Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in COVID-19 context: Case studies from Nepal
With the first and second surge of COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, followed by lockdown with mobility restrictions imposed by the government to reduce the spread of the virus, most vulnerable people witnessed impacts on their lives and livelihoods-affecting food security, health and nutrition, and education, amongst others.
As an international development and humanitarian organisation serving Nepalese communities who are marginalised through a right based approach, DanChurchAid (DCA) Nepal implemented Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) programme to help communities in reducing the negative impacts of COVID-19 in Kailali, Kanchanpur and Achham districts of Nepal with mixed modalities based on the local contexts and need identified.
Therefore, there is a need to consolidate existing evidence around CVA during the COVID-19 crisis, document current practices, and discuss the findings with key actors. This report presents and analyses the process adapted by DCA and its implementing partners for CVA implementation, its effectiveness and provides key lessons and good practices.
DCA has designed and implemented different types of CVA based on the participatory assessment to meet people’s needs and priority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DCA has designed and implemented different types of CVA based on the participatory assessment to meet people’s needs and priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. DCA support on CVA included the following:
- Multipurpose Cash Grant (MPG) for COVID-19 affected 502 families in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City in Kailali district with no conditionality applied
- Multipurpose Cash Grant (MPG) to 15 women affected by Gender Based Violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Gauriganga Municipality and Kailari Rural Municipality of Kailali district
- Voucher Assistance to 633 families in Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur district
- Cash for Work in Melekh Rural Municipality for 15 families in Achham district.
Thus, in total CVA benefitted 1,165 families affected by COVID-19 in Kailali, Kanchanpur and Achham districts using a range of modalities as mentioned above.