? How strong is Afghan medical education? How do healthcare workers feel when helping patients, and what mo...

When a totalitarian regime comes to power, no one is safe—not even a 10-year-old boy living with his family in a village. There may come a time when you have to leave everything behind and embark on a journey alone. Schools may close, and even your teacher may be killed. This is what happened to Enaiatollah Akbari. At just 10 years old, he was forced to leave Afghanistan in search of safety. But a...

Imagine you are a fifteen-year-old from Asia. You live with your family in your hometown but suddenly find yourself moving to San Francisco. California, the ocean near your house, the Golden Gate Bridge somewhere on the horizon—sounds fascinating, right? But what if there’s a civil war in your country? What if you had to leave your entire family behind, except for your father? What if you had to a...

In this episode, you'll hear from Zohal Motmain, the co-founder of the TBA Believer Educational Association and an undergraduate student at the American University. Zohal shares what inspired her to create an organization supporting over 500 students. She discusses the first steps she took, the number of volunteer teachers involved, and the types of classes offered. Zohal also highlights TBA&...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she speaks with Laila Hussaini, a teenager from Afghanistan now living in Iran, about her work at a tailoring factory, her dad being imprisoned by the Afghan government and her work with the Girls on the Path of Change organization.  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?...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she speaks with Mahnaz Haidari about playing for the national Afghan soccer team, establishing an educational organization for Afghan girls, and graphic design. 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: over.the.globe.join@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram: htt...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she speaks with Zohal Noori about her getting scholarships at the top American universities, being invited to a UN conference in New York, and her organization called "Path of 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: over.the.globe.join@gmai...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she talks to Soraya Ahmadi about the school she started attending in Iran, where she fled from Afghanistan, her daily routine, and being the school president. 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: over.the.globe.join@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram: https...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she speaks with Oleksandr Kozhemiaka, a fifteen-year-old from Kyiv, Ukraine, about studying at a math and physics Lyceum, his passion for quantum physics, and writing a chemistry project for the Small Academy of Sciences. 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...

Join Sofiia Yakymenko as she speaks with Anahita Nadeem, who comes back on the podcast to talk about the updates in her life since January, her new hobby - painting, and the online university she is now attending.  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: over.the.globe.join@gmail.co...

In this episode, you’ll hear from Wazhma Hamidi, a young adult from Afghanistan. She discusses the languages she speaks, which help her communicate with people in Pakistan, and how she first got involved in interpreting, research, and photography, through which Wazhma aims to tell the stories of those who have faced unimaginable hardships yet continue to smile and dream. She also shares what inspi...