As part of its efforts to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange under the Third Multi-Country Global Fund HIV Grant (MC MENA III), EMPHNET has launched the Learning Café, a platform that brings together Sub-Recipients (SRs), HIV actors, and other relevant stakeholders to share experiences, discuss implementation challenges, and explore practical solutions to common priorities.

Inspired by the concept of Knowledge Cafés, which organizations use to encourage open dialogue, share knowledge, and foster collaborative learning, the initiative creates opportunities for partners to exchange insights, build professional relationships, and learn from one another.

As the grant's Principal Recipient, EMPHNET introduced the Learning Café to strengthen coordination and peer learning among partners across the region, building on its experience in facilitating regional knowledge exchange and professional networking.

What's Brewing at the Learning Café?

The first session of  the Learning Café focused on social contracting. Held on June 22, 2026, the inaugural session brought together experiences from Morocco and Tunisia with an audience from across the region to explore approaches to advancing sustainable domestic financing for community-led HIV services.

The Association de Lutte Contre le Sida (ALCS), the SR in Morocco, shared the country's experience in developing social contracting mechanisms and preparing for a gradual transition toward domestic financing. Meanwhile, the Tunisian Association for the Fight Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS (ATL), the SR in Tunisia, highlighted its collaboration with national stakeholders to advance social contracting, develop national guidance, and strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations to access domestic financing.

Read more about how ATL is supporting the HIV response in Tunisia here.

The second Learning Café session, held on September 29, 2026, addressed safety and security in HIV programming, particularly for programs serving key populations. It featured experiences from Soins Infirmiers et Développement Communautaire (SIDC), the SR in Lebanon, alongside EMPHNET's work to strengthen safety and security practices across HIV programs.

SIDC shared practical approaches to protecting staff and service users during field activities, service delivery, and online outreach. EMPHNET also introduced its newly developed Safety and Security Framework, which provides practical tools for assessing risks, strengthening preparedness, and supporting safer program implementation. The session further highlighted EMPHNET's ongoing efforts to develop Arabic HIV terminology guidance that promotes appropriate and non-stigmatizing language.

Discussions explored how organizations can balance safety, confidentiality, access to services, and accountability requirements, while adapting their practices to different operational and legal contexts.

Through the Learning Café, EMPHNET continues to facilitate regional knowledge exchange, connect HIV actors, and support adaptive grant implementation. With biannual sessions planned, the initiative provides an ongoing opportunity to share practical experiences, strengthen collaboration, and support more sustainable, community-led HIV responses across the region.

The conversations are just getting started! Stay tuned for more insights and experiences from upcoming Learning Café sessions.