Besides the TV show, Galli Galli Sim Sim has had educational outreach programmes, radio shows and tie-ups with pre-schools across cities. She has been the puppeteer behind Chamki, the five-year-old Indian schoolgirl muppet on Galli Galli Sim Sim, for 10 years. The two women travelled to India for training at the Indian version of the show, Galli Galli Sim Sim. In a country ravaged by decades of war and with one of the lowest literacy rates for women, she’s become a shining mascot for education and empowerment. Now in its eight season, Galli Galli Sim Sim, Sesame Street’s Indian version, has a viewership of nearly 50 million; its educational outreach programmes have ensured Chamki’s mass popularityOver the years, Javed has travelled the country as part of Sesame Workshop, encouraging parents in rural heartlands to send their children to school and promoting gender equality.

Source: Hindustan Times July 23, 2016 14:15 UTC