project
Kasensa Kabuumi
Making a Difference
Kasensa Kabuumi drove significant shifts in health awareness and behavior across Southern Province. We saw 80.2% of exposed listeners encourage someone to get tested for HIV—compared to 63% of unexposed individuals. Awareness of One-Stop Centers for gender-based violence rose to 71.3% (vs. 47.6%), and 92% said they would report incidents to authorities. The series also broadened access to family planning, with exposed audiences more likely to identify drug stores and community distributors as trusted sources—helping normalize diverse, community-based care options.
Kasensa Kabuumi: When Fiction Changes Reality in Southern Province
What if one story could help a whole community talk about what’s been left unsaid? Kasensa Kabuumi (“Fountain of Life”), is a bold, four-part radio miniseries tackling HIV, family planning, and gender-based violence through storytelling. Told through powerful characters and supported by live forums, talk shows, and community events, the series helped listeners see their lives in a new light. See how Kasensa Kabuumi became more than just a radio—it became a movement.
Rights of Women and Girls
Building global sustainability for today and for tomorrow all begins with the rights of women and girls. The right to education, economic independence, and reproductive autonomy are the building blocks and must-haves for gender equality and a climate-conscious world.
In Southern Province, where health challenges intersect with high rates of gender-based violence, PMC-Zambia launched Kasensa Kabuumi (“Fountain of Life”) as a bold, multi-platform storytelling initiative.
Rooted in PMC’s mission to use entertainment for social change, the four-episode radio miniseries was designed to spark dialogue, shift harmful norms, and connect listeners to services. Each episode focused on lived dilemmas around HIV prevention, family planning, and gender-based violence—offering not only information, but validation of community experiences. The project embodied values of respect, inclusion, and empowerment, helping people reimagine what’s possible in their health journeys.
By centering local stories and voices, Kasensa Kabuumi created an accessible space for reflection, action, and hope.
Kasensa Kabuumi aired weekly across five local radio stations in Southern Province, with Sunday reruns and digital distribution on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Each episode was supported by a coordinated outreach strategy: live talk shows with Ministry of Health experts, recorded community dialogue sessions (Insaka), and in-person exhibitions where listeners could interact with actors, play educational games, and access on-site services.
Implemented in partnership with local health officials, NGOs, and community leaders, the campaign blended mass media with face-to-face engagement to deepen trust and reach underserved areas. This hybrid model allowed Kasensa Kabuumi to move beyond passive awareness, activating both online and offline audiences through a participatory, multi-sensory experience. The approach exemplified PMC’s commitment to community-rooted, scalable health communication.
Kasensa Kabuumi generated measurable shifts in knowledge and behavior. Among those exposed to the series, 80.2% encouraged someone to get tested for HIV—compared to 63% of non-listeners. Awareness of One-Stop Centers for gender-based violence rose to 71.3% among listeners (vs. 47.6% unexposed), and 92% said they would report Gender-Based Violence incidents to authorities. Access to family planning expanded beyond clinics: exposed audiences were significantly more likely to cite drug stores (21.6% vs. 12.1%) and community-based distributors (10.9% vs. 5.3%) as trusted sources.
These shifts suggest that Kasensa Kabuumi not only informed, but empowered communities to take action. By integrating media with real-world service access and community dialogue, the project brought well-crafted storytelling to audiences to reimagine health outcomes at scale.
