Race to help 300,000 Syrian girls and boys

The plan to bring Education without Borders to 300,000 Syrian refugee children is gaining momentum as UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and education activists rally support for the initiative.

After Malala Yousafzai spoke to Zahra and Om Kolhtoum Katou last week on Skype, CNN’s Nic Robertson talked to the 13-year-old girls in their temporary home of Baalbeck, Lebanon.

The girls, who dream of being doctors, have a simple message: “We say thank you – and one day, when you need help, we will help you too.”

The plan, which could see Syrian refugees in Lebanon receiving schooling within weeks, was developed by expert Kevin Watkins of the Overseas Development Institute and will be the subject of funding discussions in New York during the United Nations General Assembly on September 23.

Watch CNN’s report from Baalbeck on some of the children who are lucky enough to be receiving education from UNICEF – and don’t forget to sign our petition to help provide schooling for those who aren’t.