Early detection saves lives. This October, SafeCrop brought breast cancer screening and education directly to the women in our cocoa communities in Assin Fosu and Tepa, and to the girls who will lead those communities next.
Why SafeTober
The women who grow our cocoa carry their families and their communities. They spend their days on the farm, in the market and at home, and their own health is often the last thing on the list.
SafeTober is our answer to that. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we brought screening, education and care to the places where these women already are, so no one had to choose between a day’s work and her health. Caring for their health is part of caring for the harvest.
Assin Fosu: a day set aside for the women of Assinman
On Friday, 9 October, women of the Assinman Women’s Cooperative gathered at Assin Nuamakrom for a day built entirely around their wellbeing.
The day opened with breast cancer screening and education. Each woman was examined, and each one learned what early detection looks like, why it matters, and how to check for changes at home.
Then it went further. In one place, women could also access:
- Dental care
- Optometry and eye checks
- Ear care
- Medical laboratory tests
- Antenatal care
- Nutrition guidance
- Mental health support
A woman who came for one check could leave having looked after several parts of her health. The day was delivered in partnership with Whittaker’s and St. Francis Xavier Hospital, Assin Fosu, whose care teams made it possible.
Tepa: from the farm to the classroom
In Tepa, SafeCrop brought breast cancer screening and education to the women of the Anidaso Mmaa Cooperative Farmers and Marketing Society. Health professionals screened, counselled and answered questions close to home, in a setting where women felt comfortable asking what they needed to know.
We also took the message to the girls of Bomaa Senior High School, delivering breast cancer education and screening. Health awareness works best when it starts early. The next generation of women in our communities deserves to grow up knowing their bodies and knowing when to seek care.
Reaching both groups in one community matters. Mothers and daughters, farmers and students, now share the same knowledge, and that is how awareness spreads through a household and a town.
Thank you
Our sincere thanks to:
- Whittaker’s, for partnering with us on the Assin Fosu health day
- St. Francis Xavier Hospital, Assin Fosu and Duayaw Nkwanta District Health Directorate, and its care teams.
- Tachibana, for supporting the Tepa screening.
- Bomaa Senior High School, for welcoming us.
- The women of the Assinman Women’s Cooperative and Anidaso Mmaa Cooperative, for showing up for themselves and for one another
Healthy women make strong cooperatives. Strong cooperatives make strong communities.
Know your body. Get screened. Spread the word.
