INTERVIEW | Humans of 510: Stories Behind the Data

In conversation with Erna Goudt

At the Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510, we believe that behind every innovative solution is a person whose skills, dedication, and vision make humanitarian action faster, smarter, and more inclusive. Our Humans of 510 series shines a light on these individuals: the journeys that brought them here, the projects they’re proud of, and the real-world impact of their work. In this first edition, we meet Erna Goudt, Account Manager for our منصة 121 whose work connects partners across the globe to deliver faster, more accountable cash assistance at scale.

Can you tell us about your background and how it led you to 510?

Back in 2016, I did my first internship with a crowdfunding platform in the Netherlands. Being part of a start-up, I did a bit of everything. At one point, I was asked to support with some front-end tasks as we were building a new website which got me excited about coding. After a three-month coding bootcamp, I soon learned that full time software development was not really for me. I missed interacting with partners, discussing their needs, and coming up with solutions. But this experience gave me a first insight into the world of tech, and led me to join a company in Kenya which develops digital solutions for farmer cooperatives, helping them manage a large number of small payments. Working with about 1000 farmers who all deliver milk at least once a day, you need to make thousands of payments at a time. The company I worked for developed a system to do this digitally. I lived and worked in Kenya for three years, which was a great learning experience, but eventually, I wanted to move back to the Netherlands. This is when I saw 510’s vacancy for an account manager connected to a digital platform in the payment realm – and I joined the team!

What does a typical day look like in your role?

My days vary a lot. I have regular meetings with existing partners to support their 121 implementations, give demos to prospective partners, and liaise with الاتحاد الدولي لجمعيات الصليب الأحمر والهلال الأحمر’s regional cash focal point in Africa to combine efforts. I help coordinate 510’s digital work where we approach challenges that are not specific to one product and help each other with, for example, maintaining product manuals or gaining user insights. I also connect with 510 teammates working on cash more broadly. 121 is our flagship product in this field, but we also offer a much wider range of services. It’s nice to have those conversations with other colleagues working on cash, to get a wider understanding of what they do.

What is one 510 project, product or service you’re especially proud of and why?

The 121 Platform, of course! I believe مساعدة نقدية is one of the most effective ways to deliver humanitarian aid because it supports communities with preparing for and recovering from crises with dignity, and 121 helps them do just that.When I joined 510 in early 2023, the Netherlands Red Cross was 121’s main user, and we had done some smaller pilots. Now, the platform is used by 14 National Societies, and counting. We’re getting more requests from National Societies and their partners, and are starting to get recognition from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. I really enjoyed the first implementation I was part of, with the Kenyan Red Cross Society. Only few months into my position, we organised some visits to Kenya for training and implementation. Since then, the National Society has taken full ownership of the 121 Platform and uses it for all their cash programmes. They also give a lot of feedback on the platform, which helps us improve its functionality. For example, they have directly inspired a feature which automatically logs data changes, including a reason for each change. This allows for greater accountability, and is now one of 121’s most valued features – a great example of how we work together with National Societies.

Can you share a moment where you saw the real-world impact of your work?

An impactful implementation of 121 was done by the Dutch Relief Alliance in Ethiopia. Since its implementation, 121 has drastically sped up registrations, validations and payments. Before, validations were made by staff manually typing in all the bank account numbers and then checking their validity, for a programme of about 250 participants. This is a massive amount of work, for a relatively small programme. Imagine having to do that for thousands of households! With 121, this process is done through just a click of a button, which makes the lives of those providing cash assistance easier. That is ultimately the impact we’re making with 121: it is easier and faster for our partners to do at-scale cash programming, but also more accountable through automatic validity checks. 121 can support more people at a time with vital cash assistance, and this is why I love being part of this team so much: to see the impact of an innovative product such as this one on people’s lives truly makes our work exciting.

تنصل: يرجى ملاحظة أن النسخ العربية والفرنسية والإسبانية من هذه المقالة تم إنشاؤها تلقائيًا باستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي. لا يمكننا ضمان الدقة الكاملة لهذه النسخ.