FCO Press Release highlights the work of Akuja and GESS
FCO Press Release: Honours for the best of Britain overseas
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) announces 76 awards for Britons in recognition of exceptional service to Britain overseas.
The Diplomatic Service and Overseas New Year 2017 Honours List recognises extraordinary people in a range of fields overseas including voluntary and charitable work, education, health, assistance to British nationals overseas, the arts and conservation.
Awards go to Professor Jane FRANCIS, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, who receives a DCMG for her services to UK polar science and diplomacy. Anna WINTOUR OBE, Editor-in-chief, American Vogue, receives a DBE for her services to fashion and journalism. The Architect, David ADJAYE OBE and Dr Jeffrey TATE CBE, Chief Conductor of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, each receive a Knight Bachelor.
Sir Simon McDonald, Head of the Diplomatic Service, said:
“Congratulations to everyone honoured today for their outstanding service to the UK overseas. They have all worked hard; their awards are richly deserved.”
Other recipients receiving honours for their work overseas include:
Akuja de GARANG
GESS Team Leader, Akuja de Garang
Team Leader for Girls Education, South Sudan receives an MBE for services to the promotion of girls’ education and social development in South Sudan Akuja de Garang is recognised for the significant contribution she has made to the development of the world’s newest country, South Sudan, the country of her birth. She returned in 2004 and since then has strived to improve the state of a number of sectors, including child protection, human rights, youth participation, health and education. Most recently, as Team Leader of Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS), an innovative and complex programme tackling barriers to girls’ education in the country, she has been instrumental in the success of the project in reaching over 180,000 girls and providing them with cash grants, to keep them enrolled up to the end of secondary school. She is also a conflict management, humanitarian and development expert with extensive project management experience and has worked in Sudan, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Kenya, UK and South Sudan.On learning of her award Akuja de Garang said “This is wonderful. More so for the GESS programme and the people of South Sudan.”
GESS Team Leader, Akuja, receives MBE
GESS is pleased to announce the following:
Akuja de Garang, Team Leader of Girls’ Education South Sudan, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)
Akuja de Garang, GESS Team Leader, speaking at National Girls’ Education Day
Girls’ Education South Sudan, (GESS), funded by UK Aid – a programme which has broken ground over the last four years in enrolment, attendance and retention of girls in one of the most adverse of environments – is proud to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has appointed our Team Leader, Akuja de Garang, MBE, in the New Year Honours List, published today
From refugee scholar to team leader of an outstanding UK Aid programme – and more
Akuja began her education at Juba Model School, but was just eight years old when civil war forced her family to flee South Sudan in 1983, settling in Bristol. In 2004, with a degree in African studies and a Master’s in development from the University of London, she came back to Juba with a yearning to help rebuild her community. After her return, Akuja spent several years working for UNICEF on child-protection issues and with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on conflict resolution. She then delivered several consulting contracts for public-sector reform projects—including helping set up the newly independent government’s payroll system—before she became the Team Leader of Girls’ Education South Sudan, which she has led since its start in 2013
“Education is a right for all, especially girls, not a privilege for a few”, she often declares. Indeed, Girls’ Education South Sudan has been key in getting enrolment to its highest level ever, 1.318m pupils, in 2016, 43% of them girls, and this delivered despite three years of intense conflict.
As well as her role on GESS, Akuja is passionate about preserving the cultural heritage of South Sudan. She designs fashion inspired by South Sudanese traditional arts and crafts., Her work has featured in Elle Canada and The New York Times, and directs the Festival of Fashion and Arts for Peace.
Expanding girls’ education, and delivering value for UK Aid, in the midst of conflict
South Sudan gained its independence in July 2011, but, since December 2013, has seen a fresh, bloody and continuous conflict, that now affects almost every part of the country.
Despite this, 567,000 girls are in school this year, and Girls’ Education South Sudan’s world-leading www.sssams.org system, now in its fourth successful year, has the name of every one of them, giving a unique level of assurance and accountability.
