Last Mile Mobile Solutions Project

The Core Systems Delivery Team team are focused on delivering Last Mile Mobile Solutions for critical humanitarian needs of aid agencies. The focus on food programming is an immediate priority . Do you know that close to 230 million children and adults wake up each day, uncertain as to  whether they will be able to get a single cup of food (quoted from Josette Sheeran, World Food Program Executive Director , 2009)?

The core team is involved in developing and localizing software solutions, and in working on designing hardware and network architectures that make sense for deployment in humanitarian operations. We lead extensive training with implementing offices and provide technical support to the field offices, upgrades and trouble shooting.The LMMS team is a global operation. We are present in North America, Africa and Asia.

Our core team is comprised of:

The Core System’s Delivery Team:

Richard Lankas (Systems Development and Field Operations Support, World Vision International)

Richard

Richard joined World Vision in 2008. During that period, he provided ICT support on Notes Clients and Domino servers, supporting networks and training users on both hardware and software use. He also worked under the CTS, the WV commodity tracking system under FPMG.

Richard holds a BSc. Honors degree in Information Communication Technology from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He is also CCNA trained and brings in a great deal of Cable and Wireless networking knowledge-WANs/LANs earned creating local office and cyber cafe networks during  free hours he had while undertaking his undergraduate studies.

He is passionate about Software Development and Networking.
Richard currently works for the Last Mile Mobile Solutions project- doing development and supporting field implementations for all countries running the Mobile Innovations.

Outside the office, the ‘Lion Man’ can be found herding cattle and chasing lions in Kajiado, Kenya where he lives with his family.

Benny Law (LMMS Software Developer, World Vision Canada)

Benny codes, his bio is coming soon.

Jay Narhan (Program Lead, Emergency Relief – LMMS/ICT, World Vision Canada)

Jay

Jay Narhan is the Program Lead for innovative initiatives with the Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Division of World Vision Canada, the country’s largest relief and development organization.

Since joining World Vision Canada, Jay has managed disaster management capacity building portfolios in Asia and Africa. He has worked to develop management strategies and operational plans for different disaster contexts with a number of international World Vision country offices. Jay’s facilitated new partnership arrangements between aid agencies, government and private sector stakeholders to further new capacity in responding to disasters. His work has helped to build resilience in poor communities and to foster new technology product innovations for application in both chronic and rapid-onset emergency relief contexts.

As Program Lead for the Last Mile Mobile Solutions project, Jay oversees a global team of information technology and humanitarian technical experts. In addition to designing the technical components for the use of mobile computing technologies in emergency aid, and in negotiating funding and resource support for the work, he also supervises the team and is involved with scaling the delivery of all project components for this internationally acclaimed humanitarian initiative. To successfully deliver the project, Jay draws on the leadership and management experience he has garnered from a decade of working in the Information Technology and Non-Profit sectors.

Jay holds a post graduate degree in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University and has advanced studies in Computer Science and in International Project Management. He has been the recipient of a number of academic honors, including being recognized as an Ontario Graduate Scholar and as a Canadian Dean’s Scholar. He has been published in both Information Technology journals and in International Humanitarian publications.

Clara Ogando (LMMS Business Analyst, World Vision International)

Clara

Clara Ogando, updated photo and bio .. coming soon .. I hope.

Business Process Sponsors:

Otto Farkas (HEA Director, World Vision Canada)

Otto

With over fifteen years in the international development and humanitarian field, Otto’s experience includes leadership, program management, research, technical consultation, and training. This experience has been garnered from various organizations including the UN, various NGOs, national governments and academic institutions.

As the Director of the Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs (HEA) Division of World Vision Canada, Otto oversees the organization’s responses to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, emergency recovery, and reconstruction programs. Recently this has included responses to the Sichuan Earthquake in China, the complex humanitarian emergency in Darfur/Sudan and the cholera response in Zimbabwe, to mention but a few.

In his current role, Otto is also responsible for providing leadership on innovative partnerships and resource development initiatives within the International & Canadian Programs Department of WVC. This includes engagement with public and private sector stakeholders, managing contributions of in-kind products and services by Canadian corporations, and the acquisition and management of Canadian Government grants.

Otto began his cross-sector partnering experience during the Asian Tsunami response in 2005 when World Vision strategically partnered with a number of corporations in the relief and rehabilitation response efforts. Subsequently he has helped facilitate a number of partnership initiatives that have involved major multinational corporations in North America, Europe, Africa and India.

Otto has a Master of Arts degree in the Social Sciences from the University of Budapest. Most recently (in 2006), Otto undertook specialized professional training in cross- sector partnering and received accreditation through the Partnership Brokers Accreditation Scheme (PBAS) of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF).

Thabani Maphosa (Sr. Director, Ops & Strategy, Food Programming Management Group)

Photo and bio .. coming soon .. I hope.