Storytelling

Challenge and Selection:

Storytelling is key tool for driving innovation. I live in a village where farming is major

source of income for Indian village dwellers. Villagers often encounter rain, drought, and other  crop diseases every year. Farmers are poor because their produce does not yield them much  revenue. They often borrow money from money lenders and banks and spending lifetime to  repay the money. I noticed many farmers are not aware of Government schemes/subsidies  which will provide monetary assistance to farmers. They are following age old method of  cultivating crops, plough and harvesting. Above 90%, human assistance required from seeding  to harvesting, so that most of the incomes are spent on providing salary to daily workers. Also, I  have noticed that majority of the farmers are not diversifying their income base. They are  involved in same monotonous work and not using modern machines and equipment for  farming. Farmers do not have insurance for their crops which leads to high-risk exposure to loss  of income. Government also not educating farmers to use available schemes and modern tools  for farming.

Middleman purchases farmers produce for less price and selling to end consumers at

higher price. So here middleman eats huge chunk of income of farmers. Government policy to  get loans for farmers are complicated and takes lot of turnaround time for final loan sanctions.  Altogether, farmers are living in poor condition and facing lot of challenges for their survival. I  used to speak to lot of farmers daily to understand their problems. They are not happy to do  farming but left with no other options. They share their stories often with me, so I decided to  educate them by telling stories to inspire them to try new way of farming to get better yield. I  found best way to teach largely uneducated people is story telling which can be easily  understood by farmers. I collect lot of information from government websites and local  government offices related to different schemes which can be availed by farmers for their  benefits. I use these activities to improve farmers day to day lives to bring happiness to their  family.

Application:

I picked up couple of farmers to implement the new way of farming by using modern

tools and available government schemes to the benefit of farmers. I also approached local  government office to setup assistance cell especially for farmers. Government officials were  very hesitance initially but after repeated request and involving president of village, the  government officials accepted the request. Farmers help desk has been created which assisted  to fill up forms to apply for government subsidies such as crop loan, borewell monetary  assistance, seeds at reduced price and expert’s insights regarding soil testing, rain pattern and  irrigation techniques.

Banks offered loan for farmers with low interest rate as per government guidelines.

Farmers were not aware of such loans exist for their benefit. Also, they taught that going to  bank and getting loan is cumbersome work and involves lot of paperwork. I helped them  getting paperwork done and they felt that it was not a tedious task. They realized that the  paperwork was necessary for legal compliance and other issues. Soil testing, cultivating  different variety of the seeds and saplings according to soil quality benefitted them in terms of  growth of crops and produce.

Insight & Approach:

The farmers I picked up realized the benefit in the initial stage itself after their subsidy

request was accepted by govt officials. After 3 months farmers started realizing that the new  way of farming reduced their effort as well as money spent on their crops and wages. Farmers  were happy that something new is happening to their life. After 4 months when they harvested  their crops, the yield was 20% extra and money spent reduced by around 30%. Farmers were  happy that they can benefit by availing govt schemes, good quality seeds, modern equipment’s,  and new irrigation methods. Farmers insured their crops by using govt insurance scheme to  avoid high risk of rain, drought, and crop diseases.

This story started spreading to other village farmers and they were very curious to learn

from the farmers that I picked up for the experimentation. This success story inspired and  motivated many farmers to do the same. There was very good positive response to storytelling,  and it was very easily understood by predominantly uneducated farmers. The success of other  farmers story spread very fast among the farmers and nearby villages that everyone was  started applying bank loans and govt schemes. Farmers realized that testing soil quality is  necessary at least yearly once so that they know what kind crops can be cultivated to yield  maximum benefits. I realized that story telling was very powerful tool to inspire and motivate  others especially uneducated mass people. It was easy and interesting to tell story of others  success and people were very curious to listen about how others succeeded. Storytelling helped  to improve farmers day to day life and earnings which resulted in happy farming. There are still  lot of improvements need to be done in farmers life, but they have just started realizing that  innovation is the key to succeed in any work.

Now I can collect inspiring stories well ahead to motivate others and drive innovation. I

used story telling before but never thought this as an innovation tool, but after this course and  exercise I realized that storytelling is a great tool to inspire masses and I continue to do so in  future.


