Which Afghan Sesame Street co-production launched in Dari and Pashto?

The Afghan Sesame Street co-production launched in Dari and Pashto was Baghch-e-Simsim.

Meaning “Sesame Garden,” Baghch-e-Simsim was produced for Afghanistan by Sesame Workshop and the Afghan media company Moby Media Group. The series premiered in December 2011, initially airing on TOLO TV in Dari, with a Pashto version later broadcast on Lemar TV.

The show combined locally filmed Afghan material with dubbed segments from other international Sesame Street productions. Its educational goals included encouraging girls’ education, supporting emotional development, and promoting a shared Afghan identity while avoiding direct references to political conflict.

A common mix-up is Sisimpur, which is Bangladesh’s Sesame Street co-production. Baghch-e-Simsim later introduced Zari, a six-year-old Afghan girl Muppet, in 2016; her brother Zeerak followed in 2017. The program also included Afghan cultural settings and references, including visits to the Kabul Zoo, the Gardens of Babur, and the National Museum of Afghanistan.