We are currently plagued by a number of different problems. We are in the period of the global pandemic of the disease COVID-19, we are troubled by climate change and we are facing various social issues. One of the world's most used communication applications, Rakuten Viber, now celebrating its 10th birthday. However, he dedicates this special day to the most important ones, i.e. his own users.
The "Viber Heroes" campaign centers around the stories of people who have used the app to help others or spread awareness about important issues. For example, it can be about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic or topics related to social affairs or environmental protection.
One of the most beautiful stories is the story of the doctors and nurses from the neonatology department in Burgas, Bulgaria. At the time of the first lock down in the spring of this year, newborn babies who had to stay in the intensive care unit were separated from their mothers. An important period at the beginning of these children's lives, when important bonds with their parents are formed, was thus disrupted. But doctors and nurses decided to help, using the Viber app and in-app video calls to reassure parents that their children were okay.
In the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Health launched a community to inform the public in the first wave of the coronavirus, called Together against the coronavirus. Here the public learns regular and official informace regarding the pandemic and restrictions or their possible relaxation. The community is still one of the Ministry's main communication channels and currently has almost 60 members.
“We believe that the success of our app over the last ten years is largely due to our users around the world – the real people who use the app to communicate with others. There is a real story behind every conversation on Viber. We value our users very much and are happy to be a part of their daily lives. Being able to help people share joy, happiness and sometimes sadness, i.e. real feelings, is something that makes our work meaningful. And we want to continue on this path," said Anna Znamenskaya, Chief Growth Officer at Rakuten Viber.
Over the course of this spring, many heroes emerged on Viber—students, teachers, parents, creating communities and groups to help them simplify distance education communication. The teacher's platform, which is a professional association of teachers who have come together with the aim of improving the conditions of teacher work and the quality of teaching, has launched its own community on Viber, which aims to share important informace related to education.
Viber is also a communication channel for many non-profit organizations around the world. Within the application, you can learn a lot of information about topics such as environmental protection or other areas, become a member of their communities and help make the world a better place for us to live. For example, join the WWF - World Wildlife Fund community that focuses on saving endangered animal species or the community that aims to reduce the number of people in the world who live in hunger called Fight World Hunger Together. In the Czech Republic, there is a community for all those interested in animal rights called Home4Pets.
