Khayaal apnaa, khayaal apnon ka

Team L&M

To help families across India stay physically and emotionally healthy as the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic continues, Sesame Workshop in India, the non-profit educational organisation behind Sesame Street, has started premiering new animated public service announcements from April 27.

The audio and video content is available in English and 11 Indian languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Kashmiri, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, Gujarati, Marathi — and includes Elmo’s new Washy Wash song as well as Sesame Muppets learning how to sneeze properly and how caring for yourself means caring for each other. And with children currently out of school, Sesame content provides early learning to children at home. Both audio and video content is available across TV, radio and digital platforms operated by Government of India as well as private media houses. The government of Uttar Pradesh is distributing content over TV, radio, DIKSHA app, WhatsApp and in Maharashtra, the content is available on DD Sahyadri.

Some of the new content premiering today includes the following videos:
a. Washy Wash with Elmo: Families can sing along with Elmo as he washes his hands for 20 seconds—washing the germs away and helping everyone stay healthy.
b. Learning how to sneeze and cough safely with Grover: Grover helps children remember that when they feel a tickle in their noses or throats, they should remember to sneeze or cough into their upper sleeve or elbow — that helps keep the germs off their hands and away from other people. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
c. Time to Wash Your Hands! Sesame Muppets demonstrate different situations where children and families should wash hands — after coughs and sneezes, before eating, after playing, after using the bathroom, and more.
d. Caring for Myself, Caring for Others: Sesame Muppets help children understand that when you take good care of yourself, you’re taking good care of others, too.

“As families across India adjust to their new realities, our Sesame programme is there to support them in staying healthy and fostering learning at home while children are out of school,” said Sonali Khan, MD, Sesame Workshop India, adding, “With a little help from the funny and furry muppets, together we can help children and families, especially the vulnerable, learn healthy habits and take care of each other during this crisis.”