Telly Monster is named Mosaad while Grover is Jafaar. Kermit is simply called Kermit. Guests The show has featured several real-life guests in their episodes. Laura Bush and Suzanne Mubarak appeared in a segment with Khokha, filmed in 2005. Messaging and impact The show, in addition to teaching basic literacy and mathematics, also focuses on regional issues, including gender equality, girls' education, and health and hygiene. Studies have found that children who watch the program do show improvement in literacy and math skills, and caregivers who watch the program show some modifications in their parenting styles. A 2013 study found that children's exposure to the program was significantly associated with learning. Reception The show became very popular in Egypt after Egypt's First Lady became involved with the program in 2000. 98% of Egyptian households were viewing the program by 2001. Outreach initiative In December 2002 Sesame Workshop began an outreach initiative to further the show's educational impact. This initiative was more geared toward parents and caregivers, and focused on health, hygiene, and nutrition. Materials included flashcards, story booklets, and calendars. According to a 2004 study, the initiative had a substantial positive impact on caregivers, especially when it came to knowledge about hygiene and vaccines. However, many of the families involves in the initiative and in the study were poorer, and thus were not able to actually implement some of the changes they had learned about, such as buying toothbrushes or fresh produce. There was also a positive impact found on the children in the initiative, who reported more frequent hand and face washing. References External links USAID Announcement Video clip of Alam Simsim from the Karma company Al-Ahram (Egyptian newspaper) article on Alam Simsim Sesame Street international co-productions Television shows featuring puppetry 2000 Egyptian television series debuts 2000s Egyptian television series 2010s Egyptian television series 2020s Egyptian television series