DANYLO BOICHUK, 12, UKRAINE
Danylo Boichuk envies his cat, Kari, who is able to escape from the family home in a Kyiv suburb and run free. Because of the pandemic, his family had to cancel a summer camp in Bulgaria, and 12-year-old Danylo worries a lot about closed borders.
Sitting on his back porch, he has used his LEGO blocks and figures to create his version of the future — a situation at the border.
“Here is a vessel en route to Copenhagen, and border guards are inspecting it,” Danylo explains, pointing to particular pieces and holding up others. “This crew member shows medical evidence that everyone on board is healthy, except for one man in an isolation cell.”
The plastic figure makes a rattling sound after he drops it into the makeshift jail.
“There is a security guard restricting contact with the man,” he continues. “There are IT specialists at work. There are also people who lost their jobs — musicians, farmers, showmen.”
The boy wonders if authorities in some countries will use the coronavirus crisis to tighten their grip on people’s lives. “For example, they may implant chips to track (people’s) whereabouts … ,” Danylo surmises.
His parents say he has an analytical mind. Already, he wants to become a businessman in the future and create a start-up to develop online games. He’s been reading books about Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, and other famous entrepreneurs, during self-isolation.
After the pandemic, he says people will invest more in internet products and games.
“This is an opportunity one should use,” he says.