RRN/WHH has supported 550 households of three local government of Chitwan district under NPL 1032 in response to the lockdown due to COVID-19. In Kalika Municipality, 200 HHs were supported with food items and hygiene kit. Kalika Municipality had selected the beneficiary for relief distribution from the women who have recently been in postnatal period during the lockdown (delivery cases with 3 months). During the relief distribution, the beneficiaries were briefed about the complaint registration process and, individual flyer with detail of relief items and toll free number for complaint registration number was also provided to each beneficiary.
Rita Tamang was feeding her new born son when she received the information that her sister-in- law has received the relief items (food items and hygiene kit) as a support to mothers at post-natal period because of Covid-19 lock down. Her sister-in-law and Ms. Tamang gave birth to the child within a gap of a week (first week of Chaitra) in Khole Simal Health Post. She was confused as she should have also been one of the beneficiary, if her sister-in-law falls under the criteria to receive the relief items.
Rita Tamang, a local inhabitant of Kalika-1, has a family of six (three male and three female). Ms. Tamang works as a meter reader in Jutpani Drinking Water Supply. Her husband is a returnee from aboard two years ago. Her family totally depends on her job and her husbands’ daily wage. During the lock down, her husband was not been able find the job as regularly as he used to do before.
Ms. Tamang decided to inquire the selection criterial of relief distribution. Her brother in-law handed her the flyer which comprised the detail of material he received in the relief and also a toll free number to register the complaint regarding the relief. In the beginning, her husband called the toll free number complaining that they didn’t receive the relief. The respondent responded that they‘d further verify their eligibility and she was also informed that if she has been in post-natal period after the beneficiary list was endorsed by the municipality then, she was not eligible for the relief.
Later, Ms. Tamang consulted to Ms. Belkumari Shrestha, local FCHV of Kalika -1.Ms. Shrestha was a newly appointed FCHV in that area and she informed that Ms. Tamang’s name was mistakenly missed on the name list. Before, Ms. Prem Shanti Tamang was working as FCHV in that area, when Ms. Tamang had her delivery. Ms. Tamang called on the toll free number again. She explained that her name was missing in the beneficiary list on which the local FCHV agreed too. She also added that her neighbors who had their delivery 10 days before and after her date, both got the relief. So, she should have been under the criteria of beneficiaries.
Later the RRN WASH Facilitator, Mr. Roshan Chaudhary, verified this information with Khole Simal health post and the corresponding FCHV. It was finally verified that Ms. Rita Tamang fall under the criteria endorsed by the Kalika Municipality and her name was missed due to some unavoidable circumstances. On 9th July 2020, relief material was handed over to Ms. Rita Tamang by RRN district team at Khole Simal. She was briefed about the food items and hygiene kits. Ms. Tamang thanked RRN/WHH after receiving the relief items.
Voice of Ms. Rita Tamang
“I thought that the chances of me getting the relief was really low as the distribution had already completed in our municipality. But I’d like to thank you for addressing our issue and providing us with relief items. This will be a great aid to my family even if it’s for a month. The hygiene kits includes the material that can be used to prevent from Corona virus which is really useful.”
