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Article History

Received: 10 March 2026

Accepted: 18 May 2026

First Online: 2 June 2026

Declarations

:

: The proposal for this study was initially examined and authorized by the academic commission (AC) of the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension during the 2022 academic year, prior to the approval of Bahir Dar University's standard operating procedure. The authors received retrospective institutional review board (IRB) approval for this study, in which the ethical review board of the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension at Bahir Dar University reviewed the proposal's contents, associated research tools, and respondents' informed consents retrospectively. As a result, the University found the proposal to be qualified for ethical clearance and issued an IRB certificate dated August 22, 2022, confirming that the proposal meets the standard requirements. Accordance Statement: This study was conducted in full accordance with the ethical guidelines and procedures of Bahir Dar University. Prior to data collection, informed consent was obtained from all respondents. Participants were clearly informed that the purpose of the study was strictly academic, their participation was entirely voluntary, and all information provided would be treated with strict confidentiality. The research protocol was thoroughly reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Committee of Bahir Dar University following a formal proposal defense before the commencement of fieldwork. As the study did not involve medical or clinical procedures, no biological samples were collected, and no experimental interventions were undertaken. Informed consent was obtained from all respondents before the interview. The respondents were informed that the purpose of the study was solely academic, their participation was voluntary, and all information collected would be kept confidential. Furthermore, respondents were approached in a respectful and friendly manner during the data collection period and were given the full freedom to withdraw at any time if they felt uncomfortable.

: Not applicable. The manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data, images, or other materials that require consent for publication.

: The authors declare no competing interests.