CHOLUTECA, HONDURAS - Fyffes is continuing to do its part for the greater good of its Honduran community. The banana provider and its Honduran melon subsidiary Sol Group launched a series of ‘Community Medical Brigades’ to reach community members and seasonal workers surrounding their farms during the off-season.
“In September 2021, we conducted a Community Needs Assessment, interviewing 900 people from 14 different communities in the region surrounding our melon farms in Choluteca,” Sustainability Manager and Project Leader Michael Fletes commented. “Community members told us that medical infrastructure in the region was not adequate. This project is especially important for women with underlying diseases whose opportunities to access medical services are limited and must leave the community to seek medical assistance, having to invest additional time and money to do so.”
One of the main reasons to implement the new Community Medical Brigades is to extend medical care to community members, particularly temporary workers who find it difficult to access the medical clinics on the farms during the off-season.
According to the release, the Community Medical Brigades are expected to reach a minimum of 1,000 people—approximately 500 children and 500 adults over 40 years of age—with symptoms of seasonal illnesses and/or diagnosed with underlying illnesses.
Fyffe’s health project began in July in Colonia Buena Vista, Marcovia, where 79 people have already received medical care. The project will then be extended to another 14 communities in the areas of Choluteca and El Paraíso in the coming weeks.
“We believe that this project will allow us to better understand current health challenges and, in the future, evolve toward programs with a more preventive and awareness approach for our prioritized communities,” continued Fletes.
Sol Group has four medical clinics on or near its farms in Honduras—three in Choluteca and one in Ojo de Agua—with three doctors on the payroll and five ambulances paid for by the company. Additionally, Fyffes brought on three new ambulances this year, as well as four nurses who are contracted during the season.
The Community Medical Brigades include health awareness talks, prevention medicine, care focused on underlying diseases and common seasonal conditions, and awareness of the benefits of vaccination against COVID-19.
How will Fyffes and our industry continue to take care of those that bring fresh produce to our tables? Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we cover the latest developments in our fresh world.
