Developed under the FCDO-funded WISH programme, MSI DRC’s “Straight Talk” (Bosolo Nde in Lingala) initiative provides adolescents with frank, honest information about sex, relationships, contraception and safe abortion. The approach includes events and one-to-one conversations led by MSI “Big Sisters”.
MSI Big Sisters are peer mobilisers, recruited from local communities, and are just a few years older than the intervention’s target group, adolescents. Each Big Sister is connected to a mobile sexual and reproductive healthcare provider (an MSI Lady). Together they provide tailored sensitisation programmes and information, to build awareness of sexual and reproductive healthcare among young people, as well as youth-responsive services.
An evaluation of the pilot found that MSI Ladies supported by the Big Sisters saw a 53% uplift in the number of adolescent clients and a 25% uplift in overall client numbers. The Straight Talk approach has now been scaled up beyond Kinshasa, and learnings have been shared with the new government peer mobiliser programme.
