Programs and Activities of Population Media Center
June 2013
Since PMC’s inception, we have initiated projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina
Faso, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Dominican Republic, nine island nations of the Eastern Caribbean, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, México,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines,
Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, the United
States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. PMC has new projects in development in
Cameroon, China, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda,
Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2007, PMC was recognized by the Population Institute with a
Global Media Award for having the Best Electronic Communications Service for its
entertainment-education television and radio dramas, featuring family planning, gender
equality, and reproductive health issues. In 2009, PMC won third place in the Peter F.
Drucker Awards for Nonprofit Innovation. In 2011, PMC won our second Global Media
Award for Best Serial Drama for PMC-Ethiopia’s radio serial drama, Mieraf (“New
Beginning”). The Aspen Institute's 2012 Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health
Resolve Award has been awarded to Ethiopia, largely due to Population Institute's
nomination of PMC's work there. This highly competitive, non-monetary award is
designed to honor innovative and scalable approaches in accelerating progress toward
universal access to reproductive health. Following is detailed information about PMC’s
work.
AFRICA
Burkina Faso
Population Media Center has received funding from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
and UNICEF to develop two 156-episode radio serial dramas for promotion of family
planning use. One of the programs is in the Mooré language (Yam Yankre or “the
Choice”), and the second is in the Dioula language (Here S’ra or “the Road to
Happiness”). The programs started broadcasting on the national broadcaster and 22
community radio stations in September 2012.
In Burkina Faso, the barriers to use of modern methods of contraception are largely
informational and cultural. Among sexually active, fertile women in union, the top
reasons for non-use are the desire for more children (18%); personal, partner, or religious
opposition (17%); fear of health effects (10%); and not knowing a method or a source
(10%). Cost is cited by only 2.5%, and lack of access is cited by only 0.7%.
The annual population growth rate in Burkina Faso is 3.4 per cent, which means that the
population is doubling every 20 years. The total fertility rate is the 8th highest in the
world at 6.0 children per woman. The majority of the population is young: 46% of the
population is under the age of 15. Population growth and population dynamics are
important challenges that must be addressed in order to reduce poverty.
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Childbearing begins early in Burkina Faso: almost half of all women in union less than
20 years of age have already given birth to at least one living child. The actual fertility
rate closely follows the desired family size for women: married women interviewed
during the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey in Burkina Faso said they would like to
have about six children on average. Married men would like seven children.
Although knowledge of contraceptive methods in Burkina Faso is high (92% of those
interviewed know at least one modern method), only 13% of married women are
currently using a modern method of contraception.
Burundi
PMC has received support from the Segal Family Foundation, and commitments from
UNICEF, UNFPA, and Population Services International. The goals of the program will
be to reduce under-nutrition trends and promote child survival, improve maternal health,
inform audiences about and promote family planning and small family norms, promote
gender equality through role modeling, promote universal primary education, and prevent
HIV/AIDS and other STIs. We plan to conduct a scriptwriters’ training workshop in
October 2013 and begin broadcasting in 2014.
Burundi’s total fertility rate is 6.4 children per woman, one of the highest in the world.
Only 18 percent of married women use modern methods of contraception. Such high
fertility results in high maternal mortality rates: the rate of maternal mortality in Burundi
is estimated to be 500 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births. In part, because of
the high fertility levels and close birth intervals, Burundi has one of the highest rates of
stunting among children under five in the sub-region.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
PMC has received commitments from UNICEF, the World Bank, UNFPA, UNAIDS, and
UN Women for three separate radio serial dramas (in Lingala, Swahili and French) each
with 156 episodes. While seeking the remaining funding needed (about $500,000), PMC
is planning to conduct a scriptwriters’ training workshop in November 2013 and begin
broadcasting in 2014.
Ethiopia
PMC is conducting three concurrent projects in Ethiopia.
1. Youth Media Capacity Building Programs and Interactive Radio Serial
Drama on Cross-Sectoral Program Issues is the newest project in Ethiopia,
funded by UNICEF. Program components include: a 208-episode radio serial
drama in Amharic; training for journalists and producers in Education Media
Centers and radio stations on six themes (and guidebooks); media capacity
training for children and youth through multimedia training at select youth centers
on priority youth issues.
2. A Multi-Media Communication Campaign to Address Alcohol, Substance
Abuse and HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia is a project funded by the Ethiopian Public
Health Association (EPHA). The project consists of a radio serial drama, talk
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show, spots, print production and capacity building training programs for
religious leaders, youth group leaders, women’s group leaders, and community
leaders, plus production of a book in February 2012, called Azurit (“Whirlwind”)
with real-life stories of victims of alcohol and substance abuse. The radio
programs are:
a. Yeregebu Fetiloch (“Broken Dreams”), a 120-episode radio serial drama.
b. Fenote Lesiket (“the Right Path to Success”), a radio magazine in
Amharic.
3. Save the Children Norway (SCN) is continuing their support of PMC-Ethiopia for
2011-2015 with a project addressing Harmful Traditional Practices and
Female Genital Mutilation consisting of a national talk show, two regional radio
magazine shows, print materials, capacity building workshops, and research and
monitoring. This is a continuation of the project SCN supported from 2007-2010.
Additional support has been provided by Bayer Corporation.
a. The talk show Gudayachin has aired 64 episodes as of the end of April.
b. The two regional magazine-style programs, Naedetai (in Afar) and Igadda
(in Somali) have aired 75 and 74 shows respectively as of the end of April.
c. A training workshop on HTP & FGM was held from April 1-3, 2013.
Thirty-two high school students, drawn from nine regions participated.
There was also an experience sharing forum for students from Afar,
Somali and SNNPR regions where a severe type of FGM, infibulation, is
being practiced. A 15-minute film on FGM was relayed, and general
discussion was held at the culmination of the training.
This work has been described by Women’s E-News as being highly effective at stopping
the practice of FGM.
Previously, as part of a project to improve the delivery of health services in Ethiopia
through increased awareness and communication between the 30,000 health extension
workers in rural Ethiopia and the communities they serve, PMC-Ethiopia broadcast
Mieraf (“New Beginning”), a 180-episode radio drama series in Amharic, from June
2010 through November 2011, with funding from UNICEF. The program addressed rural
health care, including family planning, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and STIs,
hygiene and sanitation, and was designed to model positive health care and client rights
to information on their health status. Mieraf received the 2011 Global Media Award for
Best Serial Drama.
From October 2010 to November 2011, PMC conducted a program with support from
UN Women, designed to address violence against women in Ethiopia. The objective of
the project was to provide information and increase the knowledge of change agents and
communities on issues related to violence against women and female empowerment. The
project included TV and radio spots, plus print materials including a book, Yenealem
(“My World”), a collection of real-life stories. As part of the project, PMC conducted
five capacity building workshops to address the issue of violence against women.
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o The first workshop was “The Role of Journalists and Media Practitioners
to Address Violence against Women in Ethiopia.”
o Workshop 2 was for women leaders of all regions.
o Workshop 3 was for youth leaders from all regions.
o Workshop 4 was for law enforcement bodies from all regions.
o Workshop 5 was for senior writers of all regions.
From 2005 to 2010, PMC produced a talk show and panel discussion, called Alegnta
(“Security”). The serial drama, Sibrat (“Trauma”), was broadcast from September 2007
through February 2010. Sibrat was broadcast over the National Service of Radio Ethiopia
and FM Addis.
From 2002 to 2004, PMC-Ethiopia aired two radio serial dramas addressing the issues of
reproductive health and women’s status, including HIV/AIDS, family planning, marriage
by abduction, education of daughters, spousal communication, and related issues in two
major languages. Yeken Kignit (“Looking over One’s Daily Life”) was broadcast in
Amharic in 257 episodes; Dhimbibba (“Getting the Best out of Life”) was broadcast in
Oromiffa in 140 episodes. Broadcast of the radio serial dramas in the two languages
began in June 2002. Quantitative research (14,400 client interviews at clinics) done in
November 2004 found that 63% of new clients seeking reproductive health services at 48
service centers in Ethiopia reported that they were listening to one of the PMC serial
dramas. In fact, 18% of new clients named one of PMC’s programs by name as the
primary motivating factor for seeking services.
Of new clients who cited radio programs as a motivation for seeking services, 96% said
that they were motivated by one of PMC’s programs. About half the population reported
being regular listeners.
In just two and a half years of nationwide broadcasting, the following changes were
recorded:
 Listeners were 5.4 times more likely than nonlisteners to know at least 3 or more
family planning methods. (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.00001 controlling for age
and education).
 Among married women in the Amhara region who were listeners, there was a 55
percentage point increase in those who had ever used family planning methods,
while among non-listeners, the change was only 24 percentage points. A similar
increase occurred among male listeners in the Amhara region.
 Among married women in the Amhara region who were listeners, current use of
modern family planning methods went from 14% to 40% among listeners vs. 25%
among non-listeners.
 Listeners sought HIV tests at 2.5 times the rate of non-listeners*.
 Among married women who know of a method of family planning, spousal
communication about family planning issues climbed from 33% to 66%.*
*These findings remained significant after running statistical controls for all significant
socioeconomic and demographic variables.
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PMC’s first serial drama project in Ethiopia was supported by the David and Lucile
Packard Foundation, the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office of the Government of
Ethiopia (HAPCO), the Hughes Memorial Foundation, the Flora L. Thornton Foundation,
CARE-Ethiopia, the UN Population Fund, and 35 individual contributors. Yeken Kignit
is currently being rebroadcast in southern Ethiopia with support from the Packard
Foundation.
A partnership with Save the Children-US involved production and distribution of a third
serial drama on audiocassettes for play by truck drivers and other high-risk groups. The
support from Save the Children allowed production and distribution of 24 episodes of this
program, plus the writing of another 28 episodes. The evaluation of the cassette-based
drama showed major changes in self-reported behavior by those who listened to the
program. HAPCO awarded PMC additional funds to complete production of the
remaining episodes and to distribute them to high-risk populations via cassette, as well as
to broadcast a modified version on Radio Ethiopia. The broadcast of this program,
Maleda (“Dawn”), started in May 2005 and was completed in September 2006. Among
other findings, the evaluation showed that listeners were 4.3 times more likely than nonlisteners to know where to go for counseling and testing services.
PMC also received support from the Packard Foundation for two additional projects in
Ethiopia designed to involve the creative community in addressing population and
reproductive health issues. These projects included creating traveling stage plays to
address reproductive health issues; developing two video documentaries on population
and HIV/AIDS issues in Ethiopia; holding contests for the best short stories and poems
that address reproductive health issues; and conducting training of journalists in covering
reproductive health issues.
PMC produced a full-length stage play entitled Yesak Jember (“Laughter at Dusk”),
focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention. The stage play was launched in September 2003 and
was attended by the former President of Ethiopia, Dr. Negasso Gidada. The play was
staged in the capital for five months, followed by performances in 14 other cities around
Ethiopia. The script was then given to local drama groups for adaptation. PMC received
additional support from the Packard Foundation for additional training of journalists in
covering reproductive health issues, and that project was completed in 2006.
As part of this work, PMC-Ethiopia began publishing a series of books. The first was a
collection of eight national prize-winning short stories and three poems focusing on
HIV/AIDS and related social issues, published in 2003 under the title Yehiwot
Tebitawoch (“Drops of Life”). The creative pieces were selected from among 146 short
stories and 176 poems submitted in response to a national competition for the best poems
and short stories that address reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issues. Ten thousand
copies of this book were published and distributed throughout Ethiopia.
A second volume of short stories was published in 2004 as a result of a second
nationwide competition. The book, Kinfam Hilmoch (“Winged Dreams”), was also
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widely distributed and dealt with major health, social and health issues. A third book,
Wenzoch Eskimolu (“Waiting for the Rivers to Rise”), was published and distributed in
2006. In 2007, PMC published a fourth book, Yemaleda Shekim (“Burden at a Tender
Age”), consisting of 13 short stories on harmful traditional practices in Ethiopia, chosen
from 99 submissions.
A fifth book, published in 2008, is entitled, Zaren Ketegubet (“If You Become Diligent
Today”). A collection of essays, the book focuses on youth mental and physical
development and holds out positive role models for young people.
In 2009, PMC published a sixth book, Yaltenabebu Libotch (“Incongruous Hearts”),
focused on social and economic problems affecting women. It consists of 11 short stories
written by nine women writers. It highlights the inequalities faced by women with regard
to economic, educational and employment opportunities.
Also in 2009, PMC published Wurse (“Inheritance”), consisting of 11 non-fiction stories
on harmful traditional practices. The writers were given financial support to visit various
parts of Ethiopia to collect the stories first hand from victims of these practices.
In 2010, PMC published Mulu Sew (“The Complete Personality”). The stories in this
volume show the consequences of people’s attitudes toward harmful traditional practices.
It consists of 11 short stories.
In 2011, PMC published the book Literature for Social Change & Development. This
book covers the weaknesses and strengths of writing short stories and real-life stories for
behavior change.
As mentioned above, in February 2012, PMC held a launching event for two new books
with real-life stories: Azurit (“Whirlwind”) on alcohol and substance abuse (with support
from EPHA) and Yenealem (“My World”) on violence against women (with support from
UN Women).
All of these books have been distributed to the libraries of government agencies, UN
organizations, professional associations, schools, and other relevant organizations.
In 2005 and 2006, PMC received support from UNICEF, HAPCO and the Flora L.
Thornton Foundation to develop and broadcast a youth-focused radio serialized
melodrama to motivate young people to adopt positive behaviors regarding HIV/AIDS,
reproductive health and related social issues. The program, Menta Menged
(“Crossroads”), began broadcasting on Radio Ethiopia in March 2005 and was completed
in March 2007. The evaluation of Menta Menged demonstrated that it had significant
behavioral effects among listeners. These included the following:
 Listeners were 3.2 times more likely to know about STIs than non-listeners.
 Listeners were 2.5 times more likely to discuss issues relating to HIV/AIDS than
non-listeners.
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


