New Zealand is a multicultural country, and the Kiwi Indian community is one of the most vibrant migrant communities in NZ.
In Part 3 of our series featuring Indian cultural associations, we bring to you the story of the Mana Andhra Telugu Association New Zealand (MATA NZ) – a community association that was formed in December 2020 and hosted its first cultural event in the form of Ugadi Uthsavam 2021.
The newly formed association aims to build connections amongst more than 10,000 Telugu-speaking people in NZ from the two States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana living in the North and South Island.
Giving details about the organisation's history, Dr Reginald Samuel, President, MATA NZ, says, “We formed this association to represent the people of Andhra Pradesh and engage with other communities and promote goodwill and understanding in 2020. It is the first-ever Andhra Pradesh Association in the world. It started with just fifteen families, but now there are more than eighty-one families in a short span. We are continuing to grow and have members throughout NZ. Our most significant achievement is that people know what MATA is and what MATA is doing for the community.
MATA NZ aims to enrich NZ Telugu-speaking residents' and visitors' lives by encouraging local involvement and interactions within multicultural events and promoting NZ as a rich international multicultural destination for culture and art, performances and entertainment.
Giving an insight into the activities and programmes that the association conducts to keep the Telugu culture and language alive in NZ, Samuel says, "Ours is a relatively new organisation. Since our inception, we have been doing some festivals of Andhra Pradesh. Last week we celebrated Ugadi (Telugu New Year). We also participated in international Telugu language seminars. We plan to start Telugu language classes here in Auckland. As an organisation, we are trying our best to develop and promote the Telugu language here in NZ and teach the younger generation the values and ethics of Indian culture, especially Telugu. However, funds are the biggest challenges we face in running this association.”
Lastly, talking about the organisation’s future, Samuel, who feels cultural organisations play a very crucial role in the Kiwi Indian community in NZ, reveals,
“We plan to do an Eid Milaap on May 6. Apart from that, many community-related works/programs are lined up this year, such as blood donation and organising sports for the children, mainly youth, women's empowerment programs, celebrating Andhra Pradesh Anniversary in November and many more. We plan to start another association in South Island affiliated with MATA and make MATA a role model to other organisations in the next five years,” Samuel said
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