Under Akuja’s leadership, GESS has paid out more than. 300,000 cash transfers to girls and their families to keep girls in school years Primary 5 to Secondary 4, to over 184,000 unique girls, and paid >9000 school capitation grants to the bank accounts of >3500 schools, full accountability for which can be seen on www.sssams.org. In addition GESS has reached 2 million people with behaviour change messages in support of girls education and laid down a strong foundation for teacher professional development through a pilot imitative reaching over 200 schools
Akuja leads a team of several hundred colleagues and works closely with the South Sudan Ministry of General Education and Instruction – the picture below shows Akuja and George Ali Stephen, their Deputy Director Development Partners, talking on live radio to listeners across South Sudan about the cash transfers and school capitation grants programme.
Girls’ Education South Sudan is exceeding the targets set for it before the conflict, and is a flagship example of good value for money achieved with UK Aid in the most demanding circumstances. It has been praised by the International Development Committee of the House of Commons, and DFID recently set out in evidence to that committee three ways to scale up the programme
An outstanding ambassador for the United Kingdom and South Sudan
John Shotton, Director at BMB Mott MacDonald which is responsible for managing GESS, said: “Akuja is an outstanding ambassador for our company, for Girls’ Education South Sudan, and for the United Kingdom and South Sudan. In a world where many are busy putting up walls, Akuja is building bridges. We are delighted her achievement has been recognised by this prestigious award, and look forward to achieving even more together in Academic Year 2017 and beyond”.
Notes for editors:
The Order of the British Empire
The “Order of the British Empire” is almost a hundred years old: it is awarded to recognise excellence in a wide range of civil fields, by British citizens and others.
The award of Member of Order of the British Empire is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community, that will have had a long-term, significant impact and stand out as an example to others.
Girls’ Education South Sudan
Girls’ Education South Sudan is a collaboration between the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, Government of the Republic of South Sudan, and UK Aid. It is implemented by a consortium led by BMB Mott MacDonald, and including BBC Media Action, Winrock International and Charlie Goldsmith Associates, and NGOs in each State, integrated with country systems at all levels.
It delivers four major components:
- Community based behavioural change
- Cash transfers to girls and their families, and school capitation grants, to support access and quality
- A quality education component involving a holistic approach at school community level.
- An evidence and research component to inform policy development
Voluntary Teachers, "we will support you!"
Victoria James Yasona – Deputy Chairperson of the PTA at YMCA Primary, Yambio, Gbudwe State
YMCA Primary School in Yambio, Gbudwe State, is just one of 3,601 schools that has received a Capitation Grant, funded by the Government and delivered as part of the Girls’ Education South Sudan programme. In light of the current economic crisis, it was decided that in 2016 schools will be able to use up to 60% of the total to fund teacher incentives.
Victoria James Yasona (pictured), the Deputy Chairperson of the PTA spoke to us about supporting voluntary teachers with the GESS Capitation Grant, “with this money (Capitation Grant) we sat together with the Head Teacher of this school to make a package, and decided to pay the voluntary teachers. It is very difficult for us, but we are doing our best. We will support them.”
Another school to benefit from a Capitation GrantIn, Mayath Girls’ Primary School, received 19,972.00 SSP in 2015, and 7,618.00 SSP the year before that. Capitation Grants are the main source of income for the school, which does not receive any money from the community. Because several of the teachers at Mayath are volunteers who do not usually get paid, the school was able to use some of this money to support them in their work.
The Capitation Grants are a vital component of the GESS multifaceted approach toward improving access to education for the children of South Sudan. Download File
Progress Update – Cash Transfers
Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) Team Leader, Akuja, was joined by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction’s (MoGEI) Deputy Director of Partners Coordination, George, this morning on Radio Miraya to discuss the ongoing progress of Cash Transfer disbursement to girls in South Sudan.
The Programme has been alerted to a few isolated cases whereby the Cash Transfers have been taken from the girls. On Radio Miraya’s breakfast show, Akuja and George highlight GESS’ and the Ministry’s policy of zero tolerance when it comes to cash being taken out of the hands of girls.
Listen to the show below:
Our Girls, Our Future: National Girls' Education Day in South Sudan
Juba was full of celebration yesterday. Over 400 came together to celebrate our girls for the joint event of National Girls’ Education Day and International Day of the Girl Child.
