Understanding the Power of Untold Stories in Flood Affected Kerala

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By the time we began working on the Innovation for Flooding and Water Scarcity in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in India project, we had already come across so many heart-breaking stories of individuals and families affected by the floods that hit the south Indian state of Kerala in 2018 and 2019. Our mission was to specifically understand how the floods had affected people living with disabilities and the elderly.

Based on the experiences we had been hearing, we felt that we had a fair understanding of the kind of stories that we will get from this group. But the stories we were met with have been both unexpected and though provoking.

Some of the questions we had while we researched where:

Are the issues that these groups face really very different from people who are not living with a disability?
Relief camps and rescue operations are led by government bodies and experts, so wouldn’t they be aware of the various requirements that emerge in situations of disaster?
What are the most important support systems that people living with disabilities and the elderly most need?

Our findings were both surprising and not. While it was apparent that floods seem to be an issue on people’s minds, especially as monsoons approach, we also learnt that most people involved in the various processes of planning relief and rescue work were not at all tuned in to the needs for operations to be more inclusive and sensitive.

At the same time, we learnt that families are the strongest support system that people living with disabilities and the elderly have. We came across several stories in which family members, single-handedly took care of their relatives who had a disability or were too old to manage things on their own.

The people we spoke to were very vocal about the barriers they face and were keen on telling us about how things can improve.

As they shared their experience, one thing became apparent: the ideas are out there already. The gap is in implementing them in a systematic and efficient manner.

This project reiterated our belief in digital storytelling as a powerful tool. The stories we gathered from the field have been packaged and disseminated to influencers and media outlets. These stories are important, and they need to be told and retold.

We hope that this simple, but highly effective, method of capturing and disseminating digital stories from communities will be picked up by more groups who want to raise awareness about social issues. As storytellers who want to influence social change, the WRI team is looking to the next step where community members themselves tell and create their own digital stories for impact.

As storytellers who want to influence social change, the WRI team is looking to the next step where community members themselves tell and create their own digital stories for impact.