Recently, a blogger on Express Tribune wrote:
Simsim Hamara (Our Sesame) would not be just copy-paste idea. It is being developed from stratch, which means it will require a lot of new things. There would be new sets, new puppets and new people. There would be training costs involved as well as special writers would be commissioned. Developing children content is not very easy as it seems. In a world of television filled with sauce, blood and bomb, this localized Sesame Street might be the only outlet of entertainment for the children of Pakistan.
Sesame Street is not just a TV program but it has turned into education resource tool. Localized Sesame Street programs have worked all over the world. Simsimpur, the Bengali version of Sesame Street, was also commissioned by USAid in 2005. A Dhaka-based study in 2007 concluded that Simsimpur worked as children who watched the show had better socio-cultural skills than the ones who did not watch it. Galli Galli Sim Sim, the Indian version, was also financed by USAid along with the local partnership of ICICI Bank. It has been proven to help India with pre-schooling and reinforcing local traditions. Furthermore, Koche Simsim, the Afghani version which was developed in Egypt, is shown in school. It helps schools with the teaching of Dari.
I do not see where the doubt should lie when this system has helped all over the region. Furthermore, a rapid-developing country like China has also re-introduced a version of Sesame Street in order to propagate the Mandarin language. Indeed, schools with breakfast is good alternative but it does not work in a country where school buildings are used as stables or barnyard. Furthermore, food-based programming have been started numerous times but they never seemed to work due to corruption. Feeding children as a reward for going school might not be the answer for this country. Moreover, the ongoing war against terrorism has caused a lot of communities to shift. We saw the same thing when the floods came last year. Simsim Hamara would be able to address the educational needs of these children, more clearly.
For years, we have seen bombs and business coming in for our country from the US. However, the true benefits of it never reached the grass-root level. It is the first time that a very serious approach is taken for the progress of the society. Being critical is best; but not at the start of the project please.
A BBC News report stated that USAID has made a grant of $20 million to Rafi Peer Theater group to create a local version of Sesame Street. The setting is a rural village and the protagonist a spirited little girl named Rani.BBC News reported something like this:
This report should be in the Onion or get a rotten tomato.
The remake will star a puppet called Rani, the six-year-old daughter of a peasant farmer, with pigtails and a school uniform, according to Britain's Guardian newspaper.In her blog post, the blogger complained that USD 20 million is a big price to pay for a show like Sesame Street. She retorted:
But why does one need $20 million to make a culturally specific Urdu version of a show? These are expensive episodes and must be studded with diamonds. A cost breakdown would be intriguing to audit.It seems that the blogger missed out on some minute (sort of crucial) detail, there was a link to Guardian's report in the BBC News report that she mentioned at the start of her blog post. If she would have clicked the link, she would have read the paragraph that I am quoting next:
The USD 20 million grant will produce the Pakistani Sesame Street for four years, with 78 episodes in Urdu and 56 in regional languages, a radio show, mobile TV vans to show the programme in remote areas and a travelling Muppet roadshow.Now, lets do the math here. A USD 20 million grant for four years which means USD 5 million per year. The grant is not only for the TV show but it is active-literacy program. Furthermore, as an employee of a publishing company, I know that producing children content is the most expensive.
Simsim Hamara (Our Sesame) would not be just copy-paste idea. It is being developed from stratch, which means it will require a lot of new things. There would be new sets, new puppets and new people. There would be training costs involved as well as special writers would be commissioned. Developing children content is not very easy as it seems. In a world of television filled with sauce, blood and bomb, this localized Sesame Street might be the only outlet of entertainment for the children of Pakistan.
Sesame Street is not just a TV program but it has turned into education resource tool. Localized Sesame Street programs have worked all over the world. Simsimpur, the Bengali version of Sesame Street, was also commissioned by USAid in 2005. A Dhaka-based study in 2007 concluded that Simsimpur worked as children who watched the show had better socio-cultural skills than the ones who did not watch it. Galli Galli Sim Sim, the Indian version, was also financed by USAid along with the local partnership of ICICI Bank. It has been proven to help India with pre-schooling and reinforcing local traditions. Furthermore, Koche Simsim, the Afghani version which was developed in Egypt, is shown in school. It helps schools with the teaching of Dari.
I do not see where the doubt should lie when this system has helped all over the region. Furthermore, a rapid-developing country like China has also re-introduced a version of Sesame Street in order to propagate the Mandarin language. Indeed, schools with breakfast is good alternative but it does not work in a country where school buildings are used as stables or barnyard. Furthermore, food-based programming have been started numerous times but they never seemed to work due to corruption. Feeding children as a reward for going school might not be the answer for this country. Moreover, the ongoing war against terrorism has caused a lot of communities to shift. We saw the same thing when the floods came last year. Simsim Hamara would be able to address the educational needs of these children, more clearly.
For years, we have seen bombs and business coming in for our country from the US. However, the true benefits of it never reached the grass-root level. It is the first time that a very serious approach is taken for the progress of the society. Being critical is best; but not at the start of the project please.
No comments:
Post a Comment