Guruprasad B.
Yadav
Design Thinking Assignment
(PBDI022)
Narrative Reflection
One child I connected with deeply at Ramakirti was Manya. She was one of those
children who feels everything very strongly and you can usually read her emotions
before she says anything. Most days she entered quietly, chose her usual spot, and
watched the room for a few minutes. It felt like she was warming herself up before
participating and trying to understand the mood of the space.
The moment that stayed with me most happened during a drawing activity where we
asked the children to sketch a happy memory. Manya held her pencil without moving for
almost a minute. Then she slowly began drawing and her expression changed
completely. She talked softly about a childhood moment with her cousin, something
small but clearly precious to her. Her voice trembled a little yet she smiled the entire
time. Watching her open up like that felt like witnessing trust being built in real time.
A surprising moment came during a reading activity. Usually, Manya hesitated to speak
in front of others but that day she suddenly stood up and read two lines aloud. She was
nervous but she did it and the whole class celebrated her effort. It reminded me how
small encouraging moments can help a child take a step they were afraid of.
But I also saw how delicate that confidence is. On another day a teacher in the room
used a firm and intimidating tone. The change in Manya was immediate. Her shoulders
tensed, her eyes dropped, and the spark she had the previous day disappeared. It made
me realise how sensitive children like her are to emotional shifts in the environment.
One moment of harshness can undo the confidence built so carefully.
We later captured a short clip of her reading as part of a reel, but the real story was not
in the video. It was in the quiet moments when she tried, hesitated, opened up and
sometimes withdrew. That is where the learning truly happened.
Stakeholder Map
Empathy Map
Journey Map
Key Insights
Insight 1
I noticed that Manya opens up the most during creative activities like drawing or
storytelling and becomes emotionally expressive when she feels unjudged.
This makes me wonder how many children in the program need creative entry points
rather than direct academic tasks.
This suggests that integrating more creative warm up activities could help build
emotional safety and consistent participation.
Insight 2
I noticed that Manya’s confidence rises with gentle encouragement but drops instantly
when a teacher uses a firm or intimidating tone.
This makes me wonder how the emotional environment in the classroom impacts other
children who are equally sensitive but stay silent.
This suggests that training mentors and volunteers in supportive communication could
significantly improve engagement.
Insight 3
I noticed that small positive moments in the session, like Manya reading aloud, create
both emotional shifts in the child and valuable stories that later strengthen digital
outreach.
This makes me wonder whether capturing these moments more consistently could help
build trust with donors and the broader community.
This suggests that a simple structured system for documenting session highlights may
amplify visibility without replacing the real work happening on the ground.
HMW Questions and Concepts
HMW 1
How might we help mentors and volunteers use more supportive communication to
build children’s confidence
Concept:Tone and Encouragement Guide
This concept provides mentors and volunteers with a simple one page guide that
highlights supportive language and gentle communication techniques. It includes
examples of encouraging phrases, softer corrections, and alternate responses mentors
can use when a child hesitates or feels overwhelmed. Children like Manya are sensitive
to tone and even a slight change in voice can affect their willingness to participate. This
guide helps mentors intentionally create a more nurturing and emotionally safe
environment. It is practical, low cost, and easy to integrate into volunteer onboarding
which ensures emotional safety becomes a consistent part of the classroom
experience.
HMW 2
How might we create emotionally safe entry points in each session so children like
Manya feel comfortable participating
Concept : Creative Warm Up Kit
This concept introduces a small warm up kit that children can use at the beginning of
each session. It includes drawing prompts, emotion cards, and expressive tools that
help children settle into the space before structured activities begin. For children like
Manya, this transition period is essential because it gives them a safe emotional landing
before they participate. It also allows mentors to understand a child’s mood without
direct questioning. The kit provides consistency across sessions and helps children feel
grounded, reducing hesitation and making the learning space more welcoming.
Final Reflection
My experience at Ramakirti Foundation made me realise how much emotional nuance
exists in a learning environment and how easily it goes unnoticed when the focus stays
only on activities. Spending time with Manya helped me understand that participation is
deeply connected to emotional safety. A child may want to engage but still hesitate if
the environment feels uncertain. Her small shifts in confidence showed me how a
mentor’s tone, presence, and sensitivity can influence a child far more than we imagine.
Using the design thinking approach helped me slow down and observe with intention.
Instead of trying to fix things quickly, I began paying attention to patterns such as when
children open up and when they retreat. I saw how simple interventions like a warm
greeting, a creative warm up, or a supportive phrase can create meaningful change.
This entire process taught me that solutions do not need to be complicated. They
simply need to respond to human needs with empathy and awareness. By grounding my
ideas in what I observed and felt, I learned that design thinking can make child
engagement more thoughtful, gentle, and emotionally supportive.