Fyffes' Melon Business Offers Medical Aid to Honduras Community; Michael Fletes Comments
HONDURAS - The summer of 2022 was a momentous one for Fyffes and its winter melon business Sol Group. In July, the supplier launched its Community Medical Brigades program to help 15 communities surrounding its cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon farms in Honduras. This was developed to supplement the medical clinics provided by Sol throughout the winter season, which includes five doctors, four nurses, and five ambulances in the regions of Choluteca and El Paraiso.
“Fyffes and Sol Group are committed to support the local communities from where we employ over 5,000 seasonal workers and 400 permanent workers,” Fyffes Sustainability Coordinator Michael Fletes said. “Access to medical treatment is a human right, and we are pleased to be able to contribute to meeting the communities’ needs during the summer off season.”
The Community Medical Brigades consisted of teams of at least one doctor, one nurse, and one pharmacist that conducted weekly visits to each community to provide primary care, awareness and prevention talks, and donation of medications. According to a press release, the most prevalent medical conditions treated by the brigades included hypertension and diabetes as well as other common conditions. Of the 750 individuals who were helped by the program, the largest proportion of beneficiaries were adult and elderly women, followed by adult men and children.
Fyffes conducted a needs assessment in the community in 2021 and 2022, and many of the surveyed residents indicated that the medical infrastructure in the region was not adequate. Other projects initiated as a result of the assessments included supplying fresh fruit to a primary school’s nutrition program, installing sanitation equipment in a primary school so children could return to education post-COVID-19, a summer corn planting program to provide off-season employment and access to nutrition for seasonal workers, as well as an ongoing gender equality training program.
We tip our hats to Fyffes for its ongoing efforts to support its local communities.
