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Christmas with Grounds for Health

For the past two years, Bennetts have chosen to make a Christmas donation to Grounds for Health on behalf of our customers, as an alternative to adopting the hamper approach. In 2013 we will be donating to this significant organisation once more.


This year, our gift will contribute to the sourcing and purchase of one cryotherapy unit in the remote La Coipa district of Peru that will facilitate the treatment of 100 women who screen positive for cervical cancer.

Grounds for Health is a non-profit organisation that provides education and training for local healthcare professionals in coffee growing communities to facilitate cervical cancer prevention and treatment programs. Cervical cancer claims the lives of more women in developing countries than any other cancer, and ironically it is one of the easiest cancers to cure when caught early. Women in developing nations are no more susceptible to cervical cancer than those anywhere else in the world; however they simply do not have access to screening or treatment. Grounds for Health aim to create sustainable and effective prevention and treatment programs in coffee growing communities, with the ultimate goal to decrease the rate of cervical cancer. They focus on education and training as opposed to direct service, which greatly increases the number of women that can be reached and empowers community members to continue the work themselves after campaigns have ended, taking responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their communities.

Grounds for Health staff and volunteers collaborate with cooperatives, community members, and local health care professionals to increase awareness about cervical cancer, establish screening campaigns, and improve medical infrastructure. They educate communities in the Single Visit Approach, which has proven to be the most effective format to screen and treat cases of cervical cancer in low-resource communities. Offering all services in a single visit promotes efficiency and ensures women are given the best chance at combatting cervical cancer, many travelling several hours from remote areas to reach a screening site or clinic. The Single Visit Approach combines a Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and if necessary, cryotherapy. The VIA is a simple test utilising vinegar and cotton swabs to detect pre-cancerous cell changes. If a positive result is attained, a woman can be treated with cryotherapy the same day. Cryotherapy utilises nitrous oxide or carbon dioxide to freeze potentially pre-cancerous cells. The treatment is quick, cost-effective, non-specialized and does not require anaesthesia. The Single Visit Approach requires few resources and minimal technical equipment while offering immediate results, making it ideal for use in developing countries.

Grounds for Health regularly post updates on campaigns via their website. Bennetts will be following the progress of the La Coipa project in Peru and keep our customers up-to-date through our blog. We’re proud to be contributing to such an influential organisation and look forward to monitoring the impact at ground zero.

Visit the Grounds for Health website to find out more about the organisation, and follow Bennetts on Facebook and Twitter to receive updates on the Peru project and other community development initiatives we are involved with.  

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