"Sisimpur": Reaching out to children all over Bangladesh
Aminul Islam, Mymensingh
Sisimpur, a popular programme on BTV, is designed specifically for children to provide pre-school lessons in a simple way. Sisimpur is a symbolic village in which the moppets, through gaiety and merriment, teach basic lessons. Grameen Manobik Unnayan Sangstha (GMUS), a rural development organisation held an orientation programme on children's education through Sisimpur at the Mymensingh Zila Parishad auditorium recently. Nayantara Communications, producer of the show, supported the programme. Md. Abdul Khaleque, executive director of GMUS, chaired the programme while Professor Amir Ahmed Chowdhury Ratan, headmaster of local Mukul Niketan High School was the chief guest. Among others Shahnaz Begum, project manager of Nayantara Communications in Dhaka and Md. Mizanur Rahman, project manager of Sisimpur, spoke at the event. Md. Mizanur Rahman said that Sisimpur, based on the hugely popular American children's show Sesame Street, is being aired on BTV since April 1, 2005 on a regular basis and has attained mass attention of Bangladeshi children. "To provide the children pre-school lessons, we are working with researchers of the country," Mizanur Rahman said, adding that through fun and games children can be taught different things. Later an open discussion was held on how the show could be made more attractive and productive for rural children. Over 50 representatives from different NGO's, educationists and journalists attended the programme. Sisimpur is funded by USAID.
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The moppets of Sisimpur |