Report of Seeds of Empowerment,1001 stories project in India. Read more about Seeds at www.seedsofempowerment.org

1. 1001 Stories

2. Background
• Literacy is a fundamental human right.
• Yet, access to a basic education including literacy
development is still restricted in many areas around the
world.
• While many programs exist in order to promote education in
underserved areas, funding for these programs is mostly
limited to sporadic aids, grants, scholarships, or other
financial sources that often remain unsustainable for
numerous reasons.

3. Overview of 1001 Stories
• 1001 Stories is a literacy development program that differs
from other programs (referred to earlier) in that it establishes
a more sustainable economic model.
• It establishes an economy that taps into a natural resource
entitled to every individual – creativity.
• The discussed model is designed to leverage the rapidly
emerging social networking infrastructure and the global
mobile network in developing countries to allow a self-
empowering and self-sustaining blended entrepreneurship
model for the underserved.

4. Overview of 1001 Stories
• Here's how it works:
o Our volunteers conduct storytelling
workshops that teach children to use
the Pocket School mobile learning
device.
o We collect these stories and the
best work is published internationally
in an array of mobile learning
applications at “mobile application
stores”.
o The proceeds of these “mobile
application sales” return to the
storytellers, their families, and
communities to promote
entrepreneurship and support the
local education system.

5. Objectives
• Promote literacy; demonstrate how large of an impact they
can make through education and literacy
• Increase entrepreneurship skills and provide a means of
sustainability
• Provide technology experience, an essential skill in today's
world
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Increase cultural awareness and global understanding as
these stories are written and heard around the world
• Foster creativity

6. Storytelling Workshops in Andhra
Pradesh, India
February 2011
Paul Kim
Arafeh Karimi
Kamakshi Duvvuru

7. The workshops were conducted in three schools:
• Girijan Community School (Allipuram)
o located in a rural town in the center of a community of Girijans, a low-
ranking caste that is secluded from the rest of society
o students: Most are Girijan and from migratory families
• Drus Society Child Labor School (Nellore)
o established by the National Child Labor Project (NCLP) in efforts to
eliminate child labor and promote literacy
o located in a relatively urban region of Nellore
o students: previously engaged in child labor
• Chandrababu Nagar School (Nellore)
o established by NCLP
o located in rural Nellore
o small one-room school with thirty children
o students: previously engaged in child labor

8. Girijan Community School

9. Introduction
After exchanging greetings, we introduced ourselves to the
children and started by telling them that we came all the way
from America for them. Then, we asked them if they knew
where America, India, and Korea were on the globe.

10. Sharing our Stories
Dr.Kim pointed to Korea,
showed them the huge
distance between Korea
and America, and then
began to tell the children
his personal story.
He explained that he
used to live in Korea,
which was once a very
poor country. He went on
to tell them that studying
day and night, despite the
numerous struggles, was
what brought him all the
way to America.

11. Sharing our Stories
When we asked them if they wanted to hear another story, they
screamed "Yes" in unison! So, we read Jomopira and Real
Hero, stories written by African children. They listened intently.

12. • Jomopira and Real Hero are stories that teach values and
were written by African children during a similar workshop.
• They were so excited to find out that the stories were written
by African children--children just like them.

13. When we finished reading,
we asked who wanted to
come to the front of the
class and tell the story to
their classmates again.
Our storyteller was
amazing! He retold the
story perfectly to his
classmates in his
language, Telugu.

14. We asked them questions from the story to lead them to the
moral. They had such insightful answers and were right on
track!
Us: "What qualities
must one have in
order to be able to
help others?
Money?"
Children: "No! The
richest guy in town
did not help the hurt
boy. The guy was
selfish."

15. Us: "Intelligence?"
"No. The smartest guy in town did not take the time out of his
day to help the boy."

16. Us: "What is it that you need then?"
Children: "A kind heart! Helping nature!"

17. Exploration
To familiarize the children with the PocketSchool mobile
learning devices before they had to use them in their
storytelling, we gave them time to explore independently.
We told them that we had no idea what these devices were or
how they worked, leaving it up to them to figure out what these
"foreign devices" were!
"We really need your help! No one in this room knows how
these devices work! It is up to you to find out and teach us!"

18. Only a few minutes after we split the children into groups of three and
passed out the devices, they figured out how to turn the devices on!

19. Once they discovered the various applications on the device, the level
of excitement in the room was indescribable!
They loved the immediate feedback they received every time they
touched something on the screen.

20. Soon enough, they
were taking pictures
and videos of each
other!
They were so surprised
and excited when they
flipped through and
found the pictures they
had just taken!

21. Since we told them that we knew nothing about the devices, they were
completely on their own in figuring out how to use them.
This made them even more motivated and, after a short while, they were
teaching us how to use the devices!

22. By the end of exploration time, they had already discovered
and experimented with so many different functions of the
device:
-eBook Maker
-Taking photos
-Viewing photos
-Taking videos
-Homework Management System
-Audiobooks
-Streaming educational videos
They were no longer "foreign devices", that's for sure!

23. Storytelling
• Since they gained familiarity with the PocketSchool mobile
learning devices, they were ready for storytelling time in
which they needed to use the devices to record each other's
stories.
• So, NOW, it was their turn to share stories!
• We told them that the best stories would be collected,
illustrated, and published.
• "Do you want your stories to be heard around the world, like
Jomopira and Real Hero? Will you tell us stories?", we
asked. "You can tell us any story! You can talk about helping
your friends, about a day in your life, or a story you created."
• "Yes! We are ready!", they answered.

