Millennium Promise Alliance

The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Local Government , is set to expand the Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) project from 17 to 55 districts, marking a major milestone in strengthening community resilience and livelihoods. The Ministry of Local Government, together with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) , led an appraisal mission in July 2025 to review the achievements of LEGS I and hear directly from communities. Supported by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, the LEGS project strengthens rural livelihoods through coordinated investments in agriculture and natural resource management, including expanded water access for households and production, improved market infrastructure, and greater availability of affordable microfinance. As part of the recent assessment, the delegation engaged with district officials, project beneficiaries, and implementation staff to review progress to date. Findings from these consultations will inform the design of Phase II, with a focus on scaling climate resilience and ensuring durable impact . Community Transformation in Action From safe, piped water in Kyejonjo and Katakwi , to new solar mini-grids powering cooperatives in Magoro , LEGS has already demonstrated how integrated infrastructure and livelihoods support can change lives. Health centers now have reliable water, youth cooperatives are saving and reinvesting in local businesses, and women farmers are using climate-smart tools to increase yields and income. Millennium Promise Alliance: Partnering for Scale As an implementing partner, Millennium Promise Alliance plays a central role in coordinating service delivery, providing technical expertise, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, and integrating climate-smart agriculture and sustainable livelihoods into local government plans. In this project, MPA Uganda works closely to support the Ministry of Local Government Uganda. MPA ensures that project investments translate into measurable impact aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the appraisal mission to guide the forthcoming scale-up, Mr. Samuel Travis , MPA’s Director of Corporate Affairs , and Dr. Seth Ohemeng Dapaah , Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, and SDGs , joined stakeholders in the field to review progress and meet with community beneficiaries. They were welcomed by Dr. David Siriri , Country Director , Millennium Promise Alliance Uganda, whose leadership on the ground has been instrumental in driving results in Uganda. “Our work is about ensuring investments reach people where they live; turning financing into energy for households and businesses, equipment for farmers, and opportunities for young entrepreneurs,” said Mr. Travis , noting the importance of partnerships in sustaining results. Dr. Dapaah emphasized the learning agenda: “By strengthening monitoring and evaluation, we ensure that communities and policymakers have the data needed to scale what works and adapt where needed. This is how we build resilient systems, not just projects.” Dr. David Siriri also shared, "The expansion of LEGS will reflect what we witness in the field every day: when communities receive the right tools, infrastructure, and support, they accelerate their own development. This success is made possible through strong partnerships between communities, district governments, the Ministry of Local Government, IsDB, LLF, and our team on the ground. As we move into Phase II, our priority is to scale solutions that are already improving lives while ensuring these investments remain sustainable for generations.” The Path Forward With the expansion to 55 districts, LEGS II will prioritize: Climate adaptation through resilient crops, water harvesting, and infrastructure Local governance capacity to manage and sustain investments Financial sustainability via community revenue and cooperative models Impact measurement to capture lessons and scale best practices For the Ministry of Local Government, IsDB, LLF, and implementing partners like MPA and others, this is a blueprint for how integrated, people-centered development can lift rural communities and accelerate Uganda’s progress toward the SDGs. We will provide more news on the impacts and progress of the LEGS project soon.

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW), in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Ghana hosted the maiden international symposium on SDGs on Wednesday June 19, 2024. The symposium used a participatory approach to engage a wide range of stakeholders to discuss, review and share data on Ghana’s SDGs achievements. Some of the issues discussed included Climate change, eco-sustainability and livelihood through the prism of the SDGs, Achieving sustainability through innovation, technology and empowerment, leveraging technology, innovation and digitalization to initiate new possibilities on the SDGs in Ghana and a panel discussion on empowering communities to own the SDGs through school curricula and social campaign. Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual, Vice-Chancellor (known elsewhere as President) of UEW, in his welcome address emphasized the university's commitment to sustainability through education, research, and community engagement. He highlighted the partnership between UEW and SDSN as a testament to their dedication to sustainable development. Prof. Mitchual expressed UEW's readiness to collaborate with other universities globally to mobilize scientific and technological expertise and resources for implementing the SDGs.