Baghch-e-Simsim

Broadcast on TOLO and LEMAR television stations since early December 2011, Baghch-e-Simsim's 26 episodes celebrate the country's cultural heritage and diversity. To that end, the series airs in both the Dari and Pashto languages. The series is comprised of content from Sesame Workshop's library of international programming, selected for its cultural and educational relevance, as well as locally produced live action films. These mini-documentaries are two to three minutes in length and feature the daily lives of young Afghan children. In depicting festivals, culture, and other aspects of urban and rural life, these segments celebrate diversity and introduce children from Afghanistan's various provinces to one another.

In July 2012, given radio's near universal reach in Afghanistan, Sesame Workshop launched a Baghch-e-Simsim radio programme. The radio episodes are designed to facilitate engagement not only with children but also with caregivers, encouraging them to play an active role in their child's development. The programme airs on national, regional, and local radio stations and is produced in partnership with Equal Access International.

In addition, over the course of the project, Sesame Workshop is building the capacity of its television and radio production partners to enable them to continue to produce high-quality educational content into the future.

Sesame Workshop is exploring how mobile phones can be used to distribute educational messages. They also aim to partner with interested government ministries and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to deliver early childhood education materials and training to formal and informal schools.

Early Childhood Development, Education.

According to Sesame Workshop, despite major improvements in the education sector in the past few years, less than two-thirds of Afghanistan's children are enrolled in primary school; attendance rates are uneven and girls' enrollment remains low. In addition, attacks on all aspects of the education process are on the rise, including physical attacks or threats against students, schools, and their staff.

From January 1-23 2012, a Focus Group Report was undertaken by Team Glevum on behalf of the US Embassy Kabul Public Affairs Section. Six focus groups were conducted with two sessions each in Kabul City, Kandahar City, and Herat City. Participants were women who had themselves viewed Baghch-e-Sim Sim at least twice and in whose households children also watch the show. Among the findings:

• In two instances, the show was cited as helping persuade the men of the family to allow their daughters to go to school.
• Participants credit the show with visible changes in children's enthusiasm for learning.
• Numerous participants credit the show with helping them better understand how to treat children in order to support their mental and emotional development.
• The content and style of the programme are considered to be culturally appropriate.
• Over half of the participants had recommended the programme to others.