Village History

Village History/ Our Village Our Life

A Living Chronicle of Grassroots Heritage

Village History / Ama Gaan Ama Jeevan / Our Village, Our Life program is not just a documentation initiative; it is a journey of memory, culture, and identity. This initiative began as a simple attempt to let children write the life stories of their own villages in 1994. Later, this initiative was also piloted by the ‘Institute of Mathematics and Applications (IMA), Bhubaneswar’ in 2005.

Over the years, through Samadhwani’s consistent effort, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown, the program has immensely inspired children, parents, and communities to reflect on how their villages live, breathe, and change. What began with stories has now extended into recording past cultural life, food, forgotten crops, rare recipes, and ecological practices that are vanishing from everyday life.

Samadhwani continues to nurture this grassroots archive, publishing student writings, producing videos, and curating cultural narratives that connect villages to their collective memory. Each story written is not just about a place, but about a people’s relationship with land, water, food, and tradition.

“Our Village, Our Life” is thus a living chronicle, reminding us that when children document their own roots, they preserve the future of an entire culture.