Listeners were 1.8 times more likely to take measures to protect themselves from
HIV/AIDS infection than non-listeners.
Listeners were 3.2 times more likely to know about voluntary counseling and
testing (VCT) than non-listeners.
Listeners were 1.4 times more likely to be tested for HIV/AIDS than nonlisteners.
This same project involved production of a talk radio program aimed at youth. The
program, Alegnta, began in October 2005, with youth-led panel discussions with experts.
The Alegnta project also involved production of print materials for youth on reproductive
and sexual health issues. A total of five booklets have been published and distributed in
32,000 copies each, along with four leaflets distributed in 40,000 copies each.
The outpouring of emotion in Ethiopia, in response to PMC’s programs, has been
overwhelming. From all over the country – and even beyond the borders of Ethiopia –
35,000 letters have poured in to PMC’s office in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia’s news media
have run about one hundred stories on the soap opera phenomenon PMC has created.
Mali
The West African country of Mali has among the highest fertility rates in the world (6.6,
according to the 2006 Demographic and Health Survey). The DHS showed that only
6.9% of married women currently use modern methods of contraception. The top reasons
for non-use included: personal opposition to family planning (22.1%), wanting as many
children as possible (17.6%), male opposition (9.0%), and not knowing a method (8.6%).
Among non-users, 33.7% say they intend to use contraception in the future, while 54.5%
do not.
To address these issues, PMC broadcast a radio serial drama, Jigi ma Tignè (“Hope Is
Allowed”), from March to September 2009. The 74-episode drama was heard nationally
on eight regional stations of the national radio network and 50 local community radio
stations. The project was carried out with support from the Wallace Global Fund, the
Jewish Communal Fund, the Conservation, Food and Health Foundation, USAID/Mali,
and an individual donor. USAID’s support was intended to also promote reducing stigma
and discrimination against people with disabilities. Following is the data from the endline
survey. The University of Vermont Statistics Department conducted a logistic regression
analysis to identify significant differences between listeners and non-listeners on key
indicators after controlling for other variables, as shown below.

Listeners were 2.6 times more likely than nonlisteners to know at least two
methods of contraception. (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001 controlling for age,
sex, education, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 2.6 times more likely than nonlisteners to know one or more places
to obtain a method of contraception. (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001
controlling for age, sex, and education).
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
Listeners were 1.5 times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes” when asked if
they have “ever used a contraceptive method.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0032
controlling for age, sex, and education).

Listeners were 1.8 times more likely than nonlisteners to say they “currently use
something to delay or avoid pregnancy.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0012
controlling for age, education, marital status, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 3.4 times more likely than nonlisteners to say they “approve of
using contraceptive methods.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0005 controlling for
age, sex, marital status, education and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 2.1 times more likely than nonlisteners to say that the “health of
the mother” is the reason they approve of using contraceptive methods. (Adjusted
odds ratio with p<.0001 controlling for sex and education).

Listeners were 2.1 times more likely than nonlisteners to say they “discussed birth
spacing with their spouse/partner in the last 12 months.” (Adjusted odds ratio
with p<.0001 controlling for sex, education, marital status, and urban/rural
location).

Respondents who were not using contraception at the time of the survey were
asked if they “intend to adopt a method of contraception in the future.” Results
show that listeners were 1.5 times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes.”
(Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0123 controlling for age, sex, and education).