Storytelling Challenge and Selection : Storytelling is key tool for driving innovation . I live in a village where farming is major source of income for Indian village dwellers . Villagers often encounter rain , drought , and other crop diseases every year . Farmers are poor because their produce does not yield them much revenue . They often borrow money from money lenders and banks and spending lifetime to repay the money . I noticed many farmers are not aware of Government schemes / subsidies which will provide monetary assistance to farmers . They are following age old method of cultivating crops , plough and harvesting . Above 90 % , human assistance required from seeding to harvesting , so that most of the incomes are spent on providing salary to daily workers . Also , I have noticed that majority of the farmers are not diversifying their income base . They are involved in same monotonous work and not using modern machines and equipment for farming . Farmers do not have insurance for their crops which leads to high - risk exposure to loss of income . Government also not educating farmers to use available schemes and modern tools for farming . Middleman purchases farmers produce for less price and selling to end consumers at higher price . So here middleman eats huge chunk of income of farmers . Government policy to get loans for farmers are complicated and takes lot of turnaround time for final loan sanctions . Altogether , farmers are living in poor condition and facing lot of challenges for their survival . I used to speak to lot of farmers daily to understand their problems . They are not happy to do farming but left with no other options . They share their stories often with me , so I decided to educate them by telling stories to inspire them to try new way of farming to get better yield . I found best way to teach largely uneducated people is story telling which can be easily understood by farmers . I collect lot of information from government websites and local government offices related to different schemes which can be availed by farmers for their benefits . I use these activities to improve farmers day to day lives to bring happiness to their family . Application : I picked up couple of farmers to implement the new way of farming by using modern tools and available government schemes to the benefit of farmers . I also approached local government office to setup assistance cell especially for farmers . Government officials were very hesitance initially but after repeated request and involving president of village , the government officials accepted the request . Farmers help desk has been created which assisted to fill up forms to apply for government subsidies such as crop loan , borewell monetary assistance , seeds at reduced price and expert ’s insights regarding soil testing , rain pattern and irrigation techniques . Banks offered loan for farmers with low interest rate as per government guidelines . Farmers were not aware of such loans exist for their benefit . Also , they taught that going to bank and getting loan is cumbersome work and involves lot of paperwork . I helped them getting paperwork done and they felt that it was not a tedious task . They realized that the paperwork was necessary for legal compliance and other issues . Soil testing , cultivating different variety of the seeds and saplings according to soil quality benefitted them in terms of growth of crops and produce . Insight & Approach : The farmers I picked up realized the benefit in the initial stage itself after their subsidy request was accepted by govt officials . After 3 months farmers started realizing that the new way of farming reduced their effort as well as money spent on their crops and wages . Farmers were happy that something new is happening to their life . After 4 months when they harvested their crops , the yield was 20 % extra and money spent reduced by around 30 % . Farmers were happy that they can benefit by availing govt schemes , good quality seeds , modern equipment ’s , and new irrigation methods . Farmers insured their crops by using govt insurance scheme to avoid high risk of rain , drought , and crop diseases . This story started spreading to other village farmers and they were very curious to learn from the farmers that I picked up for the experimentation . This success story inspired and motivated many farmers to do the same . There was very good positive response to storytelling , and it was very easily understood by predominantly uneducated farmers . The success of other farmers story spread very fast among the farmers and nearby villages that everyone was started applying bank loans and govt schemes . Farmers realized that testing soil quality is necessary at least yearly once so that they know what kind crops can be cultivated to yield maximum benefits . I realized that story telling was very powerful tool to inspire and motivate others especially uneducated mass people . It was easy and interesting to tell story of others success and people were very curious to listen about how others succeeded . Storytelling helped to improve farmers day to day life and earnings which resulted in happy farming . There are still lot of improvements need to be done in farmers life , but they have just started realizing that innovation is the key to succeed in any work . Now I can collect inspiring stories well ahead to motivate others and drive innovation . I used story telling before but never thought this as an innovation tool , but after this course and exercise I realized that storytelling is a great tool to inspire masses and I continue to do so in future .