Interview with a Humanlink volunteer

Jeff R. Allen
34 years old

Background: 10 years as a system administrator with Microsoft and Tellme Networks and as an independent IT consultant. Built wireless networks in Guatemala and in Mississippi (after Hurricane Katrina). Worked in Liberia for Doctors Without Borders 6 months.

Q: How did you get started with Humanlink?

A: I am an IT guy with an interest in humanitarian aid work. I have been working for several years to find the perfect way to combine my interests and skills. My work after Katrina and in Liberia prepared me to work for Humanlink, so when Jon called on me to respond to the Padang earthquake I was ready to go.

Even though I had just returned from Liberia, I repacked my bags and headed out. We were on the ground in Padang within a week of the earthquake talking to people, assessing the needs.

Q: What's your job for Humanlink?

A: I am the IT support engineer for this project. It is my job to act like a consultant and work with clients to help them identify what work they need done. I call on my background as an IT consultant to prioritize work and to sort out the major projects from the minor ones. During this short trip, we are not in a position to start major work, so we need to be clear with clients about how we can help and what they will have to do to help themselves.

Q: How do you do your work?

A: First Jon and I meet with a client and explain what Humanlink is, and how we work. I get permission to work my way around the office and I interview people one at a time informally. At this stage I am listening for complaints that come up time and again and for tasks which are low-hanging fruit. I write up a rapid assessment, giving the client an overview of how their IT infrastructure works, what my opinion is of it, and a list of the top issues in priority order.

It is important to communicate with a client in writing like this, so that we have a place to work from. We look at the document together, and if they agree for me to start working on the top issues, I get to work.

The work itself is the same IT work anywhere in the world. Someone complains about a printer, and you go debug it. The difference is this is the tropics, and “debugging” it could actually involve pulling a bug out of the toner cartridge! During my assessment, I pay special attention to how the power supplies are arranged. Power in the developing world is notoriously bad, but with careful use of UPSes, you can limit the disruption. Many sites have backup generators, but they use a manual transfer switch resulting in a long power glitch, even when going from generator power back to utility power. Making sure the most important parts of the network are on a UPS makes me a hero when the boss can get his e-mail even during a power outage.

Q: What are the working conditions in Indonesia?

A: The conditions here are some of the most favorable I have seen in a developing economy. It is easy to find technology products, and the postal service is reliable so people routinely buy things on-line from Jakarta and have them sent. Due to corruption and the small markets, on-line commerce is rare in the developing world, limiting technology to only those things available in the local market. There are some skilled IT workers here, but the most skilled are very busy because they run their own small businesses. There are hordes of young people here who know a thing or two about computers, who will be ready to soak up advanced details from anyone who comes here to act as a mentor.

As for living conditions, we live comfortably thanks to the fair price of high-quality hotels, and thanks also to the generosity of our clients, who sometimes let use their guest houses. At Padang and Bukit Tinggi, we saw some earthquake damage, but it was easy to find undamaged places to stay. I came prepared to rough it if necessary, but this time we got lucky and are eating and sleeping much better than I did in Mississippi!