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"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you, but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not with you."

Kahlil Gibran, in his work titled the Prophet strikes at the heart of our relationship with our children. Our children indeed belong to Life. They are the very essence of life, the very essence of innocence and the very essence of our future.

Today we are launching an intervention that is designed to support our children as they progress through life, as they blossom with innocence and prepare for their future. Takalani Sesame is about our children and their future.

It gives me immense pleasure to be able to launch Takalani Sesame to South Africa and indeed the world. But the greatest pleasure is to be able to announce Takalani Sesame to the children of South Africa.

Our children have had to endure many hardships, trauma and pain. Our children continue to endure many hardships, trauma and pain. Whether it is being subjected to child abuse, to lack of food and shelter, to racist and sexist behaviour by parents or not be able to laugh, our children experience it.

Takalani Sesame is an important intervention that is designed to bring fun, laughter and education to the child. It is designed to help the child and his/her parents to understand their world, to work together to make their world a better place. The name "Takalani" which means "Be Happy" in TshiVenda conveys that spirit of happiness and innocence.

Allow me to happily add that the name "Takalani Sesame" was suggested by one of the learners in a competition to name the series that was conducted by Kwasukasukela. The name Takalani Sesame is therefore by children for children!

My Ministry and Department are proud to be a partner in this project. My children grew up with Sesame Street during the many years of exile from South Africa. Thus I have first hand knowledge of Sesame Street and its potential. The fact that this series is an indigenous South African version will ensure that the impact on children will be relevant and greater.

There are a number of partners that have come together to make this series and will continue to work together to make it successful.

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the makers of Sesame Street - The Children's Television Workshop (CTW). Your commitment and professionalism displayed in the production process is welcomed. I look forward to the continued involvement of CTW in this project.

The SABC Educational Radio and TV departments need to be acknowledged and commended for their involvement in this project and their sterling work that has been done. The public broadcaster has increasingly played an important role in support of the education and training system in South Africa, and their central involvement in Takalani Sesame will add immense value to it.

A project of this nature and magnitude requires a substantial input of funding. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the core funding for this project. The contract for this project was also carefully crafted to ensure that a substantial portion was set aside for outreach, a crucial component of this project.

Further funding was from the private sector. It gives me great pleasure to be associated with SANLAM who have contributed substantially to this project. To the two core funders - USAID and SANLAM, I wish to say a big thank you. I wish to take the liberty, as the Minister of Education to say thank you on behalf of the children of South Africa.

There are a range of other important players that need to be acknowledged and thanked. The two production companies: Kwasukasukela, our TV Partner and Vuleka, our Radio Partner. Vuleka has already won an Africa Prize for the Takalani Sesame radio pilot. I suppose we could say that this is a taste of many good things to come. We couldn't have chosen a better partner for our children.

Thank you also to the various organisations involved in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector, and my Department Officials for their work in shaping this production and ensuring that our children will have quality programs and support as they prepare for Life.

This project is supporting two crucial components of the education and training system of South Africa, namely, Early Childhood Development and Reception Year. Both components of the system lay the basis, the platform for our children to blossom. They lay the foundation for the child to understand his/her world, to make sense of it and to be able to engage with it. In doing so, we will be contributing to their ability to make the world a better place to live in.

Let me end, as I started by quoting Kahlil Gibran when he talks about our relationship, as adults with our children.

"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and
He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far."

Let us work together to give our children the platform and foundation to go swiftly and far into their world. Let us promote the spirit of Tirisano, Working Together.

Ngiyabonga, Ke a leboha, Thank you!

Issued by Ministry of Education

18 February 2000