Takalani Sesame

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Takalani Sesame
Costumed characters based on Takalani's Muppet cast, at a promotional event for SABC.
Genre	Children's television series
Running time	30 minutes per episode
Creator(s)	Based on Sesame Street by Joan Ganz Cooney and Jim Henson
Starring
Country of origin	South Africa
Original channel	SABC
Original run	2000–present
No. of episodes	65

Takalani Sesame ("be happy Sesame" in Venda) is the South African version of the children's television program Sesame Street. Co-produced by Sesame Workshop and South African partners, Takalani Sesame is now in its 7th year. Takalani Sesame is a uniquely South African interpretation of the Sesame model engaging children and their parents and promoting basic school readiness, literacy, numeracy, and health and hygiene. Takalani Sesame also has a special focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and seeks to introduce HIV/AIDS safety while promoting tolerance and reducing stigma. The Takalani series also includes a popular radio program, a newspaper and magazine comic strip series, and a national Talk to ME Campaign which encrouages adults to talk to their children about HIV/AIDS and related issues. The introduction of an HIV-positive muppet for this purpose was widely misunderstood by the U.S. political right, with such groups as the American Family Association mistaking it as a means for homosexual activists to influence young viewers. ^[1]

It incorporates all of South Africa's 11 National Languages, including Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Ndebele, Sesotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Tswana and Venda.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, and Nane Annan have made guest appearances on the show.

Contents 1 Characters 2 Crew 3 Episode guide 4 External links and references

[edit] Characters

Moshe

Zikwe

Kupukeji

Neno

See Elmo

Zuzu

Kami

See Kami (Takalani Sesame)

[edit] Crew

• Executive producer: Seipati Bulane-Hopa
• Chief producer: Horace Rayners
• Director of operations: Stan Joseph
• Line Producer: Shame

[edit] Episode guide

1. The Muppets sing "Doing the Family Thing"
2. The Muppets see the importance of exercise in "What I Can Do" and "Mika Skipping Rope"
3. The song "That's what friends are for" explores the qualities of a friend
4. Zikwe writes a "Book about me"
5. Takalani Sesame Street is holding a party so food is the theme
6. In "Sunrise to Sunset" we see the movement of the sun during the day
7. The Muppets learn that whenever we talk about transport we must also talk about safety
8. This is what my body can do!
9. The children look at some special things that they can make or do
10. Children make their own elephant masks for a performance
11. We see children greeting each other in 11 languages
12. We see children greeting each other in 11 languages
13. A little boy's sister has HIV and learns coping strategies
14. Losing things, looking for them and finding them are at the heart of this show
15. Losing things, looking for them and finding them are at the heart of this show
16. This show looks at different feelings and how we can express these feelings
17. Zuzu and Moshe share memories of toys they used to have
18. In the song we learn that insects are part of the circle of life
19. The Muppets and the children learn that everything and everybody needs water
20. In this show we see the Muppets busy with activities that need persistence and concentration
21. Zikwe and Zuzu use a telescope to look at the moon

[edit] External links and references

1. ^ GOP grouchy over HIV muppet

• BBC article speculates on possible HIV+ Sesame character in the USA
• Kami formally appointed by the UN as a global champion for children
• An HIV-positive muppet