My Communities

I once listened to a story from my friend, she was born in a small province in Vietnam, she told me her father said to her that "if your brothers go to school, then you can't go" because the family has a limited finance to support all the , lucky for her, both of her brothers didn't want to go to school, so she got her chance. She finished her study and now started her own NGO to support underprivileged girls go to school. I think her story is such a powerful example of personal storytelling, it will make you understand why she does what she does and want to support her right away.

@Kelly_Vo ,thanks for sharing this powerful story with us.

A story I found really powerful was of a molested child describing to me what happened to her. It made me feel pity, empathy, pain and anger to know what happened.

A story i found really powerful was this one of a girl who does'nt have the chance to go to school and leave in very bad condition of life. It mad me feel very sad. This story compel me to be really involved in actions against children exploitation

Seriously this situation of children is intolerable. Something must be done

@omobola_olaribigbe said in Module 1 Discussion: The Power of Stories:

A Story i found really powerful was of a lady who had 11 failed IVF procedures and this propelled her to have an NGO to bring joy to families of people who were struggling with the cost of IVF procedures. Unfortunately she passed two months before her 40th birthday which she had tagged sponsoring 40 FAMILIES with their IVF payments. Her NGO has set out to fulfill the dreams of the lady. I felt her pain ,her struggles ,her emotions while she was on the journey of conceiving for a child which she never experienced till she passed away. However her legacy lives on through the families she has made their dreams come true. Her story was what gave me the vision to begin my own NGO to help teenage girls with sexual health and end period poverty

@omobola_olaribigbe THANKS YOU FOR SHARING THIS STORY

@JorgePereira ,defilement of underage children by morally corrupt adult men is a serious issue that needs to be fought relentlessly.Thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.

@Pascal79 ,thanks for sharing this powerful story with us.

A story I found really impactful was for an NGO that provides home repairs to senior low income homeowners. The work helped people stay in their homes, and also told the story of how aging in place also helps with generational wealth, so I was able to see how impact now can affect the future in positive ways.

it is always interesing to hear the "why". why someone is interesteding a topic. How their own life experiences lead to their work

@AndreaFranchini ,I am in total agreement with you.

@AndreaFranchini ,the story you're sharing with us is so impactful and powerful at the same time.Thanks for sharing it with us.

A story I found powerful was about Children in a particular community who found it difficult to feed, drink clean water and also go to school. It made me sign up as a volunteer for numerous foundations and also support them financially.

I know how you felt.

A story I found to be very impactful to me is one whenever I listen to the song "One Moment in Time" by Dana Winner. In will usually play it at least three times, singing along as well, following the lyrics without fail.

Well, it is a sub-story to a story. My 15-year old son was selected to undergo a Youth Leadership Course at Oxford. But we had to find the money for the air ticket, accommodation and fees ourselves. For almost a month I and wife worked tirelessly contacting anybody we could think of. I virtually stopped everything else for a month in order to collect enough fund.

The song was used as background music by my son in his 5 minute-video. Upon learning about the video, the school at first commented that my son was a brave boy! However the video was shortlived as for reasons best known to themselves, we were subsequently told to take it down.

Luckily towards the very end, after a series of peaks and troughs, we managed to get the required amount - thanks partly to the school, caring members of the public, a government agency and the course organizers.

Now our family could do with money to help fund his Biology/ Biotechnology undergrduate program overseas. He was offered a place at a US university last year but alas, we could not find any sponsorship or scholarship. My son has been learning online and is performing well despite the Covid-19 challenge. His aspiration to be trained at a quality university of choice is still in him but I will have to refine his story further to find interested sponsors.

Thank you for sharing this story. I feel it would be a powerful tool for a campaign that promotes food sharing/donations by restaurants.

Thank you for sharing this story. I feel it would be a powerful tool for a campaign that promotes food sharing/donations by restaurants.

Meanwhile, the story that moves me immediately to buy the book is:
Maya Angelou’s Coming-of-Age Life Story
When she was about eight years old, Maya Angelou stopped speaking. She thought her voice had killed a man. For almost six years, she only talked to her older brother, Bailey.

