As UNDP has chosen Biratnagar metropolitan city as its pilot project in province no 1, with the intention to ensure that “No one is left behind from accessing the COVID-19 vaccination”, Bikalpa-an Alternative is privileged to be the part of this initiative and partner with UNDP and its other partners to make the Vaccine Registration Digitization program successful.
After taking part on the consultation meeting on 13 July 2021 at Hotel Eastern Star Biratnagar, Bikalpa was invited by UNDP to send the proposal/concept note for to mobilize the volunteers and create awareness for the digital vaccine registration campaign in Biratnagar. As we submit our concept paper and the agreement document in 31st July, we got the authority from UNDP to start the campaign. We called for volunteers through social media and develop the Google application form. We received 85 applications, out of which we selected 41 volunteers (2 volunteers each in 19 wards and few extra volunteers).
Bikalpa had a series of meeting with the Biratnagar metropolitan authorities and its agencies to proceed further. Besides that, we regularly had a meeting with UNDP staff and Health Department from Kathmandu to ease the vaccine registration process. The campaign was started with 7000 printed pamphlets to disseminate to the Biratnagar citizens. E-rickshaw with a driver was hired for miking, which displayed the Flex slogan with the intention to raise awareness and make the campaign effective. Bishal Rai was selected as a campaign coordinator and Suman Rai was assigned to assist the program. We started the local fundraising, where Himgiri Soap supported us the 20 registration booth (worth of Nrs190,000) to the Campaign.
On 11th August from 2:30 pm, onwards an orientation program for the volunteers of 19 wards in Biratnagar was organized, which was followed by tea and snacks at the premises of Hotel Shree Krishna Biratnagar. The objective of the program was to orient the selected volunteers on the process of digital vaccine registration. Bishal Rai started the orientation program with a welcome and introduction. Objective sharing was made by Dhan Badhur Chand, Regional Field Coordinator of UNDP, Field Office Janakpur. Anil Thapa, National Chief of Information Management Unit for COVID-19, shared the relevance of digital vaccine registration, where Abhay Shrestha, IT officer of World Health Organization shared about the technicality and deal with frequently asked questions. Participants were asked to make their field plan with their ward peers for their fieldwork, where Basanta Adhikari, Director of Bikalpa deliver the speech to inspire the volunteers. Realizing the threat of the pandemic protective measures like face shield, sanitizer, and a packet of masks were distributed to all the volunteers along with reporting documents and advance money to cover their field cost. In the evening, a Facebook group was created to communicate with all the volunteers and monitor their daily progress.
From 12 of August, volunteers were mobilized to all the 19 wards of Biratnagar for the data registration. Same day Bikalpa had a meeting with WHO, UNDP, and Staffs of the Health Department at its office, and also participated in the meeting with the Mayor where the progress of the campaign and further planning was discussed and tablets were handover to Biratnagar Metropolitan city by WHO.
On 13 of August 2021, Bikalpa organized a high-level meeting with civil society members, government officials, elected representatives, private sectors, academicians, and members of political parties. The objective of the program was to bring all the stakeholders together and seek coordination and support to make the digital vaccine registration program successful in Biratnagar. The program was chaired by the vice president of Province Planning Commission, province no 1, and the Mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan City. Deputy Chief DO of Morang District, Chief Executive officer of Biratnagar Metropolitan city along with other distinguished guests was at the dinner event to share their view on the issue. The meeting helped to build a good relationship with government authorities along with others who shared their commitment to support the program.
On 14 of August, we had a meeting with Mayor Bhim Parajuli along with UNDP, WHO, and Health Department officials to update about the progress of the campaign. Mayor and other municipal authorities made a commitment to vaccinate all the volunteers who are working for the digital vaccine registration program. Besides this, he also announced that the top 5 volunteers will be rewarded with the cash prize and the certificate along with other opportunities. On the 15th of August, all the frontline volunteers were vaccinated at the health department of Biratnagar Metropolitan City office, where Mayor Bhim Parajuli motivates the volunteers to give their best and achieve great results.
To achieve our goal, we have been mobilizing our volunteers for door-to-door campaigns, setting booths in strategic locations for the registration, distributing leaflets, organizing stakeholders’ meetings, meeting with elected representatives, coordinating with media, public service announcements through miking, video production, social media engagement and raising local resources to sustain the campaign.
