Dubai group offers free online classes to over 1,000 expatriate children

A Dubai-based group of Kannada enthusiasts is helping children of expatriate Kannadigas stay connected to their mother tongue by offering free online language classes, with more than 1,000 students already registered for its latest initiative.

Kannada Mitraru (Kannada Friends), a voluntary organisation working to promote Kannada among younger generations living overseas, was recently honoured at a special programme in Dubai in recognition of its efforts to preserve and promote the language. The event, held at a resort owned by the organisation's active member Nazeem Patel (SP), brought together members and supporters to acknowledge the team's contribution to keeping Kannada alive among children growing up outside Karnataka.

Addressing the gathering, Nazeem SP stressed the importance of preserving one's mother tongue and ensuring that children remain connected to their linguistic and cultural roots, regardless of where their families settle. He described the free online Kannada classes as a meaningful initiative and said individuals and organisations working to promote language and education deserved appreciation and encouragement.

Kannada Mitraru president Shashidhar Nagarajappa thanked Nazeem SP for recognising the team's efforts and announced that admissions were open for the next batch of its Kannada Paathashaale (Kannada School).

He said nearly 50 Kannadigas based in Dubai were voluntarily working together to teach the language to children of expatriate families and help them develop proficiency in Kannada.

The initiative has already attracted more than 1,000 registrations, exceeding the organisers' expectations. However, admissions will remain open until November 1, with the new batch scheduled to begin on November 7.

Nagarajappa appealed to Kannadiga families living abroad to enrol their children and support efforts to pass the language on to the next generation.Classes will be conducted free of charge through Zoom every Friday and Saturday, with separate learning levels to accommodate students with different levels of familiarity with Kannada.

Registration details