The most common question Dil gets asked on a daily basis is “where are you from?” The answer is not quite straight forward as Dil often jokes “there is nothing straight about me!”
Dil was born in Rome to Sri Lankan parents and moved to Sri Lanka when she turned 12. At 17 she was asked to leave the family home because being gay was unacceptable to her Jehovah’s Witness parents. At 21 she moved to Bahrain to work for an international airline as a flight attendant. Finally, she arrived to the shores of Ireland at the age of 25… just over 11 years ago. Dil is now a naturalised Irish citizen and proudly calls Ireland her home. So be warned the next time you ask Dil where she is from make sure you have plenty of time to hear her answer!
Like many migrants, Dil started from scratch, her first job in Dublin was as a kitchen porter back in June 2000. Then she progressed into recruitment and training. She started her own training company in 2006 Diversity & Equality Works.
Now Dil is a broadcaster, journalist, social entrepreneur and stand up comedian with a simple vision – to live in an inclusive and equal Ireland.