Sonido

Sonido is a Latvia-based social enterprise offering employment opportunities to people from socially marginalized and at-risk groups, removing their barriers to employment. They provide a variety of call centre services and virtual secretaries with various profiles, such as feedback, complaints departments and customer support. The enterprise was founded by Inga Muižniece, who has several years of experience in the work integration of people at social risk. 

The marginalised groups that Sonido employs are primarily people with functional disabilities, as well as those with visual and hearing impairments. Sonido ensures its working environment and conditions are adapted to their capabilities and needs. First, the enterprise assesses the employee’s availability and capacity to work, offering part-time employment and flexible working hours if needed. Employees can also decide whether they want to come to the office - which is fully accessible and adapted - or work from home. 

Throughout the years, some employees observed that callers quite often reach out to the helpline not to receive information but to talk to someone, to feel heard and understood. Many of them are people with disabilities who suffer from loneliness, especially  since it can be difficult for them to socialise or to go outside. This inspired them to create an opportunity for anyone in need to have a conversation and be listened to. This is how the social project “Let’s Talk?” started: a call line for everyone who needs a conversation with a fellow human being. Through this project, Sonido aims to reduce loneliness by bringing together callers who need to be heard and people with disabilities who are open and willing to share their experience. The call line is now also offered in video format with sign language for people with hearing impairments. 

The partnership with Rimi

Rimi Latvia is one of the leading food retail companies in Latvia. It is part of Rimi Baltic, which is present in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The company employs more than 5,000 people and has over 135 Rimi stores across the country. 

A few years ago, Rimi Latvia was looking for different possibilities to ensure emotional support for their employees. This is how they started a partnership with Sonido. The social enterprise implemented a support line, open to all Rimi employees, for when they need to talk to someone and be listened to. Providing such a platform for employees can significantly improve their mental health and job satisfaction. This support helps address issues early on, potentially preventing the escalation of mental health problems.

“We have understood how important and necessary simple conversations can be. Sometimes people do not need psychological support, but just a conversation with someone when they can’t talk with friends or relatives, or when they have no one to talk to. This is the first step before more serious support but it helps in many cases”

- Gundega Kirilka, HR manager Rimi Latvia

The collaboration fosters a more supportive and caring workplace culture at Rimi, which in turn improves employee well-being and productivity. This shows that caring for employees’ emotional needs isn’t just a moral obligation but also a strategic business decision. 

The Impact

• The number of calls to the social call line “Let's talk” increased from 160 in 2018 to 11,466 in 2022.
• Sonido employed 59% of its workforce from vulnerable groups between 2018 and 2022. 
• 65% of employees who used the support line said the conversation was valuable, and 69% that they would call again.

“It is great to see the traditional enterprises becoming more and more socially responsible and caring about their employees. In Latvia, we have a stereotype that people who feel lonely are mainly the older generation who are not able to get out of their apartments. This partnership broke this stereotype,  and it appears that there are a lot of younger people who feel lonely. Unfortunately, there are still many mainstream enterprises in Latvia who are not ready yet to pay for service to provide well-being to their employees.”

- Inga Muižniece, founder, Sonido