U.S. ends funding for Pakistani "Sesame Street"

Elmo appears in a Pakistan-based version of the TV series "Sesame Street," called "Sim Sim Hamara." / Rafi Peer/Sesame Workshop

(AP) KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. has terminated funding for a $20 million project to develop a Pakistani version of "Sesame Street," the U.S. Embassy said Tuesday. The decision came as a Pakistani newspaper reported allegations of corruption by the local puppet theater working on the initiative.

The organization in question is the Rafi Peer Theater Workshop, a group in the city of Lahore that jointly developed the show with Sesame Workshop, the creator of the American series.

The show, which includes Elmo and a host of new Pakistani characters, first aired in December and was supposed to run for at least three seasons. The U.S. hoped it would improve education in a country where one-third of primary school-age children are not in class. It was also meant to increase tolerance at a time when the influence of radical views is growing.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Robert Raines said the U.S. Agency for International Development terminated funding for the program, but declined to provide further details.

The Pakistan Today newspaper reported Tuesday that the cause was "severe" financial irregularities at Rafi Peer, citing unnamed sources close to the project.

Officials at Rafi Peer allegedly used the U.S. money to pay off old debts, and awarded lucrative contracts to relatives, the sources claimed.

Faizaan Peerzada, the chief operating officer of Rafi Peer and one of several family members who run the organization, denied the corruption allegations. He said the U.S. ended its participation after providing $10 million because of the lack of additional available funds.

"Rafi Peer is proud of its association with the project and of the quality of children's educational television programming created within Pakistan as a result," the group said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

If the corruption allegations prove true, it would be an embarrassment for the multibillion-dollar U.S. aid program in Pakistan, which some analysts have criticized for lacking focus and not achieving results.

Rafi Peer plans to seek alternative sources of funding to continue producing the local version of "Sesame Street," which is called "Sim Sim Hamara" (or "Our Sim Sim").

A Pakistani artist gives final touches to characters of the Pakistani version of "Sesame Street," called "Sim Sim Hamara," in Lahore, Pakistan, Oct. 13, 2011.

/ AP Photo/K.M.Chaudary

The show is led by a vivacious 6-year-old girl named Rani who loves cricket and traditional Pakistani music. Her sidekick, Munna, is a 5-year-old boy obsessed with numbers and banging away on Pakistani bongo drums, or tabla. Other new characters include Baily, a kindly donkey who loves to sing, and Haseen O Jameel, a vain crocodile who lives at the bottom of a well.

The action centers around a mock-up of a Pakistani town, complete with houses, a school and Baaji's dhaba, a small shop and restaurant found in many places in the country. The town also includes a large Banyan tree, known as the wisdom tree in South Asia, in the shade of which the children often play.

Each episode is based around a word and a number, like the U.S. version, and tackles general themes like friendship, respect and valuing diversity. This last theme is particularly important in Pakistan, where Islamist extremists often target minority religious sects and others who disagree with their views.

The American version of "Sesame Street" first aired in 1969, and the U.S. government has worked with the company since then to produce shows in about 20 foreign countries, including Muslim nations like Bangladesh and Indonesia.

[venusvegasvada]

20 million @#$@#ing dollars to a bunch of @#$@heads so they can rip off Sesame Street? Are you kidding me? Who comes up with this?

Someone needs to take away the Govt's credit card. They are out of @#$ing control.

20 million could do a lot of good in the right hands right here in the US. Way to many people here at home are hurting and they pull @#$@ like this. Unbelievable.

[TheManWithNoName]

Please, Venus. $20 million seems actually cheap for *3 seasons* of the program. "Lot of good in the right hands here"? What you mean like the $11 BILLION splurt for what.. 3 - 4 hours of football called the Superbowl? Or the $400+ million for a 2 hour movie about blue catpeople beating up mean corporations? The US gov't shouldn't be paying that $20 mil, Harvey Weinstein or James Cameron should.

[diamruby]

Stop all USA funding to all foreign countries, they hate us, abuse us & will continue to live in their corrupt, filthy, murderous ways no matter what we do for them. By ending these billions of wasted dollars we will be able to apply these funds to our national debt while improving the lives of the USA tax payers who are suffering in all ways. We need these funds to increase our military, jobs, education & get the USA back on top. It is time for these foreign leaders to step up to the plate & better themselves.

[TheManWithNoName]

Please, ruby. There's plenty of corruption right here in the USA, which is the *reason* tax payers are suffering. Even if the debt gets paid off, do you honestly think those with power will loosen their own corrupt grip on things? And further, what will $20 million do against a $12 TRILLION debt?

[Jon_MD]

"If the corruption allegations prove true, it would be an embarrassment for the multibillion-dollar U.S. aid program in Pakistan, which some analysts have criticized for lacking focus and not achieving results."

The ten million lost is just a drop in the bucket of the "multiBILLION-dollar U.S. aide program!

[betterusa]

Will the media please name the politician(s) that voted to send $20 million to Pakistan for this TV show. Many of our own children suffer and are undereducated in the US due to lack of funding. I am quite certain these idiots days are numbered since they proved how careless they are with the voters money.

[geezerdude]

Ask Americans what they think about sending ANY money to Pakistan. This is money that should be spent right here on our own kids. A lot of Americans are going to bed hungry yet we give money and food away to people that would kill us in a second. DUH!

[Molly-Pchr]

"corruption by the local puppet theater"--that's a new one. Nothing worse than corrupt puppets...oh, gee, we have some of those in D.C.

[Eosphorus]

That actually made me laugh. Thank you.

[CHANCEZR]

gimmee a fkgin break....we have schools closing,
my kids kindergarden class of 43...had a cutback...
they had 2 teachers...you get that?2 teachers for
43 ,5 yearolds!!

[w_roos]

You see? The Jihadists were right after all. There have been US puppets playing a role in Pakistani society.

[Jon_MD]

10........10 Million Dollars.........down the drain....AAH..AAH..AAAHHH!

[sdemaggie]

Why was this ever funded? Bravo