AgriAbility Initiative uses Gardening to support Mental Health and Rehabilitation
PWDs
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – 05 May 2026 – A new initiative led by The Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Therapists Association (TTOTA) is putting gardening at the centre of mental health care. The programme, known as the Agri-Ability Initiative, is designed to support psychosocial rehabilitation through home gardening and sustainable practices at the St. Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.
Funded by the Digicel Foundation in collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the programme equips clinical and non-clinical staff, clients and patients with practical skills in kitchen gardening, composting and recycling. Using occupational therapy as a hands-on, holistic intervention, it helps individuals build routine, purpose and life skills through engagement with nature.
Participants were trained to establish and maintain their own gardens, while funding has enhanced therapeutic spaces, including a dedicated garden at the hospital.
The initiative also addresses broader challenges such as high unemployment among persons with mental health conditions, limited access to rehabilitation opportunities and rising food costs. By introducing sustainable agriculture practices, it creates pathways for personal development and economic participation.
“At the Digicel Foundation, we look for projects that solve real problems in lasting ways. The Agri-Ability Initiative delivers exactly that. Using gardening and sustainable practices as part of mental health support is truly innovative and leaves participants with skills they can carry into life beyond the programme,” said Penny Gomez, CEO of the Digicel Foundation, at the launch event held at the St. Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital on 29 April.
“This project may appear to be just another agricultural initiative, but at its core, it is a form of psychosocial rehabilitation. When supporting persons with mental health diagnoses, we focus on the whole person,” said Khamara-Lani Tarradath, President of the TTOTA. “Gardening and food are common denominators; we all interact with them, so agriculture serves a larger purpose in supporting rehabilitation and reconnection for persons living with mental health conditions.”
Delivered in partnership with the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), the programme is already being integrated into outpatient mental health services at the Pembroke Street and Diego Martin health clinics, alongside inpatient care at the St. Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.
The TTOTA’s long-term vision includes collaboration with other agencies to strengthen advocacy, reduce stigma and build public awareness around mental health and rehabilitation.