PCI-Media Impact made important strides in 2012 working with communities around the globe to address some of our world’s most entrenched problems. Over the course of its 27 years, Media Impact has developed a sophisticated understanding of population-related issues and the inter-connectivity of population with poverty, health and the environment.

1. With your help, PCI-Media Impact made important
strides in 2012 working with communities around
the globe to address some of our world’s most en-
trenched problems. Over the course of its 27 years,
Media Impact has developed a sophisticated un-
derstanding of population-related issues and the
interconnectivity of population with poverty, health
and the environment. As population pressures grow,
the impacts on poverty, health and the environment
in action deepen. Media Impact addresses the root causes and
full scope of the problems facing vulnerable commu-
nities through several entry-points: the need for fam-
ily planning, sustainable development, biodiversity
conservation, and alternative livelihoods. In this way,
our programs aim to create models where we can
all live in dignity, and harmoniously with the natu-
ral world. An informed and empowered citizenry,
across the world, is integral to reaching a sustainable,
healthy future.
As we reach the close of 2012, we are pleased to share
with you, and celebrate, the advances we have made,
2012
the partnerships we have developed, and the prom-
ise of improved lives and stronger communities. We
are honored and thrilled to carry-out this work, and
excited to further deepen our impact in 2013.

2. Mexico Peru
Deepened Partnerships & TransMedia Preventing Teenage Pregnancy & Promoting
Programming Reproductive Health
2012 saw the fruition of a successful partnership with the Teenage pregnancy is a virtual epidemic in Peru. In the city of
State Government of Chiapas, Mexico. Media Impact pro- Cusco alone, one in five young women has been pregnant at least
duced the radio drama Corazón de Mujer (The Heart of a twice before her 20th birthday. Adolescent use of contraception is
Woman), a 40-episode radiodrama, focused on women’s below 2.6%, and illegal abortion is on the rise. A significant issue
access to government health services and legal rights. The remains that the government ofPeru blocks access to reproduc-
program was rebroadcast on more than 50 radio stations in tive health services for youth under age 18. To address these
Argentina, El Salvador, Spain, Panama, Dominican Republic issues,Media Impact and UNFPA partnered to launch My Youth -
and Peru. The success of Corazón de Mujer set the stage for My Community, a program designed to reduce teenage pregnancy
production of Media Impact’s first Latin American television and promote sexual and reproductive health to more than 59,000
drama, Mucho Corazón: Donde el Amor Florece. The 36-epi- young listeners in Huamanga and Pucallpa, Peru. The program
sode drama and accompanying television talk show began reaches a secondary audience of 450,000 parents, teachers and
airing on February 2012 on Canal 10, complimented byongo- adults. The program works to strengthen the capacities of teen
ing promotion through the State of Chiapas radio and televi- and youth Advisory Councils, teenage pregnancy prevention orga-
sion networks. Rebroadcasts have been airing on Television nizations and other program partners to use communications and
de America Latina (TAL) and its 23 channels throughout Latin Entertainment-Education to promote the sexual and reproductive
America, as well as airing in the United States on Mexicanal health rights of youth, especially the right to access information
and Mexico TV. A new partnership with Women’s World and sexual education.
Banking enabled the production team to include empower-
ing storylines focusing on financial literacy for women. The Our objective has been to build and empower a community of
program is a critical success, with survey research underway students, parents and decision makers who believe it is impor-
to measure impact. The great success of the TV series has led tant for youth to have sexual and reproductive health care and
to the production of Mucho Corazon, the movie. It will be the accompanying rights. 400 students ages 14-18, from six schools
first movie production for Media Impact. in Huamanga, Peru were surveyed about what they learned from
the radio drama, Cuando el Amor Agarra (When Love Grabs Hold),
and the accompanying talk show ZonAdolecentes (KidsZone). The
results have been impressive! Out of those students, 84.6% said
they had heard of the sexual education promoted in the drama,
compared to 64% before program inception.32% said they were
aware of the safe environment provided by the sexual and repro-
ductive health services at Huamanga Hospital (compared to 14.5%
in the baseline survey) -- 87% of these respondents said they had
learned this through the radio drama!. Media Impact recently
signed a 5-year contract with UNFPA to deepen our work across
the country. We are also putting the finishing touches on a book
thatarticulates our methodology and work in Peru, which will be
published in 2013 by UNFPA. This program has won first place in
Latin America and is among the top five global practices in the
Contest of Best Practices in Adolescence and Youth!