They’d endured a tumultuous childhood in the Jim Crow South. Deep-seated racism exacerbated feelings of being rejected and abandoned by their parents. After getting divorced, they put the children on a train and sent them to live with their paternal grandmother, who they called Momma, in rural Arkansas. Angelou was just three years old.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”
– Maya Angelou

They eventually went to live with their mother and her live-in boyfriend, who sexually abused Maya. She testified against him. He was convicted and sentenced to a year and a day in prison but was released later that afternoon. Four days later, he was found beaten to death, likely at the hands of her uncles.

Angelou, who was then seven-and-a-half, worried her words had killed him.

She described her coming-of-age story in what became a critically acclaimed memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The book was published in 1969 when Angelou was 41. She knew the weight of an untold story. She also looked at her life and saw its worth.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was Angelou’s first book—and best-known work, which not only allowed her to reclaim her voice but also cemented her influential status as a poet, author, and activist. She went on to write six more memoirs, seven children’s books, seven plays, two cookbooks and a number of personal essays and poems

A story I found really powerful was how so many children in China is rearing themselves without the help of their parents because their parent shave to work in town for months. It made me feel sad and bad how children should carry the household when they should have played and had fun with other kids.

@Mimi_Jay ,I am glad that the plight of children in your community inspired your passion for volunteering and humanitarian work.Your heart of gold is a blessing to others.Please keep up the good work.

@ShukRahman_20 ,One Moment In Time is quite a beautiful song.Thank you for sharing your inspiring and powerful story with us all.I am certain that each learner will learn a thing or two from it.

@Sabancevaite ,Maya Angelou was and will always be a great inspiration to millions around the globe.Thank you for sharing this powerful story with us.

@amanda-chaca ,thanks for sharing this powerful story with us.

YOU ARE WELCOME

In my work, we deliver mental health training to people. We measure our impact with quantitative and qualitative data, but the most meaningful way we do show our impact is with case studies.
We share the story of a person who took part in the training, then follow up with them a few months later. They share with us a story about a time they used what they learnt to support someone who was struggling, and the difference that it had.
This is always much more impactful than the (also very important) numbers and graphs that measure our impact

@hollycoulter ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.

I work with a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. One of our board members actually used to be a Habitat Homeowner. She is a single mother of 2 and after her divorce Habitat was the only way she could afford home ownership. With the manageable Habitat payments she was able to build on her wealth and eventually moved homes. The house was then sold to another family at an affordable price and the woman became a member of our board of directors and is extremely involved in the organization today. This story is memorable because it shows Habitat's mission in such a succinct way: to allow homeowners to gain financial stability through affordable housing. She was able to stay in the community she loved and afford a home for her family. It is a very emotional story because there are so many of us that can identify with growing up in a single parent home and seeing how it puts constraints on things financially. It was able to show how Habitat played a positive role in her life and how the mission of Habitat described her. It made me remember why I decided to get into this work and continues to remind me of the positive impact Habitat plays in the community when things get tough.

@AndreaFranchini This is an awesome example! It really shows the scope of the service and how it helps the community as a whole! Very empowering to those doing the work.

@AB719 ,thank you for sharing this powerful story with us.

A story I found really powerful years ago was the origin story of Greenpeace. It made me feel like I had the power to act and like I was compelled to do something. I looked around me locally for similar organisations to see how I could get involved.

That is indeed a powerful story of a storyteller who has touched and changed so many lives the world over. Thank you for sharing it!

That's such an inspiring story!

@ZiKR ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.I am glad that Green Peace's story has inspired your passion for humanitarian work.

@ZiKR ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.I am glad that Green Peace's story has inspired your passion for humanitarian work.

A story I found really powerful was how my organization was created. In 1949 in Austria, a child worker, Herman Gmeiner realized the alarming number of orphaned children which resulted form the World War 2. With the generous support of donors and partners, he started the organization which caters to children who have lost parental care or are on the verge of losing parental care. He started to create homes headed by widowed women from the war to cater for these children and they started living as family units- orphaned siblings and widowed mothers. It made me feel like I was part of a sustainable course as this situation is still a reality in my generation.

Thank you for sharing your story , I hope this makes your job feel even more like a worthy course.

