MUMBAI: The Sesame Street gang is heading for Cambodia and will be airing on Apsara TV-11 in Phnom Penh from 13 December. The show will be called Sabai Sabai Sesame (Happy Happy Sesame).

It is a version of Sesame Street specially adapted for Cambodia and features animation, mini documentaries and muppet segments. The series, broadcast in Khmer, the native language, will air twice weekly.

Children in Cambodia will learn basic literacy, numeracy and social skills with the help of the furry, fun and friendly muppets.

Sabai Sabai Sesame is produced by Educational Television Cambodia (ETC), a project of World Education. The programme has been funded by the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh.

“As an organisation dedicated to encouraging children to reach their highest potential, we are excited that the children of Cambodia will have the opportunity to laugh and learn through playdates with Elmo and Grover,” said Sesame Workshop president and CEO Gary E Knell.

"In addition to the educational value of broadcasting Sabai Sabai Sesame, it has been tremendously gratifying to work with the many talented Cambodian actors, musicians and television technicians who made the production possible. Our partners at Babel Studios and Seven Colours have done superb work dubbing Sesame Workshop’s program into Khmer. When Cambodian children see muppets speaking their language, their mouths drop open in utter amazement,” said ETC president and CEO Peter Wilson.

US Embassy ambassador in Phnom Penh Joseph A. Mussomeli said, “I well remember how much my own children enjoyed Sesame Street when they were young, and how much they learned from Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, and the whole Sesame Street gang. Personally, I learned the most from Oscar the Grouch! But I am very happy that Cambodian children will now have the opportunity to experience this unique educational program.”