Considering there are apps to make you go to sleep, apps to wake you up and even apps to make you feel calm, why not one to help you with some good deeds? The Vibe app, however, goes beyond just helping you help others. It goes into all aspects of volunteering, right from mobilising people to spotting which work needs more helpers and how to optimise the time and efforts spent on each endeavour.
Vibe is backed by NASSCOM, India's umbrella body of software companies, as well as the Vodafone Foundation, the CSR division of the telecom giant. Developed by VSO, the app is available on both Android as well as iOS platforms for free download.
The main purpose of the app is to efficiently organise voluntary social work, by getting those interested in purposeful opportunities in direct coordination with areas where volunteers are needed. It also provides a platform for big companies to mobilise and deploy volunteers specifically where they are needed, also helping in their CSR goals. For those in the development sector, benefits include a focussed and enhanced understanding of requirements, as well as access to specialist skills.
Arun Goel, secretary in the Union ministry of culture, who launched the app, expressed hope that the digital interface which brings institutions, NGOs and volunteers together could see “path breaking solutions emerging.”
The app records the time spent on volunteering as well as the progress and impact of the work being done. Volunteers can interact with each other, sharing opinions and feedback. The app has real time notifications, documentation of work done and even a panic button for volunteers, especially female social workers working in rural or remote areas.
