From shy whispers to powerful performances, sharing stories helped these women find their voices.

In a world where many voices go unheard, storytelling has always been a powerful tool for connection, healing, and self-expression. But for a group of women in Mumbai’s Tiny Miracles community, storytelling became something much deeper—a path to self-discovery and unshakeable bonds. This journey was about finding their voices in more ways than one.

Creating a new kind of stage

Since 2002, Tiny Miracles has been supporting women in under-served communities in Mumbai with everything from income to healthcare and education. For many of these women, living in the poverty-stricken areas of Mumbai has come with hardships. With the ‘Stories of Her’ initiative, Tiny Miracles wanted to support them with more than just basic needs. “Being able to contextualise and tell the story of your life has been found to be deeply healing. Most of the women who work for us have, in all likelihood, never thought of their own lives as stories, stories that are worth narrating and worth listening to,” explains Siddhartha Menon, Creative Director of Tiny Miracles. “Stories of Her, in essence, is about holding space for women who’ve never had space held for them.” During this workshop, they were given a stage and handed a microphone, and they shared stories that, until now, had never been heard.

A journey of personal transformation

The workshop was led by professional storyteller and life coach Mehak Mirza Prabhu. Mehak didn’t just stumble across storytelling, it changed her life before she began using it to transform the lives of others. "Storytelling came to me at a low point," she explained. “It kind of saved me. When I was able to tell my story, I began healing." From that personal experience, Mehak began to realise that storytelling wasn’t just about performance—it was about transformation and empowerment. Her mission with the women of Tiny Miracles was to pass on this gift, not just as a craft, but as a means of healing. “For me, storytelling is not just about telling a story for entertainment. It’s about using it to transform and heal oneself,” Mehak said. This philosophy became the heart of her workshops with the women. 

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From silence to strength

When Mehak first met the women at Tiny Miracles, many of them were hesitant and shy. “It was almost as if they whispered their names to me,” Mehak recalled, noting their initial reluctance to speak. She described the anxiety that many of them felt about sharing their stories. "They were holding each other’s hands tightly. Most of them thought that their stories weren’t important to tell. They thought that no one would want to hear them." 

The workshop was four days long, building up to a performance at the end where they were encouraged to share their stories. Over the course of four days, something remarkable happened. Slowly, these women began to open up. Through gentle exercises, Mehak was able to help them release the internal barriers that had kept their voices silent. “It’s not just a five-step rule you can follow to become a storyteller, breaking the barriers is different for everyone. So, we took it very slow. The first day was all about getting them to open up and share something, even if it was just a small anecdote,” she said. “We started unravelling what makes each person individual.” 

By the time the final day arrived, these women stood confidently on stage, sharing their stories not only with pride, but with an understanding of the power of their own experiences. Mehak recalled how amazing it was to see women go from not wanting to speak at all to standing on stage, holding a mic, and sharing deeply personal stories. “There was a young girl who came to the workshop, and she refused to speak the entire first day,” recounted Mehak. “No matter how much I tried, she was absolutely silent. But on the final day, this girl steps on the stage wearing this beautiful red dress and opens her mouth, and says a sentence in Hindi, which, in English, would mean ‘I don’t give a damn about what people think.’ That was a big win for me, it’s a such a joy for me to see people transform like this.” 

Creating bonds through stories

For the women of Tiny Miracles, storytelling was more than just an exercise in self-expression. It was a way to create lasting bonds within their community. Mehak said that for her, seeing this happen was the most powerful part of the workshop. “Slowly, they started bonding through sharing their experiences. I could see them opening up. They were laughing, they were crying. They were able to be vulnerable on stage and they realised they were safe while doing that.’ One participant, Hema Tele shared the story of losing her son and brought an item of his to the stage and broke down mid-story. However, she waited for the tears to subside and with the support of her peers, gathered herself to finish. “For me, this was so inspiring,” explains Mehak. 

This sense of connection and mutual support extended beyond the workshop too. “It was important that they shouldn't feel they can only do this when I’m with them,” explained Mahek. “So, I said, if one of you is on stage and is breaking down, it’s important she completes her story but you can go and stand next to her and give her that support, because, tomorrow, if I’m not around, you will have each other, so make sure you create that bond. So, it went way beyond the show.” One of the women at the event, Nandini told us about the incredible bonds she has made with the other women. “I told a story about the friendships I have made at Tiny Miracles,” she said. “I am so grateful for them. At first, I was very nervous, but after the training, I felt like I could tell everybody. It was so amazing to hear all the different stories, I felt emotional.” Mehak made sure that the women understood they weren’t just telling their stories for themselves. They realised that by sharing their experiences, they were helping others who might be going through the same thing. It became more than the applause or the performance. “It’s about fostering a community of strength that outlasts any single event,” said Siddhartha. 

Empowerment through storytelling

The Stories of Her initiative is part of Tiny Miracles’ newly launched Empowerment Engine, an innovative and holistic programme to help empower the community and unlock their voices. What Mehak saw in the women reflects what she has seen time and again in her storytelling workshops across different groups, from corporate CEOs to underserved communities. “We are all humans. The reasons and situations might be different, but at the core level, we share the same emotions, the same fears and struggles. My biggest fear might be walking home in middle of the night. For these women, the biggest fear might be a leopard coming into their home, but the beauty is that we are all equal and we are all the same.” Storytelling is such a big part of who we are as humans. Sharing your story with others is the easiest way to connect, to heal, and to transform. For Tiny Miracles, it’s one more step in building confident, empowered communities, one story at a time. 

Want to become a stronger storyteller? Read our guide here.