3. Liberia
Liberia & Gender Parity: A Pre-Requisite for
Growth and Reproductive Rights
Women are the healers and caretakers of any society: invest
in a woman and you invest in children, in families, in com-
munities, in economies, in education and more. It is well
known that gender parity builds healthy, viable, democratic
societies. Communities devastated by war and poverty need
women who are strong and well, who can, in turn, build safe
and stable communities well into the future. In West Africa,
Caribbean a continent divided by bloody civil wars, the use of rape as
a tool to split apart families has been used increasingly in
recent years. Liberia, a West African nation, suffered two
Raising awareness of HIV, climate change and bloody civil wars during the past twenty years. At least 70%
biodiversity conservation in 15 countries across -- and as many as 92% -- of Liberian adolescent girls and
the Caribbean women have experienced some form of sexual violence. Be-
tween January and April 2009, 61% of the 275 cases of sexual
The world is increasingly more connected, and so are its prob- violence involved girls younger than 12. Many are infants.
lems. In the Caribbean, a region which has the second highest
HIV and AIDS prevalence rate outside Sub-Saharan Africa, the To address these grave issues, Media Impact has been work-
impact of increasingly dense island populations on fragile island ing to build key partnership and alliances to launch a long-
ecosystems, as well as the detrimental problems around climate running program. UNICEF-Liberia has signed on as a co-
change, continues to affect millions in the region. To address this implementing partner for a nascent, joint program. We are
range of issues, Media Impact has launched My Island - My Com- pleased to share that two micro-programs have launched in
munity, an ambitious, multifaceted behavior change campaign 2012: Media Impact has contracted with a local Hipco musi-
targeting the crossroads of population, health, and the environ- cal artist, Takun J, to write and produce two songs denounc-
ment across 15 island nations of the Caribbean. This large-scale, ing rape and sexual violence against women and children.
first of its kind, program aims to shift behavior and cultural The songs were recently launched at a joint event for an au-
norms with regard to climate change, biodiversity conservation dience of 7,000 on November 24th, at a stadium in Monro-
and HIV. The centerpiece of this program is a 208-episode radio via, with the Noble Peace-prize winning President of Liberia,
drama entitled Callaloo, airing in 15 island nations. This program Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in attendance. Media Impact is also
breaks the insular nature of initiatives in the region by working partnering with a local, Liberian organization, TOUCHING
with over 60 partners throughout the Caribbean to address these HUMANITY IN NEED OF KINDNESS (THINK) to imple-
issues through the drama, supporting radio programs and mobi- ment a story-based program for victims of sexual violence.
lization campaigns on each of the islands. We have just aired our Media Impact is working closely with THINK’s existing
90th episode of Callaloo, completed a mid-term evaluation, and program, providing cameras and trainings for a “PhotoVoice”
are working towards launching campaigns on 5 islands in 2013. project, wherein women can work to tell their important
stories, and share their perspectives, which we anticipate to
be hugely impactful. Through this micro-program, we aim
to slow the spiral of violence and abuse by providing women
with a voice that can be heard on an international level, as
we mean to promote their stories online and through exhi-
bitions, where possible.

4. United States
Our CURRENT PROGRAMS
Empowering New York’s Inner-City Youth
New York City is the largest school district in the world,
with more than one million students in more than 1,700
public schools. The district contains some of the country’s
lowest performing schools: students experience challenges
at home and in their communities, while low student en-
gagement and a lack of student representation in decision-
making processes have contributed to the urgency of the
situation. To address these challenges, the My School - My
Community program, made possible through the generosity
of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has been working to mo-
bilize students, parents, community members and educa-
tors to create positive changes within school communities
and beyond. Students not only have the opportunity to
participate in the conversations from which they are often
excluded, but also take steps to shape the very nature of
the dialogue about issues that profoundly affect their lives.
Students identify issues that are relevant to their lives and
produce communication campaigns to address them target-
Corazon de Mujer (Mexico) My Water - My Community (Peru)
ing their school communities. Some of the issues identi-
Green Gabon (Gabon) My Western Chimpanzee – My Com-
fied have included teenage pregnancy, homophobia, gang munity (Sierra Leone and Liberia)
Hen Mpoano/Our Coast (Ghana)
violence, bullying, gossip, school cleanliness, respect, school My Wildlife-My Community (Tanzania)
Mobilize 4 Africa (Liberia)
spirit, stress and drug abuse. In 2012 - 2013, Media Impact Not For Sale (Bolivia)
Mucho Corazon (Mexico)
is partnering with 11 schools to guide students and teachers STEWARD (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Libe-
My Chimpanzee – My Community
through a standards-based Entertainment-Education curric- (Rwanda) ria, Sierra Leone)
ulum that encourages student participation in the narratives My Gorilla – My Community (Nigeria Strong Voices-Strong Women (Peru,
and Cameroon) Colombia and Bolivia)
of their own lives – to tell their own stories, influence policy
My Island – My Community (Carib- Sustainable Fisheries (Belize)
makers and gate keepers, and importantly, to be empowered
bean region) Voces Nuestras/Our Voices (Bolivia)
to begin to change their lives and circumstances. Media Im-
My School – My Community (New Youth and Sexual Reproductive Health
pact is pleased to bring our methodology “home” to benefit York City) (Peru)
young children in need. My Tiger – My Community (Laos)

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Tel: (212) 687-3366
info@mediaimpact.org www.mediaimpact.org