The theme of the event: “Our Girls, Our Future: Reaching full potential through Education”.
But before the festivities had even begun, GESS Team Leader, Akuja, was at Radio Miraya with star pupil and GESS Peer Mentor, Achol Majur. Akuja and Achol were brought on the Breakfast Show to discuss GESS and the different ways by which we can break down the barriers to girls’ education, as well as acting as beacons of hope to the girls of South Sudan: “You have to motivate your daughters tell them that failure, doesn’t mark the end of their journey”, Achol encouraged her sisters.
Akuja and Achol at Radio Miraya
The esteemed event took place at Juba Girls’ Secondary School and was led by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction. Activities to mark the event included dance, song, drama and the sport of Boru Boru, as well as speeches from the Honourable Minister and the Honourable Undersecretary of General Education and Instruction, and GESS Team Leader, Akuja. The event was designed to give over 300 primary and secondary school girls in Juba the opportunity to come together in celebration.
The objectives of this year’s event:
- To create awareness about the importance of the education of the girl child.
- To mobilize support for the education of the girl child in South Sudan.
- To increase the enrolment of girls in schools to approximately 40% over the next year.
- To increase the retention of girls in schools so that a larger number of girls finish primary school.
To mark the day, GESS organised a Careers Fair for secondary school girls. We were eager to ensure that girls took away something positive from the event and we believe that we achieved just that.
18 women and 8 Peer Mentors guided discussions with approximately 200 girls to offer insight and advice on their future careers. These exceptional women represented a wide range of sectors, including banking; law; entertainment; engineering; catering; medicine; teaching; humanitarianism; journalism; fashion; and women’s empowerment.
Honourable Undersecretary, Michael Lopuke
Despite the great celebration in Juba, Hon. Undersecretary, Michael Lopuke, asked the girls in attendance to remember their less fortunate sisters – a section of the country’s largely pastoralist community is left out of education.
“It is an appeal to ensure that education is for all children of South Sudan regardless of whether they are from pastoralist communities, agricultural communities or urban areas.” he said.
To break down some of the barriers to education Girls’ Education South Sudan continues its programe of delivering capitation grants to schools and cash transfers to girls. With these measures in place, we hope to see and improvement in enrollment, retention and school completion in order to reduce gender disparities.
Celebrating the Teachers of South Sudan this World Teachers' Day
Today is World Teachers’ Day. This year’s theme is “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”. This resonates strongly with South Sudanese teachers, many of whom have seen declining respect for the teaching profession due to low incomes.
However, we continue to be impressed by the resilience & determination of teachers throughout South Sudan, who remain committed to their profession despite the many barriers facing them.
On this #WorldTeachersDay we asked teachers in South Sudan the following question:
What’s your favourite thing about being a teacher?
Henerita Yoasa Tombe, Head Mistress at Juba Girls Secondary School, replied:
“Not all wants to be a teacher, however the spirit to teach others is the inspiration. I enjoy transferring knowledge. Teachers are a torch to the nation. That’s why I like teaching.”
John – Teacher at Mayath Girls’ Primary School, (former) Lakes State says:
“There is a good life in educating a child, because it helps them become a responsible person.” But he believes that teaching also has a positive impact on the teachers themselves. For John, teaching “opens your mind and makes you to be flexible to the people and community around you.”
Bonfilio Tongun Alfonse from Supiri Secondary School, juba:
Bonfilio Tongun Alfonse,
Supiri Secondary School, Juba
“My favorite thing about being a teacher is teaching and impacting knowledge in to others. Because of this I cannot leave teaching to go and do something else even if what I earn is very small”
Download FileWhat a Reminder! – A refresher course in Teacher Professional Development
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Story written by: Muni Henry Iga Head teacher, Vision Bearers Academy Primary School |
It had been a while since I had a refresher course when the Education Specialist, Mr. Kenyi Sebit John, got me in the office at Vision Bearers P/s to deliver his monthly training program of teachers. I had only been at the school for three days as the Head Teacher of Vision Bearers Academy P/s. Since I was new to the program, Kenyi briefed me on the Teacher Professional Development training, which I understood.
