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SESAME STREET TO DEBUT IN AFGHANISTAN
ON TOLO TV and LEMAR TV
Local Co-production, Baghch-e-Simsim, to Feature Live Action Films and Segments with World-Beloved Elmo, Grover and the Sesame Friends
(New York, NY and Kabul, Afghanistan, November 30, 2011) — Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, in partnership with TOLO TV and LEMAR TV stations, have produced Baghch-e-Simsim, a brand new children’s television series featuring locally produced live action films and the Muppets from Sesame Street, to engage and help educate the young children of Afghanistan. While the under-five population of Afghanistan numbers nearly five million, only a small percentage of children are served by Kodakistans (the country’s kindergarten system). Designed to meet this need for early education, the 26 half-hour series of Baghch-e-Simsim, produced in consultation with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education, will be broadcast in both Dari and Pashto languages and premieres December 1, 2011. Baghch-e-Simsim will be broadcast on TOLO TV every Thursday through Sunday at 4PM as well as on LEMAR TV every Thursday and Friday at 5PM and Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30PM.
Baghch-e-Simsim, which means “Sesame Garden”, contains 13 locally
produced live action films that depict traditions, culture and other
aspects of urban and rural life in Afghanistan. These two-to-three
minute mini-documentaries feature and celebrate the daily lives of young
children from across Afghanistan and introduce one another to the rich
diversity of the country’s various provinces. Examples of the live
action films include:
• First Day of School – Six- year-old Zynab is getting ready for her
first day of school, and she’s a little nervous. Her mom and dad
reassure her that everything will go well. In class she does exercises,
answers her teacher’s questions, and makes new friends while at recess
she plays hide and seek. She has a lot of fun and can’t wait to return
to school.
• Professions: Engineer – Seven- year-old Deedah meets with her Aunt
Samira, who is a civil engineer. Samira takes Deedah to one of her
construction sites, where she wears a hard hat, and watches her Aunt
look at blue prints with other engineers. Samira tells Deedah that if
she wants to be an engineer too, she needs to study hard and learn her
math.
Additionally, the furry and feathered friends from Sesame Street, like
Elmo, Big Bird and Grover, will be on hand to encourage children in
core-competencies like literacy, math, school readiness, and life skills
with a special emphasis on girls’ education, diversity and cultural
awareness. Sesame Muppets from co-productions around the world,
including Egypt, Bangladesh, Mexico and Russia will also be featured in
segments throughout the series.
“Millions of American children and children around the world have
enjoyed growing up watching and learning from this show. The United
States is proud to have partnered with the Afghan Ministry of Education
and members of the Afghan media to help bring this educational
programming to Afghanistan,” stated U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan
Crocker.
"It is a fundamental fact that media plays a significant role in
education development through educational and public awareness programs.
In light of this fact, the Ministry of Education has focused on
providing distance educational programs through its Education TV. I
believe that Baghche-e-Simsim program that depict traditions, culture
and other aspects of Afghan rural and urban life are profoundly useful
for the cognitive development of our children and transforming our
society towards, social welfare, economic growth and durable peace,”
stated Afghan Minister of Education H.E. Farooq Wardak.
“Sesame Workshop is proud to work with TOLO and LEMAR television to
create a series locally that not only seeks to educate and prepare
children for a lifetime of learning, but also provides a unique vision
into Afghan culture that children can identify with and learn from,”
says H. Melvin Ming, CEO and President, Sesame Workshop. “With less than
two-thirds of Afghanistan’s children enrolled in primary school,
Baghch-e-Simsim is a crucial step forward for children’s education
countrywide.”
"The collaboration between Sesame Workshop and Kaboora will open up the
avenues of early learning in Afghanistan, just as Sesame Street has done
globally for over 42 years. They are leaders in the field of early
childhood development and TOLO TV and LEMAR TV are the two most potent
media for reaching the children of Afghanistan. We are truly excited to
have adopted their early learning expertise and imagination in to a
program that will resonate with the young kids and families of the
region," added Saad Mohseni, Chairman of MOBY Group, which owns and
operates TOLO TV, LEMAR TV and Kaboora Production.
Baghch-e-Simsim is made possible through the support of the U.S.
Department of State.
For a behind the scenes look at the making of Baghch-e-Simsim click here
or visit:
http://www.wmm2.com/mediamail_view.aspx?uid=38d6b60a-02ca-41a4-8c66-3bfb2a731845
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