Listeners were 1.8 times more likely than nonlisteners to say they “favor equality
between the sexes.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001 controlling for age, sex,
education, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 1.8 times more likely than nonlisteners to believe AIDS is a fatal
disease. (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001 controlling for sex and urban/rural
location).

Listeners were 2.4 times more likely than nonlisteners to say they “approve of
condom use as a means to prevent AIDS.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0008
controlling for sex, education, marital status, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 1.7 times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes” when asked if
they will “use a condom in the future.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0125
controlling for age, sex, education, and marital status).

Listeners were 1.8 times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes” when asked if
they “discussed HIV/AIDS with anyone in the last 12 months.”(Adjusted odds
ratio with p<.0001 controlling for sex, education, and marital status).
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
Listeners were 1.7 times more likely than nonlisteners to say that “people with
disabilities have a right to prosthetics.” (Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001
controlling for sex, education, marital status, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 1.9 times more likely than nonlisteners to know of a source of
information for people with disabilities. (Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0003
controlling for age, education, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 3.3 times more likely than nonlisteners to have spoken with
someone they know about rights of people with disabilities. (Adjusted odds ratio
with p<.0001 controlling for age, sex, and education).
Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso
Previously, in West Africa, PMC produced a radio serial drama to address issues of child
slavery and the link between this problem and poverty-inducing factors, such as
unwanted pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. Formative research was completed, and training
was conducted for the producer and writers in June 2004. The radio serial drama went on
the air in November 2004 and was completed in October 2005. The program, Cesiri Tono
(“Fruits of Perseverance") was done in partnership with First Voice International, which
distributed the program via WorldSpace satellite to 169 community radio stations. These
stations then broadcast the program throughout Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.
PMC received a grant from USAID to support this work. The Ashoka Foundation
awarded PMC the Changemakers Innovation Award (one of three worldwide) in their
global competition for the most creative programs designed to prevent human trafficking.
A random-sample, household evaluation survey was conducted in Mali, Burkina Faso,
and Côte d’Ivoire to determine the impact listening to Cesiri Tono had on awareness of
and attitudes towards child trafficking and exploitation and its underlying causes in the
three countries. The December 2005 survey data indicated that the program produced the
following results:
Mali
 22.4% of respondents listened to the drama.
 Listeners in Mali were half as likely as non-listeners to prioritize educating boys
over girls (11% vs. 22%).
 31% of listeners in Mali had discussed exploitative child labor during the period
of the program, compared to 17% of non-listeners during the same period.
 The belief that it is acceptable for women to work outside of the home was 53%
higher among listeners than it had been at baseline.
Burkina Faso
 In Burkina Faso, 23% of listeners had taken action against exploitative child
labor, compared to 9% of non-listeners.
 96% of listeners could identify at least one place that provides family
planning/reproductive health services, compared to 80% of non-listeners.
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Côte d’Ivoire
 43% of listeners in Côte d’Ivoire had discussed children’s rights in the 12 months
before the end of the program, while only 25% of non-listeners had discussed
children’s rights in the same period.
 32% of listeners knew at least three factors that can lead to child trafficking,
compared to 14% of non-listeners.
All Three Countries
 Listeners in all three countries were substantially more aware of child trafficking
than non-listeners.
Thanks to a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso, Cesiri Tono was rebroadcast over six
stations nationwide.
Niger
In March 2005, PMC received USAID funding to implement a 2-year radio serial drama
project in Niger to address similar issues to those addressed in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and
Burkina Faso. The program, entitled Gobe da Haske (“Tomorrow Will Be a Brighter
Day”) was on the air from February 2006 to January 2007, distributed by First Voice
International via WorldSpace satellite to community radio stations in Niger. USAID
provided PMC with a no-cost extension through December 2007, to allow for rebroadcast of the program throughout Niger.
The final evaluation provided strong evidence of widespread listenership and significant
changes in several indicators among listeners, as opposed to non-listeners.
 Of all households surveyed, 67.2% were familiar with the serial drama program.
 The vast majority of the listeners (94%) had no education or only primary
education.
 39% of listeners could identify at least three methods of family planning,
compared to 10% of non-listeners.
 67% of listeners had heard about exploitative child labor, compared to 28% of
non-listeners.
 55% of listeners had heard of child trafficking, compared to 28% of non-listeners.
 23% of listeners knew the link between use of family planning and reducing
exploitative child labor, compared to 6% of non-listeners.
 40% of listeners had discussed exploitative child labor during the past 12 months,
compared to 19% of non-listeners.
 34% of listeners could cite at least three practices that lead to exploitative child
labor, compared to 15% of non-listeners.
 29% of listeners could cite at least three practices that lead to child trafficking,
compared to 14% of non-listeners.
Nigeria
PMC is initiating a third serial drama project, reaching most of Nigeria with programs in
two languages, Hausa (Tafigawalo or “Working towards Change”) and Pidgin
(Hannunika Mai Sanda or “Power in Your hands”) with support from the Ford
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Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, UNFPA, and Skye Bank. A writers’ workshop
was held in April 2013, and production of the programs is under way.
PMC’s second serial drama project in northern Nigeria was supported by the David and
Lucile Packard Foundation, the Conservation, Food and Health Foundation and an
individual contributor. The 208-episode drama program, Ruwan Dare (“Midnight Rain”),
was broadcast in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Sokoto states from July 2007 to June 2009.
The program was a hit, with 72% of the population aged 15-59 reporting they listened at
least every week. The endline survey in 2009 showed significant differences between
listeners and non-listeners on key programmatic indicators. The program was rebroadcast
three times per week from July 2009 through November 2010. Following is data from the
endline survey and clinic monitoring.
At the time of the baseline survey in the four states where we were planning to broadcast,
the mean desired number of children for all respondents was 7.43 (females 7.71, males
7.03), and this decreased significantly* to 5.93 by the endline survey, most notably
among females (females 5.39, males 6.96). (*Non-parametric t-test p<.0001).



The likelihood of respondents saying they did not want to have another child was
5.7* times greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted odds ratio with
p=.0001 controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education, age, marital status,
and state).
The likelihood of respondents saying they “currently use something to delay or
avoid pregnancy” was 5.6* times greater at endline compared to baseline.
(*Adjusted odds ratio with highly significant p=.0001 controlling for sex,
urban/rural location, education, age, marital status, and state).
o On this indicator, listeners were 2.4* times as likely as nonlisteners to say
they “currently use something to delay or avoid pregnancy.” (*Adjusted
odds ratio with p=.01 when controlling for sex, urban/rural location,
education, age, marital status, and state).
To monitor the effects of the program on listeners’ behaviors, PMC established 11
clinic research sites in the four states. Four rounds of client exit interviews were
conducted during the broadcast period. The survey data was analyzed to
determine motivating factors for new clients seeking reproductive health and
family planning services. The results showed that Ruwan Dare achieved
significant success with increasingly higher percentages of new clients reporting
seeking services because of listening to Ruwan Dare. (See Table 1).
Monitoring Period
Percent motivated by Ruwan Dare
Round 1: October 2007 - December 2007 55%
Round 2: January 2008 - April 2008
66%
Round 3: May 2008 - July 2008
64%
Round 4: September 2008 – Dec. 2008
67%
Table 1. Percent of new clients motivated by Ruwan Dare radio serial drama.
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
The likelihood of respondents saying they had talked with their spouse or partner
“once or twice” or “more often” about family planning in the last three months
was 4.5* times greater at endline compared to baseline. By sex there were notable
differences regarding this indicator: for males there was a notable relative
increase of 48% from baseline to endline; however for females there was a sharp
relative increase from baseline to endline of 172%. (*Adjusted odds ratio with
highly significant p=.0001 controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education,
age, marital status, and state). This result shows that the program strongly
benefited both females and males in increasing the amount of discussion of
reproductive health with their partner.
o On this indicator, listeners were 1.7* times more likely than non listeners
to say they talked to their spouse or partner “once or twice” or “more
often” about family planning in the last three months (*Adjusted odds
ratio with p=.04 controlling for age, urban/rural location, education,
marital status, and state).


The likelihood of respondents saying they “discussed the practice of family
planning with family, friends, or neighbors” in the past three months was 2.7*
times greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0001
controlling for age, education, state, and marital status).
 On this indicator, listeners were more 1.9* times more likely than
nonlisteners to say they “discussed the practice of family planning with
family, friends, or neighbors” in the past three months. (*Adjusted odds
ratio with p=.0002 controlling for age, education, and marital status).
The likelihood of respondents thinking that “couples should space children 2.5 to
3 years apart” was 1.5* times greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted
odds ratio with p=.0009 controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education, age
marital status, and state).
o On this indicator, listeners were 1.9* times more likely than nonlisteners
to think that “couples should space children 2.5 to 3 years apart.”
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0003 controlling for sex, urban/rural
location, education, age marital status, and state).

