The Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) 2024 cash transfer process has begun, the sponsors said in a press release.
The GESS program is funded through the UK aid from the UK Government, the Government of Canada through the Global Affairs Canada, the European Union (EU), USAID, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This year’s program targets girls who are currently enrolled in, and regularly attending, classes from Primary 7 to Senior 4, girls enrolled in the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) 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.
“The primary objective of the GESS 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.
“This year, about 250,000 learners in the eligible classes have been validated to benefit from the cash transfer,” reads the press release.
There are over 1.1 million girls currently enrolled in both primary and secondary school, with over 90,000 in secondary school- three times as many as when the GESS program began in 2014.
Due to its success, the GESS program now focuses on the enrolment of girls and boys with disabilities in upper primary and secondary schools, given the challenges girls face as they get older and as they transition to secondary education, and the societal biases and negative attitude towards the education of children with disabilities.
By providing financial assistance directly to learners, cash transfers aim to reduce the financial barriers that often hinder their education. Schoolchildren and boys with disabilities are specifically targeted for these funds because they still face additional obstacles to education.
The GESS program allocates SSP120,000 to the candidates in classes Primary 8, ALP Level 4, and Secondary 4. Those in Primary 7 and Secondary 1-3 are entitled to SSP95,000.
The higher amount for candidate classes is intended to help cover the additional expenses associated with final examinations.
GESS has zero tolerance to misappropriation of funds and urges all the stakeholders, the parents, and the learners to report any incidents of misappropriation and concerns or threats during the cash transfers. The unacceptable practices include the reduction of the allocated amounts, replacement of eligible learners who are absent during payment and the issuing of funds to the non-eligible learners with disabilities.