Rakuten Viber, UNICEF Nepal join hands to empower children and youth

One of the leading messaging apps for free and secure communication Rakuten Viber and United Nations agency working for child rights in Nepal, UNICEF, have collaborated to launch U-Report Nepal chatbot on Viber.
U-Report Nepal is a community participation tool empowering young people to be active advocates for positive change in their communities, according to a press note issue by the company. “The partnership has also launched a free Viber sticker pack called ‘Covidko Kura’.”
U-Report Nepal is a chatbot on Viber that enables young people to receive information related to Covid-19, mental health issues, and other relevant matters, it reads, adding that it enables direct and rapid data collection and analysis while keeping its users’ privacy safe by keeping them anonymous. “The bot users can also share their opinions and voices through the bot’s built-in surveys.”
U-Report Nepal is designed to address issues that young people care about so that state institutions, non-governmental and international organisations, as well as the media, can have informed decisions and strategies guided by the poll results.
To subscribe to U-Report Nepal on Viber, users can search ‘U-Report Nepal’ on the search box, the press note reads, adding, “Once the chatbot opens, users can type and send “CORONAVIRUS” or ‘COVIDINFO’ to get started.”
Additionally, ‘Covidko Kura’ sticker pack on Viber is now available and free for download, the company said. “Users can download the stickers from the Viber Sticker Market through search tags such as covid19, unicef, unicef Nepal, coronavirus, Spread Love, Be Kind, NyanoSwagat, Maya Failau, Covidko Kura. When users download the sticker pack, they automatically subscribe to the U-Report Nepal on Viber chatbot.”
“Viber has always strived towards making itself a platform to empower the youth,” Chief Growth Officer of Rakuten Viber Anna Znamenskaya said, adding that especially in the context of Nepal, where mental health and other concerning issues are less talked-about, the company hopes that U-Report Nepal chatbot provides a medium for the youth to get connected with authentic and reliable information. “This also empowers them to be heard and become a more active part of the community.”
“U-Report is a critical tool in UNICEF’s engagement with young people,” UNICEF representative to Nepal Elke Wisch said, adding that over the past few months of the Covid-19 pandemic, young people all around the world have engaged with U-Report more than 20 million times. “So, we are delighted to collaborate with Viber to provide the opportunity for young people in Nepal to share their views on matters that affect them and their ideas for improving their communities.”
“This platform, together with the engaging sticker pack, is an important part of enabling the young generation to access lifesaving information and use their own networks for good,” she added.

Viber launches Nepal's first horoscope bot ‘HamroRashifal’

The popular messaging app Viber has partnered with HamroPatroRashifal to launch the HamroRashifalchatbot - a customised user-friendly, text-based feature that will cater to the user’s requirement anytime, anywhere.
Nepali consumers can now avail horoscope at their fingertips with Viber, according to a press note issued by the HamroPatro. “The instant calling and messaging app seeks to create new experiences and build a loyal base of enthusiastic and avid users of the platform,” it reads, adding that Viber will bring HamroPatro’s expertise and credibility to the fore and aims to provide deep value to users via this services. “Viber users can now receive, explore and share daily, weekly, monthly and yearly horoscope updates via direct subscription free of charge and there will be no additional fee attached with this service.”
Announcing the collaboration founder and chief executive officer of HamroPatro Shankar Uprety said that the company constantly strives to offer services on its platform that enables its users to receive vital information for their day-to-day activities and remain engaged with the community.
“As a pioneer of the Nepali Mobile-App industry,” he said, adding that the company is happy to partner with Rakuten Viber and enable its users from across the country to receive their horoscope predictions and updates on the Viber app.
Likewise, commenting on the collaboration, senior director at the Rakuten Viber Anubhav Nayyar said that Astrology is an intrinsic part of Nepal’s culture and we are honoured to work with HamroPatro and bring horoscope to the fingertips of our Nepali users. “Nepal is an important market for us and this initiative is aimed at further strengthening our position,” he said, adding that the company wants to create experiences that are relevant and contextual for its users. “We are certain that the latest addition will bring additional and meaningful value to our users on the platform.”

Migrants can now lodge complaints from abroad

Migrant workers can now lodge complaints from abroad as the government has established a call centre to listen to their problems.
"The centre will facilitate migrant workers, who need immediate help during the initial process when they are applying for foreign jobs," according to minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista. "The centre will be open every day for 13 hours from 7am."
"The centre under the Labour Ministry will be well equipped to deal with queries and complaints and provide suggestions to workers both in Nepal and in destination countries," he said, adding that the issues related to migrant workers will be addressed instantly. "The centre will coordinate and help resolves complaint lodged at the Department of Foreign Employment, Foreign Employment Promotion Board, Prime Minister Employment Programme or the Social Security Fund."
Migrant workers can file their complaints via telephone or internet-based communications including email, Messenger, Viber and Imo, he said, adding that the centre will also provide assistance to workers who have been jailed on fake charges. "The workers, who are employed in countries that the government has restricted for foreign employment, will also be able to file complaints at the call centre."
Nepal Telecom (NT) users will be able to connect and access the service of the centre for free and users of Ncell and other carriers will also soon be provided free services.