[Juba, South Sudan, TCT, By Philip Buda] The UK-Aid- funded Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) phase two program has kicked off its second round of cash transfers to girls in candidates classes including Primary 8, Senior 4 and primary 5 across the country. GESS, in May this year launched its second phase program with a budget of about 70 million Sterling Pounds which will be implemented in five years from 2019 to 2024. The first program budget was about £ 60 million which ended in 2018.

[Juba, South Sudan, TCT, By guest reporter, Philip Buda] South Sudan Library Foundation has opened the first public library in the country. The national non-governmental organization is working with support from donors, partners and well-wishers on initiative meant to help scholars in their research and to provide healing to the traumatized in the community.

[Juba, South Sudan, TCT] South Sudan government has come to the aid of its desperate students who have been held back from graduation due to tuition fees balance in Zimbabwe. Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Yen Oral Lam Tut in a meeting with the Zimbabwe vice-chancellor said the government is willing to clear the pending fees for the 69 South Sudanese awaiting graduation in Zimbabwe.

[Mwaakilishi, Nairobi Kenya, John Wanjohi] US technology conglomerate, Cisco has appointed Kenyan Sally Kimeu as Country Leader and Regional Manager for its East Africa operations.

[Juba, South Sudan, ST] South Sudan and neighbouring Kenya have signed an agreement granting citizens from the two countries free visas.

The agreement, an official said, was inked last week.

[WASHINGTON - VOA by Ayen Bior] He was once called a Lost Boy but today, his official title is Councilor-Elect.

Chol Majok won the 3rd District Common Council seat in Syracuse, New York, this week, becoming the first former refugee in city history to do so, according to Onondaga County’s Board of Elections.

Majok arrived in Syracuse 18 years ago with other Lost Boys of Sudan -- a group of 20,000 boys who were displaced or orphaned during the second Sudanese civil war in which about 2 million were killed. He was 16 years old and anxious to begin building his life.

He lived in foster homes until he turned 18, and although he was there for just two years, he says the conditions he experienced in the system changed his life. Read more on VOA

[Chevenning] Dr Chuor de Garang Alier (MD, MMed-OBGY), an MSc student in Clinical Embryology at the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, was given the top prize in awards which celebrate the academic achievements of African and Caribbean students in the UK.

[New York, USA, TCT] President of the United States Donald Trump wants nations of the world to bring to an end religious persecution.

“Today, with one clear voice, the United States of America calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution,” said the President during the Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom event at the United Nations, an article originally published in www.Caffeinatedthoughts.com.