Final Video Reflection

The room where I have played and learned at Step by Step

The experiences I have had at Step by Step, in one small room every other Thursday, have taught me important lessons. I have been challenged, through a personal view of the emotional challenges of poverty. Yet I have also been given hope, by seeing how the individuality of each child reflects the beauty of human nature.

Written Reflection #3

On November 5^th I attended my fifth night at Step by Step. Through each night I attended, I had increasingly felt more and more familiar with the experience of it. I knew the kinds of activities we would be doing, the personalities of the children, and what to expect from the evening.

The night of the 5^th, however, was the first time in which I truly felt at home, at ease. I felt comfortable, as though I had been there hundreds of times. All of the activities felt normal, and each child felt like a friend.

Seeing children consistently over the weeks has undoubtedly been one of the best parts of the volunteer experience. Even though the volunteer nights are two weeks apart, the children still have an amazing capacity for remembering the various volunteers, and always express excitement when they walk in.

Somara is the very first child I met at Step by Step, the young girl who so enthusiastically braided my hair in my video post. She has a large and vibrant personality, and has been such a joy to see each night. She never fails to conjure up uproariously hilarious games, and to energetically boss around the volunteers in playing them. On the night of the 5^th, a new girl, Alissa, attended, who was clearly frightened at first. Somara quickly won her over, though, and I was amazed to see the way that fearful Alissa opened up so swiftly to her.

Somara and Alissa play and laugh together.

 In my first written post I also mentioned Eva, the young girl who gave into her human nature by deciding to trust. She has attended nearly every week, and each time has been increasingly outgoing and playful. She laughs often now, not merely giggles but mirthful laughs that tumble easily from her. Eva has blossomed swiftly over the past few weeks, and that has been beautiful to see.

Somara and Eva are just two of the children who attend, but their personalities display wide varieties of human ability and potential. Somara’s vibrant energy contrasts to Eva’s careful ways, but they each still have the playful heart of a child. Every single child that attends has such a unique personality that becomes swiftly evident in the way that they play and talk.

Feeling so at home made me realize how well I had come to know the children, even over only a few hours every two weeks. They have grown on me so quickly, and I have loved seeing both the wide differences and undeniable similarities in their personalities.

I love having a place with these children, and building relationships with them, the individual human beings that they are, has been a true gift.

Eva colors intently.

Somara and Eva are just two of the children who attend, but their personalities display wide varieties of human ability and potential. Somara’s vibrant energy contrasts to Eva’s careful ways, but they each still have the playful heart of a child. Every single child that attends has such a unique personality that becomes swiftly evident in the way that they play and talk.

 Feeling so at home made me realize how well I had come to know the children, even over only a few hours every two weeks. They have grown on me so quickly, and I have loved seeing both the wide differences and undeniable similarities in their personalities.

I love having a place with these children, and building relationships with them, the individual human beings that they are, has been a true gift.

Analyzing a TED Talk

In February 2009, at the TED Talk Conference in Long Beach, CA, Jacqueline Novogratz delivered a talk titled “An Escape From Poverty,” in order to relate a personal story about an approach to solving poverty. Novogratz is the founder of a business called Acumen, which seeks a bottom-up approach to poverty through investing in specific early-stage organizations that bring essential services to the world’s poor. Her audience likely knew her background and expected a talk on the issue of poverty, but her personal stories presented it in a new and unprecedented light.

    Novogratz addresses the topic of poverty, an area she clearly feels strong passion for. She relates her personal experience with people in poverty through a single story, about a young woman named Jane who lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Novogratz begins the story with by setting up the physical context, the Methari Valley slums, and describing the population with phrases such as “over half a million people live crammed in these little tin shacks.” Moving into her stride, she relates Jane’s dreams, and how, through an individual loan, she began her own business and work her way up from the bottom. This story of Jane serves as the centerpoint of Novogratz’s talk, and is indeed its strongest element. She makes direct eye contact with the audience, and keeps a gentle yet undeniably intentional mood. Her movements remain within the “power sphere,” adding to the directness of her presentation.

Novogratz uses direct movements to enhance her story.

Novogratz incorporates several elements of novelty within the story. She starts her speech by describing poverty not as a specific income level, but “a condition about choice.” At the end of the story, she reveals that Jane still lives in the slums, despite the success of her business. It is a subtle “jaw-dropping moment,” as an ending that defies a typical “Cinderella” story and reinforces Novogratz’s definition of poverty. There is very little humor in the speech, only a light story told about Novogratz telling the African children that “Obama is my brother too.” Yet Novogratz consistently maintains a gentle tone that keeps the presentation relatively light.

Unfortunately the greatest weakness of Novogratz’s speech is the brevity of it. She speaks for almost eight minutes, much shorter than the recommended eighteen. Though this is likely due to her speech revolving around a personal story, it does make her content seem a bit lacking. The speech is impactful, however, through skillful use of media elements, such as photos of specific areas in the story. Despite the shortness of her talk, she uses photos, as well as a powerful story, to make it memorable. Improvement on this talk should focus on lengthening it, and expanding the content. Ideas within Novogratz’s story could be connected to worldwide events, instead of remaining limited in the Methari Valley slums. Expanding the content and relating it to poverty on a broader scale would most improve this talk.

Novogratz's image of the Methari Valley slums

           This TED talk has a strong link to my service organization, Step by Step, through single motherhood and poverty. The woman in Novogratz’s story was both the daughter of a single mother and a single mother herself, revealing how poverty had specifically impacted her through this. Despite its shortness, Novogratz’s speech revealed a specific story about an impoverished individual, which is an effective tool for raising awareness and empathy. Through my service I have learned the value of seeing not just the broad issue of poverty, but the names and stories of individuals bound by it, and Novogratz’s talk enhanced the value of this for me.