ENPHO and The Small Earth Nepal (SEN); consortium partners of COVID-19 Rapid Action Taskforce (C19 RAT) Nepal in collaboration with Kathmandu Metropolitan City organized the awareness raising campaign on proper use of mask at Kamalpokhari and Gaurighat on the auspicious occasion of Chhath Parva under ‘Nepal Mask: COVID-19 Response Project’ on 10 November, 2021. The Vehicle Booth Campaign and Stand up Campaign was conducted in two areas for proper use of mask in these public places assuming the probable crowd on the occasion of Chhath Festival in these places.

The trained volunteers sensitized the general public on proper use of mask and distributed masks as triggering tool. A total of 32 volunteers was mobilized to conduct the campaign. A muscot of Coronavirus as ‘Virasur’ and Mask as ‘Jeevanpyaree’ used during the campaign became center of attraction while sensitizing general public. Also for sensitization, a miking and one to one conversation with general public was done for proper use of mask and handwashing to prevent spread of COVID-19.
Ashika Paudel and Ashik Paudel, 7 year’s twin child Dolakha said, “We found the flyer of handwashing, COVID-19 presentation and brochures of mask use very interesting and informative. We will show this to our friends. We will paste the sticker and flyer in our room.”
“I am not habituated to use of mask. I feel there is no coronavirus nowadays. So I came here to worship without mask. I realized it can be transmitted on such crowded area even if I feel there is no COVID-19” said Rameshwori Jha from Rautahat who came to worship for Chhath in the area.

With the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Yale University, “Nepal Mask: COVID-19 Response Project” is being implemented at various COVID-19 hotspot areas of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Melamchi Municipality and Koshi Rural Municipality. The project is being collaboratively executed with a motive to provide data-driven, real-time insights for improving COVID-19 situation in Nepal. This project aims to trigger on behaviour change of general public for proper use of mask project is adopting a NORM (No-cost mask distribution, Offering information, Reinforcement, Modeling) approach.