I experienced the impact of storytelling while living abroad and watching how telling children's real life stories helped NGOs get funding for their causes. Telling the world the reality of war orphans touches the most inner fiber of our humanity and wakes us up to the things that actually matter in this world. A powerful source of reality check to others and a great tool for helping children, not only financially but also giving them a voice to speak up. This is what we all should be doing from our place in society. Don't be afraid to tell a story.

I experienced the impact of storytelling while living abroad and watching how telling children's real life stories helped NGOs get funding for their causes. Telling the world the reality of war orphans touches the most inner fiber of our humanity and wakes us up to the things that actually matter in this world. A powerful source of reality check to others and a great tool for helping children, not only financially but also giving them a voice to speak up. This is what we all should be doing from our place in society. Don't be afraid to tell a story.

That is a beautiful story! Just reading it here makes me want to know more about the organisation.

Those stories do tend to make us want to do something: volunteer, become a member, donate... That's definitely the same sentiment that we want to create in people reading and watching our stories.

@IfyAbas ,this story is really powerful.Thanks for sharing I with us.The story of Herman Gmeiner is really inspirational.

@ZiKR ,you're right.It is these powerful stories that inspire each of us to engage in humanitarian work.

@Guadalupe ,thanks for sharing this story with us.

Thanks. My organisation is called SOS Children's Villages International. You should read more about it.

very true!

This is good.

A story i found really powerful is the decision of an N.G.O to be actively involved in catering for the needs of less privileged girls in our community by empowering and providing them with basic things such as pads when on their period to make them more comfortable , confident and presentable among people and this has made me sober because the thought of having double pain (the menstrual pain and the pain of not having what to use), really saddened my heart. This encouraged me to pay more attention to little details such as girls with similar problems around me and also to render the little assistance I can and to see that the society is beginning to embrace the girl child.

@IfyAbas ,you're very welcome.SOS Children's Village is in Uganda too.I'll surely read further about this amazing organization.

@Adesewa_synty ,wow!!!Thanks for sharing this powerful story with us all.

A recent story that was impactful for me was a story about a former NYC burlesque dancer that was portrayed in a series by Humans of New York. Stephanie (formerly known as Tanqueray) was nearly homeless and still wore elaborate coats and done up beautifully even though she was from her former glory years. Brandon (from HONY) ran into her and she told him her story and it turned into a 30+ post social media story. She fell on hard times but people started donating to her and raised over a million dollars to help set her up for her life. Her story was fascinating and told so brilliantly. When I heard her story, I felt sad for her but I also felt like what other seemingly wonderful stories are hidden in plain sight with strangers we meeting every day? I donated some money to her and I rarely ever donate to online causes like that.

A story I found really powerful written by Dhar Mann was about a girl who was extremely poor and gets shamed on by her teachers and classmates. It made me feel very sorry and downhearted for that girl who is going through the situation. She wouldn't speak because if she would've, she would've been yelled at by her teacher and gets further humiliated by her classmates. Their family couldn't afford a textbook, nor a house to shower. No one should get shamed on just because of their social status and get treated in a disrespectful way because you never know what someone is going through, until you experience it yourself. Seeing this happen to people initiates me to encourage change to how people treat each other, because kindness is what really brings everyone together as a whole.

The story I found really powerful and impactful is the organization that provide diapers to children in homeless shelter, foster care, low income families so that they can remain clean, dry and healthy. I have seen a case where a mother took off a diaper, scooped out what was in it and put it back on a child this made me feel empathy towards the mother and her child and it has inspired me to donate diapers to the organization.

@ijadeleabigail1 ,the organization that you're talking about is doing lots of good.Could you please tell us this organization's name?Thank you for sharing this powerful story with us.

@jennyj-03 ,the story you're sharing with us is powerful and relatable at the same time.I know from personal experience that sometimes,school kids and teachers can be mean,vicious and spiteful.With such a negative attitude,it is easy for them to say or even do hurtful things to others within the school community.This in turn leads to lack of confidence and self esteem issues among some kids.The role of a teacher is to encourage and mentor his/her students such that they reach their full potential in life.

@hjmayes ,awwwww.This powerful story pulled at my heartstrings.Thanks for sharing Sephanie's story with us.

