UGTF Unites Global Technology Community to Provide Accountability in Delivery of Aid and Services to People Trapped in War Zone
By
Lane Cooper, Editorial Director, BizTechReports and Kristen Morris, Lead Writer, BizTechReports
The Ukraine Global Task Force, a non-governmental organization (NGO) formed in the days following the Russian invasion gained the support of over 1200 volunteers from 70 countries in just three weeks.
UGT’s mission is to use technology to minimize the impact of war on the Ukrainian people.
Lack of transparency in delivery of aid leads to the absence of accountability for people who want to know that the resources they direct to Ukraine arrive and are provided to the people who need the most help.
Interruptions in the supply chain and lack of reliable communication are exacerbating the effective and efficient distribution of food, health care and housing for people who are either trapped in the war zone or are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. In the fog of this war, lack of transparency leads to the absence of accountability for people who want to know that the resources they direct to Ukraine arrive and are provided to the people who need the most help.
That was the problem statement that Gustavo Iwanaga, founder of the Ukraine Global Task Force (UGTF), recognized in the early days of the conflict. While many people wanted to help, few were organized and integrated into their efforts to effectively distribute aid to the Ukrainian people.
“I was on LinkedIn on the first day, just paying attention to what people worldwide were doing to help the Ukrainian people. They were putting up web pages, crowdfunding, and even creating startups. All wonderful things. However, I noticed a pattern — a lack of centralization of efforts, leading to a very decentralized solution landscape,” says Iwanaga.
This lack of centralization is problematic because people in conflict areas don’t have the luxury of searching through 40- 60 different solutions. Even more problematic: they often don’t have access to reliable communication tools or reliable broadband access to the internet.
To address the challenge, UGTF — which currently has over 1,200 volunteers from the technology sector — has developed a common platform to streamline the delivery of products and services to bring relief to the region. It is an online tool that leverages a community to crowdsource reliable sources of information and then present a one-stop shop for any Ukrainian resident or refugee to utilize for all of their needs — from medical assistance to housing, education, employment, and even legal support.
“Our volunteers are spread across 70 different countries. They range from product managers to UX designers, engineers, marketers, lawyers, and even internal communication specialists to help us manage operations,” says Iwanaga.
Together, the team has built a common web-based solution that is designed to reduce friction and integrate several technologies in order to connect with people who need resources -- including products like bandages, blankets and diapers or services like housing accommodations in neighboring countries.
“Many of the people trapped in the war zone hide in shelters or underground subway stations. These people are in desperate need of food, medical supplies and necessities. The problem is that they have been stripped of tools for communicating their needs to organizations outside the war zone,” explains Iwanaga.
UGTF focused on utilizing the communication resources that are available on the ground — including applications like Telegram and WhatsApp — and building a simple straightforward web portal. They then consolidated the incoming requests to ensure that demand was matched by supply by focusing on where actual and specific needs were being manifested by individuals using the web-based portal.
“By centralizing all the requests in one place, we felt we had a better way to meet the requests for relief. To that end, UGTF began negotiating deals with suppliers of goods and centralized it in a straightforward digital form. This way, when someone [in a Ukrainian conflict zone or a neighboring refugee center] submits a request, it feeds a real-time heat map. This enables volunteers to see demand in real-time. You can see the region and the category of goods being requested. This information is then shared with authorities on the ground, who can help make sure the goods are received and distributed accurately,” says Iwanaga.
The platform ensures accountability because people using the platform can confirm whether or not they have received the assistance they requested.
It was clear to Iwanaga from the very beginning that it would be important for the mission to extend beyond helping people still trapped in the war zone. To support those who remain in Ukraine — many of them are men who have joined the field of battle — it was important to support refugees.
“As we speak, over 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine. The overwhelming majority, 75%, are women with children. These women need shelter, medical attention, a job, education for their children, as well as legal and financial support. While there are overwhelming examples of wonderful people opening their homes to shelter refugees, unfortunately, some bad actors are looking to take advantage of refugees. There have been reports, for instance, of hosts harassing women,” says Iwagama.
To make matters worse, there are language barriers to overcome. This can contribute to the trauma and isolation of refugees seeking help. That is why the UGTF has added two key features:
Text-to-speech capabilities to support Ukrainians who do not speak the language of their host country; and
A simple button on the web application that sends a distress message to UGTF which then informs local authorities and nearby NGOs to render immediate assistance.
In the first week, UGTF received 3000 requests. In the last 36 hours, UGTF received more than 2000 requests. This increase in requests was driven by word of mouth by community leaders. We can easily map this to see how our solutions are gaining traction and spreading from region to region across Ukraine.
“There is still much to be done. One of the most significant needs now is overall funding because coordinating the highly skilled volunteer base and building out more solutions requires financing. Another critical area of development is awareness,” concludes Iwanaga.
If you would like to donate or collaborate with UGTF, please visit http://ukraineglobaltaskforce.com