The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Marketplace
    • Autos
    • Jobs
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Shopping
    • Dining Out
    • Education
    • TWT Store
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    PRUDEN: On vacation with Mr. Dithers

  • National

    VERSACE: High-frequency trading growing in popularity

  • Sports

    Riggleman keeps 'dream' job with Nationals

  • National

    Ft. Hood suspect charged with 13 murders

  • Business

    Natural gas bill seen as pipe dream

  • National

    Las Vegas on winning streak as market rebounds

  • Politics

    Bush warns of too much government

Monday, October 11, 2004

Afghans learning ABCs

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Obama begins delicate mission to Japan
  • 'Balloon boy' parents set to plead guilty
  • Spitzer declines to blame politics for downfall
  • Bishop, Kennedy spar over abortion

By

In war-torn Afghanistan, where 96 percent of adults are illiterate, American-produced children's TV programs -- including "Sesame Street" -- are being used to teach reading and help Afghans learn English.

An award-winning program for toddlers, "F Is for Farm," from GoBabies-Alphabet Road, is the first American children's program to air on television in Afghanistan.

The Alphabet Road video was aired to about 1 million households in the city of Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan, over Nangrahar TV on May 16.

Former Afghan radio personality Zeba Khadem brought the program to Afghanistan in May, while she was assisting her son, Baktash, in distributing livestock to the country's war widows through the Afghan-American Peace Corps.

"I figured if there was a way to go to Afghanistan and help my war-torn country, then I couldn't go empty-handed," said Mrs. Khadem, who fled with her husband and two children after the 1979 Soviet invasion.

Mrs. Khadem, now a U.S. citizen and Virginia resident, has been a radio broadcaster for Voice of America for the past 20 years. She said her keen interest in children's causes led her to contact GoBabies in a request for children's programming to take to Afghanistan.

Mrs. Khadem showed the children's program to Nangrahar TV chief Abdul Ghafar Pacha who, after seeing only a few minutes of the show, immediately directed that "F Is for Farm" be put on the air.

"This is the best way for [the Afghan people] to learn English," Mr. Pacha said. "We would like to have more programs like this."

The "F Is for Farm" video is a new type of program for children 18 months and older. It features GoBabies puppets acting as tour guides on the set of a real-life New Jersey dairy farm. The format incorporates original songs, interactive activities and sign-language interpretation.

Maura White, chief executive officer and founder of GoBabies Inc., said the idea for the program, to enhance language development among American children, came from watching a language specialist work with her son who has auditory processing difficulties.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  3. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  4. EXCLUSIVE: Warner: Obama misplayed health care debate
  5. Michigan farm expert opens Marijuana U.
More Top Stories »
  1. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  2. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  3. Tax penalties and prison
  4. PRUDEN: Fatal reluctance to see evil
  5. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'

Most Shared

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  3. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  4. Tax penalties and prison
  5. EDITORIAL: When the shooter becomes the victim
More Top Stories »
  1. Jordanian sees Jerusalem as a powder keg
  2. EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
  3. Obama's union drive stumbles in N.H.
  4. Employers offer pet health care as perk
  5. E pluribus diversity?

Most Commented

  1. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  3. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'
  4. Obama: 'No faith justifies' Fort Hood attack
  5. Kennedy's disability plan could snag health bill
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  2. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  3. EXCLUSIVE: GOPer Cao: Health vote may end career
  4. Dobbs leaves CNN before contract ends
  5. EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • POTUS Notes

    New Dem talking point on Obama approval doesn't wash

  • The Back Story

    12 arrested at Pelosi's office

  • Belief Blog

    New Vatican constitution released

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Redskins 360

    Nolan prefers chess to coaching

  • Tara's Two Cents

    On their way to summer vacation..

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.