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Khaled Anam launches infotainment YouTube channel for kids

Khaled Anam launches infotainment YouTube channel for kids

The channel is a "fun, entertaining way to attract the younger generation to know their own national language, Urdu."
Updated 21 May, 2020

Veteran actor Khaled Anam is playing his own special role for the edutainment of children in Pakistan through his YouTube channel, CEEP Official.

Named in Urdu after the word oyster, the channel is a very "fun, easy, entertaining, colourful, way to attract the younger generation to know their own national language Urdu," shared Anam in a conversation with Images.

According to the Kahi Unkahi actor, "Kids today, even we as children, our mothers and fathers have been singing 'Twinkle, Twinkle', 'Ba Ba Black Sheep'. For how long? Something's happened to us, we don't respect Urdu... We will only stand out as a successful and stronger country when we start learning and taking pride in our own language."

He hopes to create new content with original "rhymes and basics" and wants to make sure that it includes "rhythm and rhyme in local languages."

"I want to create stuff, which is in process, in Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, Sirayiki, Balti, in all the languages of Pakistan. Because music is my forte, I will be composing them in easy melodies, giving kids easier spoken words so that it is simpler for them to learn the language. You can call it a preschool preparation portal," said Anam.

The singer also explained his struggle of running behind television channels to have a specific, designated channel for children. "It's all around the world, but in our country, for some reason children are the least important, most ignored part of the population."

"Every child needs special attention, every child needs that niche in their society. We keep complaining about how everything's bad but everyone should ask themselves: how much have we done for our children?"

"When we were growing up, Pakistan television was running beautiful programmes for children starting from Muslihuddin, Naheed Niazi, Sohail Rana, Khalil Ahmed, Shoaib Hashmi, Farooq Qaisar, but then that is that. It suddenly came to a halt."

He said he has done a lot of programmes for children, but ironically, for PTV only.

"All the private channels say they can't make money out of this and I tell them you can't sell your children. There are certain things that are not for sale. Your children, your kids, the younger population should not have a price tag to it. They are the most expensive commodity that Pakistan has, that we have. We must do stuff for them."

He also revealed that, "The channels were reluctant so I said I'll do it on my own, and Alhamdulillah I got a great response from millions of people."

He further included how grown-ups too, were moving away from national and provincial languages, saying, "In a survey that I conducted, over 50% of the grown ups did not know alif bay pay!"

Through this little effort, he hopes to create a connection between the generations and the Urdu language.

Especially during the coronavirus lockdown and even when things are normalised, people need to know their language and study it, he persists.

Anam believes digital media is the future of media, which is why he chose social media as a launching platform for his channel. He also thinks children today need to be given values, happiness and knowledge "in a nice manner and without sermonising them."

"It's not a bad thing but nobody wants to listen to lectures. Our kid goes to school he is lectured there. He goes to madrassah, he's lectured there. He comes home, he's lectured there. They should have their own space, they should have their own thing."

"CEEP is Urdu for an oyster and I consider our children to be like pearls. Just as an oyster nurtures and cares for a pearl, at CEEP, we would like to take care of the children in a nice easy happy manner," the singer said. He hopes to collaborate with people who are involved in child development, such as doctors and teachers to make the sessions more interactive in the future.

Comments

M&M May 19, 2020 03:27pm
Brilliant
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Laila May 19, 2020 04:01pm
What an excellent initiative. I worry about Urdus survival, given that with the introduction of English words either because we don't have an equivalent but mostly because people are lazy and prefer English, that it will die eventually. I think its important we keep Urdu alive. That is after all the language most of us know.
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Murtaza May 19, 2020 06:07pm
Need of the hour
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Appu Series May 19, 2020 06:11pm
Quite an interesting and useful venture (of an infotainment channel) by Mr. Khaled Anam - especially for kids - to educate them and teach them Urdu... and what better way, than to reach out through YouTube..
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Rida May 19, 2020 06:14pm
After reading this article, I visited the channel with my kids. It's a wonderful initiative and kids are loving it already!
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Ayyaz May 19, 2020 06:47pm
So pleased to know about this project; Khaled Anam has been an inspiration in my childhood days and now, he wants to serve Urdu for next generation(s) too. Much Appreciated !
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Salman May 19, 2020 07:46pm
I hope this is published in an Urdu newspaper as well
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Tq May 19, 2020 09:02pm
Great effort. But i can find this channel on you tube kids, which is where it should be.
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Zufliqar May 20, 2020 01:13am
Thank you Khalid Anum!
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Talha May 20, 2020 03:39am
People like Khalid Anum are our unsung heroes. Government should empower him and like-minded to create more such potent and value-adding content in the Pakistani digital space.
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A Khan May 20, 2020 04:09am
wonderful initiative! pity the mainstream media didn't support him! they are just focused on political talkshows and other filth.
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Syed May 20, 2020 07:54am
Good effort. Please keep it up. We need more kids related fun & educational content on media platform. Make contents in Urdu and English. Don't limit yourself to one language. Knowing more languages will only help these kids.
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Ahmar Qureshi May 20, 2020 10:27am
Any step toward the Children's education is Highly commendable! Bravo Khaled sb you've always been very much children oriented since 80's Drama "Ehsas" The DeeDee Show, The DeeDee show (reprized in 2000's) & the way you play the acoustic guitar is more euphoric! All my heartiest appreciation Peeraa Ho!!!!!!! :-)
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Saba May 20, 2020 04:30pm
When my daughter started speaking a lot of people told me to talk to her in English so she is fluent from the beginning. But me and my husband took a stand that first she will learn Urdu at home and when she goes to school she will learn English. Now my third child has started talking and this channel with Urdu rhymes excites me a lot. On most private channels only Hindi dubbed cartoons are shown, they don't even bother dubbing them in Urdu. We are in dire need of quality content for our kids. I hope this channel gets famous among parents and kids. Good luck.
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Saad May 20, 2020 10:42pm
I am 36 now, i started watching Khalid when i was just 7 and Sesame Street was my favorite evening show. I have channel Sid the geek. With 3k+ Loyal subscribers. i will definitely subscribe to him.
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