PROJECT UPDATE - 17 MARCH 2015
We will be producing a short run of alphabet blocks in Hindi, Gujarati and Telugu. Tamil blocks will be discontinued due to lack of demand. To order, please place your order through our main site: Gnaana Alphabet Blocks Order. Ship date will be September 30, 2015.
Love Your Language
Indian languages are among the most popular in the world. In terms of number of native speakers, Hindi is #4, Bengali is #7, Punjabi is #10, Telugu is #15, and Tamil is #20. There are more Hindi speakers than there are Russian and Japanese speakers combined. There are more Telugu speakers than either French or Italian.
Yet the number of resources for children to learn Indian languages is extremely limited.
What does this demonstrate to South Asian children (and to the world, for that matter)? That Indian languages are not important? That learning them is not necessary for success in this world?
Founding Principles
Gnaana was founded on the principal that Indian languages (and South Asian cultures and histories) should be presented as treasures to children. We design and produce educational products that are beautiful in design and of a quality never before seen in the Indian toy market.
Our beloved Alphabet Blocks are our flagship product – and we have had many (many) customers contacting us and eagerly checking our website for updates on their re-availability.
The Story Behind the Blocks
However, due to production costs, we have not been able to profitably maintain their availability. Not only are there materials and freight costs, but much expense is also involved in safety testing each ink color and of the wood substrates (as required by law).
Our blocks are made of beautiful, high-quality wood and are printed with stunning colors: a single block alone is printed with between 6-10 colors. The inks used are non-toxic (we know – they are tested!) and water based and we also avoid harmful varnishes. A set of alphabet blocks of similar quality retails at Pottery Barn Kids for $54 for 24 blocks (though we honestly believe ours are better – and our sets have 36 blocks – 50% more!).
Our Goal
We could have chosen to produce a lower-quality, Chinese imported product – but that just didn’t seem right. Our goal is:
- To keep production in India
- To maintain our quality; and
- To keep the price affordable for families.
In order to do this, we need to raise $26,800 in pre-orders. This will allow us to produce the block sets in a sustainable quantity, allow for quality checks and safety testing, and help us implement a more portable packaging design that will make the block sets more attractive to retailers.
We have set a target date of 60 days – which allows for a September 30th Availability Date – in time for the Diwali and Christmas gifting season. The sooner we reach our goal, the sooner we can set our Availability Date.
So join us…spread the word…
Languages are beautiful – Love Your Language
The Project FAQs
PROJECT UPDATE - 17 MARCH 2015
We will be producing a short run of alphabet blocks in Hindi, Gujarati and Telugu. Tamil blocks will be discontinued due to lack of demand. To order, please place your order through our main site: Gnaana Alphabet Blocks Order. Ship date will be September 30, 2015.
So join us…spread the word…
Languages are beautiful – Love Your Language