In this episode of The Storied Way Perspective, host Rituparna Ghosh is joined by Dr. Shweta Verma, co-founder of Ginny’s Planet, for a powerful conversation on the role of storytelling, empathy, and inclusion in children’s lives.Together, they explore the journey of Ginny—a doll and lead character designed to help children understand diversity, disability, and acceptance in a fun, relatable way. The conversation delves into how experiential learning, storytelling, and play can create safe, engaging spaces for children to explore complex ideas around identity, difference, and empathy.Dr. Verma shares her insights on the responsibility of adults—parents, educators, and caregivers—in shaping inclusive mindsets early on, and the creative strategies she uses to make conversations about disability and diversityaccessible and joyful.The episode also highlights the challenges of scaling inclusion initiatives, the importance of community collaboration, and how storytellers and organizations can come together to amplify messages of empathy in meaningful ways.Whether you're a parent, educator, or changemaker, this episode offers practical ideas and deep reflections on building a more inclusive world—one story at a time.Takeaways:The story of Ginny illustrates the importance of identity in play.Empathy can be nurtured through storytelling and play.Children are naturally curious and seek to understand differences.Workshops can create safe spaces for discussing diversity.Storytelling can be a powerful tool for social change.Adults play a crucial role in modeling acceptance for children.Experiential learning helps children internalize concepts of diversity.Creating characters with relatable stories fosters connection.Community engagement is essential for promoting inclusion.Collaboration among storytellers can amplify the message of empathy.About Dr Shweta VermaDr. Shweta Verma, co-founder of Ginny’s Planet and the Ginny Ki Duniya Foundation. A passionate social entrepreneur and seasoned social work professional, Shweta brings over 22 years of experience working across mental health, disability rights, gender, and child protection. Through her innovative approach, she’s changing the way we talk to children about diversity, empathy, and inclusion—not with jargon, but with stories, play, art, and imagination.About Ginny’s PlanetThrough Ginny’s Planet, a social enterprise, Shweta and her team design workshops, storybooks, games, and activity zones that engage kids in fun yet powerful experiences. From summer camps at Rashtrapati Bhavan to storybooks being considered for school libraries, Ginny’s world is growing—and so is its impact.Ginny ki Duniya Foundation- is hoping to start a library cum Activity center in Delhi. They are looking for passionate and interested partners for this (for space, running, design, and financial support)Connect with Dr Shweta Verma | LinkedIn | InstagramConnect with Rituparna | LinkedIn | InstagramVisit www.yourstorybag.comWrite to us at podcast@yourstorybag.comSeason 1 of The Storied Way Perspective
