1 ChucheQhalin: Puppet Film, Landmine-awareness, Afghanistan

www.nostrings.org.uk No Strings uses colourful and engaging adventure films made by some of the world's finest puppeteers to teach life-saving messages to children in countries like Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Formed in 2003, our experience is rapidly growing, and with it, the opportunity to work on new programmes in these countries and other parts of the world.

Once dubbed into local languages, No Strings works with local partners who train staff to distribute our films to schools and communities within a given country. Where possible, these facilitators use live puppets to animate carefully co-ordinated question-and-answer follow-up sessions.

"We know that puppets can really grab children's attention and get them to listen," says No Strings writer/director Kathy Mullen, one-time principal performer with The Muppet Show. "It worked on television in the West - why not use this incredible tool to teach kids living in dangerous places how to be safe?"

No Strings' first project, ChucheQhalin, or The Story of The Little Carpet Boy, was created for children and families in Afghanistan whose safety is constantly threatened by the country's many millions of landmines.

Originally, the idea was to train up local people in puppetry to take a live show around the country, but the deteriorating security situation made the team reconsider; Kathy Mullen and Michael Frith developed a format using film followed by a carefully coordinated question-and-answer session with live hand puppets which has proved extremely effective, and continues to be the main No Strings means of distribution.

The film is an adventure story containing a series of clear safety lessons, and is being taken to schools and community groups in the Kabul region, where possible, by off-road eRanger motorbikes, which have a self-sufficient sidecar unit containing a huge screen, projector, generator, etc. Other means of distribution are also being used, and the film is regularly broadcast on Afghan TV.

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[ffirangi]

Thank you so much for this project guys!

Teaching kids in such a simple way is GENIUS!

[pouncingmoonwolf]

ok, ignore that comment below.

Kathy Mullen is my step-grandmother, and Michael Frith is my Grandfather. =) I feel lucky!

[pouncingmoonwolf]

my step-grandmother created that, and is working on more shows for Africa, Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka.

If you want to know more, just contact me on my page. =)

[shivendraji]

Wow

[BiAura]

Really impressive!

Keep up the good work

[anandjee]

I am very impressed to see an idea grow so big. The Stories are like parables or fables. The messages will reach the kids. You bring HOPE to HUMANITY which sadly is controlled by ADULTS!

Dr Anand