Srinagar, Jul 17 (KNS): This summer, kids of Kashmir have an exciting new gift waiting for them on television. The much-loved edutainment show, Galli Galli Sim Sim, the Indian adaptation of the world-renowned Sesame Street, starts broadcast in their mother tongue– Kashmiri and Urdu. Kids of the valley can tune in to DD Kashir from Monday to Friday at 6:30 PM and 11:40 AM to watch their favourite show in their own language. The show will soon be available on DD Urdu also. The show is packed with special episodes that are culturally and contextually relevant and aims to develop the necessary skills and protective factors that can help children cope with stress, build their resilience and develop their school readiness skills. Galli Galli Sim Sim on DD Kashir and DD Urdu is supported by the Vitol Foundation.
Children often binge on content available on television, most of which is in Hindi or English and not culturally and contextually relevant for them. This is for the first time that an age-appropriate TV show has been made available to the children of Kashmir in their own language, so they can laugh, play and learn as they watch the funny and educational stories on the show.
With support from Vitol Foundation and Doordarshan, Sesame Workshop India has packaged special episodes of its flagship initiative Galli Galli Sim Sim, which address the specific school readiness needs of the children living in Kashmir. The special episodes teach children a lot more than only literacy and numeracy. They also foster important life skills like socio-emotional and executive function skills that can help young children manage their own behaviours and emotions, retain information in mind, resist distractions etc. so that learning can be effective. The show features the well-loved muppets, Chamki, Googly, Grover, Elmo and others, to bring messages of hope, diversity and inclusion to children. The characters act as positive role models and help them develop coping skills. By combining content that is grounded in research and has proven impact, with the power of media, Galli Galli Sim Sim teaches children important life skills which help them grow smarter, stronger and kinder. The show has been curated to address children’s school readiness by providing content that they can relate to.
Each episode has different stories mapped to learning objectives so that children can learn even when they are away from school. In the ‘Galli Ki Duniya’ segment of the show, children and parents see Chamki and Googly donning astronaut helmets and travelling to space, Dhenchoo auditioning for a new film, Chamki playing a genie in a school play and many such exciting tales. In the ‘Word on the Street’ segment, Grover explores the meaning of different words like ‘Udaas’, ‘Muskaan’, ‘Suraksha’ and more which encourages young viewers to understand the meaning of these words and use them in their daily conversations. There is a special segment on math with Bert & Ernie, who through their small games and challenges help children identify numbers and understand math concepts like counting, addition, subtraction, etc. The ‘I Heart Elmo’ segment of the show is designed specifically to address children’s daily socio-emotional challenges like entering a new group, resolving conflicts, task persistence, understanding safe touch and many more. Each episode ends with foot-tapping covers of Bollywood dance tracks, adapted in the Galli Galli Sim Sim-style, which motivate kids to get up and dance.
Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary to Govt, Information Department, Jammu & Kashmir says, “Young children need stable relationships, care and continuous access to education that will help them build better lives and develop resilience. However, due to various circumstances, often this care gets compromised.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelWe are happy that through Doordarshan and Galli Galli Sim Sim children will now be able to prepare for school and learn skills beyond ABCs and 123s at home.”
Supriya Sahu, Director General, Doordarshan says, “Galli Galli Sim Sim has been a favourite of kids. The show has done tremendously well and has received appreciation from not just kids but also parents. We are always on the lookout for exciting and age-appropriate content for children and Galli Galli Sim Sim fits this need perfectly. The show with its popular and well-loved cast of friendly muppets entertains the young audience while teaching them important life skills. We are proud to bring this popular show to the children of Kashmir. In addition to being available on DD Kashir on television, the show will also entertain and educate children on our newest offering – DTT. This is a mobile television which does not require an internet connection and can be plugged into any smartphone and can stream live broadcasts of selected Doordarshan channels, DD Kashir being one of them.”
Mona Singh, Head – Business Development and Marketing, Sesame Workshop India says, “Galli Galli Sim Sim has proven impact on children’s learning outcomes. It has one of the highest rates of co-viewership, impacting parenting and the home environment. Using muppets to engage and educate children, Galli Galli Sim Sim has shown that promoting learning on television can be fun and interactive. Since our debut in 2006, we have reached over 150 million children [1] through broadcast on DD National and other regional channels of Doordarshan. And now we are delighted to bring our show in Kashmiri and soon in Urdu with a special focus on the educational needs of the children of Kashmir. Currently, there isn’t much high-quality content available for these children on television and in their mother tongue. Galli Galli Sim Sim is the first of its kind offering that is available in their own language and is culturally and contextually relevant. We hope that children and parents watch the show together and enjoy it to the fullest. Our ultimate aim is to make this innovative and high-quality content available beyond television, in classrooms and homes so that the continuum of learning can help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.
Titise Kode, Head of Education at Vitol Foundation, which supports Galli Galli Sim Sim’s broadcast on DD Kashir and DD Urdu, says, “We are proud to know that through our investment children will be able to learn important life skills and get prepared for school and life. Galli Galli Sim Sim is the perfect companion to every child and parent and we are sure that in Kashmir many children and caregivers will benefit from its well-researched engaging content, just like millions of children across the globe.”
In addition to DD Kashir and DD Urdu, Galli Galli Sim Sim is also broadcast on DD National and on Doordarshan’s regional channels: DD Girnar (Gujarati), DD Sahyadri (Marathi), DD Bihar, DD Uttar Pradesh, DD Madhya Pradesh and DD Rajasthan.
About Sesame Workshop India
The educational organization behind the acclaimed children’s series Galli Galli Sim Sim and more, Sesame Workshop India uses the power of media to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. We develop high quality and engaging content for television, radio, print and digital platforms to reach kids ages 0-8 with important lessons in ways that speak directly to them. Through partnerships with broadcasters, government schools, non-profit organizations we aim to teach basic academic and life skills, while celebrating India's rich cultural diversity, to promote quality early childhood development.-http://www.sesameworkshopindia.org. (KNS)