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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM
PLAYBOOK SLUG: Odesa America House – Kosstutschenko
HEADLINE: American House Opens in Odesa Despite Ongoing War in Ukraine
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 11/xx/2023 at
BYLINE: Anna Kosstutschenko
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Odesa and Cherkasy Regions, Ukraine
VIDEOGRAPHER: Pavel Suhodolskiy
VIDEO EDITOR: Pavel Suhodolskiy
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Story Hunter
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:36
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
PLEASE RETURN TO ANNA RICE AND COPY TO HFR PLEASE))
The other two are located in Kyiv and Lviv.
((INTRO))
[[A new America House is celebrating its opening in Odesa, making it the third major cultural and educational center in Ukraine supported and financed by the U.S. Embassy. America House Odessa was supposed to open in early 2022, but Russia's invasion changed those plans. Anna Kosstutschenko visited the center and found out how the war altered its program.]]
((NARRATION))
44-year-old Marina Goncharenko was appointed head of America House Odesa in September 2021. The plan was to open the center to the public in winter 2022, but Russia’s invasion delayed the opening. Now, despite the war still going on, the America House led by Maryna Goncharenko is celebrating its official opening.
((Maryna Goncharenko, America House Odesa)) ((ENG))
“...life goes on, there is a lot of solidarity among people, and the very fact that we are opening America House Odesa in November, in the second year of the full-scale war, feels like a miracle!”
((NARRATION))
The constant shelling of Odesa means the center can’t operate at full capacity. That means for now, English lessons, and a few other programs, which have been available at the center since September are still only available online.
((NATS))
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Charlie St. Pierre))
One of the English teachers, 27-year-old Charlie St. Pierre from Massachusetts, is currently in Kyiv, teaching an online class to students in Odesa.
((End courtesy))
((Charlie St. Pierre, America House Odesa)) ((ENG)) (chyron from FB)
((Courtesy: Zoom))
“I was attracted to this position at America House because Ukraine means so much to me! My own country means so much to me, and I get to be the bridge between these two places I really care about.”
((NARRATION))
Humanitarian groups say more than 170,000 internally displaced Ukrainians are living in Odesa.
America House has become an important hub for young refugees. There are two others in Ukraine, one in Kyiv and another in Lviv.
((Mandatory courtesy: Elizaveta Pishchyk
18-year-old Elizaveta Pishchyk says she can’t return to Kherson, her hometown, because it’s still too dangerous there. But at America House Odesa, Pishchyk says she has support.
((End courtesy))
((Elizaveta Pishchyk, Student)) ((ENG)) ((Zoom))
“America House gave me the opportunity to find new friends because I have never lived in Odesa, I didn’t have any friends here, and it is very hard to be alone – especially when there is war in your country, and you need support from people.”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: America House Odesa))
America House Odesa also wants to cater to Ukrainian war veterans
((End courtesy))
and is making the building handicapped accessible. It’s a small safe space, in a dangerous war-torn country.
((Anna Kosstutschenko for VOA news from Odesa Ukraine))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateNovember 28, 2023 13:59 EST
BylineAnna Kosstutschenko
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