After finalizing the script, on the 19th of August 2021, we engaged the Mayor of Biratnagar Mr. Bhim Parajuli in our video to appeal to the public for the online vaccine registration. This video was released on 20th of August which has around 40000 reaches and 20,000 plus view so far, that has helped aware Biratnagar citizens on the issue. Many of the local media has published the ongoing campaign that has helped to spread our message to larger masses.
On the daily basis, we have been making follow up with the volunteers. Time and again we have been having personal and 3 group review meetings with them. On 16th, 23rd, and 30th August, we had a meeting with entire volunteers at the premises of Biratnagar Metropolitan City and at the Bikalpa office. In the meeting volunteers shared the challenges they faced, best practices they developed, review the performance, and come up with further planning as well as registered record hard sheets were collected. Despite many challenges, within 3 weeks, after the engagement of Bikalpa volunteers, more than 78,000 people have registered in the Biratnagar data bank. Before the 11th of August 2021, the number of registrations in Biratnagar was around 32000 plus, after we engaged our volunteers, registration number reached around 110,000 plus till 5th of October 2021.
Closing the Event
On 5th of October 2021 at the premise of Hotel Shree Krishna, Bikalpa an alternative formally ended the COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration campaign by organizing a certificate distribution program to 43 volunteers who had contributed during a campaign. 
The certificate distribution program was started at 4 p.m. in presence of the chief guest, other guests, and 80 youths. Master of Ceremony of the program Mr. Bishal Rai welcomed and shared the objectives followed by chairing chief guest Mr. Bhim Parajuli, Mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan City and others. To honor and express thanks to campaign volunteers, a short one minute campaign video was projected, video was about the collection of photos of campaign activities. Immediately after finishing the video display, the certificate was distributed to volunteers personally through the chief guest.
Sharing experience and learning of four volunteers individually was interesting to listen, they shared about challenges faced in the community and how they overcame as well as some funny movements and bad accidents they faced. After experience sharing of volunteers’ chief guest gave his speech where he highly appreciated the hard work of volunteers and the result.
He also expressed his interest in partnering with youths in the future on other social cause projects. Along with his motivational speech mayor announced the top 5 volunteers’ names and assure his promise to felicitate the top 5 volunteers on the annual program of metropolitan office. The top 5 volunteer’s names are Muskan Shah, Barsha Shrestha, Ranu Shah, Rakesh kumar Yadav, and Sunil Mandal. These 5 top volunteers were selected on the basis of the highest target achievements. Top 5 volunteers will also get an opportunity to be UN volunteers.
At the end closing remarks were given by Basanta Adhikari from Bikapla where he thanks all for giving valuable time and motivated to engage in a good cause. This was followed by taking a group photo of volunteers with the chief guest and the Bikalpa team. Partial payment was made to the volunteers in-between of the campaign and full payment was made after taking their report.
Challenge Faced
• Bureaucratic hurdles at the beginning for approval of campaign from metropolitan office.
• Difficult to coordinate with most of the ward president and municipal officers who were not supportive during the early days of the campaign period.
• This year Monsoon is above average in Biratnagar and daily rainfall disturbed our campaign.
• Backward community people were afraid of the vaccination myths; it was hard to convince them for the registration.
• People do not take measures of safety and difficult to manage the crowd.
• Limited funding, we had to work with tight resources.
• During door-to-door visits safety of volunteers from dogs, and angry people who were not getting vaccine on time. (Our 1 volunteer was injured by a dog bite.)
Key learnings
• Volunteer themselves develop the skill and strategy to speed up online registration.
• Miking help volunteer to gather people on one central point for online registration.
• Volunteer learned to work in the community and gain their confidence and network.
• Use of social media help to inform more people
• Review meetings help to come out with solutions to on-field challenges and share best practices among each other.
Key Achievements
• This campaign helped to register more than 78000 people.
• Locally fundraised. Himigiri Pvt ltd supported the campaign by providing 20 booths worth Rs. 1,90,000.
• Out of all 7 provinces, Biratnagar Registration Campaign was the one to achieve the highest result, that has created a good impression among people and all stakeholders.
• All the volunteers got vaccinated during the vaccine registration campaign.
• Mayor video Appealing to people to do online registration reached up to 40,600 people and 20,000 plus views
• Popular local media supported this campaign by covering campaign news.
Campaign news coverage
• https://www.facebook.com/BikalpaKhabar/videos/325737369234357
• https://bit.ly/2XQun3s
• https://www.facebook.com/111393813895387/posts/372027254498707/
• https://bit.ly/38i62pc
• https://www.koshionline.com/newsdetails/4439
