Updated on Jun 30: You’ll find a list of projects we’re involved in below. We’ll keep updating this list as new initiatives are launched.

Low-income individuals are more susceptible to contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. They’re also the most impacted by lockdowns.

That’s why, together with our partners, we are championing initiatives that help KaiOS users, most of who are low-income and live in developing countries, cope with the challenges of the pandemic.

We’re supporting our developers in creating solutions and working with carriers to promote them to the largest number of users.

COVID-19 Awareness and Prevention

Through the apps below, KaiOS users have access to reliable and practical info about the coronavirus disease and prevention measures.

Be Safe

Be Safe provides users with essential information about the coronavirus disease and how to stay safe. All the content comes from the World Health Organization (WHO) website and is available in English, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, Swahili, and Russian.

We’re working hard to get this life-saving information in front of as many people as possible through push notifications and texts (sent by carriers) promoting the Be Safe app. Since its release on KaiStore on March 23, Be Safe has become the second most downloaded app of the month.

COVID-19 Stats


COVID-19 Stats tracks the number of reported cases, deaths, and active cases around the world and per country. It also features a “top 20” list of countries and their confirmed cases, deaths, and recovered cases. It’s available in English and in French.

Life


The app that equips first-time internet users with tools and resources in digital skills, health, education, and other essential topics now includes coronavirus-related info from UNICEF and the WHO. It also gives users access to the WHO’s WhatsApp chatbot, which answers questions in real-time.

To ensure this essential information reaches the largest number of KaiOS users, we’re running ad campaigns for Life in other KaiOS apps, including games.

The world’s first 4G phone with a thermometer

In response to COVID-19 and the global demand for on-the-go temperature monitoring, hardware manufacturer FISE created a smart feature phone with a built-in infrared thermometer. Checking someone’s temperature using the device is simple: all it takes is holding it near the person’s forehead. The new phone, which runs on KaiOS, is now available to carriers and OEM partners for order and release to global markets.

COVID-19 Coping

With 1.5 billion kids out of school and unemployment rates high, resources for online learning are more important than ever. We’ve partnered with several organizations to provide both children and adults free access to educational content via smart feature phones.

Roducate

Virtual learning is becoming increasingly important in most developed countries – not just as a result of the lockdown, but also because it can supplement traditional classes. Now, children in Nigeria can also take advantage of online education thanks to a project that distributes a total of 300,000 free KaiOS devices, equipped with learning app Roducate and an activated MTN data SIM card, around the country.

Through Roducate, students can take classes, complete assignments, and prepare for national exams offline on their KaiOS-enabled devices.

The project is a result of a partnership between KaiOS; Nigerian research & development company Robert and John Ltd; the Lagos State Government; and the First Bank of Nigeria. The latter sponsored the first batch of 20,000 KaiOS-enabled devices.

Robert and John is currently seeking funding from state governments and private institutions to make Roducate available for more schoolchildren in Africa.

Worldreader

Thanks to Worldreader, kids and adults everywhere can access a digital library of high-quality, culturally relevant books, including titles across different languages.

Users can access the library from any KaiOS-enabled phone, choose from over 10,000 titles, and save them for offline reading.

In light of the current crisis, Worldreader has made a number of resources available to parents, caregivers, and teachers, including a collection of stories curated for children from birth through primary grades. 

Worldreader is just one of the reading apps for KaiOS – to explore all of them, visit the KaiStore and choose the Book/Reference category.

Cell-Ed’s 1 Million Learner Challenge

In partnership with KaiOS, mobile-first learning company Cell-Ed has launched the 1 Million Learner Challenge, which aims to reach, teach, and support one million adult learners.

Through Cell-Ed, low-income adults will gain free access to the platform’s skill-building programs, including reading, math, and work readiness courses, which they can take on their smart feature phones. 

In times of crisis, it’s even more important that everyone gets connected. For more information, read the articles “Covid-19 shows why internet access is a basic right. We must get everyone connected” and “Meaningful Connectivity – Unlocking the Full Power of Internet Access” from our partner A4AI.

Thanks for reading. We hope you’re staying safe.