Listeners were 1.7* times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes” when asked
if “couples should share responsibility for making decisions about family size.”
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.00001 controlling for sex, urban/rural location,
education, age marital status, and state).

Respondents who were not married or in a union were asked if they would “ever
use contraceptives if married;” the likelihood of answering “yes” was 1.9* times
greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted odds ratio with significant
p=.01controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education, age, marital status and
state).
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
Listeners were 1.6* times as likely as nonlisteners to think that “children 12-14
should be taught about using condoms to avoid AIDS.” (*Adjusted odds ration
with significant p=.04 controlling for marital status, state, and education).

The likelihood of respondents thinking that “people should plan how many
children they have” was 1.4* times greater at endline compared to baseline.
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.01 controlling for sex, urban/rural location,
education, age, marital status and state).


On this indicator, listeners were nearly two times as likely as nonlisteners
to think that “people should plan how many children they have.” (Adjusted
odds ratio (1.9) with p=.01 controlling for sex, urban/rural location,
education, age, marital status and state).
The likelihood of respondents saying that using contraceptives is not “against the
will of Allah” was 3.6* times greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted
odds ratio with p=.0001 controlling for sex, location, education, age, marital
status and state).
o On this indicator, listeners were 1.5* times more likely than nonlisteners
to say that using contraceptives is not “against the will of Allah.”
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.04 controlling for sex, location, education,
age, marital status and state).

Listeners were 1.7* times more likely than nonlisteners to “know a place to obtain
a method of family planning.” (*Adjusted odds ratio with highly significant p=.01
controlling for sex, location, education, age, marital status and state).
Previously, from June 2006 – February 2007, PMC produced and broadcast Gugar Goge
(“Tell It to Me Straight”), a 70-episode radio serial drama addressing reproductive health,
family planning, and obstetric fistula in northern Nigeria. Obstetric fistula is a condition
commonly resulting from early childbirth that makes its victims incontinent.
The drama was produced in collaboration with the Rotarian Action Group on Population
and Sustainable Development (RFPD) and with support from the David and Lucile
Packard Foundation and the Conservation, Food and Health Foundation.
Gugar Goge was broadcast over regional government-owned and private radio stations in
Kaduna and Kano states. PMC worked with clinics throughout Kaduna and Kano to
conduct exit interviews with clients; 47% of new reproductive health clients indicated
they were listening to the program. The clinic monitoring determined that Gugar Goge
served as the primary motivation to seek health care services for 33% of family
planning/reproductive health clients and 54% of fistula clients.
The endline evaluation of the program showed that 93.7% of the population in Kano and
Kaduna states had heard at least one episode of the program. Even more impressive was
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the fact that 82.1% of those interviewed reported listening to the radio serial drama at
least weekly (four or more episodes per month). The endline evaluation also found that:
 When asked their opinion as to whether “a woman with fistula should be part of
the community like everyone else,” more male listeners (32.1%) “strongly
agreed” with this statement than did non-listeners (17.6%).
 When asked if they or someone they knew had “ever sought treatment for fistula,”
more female listeners (59.7%) said “yes” than non-listeners (48.5%).
 A significant difference was found between male listeners (92.8%) reporting
knowing of a place to get a male condom compared to non-listeners (75.0%). A
significantly larger percentage of female listeners (96%) also knew of a place to
get condoms than did female non-listeners (64.4%).
 When asked if a condom was used the last time they had heterosexual intercourse
in the last 12 months, significantly more female listeners (79.5%) said “yes”
compared to female non-listeners (35.6%).
 When asked if it is “acceptable or not for information on condoms to be
provided,” significantly more female listeners (87.2%) compared to female nonlisteners (49.1%) said it is “acceptable.”
A post-broadcast qualitative evaluation, which consisted of participatory sketching and
photography with avid listeners of Gugar Goge, demonstrated the personal impact of the
obstetric fistula story line. Many listeners, both in their sketches and photos, focused on
the interrelated themes of early marriage and pregnancies, the development of obstetric
fistula, and the debilitating (and often fatal) consequences of such practices.
With support from UNFPA, PMC also carried out an additional project dealing with
obstetric fistula. “Fistula Voices” involved capacity building among community leaders
for promoting behavior change to prevent fistula. A training workshop was held for
fistula spokespersons in October 2007. Twelve women who had experienced fistula were
trained to reach out to other women in their communities to let them know how to
prevent and treat fistula.
Rwanda
With support from UNFPA, the Segal Family Foundation, and an individual donor, PMC
is rebroadcasting a 312-episode program, Umurage Urukwiye (“Rwanda’s Brighter
Future”), on Radio Rwanda from October 2012 through 2014. The program was
previously broadcast on smaller networks, Contact FM and Radio Salus, from July 2007
to August 2009. It addressed a combination of issues, including reproductive health,
prevention of HIV/AIDS, preservation of wildlife habitat, preservation of natural
resources, land conservation, sustainable farming practices, and promotion of civil
harmony. PMC carried out this project with support from UNFPA, the Flora L. Thornton
Foundation, the Mulago Foundation, the Arcus Foundation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, and USAID.
The program is designed, among other things, to help remove some of the cultural and
informational barriers to use of family planning. As of the 2005 Demographic and
Health Survey, personal, spousal, or religious opposition was the leading reason for non-
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use of contraception (22% cited these reasons). Fear of negative health effects of
contraception was also a significant barrier (18% of the non-users cited this concern).
About 10% of non-users stated they want as many children as possible. Ignorance of
methods was cited by only 1.4%. Cost and lack of access to family planning methods
were insignificant as reasons for non-use, at less than 1 percent each.
Following are the results of the first broadcast of Umurage Urukwiye.
Listenership:
 Results from the final evaluation show that 37% of respondents listened to the
broadcast one or more times. Listenership for males (44%) was higher than for
females (32%). Unmarried respondents (40%) were more likely to listen to the
program than married respondents (35%). Listenership levels found in both clinic
monitoring (57%) and monitoring at tree seedling distribution points (52%)
confirmed the popularity of the broadcast.

More than half of all listeners (females 52%, males 58%) said they talked to
someone about the drama.
Desired Family Size
Population Media Center’s program had significant effects in changing desired family
size among those who were listening. At the time of the baseline survey the mean desired
number of children for all respondents was 3.61 (females 3.73, males 3.44), and this
decreased significantly* to 2.94 by the endline survey, with both females and males
showing similarly significant decreases (females 3.02, males 2.81). (*Non-parametric ttest with p<.0001).

On this indicator, listeners were 1.5* times more likely than nonlisteners to desire
three or fewer children, as opposed to four or more. (*Adjusted odds ratio with
p=.0159 controlling for age, sex, and urban/rural location).
Family Planning
Clinic exit interviews showed that 15% of new reproductive health clients cited the PMC
drama as their reason for seeking services. Of those seeking family planning, 9% cited
the program as their source of motivation. The analysis of the survey data showed:

The likelihood of respondents saying they “currently use something to delay or
avoid pregnancy” was 1.6* times greater at endline compared to baseline.
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0083 controlling for age and marital status).

Listeners were 1.6* times more likely than nonlisteners to say they talked to their
spouse or partner “once or twice” or “more often” about family planning in the
last three months. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0506 controlling for age, sex,
urban/rural location, education, and marital status).
15

Listeners were 1.4* times more likely than nonlisteners to agree that “having
fewer children reduces the health risk to the mother.” (*Adjusted odds ratio with
p=.0181 controlling for sex, education, and marital status).

Listeners were 2.9* times more likely than nonlisteners to say “yes” when asked
if they could obtain a condom themselves and would not need to rely on someone
else. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0009 controlling for sex).

Listeners were two* times more likely than nonlisteners to know of a place to get
a male condom. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0007 controlling for sex, age,
education, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 2.1* times more likely than nonlisteners to know of a place to get a
female condom. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0052 controlling for sex,
education, and urban/rural location).

The likelihood of respondents knowing that a female condom can prevent
pregnancy was 1.4* times greater at endline compared to baseline. (*Adjusted
odds ratio with p=.0007 controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education, age,
and marital status).
o On this indicator, listeners were 2.3* times more likely than nonlisteners
to know that a female condom can prevent pregnancy. (*Adjusted odds
ratio with p<.0001 controlling for sex, urban/rural location, education,
age, and marital status).
HIV/AIDS
Clinic exit interviews showed that, of those seeking voluntary counseling and testing
(VCT) for HIV/AIDS, 17% cited the program as their source of motivation. Of clients
seeking help with preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, 24% cited the program
as their reason. The analysis of the survey data showed the following:

Listeners were two* times more likely than nonlisteners to have heard about a
medication mothers can take to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS to a baby.
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0319 controlling for age and education).

