Ukraine: Rebuilding education — the revival of Snihurivka Lyceum in Mykolaiv Oblast

When we arrive at the Snihurivka Vocational Lyceum, we are struck by the contrast. The buildings are partially ruined, yet the grounds are carefully maintained, with flowerbeds in full bloom. Viktoriia, the school’s director, welcomes us with a smile that carries both warmth and weight.

She walks us through the premises, pointing out what used to be — and what could be again. For over 80 years, the lyceum trained more than 400 students each year in fields such as culinary arts, computer operation, plastering, and agricultural machinery. Notably, it was the first institution in Ukraine to systematically train women as tractor drivers.

That all changed in 2022. After Russian forces occupied the area in March, residents spent months without basic utilities. A missile strike destroyed the main school building. When the occupation ended, the teaching staff found the school heavily damaged and looted.

“They kept livestock here,” Viktoriia says quietly. “The former director couldn’t imagine students would ever return.”

A team that chose to stay

But Viktoriia and her colleagues believed otherwise. Step by step, they began clearing debris and salvaging what they could. With limited resources, they launched a pilot tractor-driving course for eight young women. “We taught in rooms with plastic on the windows,” she says. “It wasn’t ideal — but it was a start.”

International partners began helping with equipment, allowing the school to admit over 100 new students in September 2024. Still, the buildings remained unsafe and uncomfortable. That’s when the Danish Refugee Council stepped in.