Interoute, owner operator of Europe’s largest cloud service platform, is supporting Kids Non-Profit Organization (KNPO), a charity dedicated to reducing the number of child deaths caused by traffic accidents in developing countries through its reflective Bead Initiative. Interoute provides KNPO with free use of its cloud-based Unified Communications solution Interoute One Bridge. The solution from Interoute helps KNPO collaborate and operate across the globe and improves productivity, communication and effectiveness.

Road traffic accidents globally are responsible for the death of more children in developing countries aged 5-14 than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined. During a trip to Malawi in 2012 Richard Ahlström was so shocked by the danger he witnessed on badly lit roads, that in June 2013 he founded Kids Non-Profit Organization (KNPO), with a mission to reduce the number of child traffic related deaths and injuries in each country it operates in.

The idea behind the organisation is brilliantly simple. Tapping into childrens’ natural desire to create, KNPO manufactures and distributes colourful reflective beads that can be made into bracelets, headbands and bag decorations. The beads reflect the beams from a car’s headlights making the children 5 times more visible to drivers. KNPO then teaches kids about road safety while they play. It’s called the Bead Initiative and it’s a practical and effective low-cost road safety movement that aims to help save thousands of lives.

Richard Ahlström explains: “I wanted a way for the children to be seen in the dark that was both fun and educational for them, which is how I came up with the idea of the beads. The beads are made of biodegradable sugarcane, corn, sugar beets and cassava so if a bracelet breaks or falls on the ground, it will only take about a year for it to break down naturally.”

The beads are designed in Stockholm, Sweden; produced in Shenzhen, China; assembled in Beijing China; with biodegradable sugarcane, corn, sugar beets and cassava from a Taiwanese production plant; reflective material from Minnesota USA and once assembled shipped to Mzuzu in Malawi.

KNPO uses Interoute One Bridge to connect and collaborate with volunteers and ethical production partners around the world on a daily basis. Accessible on any device, anywhere and with WebRTC capability and unlimited video and audio conference bridges that use local direct dial numbers in over 40 countries to reduce costs, collaboration is easy.

Richard Ahlström continues: “The Interoute One Bridge solution that Interoute provides for us means we can now collaborate and share ideas virtually anywhere, regardless of whether we are near Lac in Malawi, Stockholm or San Francisco. This also saves us money, which means we can produce more beads and, ultimately, save more lives.”

Mark Lewis, VP for Communication & Connectivity Product Solutions, Interoute said: “KNPO’s Bead Initiative is a brilliant way to tackle the problem of how to reduce child road accidents in developing countries. Interoute is delighted to play a small part in helping a bright idea light up the world.”

Over the past year, the KNPO has already distributed millions of beads. The campaign is supported by the World Health Organisation and has a registered account for public fundraising activities with the Swedish Fundraising Control.