Launched by Colombian photographer Lucia Bawot, the daring program seeks to bolster the psychological and emotional well-being of ladies at origin.
BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Images courtesy of Lucia Bawot
Within the coronary heart of Colombia’s coffee-growing areas, a quiet however highly effective motion is reshaping the dialog round sustainability in espresso. It’s not about new tools or climate-resilient varietals, however one thing way more human: emotional well-being.
Meet SANA, a pioneering psychological well being initiative based by Colombian photographer and storyteller Lucia Bawot, and championed throughout borders by Diana Ayala Gómez of Worldwide Girls’s Espresso Alliance (IWCA) Spain. Designed particularly for ladies in espresso farming communities, SANA addresses one of many trade’s most uncared for points: the emotional toll of life and labor within the espresso provide chain.
A Legacy Past the Lens
Lucia’s path to founding SANA started behind the digital camera. For over a decade, she traveled throughout Latin America, documenting sustainability tales for main espresso firms. Nevertheless it was throughout the creation of her debut e-book, “We Belong: An Anthology of Colombian Girls Espresso Farmers,” that one thing shifted.
The e-book—now award-winning and internationally exhibited—options portraits and vignettes from 25 girls espresso producers. However as Lucia performed interviews, she observed the conversations going deeper than anticipated. “What started as interviews typically was emotional releases,” she says. “These girls wanted greater than visibility—they wanted areas to heal.”
Moved by these encounters and her personal experiences with psychological well being, Lucia launched a pilot program in 2023 referred to as Beans to Minds. Funded largely by proceeds from her e-book, the five-month program supplied digital remedy, training, and group assist to 39 girls in Colombia. The outcomes have been putting: 100% of individuals mentioned they felt heard, supported, and guided; 92% reported resolving private or household challenges.
Constructing on that success, Lucia formally launched SANA—a scalable, integrative wellness initiative that she hopes will attain hundreds. “Psychological well being is on the coronary heart of gender fairness,” Lucia says, “and it should be a part of the sustainability agenda for each espresso firm.”
Contained in the SANA Mannequin
SANA is structured round a culturally acutely aware five-month curriculum that features teletherapy periods, audio-visual training delivered through WhatsApp, and one in-person group workshop. With a most of 40 individuals per cohort, this system is deliberately intimate and responsive.
For a lot of individuals, SANA marks their first expertise with any type of psychological well being assist. Somewhat than medical language, this system emphasizes emotional resilience, self-awareness, and company.
“We don’t speak about diagnoses,” Lucia explains. “We speak about strengthening emotional capability. We’re creating areas the place girls can reconnect with themselves—and one another.”
The choice to ship assist just about was each logistical and philosophical. Psychological well being assets are scarce in rural Colombia, and stigma typically prevents girls from looking for assist. By providing companies remotely and privately, SANA lowers the obstacles to entry and respects the rhythms of the ladies’s every day lives.
“We’ve discovered that remedy by telephone or video really makes it simpler for a lot of girls to open up,” Lucia says. “They will do it in their very own area, on their very own phrases.”
Breaking the Silence, Collectively
For Diana Ayala Gómez, co-founder of IWCA Spain, Lucia’s imaginative and prescient struck a deeply private chord. “After I heard the voices of the ladies in (Lucia’s e-book) ‘We Belong,’ I felt seen,” Diana remembers. “It jogged my memory how hardly ever we speak concerning the emotional realities of girls in espresso.”
With over a decade of expertise throughout the worth chain, Diana has witnessed firsthand how emotional labor typically goes unrecognized—particularly in roles historically occupied by girls. A latest MBA program deepened her understanding of the systemic nature of gender inequities and emotional isolation within the espresso sector.
Via IWCA Spain, Diana helped amplify SANA’s message, connecting it to broader worldwide conversations. “This isn’t simply Lucia’s mission—it’s turning into a shared mission,” she says. “We’re creating bridges between producing communities and the worldwide espresso world.”
And the resonance is rising. IWCA chapters in Greece and past have voiced robust assist, and a multilingual webinar is underway to deliver the dialog to a wider viewers. “Psychological well being isn’t a luxurious,” Diana provides. “It’s a necessity for resilience, dignity, and sustainability.”
The Tales Behind the Numbers
SANA’s affect is finest understood via the voices of the ladies themselves. One participant describes how remedy helped her launch repressed unhappiness and reconnect together with her household. One other shares how unprocessed stress was affecting her bodily well being. “These periods got here on the good time,” she explains. “They have been actually therapeutic.”
The ladies assist one another via devoted WhatsApp teams, forming micro-communities of belief and solidarity. For a lot of, the expertise is transformative not simply personally, however socially. They emerge not simply as more healthy people—however as leaders inside their households and communities.
What’s Subsequent
In 2025, SANA goals to enroll 120 girls in Colombia and develop to different Latin American nations within the years forward. The group can be exploring tailor-made psychological well being assist applications for male producers. “Our imaginative and prescient is that psychological and emotional well-being change into simply as important as bodily well being and financial stability—that they change into a part of how we measure sustainability in espresso,” Lucia says.
And for these seeking to get entangled, the invitation is evident. A one-time donation of $25 can sponsor a lady’s full participation in this system. Organizations can sponsor whole cohorts and obtain detailed affect stories.
“It’s greater than possible the espresso you drank right now was touched by the palms of a lady,” Lucia says. “Supporting her well-being will not be charity—it’s justice.” To study extra or donate, go to SANA’s web site.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a main deal with the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate individuals about baristas and their work.
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