Mayuge District Authorities Urged to Sustain Development Gains Post-Heroes Programme

Implementing partners in Mayuge District are calling on local authorities to create concrete plans for maintaining development gains following the end of the Heroes Programme. This six-year initiative, funded by the Netherlands and implemented by Heroes for Gender Transformative Action, focused on integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for young people and women.

The programme achieved significant milestones, including enhancing antenatal and postnatal care, establishing youth-friendly safe spaces, and training healthcare workers and peer educators. It also worked to improve decision-making skills, foster gender-responsive communities, reduce tolerance for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and strengthen survivor support mechanisms.

Financially, the Heroes Programme made substantial contributions to the district’s health sector, reportedly covering significant portions of facility budgets and primary health care funding. Despite these successes, Programme Manager Michael Muyomba cautioned that the closure could create significant gaps if interventions are not institutionalized by the local government.

Muyomba stressed the importance of sustainability planning to demonstrate lasting impact to donors and prevent the reoccurrence of services collapsing post-project. He recommended integrating program models into existing government supervision frameworks, strengthening health supply chains, and linking community support groups to government initiatives like the Parish Development Model.

District health officials acknowledged the programme’s contributions, noting a reduction in teenage pregnancies and early marriages. The challenge now, they stated, is for the district to leverage the skills and resources embedded within the community and workforce to continue supporting beneficiaries.

District officials pledged to integrate the programme’s interventions into ongoing planning processes, acknowledging the value of the data generated for targeted development. An Assistant Resident District Commissioner also directed ongoing monitoring of NGO-established facilities to prevent their deterioration once projects conclude.

Stakeholders remain optimistic that through dedicated planning and local ownership, the positive impacts of the Heroes Programme can be sustained for the benefit of the Mayuge community. https://nilepost.co.ug/news/349411/ngos-urge-mayuge-district-to-sustain-development-gains-as-heroes-programme-ends