Muni Henry Iga -Head Teacher of Vision Bearers Academy Primary School
I participated in three workshops conducted in the school on schemes of work, lesson plans and how to make lessons more interactive and interesting. The workshops reminded me of the time I was a teacher in Uganda when workshops and seminars were the order of the day. Teachers never stop learning and because of this, I’m sure that pupils enjoyed lessons more, as teaching is enriched with a variety of methods and activities.
Thanks God that the initiative is slowly making its way through the teachers of this lovely country, South Sudan, whose education system is seriously lagging behind. The Teacher Professional Development is really helping the teachers in their teaching skills. The training workshops conducted every month ensure that the teachers’ memories are refreshed and the material stays in their minds.
In the trainings I attended, teaching and learning can be improved and become interactive when the following are used:
• Variety of methods;
• Effective use of learning aids;
• Involving learners with a lot of activities;
• Use of songs, stories and creating a text rich environment.
Teacher Professional Development training materials.
Photo Credit: Agnieszka Mikulska
I was impressed with the peer teaching to demonstrate interactive lessons. Teachers learnt a lot from one another, especially the mistakes teachers make unknowingly and think that they have presented a perfect lesson.
Despite the many challenges the school faces in providing the necessary support to teachers to improve on the teaching and learning, I’m proud that the workshops have significantly made a positive change on both teachers and pupils at Vision Bearers as teachers try to use the materials learnt during the trainings. This has encouraged active class participation and involvement.
In summary, for the teachers to compete satisfactorily on a global scale, such training workshops are of paramount importance and they should be conducted consistently in order to keep teachers refreshed and updated. Download File
GESS Throughout the Conflict
Along with its partners the GESS team is fully operational and is continuing to support the people of South Sudan to maintain its education sector. The Programme is working at scale and will flexibly place greater emphasis on the resilience and recovery of school communities that have been affected by on-going conflict. The GESS team continues to assess and adapt to the current operational context by aiding girls especially, but not singularly, so that they can continue to access quality education. As the Honourable Minister of Education, Deng Deng Yai, recently stated: “Education cannot wait. We cannot wait until conflict ends. The right time is now.”
Some key headlines
- More pupils than ever before have been enrolled on the South Sudan Schools’ Attendance Monitoring System (SSSAMS – www.sssams.org) – a total of 1.26million in 3,407 schools. Schools have also reported pupil attendance reports to SSSAMS via SMS more regularly: 56% of schools that have submitted enrolment figures have reported this year, and 43% of schools have sent at least five attendance reports so far in 2016 Enrolment totals registered in 2016 to date: Total: 1,261,189 pupils; Girls: 533,571; Boys: 727,618.
- A total of 2,116 primary schools (68% of all primary schools) and 118 secondary schools (53% of all secondary schools) have qualified for a school Capitation Grant in 2016, to date. In the former states of Central Equatoria and Warrap over 70% of the total primary schools in the state qualified. Additional schools are expected to qualify in the coming months.
- The number of girls eligible for cash transfers as of August 3rd was 182,626, compared to 138,000 last year. This is a result of increased enrolment in 2016. The validation process has already started and the schools are expected to complete this by mid-August, upon which the payments can begin.
A girl waits to receive her cash transfer
Consortium Activity
Following the most recent fighting in Juba, GESS partner, BBC Media Action, was able to contact all 29 partner radio stations to confirm that they were continuing to broadcast repeats of the ‘Our School’ programme on schedule. And aside from the State Anchor (SA) in former Central Equatoria, all other State Anchors were able to continue with community mobilization activities at the county level.
The Quality Education team continues to implement and prepare for the following trainings: monthly training to School Management Committees and Boards of Governors on school development planning and implementing; refresher trainings to head teachers on writing School Development Plans and Budgets; school-based training for 1718 teachers on positive pedagogy; mentoring support to secondary schools girls in 69 schools; teachers in 220 schools are being assisted in developing teaching and learning materials from locally available resources; and the team is also preparing for the rollout of training for the Payam Education Supervisors.
