GESS cash transfers are direct payments made to girls enrolled in and regularly attending school. All girls from Primary 5-8 and Secondary 1-4 are eligible and will be targeted over the lifetime of the Programme. Cash transfers encourage girls to enrol in and attend school, help them to buy scholastic materials, and contribute to poverty reduction in the family and the community.

The second phase of the Programme is providing cash transfers to help improve girls’ access to quality education and to boost social inclusion. By the end of the second phase of GESS, the Programme expects to reach approximately 575,000 individual girls.

Cash transfers are addressing the high rate of dropouts, particularly from Primary 6 (P6) and including the transition from Primary to Secondary school. This is done through allocating differential amounts to girls in different classes to cater to their unique needs.

Over the life of the first phase of GESS, 520,000 cash transfers were disbursed to more than 295,000 individual girls in grades Primary 5 (P5) – Secondary (S4). This surpassed the Programme target, set at 200,000, with 135,874 girls receiving one transfer; 62,676 receiving two tranches; 53,671 receiving three tranches, and 24,796 receiving the maximum of 4 cash transfers.

The first phase of GESS provided evidence of the impact of cash transfers. The research conducted under the first phase showed improved attendance, low attrition rates, increased choice by girls on how to spend their money and better access to education enabling items. The most commonly reported uses of the cash transfers were for buying shoes, exercise books, pens/pencils and soap.

Payments are usually conditional on enrolment and regular attendance. However, we waived this condition during COVID-19 related school closures.

For further information on cash transfer eligibility, processes, requirements, or to make a comment, compliment or complaint, send an email to info@gess-southsudan.org or call our designated cash transfer hotline numbers:

  1. MTN +211 928 520 824
  2. Zain +211 917 647 891

For further information about GESS, email: info@gess-southsudan.org