A story I found really powerful was one about a baby howler monkey here in Belize that was attacked by dogs. His tail was badly damaged and needed surgery to remove the damaged part. The monkey was compromised and the rehabilitation centre were not sure that he would ever be able to be released. As he grew and matured they realised that he was coping beautifully with his damaged tail, and could certainly be released along with the rest of his troop. He is now doing well as a released wild animal and has several offspring. The story was told by the rehab centre on social media with such love and emotion that it has stayed with me as an axample of great storytelling.

That is a wonderful story and a fabulous project - I didn't know there was such a thing. What a wonderful way to empower the poorer members of a community

@NIKKIB ,the story of this monkey has a painful start & a beautiful ending.Thanks for sharing it with us.

There is a story about a blues musician, called BBKing. He rescued his guitar from a fire.
The story goes that King first used that moniker for a guitar he rescued from a fire while he was playing an Arkansas club in 1949. The blaze broke out as two men fought over a woman, and the musician narrowly escaped death after he went back into the club to save his guitar, the auction house said.
When King learned the woman’s name was Lucille, he named his guitar after her “to remind himself to never fight over a woman or run into a burning building,” the auction house said.

A story I found really powerful was Living Dangerously: A Memoir of Political Change in Malawi. It made me feel like I have a lot to do to help out in the society. this is a story that had husbands, public figures imprisoned for speaking out the truth about the then regime

@JCCortesmusic ,thank you for sharing this story with us.

@tumbikanimpinganjira ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.

The story that I found interesting was the story of Mario and the kid. It's so emotional and life changer.

@dennisjoe782 ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.What lesson(s) did you learn from it?

You convey your story in very effective way. Great!

a story that I found really powerful was the rise of the busby babes after the Munich air disaster in 1958. It made me feel proud and happy because those lads never give up.

@JCCortesmusic it was an inspiring story

@matthewaustinnn ,thanks for sharing your story with us.What are some of the lessons that you learn from the Busby Babes?

The story I found most powerful was the story I wrote in my blog about my abortion. I felt a sense of relief when other women who had shared my experience responded as well. It was such an eye-opener as to how people can sense sincerity and respond to it as they should. Sometimes it is very positive and other times, well. That ability to invoke strong emotions was truly amazing to me

Stories in the Mental Health sector are vulnerable and emotionally connecting. One such story I heard is that of a suicide survivor who was now fighting the world to make it a better place to live for others. He started small with a vision to not let anyone else struggle with their mental health alone and went on creating a platform where hundreds of people were heard every day without judgment by a team of volunteers he handpicked.

I remember the story so well because of how vulnerable the person was to present it honestly. He was not ashamed of his past, he carried it with him to make the present better. When I first heard the story, I was numb. I was numb to know that I can never go through this person's pain. I could see his emotions come to the surface a hundred times, slowly reaching every listener and making them feel a bit of the story.

This story compelled me to enter the world of mental health as a Founder myself. The story made me understand what empathy means, why the world of mental health is so painful and how a hundred lives can be touched by one simple act of kindness.

@NjabuMabu ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.Abortion is a powerful yet controversial issue as women are judged harshly for choosing to terminate their pregnancies for reasons best known to them.

@PriyanshiT ,thanks for sharing this powerful story with us.Mental health is another issue that needs urgent attention in order to prevent more deaths arising from it.

“A story I found really powerful was of a girl and her dog. It made me feel self-less love & compassion."

What made this story so impactful was how relatable it was. I feel it is pretty easy to imagine oneself into Mario's shoes and what he went through, adding symbolism to the object.

A very impactful way to reduce stigma around mental health as well!

@meenu_amity ,thanks for your answer.

the story i found very powerful is the story about the mouse. it made me feel that even a small thing has a powerful story behind it.

@YasirAmirullah ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us all.

A story I found really powerful was Luffy adventures with his pirate crew in One Piece, they are a pirate of the dreamers. they beat many obstacles because they believe in their dreams. It made me feel like I have to do something with my dream because I believe in my dream too, it was so motivated me to believe in my dream and to reach my dream

A story I found really powerful was Luffy adventures with his pirate crew in One Piece, they are a pirate of the dreamers. they beat many obstacles because they believe in their dreams. It made me feel like I have to do something with my dream because I believe in my dream too, it was so motivated me to believe in my dream and to reach my dream

@aldiallll ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.I am certain that other learners will also love it.

rich dad poor dad by robert kyosaki

A story i found really powerful was the story of Sam Porter Bridges, a porter delivering packages throughout america during post apocalypstic event. It made me feel connected with the story and the characther which develop me to feel like we need each other in this world and not being individually alone.

