Having your own patch of green is therapeutic. Plants can bring infinite joy to those who nurture them. The joy of cooking a meal with freshly grown vegetables, fruits and herbs is boundless. For any nature lover, happiness is synonymous with being among the greens.
Embracing the challenge of bringing a garden to anyone’s doorstep, Bhagya Wijayawardane strives to improve the country’s economic conditions and provide the answer to the food security crisis that many Sri Lankan families are suffering from. She has developed the concept of growing one’s own food in a garden all year long in one’s apartment. Her brainchild ESHKOL Garden Works was born out of a passion for nature and sustainability and driven by a sense of patriotism after witnessing the traumatic conditions people face in their physical, social and economic spheres in life as a result of deadly climate changes, unemployment and escalating food price hikes. ESHKOL encourages methods like space-saving vertical farming and hydroponics making it possible to grow plants without soil.
 |
| With former British Prime Minister and Chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust Rt Sir John Major KG CH |
She was recently felicitated with the Queen’s Young Leaders Award for 2018. The event celebrates and supports exceptional youth from across the commonwealth, honouring them for their contribution in transforming lives in the community and beyond.
The malnutrition, stunted growth, absenteeism, increased number of drop outs, and lack of motivation to study in school children stirred Bhagya’s compassionate mind into finding an answer to these problems. The reason behind these issues is poverty and hunger.
“Not being able to have a decent morning meal to match the dietary requirements in children made me realise that if only the parents knew how a home garden can help them prepare nutritious snacks and meals for their children, it can create a livelihood opportunity for them as well as meet the nutritional needs of their families. A lot of farmers get into debt when buying supplies because they receive no proper support and face CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) due to negligence and lack of sustainable farming methods. We can improve the agricultural state and have access to affordable organic food as a community if we provide the farmers with the relevant knowledge and skills,” Bhagya elaborated on how the seeds of ESHKOL took root.
Deriving from the Hebrew term which means ‘cluster’ the name comes from Bhagya’s home where the experiment was carried out first. The team set to work armed with big plans for small spaces. They soon realized that if you possess the suitable equipment and knowledge, a growth trend to fill small spaces with a burst of plants and crops is possible.
“ESHKOL provides seeds and seedlings to low-income families. We supply them with plants, seedlings, raised-bed garden kits and other gardening supplies, hold indoor workshops on gardening, harvesting, preparing and preserving vegetables. We bring schools and communities together to uplift rural livelihoods in the Uva province by buying the supplies, encouraging locally grown fruits and vegetables,” she explained.
Due to the pesticides and artificial fertilizers being consistently associated with food these days going organic is a boon for your health.
“Growing your own food is not a complicated process. However, the majority think it is so. You don’t need to obtain academic qualifications to get there. Practice and knowledge about the soil, natural elements and gardening techniques can help you design a beautiful kitchen garden for yourself. It is delightful to make people realize that they too can make a fresh and nutritious feast out of the harvest without worrying about how much money is need to put together a healthy meal,” Bhagya opined.
She says that the most memorable and touching thing about her work is the fact that many people have opened up their garden spaces for ESHKOL to grow food for the less fortunate through their Food Pantries programme.
“They have done this willingly simple to support the community. Love and trust are the key ingredients that are needed as the foundation to build a community. It is beautiful to see how home gardening can help make it happen,” Bhagya mused.
The 29-year-old past pupil of Bishops College, Colombo, says that she is inspired by the beauty and the resources available in the country. She believes that one can get the best out of these by sustaining these elements. Her work on bringing about change to transform the world into a better place too fuels her energy.
She stresses that making people believe that they can overcome poverty and social insecurity if they learn to adapt and live a self-reliant life style is the biggest challenge she had to overcome.
“We teach them to put an end to extremism in communities by encouraging creative spaces for community gardening. People are invited to join hands, putting aside their differences, to work for the common good,” Bhagya said.
Queried on what kind of impact winning the Queen’s Young Leaders Award has made, Bhagya said that it has brought her work into the spotlight.
“I got to know some people who are deeply interested in my work and who are willing to collaborate with us. People have questioned me more, reached out to me seeking support to start their own projects and have shown their eagerness to help expand the projects to other areas of the country,” she expressed adding that she got the opportunity to meet globally renowned entrepreneurs like Jamie Oliver and Freddrick Oli.
“They are running their businesses simply to support the community. It was great to network and learn from them,” she reflected.
Her ambition is to build a more effective and sustainable urban youth farmers movement, where it will serve as a safe, heterogeneous and creative space for children and youth of the future to engage in critical thinking, improve their problem solving skills, life skills, and engage in vocational training in an interactive way. This will pave way for more green jobs boosting the country’s agricultural sector.
“Dream big. No dream is invalid, no one is invalid. There were numerous challenges I had to overcome but I didn’t give up. Develop the skill of perseverance. I only worked towards my passion, and didn’t use anyone around me to validate me or the work I do. We need every person to help our country progress. Your passion leads you to where you want to go. Don’t feel scared to take a risk, or experiment with something new. You can never become an entrepreneur if you ever have doubts about what you are doing. Be ethical and practice good moral and human values, even if people are against you. That makes you a better person. I’m doing my work because I think about my future and my children’s future. I don’t have any other country to flee too, and don’t want to, so if you believe that this is where you want to create a landmark for you and generations to come, do something that is beneficial for the community and yourself. Then you’ll be happy and can enjoy the great health and wealth that comes along with it,” she advised.
ESHKOL is conducting workshops and trainings these days. She invites those interested in following a comprehensive one-day program to join them. They also advice and provide technical assistance on request to help individuals start their own garden space with guaranteed results.
Add new comment