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šŸŒ Global Memory Preservation Platform

Preserve Your Family Legacy Across Generations

Build comprehensive family trees, preserve oral traditions, and discover distant cousins through our AI-powered ancestral mapping platform. From verified records to cherished stories passed down through generations.

Families joined today0
Stories added0
Active users now0
50K+
Family Trees
2M+
Stories Preserved
180+
Countries
15K+
Connections Made

Hi-Cousin Platform

Everything you need to build, preserve, and share your family history

Multi-Generational Builder

Dynamic family tree builder with drag-and-drop interface. Add names, dates, locations, photos, and stories—even unverified claims and oral traditions.

Confirmed
Believed
Oral
Unverified
AI Cousin Discovery

Advanced matching engine suggests potential relatives based on shared names, dates, places, and story fragments from other users' entries.

Phonetic name matching
Geographic clustering
Story pattern analysis
Advanced Search Tools

Search by surname, location, generation, tribe/clan, or anecdotal tags. Supports phonetic matching for variant spellings.

• "grandfather fought in WWII"
• Onyango = Anyango = Onyanko
• Mt. Elgon region, 1890s
Global Map View

Interactive world map showing family clusters and migration patterns. Hover over regions to view ancestral stories by location.

Heat zones:
Story & Memory Bank

Preserve oral traditions, family claims, and hearsay alongside verified facts. Each story is timestamped and attributed to its contributor.

"Uncle said we had relatives in Somalia, one who married a coastal Arab trader"
Privacy & Access Control

Choose what to keep public, private, or share with "family only." Full control over your data and privacy settings.

Public
Family Only
Private

See It In Action

Explore how our platform works with real examples

Multi-Generational Family Tree
Build your family tree with verified facts and oral traditions
OA
Obadiah Achieng
Uganda, 1860-1930
Oral
RA
Ruth Atieno
Uganda, 1870-1945
Believed
MK
Mzee Kariuki
Mt. Elgon, 1890s
Oral
MW
Mama Wanjiku
Central Kenya
Believed
AA
Ali Abdi
Somalia, 1885-1950
Oral
FA
Fatuma Ahmed
Somalia, 1890-1960
Believed
JK
John Kamau
1920-1995
Confirmed
MN
Mary Njoki
1925-2010
Confirmed
SK
Samuel Kimani
Ethiopia, 1922-1990
Confirmed
LK
Lydia Kebede
Ethiopia, 1925-2005
Confirmed

Add New Family Member

Relationship Status

Real Connection Stories

See how families are discovering each other across continents

Success Story

From Kisii to Tanzania: A 90-Year Family Mystery Solved

GM
Grace Moraa, 24
Kisii, Kenya

"Babu always told us about his cousin who moved to Tanga, Tanzania around the 1930s. His name might've been Omari. We never knew what happened to that side of the family."

Added March 2024
AH
Amina Hassan, 31
Tanga, Tanzania

"My grandfather Omari always said he came from Kisii in the 1930s. He married my grandmother here in Tanga. I've been searching for his family for years."

Added November 2024
AI Match Found
Family Reunited

8 months later: Our AI matching engine connected Grace and Amina based on shared location patterns and name similarities. Today, they share photos, stories, and plan to meet in person to reconnect their families after 90 years.

Choose Your Access Level

From basic family trees to professional genealogy tools

Basic Explorer
Perfect for individuals starting their family journey
Free
Forever
  • Add up to 100 family members
  • Basic search and filtering
  • Story preservation
  • View global map
  • Basic privacy controls
Most Popular
Family Historian
For serious family researchers and storytellers
$9
per month
  • Unlimited family members
  • AI cousin discovery
  • Advanced search tools
  • Photo & document storage
  • Export family data
  • Priority matching
Professional
For genealogists, historians, and institutions
$29
per month
  • Everything in Family Historian
  • Verification badges
  • Bulk data import/export
  • API access
  • Collaboration tools
  • Priority support

Building a Global Memory Archive

Preserving cultures, clans, and family histories beyond borders. Especially vital for African diasporas, communities fractured by war, migration, or colonization.

Decentralized Preservation

Community-driven platform that outlives any single contributor

Cultural Continuity

Bridging generations and preserving oral knowledge

Future Generations

Ensuring children can retrace their ancestry

Ancestry Timeline

Key milestones in global family history and migration, from ancient times to today.

1800
First written family records in East Africa
1900
Major migration waves to cities and abroad
1950
Oral traditions digitized for the first time
2000
DNA testing revolutionizes ancestry research
2024
Global Family Ancestry connects 2M+ stories

Featured Community Stories

Inspiring stories from our global community, preserving family memories across generations.

JM
Joseph Mwangi
Kenya

"My grandfather's stories inspired me to trace our roots back to the 1800s. Now, my children know where they come from."

AL
Amina Lopez
Mexico

"We discovered cousins in California we never knew existed. Our family is now truly global!"