Listeners were 2.7* times more likely than nonlisteners to want to know their HIV
status by getting a blood test. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0030 controlling for
education).

The likelihood of respondents saying “yes” when asked “apart from AIDS, have
you heard of sexually transmitted infections?” was 2.6* times greater at endline
compared to baseline. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p<.0001 controlling for age,
education, marital status, and urban/rural location).
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o On this indicator, listeners were 2.2* times more likely than nonlisteners
to say “yes” when asked “apart from AIDS have you heard of sexually
transmitted infections?” (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0027 controlling
for sex, age, and urban/rural location).
Preservation of Mountain Gorillas and Natural Resources
In an effort to reverse the problem of erosion of farmland, the government of Rwanda
sponsors a reforestation program. Tree seedlings are made available at nurseries
throughout the country, and there is a designated national tree seedling planting day.
PMC’s drama capitalized on that effort and featured characters that planted trees to
stabilize farmland and encouraged others to do the same. An independent survey found
that 11% of those buying tree seedlings were motivated by the program. In addition:

Listeners were 1.5* times more likely than nonlisteners to cite population growth
as the primary cause of environmental degradation and loss of gorilla habitat.
(*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0013 controlling for sex, education, and
urban/rural location).

The likelihood of respondents knowing that protection of gorillas and their habitat
can reduce poverty and bring tourists was 3.4* times greater at endline compared
to baseline. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0471 controlling for sex, age,
education, and urban/rural location).
o On this indicator, listeners were 1.6* times more likely than nonlisteners
to know that protection of gorillas and their habitat can reduce poverty and
bring tourists. (*Adjusted odds ratio with p=.0167 controlling for sex, age,
education, and urban/rural location).

