2025 Year in Impact: storytelling that changes lives

It’s been a big year–2025 saw new leadership at PMC as Margot Fahnestock stepped in as President and CEO. We experienced unprecedented shifts in international development, technology, and entertainment. And our teams and partners brought transformative, research-backed entertainment to millions.

As we look back on 2025, one thing is clear: the world changes when people see themselves in the story. Entertainment can open doors, challenge harmful norms, and empower women, men, and young people with the knowledge, confidence, and the social support they need to build healthier futures.

Below you will find a few highlights from 2025–and see the energy, commitment, and track record that propels us into 2026.

Thank you for standing with us. Your support fuels every story, every partnership, and every life changed. This impact depends on a community that believes in the power of narrative to shape a healthier, more equitable world.

Margot Fahnestock Leads Pmc Forward

Published February 4, 2025

Margot Fahnestock stepped into the role of President and CEO at Population Media Center with this announcement in February—bringing with her a powerful mix of global vision, strategic brilliance, and unwavering commitment to equity.

Margot’s leadership comes at a time when storytelling has never mattered more. As the world faces mounting challenges, PMC’s work sits at the intersection of media and transformation. And Margot is already pushing forward: designing bold strategies, forging new partnerships, and asking the tough, necessary questions.

With Margot at the helm, we’re dreaming bigger, reaching farther, and doubling down on our mission: to use the power of storytelling to create a healthier, more just, and more equitable world.

Real Results From Zambia’s Innovalab Projects

Published May 09, 2025

In 2025, as part of our Innovalab projects, PMC-Zambia led storytelling pilots that educated and transformed communities.

In Copperbelt Province, where HIV prevalence is among the highest in Zambia, PMC created a live call in radio show called Insaka Ya Bumi (“Community Health Dialogue Forum”). In Southern Province, storytelling took a different form. Kasensa Kabuumi, (“Fountain of Life”), was a four-part radio drama that became a mirror for change. In Eastern Province, where nearly 40 percent of girls experience teenage pregnancy, the challenge required a new medium entirely. Dambo Lathu, (“Our Swamp”), was a comic book brought to life.

By meeting communities where they are and using culturally rooted content, the programs did not just inform. They inspired real conversations and lasting change. PrEP knowledge jumped to 74.9% among students who watched the comic book show — a remarkable 620% increase — and roughly 4 in 5 listeners of the radio show (80.2%) encouraged someone else to get tested for HIV, far higher than the 63% among those not exposed. These stories prove that when people see themselves reflected with honesty and care, they don’t just listen — they choose differently, act boldly, and reshape what’s possible for their communities.

A TELENOVELA WITH A PURPOSE

Published September 22, 2025

As one of the most-watched telenovelas in Mexico, engaging more than 6 million viewers per night in Mexico City alone, Papás Por Conveniencia (“Family of Convenience”) captivated audiences while shedding light on critical issues like sexual and reproductive health, adolescent pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Broadcast five nights per week in the prime-time slot from October 2024 through 2025 and produced by renowned showrunner, Rosy Ocampo, TelevisaUnivision, and PMC, it was a commercial success and a powerful movement on critical social issues facing Mexican teens.

The impact was undeniable. Among mothers of adolescent daughters, there was a 33.5% increase in the likelihood of using dual contraceptive methods. And for Mexican teens, the shift was just as significant: intention to use a condom among adolescent girls rose 21.6%, jumping from 57.9% to 79.5% among frequent viewers. It also became the #1 prime-time show among Hispanic audiences in the U.S. broadcasting on Univision and reaching 9.7 million viewers.

Beyond the Airwaves: Empowering Communities in Niger

Published March 12, 2025

In 2025, we captured the impact from more than 72 captivating episodes that dove deep into the issues that matter most to communities—youth and adolescent nutrition, education, menstrual health and hygiene, early marriage, and gender-based violence.

Initiated under the leadership of the Ministry of Communication, Posts, and the Digital Economy, Dandalin Iyali (“Family Forum”), was broadcast on 70 community radio stations nationwide, ensuring it reached people across the country. And it didn’t stop at radio. The series lived on social platforms—TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp—creating real-time engagement and meaningful dialogue with listeners. The program strengthened community accountability — listeners were 64% likely to report cases of gender-based violence to authorities, a significant increase from 50% among non-listeners. Together, these shifts show a community becoming more informed, more empowered, and more willing to take action when it matters most.

Barnusietehdeh! “Let’s Do the Right Thing” in Liberia

Published in March 07, 2025

In 2025, we shared the impact from our partnership with Talking Drum Studio (TDS) through Barnusietehdeh!—a 156-episode radio show whose name means “Let’s Do the Right Thing.” With support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), this multimedia campaign was more than a broadcast. It was a call to action.

Across Liberia, the airwaves filled with characters who sounded familiar, faced challenges that hit close to home, and made choices that mirrored real life. Listeners weren’t just entertained, they were seen. The drama followed compelling characters as they navigated love, family, health, and tradition, touching on topics too often left unspoken: gender-based violence, reproductive health, and female genital mutilation. Barnusietehdeh! also proved deeply resonant: 99% of listeners found it entertaining, 96% described it as realistic and believable, and 68% said they shared information from the show with friends and family. Each storyline was rooted in culture, crafted with care, and brought to life by local actors who gave voice to their communities.

FROM SCRIPTS TO SOCIAL CHANGE: PMC’S BREAKTHROUGHS AT ICFP 2025

Published November 19, 2025

This November, Population Media Center (PMC) stepped into the global spotlight at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP2025), joining thousands of innovators, practitioners, and champions working to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world.

With more than 95% of PMC’s programming focused on family planning, sexual and reproductive health, and gender equity, the conference offered the perfect space to amplify our impact, share breakthrough results, connect with colleagues, and spark collaborations with new and existing partners across every corner of the sector.

Molded by Stories: Clay Art in Nepal

Published July 15, 2025

In 2025, across Nepal’s Far West and Karnali provinces, stories once carried over radio waves began resurfacing in new forms, through sculpted clay, community conversations, and shared reflections shaped by memory and lived experience.

For many listeners, Population Media Center Nepal’s rebroadcast of its celebrated radio drama Mai Sari Sunakhari (“Orchid Like Me”) became more than nostalgia. It revived familiar voices and reignited dialogue, imagination, and self-expression in both expected and beautifully unexpected ways. Delivered in Nepali, Mai Sari Sunakhari explored issues that sit at the heart of daily life — child marriage, girls’ education, family planning, reproductive health, gender-based violence, maternal and child health, and women’s entrepreneurship.

By inviting communities to mold what they heard into something they could hold, PMC Nepal underscored a simple truth: stories don’t just teach. They live. They breathe. And in the right hands, they transform.