24. During their lunch break, all
the children thought about
which story they would tell.
When they returned, in
groups of three, the children
took turns videotaping each
other's stories!

25. The stories told by these children were truly compelling.
While some told creative stories modeled after village folktales, others
shared intimate stories about incidents with their friends and family.
Venkataramana, part of a
migrant family, told us an old
rhyme about an egg that talks
to a cow, making the whole
class laugh. In class, he was
the jokester. But, at home, as
we found out from his story, he
played a different role. He
shared with us that he and his
family are sometimes so hungry
that they scream for hours at a
time.

27. Drus Society Child Labor School

28. Introduction
Children identifying America, India, and Korea on the globe

29. Sharing our stories
Dr. Kim telling his personal story

30. They all loved the story! When Dr.Kim asked them questions,
they answered quickly and excitedly. They grasped the moral of
his story immediately!
Dr.Kim: "What do you
need in order to
succeed? Does
it matter where you
grow up?"
Children: "No!"
Dr.Kim: "Does it matter what
clothes you wear?"
Children: "No!"
Dr.Kim: "Then what do you
need?"
Children: “Education! With education we can be all we want
to be!”

31. When asked, they all were eager to hear another story! So, we
read Jomopira and Real Hero stories.

32. Storytelling
"Now, it is your turn to share! Are you ready?"

33. They hesitated at first, but then with a little encouragement, the
classroom was bustling! They began talking to each other,
thinking of stories, and writing away!

34. After giving them time to think of
stories, we asked them to come
up to the front of the room and
read each of their stories aloud.
Whether they creatively
constructed a new story, gave a
detailed account of a real event,
or portrayed an important value,
their stories amazed us.

35. Ishwari, 11
Aspiring Doctor
Ishwari told us a story that explains the importance of studying hard despite
circumstances. Her story is about a little girl who is not good at her studies and can
never seem to get it right, despite her poor family's efforts to support her. An
encounter with a special stranger changes everything for the girl, making her see
that if she puts her mind to it and concentrates, she can achieve anything.
Rajesh, 11
Aspiring Mechanical Engineer
Rajesh told us a unique story, clearly a product of critical thinking, that very
creatively combined the educational values from Dr. Kim's story, the plot of
Jomopira, and the helping values from Real Hero.
Sahera, 14
Aspiring Teacher
Sahera, previously a child laborer, said that she once had the chance to visit the
town library and read books about helping people. She said that she soon realized
that it was not enough for her alone to benefit from this information and showed
these books to younger children in the village.

36. We called all the children who read their stories aloud to come
to the front of the class. Their classmates then voted on who
they thought had the best stories!

37. And the winner is.....
Congratulations!

39. Chandrababu Nagar Child Labor School

40. Children at the Chandrababu school were natural storytellers!
The only prompting they needed was, "Tell us about yourselves."
Their responses were not the usual descriptions of names and
parents' occupations but instead were a series of very personal
stories.

41. One after the other, they spoke sincerely and reflectively
about various aspects of their lives and what they hoped for
in their futures.

42. Sharing our stories

43. It was finally their time to share! Seeing how amazingly they
conveyed their feelings and experiences without being
prompted, we could not wait to hear what stories these children
would tell when they were actually asked to share.

44. And like we imagined, we were awe-struck. Here are a few of
the stories they shared with us:
Sasikala, 11
Sasikala comes to school every day and manages to smile, though,
back home, her father has resorted again to drinking and beating his family.
Sasikala was determined to figure out what was wrong.
Chandini, 11
Chandini had the happiest day of her life when her dad worked extra
hard and bought her new clothes to subdue her tears on her birthday. She
hadn’t felt that happy in a long, long time, she says.
Rajesh, 11
Rajesh's father had a medical problem for which has family could not afford treatment.
He bared it as long as he could--until he could no longer take the pain. At that moment,
Rajesh's father hanged himself. He and his siblings were shocked at the sight of this
terrible incident.

45. Rajesh, eleven years old, tells us as we leave the school that he has
learned one thing: “No matter who you are and what is happening at
home, you have to keep coming to school and studying hard.”

46. After collecting the stories from these amazing children, a new mission
begins--voicing the children’s stories and bringing them back, full
circle.
Alex Bonk
Illustrator

47. Future Plans
• Collect Stories from other countries, including Pakistan,
Argentina, Zambia, Palestine,…

48. Future Plans
• Publish stories in hard copy and return those proceeds to
children as well
• Return to rural villages and urban slums and redistribute the
same stories that these children have written in order to
spread values and hope

49. These stories gave us a peek into these children's lives, making
us realize what it must take for these children to show up to
school every day, by choice.
It makes us realize how much courage, determination,
and perseverance these children, even as young as eight, have
for not letting their circumstances hold them back.
While an integral outcome of the 1001 Stories cycle is the
economic support and sustainability it provides, we hope, even
more, that it serves as proof and assurance that these children's
efforts will not go to waste, will pay off, and will lead to great
things.

50. Be a Part of the Story!
• Meet us at www.seedsofempowerment.org
• Follow us at Facebook:
– http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seeds-of-
Empowerment/215464395149325
• Read our stories on iPhone. Look up for “Seeds of
Empowerment” in App Store.
• Buy our books at Amazon:
– http://www.amazon.com/This-who-Seeds-Empowerment-
ebook/dp/B002T45WEE
– http://www.amazon.com/Good-bye-love-Empowerment-
ebook/dp/B002T45V5O
– http://www.amazon.com/Who-real-hero-Empowerment-
ebook/dp/B002RWJ6JK