Mercy Corps and Sesame Workshop have teamed up to bring educational programming to Haiti’s children.
“We are thrilled to work with Sesame Workshop to bring joy and learning to the children of Haiti,” said Mercy Corps’ Haiti Youth Program Manager Kyle Dietrich. “This partnership combines Sesame Workshop’s expertise developing outstanding content for children with Mercy Corps’ experience working with children and parents in post-disaster environments.”
Providing entertainment and learning tools for the children, Sesame Workshop has translated two Sesame Home Videos into Creole, and will be releasing three live action short films shot in Haiti by filmmaker Lina Costigan after the quake.
“For more than 40 years, Sesame Workshop has been providing children with educational lessons, loveable characters and messages of healing. Children in Haiti are in a terribly difficult situation, and they desperately need the normalcy, knowledge and inspiration our programs can provide,” explained Gary Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “It is through the support and commitment of funders and partners that we are able to create and distribute this important content to children in need.”
This Sesame Street project in Haiti is made possible through generous grants from Connie and Bob Lurie and Motorola Foundation to Sesame Workshop.
Mercy Corps will distribute 1,000 DVDs of the films throughout Haiti, and may distribute up to 5,000 additional copies in the coming months. The DVDs will be sent to schools, orphanages, hospitals, health clinics, youth centers and beyond. The Sesame Street episodes are also being screened at Cinema Under the Stars (Sinema Anba Zetwal), a Mercy Corps-supported tour of interactive open-air events that use film, music, and skits to educate and entertain tens of thousands of Haitians in earthquake-affected areas.
The films will be integrated into Mercy Corps’ Comfort for Kids program, which trains parents and other caregivers to help children emotionally recover from the earthquake. Comfort for Kids is a key component of the Mercy Corps Haiti youth program which combines training for caregivers, workbooks for adults and children, open-air film events, as well as arts and sports-based youth development activities.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps helps people in the world’s toughest places turn the crises of natural disaster, poverty and conflict into opportunities for progress. Driven by local needs and market conditions, our programs provide communities with the tools and support they need to transform their own lives. Our worldwide team of 3,700 professionals is improving the lives of 16.7 million people in more than 40 countries. For more information, see mercycorps.org.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 140 countries, and other acclaimed shows to help bridge the literacy gap including The Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.
