Jalan Sesama

In March 2006, Secretary Rice announces a new U.S.-sponsored Indonesian Sesame Street program to teachers and students called Sesame Indonesia. The Secretary of State made an announcement that the United States will donate US$8.5 million to help Indonesia to develop the TV program.

This is different from Boneka Sesame (Indonesia), in which Sesame Street program is dubbed into Indonesian. In Sesame Indonesia, the program content will be localised into Indonesian context, while keeping the Sesame Street characters existence in the program.

The show will feature new Indonesian Muppet characters, locally produced live action and animated films, and classic Sesame Street segments featuring Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame characters that have delighted children around the world for decades, and complete with puppets wearing Islamic veils - part of Dr Rice's broader message that Western culture can co-exist peacefully with moderate Islam. The grant will fund the first four years of the Indonesian children’s program, which will debut in 2007. USAID’s Sesame Street Indonesia partnership complements President Bush’s broader $157 million education initiative for Indonesia, designed to improve the quality of basic education throughout the country.

During the launch fo the program, an actor dressed head to toe in the red, furry costume of the Sesame Street monster Elmo was on hand for the announcement in the sweltering midday heat of the Indonesian capital. Rice seemed unfamiliar with the characters from the long-running U.S. public television program however, muffing Miss Piggy as "Miss Pinky" before getting it right.

Below is the State Department's official transcript of Dr. Rice's speech during the launch


 * And so it's really exciting for me to be here in Indonesia. I'm very glad that the United States and Indonesia have joined in this partnership for this wonderful school.  It is a part of an initiative that President Bush announced when he was in Indonesia two years ago.  And today we are announcing $8.5 million for a program to bring Sesame Street to the schools of Indonesia.


 * Now, for almost 40 years, Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy -- Miss Piggy, right -- and who? Elmo?  Come over here, Elmo.  Come on, Elmo.  Come on.  And Elmo have been teaching children to read and to think and to explore different worlds.  And so we're happy that we can bring Sesame Street to these kids and to other kids around the country.

USAID Mission Director William M. Frej, sai said: "By improving school readiness in basic literacy and numeracy, the Indonesian Sesame Street program will help millions of Indonesia’s children develop the skills they need to have a successful school experience."