Press Releases

Mama Kikwete impresses Americans

October 3, 2006

Tanzania's First Lady, Salma Kikwete, met with characters from the world-renowned children’s educational programme Sesame Street during her recent visit to New York. The visit gave the First Lady and Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Margareth Sitta, a first hand look at the innovative programme watched by children in over 120 countries.

The First Lady acknowledged the importance of providing an early start to pre-school children, noting that the use of Kiswahili will ensure effective delivery of educational messages to children and caregivers. The recent successful adaptation of the Sesame Street characters to South African television has encouraged USAID to begin planning with the Minister of Education and Vocational Training to bring the programme to Tanzania. The local productions are designed to meet the specific educational needs of children in a particular region or country. As with the introduction of a South African character, Kami, a Muppet who is HIV-positive, plans are currently underway to ensure that the programme provides health and child development-related information appropriate to the Tanzanian context.

According to Tanzania’s USAID Director Pamela White, “USAID recently worked with Sesame Street in Egypt to introduce a new star of the show - a four-year-old furry pink Muppet who wants to be a pilot, a doctor, and an engineer, all at the same time! That Muppet and her friends are changing attitudes towards girls' education while helping all children better prepare for success at school. The First Lady, the Minister of Education and Vocational Training, and I want to do the same thing here in Tanzania.”

Commenting on the success of the First Lady’s week long visit to the United States, USAID Director White added, “First Lady Salma Kikwete took the United States by storm. At every visit, she was elegant, well spoken, and a true Ambassador for the country of Tanzania.” She went on to say that, “The people of the United States, from the five year old students at the primary school she visited to the head of Folklife Festival planning office at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution, were extremely impressed with her passion and intelligence.