Barcelona, <26 February 2019> – KaiOS Technologies, maker of KaiOS, the emerging mobile operating system for smart feature phones, and CARE, the global poverty-fighting organization, are partnering to provide resources that educate, connect, and empower underserved communities, all via Life, an app that will be available for download in the KaiStore beginning in Q2 of 2019.

Life is designed for users in emerging markets that previously did not have reliable access to the digital tools and information they need. When the app launches, one of the sections will feature articles and guidance aimed at increasing financial understanding and independence, specifically as it relates to CARE’s Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) initiative. This program gives communities, and especially women, the means to manage their own money, access affordable loans, and build economic resilience.

“CARE’s work to end global poverty and promote social justice is commendable, and their mission aligns with our goal of bridging the digital divide,” said Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies. “Through our collaboration with CARE, we’ll be facilitating access to resources on financial management, digital literacy, and more; all of which are important tools that can have profound, long-term impacts for our customers.”

KaiOS users in Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda will be among the first to have access to CARE’s content in the Life app, with those in countries including Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand, receiving access later in 2019. The app will support Arabic, English, and French, and more languages will be added in subsequent updates.

“For more than 70 years, CARE has been dedicated to tackling the challenges facing underserved communities, from responding to humanitarian crises, to helping communities build a brighter future,” said Christian Pennotti, Global Director of Savings Groups at CARE. “Kai saw that providing reliable and affordable mobile internet was a vital opportunity to bridging the digital divide and leveling the playing field for everyone. And now with Life, we’ve found the perfect platform to help us translate some of our most effective tools into accessible digital content, reaching millions of underserved people around the world. We know that women and youth in far too many ways represent ‘the last mile.’ In Life, we see a solution with tremendous potential to help close this gap.”

KaiOS enables a new category of affordable smart feature phones that require less memory, while still offering a rich user experience through services like Google Assistant and Google Maps, and functionality including 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Life will join other popular apps like Google Assistant, Facebook, YouTube, Google Maps, and Twitter.
More than 80 million devices powered by KaiOS have been shipped to over 100 countries. Together with its partners, Kai aims to provide affordable mobile devices and digital services to users in emerging markets, as well as those in established markets that are looking for an alternative to smartphones.

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Kai Media Contact

Eletta Leung / Kara Gibson
eletta.leung@kaiostech.com / kgibson@hoffman.com (408) 975-3053