Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

The storytelling tool is very important to define solutions to problems that we hardly notice. It is  taking people at the center and listening carefully to their experiences and then also tell these  stories with more empathy. My father and me used this tool last year. I accompanied my father to  his work, he works doing environmental studies for mining units that are located near agricultural  towns. The main role of his work is to study the current air quality, noise, soil and climatic conditions  to know if there is contamination in the environment and if any new modification in the mining unit  could affect the population and how we could help to the villagers if they are affected by mining so  that both the mining company and the community could live in harmony. We used this tool because  it was a question that could have several answers and we would better understand the perception  of the inhabitants regarding mining projects.

Application

Any modification of the mining unit must be notified to the communities that live in the same region  and the mining company must also comply with social responsibility. For this, my father's colleagues,  apart from taking soil, air and water samples, also survey the residents to find out how much the  landscape, soil or air of that place has been affected according to their perception. These questions  are usually very closed and do not give freedom to know the real problems of the population, but  they are done in this way to finish the work faster.

However, my father does not collect surveys of the population, he prefers to interview them. For a  week I helped him record individual interviews with some of the villagers, which seemed more like  conversations between friends. My father asked them what life was like in this place 10 years ago,  what things have changed, what worries him regarding the exploitation of minerals in the place. In  one of the interviews, a man mentioned that 10 years ago he could harvest at any time of the year  and now the harvest periods have been reduced. So we asked him why and the man replied that it  was due to the lack of rain in the place.

Insight & Approach

The phrase that the man mentioned gave us ideas for the mining company to demonstrate its social  responsibility towards the villagers. They could create water dam or water reservoir projects so that  their agriculture is not affected in the dry season.

This shows that it is better to listen to people's experiences. We would never have come up with  possible solutions taking only survey data or taking soil, air and water samples. In addition, knowing  the history of these people made us better express project ideas to the mining company.

Also, I told my father that what we did a year ago was considered a design thinking technique and  he was amazed. Therefore, we have decided to train their colleagues to use these techniques and  to help the inhabitants of the mining communities in the best way.


Storytelling Challenge & Selection The storytelling tool is very important to define solutions to problems that we hardly notice . It is taking people at the center and listening carefully to their experiences and then also tell these stories with more empathy . My father and me used this tool last year . I accompanied my father to his work , he works doing environmental studies for mining units that are located near agricultural towns . The main role of his work is to study the current air quality , noise , soil and climatic conditions to know if there is contamination in the environment and if any new modification in the mining unit could affect the population and how we could help to the villagers if they are affected by mining so that both the mining company and the community could live in harmony . We used this tool because it was a question that could have several answers and we would better understand the perception of the inhabitants regarding mining projects . Application Any modification of the mining unit must be notified to the communities that live in the same region and the mining company must also comply with social responsibility . For this , my father 's colleagues , apart from taking soil , air and water samples , also survey the residents to find out how much the landscape , soil or air of that place has been affected according to their perception . These questions are usually very closed and do not give freedom to know the real problems of the population , but they are done in this way to finish the work faster . However , my father does not collect surveys of the population , he prefers to interview them . For a week I helped him record individual interviews with some of the villagers , which seemed more like conversations between friends . My father asked them what life was like in this place 10 years ago , what things have changed , what worries him regarding the exploitation of minerals in the place . In one of the interviews , a man mentioned that 10 years ago he could harvest at any time of the year and now the harvest periods have been reduced . So we asked him why and the man replied that it was due to the lack of rain in the place . Insight & Approach The phrase that the man mentioned gave us ideas for the mining company to demonstrate its social responsibility towards the villagers . They could create water dam or water reservoir projects so that their agriculture is not affected in the dry season . This shows that it is better to listen to people 's experiences . We would never have come up with possible solutions taking only survey data or taking soil , air and water samples . In addition , knowing the history of these people made us better express project ideas to the mining company . Also , I told my father that what we did a year ago was considered a design thinking technique and he was amazed . Therefore , we have decided to train their colleagues to use these techniques and to help the inhabitants of the mining communities in the best way .