The number of girls joining formal education has increased this year in Gogrial East County of Warrap state.
This is according to the County Education Director who reported that they have registered 2,227 girls this year compared to 1,707 last year.
Makeny Agoth Giir attributed the increase in enrolment to the support being given by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA. The NGO provides cash to school girls through Girls Education South Sudan.
The GESS programs provides, among other things, direct payments to girls regularly attending school to help them buy things they need, and also funds schools to remove registration fees for students to encourage families to send their children to school
Mr. Makeny encourages parents and guardians to send more girls to school.
“Once a girl is educated and old, she will get her husband majestically compared to uneducated ones. So, I urge parents to enrol more girls next year,” he said.
Awien Mabuoc recently completed her high school and now works for Save Education and Development Association, SEDA. She said parents and school girls she look at her as an example of what education can do to a girl.
“I am now getting my lotion by myself because I am working, and this is after I have attained education from school. I deeply appreciate my parents and also calling on the parents to the girls to continue support these girls for better living.”
In other news, ADRA has donated 35 school uniforms to children with disabilities in Twic, Warrap state.
The donation was given to 20 schools the organization is supporting in Aweng, Wunrok, and Ajak Kuach and Turalei payams.
There are two hundred school children under ADRA program in Twic. The support targets children with disabilities such as blindness, deafness and paralysis.
“The organization only supports children that are in the schools. However, we have also given pen and pencils to these children as part of some education materials given by the organization,” said Tong Deng Buok, ADRA’s Inclusive Education Officer.
He revealed that the remaining number of pupils will also get their uniforms in the second quarter of July this year.
“We are asking the parents to do more in enrolling children to schools in the County.”
Nyalat Madut Deng, a primary 7 pupil in Maper primary school told Mayardit FM through sign language that the donation by ADRA has lessen the burden on parents looking for money to purchase uniforms for their children.
The ADRA’s Inclusive Education program facilitates the establishment of school clubs to promote inclusive education focusing on disabled girls and boys in South Sudan.