Page 44 - Silver Lakes December Issue 2022

TODAY’S CHILD

Zuzu T-shirt, and she asked where I got it
from. When I told her I had received it on
set, she told me that Zuzu was her favourite
character – and she couldn’t believe it
when I told her that I puppeteer Zuzu! I had
to show her photos of myself with Zuzu, do
Zuzu’s giggle, speak in her voice and even
sing a song. Needless to say, I ended up
performing for the whole flight!”

Nyanga Tshabalala, whose character is
Zikwe, says that even if people don’t have
their own stories to tell him about watching
Takalani Sesame, they’re always intrigued
when they find out he’s a puppeteer. “They
always want to know how we do it. That Nyanga, Zikwe and Reshoketswe (who operates Zikwe’s arm)
tells me that we’re doing something right
– because all children and adults believe in
the magic and the messages the characters
are putting across on screen.”

HELPING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS
For Lindani Nkosi, better known as Moshe,
the collaborations with individuals, families
and societies in need are what make the
show so extraordinary. “It’s wonderful that
we’ve been able to include people with
special needs, adults and children alike,”
Lindani says.

Nyanga points out that Takalani Sesame has Moshe and Lindani
also played a critical role in helping South
African society to integrate, especially as it Recently, South African Sign Language influence potential school success and
first appeared on screens at a time when (SASL) was added as the sixth language to child development, which includes learning
we were searching for a way to create a selection of Takalani Sesame episodes. in one’s mother tongue. We’re excited
cohesion. “For the first time in the history “We already offered five of the current to now extend our offering and cater to
of South Africa, children and parents alike 11 official languages: isiZulu, English, those children with hearing impairments,
were able to watch the same show in Sesotho, isiNdebele and Afrikaans. This was reaching even more children in our beautiful
their mother tongue and receive the same because our research showed that locally country,” says Innocent Nkata, managing
information,” he says. produced educational media can positively director of Sesame Workshop South Africa.

42 | INTRAMUROS DECEMBER 2022