Meet Zari: Sesame Street’s first Afghan muppet bringing message of girl power to war-torn country
Dressed in traditional garb, Zari, whose name means “shimmering” in Dari and Pashto, is confident and inquisitive.
With purple skin and an orange nose, her multi-coloured braids wrapped in a headscarf, Zari is Sesame Street’s first female, Afghan muppet and she has a message: girl power.
Producers hope the character, who debuted on the local version of the show this month, will provide a much needed boost to gender equality in a country where girls still trail behind boys across the board.
Dressed in traditional garb Zari, whose name means “shimmering” in Dari and Pashto, is confident and inquisitive. Afghan puppeteer Mansoora Shirzad says she hopes the muppet will become a role model for young girls and send messages of empowerment to kids in the country.
Sesame Street's first Afghan Muppet empowers girls
“Our goal is to entertain children and educate them,” Shirzad said at the Sesame Street recording studio.