Earlier this year, BBC Media Action also undertook a nationwide survey, analysing data to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to education and girls’ education. The survey involved interviews with 3,169 people across accessible locations in all ten states of South Sudan, and the results are now being analysed.
As well as continuing to drive the cash transfer and capitation grant initiatives, GESS partner, Charlie Goldsmith Associates, is also now undertaking a nationwide survey to assess the impact of the programme on girls’ enrolment; attendance; and achievement in schools; community attitudes; and enabling and hindering factors. Teams have so far visited 75 schools, and will access more in the coming weeks.
Teachers and students in Bor with GESS Midline team.
The GESS team continues to be impressed by the resilience and determination of government officers, teachers and pupils throughout South Sudan who are committed to delivering and achieving quality education, irrespective of the enormous challenges. As one student at a secondary school in Yambio, Western Equatoria, put it: “We struggle, but… school is the best thing all over the world”. Download File
Women Deliver 2016 Concludes
Women Deliver 2016 the world’s largest global conference on the health, rights, and well being of girls and women in the last decade, concluded today, which means our Team from Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) will close down the booth and head back to Juba.
GESS Team Members and New Friends Leave Conference
This 4th Global Conference was a successful first time visit to the visit for Girls’ Education South Sudan and provided an opportunity to introduce, not only our program but also the education issues and challenges in the world’s newest nation.
The conference provided the opportunity for the GESS Team to interact and exchange ideas with a broad range of experts, researchers, youth leaders and advocates from around the world; some of
whom had already heard about the GESS programme.
Over the 4 days more than 400 visitors stopped by the GESS booth, including visitors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, British Embassy, South Sudan and UK aid/DFID India who were highly supportive and pleased to see the GESS programme presented at WD 2016. Some visitors had heard about the programme through previous work in South Sudan and all left with a better understanding, not only of the challenges that girls meet in trying to get an education in South Sudan but also how the funding and partnership between UK aid and the South Sudan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, is helping to overcome some these challenges.
Visitors to our booth were introduced to the GESS programme innovative initiatives in Quality Education; School Attendance and Monitoring (SSSAMS.org); Capitation Grants to Schools; direct Cash Transfers to Girls, Behavioural Change Communication and Community Mobilization.
On the media side, the Communications Team in Juba working with UNMISS “Radio Miraya brought the conference to South Sudan’s radio listeners through two “Live” telephone interviews with members of the GESS Team during the 4 day event. The second interview on Wednesday was part of the Radio Miraya, hour long “Working Together” program which connected the GESS Team Leader, Akuja de Garang in the Juba studio with Yolanda Ille, GESS Education Advisor in Copenhagen and allowed callers in South Sudan to participate in the conversation.
GESS members in Denmark also presented at a breakfast event hosted by BBC Media Action and shared a brief overview of the programme’s objectives, innovative design and key results to an audience from around the world.
Over the 4 days, the GESS Team members attended sessions on topics such as:
Investing in women and girls key to delivering the SDGs
M&E and Research
Education in Emergencies
Education for children with disabilities
Women Economic Empowerment
The last Women Deliver conference in 2013 brought together over 4,500 participants from 149 countries. More than 800 speeches and presentations were given at the six plenaries and 120 breakout sessions. We expect when this year’s numbers will build on 2013 and we’re all proud of the work of all the GESS Team both in Denmark and around South Sudan that helped make this week a big success. Download File
Womens Day
Two GESS staffers speaking as role models to young South Sudanese girls on International Women’s Day.
This morning, to celebrate International Women’s Day, GESS Education Advisor, Yolanda Ille and BBC Media Action Producer Chol Ngut Khor were guests for a discussion to celebrate International Women’s Day in South Sudan on Radio Miryaya’s Morning Breakfast Show with Sebit Williams.
Speaking as strong, successful role models for girls and to the parents listening, the two women drew on their own personal stories as young girls themselves, growing up in South Sudan.
They also highlighted their experiences along the road to becoming the professional women they are today. Above all they spoke to the importance and value of girls being provided every opportunity to go to school and get an education, supporting the the International Women’s Day – Pledge for Gender Parity.