Cambodia to get Sesame Street

2005-12-05 12:14

Phnom Penh - Cambodian children will get a taste of the popular educational programme Sesame Street when a special version is launched on a local television channel, a United States embassy statement said on Monday.

The programme will be aired twice a week, beginning on December 13.

"I am very happy that Cambodian children will now have the opportunity to experience this unique educational programme," said ambassador Joseph Mussomeli.

The programme is being released by Sesame Workshop, a New York-based non-profit educational organisation, and Educational Television Cambodia, which produced the programme with funding from the US embassy. Educational Television Cambodia is a project of World Education, a private organisation based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Titled Sabai Sabai Sesame - Happy Happy Sesame - it is specially adapted for Cambodia and features animation, mini documentaries and segments about puppet characters known as Muppets.

Cambodian children will learn basic literacy, numeracy and social skills "with the help of the furry, fun and friendly Muppets", the statement said.

Sesame Workshop, founded in 1968, has been involved with educational programmes for children in about 120 countries.

- AP