South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
This year’s cash transfers under the Girls Education in South Sudan (GESS) will be remitted to learners who regularly attend classes from Primary 7 to senior 4, including those enrolled in Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP).
“The cash transfers this year target; girls who are currently enrolled in, and regularly attending, classes from Primary 7 to Senior 4, girls enrolled in the Accelerated Learning Programme in levels 3 and 4, and for the first time ever, boys with disabilities from Primary 7 to Senior 4, and boys with disabilities in the ALP levels 3 and 4,” said GESS in a statement on Friday in Juba.
It said that the primary objective of the cash transfers is to support and empower girls and boys with disabilities across South Sudan in accessing and successfully completing their education by lifting the financial burden off parents and learners.
GESS also said that students in candidate classes (Primary 8, ALP Level 4, and Secondary 4 will receive SSP 120,000, while students in other classes (Primary 7 and Secondary 1-3) will receive SSP 95,000.
“This year, about 250,000 learners in the eligible classes have been validated to benefit from the cash transfer. In 2024, over 1.1 million girls are enrolled in both primary and secondary school, with over 90,000 in secondary school,” it disclosed.
It said that the number benefiting from the GESS cash transfer in primary schools is three times compared to when the GESS programme began in 2014.
GESS advised parents and guardians to accompany children under the age of 18 and learners with disabilities to the payment point to guarantee, that they receive the correct amount.
It advised children to travel home in groups of three or more.
“By providing financial assistance directly to learners, cash transfers aim to reduce the financial barriers that often hinder their education. School girls, and boys with disabilities are specifically targeted for these funds because they still face additional obstacles to education,” said GESS
The GESS programme is funded through UK aid from the UK Government, the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the European Union (EU), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
