An effort to raise a bilingual gen without losing Malayalam roots
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when early childhood education is increasingly skewed towards English, a Kochi-based initiative is attempting to ensure that children grow up bilingual without losing touch with their mother tongue. The effort focuses on introducing Malayalam alongside English in a playful, non-instructional manner, making early learning feel familiar rather than academic or intimidating.
Founded by entrepreneur Anila Mathew, the initiative — Kinder Kalari — curates bilingual learning materials such as flashcards, colouring books, and story-cum-activity titles aimed primarily at toddlers and early learners. The materials are also designed to be used as teaching aids for classrooms, libraries, and community learning spaces such as pallikoodams.
A former public sector professional who stepped away from her role at Indian Oil Corporation, Anila began rethinking early learning while raising her twins. “During those formative years, I noticed there was a clear gap. While high-quality early-learning resources were widely available in English, comparable materials in Malayalam were scarce,” said Anila. Her concern that her kids should not become strangers to Malayalam soon became an idea that developed into Kinder Kalari.
Thinking of how can families raise a generation that is globally fluent in English yet not alienated from Malayalam, she placed equal emphasis on design and emotional resonance.
“Kinder Kalari has found space among global Malayali families. Products are already being used in countries such as the US and Canada,” said Anila.
The organisation now expanded its offerings with a bilingual illustrated storybook for toddlers. A gardening game in the kit helps connect numbers with the journey of plant growth. It helps children understand counting through a hands-on experience. “Numbers are linked to the stages of gardening. It begins with 0, showing empty land ready for new life. As the child plants a seed and nurtures it, numbers unfold naturally in the story – one seed, two leaves, and more as the plant grows. Counting becomes something the child can see and experience, rather than simply memorise,” said Anila. Kinder Kalari became a registered company in August 2025.