SK
Satoshi Kimura
Japan

"Preserving my family's oral traditions online has brought us closer, even across continents."

Abrahamic Lineages & World Diasporas

A scrollable, branching timeline of Abraham's descendants, their migrations, and global impact.

Abraham
Abraham
c. 2000 BCE
Patriarch of Jews, Christians, Muslims
Born: Ur (Iraq)
ā†˜
Ishmael
Ishmael
Ancestor of many Arab peoples
Tribes: 12 sons, Arabian Peninsula
↓
Muhammad
Muhammad
570–632 CE
Prophet of Islam
Spread: Arabia, N. Africa, Asia
Today: 1.9B+ Muslims worldwide
↓
Arab Diaspora
Arab Diaspora
Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Indonesia
Major migrations: 7th–15th c.
Arabic: 400M+ speakers
↙
Isaac
Isaac
Lineage of Jews & Christians
Son: Jacob (Israel)
↓
Jacob/12 Tribes
Jacob (Israel)
12 Tribes, Exodus, Moses
Diaspora: Egypt, Babylon, Rome
Today: 15M+ Jews worldwide
↓
Jesus
Jesus
Central to Christianity, Prophet in Islam
Spread: Europe, Africa, Americas
Today: 2.3B+ Christians worldwide
↓
Christian Diaspora
Christian Diaspora
Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia
Major migrations: 1st–20th c.
Christianity: 2.3B+ adherents
→
Keturah's Children
Keturah's Children
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah
Tribes: Midianites, Sheba, Dedan, Arabian tribes
Zimran
Zimran
Arabian tribes (uncertain)
Jokshan
Jokshan
Father of Sheba & Dedan (Arabia)
Medan
Medan
Arabian tribes (uncertain)
Midian
Midian
Midianites (Moses' in-laws)
Ishbak
Ishbak
Arabian tribes (uncertain)
Shuah
Shuah
Tribes in Syria/Arabia

The Roman Empire: Reach, Displacement, and Legacy

How Rome shaped Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East—peoples, cities, and migrations.

Roman Empire Map
  • Peak population: 60–100 million (c. 25% of world)
  • Provinces: 40+ (from Britain to Egypt, Spain to Iraq)
  • Major cities: Rome (1M+), Alexandria, Carthage, Antioch, Londinium
  • Languages: Latin, Greek, Berber, Coptic, Aramaic, Celtic, Germanic
  • Religions: Roman polytheism, Judaism, Christianity (later official)
  • Roads: 400,000+ km (50,000+ miles paved)
  • Modern countries: 40+ (Italy, France, Spain, UK, Turkey, Egypt, etc.)
  • Displacement: Jews (70 CE), Celts, Berbers, Dacians, and more
  • Collapse: 476 CE (West), 1453 CE (East/Byzantine)

Migration & Connection:

  • Roman citizenship extended to millions, mixing cultures
  • Slavery, forced migrations, and resettlement of conquered peoples
  • Spread of Christianity and Latin language
  • Legacy: Law, architecture, language, and religion across Europe and beyond

Timeline:

  • 753 BCE: Founding of Rome
  • 27 BCE: Augustus, first emperor
  • 117 CE: Empire at greatest extent (Trajan)
  • 313 CE: Christianity legalized
  • 395 CE: Empire splits East/West
  • 476 CE: Fall of Western Empire
  • 1453 CE: Fall of Constantinople (Byzantine)

Persian & Macedonian Empires: Connections and Migrations

From Persia to Alexander the Great: migrations, mingling, and the Hellenistic world.

Persian & Macedonian Empires Map
  • Persian Empire (Achaemenid): 550–330 BCE, 44% of world population (50M+)
  • Major cities: Persepolis, Babylon, Susa, Ecbatana, Sardis, Memphis
  • Languages: Old Persian, Aramaic, Greek, Egyptian, Hebrew, Sanskrit
  • Religions: Zoroastrianism, Judaism, local faiths, later Hellenism
  • Trade routes: Royal Road, Silk Road, Nile, Indus, Oxus
  • Alexander's Empire: 336–323 BCE, from Greece to India
  • Hellenistic world: Greek culture blended with Egyptian, Persian, Indian
  • Displacement: Jews (Babylonian exile), Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Indians
  • Legacy: Science, philosophy, art, language, and cities (Alexandria, Antioch)

Migration & Connection:

  • Massive population movements under Persian and Macedonian rule
  • Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures mingled
  • Spread of Buddhism, Judaism, and Hellenistic science
  • Founding of dozens of new cities (Alexandria, Seleucia, etc.)

Timeline:

  • 550 BCE: Cyrus the Great founds Persian Empire
  • 539 BCE: Babylon conquered
  • 334–323 BCE: Alexander's conquests
  • 323–30 BCE: Hellenistic kingdoms
  • 30 BCE: Egypt becomes Roman province

World History Maps & Diasporas

Explore how ancient kingdoms, slave routes, and great diasporas shaped today's world.

