Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) & UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) – Jakarta and Meulaboh, Indonesia/March 2005
I provided GIS support to the United Nations Joint Logistic Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia for a couple of days, creating data and logistic maps. Due to shifts in personnel I was sent to Meulaboh, one of the hardest hit areas along the coast of Sumatra, to temporarily support a Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC). During this period I filled map requests for various agencies, organized spatial libraries, provided hardware maintenance, and updated agency contact databases.
I first became interested in applying GIS to humanitarian efforts while volunteering in Limbe, Cameroon in 2002. Following that, I returned to school and completed a Master’s Degree in Geographic Information Science with an emphasis in Emergency and Humanitarian Relief Systems. However my true education came from the opportunities provided by GISCorps, where I really learned the important role GIS can play in relief efforts. Since then I have provided GIS support to the American Refugee Committee, a local chapter of the American Red Cross, and a Mercy Corps Office in the Republic of Georgia. Thanks GISCorps!
