During the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka’s central province faced challenges in accessing nutritious food sources due to inter-regional transportation issues. During this time, many families resorted to home gardening to supplement their food supply. However, they were hampered by challenges including lack of funds to purchase quality seeds and fertilizers, lack of access to efficient agricultural tools and insufficient knowledge of the latest agricultural practices.

To support food security of vulnerable families and safeguard them from future shocks, UN-Habitat with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), provided home gardening support in the Badulla and Nuwara Eliya Districts.  Through the project “Strengthening Socioeconomic Resilience of Communities Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka”, 200 families were provided with agricultural tools, training, seed packs and plant cuttings to improve their home gardens. UN-Habitat worked closely with the Department of Agriculture and local Community Based Organisations to implement this initiative.

Women played a significant role in this intervention. Fifty-two women were selected as direct beneficiaries for home gardening support while others actively participated in managing home gardens with their spouses. By growing their own fruits, vegetables, and staple foods, beneficiary families managed to supplement their food supply with nutritious food items and significantly reduce grocery expenses. As women are often responsible for household food security, they were able to offer insights on the crops that would best meet their nutritional needs and how to organize the gardens for ease of maintenance.

Ms. Harini Gamage is a recipient of home gardening support from Kiriwaneliya village in the Nuwara Eliya district. She operates a small grocery shop adjacent to her house. Receiving home gardening support in July 2024, she successfully harvested beans, eggplant, snake gourd, long beans, and maize. Describing her experience, she said “Home gardening has not only provided fresh, healthy food for my family, but has also given me a sense of independence and satisfaction. Watching our crops grow shows us that with care and effort, we can nurture both our bodies and our spirit”.

As part of the support package, UN-Habitat provided families with cuttings of cassava and sweet potato, vegetable seed packs, as well as agricultural hardware items such as rubber hoses, perforated plastic bins, grow bags, blue nets and plastic compost bins. Customized training was designed and provided by the Department of Agriculture officers together with follow-up visits by UN-Habitat staff to enhance cultivation. Ms. Prriyanga Mohan, UN-Habitat’s Senior Project Assistant for Agriculture in Nuwara Eliya explained the many benefits of the initiative: “With home gardening, families can reduce the money spent on purchasing vegetables, which can be significant, particularly in low-income households as well as save on transport cost. The availability of fresh, chemical-free food helps reduce the risks associated with consuming pesticide-laden produce, leading to healthier family members”.

Training was provided to families on basic gardening skills, such as planting techniques, soil preparation, pest management, and crop rotation. In addition, training on recycling organic waste, such as kitchen scraps, to create compost or mulch by using the compost bin, wormy compost barrel (vermiculture), was also provided. Families also save seeds from their ongoing harvests to plant in the next growing season. This practice reduces the need to buy seeds annually and can help preserve heirloom varieties or locally adapted plants.

Fifty six year old Ms. Ariyalatha Weerasinghe, recipient of home gardening support recipient from Welimada in Badulla District has been engaged in agriculture with her husband for many years. “We have always been farming, but now we grow our food without chemicals, using compost. This has been a great economic advantage. I am grateful to the Agriculture Instructor for giving us training and to UN-Habitat staff for supplying materials and encouraging us.” She said. Ariyalatha and her husband are cultivating chili, tomato, beans, maize, and capsicum in their garden.

“This home gardening initiative has been a great support to the community. A major challenge faced by the families was the frequent damage to their crops by wild animals. The introduction of blue nets made a remarkable difference in protecting the gardens from wild animals. This initiative has not only improved food security but has also enhanced the resilience of these households.” Mr. Jayantha, the Economic Development Officer from Nuwara Eliya stated.

Ms.Priyadharshini Nirosha Dhanapala from Kiriwaneliya in Nuwara Eliya is a 46 year old self-employed entrepreneur producing handmade cloth bags and supplying food to school children. Discussing her home garden, she said: “Thanks to the gardening tools and equipment provided by the project, my work has become much easier and more efficient. I can now grow more crops in less time, which means better yields. The blue nets are preventing the crops from wild animal attacks” Ms. Nirosha has already harvested tomatoes, ridge gourd, chilies, cabbage, carrots, and maize and has started cultivating carrots, chilies, and tomatoes in the second round. UN-Habitat field team also provided logbooks for the families to record crop yields, monitor seed savings, and encouraged replanting after harvests.

From September 2022-December 2025, this KOICA-funded project is supporting local authorities and vulnerable communities to increase resilience and gain access to safely managed water supply, sanitation and waste management systems; and farmers and communities to improve their agricultural production. The home gardening component empowers vulnerable families to take control of their food sources, reduce their ecological footprint, and improve their food diversification. Home gardening has provided a valuable opportunity for women and children to participate in decision-making, skills-building, and leadership, thereby promoting gender equality and helping to break down traditional gender roles.