Elie Codjia is from Benin and has worked for Handicap International since 2016 as a Project Officer. Elie is responsible for implementing logistics platforms–a vital component of the organization's emergency response work. He is currently in Haiti helping individuals affected by Hurricane Matthew, and took time to explain why works in the humanitarian sector, and what he's planning for Haiti.
"Since I was a little boy, I have always wanted to help other people. When I was nine years old, I watched a TV documentary about humanitarian workers and how they helped the most vulnerable people in the most isolated places. It really affected me, and for a long time I wanted to become a doctor. In the end I decided to go into logistics. In the beginning, I mostly worked in the private sector–in the port terminals–but I never forgot about wanting to put my expertise to good use helping other people. When I was offered a position to set up logistics platforms with Handicap International, I jumped at the chance because it gave me the opportunity to do my job for a good cause.
"In places like Haiti, when there is a natural disaster, the logistics platforms offer a turnkey logistics solution for our partner humanitarian organizations. We deal with preparing shipments, finding shipping companies, and managing the transit of goods. The logistics platform is also used to coordinate and pool resources to reach the maximum number of people. We want our partners to be able to fully focus on their core missions and to extend their zone of action to reach the most isolated populations as quickly as possible."