In
the course of its journey so far, pioneering short video platform Likee has
emerged as much more than an entertainment provider. Launched in 2017 by Singapore-based
Bigo Technology PTE Ltd, Likee has touched and transformed several lives. Its
pool of influencers and content creators are the protagonists of this success
story. One such tale is that of 26-year-old Raziuddeen Siddiqui, a mathematics
genius who uses the platform to impart education to those who cannot afford to
join conventional coaching classes or tuitions.
It
was in 2014 when Raziuddeen, fondly called Siddiqui Sir by his students, packed
his bags from hometown Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to embark on an ambitious
journey to Mumbai. He began teaching at a coaching institute in Nala Sopara, a
town in Palghar district near the Maharashtra capital. Though the stint helped
Raziuddeen earn his livelihood, his tryst for inner peace and satisfaction was
yet to be fulfilled. And that’s when he started teaching underprivileged kids
free of cost.
As
fate would have it, the teacher with a kind heart got acquainted with a student
named Ritesh Jaiswal, who introduced him to the world of Likee. Initially
apprehensive of venturing online, owing to the technical nuances involved, Raziuddeen
thought over the suggestion and posted 2-3 videos to explore the medium.
“Ritesh shot 2-3 videos and posted them on Likee. The response was average for
the first few days, but within a week, the videos went viral and garnered more
than 50,000 likes. I was overwhelmed by the response and decided to pursue it
further,” recalls Raziuddeen.
As
his fan base on Likee expanded gradually, Raziuddeen later started using the live
streaming feature of the platform. At a fixed time, knowledge seekers would
join his live sessions. As part of it, he would discuss and solve queries
posted by hundreds of students.
“The
response to my videos and live sessions was excellent. With Likee, I could
create more content is less time, say 7-8 videos can be shot within 30 minutes.
Around 500-600 students joined my live sessions, which were suspended
temporarily owing to my health complications. But I plan to resume it soon and
will organise it in a more synchronised manner,” says the Math genius.
According
to Raziuddeen, creators on Likee must use the platform for more than providing
just entertainment. He believes that dancers, singers, teachers and other
creators must use the platform to educate and train others. “Thanks a lot to
Likee makers that they created such great platform,” he says.
Raziuddeen
failed to pursue his PhD due to financial constraints, but he made sure that he
would do his bit to help others in need. Once an UPSC aspirant, he still
intends to pursue PhD and even appear for the civil services examination. But
no matter where the road leads, he is determined to continue using Likee for
educating others. He currently has more than 223K fans and over 1.11 million
likes on the platform.
