| dc.description.abstract | The study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NGOs and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) engaged in environmental protection initiatives in the Eastern Division of Soroti City, Uganda. The study employed a qualitative research design, the research objectives entail characterizing these organizations, challenges faced by these organizations, the adaptive strategies and innovative approaches employed, and the resulting outcomes. Through semi-structured interviews with representatives from selected organizations, the study explored the characteristics of these NGOs and CBOs, revealing a diverse landscape of environmental activities, including tree planting, cleanup campaigns, and climate change awareness efforts. The pandemic brought forth multifaceted challenges, such as disruptions in fieldwork, reduced funding opportunities, and limitations in community engagement. However, organizations responded with resilience, leveraging technology and digital platforms (100% adoption) for communication and outreach. Radio advertisements (84%) and talk-show programs emerged as pivotal tools for enhancing community involvement. Despite the limitations posed by the pandemic, positive outcomes included improved technology utilization (60%) and enhanced collaboration with other stakeholders. The study underscores the vital role of NGOs and CBOs in environmental protection and calls for sustainable funding mechanisms, technological capacity building, flexible community engagement strategies, and collaborative efforts to address future challenges effectively. It provides a comprehensive understanding of how these organizations navigated the pandemic, offering valuable insights for stakeholders at local, national, and global levels to support and strengthen environmental protection initiatives. | en_US |
