Hanna Ji
Graduate student
Master of Design Program
University of Arkansas
As global displacement reaches unprecedented levels, the need to support refugee populations has become increasingly urgent. As of 2024, 123.2 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. Among the most complex protracted situations is the Rohingya refugee crisis. The Rohingya are the largest stateless population in the world. Over 1.15 million Rohingya refugees currently live in the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (“Bangladesh,” 2026). More than half a million children live in limbo, relying on humanitarian assistance with limited access to education. Adolescent girls are especially vulnerable due to the risks of sexual and gender-based violence and conservative gender norms that restrict their access to education. At the intersection of long-standing displacement, gender inequity, and limited educational opportunities, it is crucial to explore how these conditions can be addressed through thoughtful and contextually grounded approaches.
This research examines how facilitation of creative storytelling workshops can support early adolescent Rohingya girls by fostering hope through the development of agency and the visibility of educational pathways. Using a mixed-method qualitative approach, the study draws from secondary research, interviews with stakeholders, ethnographically informed fieldwork in Cox’s Bazar, and the design and facilitation of creative storytelling workshops with adolescent girls in collaboration with local partners in Bangladesh. Findings reveal that while educational access remains structurally constrained, storytelling-based participatory experiences can create space for self-expression, build confidence, and foster a sense of connection among participants. At the same time, the research underscores that cultivating hope requires not only strengthening individual agency but also making pathways toward education more visible and attainable.
The primary outcome of this research is a design framework for creating facilitated experiences for early adolescents that address key developmental needs as well as a multi-layered, storytelling-based initiative that operates across individual, community, institutional, and global systems. This approach proposes creative facilitation, mentorship, community engagement, and public-facing storytelling to support both individual development and broader shifts in perception. While design alone cannot resolve the complexities of forced displacement, this research demonstrates its potential to create conditions for agency, amplify marginalized voices, and contribute to expanding educational opportunities for Rohingya girls.
This design research is presented at Design Incubation Colloquium 12.3: Virtual Summer on Friday, June 26, 2026.