Social Capital Formation through Grassroots Entrepreneurship Development: Evidence from Civil Society Organizations in Rural Uganda

The study sought to examine the mechanisms through which Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs) services contribute to social capital formation via grassroots entrepreneurship development in Bushenyi District, Uganda, with particular emphasis on the empirical relationship between educational service provision, income generation capacity building initiatives, and human rights advocacy vis-à -vis community development metrics. The methodological framework employed a mixed-methods research design, incorporating both descriptive and correlational approaches, with a systematically derived sample of 178 respondents selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques from a target population of 320. Data acquisition procedures encompassed triangulated methodologies, utilizing structured questionnaires, semi-structured interview protocols, and systematic observation frameworks. The analytical framework integrated both quantitative methodologies, including descriptive statistical analysis, bivariate correlation coefficients, and regression modeling, alongside qualitative thematic content analysis. Statistical findings demonstrated robust positive correlations between specific CSO service dimensions and community development indicators: educational services exhibited a strong positive correlation (r = 0.82**, p = 0.000