Sesame Workshop takes mobile route for 'Healthy Habits' campaign

New outreach programme aims to improve teacher quality and enhance classroom experience in anganwadis in Gujarat

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | May 16, 2012

Sesame Workshop India, the NGO behind 'Galli Galli Sim Sim', the children's television programme on Cartoon Network and Pogo, and MetLife Foundation, have teamed up to expand the nutrition and healthy habits outreach program via mobile phones to anganwadis (government run pre-school centres) in Gujarat. This is part of the 'Healthy Habits for Life' campaign supported by MetLife Foundation.

"MetLife Foundation is pleased to continue its partnership with Sesame Workshop in India to empower families to develop important health habits at an early age,” said Dennis White, President and CEO, MetLife Foundation. “Our programme this year will make use of innovative new technologies in classrooms while continuing its on-air presence to promote good health, particularly in underserved communities.”

The outreach programme will enable 150 government-run anganwadis in Dhrangadra and Halvad blocks in Surendranagar, Gujarat, to improve teacher quality, enhance the classroom experience and ensure positive outcomes on children's leanings. Supervisors at these anganwadis will be trained by Sesame Workshop to use mobile phones both for self-training and to integrate multimedia content in the classroom.

Rajesh Relan, MD & Country Manager, MetLife India Insurance, said, “I am particularly proud to announce the continuation of MetLife Foundation's partnership with Sesame Workshop to promote health education among children and parents. MetLife has a longstanding commitment to empowering individuals and building healthy communities. The need for health information and promoting healthy habits among children in India is tremendous. Nurturing good nutrition and healthy habits among Indian children is essential in the early years to help ensure they grow up healthy.”

Now in its third year, the Healthy Habits for Life campaign also includes a TV sponsorship. As part of the MetLife Foundation grant, Sesame Workshop India, in 2010, made available special broadcast airings of Healthy Habits for Life episodes covering topics such as hygiene, disease prevention, and nutrition; the development of one public service announcement; dedicated healthy habits content (including activities for children and tips for adults) on the 'Galli Galli Sim Sim' website; and a mobile community viewing pilot, accompanied by educational materials, in Jaipur, reaching 100,000 children and 33,000 caregivers.

In 2011, the 'Galli Galli Sim Sim' radio programme was launched to reach out to children across 11 cities in India. The show integrates a 360-degree strategy to reach children between the ages of 0-8 years, especially those who are disenfranchised and under-resourced. Broadcast on two of India's leading channels, Pogo and Cartoon Network, 'Galli Galli Sim Sim' is further supplemented by a radio programme aired on All India Radio and community radio stations, extensive community outreach, and new and emerging media such as cell phones and internet.

The 'Galli Galli Sim Sim' initiative is supported by Turner Broadcasting, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the MetLife Foundation, Qualcomm, HSBC, and the Schwab Charitable Trust.

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