Ọgbaniko: Stories from Home
The TED Talk of Immigrants
Looking Backwards, Moving Forward
Every immigrant carries a story — a story of home, of courage, of survival and of hope. Ọgbaniko: Stories from Home is a community storytelling program where immigrants from all over the world come together to share the stories from their homelands that inspire them to live better, fuller lives in the United States.
Ọgbaniko is an Igala word for the ant lion — a remarkable creature with a unique way of walking: it moves backward while going forward. That is the spirit at the heart of this program. Like the ant lion, immigrants look backwards — to their homelands, their cultures, their roots — while moving forward into their new lives.
Part storytelling event, part community gathering, Ọgbaniko creates a space where the richness of the immigrant experience is not just acknowledged — it is celebrated.
What Happens at Ọgbaniko
Participants from diverse backgrounds — Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and beyond — take the stage to tell their stories. Each story is drawn from lived experience: a lesson from a grandmother, a tradition from a village, a moment of crisis that revealed unexpected strength, or a memory of home that continues to guide the storyteller.
- Personal storytelling from immigrants across the world
- Stories of home, identity, culture and belonging
- Community conversations and shared reflection
- A celebration of the diversity that enriches American life
- Networking and community building across cultures
Ọgbaniko 2025
The inaugural Ọgbaniko: Stories from Home was held on October 26, 2025, in partnership with the Indianapolis Public Library. The event took place in the Crowe Room at the library, bringing together a beautifully diverse community of immigrants and friends from across Indianapolis for an afternoon of storytelling, connection and celebration.
Our Goal
- Create a safe, welcoming space for immigrants to share their stories
- Build community and connection across cultures in Indiana
- Celebrate the richness and diversity of the immigrant experience
- Challenge stereotypes through the power of personal narrative
- Strengthen the bond between immigrant communities and their adopted home
- Honor the homelands and traditions that continue to shape immigrant lives
Your Story from Home Is a Gift to the World.
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