Growing-up in Kinshasa, DRC, with the help of BG+

In urban Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), adolescent girls and boys face significant barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including minimal or no education on their rights, widespread gender-based violence, and a lack of access to information and services. Adolescence represents a critical window for intervention before most youths become sexually active and gendered attitudes and behaviours are normalized.

The Bien Grandir Plus (BG+) project integrated a range of activities focused on the SRH and rights of youth between the ages of 10 and 19. Via community-based organizations, the project directly engaged girls and boys through youth clubs (both in and out of school) to learn about puberty, healthy relationships, contraception, and to discuss and reflect on social and gender norms that influence their behaviours.

Check out the video to hear directly from boys and girls in Kinshasa on the impact of the BG+ project.

BG+ acknowledged the importance of parents shaping the perceptions and behaviours of their kids. By engaging and working together with adolescents, parents, community leaders and teachers, the project improved inter-generational communication about puberty and sexuality, increased knowledge and fostered more equitable social and gender norms. Health centres were also able to offer services that incorporated the needs and preferences of adolescent girls and boys.