pakistan | sim sim hamara
Puppets coming together for early education in Pakistan.
JUST LAUNCHED — Accessing early childhood education is distressingly difficult in Pakistan. In a country with 65 million children under the age of 15, roughly a third of those ages 5 to 9 are not in school. For those who do attend, dropout rates are high, especially among girls: Only 22% of Pakistani girls complete their primary education.
Sesame Workshop is committed to reversing this trend through a new Sesame Street for Pakistan that will bring high-quality early education to a population spanning 90 districts and five languages. With unique characters and educational messages tailored to local needs, the program will focus on literacy, math, cognitive skills, and health in a context that promotes gender equity and social inclusion.
Supported by a generous grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the popular Pakistani entertainment company Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop has partnered with Sesame Workshop to create Sim Sim Hamara. The partnership taps into more than two decades of contemporary puppeteering expertise at Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop. Having laid the foundation of puppetry as an art form — and as a means to educate children — in Pakistan, the Puppet Theatre has a track record of exchange with artists from other countries.
The locally produced series will air weekly on national Pakistani TV in Urdu along with four additional languages for regional broadcast. And to further the program’s reach, the team is producing 130 radio episodes in all five languages, complemented by an interactive website, 30 school fairs, and 600 puppet shows and mobile screenings in all 90 districts.
To tailor the program to Pakistan’s unique cultural and educational needs (read about our local approach), the Sim Sim Hamara team worked closely with government and other educational experts throughout the country.
The program, which premiered in fall 2011, is now ready to reach the millions of children whose education can’t wait.
Major support for Sim Sim Hamara is provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
