Population Media Center

The Periodic Newsletter of Population Media Center November 2007

Fistula in – The Facts

•Fistula is mostly preventable and treatable, yet 400,000 - 800,000 women in Nigeria suffer from fistula, and 20,000 new cases are added each year •Nigeria has one of the highest NIGERIA - “Fistula Voices” fistula prevalence rates in Africa uilding on the success of PMC’s drama in The PMC training team used the information •The problems are greatest in the BNigeria that dealt with the issue of obstetric that they gathered about the participants on northern states fistula, PMC-Nigeria conducted a one-week the first day of the training to help shape the •Fistula usually occurs when training workshop called “Fistula Voices,” curriculum for rest of the workshop. The a young, poor woman has an during the last week of October. The goal of the remainder of the training consisted of a variety obstructed labor and cannot get a “Fistula Voices” is to use the power of the media of different training exercises for the participants Caesarean section when needed and community mobilization to change attitudes that would help them to become effective fistula •The woman can be in labor for and behaviors that lead to fistula. spokespeople within their communities. Other five days or more without medical exercises throughout the week included: What Each of the workshop participants had help. The baby usually dies. If is Fistula?; Community Mobilization to Prevent experienced fistula at some point in her life, and the mother survives, she is left and Treat Fistula; Interpersonal Communication as a result of this experience, were selected by with extensive tissue damage to Skills; Behavior Change Communication and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) to Mass Media; and Media Skills Workshop. her birth canal that renders her become team members for the “Fistula Voices” incontinent (UNFPA Campaign training and community mobilization project. to End Fistula). •Unaware of their ability to get The participants were trained to be community treatment, these women are mobilizers and educators. Outreach by women usually thrown out of their homes who have undergone fistula repair and return to and unable to find work their communities can help to spread awareness Connolly Scott by Photo about fistula treatment and prevention. These Attitudes and Behaviors in outreach workers can be role models providing northern Nigeria that increase hope to other women who are suffering from the risk of Fistula fistula. Each of the participants practiced telling their •Average number of children The training began with the theme of sharing stories on camera. Here, all the participants desired by Katsina women is 7 stories. Each woman spoke about her own are gathered together to watch their video •More children equals more fistula experience. This was followed bya clips and learn from each other. respect “community mapping” exercise that allowed The training team included Dr. Ibrahima Sane •Early marriage is common; girls trainees to draw their village (with crayons) from and Mr. Daour Wade of Africa Consultants are married at 15 years old or their perspective (location of mosques, hospital, International (ACI), Dr. Scott Connolly of younger and poor houses.). PMC Headquarters, Dr. Anita Omubaya of •Little knowledge about PMC-Nigeria. The training was organized contraception by PMC-Nigeria Country Representative Mr. •Men make decisions about Tony Asangaeneng and his staff in the Ibadan, antenatal care Nigeria office. The “Fistula Voices” project •Pregnant women are supposed is being carried out at the same time as PMC’s to maintain modesty and not ask second radio serial drama, Ruwan Dare, which about pregnancy is serving four northern Nigeria states. •Low status of women This drawing is by Usaina, one of the workshop •Isolation during pregnancy Funding for the workshop was provided by participants. Here she shows where she lives and where health services are located in her community. UNFPA-Nigeria.

President’s Message

would like to pay a special tribute to my dear friend and mentor, His areas of interest included: evolution; entomology; endangered I Yale University biology professor Dr. Charles Remington, who species and extinction theory; world population and the passed away this year at age 85. environment; insular evolutionary ecology; speciation theory; and forest insect ecology. His multiple interests were tied together by As a professor for over 40 years, Charles’ his holistic view of the world and his concern with the health of concern and commitment to the issues of the globe’s ecological systems. His passing has left a profound population and environment inspired many void in the fields of population and ecology. who had the privilege of being introduced to the breadth and depth of his knowledge I am deeply saddened by Charles’ passing. I am honored to about ecology and evolutionary biology. He have had the opportunity to learn from him. Charles served as was a leader and innovator, notable for being Dr. Charles Remington my graduate advisor at Yale University from 1967 to 1971. He among the first to integrate his curriculum played a major role in my decision to enter the field of population. with other disciplines. One such groundbreaking course was “World I will always remember him for his encyclopedic memory and his Population and Environmental Issues.” fascinating lectures.

