Ethiopian Children's TV Wins Again

Ethiopian Children’s TV Wins Again

The creators of “Tsehai Loves Learning” win the UNESCO prize for a new literacy focused program at the Japan Prize 2009 International Contest for Educational Media

Tokyo, Japan, 28 October 2009 – Whiz Kids Workshop, the creators of “Tsehai Loves Learning,” won another award at this year’s Japan Prize 2009 International Contest for Educational Media. Previously a winner of the preschool category at Japan Prize 2008 and numerous other international awards for their work on “Tsehai Loves Learning,” this year’s award recognizes Whiz Kids Workshop’s future plans. The prestigious UNESCO prize awarded “Tsehai’s Fidel School” as the best proposal for a future TV program which promotes literacy. “Tsehai’s Fidel School” attempts to teach Ethiopia’s Amharic alphabet in a fun and systematic way, with the help of the popular children’s character Tsehai.

The annual proposal competition at Japan Prize calls upon television broadcasters and production companies in countries with limited means to submit their ideas for educational programs. Whiz Kids Workshop’s proposal for “Tsehai’s Fidel School” was selected as one of 5 finalists from 30 entries received from all over the world.

At the Japan Prize festival, the five finalists presented their show ideas to a panel of judges made up of children’s educational media experts from around the globe. Whiz Kids Workshop co-founders Bruktawit Tigabu and Shane Etzenhouser attended the event in Japan to present their ideas.

According to Mrs. Tigabu, “Research indicates that children stay in school longer when they enter school prepared. We believe that this project will contribute significantly to raise the quality of education. “Tsehai’s Fidel School” is the result of 5 years of research and creative thinking about the best way to teach the alphabet.”

“I remember how difficult it was learning the alphabet in 1st grade,” continued Mrs. Tigabu. “I’ve always wanted to help make learning the alphabet more enjoyable. As the leading educational media organization in Ethiopia, we’re anxious to contribute to improving the educational system. It is very encouraging that global experts in educational media have approved our ideas. We hope it will help us build partnerships with the Ministry of Education or other organizations committed to children’s education in Ethiopia, so that we can make this idea a reality.” added Tigabu.

P.O. Box 608 Code 1250 : Addis Ababa, Ethiopia : +251−91−1−653994 : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Winners of the 2008 Prix Jeunesse International Children’s TV “Next Generation Prize” Winners of the Japan Prize 2008 Preschool Category At the award ceremony, Mrs. Tigabu and Mr. Etzenhouser were honored with the chance to meet and discuss their efforts with His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito, heir apparent to the Japanese throne. Mrs. Tigabu also met with His Imperial Highness at the award ceremony for Japan Prize 2008.

The UNESCO Ethiopia office has been a long-standing supporter of Whiz Kids Workshop’s efforts, and has assisted them regularly with capacity building efforts. The UNESCO award at Japan Prize 2009 was decided upon by an independent panel of judges, and awarded by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan.

The Japan Prize was established in 1965 by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. The annual festival honors the top educational programs world-wide.

Whiz Kids Workshop is an Ethiopian production company that focuses on serving children through educational media. ####

For more information on this story you may visit the websites below and contact the following individuals: Japan Prize Website: http://www.nhk.or.jp/jp-prize/english/index.html Bruktawit Tigabu & Shane Etzenhouser Office: +251-11-6-297768 Mobile: +251-91-1-653994 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Noboru Noguchi, Director General, National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +81-3-5424-1121 Paul Hector, Advisor for Communication & Information, UNESCO Addis Ababa. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.