Listeners were 1.5* times more likely than nonlisteners to have talked with their
spouse or partner in the past three months about the connection between family
planning and conservation of natural resources. (*Adjusted odds ratio with
p=.0196 controlling for sex, age, education, marital status and urban/rural
location).
Senegal
Population Media Center received funding from USAID and UNFPA-Senegal for two
radio serial dramas that went on the air in October and November 2008. One serial
drama, funded by USAID, was written in the Wolof language was broadcast nationwide
throughout Senegal in 168 episodes through June 2011. This program, Ngelawu Nawet
(“Winds of Hope”), addressed USAID/Senegal’s core themes of family planning,
reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, child survival, and malaria prevention. The second serial
drama, Coñal Keele (“The Harvest of the Seeds of Life”), completed its broadcast in
2010. It was funded by UNFPA and was written in the Pulaar language for broadcast in
the UNFPA target region of Matam. This 58-episode program targeted youth and focused
on HIV and STI prevention, and sexual and reproductive health. The Matam region has
been identified by UNFPA as a priority region, having a high need for youth health
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interventions. For the USAID program, PMC was a subcontractor to the Agence pour le
Développement de Marketing Social (ADEMAS), which implements USAID-Senegal’s
health social marketing activities. For both programs, PMC worked in coordination with
RAES (Réseau Africain de l’Education pour la Santé) based in Dakar, Senegal and the
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health.
Sierra Leone
With support from the UNFPA, PMC is broadcasting a 208-episode radio serial drama
(Saliwansai or “Puppet on a String”) for promotion of family planning use. The program
also addresses such issues as stopping child marriages, preventing or repairing obstetric
fistula, ending female genital mutilation, stopping gender based violence, and preventing
HIV infection. A training workshop for scriptwriters was held in February 2012, and the
program began broadcasting in April 2012.
Clinic monitoring was completed during 5 months (July – November 2012) in 12 districts
across the country. In total, 1525 clients were interviewed. Of clients who cited radio
programs (prompted and unprompted) as their source of information and for the country
collectively, 82% cited Saliwansai as the motivating factor in seeking FP/RH services.
Out of all facility clients, the percentage of clients citing Saliwansai as influential in their
decision to seek services is 57% for the entire country.
In addition to the serial drama project with UNFPA, PMC has produced two other
programs in Sierra Leone:
 Marie Stopes funded PMC to produce and broadcast a national 36-episode serial
drama on reproductive health and contraception (called Kumbra Bot);
 Welthungerhilfe, a German NGO (formerly known as German Agro Action)
funded PMC to produce and broadcast a 10-episode short serial on financial
literacy, market access for agricultural products and sexual/reproductive health in
the Bo and Pujehun districts. The program was called Kpala Nafie (“The Benefits
We Get from Farming”).
Sierra Leone is a country of approximately 6 million people with a population doubling
time of 32 years. The total fertility rate of 5 children per woman is among the highest in
the world. This high fertility rate is compounded by low use and knowledge of modern
contraceptive methods by men and women throughout the country. The fertility rate is,
in part, a reflection of the ideal number of children among married women (5.3) and
among married men (6.8).
Only 7% of married women (15-49 years of age) in Sierra Leone use a modern method of
contraception. Among non-users of modern contraception, the reasons given for non-use
are partner opposition (14.4%), fear of side effects or health concerns (14.2%), personal
opposition (13.5%), lack of knowledge of methods or sources (12%), wanting as many
children as possible (10.8%), and religious opposition (9.3%). Cost was cited by only
1.3%, and lack of access was cited by only 0.3%. There is a critical need to change social
norms with regard to ideal family size, acceptability of family planning, and self-efficacy
with regard to decision-making about family matters, and to provide correct information
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regarding the relative safety of contraception compared to early and repeated
childbearing. PMC hopes that its program will have a major impact in on these norms.
South Africa
PMC is providing technical assistance to Goldfish Films for production of a serialized
drama program at the request of South African Broadcasting Company (SABC). In
February 2010, PMC provided training to the scriptwriters and producers of a series
called Isithunzi Siyalandela (“The Shadow that Walks with You”) for Ochre Moving
Pictures. SABC is very interested in developing local talent, specifically to produce
programs in a telenovela format.
Sudan
In August 2006, PMC completed a radio serial drama project dealing with reproductive
health issues and elevation of the status of women and girls. The program, called Ashreat
Al Amal (“Sails of Hope”), was broadcast over Radio Omdurman, with free air time
provided by the government's Ministry of Information and Communication from
November 2004 to June 2006. Evaluation research was conducted by a team from Ohio
University led by communications scholar Professor Arvind Singhal. Support for the
work in Sudan was provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Highlights of the July 2006 evaluation of the project in Sudan include the following:
 Monitoring data showed that among the targeted group (women of reproductive
age) there was high listenership. Data gathered from clinic clients in 2005
indicated that between 29% and 39% of clinic clients listened to Ashreat al Amal.
 Respondents to the impact evaluation were over 2 ½ times more likely to have
discussed HIV/AIDS with their partners after the program than respondents at the
baseline.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Brazil
In Brazil, PMC is working in partnership with Comunicarte, an organization in Rio de
Janeiro, to assist TV Globo with tracking the social and health issues in its entertainment
programs and measuring the impact of these programs. TV Globo’s programming is
received throughout 98% of Brazil. With telenovelas, the lives of the characters mix with
people’s lives. And these characters can influence the knowledge of people.
TV Globo inserts messages related to reproductive health and other issues in its most
popular programs. The air time TV Globo has donated to issues of social concern would
have costs tens of millions of dollars within the last year alone.
Audience research has shown that people value educational content in entertainment
programming, as long as it is not presented in a boring way. In fact, TV Globo has
received numerous national and international awards for the social relevance of its
telenovelas. These programs are broadcast nationwide in Brazil and exported to dozens
of countries worldwide, dubbed into various languages.
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In 2007, PMC and Comunicarte helped TV Globo to measure the effects of a popular
telenovela, titled Páginas da Vida (“Pages of Life”), on audience behaviors, knowledge,
and attitudes. The program completed its broadcast of 203-episodes in March 2007.
At the conclusion of the program, women were interviewed at reproductive health clinics
throughout Brazil to monitor the effects of Páginas da Vida on decisions to seek family
planning services. The data point to the widespread effects of this popular telenovela:
 60% of women interviewed watched Páginas da Vida on a regular basis.
 There was more than a 50% increase in knowledge among women interviewed
with regard to various reproductive health issues such as: contraceptive methods,
family planning, maternal health, maternity/paternity, unwanted pregnancy,
adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS.
 Among viewers interviewed at BEMFAM family planning clinics, 60% of clients
age 18-24 said that scenes in Páginas da Vida served as a stimulus for them to
seek a health service.
 65.4% of female viewers interviewed said they would be “more careful” to
prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Additionally, the issue of Down syndrome was especially important to include in Páginas
da Vida, because it is rarely discussed in Brazilian society. Both quantitative and
qualitative research was used to evaluate changes in viewers’ knowledge, attitudes, and
practices regarding people living with Down syndrome. One focus group participant said:
“The biggest impact of the telenovela was seeing the awakening of a series of questions
and sensitizations that were made relating to Down syndrome. Moreover, the image of a
person with Down syndrome on television during prime time opens space for a new set of
opportunities.”
Haiti
PMC is collaborating with the Restavek Freedom Foundation (RFF) in producing a 78episode radio serial drama in Haitian Creole, funded by RFF and an individual donor to
PMC. The program, Zoukoutap! (“Limping Along – but learning to walk straight”),
addresses restavek (child slaves/servants), family planning, adolescent reproductive
health and HIV. PMC conducted the training workshop for the writers and producer in
February 2013. PMC and RFF are seeking funding for a 156-episode sequel to
Zoukoutap!
Jamaica
In Jamaica, PMC worked in coordination with JA-STYLE (Jamaica’s Solution for Youth
Lifestyle and Empowerment) to produce and broadcast a 155-episode radio drama. The
drama, titled Outta Road (“What’s Happening Out in the Streets”), was a story about
twelve teens from different social backgrounds whose lives are interconnected. The
characters in the drama were confronted with the same issues that plague Jamaican teens,
such as love, friendship, peer pressure, violence, sex, drugs, and HIV/AIDS. Funding for
this project was provided by USAID and UNFPA. Commercial sponsorship for broadcast
was provided by Digicel.
20
Outta Road was broadcast on two of Jamaica’s most popular national radio stations from
March 2006 to March 2007. In addition to national broadcast, listening groups were
established in schools as a part of the guidance curriculum. Youth listened to the
programs in a classroom setting and were also given CDs of the program to bring home
to listen to and share with their friends. Guidance counselors used the program as a
stimulus for discussion about the difficult and highly sensitive issues addressed in Outta
Road.
JA-STYLE distributed flyers, pamphlets, handbooks, CDs of Outta Road, and good
parenting calendars to encourage further discussion among listeners. This supplemental
information, what PMC refers to as the Whole Society Strategy, helped to reinforce
lessons learned through the program and provided another platform for discussion. This
integrated strategy was cited by the teens interviewed as being very helpful, especially in
building better relationships with their family and friends.
A quantitative evaluation conducted at the conclusion of the program found:
 31% of the adolescents surveyed had heard of Outta Road
 32% of listeners discussed the Outta Road drama with friends
 56% of listeners were motivated by Outta Road to seek healthy lifestyles
services. These include reproductive health, substance abuse, parenting,
parent-child relationships, sexuality, and conflict resolution services.
Mexico and 17 Other Spanish Speaking Countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean
In 2012 PMC co-produced a telenovela with MTV-Mexico to address teenage pregnancy
issues. The program, Ultimo Año (“Last Year”), was broadcast throughout Latin
America. With an estimated audience reach of 22 million households in 18 territories, the
program included 70 one-hour episodes that weaved in issues related to teen sexual
health, avoidance of unwanted pregnancy, contraception, prevention of HIV infection,
and formation of healthy relationships. The program started broadcasting in Latin
America on September 3, 2012 five nights per week, with three repeats of each episode.
The entire series was rebroadcast starting in February 2013. It was also broadcast on
MTV’s U.S. Spanish language channel, starting in February 2013. PMC prepared a
special website (“Sexy Sex”) with informational resources for the U.S. broadcast in
English and Spanish, which can be linked to from the MTV website. PMC had the
cooperation of Mexfam (the Planned Parenthood of Mexico) in providing a chat service
via text messages and online that promoted in the program. The project was supported by
an individual donor, the West Wind Foundation, the Weeden Foundation, and MTVLatin America.
In addition to Mexico, the countries that broadcast the program are Argentina, Bolivia,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The final research report on the Mexican broadcast, which was produced by de la Riva
Group in Mexico City, found that “viewers of UA (78%) were significantly more likely
21
than non-viewers (64%) to say they used something to prevent pregnancy in the last
month.”
Previously, PMC worked with the Adolescent Orientation Center (CORA) of Mexico to
produce a series of radio mini-serials mixed with talk shows in the five states of Mexico
with the highest fertility rates. These programs were developed by young people and
were aimed at youth audiences. PMC tested the model, called Dimensiones Sexuales
(“Sexual Dimensions”), for the radio programs in Puebla State and then developed a
manual for the methodology. PMC and CORA expanded the use of the methodology to
other states, including Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Michoacán. In addition to the radio
programs, the project included intensive training of health care providers and youth
service agency staff in how to effectively deal with adolescent sexuality issues. Support
for the work in Mexico was provided by the Bergstrom Foundation, the Compton
Foundation, the Jewish Communal Fund, Path, Interact Worldwide, an individual donor
and the participating state governments.
In 2006, PMC and CORA revised the Dimensiones Sexuales model to keep it current
with youth needs. To evaluate the needs and interests of Mexican youth, PMC engaged a
local research firm to conduct a series of focus group discussions with Mexican youth.
This research helped to inform the development of PMC’s next program in Mexico, a
radio call-in show called Válvula de Escape, Un Espacio sin Censura. Sexo Netas y
Preguntas (“Escape Valve, a Space without Censorship: Discussion and Questions about
Sex”).
Válvula de Escape provided an outlet for teens to discuss issues relating to
sexual/reproductive health on the air with health professionals and other teens. In order to
gauge the success of the show, a survey of 300 students was conducted in the fall of 2007
at schools in one of the broadcast areas. Respondents were asked a series of questions
about their awareness and exposure to the radio program Válvula de Escape; knowledge
of HIV and STIs; and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors with regard to family planning.
Listenership
 When asked to recall youth radio programs about sexuality, 73% of students
interviewed mentioned Válvula de Escape.
 The radio show had high appeal among those who listened, with 88% of students
indicating they “liked it” or “liked it a lot.”
 68% of listeners found Válvula de Escape to be a “useful” radio program.
Family Planning Knowledge
 Listeners were significantly more likely than non-listeners to know about various
family planning methods including birth control pills (74% vs. 60%), female
condoms(44% vs. 27%), and injections (28% vs. 10%).
 Listeners (92%) were significantly more likely than non-listeners (83%) to
recognize emergency contraception as a form of birth control.
22
Knowledge and Attitudes about HIV and STIs
 Significantly more listeners (93%) compared to non-listeners (72%) correctly
indicated that, without an HIV test, “a person can’t tell when another person has
HIV just by their appearance.”
 Listeners were significantly more likely than non-listeners to know HIV can be
transmitted:
- By having sex without a condom: listeners (77%) vs. non-listeners (52%).
- From sharing needles: listeners (58%) vs. non-listeners (22%).
- Through blood transfusions: listeners (63%) vs. non-listeners (29%).
 Listeners (59%) were significantly more likely than non-listeners (26%) to know
that a blood test will not detect HIV infection one week after exposure to the
virus.
 Listeners were significantly more likely than non-listeners to know about sexually
transmitted infections (STIs), including knowing symptoms and modes of
transmission.
PMC and CORA also developed a program in Mexico using the web to improve
adolescent sexual health. The project, known as Sexpertos Saludables (“Healthy
Sexperts”), has several components that complement each other to create a forum for
young men and women where they can share their thoughts and questions about sexuality
with each other in an entertaining format. Interactive components, including quizzes,
information, the debunking of myths, animations, and a video game, are accessible to
Mexican youth by going to the Sexpertos website. Youth also have the opportunity to
chat with a virtual counselor.
The animations are two-minute segments about a group of friends dealing with their first
sexual experiences. The target audience is between the ages of 11 and 16. To ensure the
