Challenge and selection    The tool I choose is story telling. I work with street children in my country, Bangladesh. Many  of them are homeless, some are orphans, others abandoned. They are exploited by the adults  around them for food, shelter and money. Talking to them and providing some sort of  education is what my organization and I do. This enables them to have basic literacy and  numeracy skills so that they can at least have a small advantage when they grow up. Telling  some of my stories and mostly listening to theirs is the way we mostly connect. they like to  hear of my experiences as if I was telling them a fairy tale, and sometimes they like to talk  about their time on the streets too, but not very often. We encourage them to talk because  sometimes we can reunite them with their parents or find a shelter that will take them in.    Application    Once I was talking with a little girl who was selling flowers on the streets of my university. She  told me how this was the only way to keep her mother happy. She and her sister picked the  flowers from the park they slept in at night and sold them during the day. They ate away from  their mother and came back with only a little bit of their daily earnings. Their mother would  swoop in and take the small amount they had bought, and then when the girls were asleep,  trade it for drugs. She never asked them how they ate, and did not seem to care herself. We  exchanged stories for a while and I realized that giving her some change or a meal would not  change the situation. Instead, in our conversation I found out she liked painting, which she  had learned by copying some of the graffiti on the streets. Next I suggested that she make  colorful hand-painted masks and flower crowns to sell in the new spring festival that was  coming up. They would be much more profitable then selling single stems of flowers.    Insight & approach    Story telling really brought out the hidden reasons and also a way out for this girl. She needed  individual attention to bring up her confidence as well as to find her own way among the busy  markets of my country. The flower masks were a huge hit among the young couples, and  business was brisk even after the festivals ended. With a little money saved the sisters could  move out of their tent in the park to an actual apartment. There the girl could keep an eye on  her mother and keep her away from drugs.    Once she had built up her confidence, she and her sister began showing up at our street  schools. This was a little victory of mine, as she had told me that selling flowers on the streets  of a university had made her realize how much she too wanted to learn how to read.    Without this story telling tool, I would not have the insights I have now, and I never would  have been able to delve so deep into her mind.


Challenge and selection The tool I choose is story telling . I work with street children in my country , Bangladesh . Many of them are homeless , some are orphans , others abandoned . They are exploited by the adults around them for food , shelter and money . Talking to them and providing some sort of education is what my organization and I do . This enables them to have basic literacy and numeracy skills so that they can at least have a small advantage when they grow up . Telling some of my stories and mostly listening to theirs is the way we mostly connect . they like to hear of my experiences as if I was telling them a fairy tale , and sometimes they like to talk about their time on the streets too , but not very often . We encourage them to talk because sometimes we can reunite them with their parents or find a shelter that will take them in . Application Once I was talking with a little girl who was selling flowers on the streets of my university . She told me how this was the only way to keep her mother happy . She and her sister picked the flowers from the park they slept in at night and sold them during the day . They ate away from their mother and came back with only a little bit of their daily earnings . Their mother would swoop in and take the small amount they had bought , and then when the girls were asleep , trade it for drugs . She never asked them how they ate , and did not seem to care herself . We exchanged stories for a while and I realized that giving her some change or a meal would not change the situation . Instead , in our conversation I found out she liked painting , which she had learned by copying some of the graffiti on the streets . Next I suggested that she make colorful hand - painted masks and flower crowns to sell in the new spring festival that was coming up . They would be much more profitable then selling single stems of flowers . Insight & approach Story telling really brought out the hidden reasons and also a way out for this girl . She needed individual attention to bring up her confidence as well as to find her own way among the busy markets of my country . The flower masks were a huge hit among the young couples , and business was brisk even after the festivals ended . With a little money saved the sisters could move out of their tent in the park to an actual apartment . There the girl could keep an eye on her mother and keep her away from drugs . Once she had built up her confidence , she and her sister began showing up at our street schools . This was a little victory of mine , as she had told me that selling flowers on the streets of a university had made her realize how much she too wanted to learn how to read . Without this story telling tool , I would not have the insights I have now , and I never would have been able to delve so deep into her mind .