Growing Roots

Re-membering & Re-connecting Interdependence

About Us

Growing Roots is an initiative founded by three amazing people: Trudy Juriansz, Dishani Jayaweera and Sion Zivetz. We came together by chance and immediately connected around the idea of creating a living and learning space in Sri Lanka. The idea is to create a physical and psychological space where Sri Lankans and international guests can come together and open their minds, their hearts and grow towards the concept of interdependence. The beauty of our project is its diversity.

Sion and Trudy come with a passion and long practice of sustainability: organic, healthy, natural, delicious, abundant, spiritual and slow living. Dishani comes with a passion and long practice of innovation in the field of peace building and reconciliation: bringing people together, listening, nurturing, holding positive space, empathy, care and love.

We are walking a path to try and find a way to help people re-member (that is to put scattered pieces back together) and re-connect with a life that nurtures interdependence. We are looking at buying land in Sri Lanka’s lush hills, where we can grow fruits and vegetables, flowers and future leaders. We will host workshops that bridge themes, nurture a sense of belonging to the whole, and open hearts, minds and bloom inspiration.  We are guided by a love for our mother earth and a major part of our projects will be to grow trees, regenerate degraded lands and to bring back natural abundance to this island.

Why Natural Building?

The economic, environmental and human health costs of buildings go up every day – cement, fired bricks, steel rebar, toxic paint and asbestos roofing all go into modern homes. For hundreds of years such materials were unknown to humans, yet humans were able to build structures with bamboo, adobe, cob, stone and other local and natural materials. There are still thousands of buildings around the world that have stood for generations that were made entirely of natural materials. We are joining a global movement of natural builders and bringing these practices back.

In Sri Lanka it is still common to see homes build of clay, stone, palm roofing and and wood. However, as the country “modernizes” and people become financially wealthy, they choose modern materials over natural materials for their homes. Our ambition is to learn natural building and to demonstrate that it is possible to build beautiful, functional, healthy and long lasting structures from natural materials. Our goal is to model, teach and inspire.

Our Campaign

It's simple.  We are seeking your help so that Trudy and Dishani can go to Thailand and study natural building at the International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice. The course is for women only (otherwise Sion would have liked to join too) and will provide a space for Trudy and Dishani to not only learn natural building, but to connect with other amazing women from around Asia who will, hopefully, become our future partners, supporters and friends.  We need your help to be able to launch these two amazing women into a space where they will be inspired, where they will grow, where they will get their hands in the mud and learn new skills.

We are seeking $1,340 so that both Trudy and Dishani can attend this course. The breakdown of the budget is as follows:

Air fare (CMB-CNX-CMB): 2 x $370 = $740

Ground Travel in Thailand: 2 x $50 = $100

Course fees (including room & board): 2 x $200 = $400

Visa and miscellaneous: $100

Total: $1,340

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!