I feel like i can relate to this story which reminded me of how i cope with my situation.

@ricardog01 ,Rich Dad Poor Dad is an iconic story compiled into a motivational book.Millions of people around the world are familiar with it.

@adamwahyu439 ,thanks for sharing the prologue of Sam Porter Bridges' story.

A story I found really powerful was from a novel titled The Lovely Bones about the murder of a teen named Susie Salmon. It made me feel all sorts of powerful emotions such as sadness, anger, relief, and happiness.

I feel like i can relate to this story which reminded me of how i cope with my situation.

A story I found really powerful was the story of my mother. When my mother was a child her mother went out and my mother was waiting for her as a child specially if our mother went out we will ask and find her where she went.Altogether with her younger brothers they still waiting until night and became days and became weeks, months, years and until they didnt know whats happen to her mother. It made me feel sorry for my mother and I also feel grateful that we have her until we grow up.

@adinda_pasugitaningtiyas ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us all.This novel was adapted into a movie that I watched a few years ago and can relate to some of the emotions that you felt.

@delvillaone ,thanks for sharing your powerful story with us.What lessons have you learnt from it?

A story I found really powerfull was the story of a small mouse accompanied by a fictional story, it made me feel very emotiona

@bishoprobert181 ,thanks for your answer.What are some of the life lessons that this story empowered you with?

Hello All,

Working with nonprofits over the years you hear tons of stories that move you to act; this made it a bit difficult to chose just one for this assignment. Most recently I watched a documentary on Netflix- Seaspriacy that I found really captivating. It made me reflect on my role in the "seaspiracy" and what small changes I can make in hopes it would added to the global contribution. The story made me feel sad, angry, guilty, shocked, urgency, and hopeful.

Thank you for all the wonderful stories shared.

Best,
ASM

This was a really sad story. As a mother of 2 girls and one who is close to her mother, I can't imagine how your mother and her siblings felt. I am curious what happened to your grandmother? What happened next?

Thank you for being open and sharing.

Blessings,
ASM

@Asmit245 ,thanks for sharing with us about a powerful story that greatly impacted you.What life lessons did it empower you with?

A story I found really powerful was that of a young boy aged 14 whose mother died at child birth and was raised by different relatives. Disowned by his own father due to his HIV status, the boy has grown up to be an advocate of young boys living with HIV. He walks kilometers away to get ARVs sometimes begging transport. It made me feel sorry and encouraged at the same time, how a young boy still in primary school has to adopt to life challenges and still go strong. As he was sitting for his KCPE exams this year I was compelled to buy him a geometrical set, clipboard and provide lunch and transport for the days he was doing his exam. Wish him well in his exams.

@Krystynne ,first and foremost,thanks for sharing this powerful story with us.It is a shame that this young boy was disowned by his own father.I hope GGod blesses him.

A story I found really powerful was my own grandmother's. It made me feel inspired to pursue my dreams, doesn't matter how impossible they seem to be.

What I found very powerful are some stories of some refugees or migrants. I makes me feel frustrated and angry at the situation they are in. I myself moved to a different country so I know what it means to move. But I moved out of my own will whether these people have been forced to flee their homes, friends, jobs, lives. They had to travel through different countries, risking their lives. Imagine if you were not a courageous person. Imagine if you were one of those that just liked being in the comfort of your home. Imagine having to leave all of that to embark in an adventure that an adventurous person would find scary. Imagine being a child having to leave all your toys and friends. Imagine leaving without saying goodbye. Imagine seeing your house with all the things you worked for inside getting destroyed. Imagine living with those images of death and destruction, of trafficking an violence, of fear and tears. Imagine living all that and getting to a place were people just judge you from a generalised newspaper that you didn't even write or contributed to. Imagine after all this, being judged for who you are or who you are not. Imagine after all this, just being judged. Being rejected. Being scared again. Suffer again. I wrote my Master dissertation on this subject highlighting how Fortress Europe is destroying people's lives based on a generalised, incorrect newspaper that doesn't even tell the real story of these people.