By Bida Elly David
Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) has kicked off payment of cash transfers to school girls across the Country limiting it to regular learners enrolled in primary and secondary schools.
Last month, the institution in charge of the GESS program mandated schools to start the registration process of schools entitled to receive the cash transfer limiting it to certain age.
The program restricted payment to only girls who shall be attending classes on regular basis as well as bearing her name in the enrolment list.
Cash transfers for girls has been helping to alleviate the financial barrier to education lifting the burden of parents and learners by enabling them to afford school enabling items such as school uniforms, stationery, and sanitary towels. Cash transfers have helped to alleviate the economic barriers that previously prevented recipients from accessing education.
In a statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, the cash transfer was meant to support over Four hundred and forty-eight thousand (448,000) school girls across the Country.
“Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) 2022 Cash Transfers to Schoolgirls Commence! GESS is scheduled to kick off payment of cash transfers to girls across the country on 9th– November -2022”
Cash transfers are direct payments made to girls enrolled in classes of Primary 5 to Senior 4 who are regularly attending classes. The 2022 cash transfers will support over 448,000 girls across South Sudan to access and remain in class especially girls in candidate classes.
The statement also revealed that GESS had the strategy to ensure that every girl got access to education through the funding rendered to them.
“Over the years, since 2014, we’ve seen the impact of the 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 schools across South Sudan. As a program that wants to see girls enrolled in school, stay in school, and complete school, cash transfers are a major aspect that address this financial barrier. We want to ensure that every girl has the ability to be in school and complete her education,” it states.
According to the payment scheme, girls from upper primary and upper secondary such as primary eight and senior four shall receive an amount of 14,400 South Sudanese pounds each due to the financial constraints they undergo in the process of their final exams.
GESS further states that girls from primary five, six, seven and S1, S2, S3 shall be liable to receive payment of eleven thousand (11,000) South Sudanese Pounds each for their out keep.
“Primary 8 (P8) and Senior 4 (S4) – will receive SSP 14,400. 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. 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,” GESS noted in a statement.