WHEN the Muppets took Manhattan, they did so with the creativity of Bermudian, Michael Frith behind them.

This year, the famed puppeteer is lending his talent to a completely different arena. A puppet show created by he and his wife Kathy is to be performed in Afghanistan, a means of brightening the lives of children in constant danger of being injured or killed by land mines.

According to Mr. Frith, the idea sprang from the hopelessness they felt in the period following September 11, 2001. However it took a chance meeting before he and his wife were able to conceive a project which would benefit from their unique skills.

An extensive article on Mr. Frith and his latest project appeared in yesterday. A non-governmental organisation, No Strings is to deliver life-saving educational messages through puppetry in the form of live shows in countries such as Afghanistan.

Part of the reason behind the choice of medium is that most kids have little, if any access to television. Films of the shows may also be aired in places such as Iraq ? another country heavily populated with land mines as well as unexploded ordnance and cluster bombs.

In its second year, the NGO hopes to change its focus to HIV/Aids, and move to Africa. At all appearances, puppets will be handed to people, and they will be taught to use them.

With the assistance of several similarly high-profile talents ? Neil Morrissey, actor and voice of popular cartoon character Bob the Builder is one of them ? the Friths hope to move the project to Afghanistan before the end of the year.

"Sometime before Christmas, security permitting, they will hand over a new puppet show they have created, to be performed by a specially trained company of Afghan actors and storytellers," the newspaper reported. The actors will travel the length and breadth of an immense country where there are ten million land mines, and where children live in constant danger of being injured or killed by the legacy of decades of conflict."

A former creator and illustrator of Dr. Seuss' books, Mr. Frith met the late Jim Henson ? principal founder of and ? while working on series. Asked to design some characters, Mr. Frith came up with the now familiar personalities of Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie Bear.

Together with Kathy Mullen, one of the principal Muppet creators and animators, Mr. Frith worked on , and then created , based on his experiences exploring Crystal Caves as a child in Bermuda.

In 2001, however it took a chance meeting with Johnie McGlade, an emergency aid worker who used a scruffy rabbit puppet to bring smiles to people who'd suffered through earthquakes, hunger or genocide. Mr. McGlade had found the puppet ? named Seamus ? a successful tool while working in the world's most wretched outposts. Seamus was on its deathbed ? Mr. McGlade's mother stuffed him in the wash ? and his flatmate was Ms Mullen's niece. She suggested he ask if Ms Mullen could help resuscitate the rabbit.

According to the daily, five months later Mr. McGlade was in Afghanistan with the agency, War Child. He touched base with Ms Mullen and No Strings was born.

"Under the Taliban, music was banned, kite-flying was banned ? of all things ? and much of the country's cultural heritage was trampled on, including the touring puppet shows," Mr. Frith told . "One of the fabulous things about puppetry is that it's a combination of all the arts ? puppet-making, painting, dance, music, singing. When you reintroduce an art form to a culture, you bring all these disciplines with it.

"We hope that when we have taken this in, it will flourish and become a whole new experience and way of life for people who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to relearn these traditional skills."

l For more information on No Strings, visit .