On a rainy Saturday in June last year, Sandesh Kodtarkar turned into a ‘human book’ at Mpower’s Hughes Road centre in Mumbai, sharing his experience of coming out to his parents. As the narrative unfolded, revealing a story of courage, vulnerability and resilience, his audience of 24 listened with rapt attention, without any judgment or prejudice. Three more speakers followed. Their lived experiences different, but each equally moved and emboldened by the acceptance they felt in a room full of strangers.
It was a moment of quiet reflection for the listeners, too, with many of these lived experiences striking an emotional chord and resonating with their own. Since then, Mpowered Voices, Mpower’s new initiative, has organised multiple ‘Human Library’ sessions in which volunteers become open books to find synergies for themselves or their loved ones, to overcome their mental health struggles.
Worldwide, Human Libraries are emerging as impactful agents of change, as they make knowledge and experience-sharing more personal, empathetic and interactive. They provide safe, inclusive platforms where people can voice their raw, unfiltered truths without fearing societal sanctions.
While the concept of Human Libraries is not new to India, it is essential to nurture more such intimate and stigma-free storytelling environments in our country. There is a need to normalise conversations, invalidate long-standing prejudices, build an ecosystem of respect and understanding and encourage more individuals to open up and seek help.
At Mpowered Voices, the purpose is to help them find their voice. While the platform offers a cathartic experience for the speakers, it’s a journey of healing, rediscovering courage and rebuilding resilience for the ‘readers’. Over the past few months, we have engaged diverse cohorts of society, including adults, teens and the youth, through Human Libraries.
When Kinjal Dholakia, one of our volunteers, recounted the struggle of rebuilding life after losing her parents, her journey of rediscovering strength and stability resonated with many. Similarly, Aamina Shareef’s account of repairing her relationship with her father was a deeply moving reflection on reconciliation, healing and intergenerational understanding. Each lived experience acted as a catalyst for others to know that mental health is not taboo and that they are not alone in their struggles.
As a participant aptly put it, "I felt less alone knowing that all of us have our own struggles and stories that are similar. It helped me look at pain from a different perspective".
We plan to take Human Library conversations to multiple cities to ensure that lived experiences become a beacon of hope for larger communities.