South Asia
Using the power of media and community engagement to bring playful learning and support to children across the region
From our offices in India and Bangladesh, Sesame Workshop supports families with locally produced, culturally relevant media and early childhood development that’s important for children to thrive.
Among projects in India, we’re working to strengthen rural childcare centers and supporting parents and caregivers responsible for critically important early childhood education. Awareness campaigns and workshops invite dads particularly to encourage children’s social-emotional learning. And “clean air” efforts give children the tools to become champions for the environment.
In Bangladesh, we reach children and parents wherever they are — from homes to schools, community centers, and refugee camps. Our Sisimpur program goes beyond the award-winning TV show with online learning, storybooks, teacher training, and live events that promote playful learning, social-emotional skills, diversity and inclusion, environmental awareness, and more.
In refugee camps and host communities, we’re working to support children and families affected by crisis. And, by teaching children the importance of clean water and hygiene, we’re helping them build healthy habits for life.
Refugee Response in Bangladesh
To support children affected by the Rohingya refugee crisis, Sesame is partnering with BRAC to bring early education, grounded in the power of play, to hundreds of thousands of children in and around the massive refugee settlement at Cox’s Bazar. This work is made possible by a $100 million grant from the LEGO Foundation.
WASH
Illnesses related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are the world’s greatest threat to young children, but knowledge can be a powerful antidote. Our global campaign to bring meaningful sanitation and hygiene education to children is called WASH UP! Sesame character-filled storybooks, games, videos, and teacher training materials that make healthy habits easy to understand, practice, and adopt.
Harnessing the power of media and beloved characters to deliver powerful impact in India and Bangladesh.
India
To support marginalized communities in Rajasthan, Sesame Workshop India creates tailored audio content for children and caregivers that promotes interpersonal skills, identity and belonging, self-awareness, and more
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh: our Play to Learn project provides playful early learning through direct outreach and videos, storybooks, and more featuring two adorable new characters: Noor and Aziz, six-year-old Rohingya twins who live in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
The LEGO Foundation Awards $100 million to Sesame Workshop
The LEGO Foundation Awards $100 million to Sesame Workshop to bring the power of learning through play to children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises.
Sesame Street Unveils Rohingya Muppets
The new characters, Noor Yasmin and Aziz, are part of an effort to boost early education for children inside the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Check out the Sisimpur website and the Galli Galli Simsim Youtube Channel — full of resources created to help children become smarter, stronger, and kinder.