Ahlan Simsim

In this historic effort, IRC and Sesame Workshop have partnered to help children whose lives have been uprooted by the war in Syria to build brighter futures.

With refugees around the world displaced for longer and longer periods - now an average of 10 years - the humanitarian system struggles to support them. Few displaced children have opportunities to learn and play; some have been exposed to extreme violence. They are at risk of “toxic stress,” a biological response to adversity that disrupts normal brain development. Though there are opportunities to address toxic stress through education, only 2% of humanitarian funding goes to this area - and just a fraction of it focuses on early childhood.

Under the MacArthur Foundation $100 million grant, the Sesame Workshop and the IRC have come together to deliver early childhood content. Ahlan Simsim - or “Welcome Sesame” - is the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response, combining an educational broadcast reaching 9.4 million children in the region with direct services for 1.5 million of the most vulnerable children and caretakers. Ahlan Simsim harnesses the unique strengths of IRC and Sesame Workshop to deliver early learning and care at scale. It combines high quality, research-driven educational content, engaging characters who connect deeply with children’s lives and experiences, and extensive on-the-ground operations to support families in fragile settings.

Ahlan Simsim aims to help parents provide the care children need to overcome toxic stress, through in-person support as well as video and audio content. Community sites are transformed into nurturing care and learning centers. Frontline staff are trained, and centers equipped to provide support for managing and overcoming toxic stress. And finally, a locally-produced television show will introduce children to characters and role models who understand their experiences, including the Sesame Muppets. The show focuses on language, literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills. Most of all, Ahlan Simsim helps promote understanding—children spend time with characters that help them be smarter and kinder.