Education in times of war, through the eyes of young Ukrainians

‘When I Grow Up’ is a 12-minute documentary by Olivier Jobard and Claire Billet. It tells the stories of Mykyta, Daryna, and Sonia, three teenagers from Irpin, Ukraine. They describe what the current war means to them and explain how education and schooling are crucial to their ability to hold on to the idea of a peaceful future.

Putting the spotlight directly on their personal experiences is the film’s effective way of telling the stories behind the impact of the EU humanitarian aid that has been given to rebuild and restore Ukrainian schools. By giving them a voice, ‘When I Grow Up’ documents their career ambitions and inner strength, which persevere despite the devastating effects of the war.

The film is part of the #EducationNoMatterWhat campaign, which focuses on raising awareness about the EU’s role in supporting access to quality education in conflicts and emergency contexts. The campaign also includes a broader series of activities for Gen Z and Millennial target audiences. These age groups felt the impact of COVID-19 restrictions in the way they experienced education and access to school, and one of the goals of this documentary is for them to relate to the situation of faraway youngsters whose education was also disrupted, but by war.

The documentary is available on YouTube, on the website of the DG ECHO’s #EducationNoMatterWhat campaign, and at screenings at festivals around Europe.