Aziz & Noor – friends of Cox’s Bazar Rohingya kids

“Dear friends, this is Noor. And I am Aziz, brother of Noor. We are happy to see you. Do you know why? Because it’s time to play and learn. Yeah! Now, it’s play time. Hurray! Now, it’s time to learn”.

The voices of Noor and Aziz are favorites of the Rohingya children. In fact, the Rohingya children eagerly wait to hear the voices at the play and learning center. Alongside Aziz and Noor, some other friends in the center include Uncle Luie, Aunt Mea, Cookie Monster, Ameera, Basma, among others.  

Groups of Rohingya children attend to the call of Aziz and Noor. They are speaking in the local Rohingya dialect for the neglected Rohingya children who took shelter in Bangladesh with their families. The characters impart bits of knowledge and ideas over different matters including social and practical knowledge which is a great comfort for the children.   

The kids who were supposed to be in their comfort zones and enjoying their childhood, now they are forgotten, abandoned, and oppressed. They are aliens in their land. The land for which their forefathers struggled; the country denies them to be part of the state. The country is not accepting them as citizens. Consequently, the population had to take shelter in the neighboring state, Bangladesh. Through the flow of Naf River, humanity is floating, while the neighboring state welcomes the deserted humanity. 

It is unknown how many tears and emotions of Rahim, Rumaicha, Ayat Ullah, and Akram Ullah have blended in the water of Naf River. The river witnessed the subjugation of this community by the name of ethnic cleansing. The population does not even know the conditions of their relatives whom they left behind back in Myanmar. Even, they lack the idea of repatriation their native land and if it will happen in their lifetime.   

Despite living in Bangladesh, Rohingya children access education through videos in their native dialect. Thanks to the Play and Learning centre supported by Sesame Workshop. 140 videos cover social and emotional skills, healthcare, child-friendly math, and science which empower the Rohingya children to learn and contribute to child safety.

With the company of Aziz and Noor, the Rohingya children momentarily escape their past struggles back in Myanmar. The enticing words in their notebooks, dreams for a new future replace the nightmares of leaving their country and crossing the Naf. The playing hour offers them a sweet respite from the agony they endured.

For the past two years, 7-year-old Rumaicha of Eagle has been a daily student at Center Camp-4 in the Multipurpose Center (MPC). Engaging in Sesame’s diverse programs, she excels in arts, culture, science, and mathematics. She also showcased a quick-absorbing skill of all the matters taught.

The social and emotional aspect includes teaching techniques for anger management, stubbornness, frustration, and jealousy through breathing exercises. Aziz, Noor, and their team instruct Rohingya children on maintaining health, aligned with an emphasis in practicing hygiene after using the toilet.

Rumaicha’s mother Zaheda Begum is a resident of Camp-4. She has been residing in this Bangladesh camp for the past seven years. Her daughter, Rumaicha, attends MPC daily. She spends significant time with Aziz and Noor play where she learns new things every day.

Zaheda mentioned, “My child not only learns independently but also discusses various subjects learned at MPC with our family".

As family members, there's much to learn, such as ensuring food is covered to prevent contamination by flies, she added.

We can learn many important lessons like these through her, Zaheda said further.

She went on, “As migrants, we left our homeland, residence, and wealth, enduring numerous hardships. The Naf River became our survival route while Bangladesh saved our lives by providing shelter”.

Eight-year-old Akram Ullah lives in Camp 4. After regularly visiting Eagle Multipurpose Centre, by Sesame Workshop, he learns about crucial topics like awareness and protecting girls from violence. The kids in the centre are educated on appropriate and inappropriate touching, gaining insights into health and child protection.

Akram now is well-versed in first aid and can discuss these issues with his elders. He aspires to be a doctor in the future.

Amanullah, father of Akram Ullah, is a Camp 4 resident. He said, “My two kids learn and discuss various topics after being mentored by Aziz and Noor at the MPC . My children also talk about education on safety, health, , and child protection. The 304 Play and Learning Centre  across the camps impart training among the children”.

Ratan Chakraborty, Program Manager at Sesame Workshop in Cox's Bazar, highlights the creation of video content featuring Muppet characters. To him, the characters support and protect children affected by humanitarian crises.

He said, “These videos, made in multiple languages including Rohingya, aim to benefit children globally, extending assistance to those in crisis areas like Kenya, Colombia, and Ukraine through Sesame Workshop”.

The content is tailored to Rohingya children to enhance awareness and facilitate enjoyable learning in their native language, added Ratan.