Ethiopia's Sesame Street

Okay, it's not Sesame Street, but it has the same values and goals as the popular show. It's called "Tsehai Loves Learning." Take a look at this interview from CNN International's African Voices with it's creator, Bruktawit Tigabu.

I seriously watched the entire segment (roughly 22 minutes) because I think it is necessary for us to understand that as much as education is compulsory in many developed countries, it is the same in many other countries as well. I'm also tired of seeing so many of the same images of Africa (which I have been for a long time, as all of you know). However, since I have been in Korea, I think it seems more paramount, since the only images of Africa here have been animal documentaries and those classic images of poverty from UNICEF. Yes, it bothers me that that is all I am seeing. Even in the US the images of Africa are (finally) becoming less generalized.

Anyway, this interview tells people a lot about Ethiopia. Like many African nations, there is more that one language spoken in Ethiopia - 80 to be exact. That in itself shows the diversity within Ethiopia and on a greater scale on the African continent. Plus, looking at the people in this piece, one who is not familiar with Ethiopia people can see they do not look stereotypically "black." As I had stated during a presentation back in Chicago, Sub-Saharan African peoples are anthropologically the most diverse group of people in regard to skin tone and hair texture.

Anyway, despite the details in this interview, the main point is rather interesting. Education is important. Even though many in Ethiopia may be poor, many poor Ethiopians do not wish to be poor forever - and proper education is the key to raising your standard of living. Thanks to Bruktawit Tigabu, it can become a reality to many Ethiopian children.