GESS commences cash transfers to schoolgirls

(File photo)

The Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) is scheduled to kick off payment of cash transfers to girls across the country today 9 November 2022, a press statement said Wednesday.

The cash transfers are direct payments made to girls enrolled in classes Primary 5 to Senior 4 who are regularly attending classes and the 2022 cash transfers will support over 448,000 girls across South Sudan to access and remain in school, according to the statement.

“Girls in candidate classes - Primary 8 (P8) and Senior 4 (S4) – will receive SSP 14,400,” the statement read. “This is to ensure that girls in P8 and S4 are equipped to deal with the higher financial pressure associated with final examinations. Girls in P5, P6, and P7 and S1, S2, and S3 will receive SSP 11,000.”

According to GESS, schoolgirls receive this payment because they still face many additional barriers to education, such as early and forced marriage, early pregnancy, and an uneven share of household chores.

Cash transfers also help to alleviate the financial barrier to education, lifting the burden off parents and learners by enabling them to afford school-enabling items, such as school uniforms, stationery, and sanitary towels.

“Over the years, since 2014, we have seen the impact of cash transfers on the lives of schoolgirls. The financial barrier is a major reason why girls drop out of school or are not enrolled in school across South Sudan,” said Akuja de Garang, GESS Team Leader. “As a program that wants to see girls enroll in school, stay in school, and complete school, cash transfers are a major aspect that addresses this financial barrier.”

“We want to ensure that every girl has the ability to be in school and complete her education,” she added. 

According to the statement, this year, GESS has taken further steps to ensure that the right girls receive the cash transfers by issuing Unique Learner IDs.

“The Unique Learner ID was issued to learners on admission in their respective schools and later transferred to their Cash Transfer Enrolment Forms during validation,” the statement said. “Each learner is expected to have their Cash Transfer Enrolment Form (CTEF) at the time of payment with a corresponding Unique Learner ID on the CTEF and admission register.”

The statement said that girls who have been approved for payment should receive the full amount of their cash transfer with no deductions.“Any attempt to take funds away from the girls, whether by teachers, officials, police, or anyone else, is a serious offense, and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner,” GESS warned. “Any girl who experiences this should report the incident through +211 928 520 824 and +211 917 647 891 or ask their parent or guardian to help them to do so.”

“We advise parents and guardians to accompany girls under the age of 18 to the payment center to guarantee that they receive the correct amount and to ensure their safety when traveling home after the payment,” GESS said. “Girls are also advised to travel home in groups of three or more.”

The GESS program receives funding through UK aid from the UK Government, the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the European Union.