interest of this age group, the animations have been created in the style of Japanese
manga, a very popular graphic style. An important feature of the entire approach in
Sexpertos is to be sure that the information presented never feels as though it is coming
from an “official source.” Based on years of investigation, the serious scenarios are
presented with a sense of humor to engage the audience and to ensure their frequent
return to the site. PMC is funding Sexpertos with additional help from the Carso
Foundation of Mexico. The website was launched in February 2011.
ASIA/PACIFIC
Kyrgyzstan
In 2012, PMC provided training for MC2 Media of Bishkek with support from the U.S.
embassy in Bishkek to help them create a compelling TV serial drama addressing issues
of ethnic harmony in Kyrgyzstan. The resulting program, The Dorm, started broadcasting
in March 2013.
In the meantime, with support from Aga Khan Foundation, RTI, Soros Foundation,
UNICEF, and UNFPA, PMC is developing a long-running program for Kyrgyz television
23
to address bride kidnapping, other forms of violence against women, family planning and
reproductive health issues, and child health and nutrition.
Papua New Guinea
In May, 2013, PMC completed broadcasting two radio drama series nationwide in PNG.
The series, Nau Em Taim (“Now is the Time”), written and broadcast in Tok Pisin, and
Echoes of Change, written and broadcast in English addressed a broad array of issues
pertaining to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The project was
carried out under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Campaign in PNG.
Nau Em Taim and Echoes of Change each followed three separate transitional characters
through the trials and tribulations of their lives as they faced daily struggles with poverty,
violence, family size, educational barriers, land ownership and destruction, the downward
spiral of drinking and drugs, HIV/AIDS, and sexual behavior decisions. Audiences found
themselves deeply engrossed in the dramatic lives of the characters while simultaneously
learning through the characters’ experiences about family planning, avoidance of risky
sexual behavior, community organizing, communication alternatives to violence,
environmental protection, and improving the status of women in society. Both programs
launched in February 2011.
Support for the project was provided by UNFPA and the UN Country Team, Population
Services International, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AusAID, and Colgate
Palmolive. In addition, Population Services International supported the creation of CDs
for distribution to truck drivers and a discussion guide for groups listening to the radio
serial dramas.
Philippines
In 2005, PMC produced and broadcast a radio soap opera in the Philippines called Sa
Pagsikat ng Araw (“The Hope After the Dawn”). The radio serial drama was supported
by UNFPA for broadcast nationwide on affiliate stations of the Manila Broadcasting
Corporation. This 120-episode drama was aired intensively between July and December
2005. A participatory evaluation of the impact of the program was conducted by a team
from Ohio University (led by Dr. Arvind Singhal) in December 2005, and the findings
indicated profound effects of the program on the lives of listeners.
In addition, in 2005, PMC conducted a training workshop for members of the AIDS
Society of the Philippines and for scriptwriters brought together by them, as well as a
seminar for the International Rice Research Institute on the use of entertainmenteducation for the farming community.
Previously, in 2001, PMC held a "Soap Summit" for producers and writers of the 29
television soap operas and dozens of radio soap operas on the air in the Philippines. A
one-day meeting, co-sponsored by three committees of the Philippine Congress and held
in the largest hearing room of the Congress, attracted 300 participants from the
broadcasting industry, various government ministries, communication scholars,
advertisers, members of Congress, NGOs, and other agencies. In addition, a half-day
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seminar by Miguel Sabido on the design of entertainment-education serial dramas, held at
the National Library, attracted 150 broadcast professionals and was followed by dinner
hosted by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacanang Palace.
In November 2003, PMC led a session focused on the role of female scriptwriters in
elevating the status of women and in bringing about social change worldwide at the
Women Playwrights International conference in Manila. In addition, in 2003, PMC
conducted a training workshop for members of the AIDS Society of the Philippines.
Vietnam
At the invitation of UNFPA-Vietnam, PMC provided training to the Voice of Vietnam
Radio (VOV) for a serial drama that launched in March 2008. The radio program, Khat
Vong Song ("Aspiration to Live"), was created to promote reproductive health and
avoidance of HIV/AIDS. The 104-episode drama began airing on VOV2, but because of
the drama’s huge popularity after just 2 months on the air, Voice of Vietnam decided to
extend Khat Vong Song’s broadcast to its two other stations, VOV1 and VOV3. Each
episode was followed by a 15-minute call-in show, where experts answered listeners’
questions. The program aired through March 2010, with broadcast coverage in all 64
provinces and cities. Support for this project came from the Danish government via
UNFPA.
PMC and VOV launched a second broadcast serial on radio, designed to address climate
change issues. The program was called Hanh Trinh Xanh (“Green Journey”). PMC
conducted the training workshop for the writers in June 2011, and the program launched
in July. Hanh Trinh Xanh addressed many of the environmental challenges that Vietnam
is being confronted with as a result of climate change. The drama unfolded in four
different geographical regions – ranging from the mountain areas to the coast to the river
deltas. Hanh Trinh Xanh not only focused on hardships of surviving in an economy based
on natural resources, but it also drew the audience into the personal conflicts, romances,
and relationships between the characters from the different regions. Episodes aired once a
week through June 2013. The project was funded by DANIDA, the Danish International
Development Agency.
NORTH AMERICA
United States
PMC produced a serialized drama addressing teenage pregnancy prevention among
American Latinas. The first Sabido-style program in the United States, East Los High
helped to promote reproductive health, prevent HIV/AIDS and other STIs, promote
healthy relationships, encourage healthy eating and exercise habits, and improve selfimage among teens. The program aired on Hulu in June 2013 and is available at
www.hulu.com. PMC engaged a talented team of Hollywood producers and writers to
create the program. In addition to the drama, the project included character websites,
character blogs, and other “transmedia” elements. Numerous participating organizations
encouraged viewers to watch the program. The program’s online elements also linked
viewers to clinic sites and other resources. The project was supported by an individual
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donor, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Endowment, the Argosy
Foundation, the Weeden Foundation, the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage
Pregnancy, and the Ford Foundation.
Dozens of magazines and online entertainment news features, including the LA Times,
USA Today, Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and Variety, did news stories
about the show.
PMC is also conducting a program to place population and sustainability experts on talk
shows and news interviews in order to better inform the American people about
population issues and the ramifications of continued population growth. As of April
2013, nearly 700 placements had been made on radio talk shows across America. These
placements have resulted in over 300 hours of core programming; figuring in
syndications, there have been in excess of 4,500 broadcasts and at least 3,200 hours of
total airplay.
This project also distributes editorial columns by population experts via the Cagle
Syndication Service to its 800 subscribing U.S. newspapers and magazines. This service
has distributed a series of editorials on population issues generated by PMC, including
two by PMC President William Ryerson, an editorial from Dr. Thoraya Obaid, past
Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund on World Population Day,
plus columns by former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm; Lindsey Grant, former U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for Population and Environment; attorney John Rohe; John
Flicker, President of the National Audubon Society; UCLA professor Ben Zuckerman;
Berkeley professor Malcolm Potts; and Population Institute’s President, Robert Walker.
PMC is also distributing frequent news articles and editorials about population and global
sustainability issues to a global list of population-concerned individuals and institutions.
This email service has generated a flood of letters reacting to both negative and positive
statements by political leaders, the news media, environmental leaders and others.
Individuals can sign up for the mailing list at www.populationmedia.org/who/subscribeto-pmc/. As part of this project, PMC conducted a Roper poll of segments of the
American public to understand their perceptions of various ways of framing the
population issue. Three PMC staff authored an article in Worldwatch Magazine
summarizing the findings of this research.
From 2006 to 2013, PMC engaged Sonny Fox, former Chairman of the Board of the
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, to represent the organization on the
West Coast and to work with the entertainment industry to engage them in positive
treatment of population and reproductive health issues. As part of this work, in May
2007, PMC held the Entertainment-Public Health Summit to bring together entertainment
industry leaders and public health professionals for the purpose of creating dialogue and
an ongoing mechanism for regular and speedy input by the public health community into
entertainment programs on reproductive health and other health concerns. The Summit
was held in Atlanta at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, which
was a co-sponsor of the event. The Summit was presented in association with the
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Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the Harvard School of Public
Health, the Writers Guild of America West, and the Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences Foundation.
Key presenters at the 2007 Summit included Dr. Albert Bandura, Stanford Psychology
Professor and originator of Social Cognitive Theory; Bill Ryerson, President of
Population Media Center; Vicki Beck, Director Hollywood, Health and Society, Norman
Lear Center, University of Southern California; Dr. Zoanne Clack, Co-Producer and
Writer for ABC’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy; Gary Knell, President and CEO of Sesame
Workshop; Cindy Popp and Tracy Melchior from The Bold and the Beautiful TV series;
Sonya Lockett, Vice President for Public Affairs of Black Entertainment Television;
Diana Cristina Diaz, Director, Corporate and Community Relations, Univision; Michelle
Alban, Director, Primary Research, Telemundo; Arvind Singhal, Professor of
Communication Studies and Presidential Research Scholar at Ohio University; Kriss
Barker, Vice President for International Programs for Population Media Center; Patric
Verrone, President, Writers Guild of America West; Dr. Susan Allen, Director of the
Rwanda, Zambia HIV Research Group; and Dr. John Brooks, Director, HIV Clinical
Epidemiology Team at the Centers for Disease Control.
The proceedings of the Entertainment-Public Health Summit are available online on
Emory University’s website at www.sph.emory.edu/media/EPH/Summit.html. A link
under the screen of the opening session leads to a menu of other sessions that one can
watch.
In November 2008, PMC conducted a daylong Climate Change Summit in Los Angeles
in partnership with the Writers Guild of America West, the Academy of Television Arts
and Sciences, Women in Film and the Environmental Media Association. The Summit
gave attention to the health and security consequences of climate change and the role that
population growth plays in accelerating the climate crisis. As mentioned at the Summit,
the projected addition of 2.5 billion people to the world’s population between now and
2050 is the carbon equivalent of adding two United States to the planet. Writers and
producers of numerous American television shows attended the Summit.
Key presenters at the 2008 Climate Change Summit included Patrick Verrone, President,
Writers Guild of America; Jane Fleming, President, Women in Film Foundation; Debbie
Levin, Executive Director, Environmental Media Association; John Shaffner, President,
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; Dr. Howard Frumkin, Director, National
Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dennis
McGinn, Vice Admiral, (Ret.) U.S. Navy; David Rambo, Writer/Supervising Producer,
CSI; Chris Alexander, Senior V.P. of Corporate Communications, 20th Century Fox
Communications; Dr. Neal Baer, Executive Producer, Law &Order: SVU; William
Ryerson, President, Population Media Center; Steve Schiffman, General Manager,
National Geographic Channel; and Professor Edward Maibach, Director of the Center for
Climate Change Communication, George Mason University. The proceedings of the
Climate Change Summit can be viewed at
www.populationmedia.org/where/united_states/united-states-climate-change-summit/.
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With support from the Wallace Global Fund, PMC and the Population Institute held a
meeting of population experts and ecological economists in October 2009 to develop
responses to the claims that the economy depends on endless population growth. The
material developed during this meeting is being used to advise those appearing on talk
shows and news interviews so that they can provide this information to the American
people. Podcasts and PowerPoint presentations from “Population Growth and Rising
Consumption: What’s Sustainable?” can be viewed online. Podcasts are available (via
iTunes) at http://www.populationinstitute.org/newsroom/podcasts/. PowerPoint slides are
available at http://www.populationinstitute.org/newsroom/news/view/25/.
Speakers included: William Catton Jr., author of Bottleneck: the Human Impasse (2009);
Laurie Mazur, editor of A Pivotal Moment: Human Population, the Environmental Crisis
and the Justice Solution (2009); Peter Victor, York University, author of Managing
without Growth (2008); Dennis Meadows, author of Limits to Growth (1972) and
Limits to Growth: the 30 Year Update (2002); Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute,
author of Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines (2007); and Robert
Engelman, WorldWatch Institute, author of More: Population, Nature, and What Women
Want (2008).
In 2004 and 2005, PMC conducted nationwide contests, which awarded prizes for the
best published editorial cartoons dealing with population-related issues. In 2004, the first
year of the contest, 188 published cartoons were submitted. In the 2005 contest, 156
entries were submitted. The National Cartoonists Society and the Association of
American Editorial Cartoonists publicized both contests to their members.
Judges in the 2004 contest included former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, retired
United Media Chairman Robert Metz, Yale University Professor Robert Wyman, Planned
Parenthood Federation's Vice President for International Programs Allie Stickney, and
cartoonists Edward Koren and Signe Wilkinson. The 2005 panel of judges included
cartoonists Greg Evans (Luann), Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues), Rick Stromoski (Soup to
Nutz) and population experts John Seager (President of Population Connection) and
Nancy Yinger (Director of International Programs for the Population Reference Bureau).
The awards event for the 2005 contest was held in the Senate Environment Hearing
Room in the Dirksen Building in Washington, DC. Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords spoke
at the event. Many of the 2004 finalists can be viewed on the world's largest editorial
cartoon website at www.cagle.com/news/NationalPopulation/1.asp.
GLOBAL
Electronic Game against Gender-Based Violence
PMC worked in partnership with the Emergent Media Center of Champlain College to
create an electronic game to prevent violence against women. Breakaway is a
football/soccer game targeted toward boys aged 8 to 15. Utilizing the Sabido
methodology and the FIFA Fair Play Code, Breakaway offers a variety of features that
appeal to boys in various cultures while engaging them in a compelling narrative that
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promotes non-violent values. Project development of the e-game began in 2008 with
support from UNFPA. The game has become part of the Secretary General’s UNite
Campaign to End Violence against Women (http://endviolence.un.org/). Cameroonian
football star, Samuel Eto’o is the public spokesperson for the game. The game contains
music by Francis Mbappe.
The game contains 13 episodes. Episodes 1-3 of Breakaway were released in June 2010
and were distributed to the following groups during the World Cup in South Africa.






