The Teluga Association of North American (TANA) is a nonprofit, founded in 1978, that has over 32,000 members in the USA and Canada. TANA has a mission of perpetuating, integrating and assimilating the cultural heritage of the Telugu-speaking people of the North American continent into the cultural heritage of North America.

TANA, through its TANA Foundation, has supported numerous projects to provide humanitarian aid and other assistance to the people of Andhra Pradesh, India … the fourth largest state in India by area size and population.

Telugu is the predominant language of the Teluga area, which has a population of roughly 76-million. One of TANA’sprojects, Operation Envision, has raised over $332,000 to restore sight to the blind and visually impaired in Andhra Pradesh, India.

TANA Foundation is working with 9 different Eye Hospitals to treat cataract related blindness, and for correcting the vision of children. For as little as $4, a child can have their eyes examined and be provided with high quality eyeglasses. 247 cataract surgery camps and 17,366 people have recovered their eyesight since the program began in 2002.

The CHEYUTHA project, supported by TANA, provides medical and nutritional support, and education to people living with HIV/AIDS in Andhra Pradesh. The program is administered by the TANA’s partner, Lepra Society, who is an internationally known organization that works to eradicate leprosy, malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS.

A Healthier Highways project erects billboards to educate high risk groups on the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

Other programs in the Andhra Pradesh region include working to fight child poverty (with Child Aid Foundation), offering university scholarships for Indian students through its Adopt A Child program. Outside the region, TANA has donated humanitarian aid to Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 victims, Asian tsunami victims, and to North American food banks.

Information on donation opportunities and other details on TANA can be found on their website.