ManaBadi marks 20 years of Telugu teaching

Hyderabad: Silicon Andhra ManaBadi has entered its 20th academic year, marking two decades of promoting Telugu language education and cultural heritage among children in North America.

During the opening weekend, ManaBadi centres across 250 cities in the United States and Canada welcomed around 12,200 students. Nearly 20,000 parents and family members joined them on the first day, while about 2,500 volunteers, teachers, centre coordinators and community members helped organise the new academic year.

Chamarthi Raju, President and Dean of SiliconAndhra ManaBadi, said the 20th year was particularly significant as ManaBadi began two decades ago with just 150 students. It has since grown into one of the largest Telugu language learning movements outside India, helping generations of children learn to speak, read and write Telugu while strengthening their connection with their language and heritage.

He said some students from the early batches have now become parents and are bringing their own children to learn Telugu, making the journey “come full circle” from one generation to the next.

Raju credited the organisation’s growth to its dedicated community of teachers, coordinators, parents, organisers and volunteers who have contributed their time to keeping Telugu alive among future generations.

As ManaBadi enters its third decade, its vision extends beyond language preservation to strengthening children’s cultural roots and ensuring Telugu remains a living language across generations.

Admissions for the new academic year will continue until the end of September. Raju appealed to the Telugu diaspora to encourage more families to enrol their children and support the movement’s expansion.

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The Hans India