AMSED's peer educator forum in Marrakech attracts attention of the Global Fund

16 January 2006

AMSED, the Alliance’s linking organisation in Morocco, organised a successful three day National Peer Educator Forum from 10-13 December in Marrakech to promote the role that peer educators play in driving and supporting the HIV response in Morocco. A total of 24 HIV-prevention organisations and over 100 peer educators from key populations attended the event.

The forum also attracted the attention of Global Fund board members, who were in Marrakech at the time for their twelfth board meeting. Board members met with peer educators, who described their work with marginalised populations and the impact the work has had on their own lives. They also learned more about AMSED’s partners and the populations they work with, and about AMSED’s PASA/SIDA programme, whose work includes supporting civil society’s involvement in HIV/AIDS work.

AMSED has been working with peer educators for many years, advocating for their important role in reducing the spread of HIV. Since 1999, both civil society and government institutions in Morocco have used peer education to reach populations traditionally marginalised from society — who are most at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

Peer educators worked closely with AMSED staff and other NGO representatives to develop the forum’s programme of activities, the main objectives of which were to:

  • create an enabling environment for peer educators to share their experiences working with marginalised populations
  • allow organisations and peer educators to share methodology and best practice in mobilising peer educators
  • discuss the importance of developing appropriate messages and approaches tailored to key populations.

The forum also provided the opportunity to review the success and progress of peer educators and identify areas for improvement.

Information, education and communication materials previously developed in an AMSED workshop were presented during the forum. Two theatre pieces were presented, one by women from a literacy programme, and the other on condom negotiating skills by sex worker peer educators from AMSED’s partner AOS/Khénifra. Film footage of successful HIV prevention interventions was shared.