Scaling Global Change

3Communications: Telling the Story

Authenticity shines through when one is speaking from the heart about deep passions. We have all experienced connecting to a story that is delivered with honesty. One of the things that has impressed us the most about social entrepreneurs is that most can tell personal and passionate stories about the work that they are doing. This powerful ability to link a story to the mission of your organization is one of the best ways for social entrepreneurs to engage people in your work.

As we have shared, much of the motivation behind Room to Read comes from the children and their families with whom we are fortunate enough to interact with on a regular basis. The direct and honest way in which they communicate their circumstances, hopes, and desires for their futures moves us to share their stories, garner support, and advocate for our cause. They tell the impact of Room to Read’s work better than anyone.

Suma Tharu, from Nepal, provides a great example of the power of sharing personal stories. Suma comes from the Tharu community, which is an indigenous ethnic group that lives in the Terai in the southern foothills of the Himalayas. When she was six years old, she was given by her parents to a wealthy family to serve as an indentured servant in their home. This is a traditional practice called the Kamlari system. Both of Suma’s parents had been indentured servants, too. They had six other children besides Suma and could not take care of all of them, ...