Ukraine war has changed the dreams of the country’s children

War in Ukraine has changed the lives of the country’s children – and it has also changed their dreams for the future.

Before the war, if you asked most kids in Ukraine what they wanted to be when they grew up, they would give a similar answer to a lot of Aussie kids, and say, “an astronaut,” or, “an artist,” said a spokeswoman for International aid agency UNICEF.

But after two years of Russian invasion, and more than 10 years* of conflict in some parts of Ukraine, many Ukrainian kids now aspire to be like the heroes they have met during the war.

“Now, they dream of becoming rescuers and doctors, because they see them helping people or have been helped themselves,” the spokeswoman said.

“They are now looking up to the doctors, psychologists, policemen and teachers – those who have saved lives and are supporting families as war rages around them.”

It comes as last week’s decision by the US to allow Ukraine to use American made ATACMS missiles* to strike within Russia, followed by a Russian strike on Ukraine with what Russia described as “a new generation intermediate-range missile” has potentially escalated rather than eased the conflict, with Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming:

"We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities* of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.”

MEET UKRAINE’S NEWEST HEROES

Meet 12-year-old Alina. She comes from the Mykolaivska region of Ukraine, in the country’s south.

When Alina grows up she would like to become a psychologist. She tries to help her friends and siblings, who are often sad and find it hard to talk about what they are going through.

“If my friend or sister is upset, I try to cheer them up,” Alina said. “I hug them and ask them to tell me what happened, why they are upset. If we can’t talk, I take their hand and try to make them feel better.”

Meet 15-year-old Sophia. She lives in the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine. She would like to become a pediatrician so that she can treat children affected by the war.

“I had danced for 10 years,” Sophia said. “When the war started, black and white photos of dead children began appearing in our dance group chats. It changed my perception of the world. You knew this child, you saw them thriving, and then they were just gone. That was when I realised that children need safety. It was the moment that changed everything.”

Meet 9-year-old Andrii from Kherson in southern Ukraine. He sadly lost his father in a car accident. Andrii dreams of becoming a rescuer with the State Emergency Service (SES) when he grows up.

“Every day, I sat on the balcony and watched the rescuers go out in boats and rafts and rescue people,” Andrii said. “They rescued children, men, women, animals. They were very brave, they were not afraid of the water.”

HOPE IN TROUBLED TIMES
The children of Ukraine have not only suffered injury, the loss of loved ones and even their own tragic loss of lives, many have also been displaced from their homes and had four years of interrupted schooling leading on from the pandemic.

Recent air strikes have also damaged water, heating and electricity services ahead of the freezing winter months.

UNICEF has provided much needed supplies, including safe water for about 4.5 million people, healthcare for 540,000 children and caregivers and education programs for 435,000 children.

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GLOSSARY

• 10 years: Children in the Donbas region across the east of the country have faced more than 10 years of conflict
• ATACMS missiles: US made Army Tactical Missile Systems, ATACMS missiles are powerful missiles that open in the air when fired and release hundreds of bombs. They can travel up to 300 km. While the US had already allowed Ukraine to use these missiles against Russia in the war, it had previously been under the provision that they remained within Ukrainian territory, with these most recent strikes being the first on Russian ground
• military facilities: weapons

EXTRA READING
Ukraine kids’ ‘new normal’ of war
What is happening between Ukraine and Russia?
Ukrainian teens find friends in smiley Sydney

QUICK QUIZ
1. How many years of Russian invasion have the kids of Ukraine endured?
2. In what way has war changed the dreams of Ukrainian children?
3. How has the schooling of Ukraine’s children been affected?
4. What decision from the US was followed by an escalation of conflict?
5. What things has UNICEF done to help the people of war-torn Ukraine?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Share your thoughts and a wish
Discuss this news story with a partner. Share your thoughts and feelings about the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on the impact on children.

Write a paragraph with a “wish” for the children of Ukraine, expressing what you hope their future will look like.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; HASS, Ethical Understanding

2. Extension
Research to find out more about UNICEF.

Write a general statement explaining the organisation’s goals and activities. Then add a sentence each about five specific projects that UNICEF is involved in right now.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; HASS; Ethical Understanding

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.