COFFEE farmers are set to benefit from their good work following plans by Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Initiative Joint Venture Enterprise (KNCI-JVE) to provide cervix cancer observation and treatment through mobile clinic services.
The good news was released here by KNCI-JVE General Manager Gabriel Ollomi, saying the move would be one of the advanced health programmes that have been provided to its members engaged in organic coffee farming for more than eight years now.
KNCIJVE is implementing the project in collaboration with a NonGovernmental Organisation providing Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information, education and services in Tanzania – UMATI and Zensho Group of Japan.
The latter, which is the main purchaser of KNCIJVE’s coffee, will finance the mobile health clinic project.
“This programme will be implemented by KNCI JVE in collaboration with UMATI and Zensho Group of Japan. The latter will finance the mobile health clinic project,” he said.
According to Mr Ollomi, KNCI JVE popularly known as the G-32, had in the past eight years run successful health programmes based on mother and child health care that has been fully financed by Zensho group.
“After the successful mother and child health care services, we have decided in collaboration with our two partners in UMATI and Zensho to embark on mobile clinic cervical cancer observation and treatment project, which would help our members, most of whom are involved fully in coffee farming, especially those residing from rural areas,” he noted.
Mr Ollomi disclosed that the mobile clinic was meant to support women who play important roles in coffee production, especially in its early stages due to the fact that they are the ones who are mostly affected by cervical cancer when infected, compared to their male counterparts who are affected indirectly through their spouses.
“This mobile clinic programme will be conducted in all the villages with whom G 32 works during the coffee crop season,” he said.
Commenting on Zensho group’s involvement, Mr Ollomi said it was due to the fact that the Japan based institution decided to set aside part of its income to finance health services in areas which G-32 operates.
“Zensho group is our client who purchases most of the organic coffee which we collect; therefore they decided to allocate funds which helped us embark on health services which started with mother and child health care services,” he said.
Mr Ollomi attributed the successes in the health services programme which has led to the KNCI JVE members been subject to health services to the production by its members of good organic coffee and of the highest quality a move which has impressed its buyers.
G32 has embarked on mobilizing its members from all Agricultural Marketing Co-operative Societies (Amcos) under the former’s umbrella to increase organic coffee production, due to the fact that it fetches better prices in the market.
