From beans to big dreams: transformative home gardening in Sri Lanka

Above: Madushika and her family gather produce from their home garden, which is now a source of income and nutritious food for the family. Photo: Sarvodaya

Madushika is a mother of two who lives in a rural village of Bibile, Sri Lanka, with her family. Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response in Sri Lanka, known locally as RISE Lanka, Madushika has not only improved her family’s food security: she has embarked on a journey of personal growth and transformed her home garden into a source of income.

Above: Madushika cultivates long beans in her home garden. Photo: Sarvodaya

The RISE Lanka response was aimed at addressing the economic, food security and livelihoods challenges facing Sri Lankans following the COVID-19 pandemic and national economic crisis.

Implemented by World Vision in partnership with Sarvodaya, a local NGO, the response rolled out integrated home gardening activities for 600 vulnerable families across five districts. Through its interventions on nutrition, 5,346 individuals, including 2,100 women like Madushika and 3,157 children, were trained and supported on home gardening and preparation of nutritional food with locally available resources, provided pre-school meals, and access to awareness sessions on nutrition and dietary diversity for pregnant and lactating women.

Before her involvement in the RISE Lanka home gardening program, Madushika had never pursued formal employment and enjoyed being a homemaker. The home gardening initiative equipped her with the skills needed to produce nutritious food for her two children, while also instilling in her the confidence to venture into selling her produce.

The cultivation of long beans in her garden has now become a source of sustainable income for her household, transforming her role within the family.  With the income generated, she can now purchase essential goods for her children, ensuring their basic needs are met.

The success story goes beyond financial independence; it reflects a journey of self-sufficiency and empowerment.

Madushika acknowledges how the home gardening program helped her break barriers -- especially traditional gender norms for women as homemakers. She hopes other women in the community will be inspired by her efforts. It has also sown the seeds of self-reliance, resilience, and a brighter future for both herself and her family.

RISE Lanka is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.