To celebrate Local Government Day, the USAID HOVERLA Activity launched the Governance Champions campaign, showcasing local government specialists whose daily work delivers exceptional results for their communities. Champions could be economists, lawyers, financiers, land managers, project managers, and other specialists in local government who attract investments, execute large-scale projects, and exemplify professionalism and dedication.

In collaboration with the ShoTam media, the campaign presents stories about professionals such as a financier who tripled a community budget during wartime, a land manager bringing millions through effective land use, and others.

In this selection of stories created in collaboration with the ShoTam media, you will learn about:

• A financier who tripled the community budget during a full-scale war
• A land surveyor who brought millions to the budget through the efficient use of land resources.
• A lawyer who finds empty houses with no heirs for years and gives them to the families of IDPs, fallen defenders, and young doctors.
• A cultural manager who is implementing a reform of cultural institutions in the community to share this experience with the whole country.
• A project manager who attracts hundreds of thousands of euros through international projects.
• A curator of youth and sports who creates world-class sports opportunities in a rural community.

The campaign emphasizes that local government work is dynamic, inspiring, and transformative. Strengthening the institutional capacity of local self-governments through professional development is a key focus of the USAID HOVERLA Activity, supporting efforts by Ukraine’s Ministry of Communities and Territories Development to enhance communities' capacity and self-sufficiency.