Sesame Street has been given a unique local flavour as it entertains and educates South African preschoolers.
THE furry TV friends of the likes of Cookie Monster and Big Bird have South African cousins who are about to take to the airwaves.
Sesame Street, which has entertained and educated young Americans for the last 30 years, has been given a unique South African flavour as Takalani Sesame. Monsters like taxi-driver Zikwe, and Moshe, a life-sized meerkat, sing about ABCs and 123s along with penny whistles and other distinctively South African ingredients, to give preschoolers a foundation in learning that they can take to school with them.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Education Kader Asmal said Takalani Sesame ”is destined to make a difference in the area most needed, namely Early Child Development (ECD)”. Asmal pointed out that ”nearly 90% of South African children starting grade 1 begin with no knowledge of letters and numbers”, accounting for the unacceptably high level of learners who have to repeat grade 1.
The name ”Takalani”, TshiVenda for ”be happy”, is an indication of the aim of the project to create ”the conditions for laughter and learning we’ve been trying to achieve”, says Asmal.
One notable innovation is that Takalani Sesami will not only be broadcast on television: in a world first, this education programme has also been developed for radio, making sure that it reaches even those who only have access to that technology. The radio versions, due to go on air in October, will be an independent series broadcast daily that complement the TV episodes.
Outreach material will also be produced to reinforce the messages – which include care for the environment and appreciation of cultural diversity and languages – as well as the lessons in literacy and numeracy that the programmes contain. The kinds of material to be distributed include audio, video and print materials, which will be supported with training and extensive outreach programs.
Takalani Sesame is also remarkable for the high-powered partnerships that have made it possible. Sanlam, together with a grant from the United States Agency for International Development, made the money available, and South African Airways provides the flights. The main government partner is the Department of Education, while the broadcasters are the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), SABC radio, and community radio.
Takalani Sesami will be shown for the first time on SABC2 on July 31.
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, July 26, 2000.
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