As an early leader in the population field, Charles co-founded Zero Charles’ work lives on through the work of his students and the Population Growth in 1968 with Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich various population and ecological organizations he founded and and attorney Dick Bowers. He later went on to chair the ZPG helped to guide during his career. Foundation. His passion and belief in the necessity of population stabilization influenced his students to become involved as activists, as evidenced by the more than 200 student members in the Yale ZPG Best Wishes, chapter by the time of the first Earth Day in 1970. Since 1998, he served as a valued member of Population Media Center’s Program Advisory Board. William N. Ryerson

information and tools to prevent infection remain limited. Only 13% of women aged 15-24 have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and only 8% of women 15-49 years old use modern contraceptives.

One serial drama, funded by USAID, will be written and Photo by Francine Aubry Francine by Photo produced in Wolof, and broadcast nationwide throughout . This program will address USAID/Senegal’s core themes of reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, child survival, and malaria prevention.

The second serial drama, funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will be written in the Pulaar language for broadcast in the UNFPA target region of Matam. This program will target youth and will focus on HIV and STI prevention, and SENEGAL sexual and reproductive health. The Matam region has been identified by UNFPA as a priority region, having a high need for Population Media Center has received funding from USAID and youth health interventions. UNFPA-Senegal for two radio serial dramas that will go on the air in January 2008. For the USAID program, PMC is a subcontractor to the Agence pour le Développement de Marketing Social (ADEMAS), which Senegal is one of the 50 least developed countries in the world. implements USAID/Senegal’s health social marketing activities. With an average fertility rate of 5.3 children per woman. Many of For both programs, PMC is working in coordination with RAES the factors that help to improve development, such as education, (Réseau Africain de l’Education pour la Santé) based in Dakar, healthcare, infrastructure, and a thriving job market, are constrained Senegal and the University of California, Los Angeles, School by the burgeoning population. In addition, while Senegal has been of Public Health. fairly successful in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS, accurate PMC ACQUIRES RARE RADIO

n October 1, 2007 Population Media Center (PMC) PMC is also excited to welcome Alleyne Regis as our new Regional Oacquired Rare Radio and its professional staff. Formerly a Director for the Caribbean. Previously Alleyne served as the part of the Rare Center for Tropical Conservation, Rare Radio Technical Director of Rare Radio. Alleyne brings fourteen years has used the Sabido methodology to promote family planning of experience with Rare Radio, where he has worked to create very and environmental conservation in the Eastern Caribbean and successful radio serial dramas in the Caribbean and the Western the Western Pacific. In the 1990s, at the inception of Rare Pacific. Radio, PMC President Bill Ryerson and Honorary Chair David Poindexter provided Rare with the technical training in the Sabido methodology, and PMC trainer Tom Kazungu provided technical support for Rare’s program design.

