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Adapting and Replicating the Method - A Brief History
PMC has adapted the Sabido methodology and applied it successfully around the world.
The strategy is based on numerous social science theories, most notably the Social Learning Theory of Stanford University psychology professor Albert Bandura, which describes how role models influence behavior.
There is much evidence about the cost-effectiveness of long-running serialized dramas. The ultimate measure of cost-effectiveness is the cost per person who changed behavior in a positive direction. The serialized dramas PMC is using to improve people’s lives are highly cost-effective because of the huge audiences they attract and the strong impact they have on the public. In Ethiopia, PMC’s first long-running program cost just 4 U.S. cents to reach each listener. Cost per listener of a similar program in Tanzania was 3 cents per year. The annual cost per new adopter of family planning in Tanzania was 34 cents U.S., while the cost per person who reported that they changed behavior to avoid HIV infection as a result of hearing the serial drama was 8 cents.
While PMC focuses on the use of long-running serialized dramas for modeling positive behaviors, the organization works with partners in each country to design a whole society strategy, that combines traditional and new media and uses a variety of program formats to reach different segments of the population.
Ethiopia
In the Ethiopian radio serial Yeken Kignit (“Looking Over One’s Daily Life”) broadcast in 257 episodes by PMC between 2002 and 2004, one of the main story lines addressed HIV/AIDS – specifically the need for early detection and prevention. The story is of Anguach and Demlew. Anguach and Demlew are a loving young couple with a bright future. Then, Demlew’s mother, who doesn’t like Anguach, begins to meddle and pushes a neighbor to seduce her son, Demlew. He succumbs, sleeps with the neighbor, and gets infected with HIV. Anguach is devastated, but forgives him, and cares for him until he dies. Although she is terrified that she might be HIV positive, Anguach gets tested and finds out that she is negative. Anguach eventually marries again (this time, a man without a meddling mother!) and lives happily ever after. Touching story, but did it motivate any behavior change in the audience? Yes!
The program was extremely popular. Listeners included 47% of all men in the country and 45% of women. Nationwide surveys conducted before and after the serial was broadcast showed a significant decrease in the percentage of listeners (as compared to non-listeners) who did not know there is a means of determining one’s HIV status. We also found significant increases in the percentage of listeners who got tested for HIV. In fact, male listeners got tested at four times the rate of non-listeners, and female listeners got tested at three times the rate of non-listeners. The post-broadcast survey revealed that listeners had “fallen in love” with Anguach and followed her example of getting tested for HIV. There was also a significant reduction in stigma against those living with HIV/AIDS among listeners, contrasted with non-listeners.
At the same time PMC-Ethiopia broadcast Yeken Kignit in the national language of Amharic, we broadcast a second program called Dhimbibba (“Getting the Best Out of Life”), which addressed a wide range of issues and was produced in another widely spoken language. As of November 2004, 63% of new clients seeking reproductive health services at 48 clinics in Ethiopia reported that they were listening to one of PMC’s serial dramas. In fact, 26% of new clients named one of PMC’s programs as the primary motivating factor for seeking services. Of new clients who cited radio programs as the impetus for seeking services, 96% said that they were motivated by one of PMC’s programs.
The post-broadcast survey revealed the programs’ impact in terms of knowledge, attitude and behavior change – with particularly striking differences between listeners and non-listeners. A multiple regression analysis was done to eliminate any effects that such factors as income, educational level, age, marital status, ideal number of children, place of residence, ethnic group or language may have had on family planning use or HIV testing, and the results showed highly significant effects of the serial dramas.
There was a 50% increase in communication between mothers and their children about sexuality issues.
The outpouring of emotion in Ethiopia, in response to PMC’s programs, was overwhelming. From all over the country – and even beyond the borders of Ethiopia – 15,000 letters poured in to PMC’s office in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia’s news media ran almost a hundred stories on the phenomenon PMC created with its programs.
Following Yeken Kignit and Dhimbibba (supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and other donors), PMC developed a new program in Ethiopia, with support from the government’s HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office. A fourth serial drama was developed with support from UNICEF, and a fifth program is being supported by Save the Children-Norway, with funds provided by the Norwegian government.
Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali
In Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mali, PMC produced a radio serial drama to address the issue of child slavery and its link to poverty-inducing factors, such as large family size and HIV/AIDS. 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 broadcast the program via WorldSpace satellite to 169 community radio stations throughout the three countries. In 2005, the Ashoka Foundation awarded PMC the Changemakers Innovation Award in their global competition for the most creative programs designed to prevent human trafficking. The PMC program was one of three awardees worldwide, chosen from 69 nominees from 22 countries.
A random-sample household evaluation survey was conducted in the three countries in December 2005 to determine the impact listening to Cesiri Tono had on awareness of and attitudes towards child trafficking and exploitation and their underlying causes. The survey data indicated that the program produced the following results:
Based on the results of Cesiri Tono, PMC received funding in March 2005 to implement a two-year radio serial drama project in Niger to address similar issues to those addressed in Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. The program, entitled Gobe da Haske (“Tomorrow Will be a Brighter Day”) went on the air on February 12, 2006.
Niger
The program, entitled Gobe da Haske (“Tomorrow will be a Brighter Day”) went on the air on February 12, 2006 and was distributed by First Voice International via WorldSpace satellite to community radio stations in Niger. The program completed broadcasting on January 14, 2007. A final evaluation survey was completed in March 2007. USAID provided PMC with a no-cost extension through December 2007, to allow for re-broadcast 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.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, 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.
Gugar Goge was broadcast over regional government-owned and private radio stations in Kaduna and Kano states. Clinic monitoring data 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 91.9% of the population in Kano and Kaduna states had heard at least one episode of the program. Even more impressive was the fact that 82.1% of those interviewed reported listening to the radio serial drama weekly (four or more episodes per month). The endline evaluation also found that:
Sudan
In Sudan, PMC has completed a program focused on elevation of the status of women and elimination of harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and avoidance of HIV/AIDS. While the program was on the air, the percentage of the population who believe that female genital mutilation should be eradicated climbed from 28.6% to 65.4%, and spousal communication about HIV/AIDS issues more than doubled.
