Alam Simsim

The show is set in the imaginary Alam Simsim (Sesame World) neighborhood in Egypt. This area is Medieval-looking like Old Cairo except perhaps more rural and green. It consists of a small public square surrounded by a park; a store owned by 'Am Gherghis; the carpenter's shop owned by 'Am Hussein with apartments above occupied by 'Am Hussein's family, 'Ama Kheireya his wife, Mona his teenage daughter and Kareem his young son. A bookstore or library (the same word is used for both in Arabic so it is hard to tell which is intended) is run by a young woman named Nabila.[6] The humans are referred to as 'Am and 'Ama, which are "Uncle" and "Aunt" in Egyptian Arabic. These titles denote familiarity common in Egyptian neighborhoods.[7]

The show also includes three main Muppet characters who interact with the humans in the neighborhood just as they do on the original American program. Nimnim (tiny) is a large green furry creature who wears a cap from upper Egypt and a patterned vest. He is a somewhat gentle and naive creature who enjoys gardening.[2][8] Khokha (peach) is a furry pinkish orange colored four year old monster with long black hair.[2][9] She is a very inquisitive, imaginative and confident character whose main message is to encourage young girls.[8][10] Filfil (pepper) is a bearded furry purple monster who often gets carried away with himself. He is a bit egotistical and loves to eat honey-sesame sticks.[7][11]

Alam Simsim reuses many of the sketches from other versions of Sesame Street, dubbed into Egyptian Arabic. Some of these include segments using American Muppets, however some names are changed. Ernie and Bert are known as Shadi and Hadi, Elmo is called Tohfa (antique), Telly Monster is named Mosaad while Grover is Jafaar. Kermit is simply called Kermit.[8]

The show, in addition to teaching basic literacy and mathematics, also focuses on regional issues, including gender equality, girls' education, and health and hygiene. Studies have found that children who watch the program do show improvement in literacy and math skills, and caregivers who watch the program show some modifications in their parenting styles.[3]

A 2013 study found that children's exposure to the program was significantly associated with learning.[13][14]

The show became very popular in Egypt after Egypt's First Lady became involved with the program in 2000.[2] 98% of Egyptian households were viewing the program by 2001.[2]

In December 2002 Sesame Workshop began an outreach initiative to further the show's educational impact.[15][2] This initiative was more geared toward parents and caregivers, and focused on health, hygiene, and nutrition.[15] Materials included flashcards, story booklets, and calendars.[15]

According to a 2004 study, the initiative had a substantial positive impact on caregivers, especially when it came to knowledge about hygiene and vaccines.[1][15] However, many of the families involves in the initiative and in the study were poorer, and thus were not able to actually implement some of the changes they had learned about, such as buying toothbrushes or fresh produce.[15] There was also a positive impact found on the children in the initiative, who reported more frequent hand and face washing.[15][1]

• USAID Announcement
• Video clip of Alam Simsim from the Karma company
• Al-Ahram (Egyptian newspaper) article on Alam Simsim