While much of the country is still very divided on the subject of immigration and tensions are at an all-time high, Sesame Workshop is making a progressive move by introducing the company’s first ever Afghan Muppet. Zari, whose name means “shimmering,” is being described as a “curious and eager six-year-old girl” who will be introduced into season five of Baghch-e-Simsim, which is the the Afghan co-production of Sesame Street. The plans for Zari will be to focus on topics such as empowerment for girls, national identity, physical health, and both social and emotional well-being.
Sherrie Westin, the Executive Vice President of Global Impact and Philanthropy for Sesame Workshop, said in a press release Thursday:
“Debuting a confident, inquisitive, and sweet Afghan girl character is a perfect opportunity to engage both boys and girls with lessons supporting girls’ empowerment and diversity appreciation as we aim to help all children in Afghanistan grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
The move should actually come to little surprise, as the PBS children’s educational show has always upheld strong values on addressing diversity issues, and it only makes sense that Afghanistan’s Sesame Street should have its own Afghan Muppet. But as of now, it seems that there are no plans yet to have the character cross over to educate children in the United States.
