Catching-up: Bhagya Rajapakshe
- Mpho Ramuada
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
From Sri Lanka to Deck Family Farm: Bhagya's Journey of Growth and Belonging
Former Deck Family Farm student Bhagya Rajapakshe travelled more than 13,000 kilometers from her home in Sri Lanka to join the farm in June 2024. As an agricultural sciences graduate with a passion for nature and farming, she had long dreamed of gaining hands-on agricultural experience, something she felt was missing from her university education.
Bhagya first learned about the SAGE Program while working as a Social Mobilizer for South Asia Partnership Sri Lanka. They partner with the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) to give their students more experience in the world of agriculture. Encouraged by the opportunity, she applied to Deck Family Farm, never imagining how much the experience would change her life.
Like many international students, leaving home was not easy.
Coming from a close-knit family, Bhagya admits that traveling all the way around the world was one of the biggest challenges she had ever faced. But from the moment she arrived, the Deck family welcomed her with open arms and made Oregon feel like a second home.
"Christine never allowed me to feel lonely," she recalled with a smile.
Throughout her year on the farm, Bhagya discovered that Deck Family Farm offered much more than practical farming experience. It became a place where she grew in confidence, found her voice, and learned the importance of trust, kindness, and community.
As someone who describes herself as an introvert, she found herself encouraged to speak openly, share ideas, and step beyond her comfort zone.
"The Deck family created an environment free of judgment where I felt safe to be myself."
One of the things that impressed Bhagya most was the family's approach to leadership. She admired the way everyone, including the children, was encouraged to contribute ideas and participate in discussions.
"It wasn't about controlling people; it was about guiding, supporting, and trusting them."
When people ask Bhagya about the greatest lesson she learned during her internship, she finds it impossible to choose just one.
"Every single day of that year taught me something valuable."
After completing her stewardship, Bhagya returned home to Sri Lanka, where she now works as Assistant Manager of Enterprise Development Services at Berendina Micro Investments Company Limited. BMIC is a non-profit-driven microfinance company focused on uplifting underprivileged and marginalized rural and plantation communities. Headquartered in Nawala, it holds the distinction of being the first microfinance institution licensed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Although her work no longer takes place on a farm, she continues supporting rural communities by helping small entrepreneurs build stronger and more sustainable livelihoods.
She says the lessons she learned at Deck Family Farm continue to shape the way she leads, communicates, and works with people from diverse backgrounds.
"The way I communicate with people, support my colleagues, guide teams, and work with individuals from different educational and social backgrounds has been greatly influenced by my experience with the Deck family."
Even today, Bhagya says that farm life still calls to her. She misses the quiet mornings, the animals, and the feeling of working closely with the land. One day, she hopes to build a farm of her own—one inspired not only by agriculture but also by the values and memories she carried home from Oregon.
In a heartfelt message to the Deck family, Bhagya shared perhaps the greatest reflection on her experience:
"You didn't just teach me how to farm. You taught me how to grow as a person."
We are grateful that Bhagya chose to spend a year at Deck Family Farm. Her journey reminds us that our education program is about much more than learning agricultural skills—it is about building people who have confidence, creating lifelong friendships, and discovering that home can sometimes be found on the other side of the world.
Wherever life takes Bhagya next, she will always remain part of the Deck Family Farm family.