Fundación Privada Samuel Eto’o:
http://www.fundacionsamueletoo.org/a_index.html
Grassroot Soccer: http://www.grassrootsoccer.org
Man Up Campaign: http://www.manupcampaign.org/
Streetfootballworld: http://www.streetfootballworld.org/
Students Partnership Worldwide:
http://www.spw.org/about_southafrica.php
Ikamva Youth: http://ikamvayouth.org/
Chapters 4-6 were released in August 2010, and episodes 7-13 were completed in
February 2011. In addition, PMC and Champlain College produced a facilitator’s guide
to the game. More information about E-game can be found as follows:
To play the game, visit http://www.breakawaygame.com.
For a summary and to view a ten minute video produced by EMC, go to
http://www.populationmedia.org/where/worldwide/.
Project web site (http://www.emergentmediacenter.com/unvaw) linked to the
already existing project blog (http://emc-gamestakeonvaw.blogspot.com).
Facebook group (Facebook: Empowering Play
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108661302908) that helps spread the
mission.
Inter-Regional Training
In 2003, PMC implemented a project for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) on a
region-wide basis in Africa and the Asia/Pacific Region to assist local FM and
community radio stations in addressing HIV/AIDS and reproductive health issues
through entertainment-education. The project included training workshops in the use of
entertainment-education techniques for community radio producers and representatives
from selected NGOs. Personnel from radio stations and NGOs from Angola, Guinea
Bissau, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria and South Africa received training
at a workshop in Johannesburg in March 2003. In the Asia/Pacific Region, personnel
from Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Vietnam
participated in a similar workshop in Manila in May 2003. As part of the project, PMC
produced a report of a needs assessment, Strengthening Partnerships among Local FM
Radio Networks and Reproductive Health Agencies on HIV/AIDS, which can be found at
www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/486_filename_157_filename_commmunityradio.pdf.
In follow up to the workshops, PMC has developed long-running social-content serial
drama projects with several of the participants.
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Training Guide & Best Practices Manual
In 2004, UNFPA asked PMC to develop a training guide with detailed information on the
application of the serial drama methodology to address such issues as the way in which
gender discrimination impacts women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. The training guide
was published in 2005. A PDF of the Training Guide is available on the PMC website at
www.populationmedia.org/2005/01/06/soap-operas-for-social-change-to-preventhivaids/. As a result of the positive response to the training guide, UNFPA asked PMC to
develop a manual with examples of excellent social change communication programs
worldwide. That book was published in December 2011 and can be downloaded at
http://www.populationmedia.org/resources/publications/training-guides/. An article on
PMC’s work appears on the UNFPA website at
www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=761&Language=1.
International Media Presentations
PMC personnel have made presentations at Commonwealth Broadcasting Association
(CBA) global meetings on the use of broadcasting for social change and the importance
of broadcasters addressing issues related to population, reproductive health and the rights
and status of women.
PMC’s West Coast Representative, Sonny Fox, was one of the founders of the
International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which is the largest organization
of global broadcasters, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies.
In 2006, PMC participated in the International Emmy World Television Festival (held the
weekend before the International Emmy Awards) with presentations on socially
responsible broadcasting, in a panel chaired by TV Globo of Brazil. In 2007, PMC cosponsored and participated in four panel discussions focused on socially responsible
broadcasting. The 2007 panels can be viewed at
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1386356872.
PMC has been invited to present its work at various international conferences, including
the 2006, 2007, and 2010 Rotary International Conventions, several Global Health
Conferences, the UNFPA Africa Regional Fistula Knowledge and Experience Sharing
Meeting held in Mauritania in 2007, the Y-PEER conference of UNFPA held in Istanbul
in 2007, the first and second national Behavior, Energy and Climate Change conferences
held in Sacramento in 2007 and 2008, the National Endowment for Democracy
conference on Community Radio Development held in 2007, two conferences of the
International Association of Business Communicators, the Sundance Film Festival, the
biennial meeting of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, the Boulder World
Affairs Conference, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and
Development, UNICEF headquarters, the 2008 and 2009 Bioneers by the Bay
conferences, the 2009 and 2012 Bioneers conference, the International Family Planning
Conferences in Kampala, Uganda in November 2009 and in Dakar, Senegal in December
2011, the meeting of European Parliamentarians on Population and Development in Paris
in May 2011, the World Bank conference on entertainment-education in June 2011, the
Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition annual meeting in Paris in October 2012, the
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International Sustainability Conference in Hiroshima in January 2013, and various civic
organizations, colleges and universities in the U.S. and overseas.
For more information, contact:
Population Media Center
P.O. Box 547
Shelburne, Vermont 05482-0547
USA
Telephone: 1-802-985-8156
Email: info@populationmedia.org
Website: www.populationmedia.org
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