Mrs. Bush Visits Educational Projects Supported by U.S. and Indian Partners
Projects: Galli Galli Sim Sim and Prayas
NEW DELHI | March 02, 2006
As part of her visit to the Indian capital, First Lady of the United States Laura Bush today learned first-hand how U.S. assistance and partnerships between Americans and Indians expand opportunities for underserved children.
Mrs. Bush’s first stop was a visit to the production studio for the newly unveiled Galli Galli Sim Sim (Sesame Street in India) pre-school television program, initially supported with assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She met briefly with key U.S. and Indian partners responsible for making the series a reality for India, which has one of the largest populations of young children in the world.
Galli Galli Sim Sim is the result of a U.S.-India public-private partnership between USAID, Sesame Workshop and Turner Broadcasting. Use of the television medium provides India’s rural, underserved children with basic learning skills for the classroom. About 70 percent of Indians live in rural areas and have minimal, if any, access to early childhood education.
Initial seed funding of $500,000 from USAID and know-how from Sesame Workshop was significantly leveraged by private investment from Turner to produce the Galli Galli Sim Sim series, which will air this summer on the Cartoon Network and POGO, children’s television channels in India.
After meeting and interacting with the Indian muppets at Galli Galli Sim Sim, Mrs. Bush taped a short segment for the series about counting and numbers with Nafisa Ali, chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India.
The next stop on the First Lady’s tour was a visit to Prayas, a U.S.-supported shelter for girls rescued from human trafficking and neglect. The shelter visited by Mrs. Bush is a safe home for exploited girls and a hub for rehabilitating vulnerable youth. The shelter is one of many homes and centers operated by Prayas in Delhi and several Indian states.
Rescued and formerly neglected girls and their counselors met with Mrs. Bush to explain their experiences and personal growth. She toured a classroom where specialized learning techniques “bridge” at-risk and out-of-school children back to formal education. In a working print shop, beauty shop, sewing center and computer lab, she saw how youth learn marketable skills.
Working with Indian partners, U.S. assistance to NGOs like Prayas – delivered by USAID and the U.S. Department of State – combats trafficking and expands opportunities for youth. Specialized work with teachers and students helps India realize its goal for universal education. Conservatively, there are 8 to 10 million out-of-school children in India.
Mrs. Bush’s Delhi visit highlighted how U.S. investments are helping India to reach development goals for its people.
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