The Population Media Center spreads awareness about child slavery in Haiti through their radio drama Zoukoutap. Zoukoutap is a 78 episode serial drama that airs on radio stations in Haiti and addresses social issues such as child slavery. The drama educates listeners about Haiti's restavek system, where children are supposed to be placed with families to receive food and education but often experience child slavery instead. Zoukoutap gained popularity during its 10 month run, with over 1.5 million people listening to rebroadcasts and 700,000 tuning into at least one episode. The success of educating about child slavery led to a 156 episode sequel launching in May 2015.

1. By Bill Ryerson, Immigration
PMC Spreads Awareness about
Child Slavery in Haiti through
Zoukoutap

2. Introduction
 William “Bill” Ryerson is knowledgeable about
migration, both immigration and emigration. In
addition, Bill Ryerson has dedicated a majority of his
career to the Population Media Center (PMC), an
organization he founded and led as president for 14
years.
The PMC disseminates entertainment-education to
the masses to inform them about various social
issues. In October of 2015, the organization released
a statement regarding its serial radio drama
Zoukoutap, which addresses child slavery in Haiti.
Zoukoutap, meaning “to limp” in Creole, the
predominant language in the country, consists of 78
episodes. The story lines cover social issues as well
as health and environmental conditions.
In addition, listeners learned about Haiti’s restavek

3. Child Slavery in Haiti
 The system was created to help underserved families give
their children food, shelter, and education by placing them
with another family capable of providing essentials.
However, the reality of the system is that many children do
not receive these necessities; rather, they are forced into a
kind of child slavery.
The series initially aired in September 2013, with two
episodes broadcast each week on Radio One and Radio
Nationale. It gained in popularity during the course of its
10-month run and was later rebroadcast on more than 40
stations, including the popular media outlet Radio
Caraibes. An estimated 1.5 million Haitians listened to the
rebroadcast, of which 700,000 tuned in to one or more
episodes and 450,000 listened weekly. The success of the
child slavery educational piece resulted in the creation of a
156-episode sequel set to launch in May of 2015.