Dilantha Perera's Story

Home Gardening for Healthier, Longer, Better Lives

For Dilantha, daily exercise and meditation were always a part of his routine. However, about 2 years ago, during the pandemic, he discovered a new hobby that would not only support his mental wellness but also have a positive impact on his community.

Home gardening was something he took up during the pandemic when he had a lot of time on his hands. Dilantha found that gardening gave him peace of mind and helped him de-stress during those difficult times. He started with a small garden, growing different plants and testing various techniques. With time, his garden grew, and he began growing organic vegetables and lovely flowers too.

During the pandemic, Dilantha wanted to prioritize his health, and he decided to grow his own vegetables at home. He used his organic produce for his day-to-day meals, which helped him maintain a healthy diet.

Dilantha spends at least 30 minutes gardening after work, which helped his mental wellness. AIA HR’s team also encouraged employees to garden at home and organised several webinars and training sessions for employees. This further reinforced Dilantha’s habits – which earned the tile of Green Champion by HR, recognising his efforts in promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

He went on to include his family in gardening, which gave them quality family time. His children loved gardening, and he shared his organic produce with his neighbours and extended family. Looking at how home gardening was helping Dilantha both in his physical and mental wellness, his neighbours also started home gardening patches at home.

Today, almost all the houses down Dilantha's lane have a vegetable patch, and those families have also started home gardening. What started as a pandemic hobby for Dilantha has now become a community movement, promoting sustainable practices and supporting mental and physical wellness and Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.