Read about Julianne Natukunda

What brought you to a career in technology at the United Nations?

I have always loved fixing and tinkering with gadgets and creating something out of nothing. I get satisfaction from using technology to simplify people's work. A career in technology at the UN complements my passions. Working in a field mission with the UN allows me to support teams of people who are also passionate about helping people. In other words, iI help those who help others.

What has been your favorite IT project at the United Nations and what was your technical contribution?

I designed an application to support the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) fuel unit in automating their data collection process on the daily fuel distribution, and inspection of their environmental impact in fuel disposal. During the roll out of (Field Remote Infrastructure Monitoring) FRIM, the application I designed was used to provide data points to enhance FRIM Daas for the support office in Somalia.

What advice would you give women interested in pursuing a field in technology?

Investing in knowledge pays the best interest. Women and girls should not only be consumers of technology, but also create. It is critical for women and girls to innovate and influence the whole ecosystem of innovation. For instance, developing apps can give them an even bigger push as it enriches their skillset, creates job opportunities and gives them a platform in emerging digital economies. To all the young girls out there who dream about professions in STEM, GO FOR IT. And if anybody tells you can’t, DON’T LISTEN. Do it scared but do it anyway!!!