In response she and her husband Shane Etzenhouser, an American software engineer, co-founded the for-profit social enterprise Whiz Kids Workshop, a television production company that uses puppets and animation to help lead Ethiopian orphans through tough topics like AIDS, malaria, and the child sex-slave trade in Africa. All while also teaching kids the challenging Amharic alphabet.
Back in November 2011, after reading the horrifying book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, I committed to help the plight of girls and women in the developing world. This post is part of that continuing commitment.
Whiz Kids Workshop is best known for its flagship show Tsehai Loves Learning, which is targeted at 3-6 year-olds and reaches about 2.5 million kids nationwide on Ethiopian television. Some people have characterized Tsehai Loves Learning as Ethiopia's Sesame Street. Tsehai is a sock puppet giraffe.
The Whiz Kids Workshop also produces documentaries and training. Whiz Kids has a staff of nine, but Tigabu does much of the work herself, including testing scripts and storyboards on actual kids. Smart!
Whiz Kids recently launched a second show targeted at older children called Little Investigators, which tackles topics like deforestation and child-brides.
Whiz Kids and Tigabu have garnered a host of international awards and recognition, even when going against much better-funded groups. She won the Rolex Young Laureate Award, for instance, the Japan Prize and grants from UNESCO. I saw her mentioned in Fast Company’s 2012 list of the '100 Most Creative People in Business.'
It’s a pity that more of this renown hasn’t translated into more money. Whiz Kids annual budget is a scant $100,000. If they had more they could certainly do more.
Please considering donating at the Whiz Kids website. Whiz Kids is a for-profit social enterprise, so your donation won’t be tax deductible. But… as I think is evident… money goes a long way in Ethiopia.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteThis is Brukty Tigabu, the founder of Tsehai Loves Learning. It’s a pleasure to meet you—albeit virtually!
I’m reaching out to you because I noticed that you mentioned Tsehai Loves Learning on your blog—which I very much appreciate, so thank you!—and we have an exciting new project that we’re hoping you can share with your readers.
In collaboration with Higher Circle, a platform which funds socially meaningful projects of innovative developing market entrepreneurs, we are running a campaign called Opening Books to Open Doors. The project’s goal is to provide 2 beautifully illustrated, Amharic-language books to 230 schoolchildren who attend Hamle 1 and Fresh and Green Academy, two low-income schools in Addis Ababa. The storybooks contain the lovable characters from the Tsehai Loves Learning TV shows, who tell tales of friendship, altruism, kindess, courage, and integrity. For many of the children, these storybooks will be their first, and when we recently visited the children to whom these books will go, they were so excited about receiving the books!
Would you be open to spreading the word about our campaign on your blog, and other outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Google+? We’d very much appreciate it if you and those in your various circles help us meet our funding goal of $1,150 so that we can continue to spark, cultivate, and nourish a child’s imagination. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Google+.
I thank you in advance, and I hope you’ll join us!
Warmest regards,
Brukty Tigabu