The acquisition of Rare Radio by Population Media Center will provide Rare Radio with access to expert trainers and technical staff. To date, Rare has aired programs Photo by Alan Locher in the Caribbean islands of Saint Lucia, Antigua, Here Alleyne Regis works with local actors on the island of Dominica, Grenada, Palau to produce the radio serial drama, “Changing Tides” and St. Vincent. Rare Alleyne has coordinated the production, broadcast and evaluation Radio also produced of more than 800 episodes of three radio soap operas in nine island and broadcast a nations in the Caribbean and Western Pacific. He also produced Photo courtesy of Rare Radio regional program in the a how-to-manual, Reaching Out Through Radio: A Guide to Micronesian island nations of the Western Pacific. Programs Producing Soap Operas with a Family Planning Message (1998). in both regions addressed a combination of conservation issues He is co-author of Effects of an Entertainment-Education and family planning for island residents. Radio Soap Opera on Family Planning And HIV Prevention in St. Lucia, which appeared in International Family Planning The acquisition will provide PMC with greater worldwide Perspectives in December 2000. coverage, including fully established programming, trained personnel, and writers. The projects Rare has carried out have been highly successful in changing attitudes and behavior with Development News regard to reproductive health and environmental conservation. very special tax break comes to an end on December 31 this Acquiring Rare Radio will provide PMC with the opportunity A year, so here is one last reminder. It might be a powerful to expand into more populous areas and problem sites, such as tool for minimizing your taxes, if you fit all the qualifications. Indonesia and . It has to do with your IRA that has presumably been funded with pre-tax dollars. Normally, any withdrawal from your IRA (including the required annual minimum withdrawal) is treated (and taxed) as ordinary income. If you will be at least 70 ½ years old on the day you make the gift, you may donate up to $100,000 from your IRA to your choice of qualified charities, free of federal tax. What’s the catch? The transfer of funds must be done by the custodian of your IRA; you can’t withdraw the money and write a check yourself. This does not count as a tax deduction but it doesn’t count as taxable income either. There are Photo by Alan Locher other details you should be aware of, so we suggest you talk to Radio Workshop in St. Lucia your tax planner to be sure this is a good idea for you. About Population Media Center Population Media Center is a non-profit, non- governmental organization working worldwide with broadcast and print media to promote Suite 2011 population stabilization by encouraging the use of family planning, safe sexual practices, 145 Pine Haven Shores Road and elevation of women’s status. Population Shelburne, VT 05482 Media Center is headquartered in Shelburne, Vermont, and maintains branch offices in , , India, , , , , Nigeria, the , , Senegal, and .

BOARD OF DIRECTORS EARL BABBIE, Hot Springs Village, AR VIRGINIA CARTER, Redondo Beach, CA BRENDA FEIGEN, Los Angeles, CA BRAM KLEPPNER, Burlington, VT WILLIAM N. RYERSON, Shelburne, VT

STAFF AND ASSOCIATES WILLIAM N. RYERSON, Founder & President CECILE GUIDOTE ALVAREZ, Philippines Senior Advisor TONY ASANGAENENG, Nigeria Country Representative KRISS BARKER, Vice President for International Programs MUSA MOHAMED SALIH BEIRAG, Sudan Country Representative JERVASE CHAKUMODZI, Country Representative ROCHA CHIMERAH, Rwanda Country Representative SCOTT CONNOLLY, International Programs Manager MAGGIE CUDANIN, Philippines Country Representative FARA DIAW, Senegal Country Representative KATIE ELMORE, Development and Communications Manger SONNY FOX, West Coast Representative EL MOUCKTAR HAIDARA, Mali Country Representative ROSE HAJI, Radio Trainer, Tanzania HAMSATOU IBRAHIM, Niger Country Representative SHASHI KANT KAPOOR, India Country Representative TOM KAZUNGU, Director of Radio Production Training, Kenya ANAMELI MONROY, Mexico Country Representative DAVID POINDEXTER, Honorary Chair ALLEYNE REGIS, Caribbean Regional Director WILLIAM RIDER, Finance Director CHANTELLE ROUTHIER, Office Manager , Consultant IBRAHIMA SANÉ, Trainer MARCIO R. SCHIAVO, Brazil Country Representative WENDI STEIN, Program Assistant NEGUSSIE TEFFERA, Ethiopia Photo by Katie Elmore Country Representative “I have five children and all of them are girls. A doctor told me that I had a very serious medical PAUL UGALDE, Director of Development DAOUR WADE, Trainer problem, and he warned me that I would die if I continue to give birth to children. My husband, however, insisted that I continue to bear children for him. As you know, bringing up one child is a big EDITOR problem nowadays let alone five children. InYeken Kignit, I heard how a couple ought to discuss such Katie Elmore matters and also that there are medicines to control childbirth. I repeatedly talked with my husband on CONTACT INFORMATION the subject of family planning. After that, we agreed that henceforth we would have no more children Population Media Center and we would do our best to give proper care to those we have. On the basis of the advice you gave 145 Pine Haven Shores Road, Suite 2011 us in the radio drama, I went to the nearby clinic and received counseling services. Now I am taking Shelburne, VT 05482 U.S.A. birth control injections regularly. I have regained my health. Your program, therefore, has benefited Telephone: (802) 985-8156 Fax: (802) 985-8119 my husband and me and the family as a whole.” Email: [email protected] Web: www.populationmedia.org - Letter from a listener to PMC-Ethiopia’s drama, Yeken Kignit