Ancient Kingdoms
Ancient Kingdoms

See how the borders of Egypt, Kush, Israel, and Mesopotamia evolved into modern nations.

Slave Trade Routes
Slave Trade Routes

Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Saharan, and Indian Ocean slave routes connected continents and changed societies forever.

Great Diasporas
Great Diasporas

Jewish, African, and Asian diasporas have shaped cultures and identities across the globe.

Traditional African Trade Routes & Migrations

Explore the great migrations and trade routes that shaped Africa's peoples and cultures.

Bantu Migration
Bantu Migration

The Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from West/Central Africa to the south and east, spreading language, agriculture, and ironworking.

Cushite Trade Routes
Cushite Trade Routes

Cushitic peoples of the Horn of Africa traded with Egypt, Arabia, and India, shaping the region's culture and economy.

Khoisan & Congo Forest
Khoisan & Congo Forest

Khoisan hunter-gatherers and Congo rainforest peoples represent some of Africa's oldest lineages and unique migration patterns.

Trans-Saharan Trade
Trans-Saharan Trade

Gold, salt, and other goods crossed the Sahara, connecting West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean world.

Swahili Coast & Indian Ocean
Swahili Coast & Indian Ocean

Swahili city-states traded with Arabia, Persia, India, and China, blending African and Asian cultures.

Nilotic & Great Lakes Migrations
Nilotic & Great Lakes Migrations

Nilotic peoples migrated along the Nile and into the Great Lakes region, shaping East Africa's history and diversity.

About Hi-Cousin

Hi-Cousin is a global, open-source platform dedicated to helping people everywhere discover, connect, and preserve their family history. We believe that every story matters, and that by sharing our roots, we build bridges across generations, cultures, and continents.

Why do we do this? Our world is more connected than ever, yet many family stories, traditions, and lineages are at risk of being lost. Hi-Cousin empowers you to record, verify, and share your ancestry—whether it's through oral tradition, documents, or DNA. By making this platform open and collaborative, we ensure that everyone, regardless of background, can contribute to the world's shared heritage.

Why is it important? Family history is more than names and dates—it's the foundation of identity, belonging, and understanding. By preserving your family's journey, you help future generations know where they come from, celebrate diversity, and foster empathy. Our tools make it easy to connect with distant relatives, discover migration patterns, and honor the stories that shaped us all.

Why does it involve you? Hi-Cousin is built for everyone. Whether you're a genealogist, a student, or just curious about your roots, your participation enriches the platform. You can add your family tree, contribute stories, verify information, or help others connect the dots. Every contribution—big or small—helps preserve our collective memory.

Open Source & Community-Driven
Hi-Cousin is fully open source. Anyone can view, use, and contribute to the codebase. We welcome developers, designers, historians, and storytellers from all backgrounds. Together, we can build a platform that's transparent, trustworthy, and always improving. Contribute on GitHub.

Privacy & Trust
Your privacy matters. You control what information is public, private, or shared with family only. We are committed to protecting your data and will never sell your information. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service (coming soon).

Join us! Hi-Cousin is more than an app—it's a movement to preserve the world's family stories. Start your journey today, invite your relatives, and help us build a living archive for all humanity.

How Your Data is Protected

Hi-Cousin uses advanced, multi-layered encryption to keep your data private and secure. Here's how it works:

  • Minor Displacement: Your data is first slightly distorted (e.g., by shifting characters or numbers) to prevent direct recognition.
  • Vector Encryption: The distorted data is converted into a mathematical vector and encrypted using a unique key.
  • Triple Encryption: The vector is encrypted three times, each with a different key, for maximum security.
  • Cross-Server Key Release: The keys are stored on separate servers. All servers must cooperate in sequence to decrypt your data—no single server can access your information alone.
Example: Simple Data Distortion & Encryption
const data = "my-secret"; const displaced = data.split('').map((c,i)=>String.fromCharCode(c.charCodeAt(0)+i)).join(""); const encrypted = encryptVector(displaced, key1); const doubleEncrypted = encryptVector(encrypted, key2); const tripleEncrypted = encryptVector(doubleEncrypted, key3); // Data is split and stored across servers
Encryption Diagram

Result: Without all servers working together, your data cannot be decrypted. This protects you even if one server is compromised.

šŸ”’ Simple Encryption Example (Try it Yourself!)

Example: Encrypting your name with a key
// Your name: RAMAH
// Key: 1 (each letter moves 1 step forward)

// Encrypt (displace each letter by +1):
R ↓ S
A ↓ B
M ↓ N
A ↓ B
H ↓ I

// What is stored: SBNBI

// Decrypt (move each letter back by -1):
S ↑ R
B ↑ A
N ↑ M
B ↑ A
I ↑ H

How it works: If you enter RAMAH and the key is 1, each letter is shifted forward by 1 in the alphabet. The stored value is SBNBI. To decrypt, the system shifts each letter back by 1 using the same key, revealing your real name only when authorized.