Non-profit organisation SANA has launched a new social-impact initiative to provide an integrative psychosocial program focused on mental health care and wellness for women coffee farmers across Latin America.
The launch of the program comes after a successful trial in Colombia, named Beans to Minds, in which 39 women coffee farmers and pickers were offered teletherapy sessions, virtual education, group workshops, and community support delivered by local licensed psychologists.
From the trial, 100 per cent of participants reported therapy helped them feel heard, supported, and guided, while 92 per cent reported they resolved personal or family challenges. Of the farmers, 85 per cent valued the remote access and noted more comfort in expressing themselves and the elimination of travel barriers.
SANA Founder Lucia Bawot, a Colombian-born author and photographer, says working on her book, We Belong, highlighted the challenges coffee farmers face in accessing mental health services.
“In my work documenting women in coffee farming communities, I kept hearing the same quiet but urgent message,” says Bawot.
“They were carrying so much – and had so few places to put it down.”
Women make up 31 per cent of the coffee production workforce in Colombia, yet continuing gender inequities including unpaid labour, income gaps, domestic violence, and a lack of leadership opportunities continue to impact their mental health, according to SANA.
Cultural stigma and a lack of access to health services also contributes to the issues. Most Latin American countries spend less than two per cent of their health budgets on mental health, much of which is concentrated in urban areas.
SANA’s five-month integrated psychosocial program aims to provide a virtual educational program delivered weekly along with three one-on-one calls to build rapport and collect key data. Two 60-minute one-on-one sessions with licensed psychologists alongside ongoing text and audio support is also provided through the program, with 10 per cent of participants receiving a further three sessions.
Finally, in-person workshops tailored around the most mentioned themes during teletherapy sessions aim to blend education, interactive activities, and group connection.
“When women are emotionally healthy and heard they not only care for themselves, they ripple that strength out to their families, their communities, and the future of coffee itself,” says Bawot.
Leanis, one of the coffee farmers who took part in Beans to Minds, has praised the transformative impact the program has had on her.
“This program helped me overcome obstacles I didn’t even realise I had, which was a huge step forward both personally and professionally,” she says.
“I confronted the hidden sadness that had weighed me down since childhood. The experience was truly transformative – not just for me, but for my family.”
