Millennium Promise Alliance, Inc.

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.

SDG Promise Japan, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization offering poverty reduction programs and other support measures to vulnerable populations will build a vocational school in Ghana. The world-famous architect Kengo Kuma is designing the school. Known for designing the main stadium of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a trip to Africa in 1978 was an eye-opening experience that shaped Kengo Kuma's design philosophy. Now, he is ready to reciprocate by designing the vocational school in Ghana, free of charge. SDGs Promise Japan will lead the construction and project. Millennium Promise Alliance is providing technical support to SDGs Promise for the vocational school project. The Ghana Vocational Training Institute will be built in the town of Manso Nkwanta, in Ghana's Ashanti region. The site is close to where Kuma visited as a graduate student. " The most important trip in my life was to West Africa when I was a graduate student, " Kuma told reporters. He recalled traveling south across Algeria to Niger, facing nothing but desert for days. " It was only when we arrived in Ghana that we came across green plants. It felt like I came home to Japan," he said. "Soil, trees and grass. The basic elements of all my designs were inspired by my trip to Ghana. " The facility comprises classrooms and dormitories set amid lush green trees, where students between 18 and 35 years old will take classes in stonemasonry, plumbing, carpentry, and other vocations -- over three years. The first classrooms will be ready late summer, and the rest will be built in accordance to funds raised for the project. The cost will be covered by the Japanese government's aid programs as well as crowdfunding. The idea is to offer local citizens a path to proper employment, as opposed to taking part in illegal gold mining, which is becoming prevalent in the region.