Two Sisters, One Dream

ECW supports two young Syrian refugees as they reach their dreams of a quality and inclusive education in Lebanon through a programme delivered by Save the Children and other local partners

By Education Cannot Wait

November 29^th, 2022

Thirteen-year-old Yara and 11-year-old Jana quickly write in their notebooks while occasionally glancing over at a mobile phone for instructions. They are following an online Arabic lesson, beaming with excitement.

Like millions of others in their home country of Syria, the sisters were forced to flee due to violence. They are just two of the 222 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in the world in urgent need of education support.

Sisters Jana (left) and Yara (right) from Lebanon write in their notebooks as they talk about their dreams. Photo © Save the Children/Shkeir

AN EDUCATION INTERRUPTED

In March of 2011, a violent government crackdown in the southern part of the country sparked a civil war and a massive need for humanitarian assistance. Since then, more than 6.8 million Syrians have been forced to leave their country and over 2.4 million children have been forced out of school.

But their situation hasn’t stopped them from dreaming of a better future.

“When I grow up I want to be a doctor, I want to help the sick,” says Jana, her eyes sparkling with ambition as her sister Yara adds that she also wants to help people.

Young refugee sister, Jana, is ready to learn at her home in Lebanon. Photo © Save the Children/Shkeir

After settling in their new home in Lebanon, Yara and Jana had almost lost all hope of attending school. Their journey coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to school closures, leaving children out of the classroom and putting the most vulnerable at risk of never returning.

With ECW funding, Save the Children Lebanon and two local partners, Mouvement Social and Al-Ribat Association, implemented a basic literacy and numeracy programme. The programme targets 10- to 14-year-old out-of-school children — mostly Syrian refugees — and provides them with French, math and Arabic instruction, as well as life skills classes to ensure they enroll or stay in school. One key aspect of the ECW-funded programme is its special focus on education for children with disabilities through individualized education plans.

The two Syrian refugee sisters study remotely from their mobile phone. Photo © Save the Children/Shkeir

A NEW WAY OF LEARNING

During the pandemic, the sisters were able to receive classes through a virtual modality. They shared a mobile phone and used it to attend sessions over WhatsApp, where teachers provided explanatory videos, pictures and voice notes. At a time when all hope of an education seemed out of reach, teachers used creative solutions to help students learn.

While Jana would jot down something in her notebook, Yara could flip through the pages and ask her teacher for further clarification on her Arabic assignment through a voice note.

With ECW’s support, teachers harnessed technology during the pandemic to give supplementary exercises and follow-up lessons. They were also able to support students using techniques and tools acquired from their anti-harassment, child safeguarding, disability inclusion and social emotional learning training.

“I study Arabic and French. My favorite subject is math, although my dream is to become a lawyer,” Yara says.

Yara is prepared to start her daily lessons at home in Lebanon. Photo © Save the Children/Shkeir

TURNING GLOBAL COMMITMENTS INTO DREAMS

Thanks to ECW and its strategic partners, the sisters are one step closer to realizing their dreams. ECW has reached a total of over 500,000 children — including over 300,000 refugees in Lebanon.

ECW’s High-Level Financing Conference is taking place on February 16-17, 2023, in Geneva. Hosted by Switzerland and Education Cannot Wait — and co-convened by Colombia, Germany, Niger, Norway and South Sudan — ECW is calling on all world leaders, donors, governments, private sector companies, high-net-worth individuals and other global advocates to turn their commitments into action to make the #222MillionDreams✨📚 of children like Yara and Jana come true.

The two sisters smile at each other while reflecting on their journey to an education. Photo © Save the Children/Shkeir

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