SANA is Supporting the Mental Health of Women Coffee Farmers

All images courtesy of SANA.

When Lucia Bawot published We Belong: An Anthology of Colombian Women Coffee Farmers in March 2023, she never imagined it would inspire her to launch SANA, an integrative psychosocial program providing mental health care and wellness for women coffee farmers across Latin America.

Bawot had committed to sharing proceeds with the women featured in her book, but simply sending money felt too transactional. 

“At that point, I had built really strong relationships with the women and their families,” Bawot recently told Daily Coffee News. “They’ve given me way more than I could ever have imagined.”

Bawot wanted something more meaningful — something that honored the deep connections she’d formed. During her interviews for the book, many women shared stories they’d never told anyone before. 

“It felt like those interviews and spaces almost resembled therapy sessions,” Bawot said. “Of course I’m not a psychologist, but it had the same vibe. The women felt safe and were able to open up. Emotionally, it was hard for them and for me.”

Bawot decided to donate the funds to a mental health organization that could continue creating safe spaces for these women to share their voices. She wanted something that was high quality and prioritized the social and cultural contexts, while also being online for accessibility. 

Unable to find an organization that fit, she created her own, partnering with two Colombian psychologists. In 2023, 39 Colombian women participated in Beans to Mind, a pilot program offering teletherapy sessions, virtual education, group workshops and community support — all led by local licensed psychologists.

A year later, Bawot interviewed the participants to assess the program’s impact. Their responses moved her. 

“I was so surprised because they remembered everything so clearly,” Bawot said. “They were able to say, ‘I’m still using this,’ or, ‘I’ve been able to improve the relationships with my kids or my partner.’” 

The results spoke for themselves: 100% of participants said the therapy helped them feel heard and supported, 92% said it resolved life challenges, and 85% valued the remote access, noting they felt more comfortable expressing themselves without travel barriers.

“This work was over a year ago, and they still remembered it,” Bawot said. “It felt like this was my calling.”

Referencing the word for health in Spanish, SANA officially launched June 23, offering a five-month program designed to reduce mental health stigma, break cycles of silence and provide safe spaces where women can share their stories without judgment.

The program combines multiple approaches, including a virtual curriculum with psychologist support, teletherapy sessions with licensed Colombian psychologists (including three phone surveys and two 60-minute sessions), and in-person group workshops focusing on therapy themes, wellness tools and community building. Ten percent of participants receive extended three-month care.

As it launches, SANA aims to enroll 120 Colombian women coffee farmers in 2025. Supporters can sponsor one woman with a $25 monthly donation or a full group for $250 monthly, with the nonprofit Bean Voyage serving as fiscal sponsor, making donations tax-deductible.

The ambitious year one goal follows a relatively straightforward mission. 

“We want [women] to be healthier,” Bawot said. “We don’t want to heal them or diagnose them. We want them to be healthier, considering where they are, what they know, and what they can learn from themselves.”

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