KATHMANDU: On February 14, National Health Education Information Communication Centre (NHEICC) in coordination with Family Health Division (FHD) and with support of USAID Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) Nepal project launched a Facebook campaign 'Smart Dampati'.

The campaign required couples to upload their “couple photograph” on a Facebook application developed specifically for this campaign. Aiming to encourage the couples to make a smart choice of family planning for a happy family, 'Smart Dampati', a part of National Smart Jeevan campaign had been introduced.

Ron Hess, Chief of Party, HC3, shared, “The Smart Jeewan campaign is for the next generation couples who dream of a planned family. I have seen Nepalis  who love their families very much and want to give best to them. And family planning is a new normal for young couples for brighter future.”

A total of 2,500 such young couples had uploaded their photographs in nearly two months. From among these photographs, 24 winners were announced in a lucky draw held at Entrance Cafe, Bakhundole on April 12.

In the beautifully decorated cafe — that was all filled with heart-shaped paper cut outs and balloons, denoting love — personalities from different walks of life chose the lucky smart couples. Saurabh Jyoti, Chairman of Honda Nepal and Director of Jyoti Group; Sheela Shrestha and Kunj Joshi from NHEICC, actors Rakshya Shrestha and Kamal Mani Nepal, and AK Bansal, Deputy General Manager of Everest Bank among others picked the code numbers of the couples who had uploaded their photographs. The code numbers were announced at the event.

Pranab Rajbhandari, Deputy Chief of Party, HC3 put more light on the campaign through a power point presentation. He explained, “The main objective of the campaign is to maximise campaign recognition among beneficiaries so that it is perceived by Nepal’s young couples as the ‘new normal’ pathway to having a planned, well-cared for family and develop the use of family planning methods in their lifestyle.”

The 24 lucky winners are entitled to various prizes.