NEW DATA: PMC creates change in liberia

In partnership with Talking Drums Studio and with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), PMC launched Barnusietehdeh! (“Let’s Do The Right Thing”) — a nationwide multimedia universe in Liberia from 2023 to 2024. Through a radio drama, talk shows, and participatory theater across all 15 counties, the project addressed sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and social cohesion in a country still building on its remarkable recovery from two civil wars.

Liberia has made significant legislative progress — including the Domestic Violence Act and a ban on FGM — but lasting change requires shifting the community norms that sustain harmful practices. Barnusietehdeh! was designed to support that shift.

The show

At the heart of the entertainment universe was a radio drama featuring characters who mirrored the joys, struggles, and dilemmas of daily Liberian life. Portrayed by some of the country’s most talented actors, these characters faced real decisions around family planning, gender-based violence, and community conflict. The show aired across 35 media partner stations, and listeners could also catch episodes on Facebook and social media — hundreds of thousands engaged with the drama online.

“The radio drama is more than entertainment — it’s a catalyst for community dialogue and collective action,” said Jean Luc Dushime, PMC-Liberia Program Manager.

Beyond the airwaves, the campaign incorporated talk shows that encouraged open discussion on sensitive issues and participatory theater events that brought communities into the story directly. Over 15 performances were held in marketplaces, schoolyards, and village centers in remote locations. Rooted in the Theater of the Oppressed methodology, these performances allowed audience members to become “spect-actors” — stepping into the stories, reflecting on real-life situations, and engaging in dialogue about solutions. Talking Drums Studio led these tours with caravans of performers and drummers, filling public spaces with rhythmic beats and energetic performances that united people from all walks of life.

Fifteen media staff members were trained to implement the talk show format, blending excerpts from the drama to foster deeper engagement.

How audiences responded

The audience data confirmed that the storytelling connected: 99 percent of Barnusietehdeh! listeners found it entertaining, 96 percent described it as realistic and believable, and 68 percent reported sharing information from the show with friends and family.

Impact

PMC’s endline evaluation found measurable shifts across several key areas. Family planning awareness increased from 53 percent to 62 percent among respondents. The belief that individuals should have the right to make their own sexual and reproductive health choices strengthened significantly, with those strongly agreeing increasing from 38 percent to 53 percent. And the perceived importance of political discussion rose sharply, with “very important” responses increasing from 25 percent to 41 percent.

The challenges of reaching everyONE

Delivering a nationwide campaign across all 15 of Liberia’s counties meant confronting the realities of the country’s infrastructure head-on. During the rainy season, unpaved roads turned to mud, making some communities nearly inaccessible for components like participatory theater tours and station monitoring visits. Many rural radio stations operated with aging equipment and unreliable power, leading to inconsistent broadcast quality and signal gaps that varied dramatically by region. Even in urban centers, resources were unevenly distributed across stations. The team adapted constantly — adjusting schedules around weather, troubleshooting technical issues with station partners, and ensuring that the campaign reached communities that are too often overlooked precisely because they are hardest to get to.

Looking ahead

SIDA invited PMC to present its findings to key stakeholders including UN Women, Irish Aid, and ActionAid. The project produced significant shifts in community attitudes around girls’ education, family planning, and gender equality — as well as progress in changing perspectives on FGM and intimate partner violence. With plans for rebroadcasts of the radio drama, PMC is positioned to deepen and extend this impact across Liberia.